Amritsar, February 16
The Congress party is trying to divide the Sikhs on regional lines by weakening the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

The Congress was supporting the creation of separate gurdwara committees in other states for political reasons.

Sukhbir Singh Badal, president, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), told reporters today that the move on a separate gurdwara committee in Haryana was a step in this direction.

He said the SGPC was keeping people of the community united so that they could fight govenments for their legitimate rights.

Having a dig at the UPA government at the Centre, the SAD chief said increase in the prices of steel and fuel would slow down the development in the country, especially Punjab where industry was already in dire straits.

The SAD-BJP combine would seek one-time special package for the debt-ridden farmers, tax exemption for the industry on the lines of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal and other states and for revamping the 125- year-old irrigation infrastructure in the state.

He said a one-time package was necessary to waive loans of farmers in debt. Punjab farmers were producing 65 per cent rice and wheat in the country, but were not getting proper remuneration for their produce.

He said though the Centre was importing wheat at Rs 1,700 per quintal from outside, it was not ready to offer a good price to its farmers.

Pressure of the SAD made the Central government raise the price of wheat from Rs 750 per quintal.

He said the Punjab government needed Rs 3,000 crore to 4,000 crore to revamp the 125-year-old irrigation system in the state.

Muktsar, February 16
Initiating reforms in its educational institutions, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has, for the first time, decided to scan teachers' proficiency and their teaching aptitude through a written test while recruiting them.

Discarding the traditional procedure of just panel interviews, the SGPC's newly established directorate of education will hold a written test on Monday (February 18), to fill 50 posts in nine schools, for which 2,000 applicants were registered today at three different centres.

Guru Nanak Girls College at Muktsar, Mata Gujri College in Fatehgarh Sahib and Guru Ram Dass Senior Secendary School, Amritsar, have been entrusted with the task of conducting the examinations for the nine new schools of the SGPC which will become functional from April 1, SGPC director of education Dr Gurmohan Singh Walia said.

"The recruitment of teachers will purely be on merit basis and in a transparent manner," Dr Walia said, stressing that his office would not succumb to any kind of recommendation or influence in the recruitment procedure.

"Since all nine schools will be CBSE-affiliated and English medium, the teachers' proficiency, understanding of English language and teaching aptitude in their respective subjects are being assessed through this written test," he said.

Irrespective of the new trend of the appointment of teachers on contract in government schools of Punjab, the teachers being recruited in the SGPC-run schools will get salary on par with the CBSE schools elsewhere, Dr Walia pointed out.

The results would be out within a week and 200 of these candidates would be short-listed for interview, he added.

The maximum number of 1,470 applicants today got themselves registered at Guru Nanak Girls College here, as seven out of these nine upcoming primary schools have been established in the Malwa belt, and one each at Natala village in Kapurthala district and Guru ka Bagh border village in Amritsar district.

Sangrur, February 16
For five elderly persons, the local Shiv Shankar Birdh Ashram, set up by a social worker Dasu Ram more than eight years ago, is their home, as they have no shelter to spend their remaining life having been abandoned by their sons.

Besides, a woman aged 80 has also been living in the ashram for about five years, while a 75-year-old person is residing with his son. Listening to the stories of these persons, one could easily assess their misery from their faces.

One of these elderly persons is Bhagwan Singh (80) from Kal Banjara village (near Lehragaga), who has been living in the ashram for the past three years despite the fact that he has two sons.

In a representation to the deputy commissioner recently, he stated that his one son had taken possession of his house by ousting him from the house, due to which he had been residing in the ashram for the past three years.

He has requested the deputy commissioner to help him in getting the possession of his house. Talking to The Tribune, another person Pritam Singh (85) from Rampuraphul said he had three sons, but none of them was ready to keep him. He said he was here for the past two years.

A local resident Dayal Chand (70) said he had been living in the ashram for the past about four years. Though he had two sons, no one came here even to meet him.

Another elderly person Om Parkash (75) from Tohana town in Haryana is here for the past about three months, as his son also does not want to look after him.

Sarup Chand (75) from Sangherra village (near Barnala) said he had been forced to reside in the ashram for the past one year, as his son had sold his house by getting his signatures on one pretext or the other.

An elderly woman Mohinder Kaur (80) from Namol village (near here) is in the ashram for the past more than five years. She has also no one to look after her. She is seriously ill.

Besides these six persons, Pritam Singh (75) has been residing in the ashram along with his son, as they had no house to spend their life. His son helps other elderly persons by way of cooking food and doing other works.

Talking to this reporter, president of the managing committee of the Shiv Shankar Birdh Ashram Mohan Sharma said the ashram was being run on donations, as the monthly expenditure of the ashram was around Rs 10,000.

He said elderly persons were given food, milk, tea, clothes and free medicines. He also said that the Sangrur deputy commissioner had arranged a doctor for these persons who would visit the ashram every Saturday to examine them.

Bathinda, February 16
There was a ruckus in the local Civil Hospital today when a gynaecologist, who was about to perform hysterectomy on a woman, accused an anaesthetist of clicking objectionable photographs of a patient in the operation theatre (OT) while the patient was unconscious.

Both doctors levelled serious allegations against each other that included charges of carrying out illegal sex determination tests, pornography, use of abusive language, bribery and other illegal activities in the hospital premises.

The incident took place in the morning when the anaesthetist, Dr Dipreet Kaur, administered an injection to a patient from Mansa Khurd village, as she was about to be operated for hysterectomy.

The patient was undressed and the anesthetist allegedly took the woman’s photographs with her mobile phone camera.

The gynaecologist, Dr Swapan Jeet Kaur, who had to operate upon the patient, asked the anaesthetist to desist from doing so. The verbal duel soon turned into a clash and the doctors were injured in the melee.

Dr Swapan Jeet Kaur said, “I stopped her from carrying out this illegal act, but she asked me to mind my own business and abused me. When I tried to snatch her mobile phone with which she was clicking photographs, she bit my hand and injured me.”

On her part, Dr Dipreet said, “I was not clicking any photograph. I was just trying to call a colleague of mine to inform that the surgery could be a risk to the patient as she was suffering from low blood pressure. Dr Swapan wanted to operate upon her despite my warning.”

“I accept injuring Swapan, but it was an act of self-defence as she had tried to strangle me,” said Dr Dipreet.

Both doctors have reported the matter to the police. However, many other surgeons and orthopaedists at the hospital confirmed that earlier too cases of misbehaviour by the anaesthetist had been reported.

Bukanwala (Moga), February 16
The family of the custodial death victim, Kewal Singh, has welcomed the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruling awarding Rs 10 lakh compensation to them.

Talking to TNS here today,they said though the loss of Kewal’s life could never be compensated, yet the money would be succour for providing quality education and shaping up the career of his two minor children.

Malkiat Kaur, widow of Kewal Singh, rued that battling for earning a livelihood had become an ordeal for her as she was never prepared for it.

Iqbal Singh, brother of the deceased, said his family was targeted for owing allegiance to a particular political party. He claimed that being leader of the Light Truck Union he had disseminated about threat to him and his family in a Punjabi daily.

He said probably on April 6 a case regarding the theft of fodder was registered at Sadar police station against six persons, including Kewal Singh, besides him.

He added that the next week another case under Section 307, IPC, was registered against him and his two brothers Nirmal Singh, Kewal Singh and his sister's son Resham Singh for inflicting life threatening injuries on Iqbal Singh, alias Deepa, and Balor Singh, alias Pappi.

He recalled that it was on April 21 that they were informed that Kewal had died. He claimed that bogus cases were filed against them and these must be quashed and the guilty punished.

He stated it was not correct that the court had rejected the stay application moved by the state and the matter was likely to be heard on the next date of hearing.

The matter was being represented properly and the state would articulate its stand before the court in subsequent hearings, he added.

Transport minister Master Mohan Lal and senior Congress leader Sat Mahajan also addressed the gathering.

Gonsgarh (Ludhiana), February 16
The shocking double murder of two NRIs in Moga on February 13 allegedly scripted by a Canadian NRI girl and executed by her brother and contract killers has sent shock waves among residents of this village who had seen the accused brother and sister growing up as decent youngsters.

The villagers are in a quandary on whether the two should be treated as heroes for taking revenge from a youth who exploited and ditched the village girl and now Canada-based Amanpal Kaur or the murder be condemned.

A close relative said though he had no information about who carried out the murder, the deceased NRI Jasbir Singh was even offered Rs 50 lakh by the family of the NRI girl Aman for marrying her, "The family had called up Jasbir offering him the money, arguing that he was marrying another girl in Nihalsinghwala, Moga for money only."

The village, where a rural sports meet was on when a Tribune team reached there, is known for its rich residents. Everyone in the village has an NRI connection while most members of nearly 20 of the 40-odd families are NRIs. The outpouring riches can be seen from big houses and villas. An acre of land is pegged at above Rs 30 lakh per acre.

One such huge house is of Punjab Singh, father of the accused. Though he is not named as one of the accused in the FIR, he is missing after the Moga police conducted raids.

The house is locked. His wife was admitted to a private hospital in the city after she complained of heart pain after the series of tense incidents.

His close relative and nambardar Assa Singh said he did not know if Aman and Sewak committed the crime, "We were shocked when a team of the Moga police raided the village in search of Sewak and his father Punjab Singh. It is unbelievable for us that Amanpal could do such a thing."

Assa Singh said though any murder should be condemned and killing was not the solution to any issue, at the same time youths who exploited a girl in the name of marrying her should be taught a lesson.

Darbara Singh, another Canada-based NRI and a resident of the village, said no doubt the incident had put the village in the news headlines for the wrong reasons, such youths who exploit girls would face gory revenge," I don’t know whether Aman and Sewak killed them or not, but we villagers put the honour of the family over other things."

He appealed to the Sikhs to remain united against any evil designs against
the Sikh community.

Chandigarh, February 16
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal decried the Government of India's decision for raising the price of petrol by Rs 2 per litre and diesel by Rs 1 per litre by immediate effect.

Coming down heavily on the Centre for this unwarranted hike in the prices of petrol and diesel, Badal said it would badly hit the farming and transport sectors in the state.

He said the Centre should have realised the pathetic economic condition of the farming community which was already in distress due to the high cost of agriculture inputs.

“The recent hike in the prices in petrol and diesel will further aggravate the woes of both the farmers as well as the common man,” rued Badal.

The latter should only shoulder the responsibility of managing the yatris and not interfere in religious matters.

Amritsar, February 16
The Khalsa Action Committee (KAC) has decided to rope in Hindus and Dalits so that joint action could be launched against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, who had allegedly imitated Guru Gobind Singh.

A meeting of KAC, held under the presidentship of Bhai Mohkam Singh, alleged that the Dera Sacha Sauda chief had not spared other religions also.

In a press release issued after the meeting, KAC convener announced that their peaceful struggle against the activities of Dera Sacha Sauda would continue.

Bhai Mohkam Singh alleged that some Sikh forces which had come to power after getting votes in the name of Sikh Panth had turned their back towards Akal Takht.

He said the manner in which the state government clamped prohibitory orders and stopped the Khalsa March of the Khalsa Action Committee at Bhai Rupa on February 10 was not only a violation of the democratic and civil rights of the Sikh people but also a denigration of the Akal Takht Hukamnama in this regard.

As this is a violation of the directive of Akal Takht Sahib, KAC urged the Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib to summon Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Badal for creating hurdles in the way of the Khalsa March.

Harcharanjit Singh Dhami, a former chief of the Dal Khalsa, sought explanation from the SGPC president Avtar Singh for his “studied silence” on the issue.