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3 abducted from local court
Kuka martyrs remembered
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Marriage palace receives threat
Punjabi flicks see
Awareness rally against Mealy bug
Cong responsible for CPI’s downfall in Punjab: Jagroop
Couple killed in road mishap
Gang of conmen busted, three held
Atta-Daal scheme failed miserably in state: CPI (M)
Privatisation of ITIs
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3 abducted from local court
Bathinda, February 19 Sources said the youths, Sanjeev Kumar, Manoj Kumar and Gaurav Bansal, were kidnapped from the court complex and whisked away in a white Indica car, in which they had come from Hanumangarh in Rajasthan. An eyewitness said that the Indica car, bearing the number HR25B-2051, stopped near Lake No.3 on the Bathinda-Goniana road at around 12 noon. A green coloured Innova, bearing a Faridkot number (which could not be clearly traced), was already parked along the roadside. Five persons were waiting in it for the businessmen who were accompanied by a single-star policeman in uniform. They first dragged the three towards the Innova and then fled towards Goniana. The alleged kidnappers also drove away in the Indica in which the businessmen had arrived. The role of the alleged ASI in the whole affair has raised eyebrows. One of the eye-witness was known to Sanjeev Kumar, as he had also stayed at Hanumangarh in their neighbourhood. He called up Sanjeev’s father and informed him about the incident. Veer Bhan, father of Manoj and Sanjeev, disclosed to the TNS that they had a money related dispute with a person from Tibbi town, Saheb Singh, in Rajasthan. He pointed the needle of suspicion towards Saheb Singh, and alleged that he wanted to extort money from them. But he said that he had not received any call for ransom. Veer Bhan said Sanjeev and Monoj were his sons while Gaurav was his nephew. About why the three had come to the Bathinda court, he said, “A false case of rape had been registered against them at the Raman police station. The woman in question was a maid at the house of the person in Tibbi with whom the dispute has been going on.” To investigate the matter, the Superintendent of Police (City), Naresh Kaushal, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Detective), Surinder Pal, along with the CIA staff, reached the spot. On being asked, the police officials said, “There are chances that somebody might have misused the colour of the police uniform and posed as an ASI. We have sounded an alert in all the surrounding districts.” |
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Kuka martyrs remembered
Bathinda, February 19 Rahul Tewari, deputy commissioner, Bathinda, was the chief guest on the occasion. K.P.S. Shahi, SDM, Bathinda, was also present. While speaking at the function, the deputy commissioner said Guru Ram Singh provided a religious, political and social vision through the movement and the Namdhari wave. At the function, speakers, Surjeet Singh Bhatti, principal of the regional centre of the Punjab Agricultural University, Satnam Singh, head of the Punjabi department of the regional centre of the PAU, Nirmal Singh Preet, head, Punjabi department, Rajindra College and Gurbachan Singh, threw light on the life and times of the Guru. They extensively spoke about the contributions made by the Kukas (Namdharis) towards freedom movement, including the non-cooperation movement. It is important to mention here that the Kukas were the first to launch the non-cooperation movement against the British by boycotting the English language, mill-made clothes and other imported goods. The Kukas even boycotted the postal system established by the foreign rulers. From the Namdhari sect, Harpal Singh, Surinder Kaur, Sarwan Singh Virk and Balwinder Singh, presented their views. Earlier, the DC released a pamphlet to mark the 150th celebrations of the Kuka movement, which bore the names of the 15 freedom fighters from Bathinda, who were also the followers of Namdhari sect. |
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Marriage palace receives threat
Bathinda, February 19 As per the information available, the warning, written in Punjabi language, was pasted on the wall of Papiha Palace. The warning said: “Agar eh party palace vich hoyi taan palace nu agg la ditti javegi.” (If the party takes place at the palace, it would be set on fire). The poster bore the name of the Ek Noor Khalsa Fauj, Bathinda, but did not carry anybody’s name or signature. Subsequently, the managers of the marriage palace, informed the persons concerned this morning. As per the information received, the reception party is for one Gubinder Singh, son of Naib Singh of Bathinda, to mark the fixing of his marriage to a girl from Dyalpura Mirja village. The father approached the police and gave a written application to the SSP. When the SHO, Thermal, Balwant Singh, was contacted, he said, “After clicking the photograph of the poster, it was removed. The investigation is on to ascertain the facts.” The police will also try to determine if the threat is a hoax, he added. It has been learnt that the reception plan has not been dropped and the district police has assured of providing adequate security on the day. |
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Punjabi flicks see a sea change
Bathinda, February 19 Now, slowly, the Punjabi film industry, which has already suffered at the hands of militancy, is showing signs of change with top producers and NRIs pumping in money for serious productions. Even production houses like Adlabs, T-Series, BAG Films, Shemaroo and Tips have entered the Punjabi film industry in a big way. If the two Manns (Harbhajan Mann and Gurdas Mann) and Jimmy Shergill are the current poster boys then Kulraj Randhawa, Mehak Chahal and Neeru Bajwa are the heart-throbs of the generation next, both in India and abroad. In recent times, director Manmohan Singh has made some good family movies for the Punjabis settled all across the globe. These include “Mitti Wajaan Maardi,” “Dil Apna Punjabi,” “Yaaraan Nal Bahaaran,” “Assa Nu Maan Watna Da,” and “Jee Aaya Nu.” Recently, he has once again launched his forthcoming movie that has been named “Mera Pind— My Home”, which would feature Harbhajan Mann as well as cricketer-turned-MP Navjot Singh Sidhu. Even singer Gurdas Mann’s movie “Yaariyan” is also being screened at various cinema halls in the state. Speaking to TNS over the phone, Harbhajan Mann explained, “Punjabi films do not make much money because the territory is small and the cost cannot be recovered. Now that Punjabi films are being screened in Canada, America and the UK, some money might flow in.” Punjabi film producer Inderjit Hassanpuri said, “There was a time when Hindi movie actors were playing major roles in Punjabi cinema. You even had the actors swaying in the fields to the rhythmic notes of melodious songs crooned by prominent singers. But the situation underwent a drastic change with militancy raising its ugly head in the state. Art and culture was, perhaps, the first casualty. Cinema also suffered a setback.” Movie director Iqbal Singh Dhillon, said, “In the recent past, the Punjabi cinema has seen some very good and serious productions like “Des Hoya Pardes,” “Mannat” and “Waris Shah.” Punjabi movie such as “Waris Shah” cost around Rs 8 crore while Harbhajan Mann’s “Jee Aayan Nu” and “Asan Nu Maan Watana Da” was in the range of Rs 5 crore.” |
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Awareness rally against Mealy bug
Bathinda, February 19 From Talwandi Sabo, the rally would pass through Sangat, Ghudda and Jangiraana and will reach Doda in Muktsar, where a public rally would be held. On February 21, the rally would leave Muktsar to and will pass through Jhabel Wali, Sarainaga and Rori Kapura, and reach Jaito. A state-level function would be organised at Jaito, following which the rally would head towards Faridkot via Kotkapura. The next day, it would depart from Faridkot and reach Muddaki Kalan, where a public function would be held. From there, it would move towards Daroli Bhai in Moga. The march would end at Daroli Bhai, where a public rally would be organised. The state agriculture department has appealed to the farmers, farmers’ organisations, NGOs, youth clubs, school students and people from all walks of life to participate in the rally. |
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Cong responsible for CPI’s downfall in Punjab: Jagroop
Muktsar, February 19 “Our party received a major jolt in Punjab during the last Congress regime when our two MLAs had joined the Congress and, thus, the future prospects of ties with that party (Congress) will be amongst the main agenda at the coming state convention,” Punjab CPI general secretary Jagroop Singh said in an interview with the TNS. Jagroop even said that the state leadership felt handicapped sometimes in the backdrop of the fact that decisions like electoral ties between the central parties were taken in Delhi as both the Left and the Congress had been traditionally the common political rivals of the right wing forces led by the BJP. The CPI state convention is being held prior to the party’s national convention at Hyderabad beginning on March 23. Acknowledging that the CPI drew a blank in the last assembly polls over a year back, the state party chief agreed that the party could not encash the people’s heavy resentment against the previous Amarinder Singh-led Congress regime and not even during the present Akali-BJP tenure as expected. “Policies like privatisation of education and healthcare, appointments on contract and petty salaries, special economic zones and the urbanisation of the agricultural land in a haphazard manner are simply being carried forward by the present Akali-BJP government from the previous Congress regime,” he said. Thus, he added, even the Congress was “feeling shy” in raising its voice against the Badal government as the same policies had also been adopted by the previous Congress government in the state. “The only issue left with the Congress nowadays is registering false cases against them,” Jagroop Singh said. Touching the other key areas, which would be deliberated at the state convention, he said that the unity amongst the Left forces like the CPI (M), CPM Punjab of Mangat Ram Pasla, MCPI and other smaller units would be necessary in Punjab where politics was now highly polarised. |
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Couple killed in road mishap
Fazilka, February 19 According to sources, Siya Ram (50), a peon at government middle school in the nearby Korianwali village and his wife Rama Bai (47), were going to village Ladhuka on a moped which met with an accident near a gas agency godown on the Fazilka-Ferozepur road, some three kilometers from here. Sources said the moped was hit by a speeding Bullet motorcycle at the rear. Siya Ram died on the spot while his wife succumbed to her injuries while on way to the hospital. Navjot Pal and Sukhminder Singh, residents of village Baghewala, who were driving the motorcycle, also sustained injuries and were admitted to the local civil hospital for treatment. |
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Gang of conmen busted, three held
Barnala, February 19 SSP Barnala, Parmjeet Singh Garewal, said that the police worked on a tip-off. A police party led by CIA staff held a check-post at Dhnaula road and arrested three suspects, who later confessed that they had obtained loans from banks and private financers by producing forged documents. They had also purchased vehicles from the loan money and sold them in open- market by dissembling its parts. Mahinder Pal Singh Shaukar, SP (D), said that the accused prepared documents with fake stamps of district transport office and fake registration copies to facilitate their sale. A computer was used for this work. During search, the police seized a computer, some stamps and forged documents from their possession. A big trailer worth Rs 11 lakh was also seized from their possession. A case under sections 420,467,468,471 and 120 of the IPC has been registered. |
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Atta-Daal scheme failed miserably in state: CPI (M)
Fazilka, February 19 Talking to media persons here, he said that as per a World Bank report about 1 million people are owner of 40 per cent of the total property while 50 percent of the population of lower strata own only 1.5 per cent of the property in the world. He further said that the development rate is 4 to 5 per cent at the global level where as country’s adopting the liberlisation policy was falsely putting it up at 9 to 10
per cent. He alleged that due to wrong policies of the previous Congress regime and the present Badal government the economic situation in state was in mess. Criticising the Atta Daal scheme of the Badal government, Singh alleged that the scheme has failed miserably. He said the proposed Akali Dal rally at Delhi on February 26 seeking waiving up of loans to the farmers was a positive step but he questioned the stand of Akali Dal on distribution of river water and merger of Punjabi speaking areas in Punjab. Later, he addressed a meeting of party workers. |
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Privatisation of ITIs
Barnala, February 19 The students of ITI (boys), ITI (girls), S. D. College, Barnala and Dr Raghbir Parkash S.D. Senior Secondary School observed complete strike. Protesting against the privatisation of the six ITIs, the students also blocked the traffic at Court Chowk, and staged a rally. The students got support from the Kranatikari Mazdoor Union, Democratic Teachers Front, Democratic Employees Front, Pendu Majdor Mukti Morcha, Bharati Kisan Union, Kirti Kisan Union. PRSU leader Navkiran said that the education was a costly affair. The poor section of the society was already finding it difficult to get higher education and now, with the privatisation of vocational education, even the middle class would find education to be beyond its reach. —OC
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Bathinda, February 19
Bathinda, February 19
