Jalandhar, February 21
Jagdish Singh, a tailor, migrated to Jalandhar from Kanpur after the 1984 riots but has not been able to procure a red card till date. Though he has been meeting the officials concerned again and again, nothing has materialised.

Gurdeep Singh, an anti-Sikh riot victim, working as a blacksmith, has been running from pillar to post to get a commercial plot at Rajpura. Despite being a red identity card holder and producing the required affidavits, he has not been able to get anything.

Twenty-four years after they were uprooted from their native places, Sikh families, which migrated after the November 1984 riots, are yet to receive rehabilitation packages from the Punjab government. The successive governments have done nothing except making promises.

Though the government took up the task of the resettlement of Sikh families which migrated to Punjab between November 1, 1984, and December 11, 1985, not much happened at the ground level. As a result, there are approximately 2,800 such families in Jalandhar alone which are still fighting for their rights. The government started issuing red cards to help these families. It was decided that district committees would be set up under the chairmanship of the respective additional deputy commissioner, with MLAs and representatives of the Danga Pirit Society to look into the problems of resettlement of riot-affected families. It was only after the production of the red cards that the victims could avail themselves of the facilities and concessions announced by the Punjab government.

Paramjeet Singh, an MCA student, maintains, “It has been more than 16 years since my father has been making the rounds of the district administration to avail some of the benefits announced by the government, but in the absence of support from the officials concerned.

It has been a long battle and the government seems to have turned a blind eye towards our genuine demands.”

However, even the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had announced in its election manifesto that it would extend all the facilities to the riot victims. A special provision to include all the families under the Nanavati Commission was also made, according to which each riot-affected family was entitled to a compensation of Rs 2 lakh.

General secretary of the 1984 Sikh Parvasi Sangharsh Committee Punjab Manmohan Singh Saluja says, “I know the Sikh families which have not been able to procure a red identity card despite having all the necessary documents with them. The officials concerned simply harass them on the pretext of asking for one document or the other.

“It was decided that in case a family had lost its bread winner in the riots in Delhi and other places between October 31 and November 7, 1984, one member of each family would be given employment in the state services, but nothing of this sort has happened,” he said.

Kapurthala, February 21
An awareness programme for self-employment opportunities under industrial motivation campaign was organised at ITI institute here today.

The function was held under the aegis of micro, small and medium enterprises development institute, an undertaking of the union government.

Addressing over hundred students of the institute, the assistant director of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) KL Bajaj laid stress on the need for generating self-employment avenues. MSME would impart required training to the youth interested in setting up their own ventures, he added.

Baja further said the students should contact MSME after completing their course from ITI and other institutes, as there was great demand for CAD-CAM operators.

Speaking on the occasion, another assistant director of MSME BK Chaudhary said the institute had already held around two dozen training camps in different districts of the state.

On the occasion, an official of district lead bank VK Sachdeva informed the participants in detail about different loan schemes for starting new businesses. ITI principal KS Dhillon also spoke on the occasion.

Jalandhar, February 21
The recent case of making a blue MMS secretly of a girl at a photo studio on the Ladowali road is a lesson for all those girls who easily fall prey to the allurement of their boyfriends.

Talking to The Tribune, SP (city I) S.K. Kalia warned the girls against falling prey to the allurement of their boyfriends, otherwise they might have to repent in future if such thing happens to them.

It has come to light with the arrest of the owner of Art Gallery Studio, Ladowali road, Jagjit Singh, also a block Youth Congress leader, that the girl was unaware that her blue MMS had been prepared with a hidden camera while doing sex with her boyfriend Gogu at the studio a few weeks back, the SP said, adding that later the MMS was circulated in the city.

While the owner of the studio was arrested but his servant Inderjeet and a former assistant Gogu were still at large.

According to police sources, Jagjit Singh claimed during preliminary interrogation that he had come to know about the entire matter after the preparation of blue MMS of the girl at his shop.

Jagjit Singh claimed that he was not at the shop when Gogu along with his girlfriend 
came there. At that time, his servant Inderjeet was present at the studio.

Gogu told Inderjeet that he wanted to take some still photographs of the girl and went inside the studio, he claimed adding that when the couple did not come out of the studio, Inderjeet saw from the ventilator that they were in a compromising position.

The SP said his claims were yet to be verified.

Meanwhile, an FIR under sections 292, 294, 120 B and 420 of the IPC was registered at police station number four in this regard.

Jalandhar, February 21
Known orthopaedic surgeon Dr Shubhang Agarwal wants that no accident victim should die due to lack of timely intervention as his father Bhupinder Agarwal succumbed to his injuries after his car collided with a bus coming from wrong side in Khamano on Chandigarh road on February 21, 2007.

On his first death anniversary, Dr Shubhang and his mother Kiran Agarwal formed an NGO, Hindpaul Usha Bhupinder (HUB) Research and Relief Foundation with the inspiration of their family guru Maharaj Bhuti Krishan Goswami from Vrindavan. The NGO will work for providing timely medical aid to the injured persons in accidents on the national highway in the city.

The NGO will launch a round-the-clock ambulance service within a fortnight for providing free medical aid on the spot, including administering splint and transit to the hospital for saving road victim’s life.

Talking to The Tribune, Dr Shubhang says the NGO will start three more ambulances in a few months for each of the four highways, Jalandhar-Phagwara, Jalandhar- Amritsar, Jalandhar-Pathankot and Jalandhar-Kapurthala.

The NGO has tied up with Satyam Hospital located near Kapurthala Chowk. The hospital authorities have agreed to provide free first aid to the injured persons who would be brought to the hospital in the ambulance of the NGO. He says talks are on with some other hospitals for getting such services.

Any person may inform about the injured persons in accidents at helpline number 4633333 of the NGO for the ambulance. Initially, a nurse and an assistant, excluding the driver, will be available in the ambulance.

However, later a certified trained paramedic will be included in each ambulance.

The UK-based Indian Orthopaedic Society will conduct courses for the training of paramedics during its members’ visit to Jalandhar within a next few months, he says.

As many as 10 lakh people die every year in the country in road accidents. The number of causalities in accidents in the city is also alarming. On an average, at least 240 persons die in accidents in a year, Dr Shubhang says, adding half of them succumbs to their injuries due to lack of timely medical help.

Jalandhar, February 21
The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) has hailed the independence of Kosovo from Serbian rule. Daljit Singh Bittu, chief of a faction of the SAD (A), said it would set a precedent for all those people who were struggling for independence under similar circumstances around the world. 

Bittu maintained that the people who wanted the right to self-rule must be granted the same as it was important for world peace. Similar struggles were being waged by Palestinians, Sikhs, Kashmiris, Nagas, Assamese and Mizos and hoped that they would also gain success. The age-old perception that boundaries of sovereign states could not change was outdated and did not suit the changed world order. The top leaders across the globe must understand that once the people were granted the right to decide their own destiny there would be no conflicts.

He said, “We have seen in the past century that only those states which were bound by nationalistic sentiments have survived and are at peace with their neighbours. Unnatural and forced borders cannot hold for long, irrespective of the quantum of force used by the rulers. Kosovo has proved this theory.

He hoped that the USA and other Western countries would support all such movements across the globe for long-term peace in the world.

Jalandhar, February 21
She is a painter sans palette and a brush. Devinder Makkar’s secret is a kit of six pens. The artist from Patiala was here to exhibit her paintings at Virsa Vihar on Thursday.

“It’s a unique medium because technically the isographic pens cannot be labelled as water or oil colours,” says Makkar, whose works focus on floral patterns. “A flower looks like an angel to me, gently swaying here and there in her innocence”, says the 32-year-old artist.

Since Makkar has a unique style, it takes long to complete a painting. However, Makkar does not mind it all. “After all, it lends an entirely different effect to my paintings”, she adds. Makkar’s paintings deal with different themes. “Some relate to mythological figures, others denote landscapes”, she informs. It’s her second exhibition in Jalandhar and she was again expecting a good response. “Coming from a typical business class family, I had never thought of taking painting as my occupation. But I got support from all quarters and had no problem in carrying on”, she adds. — TNS

Jalandhar, February 21
The class X and XII students of Hemkunt Public Senior Secondary School ( HPSSS) were given a farewell by their junior classes. Jaspreet Kaur and Daya Singh of class X were declared “Ms Hemkunt” and “Mr Hemkunt,” respectively.

Mandeep Kaur and Ankit of class XII got the title of “Ms Beautiful” and “Mr Handsome,” respectively. Chairman P.S. Jolly presided over the function and gave away prizes to students. A farewell party was also organised by the students and teachers of classes IX and XI of CT Public School for their immediate senior batches. The students presented a cultural programme, comprising dance, skit, folk songs and mimicry. Principal Lakhvinder Kaur wished the students good luck for their board examination. Prithipal Singh was declared “Mr CT Public School.” Himani Dheer was adjudged “Miss CT Public School.” Nancy and Manpreet Arora were declared “Ms Charming” and Kharakveer Singh was declared “Mr 
Handsome.”

Jalandhar, February 21
The 15th National Veteran Table Tennis Championship being organised by the Punjab Table Tennis Association began at the Corporation Table Tennis Hall here today. The venue turned out to be a meeting place for the veterans who gathered from across the country for this four-day-long event.

The players, both men and women, have been divided in different age groups of 40 plus, 50 plus and 60 plus. On the first day of the championships, players above 60 years of age were seen playing the game with panache. Only the women team had participants above 40 years. As many as 475 master players from 25 states, 
including two institutes, have come to participate in the championships.

For the veterans it was another wonderful experience enjoying the game with some of their old pals and renowned table tennis players. Says Tomba Lavishram, a Manipur-based player, “It is good to see even the veterans getting a chance to play in the national level championships. Perhaps this is the only game in which even the senior citizens also get a chance to play. And at a stage when majority players stop playing the game it actually become part and parcel of their lives. I think such championships should be held on a large scale to give boost to the game”.

And so far as the spectators were concerned, the Corporation Table Tennis Hall saw a good number of women and some budding players watching the championships. Excited over the game, 14-year-old Shruti said, “I have been learning this game from my father who is an avid table tennis player. The game is a good recreation and helps in increasing the physical endurance as well”.

K. Jayalakshmi and Deena Jacob, both players from the Andhra Pradesh team, said the presence of youngsters in the championships was a positive sign. They are equally interested in the game. “All we need is some more state and national-level championships to upgrade the game,” they added. The event was inaugurated by director (sports) Pargat Singh.