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‘Rang barse bheege chunarwali.... Rang barse’
HOLI HAI: Students of Swami Vivekananda Girls’ College celebrating Holi in Bathinda. Bathinda, March 21
It is a day full of joy, fun, enjoyment and revelry. It is Holi, the festival of colours, celebrated to foster brotherhood.

HOLI HAI: Students of Swami Vivekananda Girls’ College celebrating Holi in Bathinda. —Tribune photo by Malkiat Singh

Muslim boys, on the occasion of Id-e-Milad-ul Nabi, offering special prayers for release of Sarabjit Singh at Ahle-Sunnat Jama Masjid in Bathinda on Thursday night. — Tribune photo by Kulbir Beera

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	Has govt dropped the idea of acquiring land? March 14, 2008
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	PSEB to penalise Coal India March 11, 2008

	‘Rang barse bheege chunarwali.... Rang barse’ Harbinder Singh Tribune News Service Bathinda, March 21 It is a day full of joy, fun, enjoyment and revelry. It is Holi, the festival of colours, celebrated to foster brotherhood. People meet and hug each other, and daub gulal on each other’s face saying ‘Holi Mubarak!’ Balloons and sprinklers are used to splash or squirt coloured water. Not to mention the delicacies, bhang and booze that sums up the festivity. With changed lifestyles, it is the children who enjoy the day more. For this very fact, the market is flooded with the stuff that attracts kids. Sprinklers in several shapes like pistol, tanks, bats, binoculars and animals et al are on sale besides gulal, water colours and colour sprays. “A decade earlier none knew that the festival would see a massive change as far as sprinklers were concerned. You think of a shape, it is there. Today, Chinese sprinklers with various attractive designs dictate markets,” said Mittal of Janta General Store. “We are gonna have a lot of masti. We would bring all the stuff together and won’t let anyone pass by our place without getting smeared. However, we won’t be using mud or oil paint to spoil anyone’s mood,” share Ankit and Mohit, students of classes VI and VII respectively. “He is going to have a jolly good time on the day that could be the best of his life,” avers Lt Colonel Raj Gargi, as his son Arnav flaunts the metre-long sprinkler he had just got. However, teenagers Gagandeep and his friends of Khalsa Mission Public School, have some nefarious motives this Holi, as they plan to pester few girls on their list. “Squirts of coloured water would do the trick,” they chuckled. Beware girls! “Ten of us would get together; sing and dance to Holi songs and drum beats; make merry boozing and relishing Malpua (a special dish),” announces Chetu Ram, a migrant labourer living in Janta Nagar, far away from his family in Bihar. However, he promises that they would not create any fuss and would only have their share of fun. “There are some who don’t leave alone those reluctant to participate in the festivity. While there are others who go a step further using oil paint, mud and ditch water in place of safe and washable colours. All this spoils the spirit of the festival and should be avoided,” opine 27-yr-old Pia. “On the day, one should eschew past differences, hate, hostility and grouses to feel new joy and warmth,” she advises. Of course, the festival is an occasion to nurture brotherhood and love. And not to drink and misbehave with others. Celebrate and have fun but not at the cost of others. With this message, we wish you all a very Happy Holi!
	Blame game continues in SAD (B) Rajay Deep Tribune News Service Bathinda, March 21 The ‘weird’ statements, issued by senior leaders of the SAD (B) have become another issue of gossip in the district. The latest one is the controversy between Sarup Chand Singla, area in-charge, and ex-minister Chiranji Lal Garg. Following the recent statement made by Singla, in which he condemnd Garg for a case related to power-theft in a school, Garg, the chairman of the school, today levelled a number of counter-allegations. Garg said Singla had no right to interfere in the case and issue such defamatory statements. He alleged that the area in-charge had grabbed the contract of the 40-crore renovation project of the city. He further alleged that Singla, professing himself as a leader of morality, was himself facing the trial of an income tax evasion case. Garg alleged, “Sarup has been found guilty in the case where frustrated over his mean activities a youth of Paras Ram Nagar committed suicide.” Refuting the allegation of power-stealing, Garg clarified that the electricity was being consumed by some Hindu religious societies for a programme, for which they had been using the school ground. On the alleged discrepancy in the awarding of contract for the renovation project, Garg cautioned the authorities to either wake up from slumber or face the brunt. On the contrary, Sarup Chand Singla said, “Garg is envious of me for my popularity in the area. He has been levelling false allegations. I commit to cooperate in case investigations were carried out.”
	Kiranjeet Kand Virodhi committee holds rally Our Correspondent Mehalkalan (Barnala), March 21 Under the banner of Kiranjeet Kand Virodhi Action Committee, several persons gathered at Mehalkalan today to support their demand of pardon for one of its committee members, Manjeet Singh Dhaner, whose life sentence has been upheld by the High Court. Meanwhile, various farmers’ body extended their support to them. Balkar Singh Dakonda, state president of the Bharti Ksisan Union (Dakonda), Kirti Kisan Union leader Nirbhay Singh Dhoodeke and state president of the Punjab Kisan Sabha Ruldu Singh Mansa addressed the meeting. A division bench of the High Court on March 11 has set aside the pardon granted by the Punjab Governor to Narain Dutt, Prem Kumar and Manjit Dhaner, who were sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case interconnected with the infamous Kiranjit Kaur rape and murder case. The court, subsequently, had acquitted Kiranjit Kaur Virodhi Action Committee members - Narain and Prem, but upheld the sentence of Dhaner. The action committee convener Kanwaljit Singh Khanna said that the committee would move to the Supreme Court against the decision.
	Free textbooks for all from April 1 Our Correspondent Mansa, March 21 Now all students from class - I to VIII would be able to get free textbooks and workbooks under the Sarav Siksha Abhiyaan. Before this scheme, welfare department have been providing free textbooks to the students belonging to Scheduled Caste group. Only girls of the General and backward categories were covered under the free textbooks scheme. Director General of School Education, Punjab, Krishan Kumar, said that nearly 21 lakh students of the General category would be benefited from the scheme. He added that from the new session, which would begin from April 1, the scheme would be fully implemented. The decision to this effect was taken in the meeting of state education secretaries and project directors of the Sarav Siksha Abhiyaan at New Delhi. He said that under this scheme, 65 per cent share would be provided by the central government while 35 per cent share would be borne by the state government. Bhupinder Kaur, district education officer, Mansa, said that some books had already been reached at the district headquarters, which were being sent to block headquarters for distribution among the students.