Bathinda, March 29
Members of several organisations, including the Vishav Hindu Parishad, the Bajrang Dal and the RSS today staged protest at Bhagu Road here, against an alleged religion conversion programme.

To defuse the tension, the superintendent of police (city), Narinder Kaushal and naib tehsildar Karnail Singh along with police force and commandos reached the spot.

Naveen Singla, district general secretary of Bhartiya Janata Party, who was among the protesters, said, “Christians were holding a ceremony in which many youths were being persuaded to convert their religion. As soon as we received the information we reached the spot and raised voice against the illegal act. It is not the first incident. The police and the administration should take a serious note of this and initiate action against them.”

On the contrary, priest John Samuel refuted the allegation saying that it was just a certificate distribution ceremony regarding some course related to the Bible. The protest was staged out of some misunderstanding, he added.

Naib tehsildar Karnail Singh said, “After inquiry, it was found that it was a certificate distribution ceremony, but to maintain law and order, the programme was halted.” 

Bathinda, March 29
The senior superintendent of police, Bathinda, Naunihal Singh, has landed in an uncalled for situation as someone misrepresenting himself as the SSP called up the ADGP of the Punjab Human Rights Commission Jyoti Trehan threatening to blow him off along with his house on Friday.

As per the information received, an unidentified person called up the ADGP, PHRC at his residential landline number at around 4 pm on Friday and threatened to blow him off. The person reportedly did not cite any rivalry as the reason for the threat.

The call, however, could not be traced in absence of caller identification facility at the ADGP’s residence.

The officer had lodged a complaint at the police stations in sectors 34 and 39. However, the police during its primary investigation did not find the SSP guilty and was investigating the matter.

When SSP Naunihal Singh was contacted, he said, “My name has been used only to defame me, but nothing has been inquired from me by any department so far. And if any inquiry would be initiated I will file my reply.”

It may be mentioned that the Bathinda police is already facing the wrath of media persons as they have boycott police for the maltreatment meted out to them on Thursday.

Meanwhile, taking a serious note of the ill-treatment by the Bathinda police against the anganwari workers on Thursday at a seminar in the presence of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, the PHRC had directed the Punjab DGP to issue directions to the officials in this regard.

The commission had further asked the DGP to extend full cooperation to the ADGP of the commission, who would submit his report before or on the next hearing of the case. 

Muktsar, March 29
The landless peasants have decided to stage a protest rally in Lambi on April 1, while the state administration today released 34 of the arrested landless peasants, including women, who were cane charged and then put behind the bars for their protest march earlier this week.

While the administration said they were released on personal bail bonds, the farm workers maintained that their signatures had been taken on plain papers “forcefully”.

“We are not going to appear in any of the next hearings in this case which has been wrongly registered against us,” said Ruldu Ram, one of the 34 peasants released from the Ferozepur Jail after they all were produced before the SDM, Malout today.

Now, these men and women have decided to “fight” for the release of their 13 other companions, presently lodged in the Muktsar sub-jail under sections 353 and 186 of IPC.   “We will not sit silently until all our companions are released,” said Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union secretary L. S. Sewewala, stressing that the April 1 district-level rally would be massive in strength at Lambi. 

Bathinda, March 29
Truck operators across the country in general and those of Punjab in particular, say that they are passing through a difficult phase as the increase in the prices of diesel and other products has reduced their profits. The continuous slump in the industry and competitive freight rates of the Railways have forced them to bear the burden of increased cost themselves, instead of passing it on to consumers.

Harpreet Singh, secretary of Bathinda Transport Welfare Association, said, “There are about 2 lakh trucks in Punjab and we are giving more than Rs 800 crore annually to the state in the form of octroi, road tax and other taxes. However, we are harassed by RTOs and DTOs on the border check posts and information collection centres as despite carrying valid documents we have to wait for hours daily. Illegal payment to the traffic police and tax officials makes about 10 per cent of our total costs. It affects our profits.”

More than 10 lakh persons in the state are directly or indirectly employed in this business.

Despite the numerous memorandums been sent to the government, the truck operators have not been given the status of an industry. Consequently, truck operators cannot take loans from banks on concession.

Charan Singh, a leading transporter of the city, said, “Our costs are increasing with every passing day, but the freight rates have not been revised for the past five years. During the period, operating trucks have become twice expensive than before and the price of diesel has increased by more than 40 per cent. The costs of tyres and maintenance of vehicles have also increased, but we cannot pass this burden on to customers. The reason is that we have to compete with other truck operators and the Railways.”

The state government has recently hiked the road tax from the existing Rs 4,750 to Rs 15,000 without taking the transporters into confidence, rues Charan Singh.

The permit fee for entering the state has also been increased. He said, “The fee has been increased from Rs 1,500 to Rs 5,000 per annum per truck and it has to be deposited in advance. A nine-tonne carrier from Bathinda to Bangalore is booked at Rs 35,000 and the owner has to pay Rs 30,000 for crossing six states. As we have no alternative, we are carrying on despite losses.”

A delegation of transporters has tried many a times to meet chief minister Parkash Singh Badal to air their grievances, but in vain.

Charan Singh said, “In view of this, we are left with no option but to start an agitation if our grievances were not listened to till March 31. We would even move the Supreme Court in support of our demands.

Bathinda, March 29
In an effort to have a clean and green city so as to save the city residents from the pollution emanated by the Thermal Plant and the vehicles in the city, the local DAV College through its mass tree planting campaign has planned to plant one lakh saplings by the end of this year.

College and school students, doctors and banks along with several NGOs (non government organisations) would be a part of this campaign.

Talking to TNS, he said: “The campaign was started on January 1 and till date around 1,000 trees have been planted in the city. The tree plantation was less these months as the period is considered to be off-season. But now, we would accelerate the campaign so that we achieve our target.”

Under the campaign, 300 trees were planted at Giani Zail Singh Engineering College on March 19. “Out of them, 200 plants were donated by local industrialist Kamaljit Singh Mehta and 100 were planted by DAV College. On March 6, 200 trees were planted at the ITBP Complex, 50 trees at Railway Colony and 100 at Model Town Phase II Park. Pits have already been dug out for the plantation of 100 odd trees at Guru Nanak Senior Secondary School and 300 trees at Kendriya Vidyalaya I in Bathinda Cantonment. We would also be planting 200 trees at Kendriya Vidyalaya IV soon.”

Anand further stated that the college was getting liberal donation for the plantation drive. “While ABC Montessori School, Punjab National Bank and Jain Jewellers donated 200 plants each one Daljit Singh, a city resident, donated 100 plants for the cause. We have also given an order of 10,000 plants to the state forest department, who would in return give us 20,000 plants for free. A local body INTAC has offered us 10,000 plants and even Axis Bank would donate 2,000 plants.”

“ITBP’s commanding officer R.K. Verma is also helping us in a big way. 

Bathinda, March 29
A two-day seminar on ‘Globalisation and Education’ began at Punjabi University College of Education here today.

On the first day, the effects of globalisation on Indian education were discussed at length. The inaugural session of the seminar was presided over by Prof. Gurdial Singh and Prof G.R. Kataria was the chief guest on the occasion.

The chief guest said while the globalisation helped in making education and things accessible it also brought along privatisation and contractual system that had not gone down well with the Indian society.

Prof Surjeet brought forward the harmful effects of globalisation on education in the country. Referring to a recent report of the UNESCO, he said India had maximum number of illiterates in the world. The policy to provide education to everybody also failed in the country, he added.

Dr Harbhajan Singh Bhatia said fast food, a product of globalisation, had changed our mindset. — TNS