Hisar, May 28
Members of the Gujjar community staged a demonstration here today in protest against the deaths of fellow Gujjars in the police firing in Rajasthan.

Hundreds of members of the community gathered at Patel Bhawan here and later took out a procession. They staged a demonstration at Parijat Chowk and burnt effigies of officials of the Rajasthan government.

Addressing the protestors, Jai Narain Gujjar said the community deserved the ST status and the demand should be fulfilled forthwith. He warned that Gujjars of the state would also launch a stir in support of Rajasthan Gujjars if the Rajasthan government did not resolve the issue immediately.

They handed over a memorandum to the authorities seeking dismissal of the Vasundhara Raje government. Seek relief for kin of deceased.

YAMUNANAGAR: More than 500 members of the Gujjar community here on Wednesday held a maha panchayat at Deodhar village in Chhachhrouli block and demanded a compensation of Rs 20 lakh each to the kin of those killed in police firing in Rajasthan.

The local Gujjars will submit a memorandum of demands to the deputy commissioner on May 30.

Gujjar leaders from practically all political parties demanded dismissal of the Rajasthan government. Mukesh and Manmohan Singh of the BJP urged the party high command to intervene in the matter.

Criticising the Rajasthan government, Zakir Hussain, president of the district unit (rural) of the Congress party, demanded that the President rule should be imposed in the state.

Speakers said the Gujjars should be given the reservation they were demanding without any further delay. The panchayat was held under the chairmanship of Sadhu Ram, a prominent Gujjar leader and former sarpanch of Damoli village.

Mewa Ram Dhaurang from the INLD and Balinder Singh from the BSP also addressed the gathering.

The speakers also demanded a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for those who were injured in the police firing. The panchayat asked the government to provide a government job to a member of each family, who lost their member in the police firing.

The Gujjars would gather on the premises of the old court in Jagadhri on May 30 and later proceed to the DC office in form of a procession, said Om Parkash Gandhi of the Gujjar Ekta Parishad.

AMBALA: The Gujjar community in Naraingarh on Wednesday lodged a peaceful protest against the ongoing agitation of the Gujjar community in Rajasthan. They demanded that the Rajasthan government should compensate those who have died in the struggle and give Rs 50 lakh each, while those injured should be given Rs 50,000 each.

They also demanded that the Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje should be suspended. She had broken her promises made to the people, they said.

Local MLA Ram Kishan Gujjar said the Gujjars in Rajasthan should not think that they were alone. “We will provide all type of help and we are committed to the community and if required I will resign from the post of parliament secretary, power and irrigation,” he added.

In a memorandum submitted to Naraingarh SDM Devinder Kaushik, the Gujjars demanded that a case should be registered against the officials of the BJP government in Haryana.

The Gujjars gathered here also burnt an effigy of the Rajasthan Chief Minister.

Kaithal: Members of the Gujjar community in a meeting held at Kakaot village here today burnt an effigy of Rajsthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and demanded immediate dismissal of the Raje-led BJP government in Rajasthan.

They also demanded an inquiry into the police firing by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court. 

Chandigarh, May 28
A high-level meeting of officials of the Haryana police was held today to review law and order in the state in wake of the Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan and the NCR roko agitation as announced by the Rajasthan Gujjar Samaj.

While stating this here today, a police spokesman said that the meeting was held under the chairmanship of additional director-general of police, law and order, V. B. Singh, who issued orders for adequate security arrangements in all districts falling in the National Capital Region -- Rewari, Narnaul, Gurgaon, Sonepat, Panipat, and Faridabad--- and also in other districts adjoining Rajasthan to prevent any untoward incident.

He said directions were issued for taking appropriate steps to ensure smooth traffic on the national highways and also on the rail tracks. It was also directed to deal with any situation patiently and efficiently.

Director-general of police Ranjiv Dalal appealed to the people to cooperate with the police in maintaining law and order in the state.

Gurgaon, May 28
In view of the bandh call given by the Gujjar Sangharsh Samiti in National Capital Region (NCR) for tomorrow, the police has made elaborate security arrangements to ward off any untoward incident.

Even as the situation is boiling in neighbouring Rajasthan, its spillover in southern has so far remained peaceful. But the police authorities here are not taking any chance as the protesters here will reportedly stop the supply of milk and vegetables and block vehicular movement into New Delhi. Therefore, occurrence of violent incidents is not ruled out.

The bandh plan will be carried out by the samiti in coordination with Gujjars of Gurgaon, Faridabad and Noida that surrounds Delhi.

“We have made adequate arrangements and have been reviewing the situation constantly,” said joint commissioner of police Manjit Singh Ahlawat.

There would be heavy deployment of police all over the area. Police forces from outside the district had been requisitioned for the purpose. Besides intense patrolling of the area, the police would be deployed at sensitive points, he added.

For the past several days, Gujjars in this part of Haryana have been mobilising their community members in support of the demand made by their counterparts in Rajasthan.

A 21-member committee has already been formed by the panchayats of 40 villages of Gurgaon, which has submitted a memorandum to the President.

“We will continue our protest in different ways if the Rajasthan government did not relent. The offer of 4-6 per cent quota given by it is a farce. We fully support the agitation and will ensure that the tomorrow’s bandh in NCR is complete,” said Mahesh Dayma, a member of the samiti and the president of the district (rural) unit of the Haryana Janhit Congress.

The fallout of the stir here is expected to turn stronger as Gujjars leaders of different political parties, including the Congress, BJP, INLD and the HJC, are part of it.

District Magistrate Rakesh Gupta has imposed Section 144 of the CrPC to maintain law and order in the state.

Yamunanagar, May 28
Jagadhri metal traders have been suffering heavy looses on the account of the ongoing Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan.

On an average, metal traders and manufacturers supply 250 quintals of their finished goods to Rajasthan per day. A finished metal good on an average costs Rs 200 per kilo. The traders claimed that they were facing a loss of Rs 50 lakh per day.

President of the Jagadhri-Yamunanagar Metal Manufacturers Association Sunder Lal Batra said industrialists were not able to export their finished goods to Rajasthan because of road blockades by the agitating Gujjars.

Plywood manufacturers too complained of losses on the account of the agitation as their vehicles carrying plywood were struck on the way to Rajasthan.

Eventually, manufacturers will not face heavy losses, as people of Rajasthan have no other option but to purchase plywood from Yamunanagar only. For the past few years, Yamunanagar district has emerged as the hub of the plywood industry and caters to the plywood demand of almost entire country.

President of Haryana Plywood Association Davinder Chawla said a large number of vehicles carrying finished goods were struck on the way to Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Karnal, May 28
Taking serious view of the reported misconduct by the jail superintendent of Ambala Central Jail in furnishing an “unauthorised” undertaking to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the state has sought an explanation from the prison department in this regard.

On May 24, The Tribune had reported that Surinder Pal Singh Chauhan, jail official in question, had “assured” the court on May 19 that Suneheri Devi, a murder convict, would be released “within three or four days”.

Meanwhile, taking strong exception of the issue, the state government had asked the DG (prisons) on how the Ambala jailer had submitted an “illegal” reply on the early release of the convict even as the case was referred to the legal remembrancer and discussions were still on at the Chief Minister’s office level.

Suneheri Devi, a resident of Naraingarh in Ambala district, was convicted for murdering her husband and subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment by an Ambala court in February 1998.

Later, she was prematurely released by the then Chautala government on April 26, 2003.

Before her release, she had filed an appeal against her conviction in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. However, after her release she did not withdraw her appeal from the high court. The court dismissed her appeal on May 18, 2007, and directed the state to re-arrest her if she was on bail. The convict was arrested and lodged in Ambala Central Jail on July 24, 2007.

Later, she filed a writ petition in the high court against her “illegal detention” by the police on the ground that she was earlier released on the orders of the state. Admitting that Chauhan had exceeded his official capacity while “assuring early release”, official sources said as per statutory provisions, only the Governor could pardon convicts in the state.

Sources said the state had sought “confidential” legal advice from the advocate-general and the prisons department had no role it. Raising serious doubts, sources said it was a matter of investigation and that what prompted the jailor to follow the case.

Meanwhile, it is officially learnt that on the basis of the submission to the court, Suneheri was released today from the Ambala jail.

Chandigarh, May 28
he Haryana government will open four airstrips at Pinjore, Karnal, Bhiwani and Narnaul for setting up civil aviation schools through public-private partnership.

The decision has been taken so that the youth of the state can find employment opportunities in the burgeoning civil aviation sector.

Revealing this here today, Haryana power minister Randeep Singh Surjewala said an expression of interest (EOI) would be invited within next four days.

Surjewala heads a committee constituted by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on issues relating to development of airstrips in the state. The parties interested in setting up flying training academies would have to pay Rs 10 lakh as annual license fee, Rs 8,000 per month as operation charges per aircraft of below 5,700 kg weight and Rs 10,000 per aircraft weighing above 5,700 kg.

Surjewala informed that 20 per cent of the total seats in the academies would be reserved for students of Haryana domicile. The reservation policy of the state government would be implemented among these 20 per cent seats. The students for the reserved seats would be selected on the recommendations of the advisor, civil aviation, Haryana. The fee charged from these students would not exceed that of the Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation, a government organisation.

Surjewala said the fifth airstrip at Hisar was not being offered to private parties because the government was interested in developing it as a commercial airport.

He said more than one dozen private parties, including some international organisations, had approached M. Ramshekhar, advisor, civil aviation, to set up flying training academies in the state.

The airstrips would initially be offered for 10 years that could be extended by five years through mutual consent.

Ambala, May 28
The ex-servicemen league has found a novel way to protest their grievances regarding the Sixth Pay Commission report. They have started a campaign to send postcards airing their grievances to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and the defence minister.

The campaign was launched on May 10 and will come to an end on May 31. Each former serviceman will send three postcards each with the suggestions for the Sixth Pay Commission report.

Over 2 lakh postcards have so far been sent from across the country. In Ambala district itself, 1,700 postcards were sent yesterday. According to Colonel M. S. Jhakar, head of the ex-servicemen league, Ambala, and vice-president, Haryana ex-servicemen league, it is a peaceful protest that they would like to lodge.

In Ambala, the league with its 837 members has already registered its protests. Upset with the step-motherly treatment given out to them, the members demand that they should be given one rank one pension. “Two defence employees retire in the same rank after same length of service should get equal pension irrespective of their date of retirement,” states Jhakar.

The ex-servicemen also feel that a separate pay commission should be formed for the armed forces. “We are being discriminated against as compared to the IAS,” states Jhakar.

Chandigarh, May 28
“India has a rich cultural tradition of learning and rightfully decorating the literary scholars in all realms with various honours since the ages and the practice goes on though in a changed format," said A.R. Kidwai, Governor of Haryana. He was speaking at the annual award distribution ceremony of the Haryana Urdu Akademi at the Haryana Bhavan here today.

The endeavour of the Haryana Urdu Akademi for conferring the annual awards on litterateurs in recognition of their contribution deserved special commendation. The moving spirit behind the noble venture, K.L. Zakir, Akademi secretary, is a live wire, he said. Kidwai exhorted the writers to delve into research work besides their usual writings.

He lauded the literary enterprise of Hazi Azmal Khan, winner of Hali award that comes with prize money of Rs 1 lakh, for sculpting the Mahabharata in Mewati language.

Haryana minister of education Mange Ram Gupta reiterated the government’s resolve to accord priority to education among the female and promotion of Urdu language. Earlier, Rajan Gupta, IAS officer and vice-chairman of the akademi, disclosed that the Haryana Urdu Akademi is leading the other 18 akademis in the country by example and adding new dimensions.

Introduction of the correspondence courses in Urdu and other schemes will grow better in the new akademi house built at a cost of Rs 6 crore in Panchkula.

Earlier, Padmashri K. L. Zakir welcomed the chief guest and award winners and threw light on the achievements and future plans of the akademi. C.R. Moudgil, director, Haryana Punjabi Sahit Akademi, and Aziz Burney, chief editor, Rashtriya Sahara (Urdu), graced the occasion.

The following were felicitated with awards, citation and mementos: Hakim Ajmal Khan (Hali Award), Rifat Sarosh, Dr Sajida Zaidi, Prof Satya Prakash Sharma, Dr Desh Sapta, Shafia Shaad and Dr Savita Malhotra besides Kundan Lal Arawali and Azad Sonipati were given life achievement awards. The awards carried prize money of Rs 25,000, Rs 21,000 and Rs 5,000 for different categories.

The Governor also released a book by Rupa Saba. The akademi also gave award to 13 writers for their books.

Sirsa, May 28
Hailing from Bangalore - city of gardens, B.V Narayan is all set to go for 90,000-km journey spread across as many as 20 countries of Asia, Europe, North and Latin America.

Suresh Ahuja, chairman, Lion Club Bright, felicitated Narayan here today after he travelled 13,500 km of the first leg of his journey that would conclude in Delhi next month. Narayan announced that his aim was to enlist his name in the Guinness Book of World Records after the conclusion of the proposed journey.

According to him, the purpose of his journey was to send message for universal brotherhood and peaceful co-existence across the globe and added that it was an attempt to condemn terrorism as well. He would cover the distance on cycle and motorbike.

Little did he know that what started out some 27 years ago out of thrill for adventure would one day become the mission of his life. In 1979 and 1980, at the age of 18, Narayan had travelled 89,600 km traversing 59 countries.

However, the meaning of his odysseys has transcendently changed. Former was for fun and joyful adventure and the latter is for a noble goal, which he summed as spreading the message of “Vasudev Katumbkam” (Universe is home).

From here, Narayan would travel to Delhi and after getting visa, he would enter Pakistan from Wagah check post.

He reached here on a specially prepared bike. However, his journey had a share of misfortune as well. He claimed that his belongings were stolen by two youths at Faridabad. The theft occurred on January 12, 2008, when he was heading for Jammu and Kashmir. He recalled that two youths, namely Balwant and Rakesh, coaxed him to be a part of his journey. After winning his confidence, they decamped with his belongings, he said.

“I could not do much as I was at a new place and did not want to disrupt the journey," he added.

Chandigarh, May 28
The unplanned dash of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to Delhi today to meet AICC president Sonia Gandhi generated speculation in the corridors of power here about imminent Cabinet reshuffle.

Even senior minister were in dark about the purpose of the meeting between Sonia and Hooda, who has gone on record that he would soon reshuffle his Cabinet. He had also stated that “anything can happen in the reshuffle”. The ministers and senior officers in the secretariat were making inquiries from media persons to know if they had any clue to the purpose of the meeting. Hooda returned from Delhi in the afternoon. The officers were concerned about the meeting because the Chief Minister has made his intentions to order an administrative reshuffle also in the coming days.

Sources close to the Chief Minister told The Tribune that the meeting was just a courtesy call because Hooda had not met Sonia after the Congress victory in the recent Assembly byelections in the state.