Jalandhar, November 26
The administration of the Jullunder Gymkhana Club is in the thick of controversy for there has been a claim by an ex-serviceman that the club falls in the ambit of the RTI Act. The legal committee of the club, on the contrary, claims that it is not covered under the prescribed definition of public authority. A resident of Kewal Vihar and a club member, Lt-Col S.S. Sohi (retired), who has been denied the information he had asked for under the Act today lodged a complaint against the president of Jullundur Gymkhana Club-cum-commissioner, Jalandhar division, before the state information commission.

Col Sohi has mentioned certain points to validate his claim in his complaint to the state commission, “The club president is the divisional commissioner who is a government official. He has the power to offer membership to anyone at a discount of 50 per cent. Whenever an inquiry is to be conducted, the divisional commissioner marks an inquiry to any government official. In case of dissolution of the elected management committee, it is the divisional commissioner again who appoints a temporary administrator till the resumption of a new elected management committee. Club offers temporary membership to government officials at a token fee.”

Col Sohi, replying through his counsel Rajinder Bhatia, has even produced a copy of a decision given by the Allahabad High Court in one such matter. Quoting the judgement in his complaint, he has written, “Whenever there is even an iota of nexus regarding control and finance of public authority over the activity of a private body of an institution or an organisation, the same would fall under the provisions of section 2 (h) of the Act.

“The provisions of the Act have to be read in consonance and in harmony with its objects and reasons given in the Act which have to be given widest meaning in order to ensure that unscrupulous persons do not get benefits of concealment of their illegal activities by being exempted under the Act and are liable to hide nothing from the public. The working of any such organisation or institution of any such private body owned or under control of public authority shall be amenable to the RTI, 2005.”

Col Sohi has called for initiating disciplinary proceedings against the respondent under section 20 of the Act while citing another reason for the same, “The club is functioning on the land which belongs to the provincial government as per the revenue records. The complainant had in his RTI application filed on September 4 asked for copies of all inquiries conducted into the alleged diesel scam.

In return, he received a reply from the honorary secretary, Satish Thakur, who claimed that he had consulted the chairman of the club legal committee for his advice on the matter. The enclosed photocopy of the piece of advice from chairman mentioned, “Jullundur Gymkhana is not covered under the prescribed definition of Public Authority for it is neither established under any constitutional law nor is being financially aided by the Central or State government. Rather it is registered under Societies Act and is being run by the contribution from members.”

Commissioner S.R. Ladhar said he could not reply on the issue as it was the internal matter of the club. “I am not concerned with the day-to-day working or policy matters of the club,” he responded.

Jalandhar, November 26
Hundreds of factory workers, under the aegis of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the National Trade Unions, staged dharna outside the office of Assistant Labour Commissioner (ALC) Inderjeet Singh to protest against the alleged violation of labour laws in most of the factories.

The factory workers gathered at Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall and took out a procession to the ALC’s office located in the District Administrative Complex (DAC). Addressing the protesters, Hind Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat (HMKP) president Lalji Bhardwaj, INTUC president Ravi Wadhawan and AITUC president K.L. Kaushal demanded immediate transfer of Inderjeet Singh from Jalandhar.

Talking to The Tribune, JAC convener Hari Muni Singh alleged that labour laws were not being implemented in most of the factories located in Jalandhar and the labour department had failed to take strict action against the erring factory owners.

Besides, more than 50 per cent workers in the factories were not allowed to mark their attendance as they were treated as kutcha employees.

The JAC convener further alleged that the labour department had also failed to ensure the minimum wages of Rs 2,670 to most of the workers in different factories. He alleged that corruption was rampant in the labour department.

Pathankot, November 26
The power supply to the Indus-Punjab Frozen Food Exports Private Limited, an industry involved in manufacturing of buffalo meat, was disconnected by the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) here on Wednesday.

Executive engineer (XEN) of Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) Sandeep Bahl, while talking toThe Tribune, said the board had issued directions to the PSEB to take action against the unit, located in the industrial growth centre here, as it was causing heavy water pollution.

Notably, the PPCB authorities had directed PSEB to disconnect the power supply to the unit in July 2008.

The management at that time had given an undertaking that it would clean up its act within two months. “However, the unit authorities failed to initiate concrete steps to check pollution. So, we were left with no other option and had to cut the power supply to the plant to stop its operations,” added Bahl.

He further disclosed that a treatment plant installed in the unit, which falls into the category of medium to large-scale industries, was not operational, resulting in release of toxic effluents into the water. 

Jalandhar, November 26
Rani Khanam, a foremost Kathak exponent of the country, was here to present a workshop arranged by SPIC MACAY at Virsa Vihar here on Tuesday.

Teaching the students the subtleties of Kathak, Khanam introduced them to the shades of Kathak which they had hitherto been devoid of in their text-bookish world.

The maestro who’s been the disciple of Reba Vidyarthi and Pandit Birju Maharaj, taught students from the APJ College of Fine Arts, BD Arya Girls College, Police DAV School and HMV College, Jalandhar, at the workshop.

Introducing students to the niceties of the different gharanas of dance, she said, “Lucknow gharane mein bhav paksh zyada hai.”

Dancing to a thumri “Dagar chalat dekho shyam”, she told them to keep their arm movements soft. Revelling in the glory of her own moves, she said, “If you understand dance, you will find a flavour in every move. Kalai chalane mein lemonish flavour hai.” “Eyebrow chalao,” she ordered the straight-faced ones.

“Kathak is a lok-dharmi (people-oriented) dance unlike the other natya-dharmi (drama-oriented) ones. So you have to concentrate a lot on facial moves. Don’t dance like the movie actresses whom it’s a punishment to watch dancing. Mehsoos karke nachna bahut zaroori hai,” came forth the line of instructions from her.

When she was done with the gharana bit, she planned on winding up the workshop but the students had not had enough. They pressed her to teach them some Sufiana moves, her speciality.

“For Sufi Kathak you need to dance with abandon. Sometimes while dancing you tend to forget yourself. Being an experienced artiste I can still hold on to rhythm and the context while totally forgetting the self and using the dance as a medium to worship the Almighty.”

Talking to The Tribune she said she took to dancing at the age of five.Being the only Muslim exponent of the dance in India, the journey was not as easy in the beginning. “Log hikarat se dekhte the. A woman taking to dance was not really appreciated in the kind of environment that I grew up in. It was discouraging at times but I fought on to stick to my only passion in life.”

Khanam, who has performed for the judges of the Supreme Court at a concert on Women’s International Day, said she was deeply upset over the atrocities Muslim women had to bear due to disparity in laws.

She did a choreography - Iddat - named on the custom wherein a woman is confined to a room for days together after the death of her husband, to drive the point home.“Similar cases have happened in our family and friends but there you can’t really say much being a third party. I voice my ire through dance.” Talking about the future of dance in the country she said, “The best way to make people take to dance seriously is to join it with education.”

She is presently working on her new choreography - Tasavvaf.

Hoshiarpur, November 26
Addressing a press conference here this afternoon, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) general secretary Bhai Ram Singh alleged that by supporting the Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and arrested Army officer Lieut-Col Prasad Purohit, BJP national leader L.K. Advani, Vishav Hindu Parishad president Ashok Singhal and RSS chief Sudharshan were promoting Hindu terrorism in the country.

All these leaders were previously engaged in alleging the spread of Muslim, Sikh and Christian terrorism only to defame the minority communities in the eyes of the people throughout the world.

Their support to the accused of the Malegaon blast was a proof that they were supporting terrorism, alleged Bhai Ram Singh, demanding a CBI probe into all the terrorist incidents to ascertain their involvement in crime in the country in the past.

Investigation into the Malegaon blast case should be continued without the interference of any of the political leaders and a probe should be ordered into the recent threat by some unscrupulous elements to blast Harmindar Sahib, he further demanded.

Referring to the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Bhai Ram Singh said the SAD (Amritsar) would contest 10 seats. It would announce its candidates within the next week.

Criticising the SAD-BJP government, Bhai Ram Singh alleged that it had made Punjab bankrupt. Loans worth Rs 500 crore were being raised by HUDCO by mortgaging municipal lands in the name of urban development. — OC

Nawanshahr, November 26
Harmesh Lal, son of Charan Dass of Bhajlan village, has allegedly been murdered in a petty family dispute in the in-laws’ of his sister Manjit Kaur, wife of Tirath Ram of nearby Shahabpur village.

As per the information, a dispute was going on between Tirath Ram and his uncle Harbhajan Singh with whom he has been sharing the same courtyard and entrance to the house.

On Tuesday, Tirath Ram was away from home and his relatives Harbhajan Singh, Kuldip Singh, Gurdip Kaur, Mindo and Bhupinder Singh, alias Bhinda, quarrelled with Manjit Kaur and broke her hearth in the courtyard. She rang up her brother Harmesh Lal for help.

He reached Shahabpur and the dispute was reported to the village panchayat.

In the evening, Tirath Ram came back and they decided to report the matter at the police chowki at nearby Jadla village. At about 8 pm, Manjit Kaur, along with her husband, left the house for Jadla and Harmesh was to follow them on his motorcycle.

According to TIrath Ram, Harmesh did not reach Jadla as when he was about to leave his relatives allegedly attacked him. In the incident, Harmesh died.

According to Sadar SHO Sulakhan Singh, the police got the information about the incident at midnight and recovered the body of Harmesh Lal from the site. On Wednesday, a case was registered against Kuldip Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Mindo, Gurdip Kaur and Bhupinder, alias Bhinda, under sections 302, 148 and 149, IPC, on the bais of the statement of Manjit Kaur and has started investigation.