Bathinda, January 31
The city wore a festive look today on the occasion of Basant Panchami as the residents besides enjoying kite flying, participated in the Saraswati puja celebrations, with full traditional fervour and gaiety.

Attired in colourful dresses, devotees, mostly from the West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, thronged the puja places early in the morning to have the first glimpse of the goddess.

In fact, in some places, like the residence of professor P.K. Sadhu’s, a ‘mini-Bengal’ came up when as many as 25 Bengali families assembled to offer prayers. The devotees also worshipped books and pens on the occasion as the Saraswati is considered as the goddess of learning.

Students, including those preparing for Pre-medical Entrance Test (PMET) also joined them in performing the ‘puja’ to seek the blessings of the goddess.

Bengali ‘aarti,’ and ‘yagya’ were performed in the morning. Later, the faithful partake of the ‘langar’.

Prof Sadhu said that he had been celebrating the ‘puja’ in Bathinda since 1993, a couple of years after he migrated here following the financial crisis, which hit his native place leaving several jobless.

This time, he had transported an over five-feet-tall idol of goddess from Chandigarh. An artiste belonging to Kumartuli in Kolkata prepared the idol, especially for the ‘puja’, Prof Sadhu revealed and added the immersion ceremony would take place at the local canal on Sunday evening.

Similar scene was witnessed at the NFL Recreation Club where the employees of the organisation along with their family members offered prayers to the goddess.

After about four-hour long rituals, which included ‘havan’ and ‘puspanjali’, the devotees sung devotional songs. A langar was also served on the occasion.

A colourful cultural programme enthralled the large gathering in the evening when family members of the NFL employees presented dances and songs. 

Ferozepur, January 31
Kites of various colours, shape and sizes donned the skyline in this border town to celebrate the festival of Basant today.

Thousands of boys, young and old could be seen atop the roofs of their houses flying kites amidst sound of dhols and DJ which they had specially arranged for the festival. Loud cheers and sounds of "I-bo" reverted throughout the day.

People also used the occasion to spread a message of goodwill and peace with the neighbouring Pakistan by inscribing messages of peace on the kites.

The festival however also reported lot of accidents involving Basant related incidents. Dr Vikas Arora, radiologist, said that he had been receiving lot of cases in which the children accidentally fell from roofs while catching the kites. — OC

Amritsar, January 31
Reacting to the reiteration of "boycott call" of Dera Sacha Sauda, given by the Sikh clergy, Dera spokesman Aditya Insaan today called for identifying the forces responsible for "derailment of peace process," including rejection of the third draft of the apology, prepared on behalf of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on June 19, 2007.

Dr Aditya told The Tribune on the phone claiming that a secret meeting, held at the residence of a district police chief of Punjab, was sabotaged by certain vested interests. However, SGPC president Avtar Singh denied attending any secret meeting with representatives of Dera Sacha Sauda.

However, the SGPC chief admitted that he went to the official residence of the SSP to receive the draft of apology brought at the behest of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Parmjit Singh Sarna. He alleged that Sarna was reprimanded by the then Jathedar, Akal Takht, for brokering peace without taking them into confidence.

Sarna said on the request of the SSP, he talked to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who thanked him (Sarna) for taking initiative for the "patch-up". Dr Aditya and Sarna claimed that the draft which was prepared on behalf of the Dera chief was briefed to at least two Jathedars and the Chief Minister.

Dr Aditya claimed that the draft was accepted in toto by all concerned with the promise that the matter would be solved on the return of then Jathedar, Akal Takht, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti from abroad.

He also claimed that an ADGP-level officer was in touch with the Chief Minister about the progress of the secret meeting. He rued that despite the involvement of senior Akali and SGPC leaders, the apology met with the "final disapproval".

To whether the Dera chief was still ready to apologise for the "blasphemous acts", Dr Aditya said it could not be a one-sided process. He said it could be possible only through meaningful dialogue.

Dr Aditiya said the political wing of the Dera was a democratic body which was free to take an independent decision on supporting candidates in the Lok Sabha or Assembly elections.

Dr Aditya said the Dera chief could not offer to appear at Akal Takht under the prevailing circumstances since he and Dera followers had been attacked by certain forces.

In an e-mail to The Tribune, Dr Aditya said, "We are distressed that such notions like 'boycott' and 'retaliatory action' that have no place in true religion and not even civil society are being bandied about freely".

He added that certain utterances of some clergy did not seem to conform to sublime message of the revered Gurus. "We shall continue to accord the highest respect to the tenets, teachings and true meaning of all religious scriptures," he said.

Bathinda, January 31
The district health department has prepared itself for a three-day-long Pulse Polio campaign, which will begin in the district tomorrow, for the children below the age of five years. In this regard, Ajitpal Singh, district immunisation officer, convened a meeting of medical officers here on Friday.

The official said the department was fully prepared to administer polio drops to children in the district as per the WHO guidelines. About 1,84,323 children would be administered polio drops for its eradication from the district, he added.

Ajitpal said that for the purpose, 742 booths would be set up. Close to 150 supervisors, seven block supervisors and seven observation supervisors would look after the pulse polio drive in the district.

As many as 40 mobile teams would be pressed into service and 32 transit camps would also be set up in the district for administering polio drops to the floating population like those residing at brick kilns, industrial colonies and periphery of the urban areas, he added.

The official further informed that a door-to-door campaign would be conducted on February 2 and February 3 for those children, who could not receive the drops on February 1.

Bathinda, January 31
The local unit of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has expressed displeasure over the induction of its explelled members into the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) during the visit of deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal here on Friday.

Independent councillor of the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) from ward number 49, Rachna Oberoi, who was expelled from the BJP for six years, was among those who joined the SAD (B).

Sukhbir also inducted Raj Kumar Garga, who independently contested and won the BMC polls against the BJP candidate from ward number 2.

Though the BJP leaders did not speak a word on Friday, they gave vent to their anguish on Saturday. Narender Mittal, district president of the BJP (urban unit), said, “The induction of the expelled BJP members and the councillors, who contested against BJP candidates in the BMC polls, has created resentment among party workers. It has been brought to the knowledge of the party high command.”

Talking to TNS over phone from Ferozepur, Kamal Sharma, state general secretary of the BJP, said, “Earlier, it happened after municipal corporation polls at Jalandhar and Amritsar also. At that time, CM Parkash Singh Badal had said that the expelled BJP members would never be allowed to join the SAD. The word has not been kept.”

When constituency in charge of the SAD (B) Sarup Chand Singla was contacted, he said, “The SAD has always remained open to all. Even if the inducted members had gone to the BJP, we would not have any issue as far as the alliance was concerned. If there is some resentment in the BJP, we will discuss it with them.”

Moga, January 31
Four persons, including two women, were killed in a road accident occurred at Lohara chowk in Moga on Saturday morning.

According to sources, the mishap took place when the car in which the victims were travelling rammed into a bus coming from the opposite direction.

The victims have been identified as Raj Kumar (51) son of Kewal Singh, his brother Balwinder Singh (46), Seema (38) wife of Ashwani Kumar and Dimple (35) wife of Darshan Singh.

Another woman travelling along with them in the car identified as Rita wife of Devinder Singh suffered serious injuries in the mishap. She was immediately rushed to the district hospital from where she was referred to Ludhiana for better medical care.

All were victims, residents of Shahkot, were going to Gidderbaha to attend the funeral of one of their relatives.

When the car reached near Lohara chowk on the outskirts of town it rammed into a bus owned by Dashmesh Bus Service bearing registration number PB-03-K9517 carrying 54 children coming from Shailiwala in Bathinda district.

Charanjit Singh a teacher accompanying the children in the bus revealed that all the children were studying in Government High School Sahiliwala and were going to see Pushpa Gujral Science City at Kapurthala.

At least, three children also got minor injuries in the mishap. However, they were relieved from the hospital after first-aid.

The driver of the bus Harpreet Singh, son of Joginder Singh resident of village Kothe Himmat Pura falling under Muktsar district fled away from the site.

The police after registering a case had begun investigations into the incident.

Ferozepur, January 31
With the arrest of two persons, the Ferozpur police claimed to have solved a six-month-old bank robbery case.

Cash and gold were stolen from the State Bank of India, Agricultural Development branch, Ferozepur city, six months back.

Addressing the media today, SSP Dinesh Pratap Singh said that the police had constituted a special team under SP Detective H.S. Pannu to investigate into the robbery case. SSP said that the alleged dacoits, Hira Lal, a resident of Kucha Kadar Baksh, Ferozpur city and Ranjit Singh Alias Jeeta, a resident of village Sodewala broke open one of the back windows of the bank and stole an amount of Rs 9,69,000 besides 1.682 kg gold.

The accused were arrested from Green Avenue area near Mallanwala while they were travelling in white Maruti van bearing registration no. PB33 5219. Gold weighing 1.259 kg has been recovered from the home of the two accused, which they had divided between themselves.

The SSP said that the police was carrying out raids at various places to arrest the third culprit involved in the crime, who has been identified as Jasbir Singh alias Jassa.