Chandigarh, March 12
Over 1.2 crore voters - 65.78 lakh men and 54.84 lakh women - would cast their vote in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in Haryana.

These voters include 58,038 men and 31,194 women service voters. During the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, there were over 1.23 crore voters in the state. These included over 66.60 lakh men and about 56.60 lakh women.

The decrease in the number of voters is attributed to the preparation of photo electoral rolls in the state, as a result of which bogus and duplicate voters have been weeded out.

During the elections, 12,835 polling stations will be set up in the 10 parliamentary constituencies of the state. Polling would be held on May 7. In 2004, 12574 polling stations were set up.

The Sirsa Lok Sabha constituency (reserved) has the maximum number of 13,08,567 voters while the Sonipat constituency has the lowest number of electors, 10,98,320. Also, Sirsa has the highest number of men voters (7,05,542) and Sonipat has the lowest number of 6,07,290 men voters among the 10 constituencies.

The Sirsa constituency also has the highest number of 6,03,025 women voters, who are the lowest in Faridabad, which has 4,85,651 women voters.

The Ambala constituency (reserved) has over 12.59 lakh electors with the highest number of 1,72,404 in the Ambala City Assembly segment and the minimum number of 1,14,353 in the Kalka Assembly constituency. There are 1,30,932 electors in Panchkula; 1,33,850 in Naraingarh; 1,34,401 in Ambala Cantt; 1,57,696 in Mullana; 1,49,418 in Sadhaura; 1,37,791 in Jagadhari; and 1,28,829 in Yamunanagar.

Kurukshetra has over 11.68 lakh electors with the highest number of 1,53,366 voters in the Kalayat Assembly constituency and the lowest (1,07,633) in Thenesar. Radur has 1,31,242 electors; 1,26,704 in Ladwa; 1,17,740 in Shahabad; 1,25,742 in Pehowa; 1,35,018 in Guhla; 1,33,129 in Kaithal; and 1,37,831 in Pundri.

In case of the Sirsa Lok Sabha constituency, the maximum number of 1,70,602 electors would exercise their right in the Fatehababad Assembly constituency and the lowest number of 1,28,166 electors would be in Kalanwali. Tohana has 1,59,694 electors; Narwana 1,51,218; Ratia 1,54,015; Dabwali 1,46,256; Rania 1,31,288; Sirsa 1,30,341; and Ellenabad has 1,36,987 electors.

Hisar has 11.92 lakh voters with the highest number of 1,53,779 in Uchana Kalan and the lowest number of 1,00,881 in the Hisar Assembly segment. The number of voters in Adampur is 1,23,477; Uklana 1,47,328; Narnaund 1,52,777; Hansi 1,33,326; Barwala 1,19,702; Nalwa 1,14,788; and Bawani Khera 1,46,572.

Karnal has 12.14 lakh electors with the maximum of 1,61,791 in Assandh and the minimum of 1,10,435 in Panipat (rural) Assembly segment. There are 1,47,364 electors in Nilokheri; 1,38,785 in Indri; 1,39,122 in Karnal; 1,46,409 in Gharaunda; 1,15,531 in Panipat city; 1,21,671 in Israna; and 1,33,367 in Samalkha.

In the Sonipat Lok Sabha constituency, there are more than 10.98 lakh voters with the maximum of 1,36,568 in Baroda and the minimum of 1,11,030 in Sonipat. Ganaur has 1,20,177 voters; Rai 1,15,762; Kharkhoda 1,11,583; Gohana 1,21,998; Julana 1,32,899; Safidon 1,33,584; and Jind 114719.

The Rohtak parliamentary constituency has 12.73 lakh voters with the highest of 1,77,406 in the Kosli Assembly segment and the lowest of 1,26,569 in the Rohtak Assembly constituency. The Garhi Sampla-Kiloi Assembly constituency has 1,58,816 electors; Meham 1,44,421; Kalanaur 1,41,504; Bahadurgarh 1,28,968; Badli 1,32,536; Jhajjar 1,30,751; and Beri 1,32,147.

In case of the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh parliamentary constituency, there are over 12.15 lakh voters with Tosham having the maximum of 1,52,160 electors and Narnaul the minimum of 1,03,733 voters. Loharu has 1,38,541 electors; Badhra 1,43,046; Dadri 1,42,507; Bhiwani 1,33,258; Ateli 1,43,404;Mahendragarh 144606; and Nangal Chaudhry 1,14,375.

The Gurgaon constituency has about 12.31 lakh voters with the highest of 1,75,843 in Badshahpur and the minimum of 93,047 in Punhana. The number of voters in Bawal is 1,58,055; in Rewari 1,51,799; Pataudi 1,48,357; Gurgaon 1,59,878; Sohna 1,27,801; Nuh 1,02,549; Ferozepur Jhirka 1,13,620; and Punhana 93,047.

Faridabad has a total of 1,101,489 electors with the maximum of 1,38,081 in Palwal and the minimum of 1,13,441 in the Faridabad NIT Assembly constituency. The Hathin Assembly constituency has 1,35,519 voters; Hodal 1,13,586; Prithla 1,24,873; Badhkal 1,17,236; Ballabhgarh 1,17,208; Faridabad 1,15,655; and Tigaon 1,25,890 voters.

Gurgaon, March 12
Vidya, an NGO working in the areas of education and empowerment of the weaker sections of society, recently launched a novel, “buy-a-brick”, campaign to establish a school for underprivileged children.

Having educated a number of children in rented or borrowed spaces in Delhi, Mumbai and Gurgaon for more than two decades, the NGO was faced with a big challenge of having a school building of its own in its silver jubilee year.

“That’s when we stumbled upon this idea of roping in contributors with ‘buy-a-brick’ campaign,” says Radhika Nandrajog, a Vidya consultant.

Under this campaign, people in general are appealed to contribute Rs 100 and become part of the process to build the school. While a major chunk of funds for the non-profit NGO comes from abroad, it now wants to involve local residents in its activities.

Rewari, March 12
Buoyed up with the positive response received by his campaign that he launched in February 2008 to educate the people about exploitation in the name of astrology, palmistry, fortune-telling and motivating people against female foeticide, dowry, neglect of elders and disregard of values, Anirudh Yadav, founder-chairman of the Pavitra Foundation, a voluntary organisation of the Ahirwal region, has now embarked on a crusade against alcoholism that has already assumed alarming proportions in most parts of the country and wrecked the lives of lakhs.

Yadav has started the movement by approaching the Prime Minister through his 14-page open letter that seeks a total ban on the manufacture and import of wine and liquor as well as other intoxicating drugs.

The crusade was formally launched recently at a citizens’ convention, where Swami Sharnanand, a noted saint and prohibitionist of the region, released a 14-page booklet along with a pamphlet.

The Swami exhorted all to take up the cudgels against the manufacturers, distributors and protagonists of liquor to ensure a safe and healthy survival of the nation. Simultaneously, he gave his blessings for the success of Yadav’s mission as well.

Highlighting the disastrous impact of the increasing addiction to liquor, the lackadaisical approach of the central as well as state governments towards the enforcement of prohibition and objectives of his own crusade, Yadav said it was a matter of concern that while the liquor production in the country had gone beyond 23,000 lakh litre annually, over 35 per cent of the youths (21-30) were now liquor addicts.

He deplored that notwithstanding the recommendations for the implementation of the prohibition made by the 11 high-level committees that were set up by the union government in the past five decades, as well as the apex court’s directive issued in May 2006, the successive union governments had failed to do the needful.

Asserting that owing to the ever-increasing number of the liquor addicts that now ranged from 10 per cent to 15 per cent in the rural areas of the state in general and the Ahirwal region in particular, he said the foundation had launched a comprehensive campaign against the menace.

He said while the Lok Sabha elections were in vogue, over 50,000 pamphlets would now be distributed among the voters of the state with an exhortation that they should vote for candidates of those parties who would solemnly vow in their election manifesto that if they were voted to power, they would enforce prohibition.

Simultaneously, 10,000 copies of the booklet that contain factual information regarding liquor production-cum-addicts, government’s half-hearted approach towards enforcement of prohibition and urgency of its implementation, would also be distributed free of cost among dignitaries and others.

He added that besides the Prime Minister, copies of the booklet were also being sent to the President, all members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the chief justices and justices of the apex court and the high courts of the country, the chief ministers and the governors of various states, the vice-chancellors of various universities, the DGPs of various states, the DCs and SPs of various districts and the editors of the national dailies for their perusal and imperative action.

Yadav retired in March, 1997 after 34 years’ service as lecturer of military science in several state colleges. He then, along with his wife, Pavitra, plunged into the domain of active social service. They were going on smoothly when Pavitra died in September, 2007. Then, Yadav set up the foundation in her memory and embarked on his campaign.

Rohtak, March 12
A fresh and unique programme titled as ‘One Million Campaign’ to support and promote the habit of breastfeeding among lactating mothers has been launched here as a part of the national and international drive by the Haryana unit of the Breastfeeding Network Of India (BFNI), an NGO working in the field.

“Beside India, the campaign has been started in about 30 countries across the globe, including Bangladesh, China, Costa Rica, Francophone Africa, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uganda, the UK and the US,” said a spokesperson of the campaign here.

According to the spokesperson, the campaign brings together people from all over the world to take action ranging from signing petitions demanding support to women to breastfeed on the website www.onemillioncampaign.org to individual actions such as pledging to support at least one woman for breastfeeding. The national-level programme would be launched at New Delhi recently, according to Dinesh Khosla associated with the drive.

He claimed that there was a dire need to create breastfeeding-friendly communities where women would be supported to breastfeed by involving the local bodies and the institutions and the associations involving women in both the rural and urban areas.

He said women were being forced to stop breastfeeding and give their babies milk formulas because they lack support to breastfeed, whether at the time of the birth in family or institutions, or when they are at work and more importantly due to increasing commercial push to milk formula feeding.

Meanwhile according to reports and figures released by the experts, about 200 mothers give birth to babies every minute somewhere in the world and they needed support to establish and continue breastfeeding. It is claimed that out of about 135 million children born annually, only 64 million begin breastfeeding within an hour and 71 million do not get mothers milk.

It is added that about 48 million women were successful in carrying out exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, while 87 million were not able to do this for various factors.

And the reasons for this were complex. Several factors affect women’s ability to breastfeed successfully: traditions, myths, status in family and society, workload, confidence in her body and sexuality, economic needs, labour laws, domestic and workplace violence and harassment, availability of support services, advertising by commercial baby food manufacturers, and so on.

These factors do not allow millions of women across the world to breastfeed their babies optimally. This campaign would serve as a platform for women and families across the globe to express their difficulties and needs. Though many blogs exists but this initiative would also offer actions.

The campaign, initiated by the International Baby Food Action Network - Asia (IBFAN-Asia), is a global response to the preventable tragedies like one which happened last year in which 300,000 infants, several of them under one year of age, developed incurable kidney disease as a result of consuming contaminated infant formula in China. These catastrophe could be prevented if women are supported to breastfeed their babies.

Whether it contains melamine or not, there is growing evidence that powdered formula is not a sterile product and there could be intrinsic contamination with lethal pathogenic microorganisms like E. Sakazakii and Salmonella which may lead to life-threatening illness in neonates. Products of companies such as Nestle and Mead Johnson have had to be recalled from across the world because of such contamination.

Karnal, March 12
Famous Urdu poet and writer and leading criminal lawyer, PL Chopra, popularly known as Naseem died about 39 years ago but his memories are still alive in his poetry even today.

His son, Anashwar , a lawyer , not only inherited his profession and library but also carried forward his legacy of writing novels.

In a tribute to his father, Anashwar published a book “Holy Prostitute”, a compilation of short stories written by Naseem, which was released here on March 1, coinciding with the first birth anniversary of his son, Yashwant .

The book, released by Deepak Gupta, managing director, Plaza cable group of companies, and son-in-law of the chairman of Zee TV, Subash Gupta, and SP, Karnal, Aishwinder Singh Chawla, contains stories written by Naseem over a period spanning four decades.

Born in Gujranwala (joint Punjab) on October 5, 1906, PL Chopra graduated from Dyal Singh College, Lahore, before joining government services as Junior Prosecutor in 1929. At the time of partition, he was serving in East Punjab, which happened to be on this side of the Radcliff Award and never returned to his birthplace in West Punjab (now in Pakistan).

After his retirement in 1961 as Prosecution Deputy Superintendent, Karnal, Naseem started practicing criminal law and soon became a leading criminal lawyer in Karnal district.

However, his passion for penning down poems and stories in Urdu did not die down and he pursued criminal law and creative art of writing simultaneously with equal zeal till his demise on March 29, 1970.

A man of varied interests, Naseem was a member of the Karnal Club and Bazm-E-Sukhan. His first poetry book in Urdu, Aaina-e-dil, was published by leading publishers of Delhi in 1961 and later translated in English under the title “The mirror of heart”.

Naseem’s poetry contains the choicest oriental thoughts in pithy and several of his verses on amorous, heroic or philosophical themes have become an oft-quoted quotes to illustrate poignant suspenseful and lifting situations.

The devotional element virtually eliminates the dividing link between mundane and the divine and creates a musical impact.

The aroma of the oriental past merges into lifting melody and its verses grasp all delicate situations with an unsurpassable thoroughness of smile and metaphors, virtually entrapping nature at its best.

Naseem has left behind three sons Nadan Mohan Chopra, Inder Mohan Chopra and Anashwar Chopra and three daughters but Anashwar followed his footprints and published four novels in Hindi- “Saanjhe Ki Poonji, Adhoora Anindya, Naari Ki Hatya and Naag Kanya.”

Hisar, March 12
The Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) (BL) led by Kuldeep Bishnoi is losing steam with leaders deserting the party at a time when Lok Sabha polls are round the corner.

The latest to join the long list of senior functionaries deserting the party is Hari Singh Saini, a former minister. He is reported to have met Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda earlier this week in Rohtak and is likely to join the Congress shortly.

Saini was originally a close associate of late Devi Lal who appointed him as a minister in his cabinet in 1987. Saini handled the Civil Aviation portfolio. However, he could not pull on well with Devi Lal’s successor Om Parkash Chautala and joined the Congress.

He remained close to former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal for several years and was considered one of the key men who helped Bhajan Lal’s son Kuldeep Bishnoi float the new outfit.

Saini, who had won from the Hisar Assembly constituency in 1987, was looking to contest the Assembly polls from Barwala in this district, which is currently represented by Congress MP Jai Parkash’s brother Randhir Singh.

This was the primary reason why he chose to throw his weight behind the HJC (BL) since within the Congress he could not hope to get ticket from Hisar, which is currently represented by Savitri Jindal, a minister and widow of industrialist-turned-politician late Om Parkash Jindal.

It is learnt that Saini may seek to contest from Hisar as the Congress nominee in case Jindal shifts to the Nalwa constituency in the 2010 Assembly polls. Om Parkash hailed from Nalwa village itself.

Saini’s departure will certainly hit Bishnois hard as either Kuldeep Bishnoi himself or Bhajan Lal is expected to contest the Hisar Lok Sabha seat of which Hisar town Assembly constituency is a part. Saini has a personal vote bank here that includes his own community as well as substantial chunks of other communities. His support would have been crucial for the Bishnois.

Saini’s sudden departure has surprised political circles here as he had never given anyone a hint of his discomfiture if any within the HJC. He is likely to formally announce his decision by the weekend.

Kaithal,March 12
The process for holding the Lok Sabha elections has started here. Deputy commissioner-cum- district election officer Amneet P. Kumar asked representatives of various parties to strictly follow the model code of conduct.

Giving the details about the model code of conduct, Kumar said all parties should take the necessary permission from the respective AROs for holding public meetings and organising any processions or rallies.She said that as per the code, parties should carry their election campaigns based on their policies and programmes and should not indulge in making comments about the private life any candidate. Besides, no party should use religious places for election purposes.

She further said rallies could be held only at places specified by the respective returning officers. She also directed that all parties could carry on their campaigns, but their supporters should not obstruct public meetings and processions organised by other parties.

The distribution of liquor and any other type of bribery to voters would also be a violation of the code and would invite strict action.

Fatehabad, March 12
An NRI from Royal Limington Spa in Warwickshire county of England, who has been establishing a charity school and community centre in Lehrian of the district in memory of his son, has been frustrated by the “snail’s pace” at which his files for approval under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FRCA) have been moving with the Indian authorities.

Mota Singh Mundy, son of a Sikh farmer from Buwan Kothi village in the district, settled in England in 1963 and went on to become the mayor of Royal Limington Spa in Warwickshire, the county of William Shakespeare.

Mota’s son Gurpreet, fondly called Gilly by friends, worked for a charity inquest that worked for the cause of those, who died in the police custody.

Gilly died at the age of 36 on March 17, 2007, due to a cardiac arrest after which Mota and Gilly’s Italian wife Debbie resolved to translate Gilly’s unfulfilled dream of opening a charity school at his forefathers’ place into reality.

They constituted the Buwan Kothi Trust in England, raised funds for the cause and dedicated Gilly Mundy Memorial Community School to the villagers on the first anniversary of Gilly on March 17, 2008.

Spread over a sprawling area of a few acres, the school is still under construction for its expansion and Mota has also planned to construct a community centre with library, computer lab and a dispensary for the use of the villagers.

Mota said friends of his deceased son had collected funds by organising charity events like running in London Marathon, cycle marches and charity dinners and the process of collections was still on.

“But our money has been struck in between as the Indian authorities have not been clearing our files under the FCRA,” he alleged while talking to The Tribune.

“Whatever documents were demanded from us have been supplied more than six months ago. Our trust is registered in England and its accounts are transparent and available on our website. But the authorities here have been moving at a snail’s pace making it difficult for the project to move,” he added.

Mota said he had been somehow continuing the construction activities by taking loans from friends, while the funds collected through donations for the project had been struck due to inordinate delay in clearance of our files.

Kurukshetra, March 12
Prof Devender Kaushik, a former chairman of the Maulana Azad Institute of Asian Studies, Kolkata, released a book, “India’s Foreign Policy: Contemporary Trends”, edited by RS Yadav and Suresh Dhanda, at a function held at Academic Staff College, Kurukshetra University, here, recently.

Eminent scholars from various universities have contributed their research papers in this book.

Prof Yadav, who is also the author of the book, said the book covered wide range of issues on Indian foreign policy, which emerged in the post-Cold War era. He said the whole world was facing structural changes and there was a paradigm shift. The book also threw light on domestic and external determinants of country’s foreign policy and India’s growing role in world politics.

Various security concerns, including threats from terrorism, and conventional and non-conventional threats, had also been analysed, he said, adding that even issues like energy and economic policies were given ample space visualising global economic development.

Putting forth his views on current economic crisis, Prof Kaushik said the current economic depression was due to speculative economy. The crisis had not only affected the economy but also all disciplines in one form or the other. This crisis should be handled with long-term infrastructure investment and all nations must concentrate on state sovereignty, he added.

The function was presided over by Prof Raghuvender Tanwar, registrar, Kurukshetra University. 

Gurgaon, March 12
Even before the start of its construction work, a polyclinic in sector 31 has come under a scanner.

Though residents have expressed happiness over the upcoming clinic, they are also angry with the authorities as the construction has left no space for the parking of vehicles.

"This will lead to chaos as roads will be blocked when patients visit the polyclinic and park their vehicles outside," stated president of the Kalyan Samiti of Sector 31-32- A, Pawan Kumar Singhal.

He said the HUDA administrator must review the design of polyclinic that was being constructed on a vacant piece of land behind the commercial complex of the sector.”We had given a letter to the HUDA Administrator to look after the matter and they should keep in mind the difficulties that can be faced in future."

Ex-chief engineer of CSIR R.K Sethi who resides nearby said” There will be traffic problems once the clinic is complete. It will be difficult for us to move out of our places. According to the norms, service lanes are normally 10 metre- wide,but these have to be around 16 metres near the commercial sites," he said and added, "HUDA should make the clinic but the road should be widened by at least 18 metres as once the clinic is complete, we can expect around 150 patients daily and the parking will then create problems for everyone.".

Ramesh Mehra, another resident, said they had requested the administrator to revise the map so that the problem could be solved."

Singhal said:" The foundation stone was laid for a primary school on January 30 earlier this year, but due to the change in the construction of school sites, half of the land was allotted to a private school."

Gurgaon Citizen Council president R.S Rathi and the Federation of Resident Welfare Association (FORWA) president Dharam Sagar also said that HUDA should make norms that no construction should be made on the 10-metre road and added that their demands had been accepted, but not in writing. "If the administration doesn't listen to us, we will agitate and, if necessary, will move court," they said.

Producer: Zee Limelight

Director: Anurag Kashyap

Lyrics, Music: Piyush Mishra

Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Jesse Randhawa, Raja Chaudhary, Ayesha Mohan, Abhimanyu Singh

Anurag Kashyap’s much awaited project ‘Gulal’ opens today at Suraj - Panchkula, Everest - Rewari, Sun City- Hisar, SRS Sector 12, SRS Sector 31 (Faridabad), SRS - Gurgaon, DT Mega Mall - Gurgaon, Minerva - Ambala Cantt, OHM - Sirsa and Movie Time - Karnal.