Bathinda, May 25
Reacting over the violent incident that took place at a Gurudwara in Vienna (Austria), the followers of the Sachkhand sect along with activists of the Dalit Samaj and various Hindu organisations staged a protest here today.

The protesters blocked the main gate of the city bus stand and also kept the National Highway (Bathinda-Mansa) blocked for a couple of hours.

During the protest, the agitators demanded immediate action against the culprits for firing at Sant Niranajan Dass and Sant Ramanand, chief and deputy chief of the Guru Ravi Dass Sabha Gurudwara, respectively. The Gurudwara is being run by the Sachkhand sect.

They submitted a memorandum to the ADC (general), Bathinda, Upjeet Singh Brar, to be forwarded to the union government.

Various leaders assembled there delivered speeches condemning the incident terming it as a planned move to disturb the growth of their sect. Though the police was deployed in large numbers, the sect leaders themselves kept urging all the agitators to maintain peace.

The protesters followed by the police force, had a round of the city markets. During the protest march, they verbally asked all to roll down the shutters of their shops.

Among others, activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bahujan Samaj Party, Satguru Ravi Dass Sabha, Guru Ravi Dass Maha Sabha, Sri Guru Ravi Dass Bhalai Sangathan and Sri Ravi Dass Sabha and Parchar Mandal participated in the protest.

Reacting over the incident, Sukhpal Singh Saran, secretary, VHP, Punjab, said, “It is not a matter related to Sikhs or Ravidassiyas only. We are all together over the issue as ‘Sants’ cannot be confined to a particular class.”

Earlier, in an immediate reaction to the incident, some preachers of the Sachkhand sect lodged a symbolic protest at Paras Ram Nagar, close to the railway station here late on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, the police denied reports of violence in Bathinda as was reportedly being telecast on some TV channels.

The district administration also called a meeting of the peace committee to keep the situation under control.

Bathinda, May 25
The violence erupted in Punjab following the yesterday’s clash in a Gurdwara at Vienna, Austria, has affected the train services on the Sriganganagar-Ambala section in Ambala division of the Northern Railway.

Taking a precautionary measure in the wake of attacks on trains and railway properties, the railway cancelled altogether six trains that pass through Bathinda. Sources in the Bathinda railway told TNS on Monday afternoon that the instructions for cancelling and holding up the trains in view of the attacks on trains were issued by the office of the DRM, Ambala division.  

As per the sources, the 3-SHB and the 4-SHB, those run between Sriganganagar and Bathinda, were cancelled today. The 335 passenger train that runs between Ambala and Sriganganagar via Bathinda was terminated at Bathinda while the 336 passenger that runs between Sriganganagar and Ambala was cancelled. In a late noon decision, the railway also cancelled two trains, including the 9225 Bathinda-Jammu Tawi Express and the 4UB passenger which runs between Bathinda and Ambala.

The protesters stopped the 4525 Sriganganar-Ambala Inter City Express at Giddarbaha in the morning. The train remained stranded at the station for nearly an hour, the railway sources said, adding that movement of some trains, which use the Sriganganagar-Ambala section, were affected. However, the traffic on the Bathinda-Ferozepur, the Bathinda- Suratgarh and the Bathinda-Hisar sections were not affected.

Meanwhile, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Ambala division, today held a high-level meeting at Ambala to review the security situation following the incidents.

Moga, May 25
As most parts of Punjab are burning with violent protests being carried out by the Dalits in protest against the attack on the head of the Sachkhand dera in a gurudwara at Vienna in Austria, the activists in Moga, Faridkot and Ferozepur have shown restraint from violent behaviour preserving the communal harmony.

No loss to human life or property was reported in these towns when the last report came in and the situation was under control.

In Moga, the Dalit activists carried out a peaceful protest march on the main roads of the town in the morning. The local traders shut down their shops, which started to open in the evening hours to provide essential commodities to the residents.

The protesters blocked the Ludhiana-Ferozepur national highway in the main square of the town and raised slogans against the state government. Traffic was disrupted in the town for a few hours due to the blockade. However, in the rural areas, it was normal throughout the day.

Although the private bus operators stopped plying their buses on the major routes but the government buses were carried on all the routes except the disturbed areas. However, the passengers were very less in number as compared to the normal days.

The Dalit leaders alleged that they were not being allowed to carry out 'akhand path' by bringing Guru Granth Saheb (holy book of Sikhs) in their residences and also being treated equally in the religious and other public places in the rural areas.

District Magistrate Satwant Singh Johal said the situation was under control and no violent incident was reported from any part of the district. He appealed to the people to maintain communal harmony.

FARIDKOT: The Dalit organisations carried out a protest march in the town but most commercial establishments remained open throughout the day. Traffic was normal on the roads.

There were reports of forcibly shutting down of shops at Kotkapura town in this district. Overall, the situation was under control and no loss to human life and property was reported from any part of the district.

However, the district administration has kept a strict vigil on the activities of the Dalit activists and extra forces had been deployed in some areas.

FEROZEPUR: All commercial establishments remained closed in the Ferozepur city and cantonment area keeping in view of the call of bandh given by the dalit organisations.

No violent incident was reported even as there were reports that the activists tried to forcibly shut down commercial establishments.

The activists carried out a protest on Shaheed Udham Singh chowk, which disrupted the traffic for a few hours.

The district administration has shut down all the educational institutes on Tuesday and deployed extra forces in the vulnerable areas as a precautionary measure to meet an emergent situation.

The government buses were plied on all routes except the disturbed areas. However, few long route trains were stopped keeping in view the violence in some areas of the state.

The Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon has appealed to the Dalit community to lodge their protest by peaceful means and not to resort to violence, which may disturb the communal harmony of the state.

Mansa: Members of Dalit outfits held a protest in Mansa today following the attack on the heads of Dera Sachkhand Sant Niranjan Dass and Ramanand in Vienna (Austria) yesterday and death of Ramanand.

All the shops and business houses remained closed in Mansa and some of the protesters torched the two government buses in the main bus stand, however, timely intervention of police controlled the situation. After this incident, a large number of buses and other vehicles remained off the roads. The citizens also preferred to stay inside their houses due to the tensed situation.

Functioning at the government offices and banks was also affected. Meanwhile, members of various Dalit outfits held a protest march peacefully at Budhlada city under the leadership of Dalit leaders as Bihari Singh, Sher Singh, Bagga Singh and Major Singh. Deputy Commissioner Kumar Rahul and SSP Manwinder Singh said that although markets and some offices remained closed but the situation was under control. Police was continually marching in the city and the other adjoining areas.

The Deputy Commissioner also informed that all educational institutions in the district have been closed as a precautionary measure.

Fazilka: Curfew-like bandh prevailed in Fazilka town to protest against the assassination of Ramanand and firing on his disciples at Vienna in Austria.

The state-level bandh call was given by the Ravi Dass community. A majority of the shopkeepers participated in the bandh fearing damage to their property. The chemist shops and clinics functioned normally.

Followers of Guru Ravi Dass disrupted the traffic and raised slogans against the assailants of Ramanand in Vienna. They took out a procession and demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits. They also blocked traffic on the busy Sanjeev Cinema Chowk. Besides vehicular traffic, private and roadways buses remained off road.

This caused great inconvenience to both commuters as well as passengers. Some of the persons participated in the procession carrying sticks.

They damaged some of the shops that were open in the morning today fearing which other shopkeepers preferred to keep their establishments closed.

Some miscreants damaged the furniture of the lawyers in their chambers in the courts here today.

Abohar, May 25
Scared of protesters, a tea stall owner reportedly died of cardiac arrest as members of Shri Guru Ravi Dass Regar Society and Dalit Samaj today took out a protest march to express their resentment over the killing of Sant Rama Nand in Vienna, Austria.

As per the information available, hundreds of residents including children assembled in the Regar Basti here and passed through Bazaar number 6, Sabzi Mandi, Old Grain market, Main Bazaar and Circular Road shouting slogans and asking the shopkeepers to roll down their shutters.

As the procession entered the Sadar Bazaar, the shopkeepers, sensing trouble, started pulling the shutters down. A tea stall owner identified as Des Raj, aged about 60 years, suffered heart attack while pulling the shutter down and died on the spot.

Undeterred by the mishap, the precisionists proceeded to the Old Tehsil road and Gaushala road. Cops from both the police stations followed them.

The protesters blocked the road traffic near the main bus stand. Most of the passengers preferred to take shelter under the projections outside the bus stand or stayed back in the poorly maintained sheds that sans ceiling fans. Hundreds of passengers were also stranded at the local railway station due to cancellation of the trains.

The protesters, some of whom carried sticks and baseballs, had planned to enter the sub-divisional complex but the police officials persuaded them to wait outside the police complex assuring that a revenue official will be coming here to accept their memorandum.

The protesters were kept sweating on at the Sadar Thana road for 25 minutes. Then a junior official turned up to received the memorandum which condemned killing of Swami Rama Nand, besides, urging the Central government to pursue the government in Austria to nab the alleged killers.

Bus services were restored as the protesters dispersed by 3.30 pm. However, markets remained closed.

Bathinda, May 25
The number of unidentified bodies recovered from various canals and their tributaries here has abnormally increased during the past few days but hardly any report of missing person has been filed in the police stations in the area.

More than 24 bodies have been recovered during the past few days from different places by local NGOs. The police have disposed most of these as cases of “unnatural death” as there were no claimants of the recovered bodies.

Pre-mortal injuries on some of the bodies indicated that the canal waters have become a dumping place of victims by criminals. Being almost the tail end of the Bathinda-Sirhind and the Bhakhra main canal, completely decomposed bodies float here from other parts of the state.

The kin have so far claimed not more than six of these bodies. The NGOs have from time to time performed their last rites after retaining clues that could help in identification of these bodies.

Ashish Chaudhary, SSP, Bathinda, told this correspondent that recovery of a high number of bodies was “abnormal”, but it was observed that most of the bodies had floated here from places as far as Ropar. He said as the mercury has risen, incidents of drowning had also shown an upward trend because the womenfolk and young ones do not take precautions while stepping into the canals to take bath.

The SSP ruled out foul play as “pre-mortal” injuries were found on only three bodies. However, investigations would reveal further details. Information necessary to identify the bodies recovered from the canals was regularly flashed to the central police control room and the crime branch.

He said a body recovered last month was identified as that of a person of Haryana and the culprits, who had thrown the body in a canal near Talwandi Sabo, were apprehended.

Vijay Goel, who heads the “Sahara” — an NGO engaged in providing assistance to victims of accidents and those needing medical attention, says that most of the unidentified bodies float here from Ludhiana, Barnala and Sangrur.

The Bathinda-Sirhind canal that originates from Doraha in the Ludhiana district is the main carrier of these bodies. The Bhakhra main flows through Mansa and Talwandi Sabo.

Goel claims that the police and officials of the irrigation department at times push the bodies ahead from their own jurisdiction to escape the time consuming investigations. He said only one or two bodies were in the condition of being identified and the remaining were disposed by the NGOs by performing the last rites.

He says that the heat wave during the past few days might have led to the rising number of deaths in the canal waters.

Bathinda, May 25
The Army’s initiative of organising a summer camp for children up to16 years of age at the Shaurya Army Pre School No. 1 in Bathinda military station kicked off today with a ‘Go green’ cycle rally that was flagged off by Sudha Chauhan, chairperson, Family Welfare Organisation. The camp will continue till May 30.

A wave of enthusiasm swept across children’s faces, who were waiting to pedal their cycle and cover the 3 km stretch inside the Station at 7 am.

Officers and their wives seemed equally keen on the rally and were present in front of the pre-school to cheer for the children. Around 45 kids participated in the rally. Clad in a white T-shirt with a ‘Go Green’ flag on their cycles, the participants seemed to promote the spirit of keeping fit by cycling amidst the green environs of the cantonment.

Later at 9 am, started the indoor activities for these children, which included paper craft, dough craft, pottery, creative art, film-making and photography and self-grooming. Outdoor activities include yoga, firing, tank riding and cycle rally. Children lined up at various classes and attended any class they wished to attend from 9 am to 12 noon.

Many of these classes would be taken by Army officers’ wives. A nominal charge of Rs 100 for officers’ children and Rs 75 for PBOR children is being charged per child, which includes refreshment.

Sudha Chauhan, while interacting with the media, said, “Such activities break the monotony of daily routine and children get to learn new things. Creative activities help a child explore his creativity and yoga and cycle rally activities promote fitness and well-being. Such activities also inculcate discipline and togetherness among children. Suggestions from the children will also be called after the camp.”

Sonali Aggarwal, principal of the school, stated that sincere efforts had been put in by all to make the camp productive and the response on the first day was tremendous.

Bathinda, May 25
“There is no joy greater than bringing laurels to the country,” said Bathinda lad Sunil Kumar Sharma, who won glory for India by clinching a gold medal in the Indo-Bangladesh Goju-Ryu Karate Championship held recently at Dhaka, on Monday when he returned his home town and to a roaring reception.

Sunil represented India in the senior weight (55-60 kg) category in the tourney in which altogether 150 players from India and Bangladesh vied for the top slot on May 14 and 15. Sunil was the sole representation from Punjab.

The 24-year-old fighter told TNS that he had been mastering the art of kicks for the past nine years, adding that his father, a former hockey player, had inspired him to go for sports.

Son of Shakuntala Devi and a retired railway employee Nand Ram Sharma, Sunil gave the credit for his success to constant support by his family, friends, guides and fellow players.

Appearing a bit disappointed over ‘lack of support’ from the government, Sunil who had participated in the karate championship in Nepal, Chennai and other places, wants a job in railways or Punjab police. “I need a job to help my family and the sports,” he said.

He thanked MC Jagroop Singh and Hukum Chand Sharma for being instrumental in arranging money for him. “Without them, I would not have been able to take part in the championship,” Sunil said.

Sriganganagar/Abohar, May 25
Women from ward number 12 occupied chairs of the executive engineer, sub-divisional engineer and junior engineer as no official was found present during a ‘matka-phod’ demonstration in the office of the Public Health Department at Suratgarh segment of Sriganganagar district on Monday. They rued that the authorities had not supplied even a drop of drinking water for the last five days to most of the localities.

“A tin of water costs Rs 5, how can we afford it when the rates of essential commodities too have gone up by 25 per cent during the recent elections,” Meena said.

Locals were joined in holding the demonstration by the consumers from village Sheopura, who too were facing a similar problem.

Rajinder Jat, Chanan Ram and Balbir rued that no leader, who promised them the moon during the Lok Sabha elections was ready to take the initiative to solve the problem and provide relief to them.

Mansa, May 25
The residents of Mansa have been waiting for the construction of the railway under-bridge (main railway line which crosses through the city and divides it into two parts) to be completed for a long time which is yet lying incomplete.

Traffic of both the sides passes through a railway crossing from one side to another. Long lines of traffic can be witnessed at the railway crossing any time. Traffic problem results in accidents many times. Jatinder Agra, who has been the president of Under Bridge Struggle Committee said that the whole city went on strike in favour of their demand. The foundation stone of this project was laid down during the regime of the Congress led by Captain Amrinder Singh and it was again laid down during the present SAD-BJP regime, but the project is yet not complete.

Another Mansa resident, Jaspal Singh and Rekha Sharma, advocate, expressing concern over the traffic problem demanded early completion of the railway under-bridge. Meanwhile, Maqhinder Garg, SDO PWD, said the construction work is on from the side of the railways. The PWD is also working on the project according to its share. He informed that the construction would be completed with an estimated cost of Rs 8 crore 96 lakh. He expressed the hope that the bridge would soon be ready for the use within next three or four months.

Bathinda, May 25
The body of a 21-year-old man was found hanging from a tree near Harbans Nagar here today. The youth has been identified as Sandeep Kumar alias Kala, who worked at a chemical factory in the city and lived in Harbans Nagar.

While the police termed it as a case of suicide the mother of the deceased suspected that her son was murdered.

She said one of her son’s friends called him from the factory where he worked and took him along.

He did not return for the whole night. In the morning, his body was found hanging from the tree.

Angrej Singh, in-charge of the Vardhman police post, said, “We have recorded the statement of the father of the deceased, who does not suspect anyone for the death. However, a case has been registered and inquest has begun.”

Abohar, May 25
A man was killed in a road mishap as he lost control over the two-wheeler facing high velocity dust-storm and fell in the sub-canal late on Sunday evening while crossing a bridge located on the narrow road that linked Rampura with Bishanpura village, sources said. As per the information, the deceased, identified as Nachhattar Singh, was returning to Indergarh village after some social engagement at Malout using a scooter.

The body was brought to the Civil Hospital here today for the post-mortem.One Rupinder Singh of village Rampura said in the Civil Hospital that the bridge has no sidewall which had resulted in similar mishaps in the past also. The authorities had turned a blind eye to the repeated memorandums.