The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

Markets open in Nawanshahr
Nawanshahr, May 27
After two days of turbulence in the district the bazaars here were opened this evening with the cooperation of all the political, social and religious organisations.

5 cases of violence in Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur, May 27
Five cases of violence, road blockade, damage to government and private property and assault on the Station House Officer of the Sadar police station have been registered during the curfew hour here last evening.

Normalcy returns to Batala
Batala: Life in Batala returned to normal on Wednesday after two days of bandh over the attack at a gurdwara in Vienna. Much to the respite of residents as well as shopkeepers, the main bazaars, including Chakri Bazaar, opened. As far as the bus service from Batala to Jalandhar was concerned, only private bus operators resumed their service. The rail services from Amritsar to Pathankot and Pathankot to Amritsar also resumed. — OC

Bus services resume
Jalandhar, May 27
Normalcy in the city is likely to be partly restored tomorrow with a 12-hour curfew relaxation being given by the district administration.

KZF, BKI letters fake, claims Akal Federation
Amritsar, May 27
Narain Singh, chief of the Akal Federation, has claimed that the letter of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), headed by Ranjit Singh Neeta, which purportedly claimed the responsibility of the Vienna incident was fake.

Tribune Impact
MC removes hoardings
Amritsar, May 27
Facing the ire of the public and pilgrims visiting the Golden Temple, the Municipal Corporation finally removed the hoardings and billboards fitted on rooftops, violating the building bylaws, especially around the Golden Temple complex. The hoardings had become an eyesore for the devotees who had been complaining that these advertising boards were marring beauty of the shrine.

GND varsity prospectus available from May 29
Amritsar, May 27
The general prospectus-cum-application forms for admission to various courses for the 2009-10 session at Guru Nanak Dev University Campus, University Regional Campuses at Jalandhar and Gurdaspur and constituents colleges, Shaheed Ram Singh Pathania Memorial College, Niari (Gurdaspur), ASSM College, Mukandpur (Nawanshahr) and University College, Basti Nau, Jalandhar, would be available from May 29. Raghbir Singh, Dean, Academic Affairs, said the prospectus-cum-application forms could be procured from these institutions against payment.—TNS

Situation limping back to normalcy
Dharmendra Joshi/TNS

Kapurthala/Phagwara, May 27
Situation in Phagwara subdivision and other parts of Kapurthala district is limping back to normalcy. No untoward incident was reported from any part of Phagwara subdivision during relaxation in curfew from 6 am to 9 am and from 4 pm to 7 pm today.

Residents of Phagwara thronged general stores and vegetable and fruit vendors to buy essential commodities during relaxation in the curfew.

Meanwhile, founder convener of the Punjab Young Peace Council Ashwani Kumar condemned the incidents of Vienna firing and violent protests in Punjab. A two-minute silence was observed in the meeting of the council to pay homage to slain Sant Ramanand.

Some Sikh organisations submitted a memorandum to the Phagwara SDM against some incidents of reportedly burning posters and effigy of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale by some agitated youths belonging to the Ravidass community in some parts of Jalandhar. They stated recurrence of such incidents should be stopped to maintain law and order.

Most of the commercial establishments opened today. The rail service on the Jalandhar-Ferozepore section was restored on Tuesday evening as four trains reached Kapurthala till noon and three left for Jalandhar.

The buses remained off the road for the third consecutive day. According to sources, roadways was ready to ply buses but there were no passengers.

The Ravidass Sabha organised path of Sukhmani Sahib at Jatpura Gurdwara here for normalcy in the state.

Meanwhile, the situation became a bit tense in Kapurthala in the evening after rumours that some protesters were roaming about in the town to force the shopkeepers to close their establishments.

On hearing the rumuors, about 100 Sikh youths brandishing swords and lathis marched towards the main bazaar asking the shopkeepers not to close their establishments out of the fear of protesters. However, the shopkeepers preferred to keep their shops closed.

Schools closed till Monday
All the private and government schools will remain closed in Kapurthala district from May 28 to May 31 as a precautionary measure. Issuing the direction, DC Raj Kamal Chaudhury said that curfew in Phagwara subdivision would be relaxed from 6 am to 6 pm on Thursday.

Christians pray for peace in Punjab

Jalandhar, May 27
The Christian community here has been holding prayers in the churches for the restoration of peace in Punjab. The Diocese of Jalandhar represented by Bishop Anil Couto, Father Mathew, Father Thomas, Father George, Father Kurian, Father Joseph and sisters held candlelight prayers at St Mary’s Cathedral in Jalandhar cantonment last evening. Diocese spokesperson Father Peter said the Bishop had condemned the violent protests and urged the agitators to calm down. — TNS

Markets open in Nawanshahr
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, May 27
After two days of turbulence in the district the bazaars here were opened this evening with the cooperation of all the political, social and religious organisations.

The district administration had organised an all-party meeting yesterday to seek their cooperation in restoring peace. On Wednesday morning, an all-party peace march was planned by the district administration to instill confidence among the general public. A deputation of local traders met the Deputy Commissioner and the SSP demanded adequate security for ensuring normalcy. The administration assured the traders of adequate security arrangements.

Though a peace march led by Deputy Commissioner Gurkirat Kirpal Singh and SSP Rakesh Aggawal was taken out in the town and adequate security was provided at various places in the town, most of the traders adopted “wait and watch” policy as some groups of youths had been roaming to get the shops closed.

The Depupty Commissioner then held a meeting with representatives of the Guru Ravidass Parbandhak Committee and the Sri Guru Ravidass Naujawan Sabha to seek their cooperation in maintaining peace. Harikishan Bali and Ram Lubhaya Ladhar, among others, held talks with the Deputy Commissioner and the SSP and a compromise was reached in which it was decided that the shops should be opened from 5 pm on Wednesday. The DC and the SSP also made it clear to them that the district administration would take strict action against the miscreants posing any threat to peace and law and order.

5 cases of violence in Hoshiarpur
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, May 27
Five cases of violence, road blockade, damage to government and private property and assault on the Station House Officer of the Sadar police station have been registered during the curfew hour here last evening.

According to police sources, Rachhpal of Sherpur, Gurdeep Kumar, Amarjit Singh, Rakesh Kumar, Sandeep Kumar and Kiranjit Singh, all of Mohalla Bullanwari, have been arrested under sections 307, 341, 323 and 427 of the IPC for allegedly assaulting Umesh Kumar of Ram Colony Camp. These persons had damaged the shop of Umesh Kumar. Residents of the locality beat them up and handed them over to the police. One of their accomplices, Kiranjit Singh, was admitted to the Civil Hospital. In another incident, Sita, Guddi and Shinder (all of Mehtiana), Tota of Phuglana, Bhupinder Singh of Ahrana Jattan along with 35 others damaged the Supreme Filling Station, an ATM and a generator set of Punjab and Sindh Bank at Mehtiana. All of them have been booked.

A case has been registered at Tanda police station against 200 hooligans for creating traffic jam and raising slogans against the government between Adda Saran and Tanda. A case of damaging the property in the office of a vernacular newspaper at Dasuya has been registered on the complaint of Bimal Prashar of Jhinjer Mohalla, Dasuya.

Satish Kumar of Deowal, Pardeep Kumar and Manoj Kumar had allegedly assaulted Station House Officer Rakesh Kumar of Sadar police station and damaged his walkie-talkie, one four-wheeler and a motorcycle. All of them have been booked under sections 307, 332, 323, 148 and 149 of the IPC. Relaxation in curfew was given from 6.30 am to 10 am and 3 pm to 6 pm.

According to railway station sources, the traffic on the Hoshiarpur-Jalandhar section has been resumed. Meanwhile, curfew in Mukerian subdivision of Hoshiarpur district was lifted today. Deputy Commissioner N.K. Wadhawan said here this evening that relaxation in curfew in other parts of the district would be made from 6 am to 6 pm tomorrow. The government offices would start functioning. The bus service to all the stations would also be resumed. — OC

Schools, colleges closed today
All the government and private schools and colleges would remain closed tomorrow, the Deputy Commissioner said.

Bus services resume
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 27
Normalcy in the city is likely to be partly restored tomorrow with a 12-hour curfew relaxation being given by the district administration.

After the orders were passed this evening, the officials of the local depots of the Punjab Roadways decided to resume bus services on all routes between 6 am and 6 pm giving respite to the people who had been stranded in and around the city.

Roadways GM Parneet Singh Minhas said he was awaiting a final word from the administration in this regard. He said for more details one could contact at 2223755. DC Ajeet Singh Pannu said it was up to the roadways authorities to take a decision in this regard.

KZF, BKI letters fake, claims Akal Federation
Varinder Walia/TNS

Amritsar, May 27
Narain Singh, chief of the Akal Federation, has claimed that the letter of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), headed by Ranjit Singh Neeta, which purportedly claimed the responsibility of the Vienna incident was fake.

Talking to The Tribune here today, Narain Singh said he had got it confirmed from all the sources, based in foreign countries, that Neeta did not issue any letter, claiming the responsibility of the Vienna incident.

He further claimed that the letter of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) chief Wadhawa Singh Babbar was also “fake” in which he had denied the hand of any radical organisation in the incident.

The Akal Federation chief alleged that this was clear from the issuance of both the diametrically opposite letters issued to the media through Internet that certain intelligence agencies wanted to create confusion in the region by spreading disinformation.

Tribune Impact
MC removes hoardings
Ashok Sethi

Amritsar, May 27
Facing the ire of the public and pilgrims visiting the Golden Temple, the Municipal Corporation finally removed the hoardings and billboards fitted on rooftops, violating the building bylaws, especially around the Golden Temple complex. The hoardings had become an eyesore for the devotees who had been complaining that these advertising boards were marring beauty of the shrine.

The MC Commissioner said the corporation had received several complaints and acting on the media reports it had decided to remove the seven billboards which had sprung up in the periphery of the Golden Temple. He said six advertising boards had been removed, while the seventh would be brought down tomorrow.

The Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and BJP MP had visited the Golden Temple for organising akhand path and expressed their displeasure over the advertising boards and instructed the authorities to get them removed.

Earlier, MP Navjot Singh Sidhu had taken up the matter with the administration and the Chief Minister for the removal of these boards.

Several non-government organisations (NGOs) had joined in the chorus with Sidhu and had demanded removal of all hoardings and razing of all high-rise buildings which dominated the vicinity.