Ludhiana, November 6
Close on the heels of the Punjab bandh called by radical Sikh organisations on November 3 when the movement of trains in the entire region was dislocated, rail traffic was once again thrown out of gear today as victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots held a ‘rail roko’ agitation at the behest of the Sikh Migrants Association.

As groups of riot victims squatted on the Ludhiana-Ambala rail tracks on the city’s periphery city for nearly five hours, disrupting rail traffic, several trains were delayed for two to three hours. Some others were halted at Ludhiana station and later diverted through alternate routes. One train was short terminated and two more were cancelled.

With trains coming to a complete halt from early morning till 11:15 am passengers were at the receiving end. In particular those traveling by the Amritsar-New Delhi morning Shatabdi were put to great inconvenience.

A Bangalore-based businessman, Suresh Kumar Gupta, who was on a business trip to the city and had boarded Shatabdi to take an afternoon flight from Delhi to Bangalore, was on tenterhooks as the train was prevented from leaving at the Ludhiana station due to the track being blocked. After waiting for over an hour and with no signs of the train resuming its journey, he decided to take a taxi in a desperate bid to catch his flight.

"Even after rushing to Delhi by road I missed my flight," he told The Tribune on telephone after reaching the capital. "I’m feeling very bad and maybe I’ll think twice before visiting Punjab again if this is the state of affairs, where any one can hold the entire railway to ransom," he lamented.

Gupta was not alone in having a dig at the protesting groups. Many of his co-passengers were feeling angry but helpless. Amarinder, Harpreet and Rajan Sharma, also traveling by the same train, remarked: "No agitation will serve its purpose, whatever be the grievance, if people who are in no way concerned with the issue are put to harassment."

Thousands of rail passengers, including daily commuters, were made to wait for hours together. Many of them missed their offices and educational institutions or interviews of other important meetings due to disruption of train traffic.

According to station superintendent RK Sharma, the 2014 Amritsar-New Delhi Shatabdi and 2718 Amritsar-Nanded Sachkhand Express were diverted via Dhuri with a delay of two and half hour and three hours respectively. The Amritsar-bound 8237 Chhatisgarh Express was short terminated at Sahnewal, while the 2460 Amritsar-New Delhi Super Express and 2054 Amritsar-Haridwar Janshatabdi Express were cancelled for the day.

Ludhiana, November 6
A major tragedy was averted today morning when a speeding railway locomotive approaching the city from Khanna made the protesting 1984 riot victims squatting on the track run for their lives at the Gyaspura crossing.

The incident took place at around 7:00am when nearly 70 to 80 riot victims, young and old, were staging a ‘rail roko’ protest to press the government to take action against the perpetrators of the 1984 riots in which hundreds of innocent Sikhs were killed others left homeless.

According to Surjit Singh, president of the Punjab Danga Peerat Welfare Society, the protesters indicated at the rail engine to stop by holding placards and banners. However, instead of coming to a halt the engine accelerated its speed. The protestors realised the danger when the train was just a few meters away from them.

Every one sitting on the track ran helter and skelter.

Dalip Kaur, 52, and Varinder Singh, a physically challenged man, who fainted to see the speeding engine were rescued by the other protesters.

Tempers ran high among the protesters following the incident and they put boulders on the rail track to stop the train, raising slogans against the central government.

Witnessing the commotion, area residents, predominantly migrants, gathered around the track. Sensing the situation was going out of hand administration officials sprang into action and heavy security consisting of the Railway Protection Force was deployed around the protesters.

The protesters’ anger later spilled over on to a freight train carrying oil. The riot victims indicated to the engine driver to stop and put a boulder on the track.

As the engine driver slowed down, the protesters started pelting stones at the train forcing it to stop. In the meantime a few protestors took over the train and forced the driver to alight from the engine.

Later, they broke the glasses of the goods train and damaged its interiors. However, RPF commandant Gurjasvir Singh soon took command and told the protesters to alight.

Surjit Singh, the president of the welfare society said, “We had given prior notice to the government authorities that we would stage a ‘rail roko’ agitation here, but they paid no heed to our request and even sent a rail engine to ram the protesters. Had we not left the track on time, the train engine would have crushed us all.”

SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar and other Akali leaders also reached the spot and joined the protestors.

Witnessing the agitation taking on political overtones, deputy commissioner Vikas Garg and SSP SS Gill arrived at the scene and tried to pacify the protestors.

It is learnt Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had urged the riot victims to call off the protest, which they did called off the protest in the afternoon.

Ludhiana, November 6
Following a severe rap from the high court yesterday during a hearing of the contempt petition for not removing encroachments dotting the city, the municipal corporation has shifted into a proactive mode.

According to sources, municipal commissioner AK Sinha had, at a meeting today afternoon with the officials of the town planning and ‘tehbazari’ wings, chalked out a plan of action. According to it both permanent and temporary encroachments would be targeted.

The officials have been directed to pull up their socks for a sustained demolition drive to be undertaken next week. "From Monday till Wednesday all commercial encroachments in the city would be painted to tell the encroachers about their faults. The time period would also act as a tenure for defaulters to erase structures on their own," the directions said.

After the completion of deadline under which the painting drive is completed, the civic body will begin its demolition drive. Besides, the municipal commissioner has also ordered the officials to buy infrastructure like buses, JCB machines, etc, so that during the time of the demolition drives all untoward situations could be prevented.

"We would be given support by the police and the district administration and this time the MC needs to show results," the commissioner told his juniors. He delegated duties to various officials including zonal commissioners and made them heads for their respective zones.

Under the plan of action, the first phase would include around 20 roads, including Chaura Bazaar, Ferozepore Road, Ghumar Mandi, Mall Road, Link Road, Gill Road, Hambran Road, Haibowal Road, Overlock Road, Janakpuri, RK Road, Samrala Chowk, Talab Bazaar, Meena Bazaar and Brown Road.

Meanwhile, MTP Hemant Batra yesterday collected the list of commercial encroachments from his juniors.

Notably, during the high court hearing yesterday, Sinha, DC Vikas Garg, SSP Sukhchain Gill and former municipal commissioner GS Ghuman were present in person.

Ludhiana, November 6
Their pleas of not displacing them from their office near the Clock Tower were overlooked by a few senior officials, including the assistant commissioner.

As a result now accounts and audit branch of the municipal corporation has been parlaysed for the past more than a week due to inadequate space provided to them. The departments with more than 50 persons, including DCFAs, have been now asked to accommodate themselves and their records in four rooms.

Rubbing salts on their wounds is attitude of their senior officers who show them door whenever they go to their offices requesting to hear their grievances.

“Almost negligible number of cases related to provident fund, loan, pension, death and retirement dues have been cleared since we have been displaced. Our records are scattered and we are asked to work. The condition is so bad that we have almost no space to keep our documents,” said clerical grade staff.

In our old building we had 16 rooms and now we have been directed to fit in four rooms out of which two have been occupied by DCFAs. The things are going from bad to worse as far as our functioning is concerned and we are daily being criticised by seniors.

An employee pleasing anonymity said, “Assistant Commissioner KP Brar has been very insensitive to our department. When we requested her to allow us to return to our old building near the Clock Tower, she refused and when we ask for more space she scolds us.” The water is going above our heads and we would not take any onus for any kind of losses.

Some of my records are lying in the old building, while half of it is in A-zone office. “Every time I try to find a file, I am in dilemma whether to go ahead or still wait,” added another employee.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, November 6
Taking advantage of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s forthcoming visit to Washington on November 24, NRI Sikhs have urged the US President to impress upon Manmohan Singh to get those who were responsible for 1984 massacre booked.

Following recent protest by Sikhs under banner of the “Sikhs for Justice,” a human rights organisation, seeking punishment for the suspects of 1984 anti-Sikh massacre, before the White House, the NRI Sikhs have asked Sikh organisations in India to make similar appeals to the US President.

Leaders of a few Sikh organisations of the USA and Canada had started persuading office-bearers of organisations of India to send representations seeking punishment for 1984 riots suspects, to the US government immediately.

“Let us collectively urge the US government to impress upon Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to get those, who had triggered most inhuman act of killing innocent children and women on racial basis, booked, said Harbans Singh Jandali, president, Ontario Sikh and Gurdwara Council.

Jandali maintained that logical conclusion of cases, if booked against perpetrators of the Sikh attacks would clear blots from face of the Indian government. 

Ludhiana, November 6
The procedure of getting a learner's driving license has been made easier with the district administration making the arrangements to get these issued from the Suvidha Centre here.

Addressing a press conference, deputy commissioner, Vikas Garg said learner’s licences would from now on be issued within a week. A person just needs to submit an application at the Suvidha Centre in the mini secretariat and the licence would be issued a week after applying.

He said after the licences the death and birth certificates would be issued from the Suvidha Centre only. Arrangements were being made for issuing these certificates from here, he said, adding the date would be announced very soon.

The DC said that all public works related to issuing of affidavits, passports, etc, were done under the one roof at the Suvidha Centre only. This has resulted in a check on middlemen who used to make money by getting important documents prepared for public.

Ludhiana, November 6
In response to a call given by the Private Colleges Non-Teaching Employees Union, Punjab, the non-teaching employees of Gujranwala Guru Nanak Khalsa College staged a dharna in front of principal’s office to press their demands.

Khamano, November 6
The permanent kitchens recently constructed in various government schools of the district serve no purpose in preparation of midday meal as the food is either prepared in open or in the classrooms.

The government had spent Rs 60,000 on each permanent shed, which is to be used as kitchen in these village schools. However, a visit to some of these schools revealed that either these kitchens were lying open without any window or doors or they were doubled up as storerooms. Children were seen assisting school employees while preparing meal in open or in the classrooms.

The school teachers, however, said Rs 60,000 released by the government got wasted as these sheds were still incomplete. They revealed that though in papers the construction work of school kitchen was complete, in actual these were still bereft of water taps, doors, window and other basic facilities, including a sink for washing utensils. The government must release more funds to get it completed or else these sheds would remain useless forever, they added.

However, District Education Officer (primary) Surinder Singh said out of 440 primary schools, only 57 schools were bereft of these kitchens or sheds and all other schools were now equipped with this facility. These sheds were constructed for hygiene and other basic purposes of a kitchen in 2007. The construction work of all these sheds was completed just a few months back.

The DEO further said that construction work was on in those schools which were upgraded recently. He added that internal problems of schools with village panchayat’s had been delaying the construction of some of the kitchens, but would be completed soon. He said the school teachers had been told to prepare midday meal in these kitchens and not in the open or classrooms.

Jagraon, November 6
Government schools, especially in rural areas, are not doing very well as far as results are concerned. Moreover, news of students forced to do menial jobs for teachers are also a regular feature here.

A similar, rather inhuman case came to light when principal of Government Secondary School Jassowal, village Kular, near Jagraon, forced Class X students to do work with a mason.

It was learnt that a group of students were forced to load crusher on a bullock cart and then were forced to drive it to the school where the construction of a kitchen was in progress.

Even horrifying was the fact that students were made to do this work during school hours.

Though principal Nirmal Singh was not present in the school, he confirmed over the phone that he had done nothing wrong by making the students engaged in such a job.

He even went to the extent to call the construction work in the school a "kaar sewa" (voluntary service).

However, it was found that boys of Class X and XI were put on duty by the principal in shifts to assist mason.

Meanwhile, students when saw the lensman taking photographs, left the cart in the school and went inside their classrooms.

Doraha, November 6
An English debate competition was held at Green Grove Public School today.

Avreen of Class X gave the welcome speech. Those who participated in the competition were between Class III to Class V. Two different topics were assigned to the participants, including “uniform is essential” and “homework is a burden”.

Reena Sharma and Prableen Kaur, lecturers in English, adjudged the debate competition.

Ramneek, Patwant, Jasmine, Millanveer, Karanveer put forward their views on “uniform is essential” while Komalpreet, Prabhnoor, Elvis, Simratpreet, Arshnoor spoke on “homework is a burden”.

President JPS Jolly and principal S George were also present to encourage the students.

Chief guest Satinder Jolly gave away the prizes. Arshnoor of Class V won the first prize where as Karanveer and Millanveer of Class V got second and third positions, respectively.

Consolation prizes were awarded to Komalpreet of Class IV and Patwant of Class III.

Mullanpur Dakha, November 6
A human development festival was celebrated today at GTB National College, Dakha.

The festival was celebrated under “strengthening state plans for human development project” which is jointly sponsored by United Development Programme and Planning Commission, Government of India, and implemented by Human Development Research and Coordination Unit, Economic and Stastical Organisation, Government of Punjab.

Principal Ranjit Kaur Grewal hoped that such programmes would go a long way in spreading awareness on human problems.

Dr Arun Mitra, a medical practitioner, delivered a talk on female foeticide in Punjab. Dr Bawa Singh, former member of Minorities Commission, spoke on drug addiction and its impact on the society.

Inter-college competitions like essay- writing, poster making, song/poetry recitation, and skit on social themes such as female foeticide, skewed sex ratio and drug addiction were part of the festival.

In essay-writing, team of Priyanka Saxena and Mehak Sharma from Sri Aurobindo College of Commerce and Management bagged the team trophy while Rohit Arora of GHG Khalsa College of Education Sadhar, Kamaljit Singh of GN College, Narangwal, and Pooja Rani of Ramgharia Girls College, Ludhiana, stood 1st, 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

In poster-making, team trophy was won by GHG Khalsa College of Education, Gurusadhar, while Resha Jain of GHG Khalsa College of Education, Sadhar, Jaspreet Kaur of Ramgharia College, Ludhiana, and Amrit Kaur of KCW, Sidhwan Khurd, stood 1st, 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

Amandeep Kaur of GHG Khalsa College of Education, Sadhar, Sarabjeet Kaur of Khalsa College for Women, Sidhwan Khurd, and Harpreet Kaur of Government Science College, Jagraon, bagged 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions in the poem/song category.

Ludhiana, November 6
PAU pensioners’ rued that they were not been given the revised pension, DA and travel concessions on time.

As per the government’s instructions, payment of pension should have been made in the first week of each month and DA within two months of declaration.

In a press statement issued here today, RR Katyal said PAU pensioners were expecting their revised pension and arrears of DA from July onwards as per the recent government notification.

PAU pensioners were, however, shocked to see that their pension for September and October, along with arrears of enhanced DA and travel concession, had not been credited to their respective bank accounts.

Ludhiana, November 6
The grandson, who had stolen cash and gold from his grandparent’s house in Model Town, wanted to settle a score with his grandfather, who had refused to give anything to his family.

This was reveled by the police yesterday after Vikramdeep Singh, who claimed that the conspiracy was hatched at Amritsar jail, where father of one of his friends, Amandeep Singh was lodged.

Vikram said he was on a look out for an opportunity to teach a lesson to his grandfather, as the latter did not give share in the property to the accused’s father.

Father of Amandeep, who is friend of Vikram, is undergoing jail term in a drug peddling case in Amritsar.

SP (City- II) Sanehdeep Sharma said Vikram met Pritpal Singh, father of Amandeep Singh, when both of them went to meet him in the jail.

The police said Pritpal Singh further introduced the duo to a notorious criminal Randeep Kumar, alias Vijay aka Toppi King.

Toppi King gave them the contact numbers of the two thieves, who were proficient in breaking the locks of the door and cupboards.

According to the police, while Vikram went along with his grandparents to take obeisance at their ancestral place in Sarabha village, Amandeep, Mandeep Singh, Sonu and an unidentified man entered the house and committed the theft.

The police said Vikram remained in contact with his accomplice while they were committing the theft.

During the interrogation, Vikram revealed that he did not know about that so much of cash and jewelry was lying in the house.

Vikram said after committing the crime they divided the amount and he and his friends Mandeep and Aman received a share of Rs 4 lakh in cash, while the two thieves took the rest of the amount.

While the police has recovered Rs 4 lakh from the accused Vikram and his friends, the two thieves, who were introduced to Vikram by Toppi King, managed to escape with the rest of the amount.

Sharma said the police had launched a manhunt for the accused and even raided several places in this connection.

Jagraon, November 6
The CIA wing of Ludhiana (Rural) along with the local police yesterday arrested four youths and seized an unlicensed pistol and a knife. Two motorcycles they were riding were also seized. Later, it was that these were stolen ones.

The CIA in charge said he was tipped off that Dinesh Chaudhary, alias Sanjay of Moti Nagar Ludhiana, Qiamat Din of Chowani Mohalla, Ludhiana, Gurmeet Singh of Janta Nagar, Ludhiana, and Jatinder Kumar Bhatia, alias Jatin of Hebbowal Kalan, Ludhiana, were going toward Moga from Ludhiana through a temporary passage alongside canal on the stolen motorcycle for selling it in Moga.

A naka was laid at Bardeka village and the accused intercepted. On being asked to produce the documents, the accused failed to do so. On being searched the police recovered a country-made .12 bore pistol, two cartridges from Dinesh Kumar and the knife from Qiamat Din.

On being interrogated the accused confessed to having stolen a large number of motorcycles from various parts of Ludhiana and thereafter dispose them to the nearby towns at a nominal rates. The accused have been booked under Sections 379 and 411 of the IPC and 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act. The accused have been remanded in police custody. 

Ludhiana, November 6
Hosts Ludhiana district opened their account by winning two titles, while Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts too managed to make their presence felt, clinching two and one title, respectively, on the second day of the 56th Punjab School Games at Guru Nanak Stadium, here today.

In the girls’ under-19 category, Jaspreet Kaur of Ludhiana claimed the 3,000m race title, while Sangrur’s Mavneet Kaur and Hoshiarpur’s Amandeep Kaur followed her in second and third positions, respectively.

Also, Ludhiana’s Arpinder Singh proved his mettle in the boys’ under-19 long jump event, pushing Kulwant Singh of Ludhiana and Avikash of Faridkot to second and third places, respectively. Amritsar bagged two gold medals in the girls’ under-19 5-km walk and girls’ under-17 discus throw events. Navjeet Kaur of Amritsar hurled the disc the furthest to wrap up the title, while Khushvir Kaur annexed the title in the 5km walk.

Saranvir Singh of Gurdaspur won gold in the boys’ under-14 long jump event. Rupinder Singh, assistant education officer (sports), Ludhiana, supervised the arrangements for the event, while Ajit Pal Singh, Kuldeep Singh and Sukhvir Singh coordinated the games.

Results: Girls’ u-17: discus throw: Navjeet Kaur of Amritsar 1, Ketki Sethi of Amritsar 2 and Suman Devi of Sports Training Centre, Badal, 3; 3000m race: Jyoti Saini of Hoshiarpur 1, Harpreet Kaur of Hoshiarpur 2 and Prabhjeet Kaur of Sports Wing, Kairon, 3; high jump: Saroj Devi of Ferozepur 1, Sarabjeet Kaur of Sangrur 2 and Kamaljeet Kaur of Patiala 3.

Girls’ u-19: 5km walk: Khushbir Kaur of Amritsar 1, Saroj Rani of Muktsar 2 and Sandeep Kaur of Sangrur 3; discus throw: Harkirat Kaur of Sports Wing, Kairon, 1, Mandeep Kaur of Sangrur 2 and Amandeep Kaur of Kapurthala 3; 3000m race: Jaspreet Kaur of Ludhiana 1, Navneet Kaur of Sangrur 2 and Amandeep Kaur of Hoshiarpur 3.

Boys’ u-19: 5km walk: Sushil Kumar of Faridkot 1, Jaswinder Singh of Ludhiana 2 and Gurjant Singh of Mohali 3; long jump: Arpinder Singh of Ludhiana 1, Kulwant Singh of Ludhiana 2 and Avikash of Faridkot 3.

Boys’ u-17: long jump: Haramrit Pal Singh of Sports School, Jalandhar, 1, Bikramjeet Singh of Gurdaspur 2 and Rajdeep Singh of Sports Wingh, Patti, 3; 3000m race: Gurjeet Singh of Tarn Taran 1, Palwinder Singh of Gurdaspur 2 and Gurlal Singh of Patiala 3.

Boys’ u-14: shot put: Karan Singh of Patiala 1, Navdeep Singh of Ferozepur 2 and Paramjeet Chand of Muktsar 3; Long jump: Saranbir Singh of Gurdaspur 1, Davinder Singh of Mohali 2 and Maninder Singh of Gurdaspur 3.

Ludhiana, November 6
Kawalpreet Kaur and Suhapanpreet Kaur, both students of Guru Nanak Public School, Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana, hogged limelight in different swimming meets held recently.

According to school principal RS Gill, the two girls bagged medals in the district, state besides national school games.

Kawalpreet Kaur (u-17), a student of class IX, won three gold medals in the Ludhiana District Schools Swimming Championship, conducted at PAU in addition to three gold and one bronze medals in the Punjab State Schools Championship held at Ropar.

Kawalpreet reaped a rich five gold medal haul in the CBSE North Zone Swimming Tournament held at Pathankot.

She also clinched one gold, one silver and two bronze medals in the CBSE National Swimming Championship organised at Rohtak.

Similarly, Suhapanpreet Kaur, a student of class XI carved a niche for herself in the under 19 category.

She wrapped up three gold medals in the Ludhiana District Schools Swimming Championship; secured four gold and one silver medals in the Punjab State Schools Swimming Championship; a bronze medal in the National School Games at Kolkata; bagged three gold and two bronze medals in the CBSE North Zone Sswimming Championship at Pathankot; and two gold and one bronze medal in the CBSE National Swimming Championship at Rohtak.

Mullanpur Dakha, November 6
Police DAV Public School, Amritsar, boys and Apeejay Public School, Jalandhar, girls clinched the CBSE Cluster XVI Basketball Trophy at Guru Nanak Public School here today.

Over 50 CBSE-affiliated schools took part in the state-level championship. DAV boys faced a stiff challenge from Spring Dale Senior Secondary School, Amritsar, but the former prevailed over their opponents 62-50.

MGN Public School, Jalandhar, finished third, defeating Guru Nanak Public School, 25-7.

Apeejay Public School, Jalandhar, eves outclassed Spring Dale Senior Secondary School, Amritsar, 36-22 to claim the title. Guru Nanak Public School secured third position, defeating DPS, Jalandhar, 36-26.

Earlier, in boys’ matches, Spring Dale Public School, Amritsar, defeated RD Khosla DAV School, Batala, 69-31; Police DAV School, Amritsar, defeated MGN School Kapurthala 72-42; MGN School, Jalandhar, defeated BCM School, Ludhiana, 80-60; Guru Nanak Public School, Mullanpur, defeated DPS, Jalandhar, 58-33. In girls’ matches, Spring Dale School, Amritsar, defeated Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, BRS Nagar, 26-4 points.

The winners were given prizes by zila parishad chairman Manpreet Singh Ayali who was accompanied by Sukhdev Singh Chak, Charanjit Singh Gahaur, Apinder Singh Grewal, Amarjot Singh, Jasbir Singh, among others.