Jalandhar, December 7
Except few places, the region witnessed a complete bandh today with no untoward incident being reported from any quarter.

For Jalandhar, this is the second instance of bandh in 34 days, bringing the urban economy to a halt.

The call of bandh, given by different Sikh organisations against the incidents in Ludhiana, was completely observed in every quarter of city except centres of essential services like hospitals and road and railway transport.

Almost all private educational institutes remained closed. Though the government schools remained open, turn-up of students remained very low.

All major markets of city remained closed. Though the banks opened formally, they functioned in shutter-closed conditions.

The government owned buses plied on their respective routes as per schedule.

“There is no report of untoward incident at any route. However, number of passengers was extremely low as compared to normal days,” said Pernet Singh Minhas, General Manager, Punjab Roadways, Jalandhar-II.

Even the number of outdoor patients registered in hospital remained low as compared to other days. Most affected were the labourers.

Meanwhile, around 200-250 members of different Sikh youth organisations took out a procession in all major roads in the city. “This is just beginning of our struggle against fake religious bodies. If government will not act against these troublemakers, we will continue our protest in near future too,” said Parminder Singh Dhingra, District President of All India Sikh Students Federation.

Government establishments like Tehsil Office, court complex, Passport Office, Suvidha Centre and DC Office reported only about 10 per cent of the usual rush. While the staff at all these establishments came on time, public restrained.

The Patwari Fard Centre, which covers around 30 villages and is usually brimming with people, wore a deserted look today. “Only three people have turned up till now,” said an employee at the centre.

“About 85 per cent of our force is on duty in the field today. Also present are paramilitary and PAP forces to stop any terrible incident from taking place. One DSP, two SHOs and around 20 jawans have been deployed per unit, which covers two-three police stations. Special anti-riot apparatus and mounted policemen have also been put on duty,” said Sarabjeet, SP (City-II).

“Some activists took out peaceful processions in the city and held a meeting at Model Town Gurdwara,” he added.

Phagwara: A complete bandh was observed in Phagwara, Goraya, Phillaur, Noormahal, Bilga, Apra, Zandiala Manjki on Monday. Adequate security arrangements were made by the police. There was hardly any traffic on the roads. In absence of transportation, passengers were a worried lot.

Meanwhile, Delhi and Lahore-bound buses 
were diverted to Nawanshahr-Rahon-Samrala route due to violent atmosphere 
in Ludhiana.

Educational institutions remained closed but banks remained open. Pulse Polio campaign was also affected during bandh at several places today.

Nawanshahr: A complete bandh was observed in the town on Monday. Leaders of various Panthic organisations took a peaceful march from Gurdwara Singh Sabha. The irate leaders also blocked traffic and burnt the effigy of Ashutosh Maharaj at Chandigarh Chowk.

Hoshiarpur: Shopkeepers and vegetable vendors today observed complete bandh here today. Activists of Sikh bodies were seen roaming in the city on motorcycles and jeeps to close shops, which had opened in the morning.

The activists took out a peaceful procession in the main bazaars and later staged a dharna at local Clock Tower for more than four hours.

Meanwhile, activists of Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) demonstrated against the Panthic organisations. The party activists took out a march from committee bazaar to the city but were stopped by the administration at local Gauran Gate where they staged a dharna. Heavy police force was deployed in the area to avert any clash between both activists of Shiv Sena and Panthic organisations. Activists of Sikh organisations reportedly blocked vehicular traffic for about an hour at old Adda at Mahilpur town.

Kapurthala: Almost complete bandh was observed in the district today. No major untoward incident, except stone throwing at two shops, occurred in the town during the bandh.

Activists of various radical Sikh groups gathered at State Gurdwara and went to several bazaars in the shape of a protest march. Brandishing swords, the protesters raised slogans against the Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan (DJJS).

Several youths also raised slogans outside the local centre of the DJJS at Shekupura.

Majha

Tarn Taran:Tension prevailed at border township Bhikhiwind, 36 km from here, today during the Punjab Bandh when a group of shopkeepers resisted to close down their shops to protest against Ludhiana incidents.

SSP Sukhdev Singh Brar along with other officials reached the spot and pacified both the groups.

On the other hand, the bandh call evoked mixed response in this border area. Groups of radical Sikhs burnt the effigies of Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan’s head Ashutosh Maharaj at Tarn Taran and other townships of Khadur Sahib, Goindwal Sahib, Chohla, Sarhali, Patti, Khemkaran, Valtoha, etc, in the district. The shops and other commercial establishments remained closed.

Pathankot: There was no response to the bandh call given by the Sikh bodies today. All shops and business establishments remained open. Vehicular traffic was also seen plying normally.

Batala: A partial bandh was observed here today. Shops remained closed. 

Armed Forces Flag Day Celebrated
Help for ex-servicemen, war widows
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 7
The annual Armed Forces Flag Day was celebrated amidst patriotic fervour at the Punjab State War Memorial here today. The Flag Day was organised jointly by the District Sainik Welfare Board and the district administration.

Addressing the gathering, comprising of serving and retired Army officers and civil dignitaries, GOC of 15 Infantry Division Major-General Balbir Singh Pama said right from World War-I and II Punjabi’s had been the front runners in all the major wars of India. He appealed to the gathering to donate money generously for the welfare of scores of ex-servicemen, war widows and their families on the day.

The authorities distributed five sewing machines, five blankets, five cheques for Rs 2,500 each and one tricycle among ex-servicemen and war widows. Apart from this, 30 donors, who have been making maximum contribution towards the Flag Day funds were also honoured. Earlier, volunteers of THE District Sainik Welfare Board distributed sticker flags during the pinning of sticker ceremony among the gathering.

Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chairman of the District Sainik Welfare Board Ajeet Singh Pannu presided over the function. In his address, he urged the youth of Punjab to come forward and join armed forces. Deputy Director of the District Sainik Welfare Board Lt-Col Manmohan Singh highlighted the various pre-recruitment training programmes being conducted at the board, which have helped the youth of Punjab to get employment.

Swine flu claims 4th life in district
Bipin Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 7
Swine flu claimed fourth life in the district today. A resident of Aman Nagar locality in Industrial area, Harbhajan Singh (45) died of swine flue in the PGI, Chandigarh, this noon. Though all the deceased belonged to Jalandhar, they all died while undergoing treatment outside the city.The death due to swine flu has once again caught the district health authorities napping, as the officials were unaware of it. District Health authorities swung into action after receiving the information regarding a swine flu death in PGI from a Chandigarh-based nodal officer for the integrated disease surveillance program (PDSP), at about 7 pm.

 DHO Dr Roop Lal said Harbhajan Singh was undergoing treatment in PGI, where he died this morning. He, however, expressed his ignorance if he was referred by some local private hospital to the PGI or not.

He also claimed that no private of government hospital informed him regarding such patients who were either undergoing treatment with them or referred outside the district.

The DHO claimed that teams have been constituted to visit the locality tomorrow morning. The rapid action teams will go to the house of the deceased and will observe the ‘suspects’ who came in contact with Harbhajan Singh including his family members. The first positive case of swine flu in Jalandhar was reported among the NASA-returned students of Guru Amar Das School. Since then, over 15 people have tested positive of swine flu in the district.

Kapurthala, December 7
A teacher at Sainik School, Kapurthala, Ajit Kumar Mishra (28), committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan hook at his official quarters.

The staff of the school came to know about the incident this morning when the milkman informed them that despite repeated knocks at the door of Mishra’s house, he did not open it.

At this, the staff members broke the door open and found Mishra’s body hanging from the ceiling fan hook. According to eyewitnesses, the hands of the deceased were tied.

When contacted, the City SHO, Lakhwinder Singh Mal, said Mishra had committed suicide as he could not marry his girlfriend. Though he did not leave any suicide letter, yet the police came to know about his failure in love from an SMS he had sent to his girlfriend, he added.

Mishra hailed from Udham Singh Nagar in Uttrakhand and the police informed his brothers about the suicide on phone, he added. The SHO said inquest proceedings were initiated in the case under section 174 of the CrPC.

Phagwara, December 7
A major tragedy was averted at Phagwara Railway Station when the last bogie of a goods train derailed during the shunting on railway line number 6 in the afternoon. More than 50 metre of railway line, including its sleepers, was badly damaged due to the derailment. As a result, the Railway staff have to stop Jalandhar-bound UP-Howrah Express at nearby Mauli railway station from 1.44 pm to 2.05 pm. The Railway Protection Force and Railway employees worked hard to detach the derailed bogie from the train. The goods train coming from Malikpur was bringing ‘makki’ for Phagwara. The Railways have ordered departmental inquiry into the incident.

Meanwhile, hundreds of rail passengers boarding Dadar-bound Amritsar-Dadar Express faced inconvenience and down-line traffic of the Amritsar-Phagwara rail section remained disrupted for more than two hours due to power failure of the diesel engine of the Dadar Express near Hamira in Kapurthala. The train could proceed after a new engine brought was brought from the nearby railway station.