Kurukshetra, April 13
Media and the judiciary, in that order, came under criticism at the Sarv Khap Mahapanchayat here today.

Speaker after speaker accused the media of “conspiring” to destroy the social fabric in rural areas of states like Haryana, Western UP and Rajasthan by “glorifying socially unacceptable marriages”.

Yudhvir Singh, general secretary of the All-India Jat Sabha, said the media was not aware of the glorious past of the khaps, which had sent 22,000 men to fight the first war of Independence in 1858 at the call of the last Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar. Of these 8,000 had lost their lives.

It was the khaps, which had valiantly fought against Mohammad Gori also. Various speakers objected to the use of words like “Talibani and Tughlaki decisions of the khap panchayats.” Yudhvir Singh said the media did not even know the meaning of Taliban.

The word meant a student. When a group of students joined together to fight against the Russian forces in Afghanistan, their movement acquired the name of “Taliban”.

A speaker said the courts were for society and not vice versa.

Another suggested that they should not be answerable to the media, which should be boycotted. Perhaps acting on his suggestion, the organisers of the post-lunch session did not allow the media inside the hall, where the meeting was held, for some time.

It was only later the media was allowed in. The Arya Samaj, which once had a great influence over the Jats of Haryana, was also criticised for allowing its temples to perform marriages of couples after elopement.

Meanwhile, the All-India Democratic Women’s Association, the Democratic Youth Feration of India and the Students Federation of India said unnecessary hue and cry was being raised on the potential threat to the culture of Haryana in the wake of the court verdict in the Manoj- Babli case.

These organisations alleged that the demand for amendment in the Hindu Marriage Act was being raised with the motive of denying the right of marriage by choice. 

Amend the Hindu Marriage Act to derecognise marriages performed in temples

The marriage Act was drafted by a committee headed by a person belonging to South India, where a man can marry the daughter of his sister. Such a person could not be expected to prohibit same-gotra and same-village marriages

Manoj and Babli only mark the beginning. No one knows how many more such murders will take place if the Act is not amended

Don’t fiddle with tradition. It will lead to chaos — Mahendra Singh Tikait, BKU

Gurgaon, April 13
Having acquired a professional degree from a premier business school of the country, a host of lucrative career opportunities await you. But at the same time, you should also remember that your country also need your services.

This was stated by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee at the convocation of Management Development Institute (MDI) held on the institute’s campus here today.

The minister asserted that the country had shown a remarkable recovery from the impact of the global economic slowdown and achieving a two-digit GDP growth rate was the next challenge.

“As India is well on its way to becoming a world economic power, it requires your professional expertise, knowledge and skills. Youngsters like you can play a key role in nation-building,” Mukherjee maintained, adding that in today’s world, knowledge and intellect had emerged as the drivers of economic growth.

The convocation was organised for eight academic programmes being run at the MDI.

The chairman, board of governors, MDI, Atul Kumar Rai, other board members and institute director Dr BS Sahay conferred the degrees on four doctoral students, 337 management students and 253 executive management students on the occasion.

Chandigarh, April 13
If summer comes, power cuts can’t be far behind. This season in mid-April itself, the Power Department is already reeling under “stress” that has come with the early onset of summer.

To tide over this difficult period, it has decided to turn the heat on for the industry by announcing a flat eight-hour supply during the day. While the night supply to the industry has been completely done away with for the time being, the department continues to fall short of the rising demand for power as the temperatures continue to rise.

With the rising temperatures becoming synonymous with power woes, Haryana is already reeling under a fresh round of power cuts, both scheduled and unscheduled. To add to the problems of the increasing demand, the additional 450 MW coming from the Kheddar plant, recently commissioned and working on full load till some time ago, has been stopped with the plant having some stabilisation issues.

While residents face unscheduled power cuts, the industry is the first to face the heat officially. The Power Utilities have announced that power to the industry will be supplied from 9 am to 5 pm and the industrial feeders will remain switched off from their feeding source for the period other than the scheduled running hours.

Principal Secretary, Power, Madhusudan Prasad said the power supply to the industry had been restricted to one shift after due consultations with various industrial associations in view of the increasing demand.

“There has been a substantial increase in demand of power. To tide over the shortage, we are buying nearly 400 MW in the evenings during peak hours. Also, hopefully, the first unit of the Kheddar plant will resume supply in a few days and the second unit is likely to be commissioned later this month which will ease the situation.”

However, for the time being, residents will just have to sweat it out with the demand already having risen to as high as 800 lakh units (LUs) per day against a supply that hovers around 700 LUs. However, the crisis will deepen further once the demand in the agricultural sector shoots up in the next couple of months. Last year, the demand for power during the summer months had crossed 1,200 LUs. It is expected to rise further this year on account of the early arrival of summer.

For the agricultural sector, the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam has already stated that according to the new power regulatory measures implemented with effect from today, power supply to agriculture feeders would be given in two groups - from 4 am to 6 am and 5 pm to 6 pm and from 8 am to 10 am and from 6 pm to 7 pm.

Meanwhile, sources in the Power Department said tenders for short-term purchase of power had already been opened. The department has decided to buy 300 MW, 500 MW and 600 MW of power in the month of June, July and August when demand is at its peak.

Kaithal, April 13
Parents of Taranjeet (25), a youth of Jagdish Pura village near here who is presently lodged in a UAE jail, were given monetary help by the district administration today.

Deputy commissioner Amneet P Kumar presented a cheque for Rs 25,000 to Taranjeet’s parents in her office today.

Taranjeet is among 17 youth from India who have been awarded death sentence by an UAE court. The other 16 youth belong to Punjab. The family which has been running from pillar to post to save the life of their son, are facing a financial crisis. The family lives in a very small house and had sent Taranjeet to UAE by raising loan from relatives.

Around15 months have elapsed since their son was lodged in jail. With no monetary help coming from abroad, they are going through the worst financial crisis. Father of Taranjeet works as a labourer and his earnings are not sufficient to make both ends meet.

Now, additional burden has been put on the family as they have to go from one place to another to meet family members of other jailed youths of Punjab to chalk a common strategy to pursue their case. Recently, the family went to Delhi along with families of other youths to meet Minister of State for External Affairs Perneet Kaur and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to request them to take the matter of jailed youths with the Prime Minister and UAE authorities. They also went to pray at Golden Temple in Amritsar for safe return of their kins.

Meanwhile, the family had some relief when it received a telephone from Taranjeet from jail two days ago. 

Sirsa, April 13
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh today appeared before the CBI Court in Ambala through video- conferencing in the case pertaining to alleged sexual exploitation of a former sadhvi.

The dera chief reached the local courts complex in a cavalcade of vehicles amid tight police security. As usual,

his followers lined up the 8-km route from the dera headquarters on Chopta Road to the courts. Assembled there since morning, they remained there well past 4 pm when their guru returned home. A large number of followers remained stationed on the Barnala road outside the court complex. sitting on the roadside chanted hymns throughout the time the dera chief was inside the court complex.

The case, listed for evidence of prosecution witnesses today, was adjourned to April 17 when the CBI Court is also likely to pronounce its order on the application of cancellation of dera chief’s bail in the Ranjit Singh murder case.

Earlier, hearing evidence in the Ram Chandra Chhatrapati murder case on April 10, the CBI Court had adjourned the case till May 3. 

Faridabad, April 13
The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) appears to have bitten more than it can chew as hundred of farmers of a couple of villages today staged demonstrations outside its local office against the money fixed as compensation for their land acquired.

Facing tough posturing from farmers of Mirzapur and Baselwa villages, the HUDA authorities urged the agitating farmers to register their objection to the compensation rates fixed in writing so that it could be forwarded to the state headquarters.

The farmers today refused to accept the compensation saying that the rate was much below par. The villages fall in trans-Gurgaon canal areas where the government plans to expand the existing Faridabad city. According to them, the rate for the acquired land in the villages falling in trans-Gurgaon canal was Rs 16 lakh per acre. The farmers said it was below the “circle” rate and the government agency must enhance the rate to at least Rs 55 lakh per acre.

The demonstrations by farmers of Mirzapur and Baselwa was in continuation of yesterday’s protests displayed by the farmers of five villages falling in trans-Gurgaon canal. Attar Singh of Mirzapur village, whose land has also being acquired, cautioned that the farmers would not take things lying down.

He alleged that the HUDA intended to acquire the lands at a dirt cheap price and sell them to private colonisers at a high rate. Also, the HUDA was conducting itself as a private business outfit with an aim only to earn profits at the cost of farmers, he added. The government has acquired about 1,660 acres of land in nine villages in the area for development and expansion of Faridabad city.

While many colonisers have already got into the business in the area, the HUDA plans to set up new sectors.

Sonepat, April 13
Over 20 incidents of fire in the wheat fields during the past 12 days have caused huge losses to farmers in the district and the victims have started knocking the doors of the administration demanding compensation for the crop losses.

A delegation of farmers of Silana led by state vice-president of the All-India Kisan Sabha SN Solanki today met Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr SS Dalal and handed over a memorandum, addressed to the Chief Minister, demanding suitable compensation for the crop losses caused due to sparking in electricity wires passing over the fields.

Solanki said a large of amount was spent by farmers to mature their crop and it was difficult for them to bear the losses. The government should give a compensation of Rs 25,000 per acre in cases of fire incidents. He asked the power nigam to take steps to check the incidents of sparking in electricity wires, which is the main cause of fire incidents. 

Kaithal, April 13
It was a brave decision on Pardeep’s part when he entered into a house on fire and put his life on risk to save two kids who were trapped in there. In this daredevil act, though the kids were rescued unscathed, the Barsana village resident suffered 60 per cent burn injuries.

He has been under treatment in a special ward of Shah Nursing Home since the incident took place on April 5.

Pradeep’s mother, Sona Devi, is worried about the son’s health, but she is proud of him for saving two young lives.

According to Sona Devi, the house of their neighbour Sarupa Parajapat caught fire due to bursting of an LPG cylinder. At that time sarupa and his wife had gone for wheat harvesting and their two children, aged 3 and 4, were at home along with their grandmother.

The grandmother raised an alarm. On listening the cries for help, Pardeep was the first to rush to rescue the children. He got serious burn injuries while saving the children. He was rushed to Kaithal and admitted in a local hospital.

Deputy Commissioner Amneet P Kumar who visited this brave man in the hospital today assured her family to provide monetary help for the treatment from the district Red Cross funds.

She appreciated Pardeep for his act of bravery and said he had set an example for others to follow.

Ambala, April 13
A kin of late encounter specialist and Assistant Commissioner of Police of Delhi Rajbir Singh slapped a woman constable and manhandled Vijay Bhardwaj, main accused in the Rajbir murder case, in the court complex in Ambala City today.

The police had brought Bhardwaj in the CBI court from the jail for the hearing of the case. The statement of two witnesses of prosecution was recorded in the court and the judge adjourned the hearing till May 11. The incident took place when the police was taking back Bhardwaj after the hearing of the case.

A young woman, stated to be a close relative of Rajbir, rushed towards Vijay angrily. Calling him the murderer of Rajbir, she manhandled him. When a woman constable tried to stop her, she slapped her too. Meanwhile, the police personnel overpowered her and later the matter was resolved. Rajbir Singh was murdered on March 24, 2008, in the office of a property dealer in Gurgaon.