Hisar, September 23
The Jat community in Haryana faces the prospects of social and political isolation thanks to their strident stand on issues like khap panchayats exiling villagers, reservation in jobs and now violence.

Not even that, the hardliners in the community also face isolation in their own community as their activities are dividing it. The more reasonable elements among Jats are getting increasingly unhappy with the hardliners.

Further, slowly but steadily, non-Jat communities are beginning to come together to complete the social and political isolation of the community as its actions are adversely affecting life both in the countryside as well as in the cities.

The process of social change which began with the spate of honour killings and impractical diktats issued by khap panchayats exiling couples from villages has gathered momentum in the wake of recent violence and arson in the aftermath of the Mayyar violence.

A glaring example of the divide is the shifting of the then Hisar Superintendent of Police Subhash Yadav and slapping a murder charge on him. While the government might have succeeded in placating the Jats by initiating action against Yadav, it has left non-Jat communities disenchanted and disillusioned.

Yadav is known for his professionalism and honesty. Non-Jat communities have been quick to realise that he was sacrificed at the altar of caste politics. On the other hand, the Jat victim of the Mayyar police firing has been termed a martyr and his kin given an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, besides the promise of a job for a relative. The rewards and punishments in this case are completely misplaced.

The selective torching of industrial units owned by non-Jats in Hisar after the Mayyar imbroglio has disillusioned banias. They now feel insecure in Haryana and many have already shelved plans for further investments fearing repetition of such incidents. They squarely hold the Jat community responsible for their plight.

It is this divide in society that led to rampaging Jat mobs facing resistance during the violence unleashed in several parts of Haryana last week. In Barwala, Bhuna, Hisar and some other places non-Jat youths from Punjabi, Balmikis and other castes and communities took up arms to counter violence unleashed by Jat mobs.

The recent violence and the reservation issue could not have come at a worse time. During the past one year, honour killings and the Jats’ demand for amendments to the Hindu Marriage Act banning marriages between

residents of the same village or neighbouring villages had been causing much consternation among non-Jat communities. Former Home Minister Sampat Singh agrees that the community faces a crisis. He said even on the reservation issue, Jats need to carry other communities along or they would be isolated completely. Besides, violence cannot be tolerated. It has never served any purpose.

“Society is not one community. It is a conglomeration of different castes and communities, which must be together for society to exist. No one community can exist in isolation. The actions of one community must not make life difficult for others. A closely knit society alone can make all communities prosperous”, he said.

Haryana CPM leader Inderjit Singh is bitter about the recent developments. “Our community seems to be on a self-destructing path. Our self-styled leaders are only deflecting attention from agrarian and economic issues affecting the community to achieve their own political ends. This circus must stop or we will be completely isolated”, he said.

Krishan Swaroop Gorakhpuria, another senior CPM and farmers’ leader, is a worried man too. He too feels the Jats are ensuring their own isolation which, he feels, will in turn make them socially and politically irrelevant.

“This is a serious situation. Such isolation is dangerous for society. Divided societies can be destructive”, he said. The social change happening in society will have grave implications for the Jat community. It will change political equations - Jats versus the rest of society. If that happens a Jat will never become the Chief Minister be he from the Congress or the INLD. More importantly, social isolation will have even graver implications.

Karnal, September 23
A gold winner in shot-put in CP Sports National Athletics Championship organised recently in Nottingham by the International Paralympics Committee and six national gold medals to her credit in special games, differently abled athlete Deepa Malik is excited about the forthcoming Commonwealth Games.

Differently abled athlete Deepa Malik. Tribune photo:Ravi Kumar

“For the first time, we will be in the mainstream of any important sports event and part of march past during the games, otherwise disabled athletes are always left behind,” she says with glee in her eyes.

Deepa, who is fully geared to participate in the shot-put event, is not unduly perturbed about the reports of lapses in the preparations of the games and says small things do happen in big events, but it is the biggest event for me as it is happening in India.

“All of us should come together to make this event a big success and forget all other things,” she adds.

Referring to her preparations for the games, she says: “I have been practicing for the past nine months and the recent gold in shot-put in England organised by the International Paralympics Committee (17-18 September) and three gold medals in shot-put, discus and javelin in Para Athletic National Championship in Panchkula in the second week of September this year have come as a big morale booster. Special training arrangements made in Gandhinagar for differently abled children have raised the level of confidence to win”.

Deepa, who wishes to open a sports academy for disabled, says now onwards she will play for Haryana and not Maharashtra. Deepa was also conferred Karambhoomi Samman by the Haryana Institute of Fine Arts for making the state proud.

Replying to a question regarding problems at the venue, she says: “I look at the positive side and once I am in my shot-put chair, I only see the track and look for points regardless of any other consideration”.

“However, acclimatising with temperature was important and in the UK, it was 9 degree Celsius much below the normal temperature in India and competing in home ground must add to the advantage,” she hoped.

Panipat, September 23
An RTI query put up with the Haryana Board of School Education (HBSE) forced the board to return over Rs 10 crore that had been collected as examination fee from around 4 lakh students of class VIII studying in various schools across the state.

Following the Right to Education Act, 2010, the state government had decided to do away with the board examinations for class VIII students.

The academic council had sent the proposal for approval of the board after which a committee was constituted to recommend an alternative arrangement to ensure certification system as per the Education Act.

The orders came in July. However, by that time the board had collected Rs 10,09,13,700 from as many as 3,95,740 students of class VIII (Rs 255 each) as examination fee.

RTI activist and trade union leader PP Kapoor, who has been undergoing imprisonment in a case related to a protest organised by his trade union in Panipat five years ago, had sought information from the HBSE, Bhiwani. He had asked the board as to how much money was collected from the students as examination fee and when would it be returned. He also asked the board whether bank interest on the money would be paid to the students or not.

It was alleged that even as the board would not be holding examinations for class VIII students from now onwards, it had pocketed Rs 10,09,13,700 crore.

Parents said they met the school authorities many times, but to no avail.

Following the RTI query, the board said it would soon initiate the process to return the examination fee. The board, however, remained elusive on the issue of paying bank interest on the said amount as it stated that it would not be possible to calculate bank interest for 3,95,740 students.

The examination for class VIII students will now be conducted by the respective schools.

Sirsa, September 23
The entire official machinery in the district is preoccupied with preparations for the reception and stay of Queen’s Baton in Sirsa later this month.

The Baton that has been traversing across the country before reaching New Delhi for the Commonwealth Games 2010 will enter Haryana from Chautala village in Sirsa on September 26.

Haryana Minister of State for Home, Industries, Sports and Youth Affairs Gopal Kanda will receive the Baton at Chautala village. The Baton will then reach Dabwali and later Chaudhary Dalbir Singh Stadium in Sirsa by afternoon.

The person accompanying the Baton will go to Tarkeshwar Dham managed by Kanda’s family in the evening and then stay for the night in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Stadium opposite the mini-secretariat.

The authorities have organised a cultural night in the stadium on September 26. Sirsa MP Ashok Tanwar will flag off the Baton relay for its onwards journey towards New Delhi on September 27.

Kaithal, September 23
Two persons, who had allegedly duped two youths of Rs 16.40 lakh in two separate cases by promising to send them to Italy and Germany, have been arrested by a team of the CIA, Kaithal. The accused were produced in a local court, which sent them to judicial custody.

SSP Sandeep Khirwar said Azad, a resident of Kaul here, lodged a complaint that Pankaj Mahajan and Surinder Mahajan of Panipat had promised to send his brother to Italy. He sold his land and paid Rs 6 lakh to them on June 24, 2007. However, his brother was never sent to Italy. When he sought his money back, he was threatened of dire consequences.

In another case, Pankaj Mahajan promised to send Davinder of Sega village to Germany and the matter was settled at Rs 9 lakh. Davinder paid Rs 1 lakh in June 2004.

The victim requested Pankaj to send him to Germany as promised. The accused took Rs 5 lakh more from him and after one and a half years sent him to Malaysia and told him that from there he would be sent to Germany. However, the victim had to leave Malaysia after one month and he reached India. Pankaj again took the victim into confidence and told him that now he would send him to Moscow from where he would be sent to Germany. He took Rs 3 lakh from Davinder and sent him to Moscow, where he was arrested and sent to jail.

The victim came back to India after six months and contacted Pankaj, who again took Rs 1.40 lakh from him. When Davinder persuaded the accused to send him to Germany or return his money, Pankaj handed him a cheque of Rs 4 lakh, which later bounced.

Bhiwani, September 23
The Loharu area of the district is stunned with the theft of tortoises of rare species by unidentified smugglers from the historical pond “Kirana”. Smugglers were so bold that they befooled the priest of the temple near the pond and neigbourers on the name of cleaning and repairing the pond under a tender approved by the Municipal Committee, Loharu.

Interestingly, the smugglers continued their job of emptying water from the pond for two days and the police and the civil administration remained unaware of their intentions.

The pond is 100 years old and always remains filled with water. Aminuddin, the nawab of Loharu, had donated “gau ghat” and 1,100 bigha land along the pond to a “gaushala”. A priest lives in the temple situated beside the pond and a number of people visit the place daily to offer prayers.

It is learnt that the smugglers surveyed the site for several days and later they went to the pond with domestic water pumps and pipes last week. When the priest and others asked them about the purpose of installing motors, they replied that the MC had given them the tender for cleaning and repairing the pond.

Since, water was more, they could not evacuate it with small motors and the next day, they came with heavy motors. They even allegedly used high-tension wires for power connection and after emptying the pond, they stole all tortoises, more than 12 in number, living for years there. The next day, people were astonished to see that there was no repair work going on and labourers had fled away. The water level of pond had receded and none of the tortoise was there.

When asked to the priest of the temple, he said about six to seven persons were engaged in the work. Passersby also confirmed the statement of the priest and said they had seen about six persons evacuating the pond.

Meanwhile, Shanti Devi, MC chairperson, said, “We have not given any contract for cleaning or repairing of the pond and now, when we have come to know about the theft of tortoises, we will take action”.

Yamunanagar, September 23
Computer is the basic need of modern generation as it plays a vital role in advancement and progress of society, said Prof Hari Gopal Sharma from IIT, Roorkee, at a national seminar on "Prospects of IT" organised by the Department of Computer Science, Hindu Girls College, here recently.

He pointed out that significant developments in the Information Technology realm, including web-based environment, suggested a focus on non-linear thought processes, mathematical reasoning skills and creative problem solving rather than specific content. He emphasised that content and pedagogy should connect theory with application.

He further said students should master mathematical skills while completing their degrees for an entry into the job market. A technician educated in this manner was an asset to his or her organisation, he added. The second technical session was chaired by Dr Adesh Kumar Sharma, a senior scientist, NDRI, Karnal.

Sirsa, September 23
JCDICL-3, T-20 Cricket league organised in the JCD Vidyapeeth here from September 6 to September 13 to mark the birth anniversary of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, proved to be a big draw.

Digvijay Singh, chairman of the JCD National Cricket Academy, hosted the tournament.

The league provided local people a rich feast of cricket as well as entertainment. While several national and overseas teams sweat it out for the championship, several well-known artistes performed during the tournament.

The cricket league witnessed the clash of teams like Pakistan Badshahs, Reebok Rollers, Indian Navy, BSNL Connectors, ICL Warriors, JI Marathas and two host teams, Sirsa Knights and Sirsa Sizzlers. Former Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala inaugurated the cricketing extravaganza.

In the opening match between Sirsa Sizzlers and Bangladesh Tigers, the hosts beat the visitors by 11 runs.

Sequentially in the second match, Reebok Rollers registered a victory over Chandigarh Challengers by 4 runs. The same day, Bangladesh Tigers routed JI Martahas by 4 runs and the Indian Navy slaughtered BSNL Connectors by 9 wickets.

In the first match on September 8, ICL Warriors trounced Indian Navy by a margin of 57 runs.

In the second match, Chandigarh Challengers defeated BSNL Connectors by 5 wickets.

In the third match, Pakistan Badshahs routed Bangladesh Tigers by 4 wickets and in the last match, Sirsa Sizzlers triumphed over JI Marathas by 22 runs.

On the next day, Sirsa Knights beat Bangladesh Tigers by 7 wickets, Reebok Rollers tasted defeat at the hands of Indian Navy on the same day by 28 runs and the Pakistan Badshahs beat JI Marathas by 29 runs. Next day, Sirsa Knights defeated Sirsa Sizzlers by 3 wickets. In another match, Pakistan Badshahs routed Sirsa Sizzlers by 10 wickets.

Chandigarh Challengers beat ICL Warriors by 7 wickets on the next day. Pakistan Badshahs thrashed Chandigarh Challengers by 23 runs to become the first team to secure a berth in the final. Nasir Jamshed was Man of the Match in the first semifinal.

In the second semifinal, bad light forced Sirsa Sizzlers to crash out of the tournament vide Duckworth Lewis Method.

The final had all ingredients of a T-20 final match in which Pakistan Badshahs pipped ICL Warriors by 4 runs and establishing their supremacy for the second time on Sirsa soil.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was the chief guest of the concluding ceremonies. The victorious team got prize money of Rs 5 lakh, while the first runners-up were rewarded Rs 2.5 lakh. Taufiq Umar was Man of the Series, while Faizal Khan was Man of the Match in the final.

Ishan Malhotra was adjudged the best batsman and Abhinav Bali the best bowler, respectively.

During the tournament, actress Mahi Gill, Punjabi pop sensation Jasbir Jassi, Punjabi folk singer Lakhwinder Wadhali and Devinder Singh along with the band of cheer leaders lent the entertainment and glamour quotient.

Sonepat, September 23
A nine-member scouts team from Geeta Vidya Mandir Girls College here has bagged the overall championship of the National Rover Rangers Moot organised by the Scouts and Guides at Gadpuri in Faridabad district recently.

According to Dr Jyoti Juneja, principal, the team led by Renu Popli, competed in different cultural activities, including group dance, group song, group declamation and social activities, and bagged the overall championship trophy. The second position of the moot was shared by teams from Orissa and Chattisgarh, she added.

Dr Juneja informed that while giving away prizes, Amar Chhatri, assistant director, Scouts and Guides, appreciated the students for their rich talents. The college management had congratulated the team.

She also informed that the team had been invited to participate in another event of national level next month, which would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The date of the event had not yet been declared, she added.

Rewari, September 23
With the arrest of Sunita Yadav, daughter-in-law of Lali Devi and the main accused Anil Yadav, Sunita’s brother-in-law and younger son of Lali Devi, the Bawal police has solved the nine-week old murder case of Lali Devi who was done to death at Chanduwas village, near Bawal, on the night of July 10.

Both were produced in a local court that remanded them in judicial custody. The SHO of Bawal police station said the report of chemical examination conducted on the blood-stained clothes of Sunita by Forensic Science Laboratory, Madhuban, confirmed that the stains matched with the blood of Lali Devi.

The SHO said Sunita revealed during interrogation that her brother-in-law Anil eliminated his mother who owing to her vituperative nature had made her life miserable. The police then apprehended Anil as well. Besides, the police also seized the axe reportedly used in the crime. Anil, along with Sunita, had allegedly eliminated Lali Devi when she was asleep and when high-sounding jubilation was going on in the adjoining house of Omwati, sister-in-law of Lali Devi, who had won the election of sarpanch that day.

On a complaint by Sunil Yadav, elder son of the deceased, the police had registered a case of murder. — OC