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NRI kidnaps brother to usurp property
Violations in forest area detected
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Stunning blow to Sikh Aspirations
Union Govt ignored House panel advice
Mata Ludiki performed first Anand Karaj for her son
BJP keen on fielding Navjot Sidhu’s wife
from Amritsar
Navjot Kaur
Toothless Lokpal turning into white elephant
Illegal mining poses threat to rail bridges
Water panel says encroachments impeding Ghaggar’s free flow
Pollution board team raids slaughterhouses
Tributes paid to Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha
CEO seeks fresh report on Guru
Thapar varsity alumni is Dean of Canadian varsity
Medical college students call off stir
NDRF men rescue over 6,000 from border areas
Beant Singh, a forgotten hero
NRHM staff stir off, claims Principal Secy
HC facilitates return of 8 Indians from Baghdad AISSF to file petition in apex court
Chemist shops raided, banned drugs seized
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NRI kidnaps brother to usurp property
Patiala/Fatehgarh Sahib, August 30 According to police, inspector Ashok Kumar Sharma posted as in charge of the Patiala Range Control Room was found prima facie involved in a kidnapping case involving his relatives. “He was constantly in touch with the accused NRI on his mobile when the kidnapping was taking place,” they said. On Monday, the Khanna Police claimed to have solved a case involving the kidnapping of Varinder Kumar and his wife, Parminder Kaur, allegedly by his younger brother. The younger brother, who reportedly lives in the USA, allegedly got his elder brother kidnapped along with his wife, with the motive of getting him tagged as a drug addict and later usurping his property share. Khanna DSP Devinder Singh Dhuri said Inspector Ashok Sharma had been summoned to join investigations as the car used in the crime was currently being used by Sharma. “Record of his call details has also established his role in the crime, though we are open to his questioning,” Dhuri told TNS. The police said the accused NRI, Dharminder Sharma, had hatched a conspiracy to get his brother Varinder kidnapped along with his wife. “The accused inspector is related to the victim and another policeman Daljeet Singh, who is presently posted with the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) at Jalandhar and runs a gymnasium in Khanna helped execute the plot. We are conducting raids to nab the accused NRI and have intimated the airports authority to avoid his escape from the country,” Dhuri said. According to the FIR, six persons had come in two cars on the night of August 26 and kidnapped Varinder along with his wife Parminder. Police recovered Varinder Kumar from a de-addiction centre in Kurali, and his wife Parminder from near Sirhind, where the kidnappers had dumped her on a deserted road after forcing her to sign some blank papers. The victim couple told the police that the conspiracy had been hatched by their brother who lived in the US and was currently staying with the accused inspector. Khanna SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu confirmed that the car used by the accused inspector was used in the crime and his involvement in the case looks confirmed. “However, we have summoned him to join investigations and he is still to report,” Sidhu confirmed.
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Violations in forest area detected
Mohali, August 30 The violation was detected when certain unidentified persons were found levelling a part of the hillock near the village. When a team of forest officials reached the spot, the labour engaged in the levelling ran away. A visit to the spot revealed that apart from wild growth, some trees had also been uprooted. Though a police complaint was also lodged, the forest officials were advised by the Mullanpur Police Station to file the case in the court. It is learnt that the Forest Department was now filing a case under the PLPA and the Forest Conservation Act at a Kharar court. Divisional Forest Officer Vishal Chauhan said he would probe into the matter. It may be mentioned that last year, the Forest Department had detected large-scale violation in the same area and several cases were slapped on the violators.
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Stunning blow to Sikh Aspirations
Sikh leaders and scholars have reacted strongly to the Centre’s decision to drop the proposal for a Sikh Marriage Act, a major demand of the Sikhs since decades. Law Minister Salman Khursheed had yesterday informed Parliament that after receiving several representations for amendment to the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, the government had decided to drop the proposal. He was answering a query by Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa (SAD).
The Sikhs have been fighting for amendments in the Anand Karaj (Marriage) Act, 1909, passed by Viceroy and Governor-General on October 22, 1909. The Act reads: “This Act would be extended to the whole of British India.” While introducing the Anand Marriage Act, the British Government had made it clear that it was being introduced to remove doubts as to the validity of the marriage ceremony of the Sikhs called “Anand”. Post-Independence, the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, was extended to the new provinces and states merged under the the Merged States (Laws) Act, 1949, and to the Union Territories in 1950 and Manipur and Tripura in 1956. The Act was brought into force in Meghalaya on January 21, 1972. However, Sikh marriages are not registered under it till date. The Sikh marriages performed under Sikh rites are registered either under the Hindu Marriage Act or the Special Marriage Act. Anand Marriage Act, 1909 All marriages which may be or may have been duly solemnised according to the Sikh marriage ceremony called “Anand” shall be deemed to have been with effect from the date of the solemnisation of each respectively, good and valid in law; nothing in this Act shall apply to: (a) any marriage between persons not professing the Sikh religion, or (b) any marriage which has been judicially declared null and void Nothing in this Act shall affect the validity of any marriage duly solemnised according to any other marriage ceremony customary among the Sikhs. Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to validate any marriage between persons related to each other in any degree of consanguinity or affinity which would, according to the customary law of the Sikhs, render a marriage between them illegal.
HINDU MARRIAGE ACT, 1955 The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, extends to the whole of India, except Jammu and Kashmir, and applies also to Hindus domiciled in the territories to which this Act extends who are outside the said territories. This Act applies to: Any person who is a Hindu by religion in any of its forms, including a Virashaiva, a Lingayat or a follower of the Brahmo, Prarthana or Arya Samaj Any person who is a Buddhist, Jain or Sikh by religion; Any other person domiciled in the territories to which this Act extends who is not a Muslim, Christian, Parsi or Jew by religion, unless it is proved that any such person would not have been governed by the Hindu law or by any custom or usage as part of that law in respect of any of the matters dealt with herein if this Act had not been passed. The Act also states that the expression “Hindu” in any portion of this Act shall be construed to include a person who, though not a Hindu by religion, is, nevertheless, a person to whom this Act applies by virtue of the provisions contained in this section. As a result, the Anand Marriage Act 1909, which was the only piece of legislation applicable exclusively to Sikhs, has become redundant. DIFFERENT CUSTOMS So far, there is no provision for the registration of a marriage under the Anand Marriage Act, despite the fact that it has been on the statute books since 1909. As such, the Sikhs have to get their marriages registered either under the Hindu Marriage Act or the Special Marriage Act. This is the reason why Sikhs have had reservations on getting their marriages registered under the Hindu Marriage Act. The Sikhs contend that they are a separate religion with a different set of customs and there are several differences in the way marriage ceremonies are solemnised by followers of the two religions. Guru Granth Sahib strictly prohibits idol or element worship, but in the Hindu marriage ceremony, the worship of nine constellations of stars is necessary and the Agni (fire) is a witness to the holy union. In case of the Sikhs, Sri Guru Granth Sahib is the witness. A Sikh couple walks around the Holy Granth to the recitation of four hymns, known as
"lawaan". A Hindu couple takes seven “pheras” around the Agni. POST-INDEPENDENCE SCENARIO Sikh scholars feel that the process of distinct laws for the Sikhs was undone by the policy adopted under Explanation II to Article 25 (2) of the Indian Constitution.This provision ensured that the Sikhs were included in the definition of Hindu. As a result, Sikhs come under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955, the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956, the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956, and the Hindu Succession Act, 1956. AN EVENTFUL YEAR The year 2008 turned out to be a momentous year for the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, with the Punjab Assembly passing the Punjab Compulsory Registration of Marriages Bill:2008 on March 12, 2008, paving the way for registration of marriages under the Anand Marriage Act: 1909. The Pakistan Govt, too, passed the draft of the Anand Marriage Act on January 23, 2008, to allow Sikhs to register marriages under a separate marriage Act. WHAT IS ANAND KARAJ The Anand Karaj is governed by the Sikh “rehat maryada” (Sikh code of conduct) determined by the
SGPC, according to which only those who follow the Sikh religion may marry under the ceremony It also states that child marriage is invalid and that no account should be taken of the prospective spouse’s caste The Anand Karaj usually takes place in a gurdwara, though it may also be conducted at the residence of bride or groom or any other place where Guru Granth Sahib has been installed However, it must be ensured that the Holy Granth is installed following the proper procedure According to an edict by Akal Takht, Anand Karaj is to take place only in a gurdwara and Guru Granth Sahib cannot be taken to a marriage hall for the purpose Long PENDING DEMAND There is no provision for registration of marriage under the Anand Marriage Act, despite the fact that it has been on the statute books since 1909. This legislation applicable exclusively to the Sikhs has, thus, become redundant As such, the Sikhs have to get their marriages registered either under the Hindu Marriage Act or the Special Marriage Act The Sikhs contend that theirs is a separate religion with a different set of customs The voices “The government should not resort to dilly-dallying but implement the Act immediately. It has already been implemented in Pakistan and even the British regime had recognised the fact that Sikhism is a separate religion. Sikh lawyers should come forward to find a way out” — Akal Takht chief Giani Gurbachan Singh “The statement by the Law Minister in support of the move to drop the proposal is misleading. We are simply seeking an amendment to pave the way for adding a clause. What we are demanding was passed by the Standing Committee unanimously in December 2007 and the government had assured both the Houses that it would be passed” — Rajya Sabha MP Tarlochan Singh “We are deliberately being discriminated against. It is sheer injustice with us. We will consult legal experts and decide our future course of action — SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar “Anand Karaj is totally different from the marriage rituals of the Hindus and it should be brought under the Sikh Marriage Act. It is high time that the SGPC and the SAD fights for the cause” — Former GNDU VC SP Singh “This issue is related to the turban issue and other problems the Sikh abroad face. Right thinking men,Sikh or non-Sikh, should appreciate that it is a necessity now. I will impress upon the government to review the decision” — Noted lawyer HS Phoolka “The move is aimed at denying us a separate identity. The Law Minister’s argument justifying the government step does not hold water. We want to tell the minister, who is talking of Article 44, that whenever the Muslims and Christians accept a uniform civil code, we too will accept the same” — Former SGPC secy MS Calcutta “The Centre cannot drop the proposal. I have learnt that it will soon be placed before the Cabinet. If there is a hindrance, Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal should call a special session of the Assembly and pave the way for registration of all the marriages performed as per the Sikh code of conduct under the Act” — DSGMC chief PS Sarna “Sikhism is a separate religion. It is a matter of regret that the birth, marriage, adoption, death of a Sikh is in accordance with the laws of another religion. Explanation II of Article 25 (2) (b) of the Constitution continues to classify Sikhs as Hindus” — Dal Khalsa leader Kanwar Pal Singh “The Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre has adopted an "anti-Sikh" posture by "deliberately" rejecting the proposal of the separate 'Sikh Marriage Act' for solemnising the marriages of the community. The Sikh community in general and the SAD in particular had been impressing upon the Centre for expeditious enactment of the
'Anand Karaj Act' for Sikhs on the pattern of similar acts covering the Muslims, Christians, Parsis and Jews. The decision came despite an assurance to various SAD MPs by ex-Law Minister Veerappa Moily that the draft bill for the Act was ready and would be sent for Cabinet approval soon. before being placed in Parliament. — Chief Minister Parkash S Badal
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Union Govt ignored House panel advice New Delhi, August 30 A day after the Law Minister justified abandoning the amendment on the grounds that it would breed similar demands from other communities and was against the principles of the uniform civil code, The Tribune has learnt that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice (which is now considering the Lokpal Bill) had, on December 4, 2007, considered the issue and unanimously asked the Congress-led UPA government to come forward with a simple amendment to the Anand Karaj Act to allow Sikh marriages to be registered therein. Besides, two former law ministers - HR Bhardwaj and M Veerappa Moily - gave assurances in the RS to bring about the said amendment. The Parliamentary Committee chaired by Congressman EM Sudershan Natchiappan, in its meeting held in December 2007, even impressed upon the then Law Secretary KN Chaturvedi of the necessity of the move in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2006 judgment, directing all states and UTs to make registration of marriages mandatory. The meeting was held to take a view on the matter after 12 Sikh MPs cutting across party lines — including the then Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Charanjit Atwal of the Akali Dal. He gave a letter to the house panel chief, seeking the amendment to prevent NRI grooms from leaving their wives in the lurch. Former Rajya Sabha MP Tarlochan Singh, who was member of the said committee, today confirmed to TNS that the panel’s report was extremely positive and favoured the long-standing demand of Sikhs. Singh today even shot off a letter to Law Minister Salman Khursheed, who is also the Minority Affairs Minister. The letter states, “The Sikh minority has been shocked by this unrealistic approach of your ministry. You are also Minister for Minority Affairs where you are supposed to protect the rights of minorities. For long, there is a feeling that the government is showing different treatment to various minority communities,” Singh wrote.
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Mata Ludiki performed first Anand Karaj for her son
Jalandhar, August 30 From the frontier regions of Peshawar till the hill tracts of Paonta Sahib, the duo carried the granth wherever their followers or their kith and kin were to be married over ninety years ago. Though the act was yet to be implemented, the Sikhs had been following this maryada at the time of marriage since long. Prof Harbans Singh Bolina, former SGPC honorary education secretary who is the coordinator of the Centre for Guru Granth Sahib Studies, Lyallpur Khalsa College, here, said the first ever Anand Karaj was performed by Mata Ludiki for her son Dayal Singh, who later on went to found the Nirankari Mission. She was a known social worker of the region and is said to have only brought the granth as her trousseau, he revealed. "The new committee that takes over on November 22 should raise the issue and take it to its logical conclusion," he said. On the other hand, the All-India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) has termed dropping the 'Anand Marriage Act-1909' proposal by the Centre as a "discriminatory" act. The AISSF has decided to file a constitutional petition before the Supreme Court challenging the Home Ministry decision. Federation chief Karnail Singh Peermohammad said the Centre's decision of asking Sikhs to register their marriages under the Hindu Marriage Act was in violation of 'equal rights' provided under Article 14 & 15 of the Constitution. "The SAD (Badal), SGPC and DSGMC have betrayed the Sikh community by doing nothing to get the act implemented for decades. We will take the issue to the Sikh Community and would expose the ineffectiveness of these organizations," Peermohammad said. At present, the Muslims, Christians, Parsis and Jews have their own marriage acts, he pointed out.
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BJP keen on fielding Navjot Sidhu’s wife
from Amritsar
Chandigarh, August 30 The BJP high command has told Sidhu to be prepared to field his wife Dr Navjot Kaur as candidate from one of the seats in Amritsar. Sidhu said he would not indulge in “parivarvad”(nepotism). Sidhu’s wife, who shifted to Amritsar from Patiala some years ago, takes a lot of interest in public matters. As the BJP has a dearth of women leaders in its ranks at the top level, it is desperately trying to find a suitable woman candidate to replace Laxmi Kanta Chalwa, who is likely to opt out of the elections this time. However, Sidhu is not averse to contesting the assembly elections. “If the party top brass directs me to contest the assembly elections from Amritsar, I will abide by its directive ”, said Sidhu. Besides Sidhu, the BJP is keen to field Avinash Rai Khanna, Rajya Sabha member, from Garhshankar. Khanna, a former president of the BJP, was elected to the assembly from that area. Filmstar-turned-politician Vinod Khanna is likely to be asked to contest from the Batala constituency. Vinod Khanna was elected from the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency three times in a row and Batala is part of that area. The BJP is thinking of fielding senior leaders in constituencies like Abohar and Anandput Sahib. The party, which had won 19 of the 23 seats contested by it during the last assembly elections, is against swapping seats with the SAD, its senior coalition partner. The party high command is worried at the vertical division in its ranks. There are two groups in the party. Gadkari is trying hard to stop the cold war between the two groups
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Toothless Lokpal turning into white elephant
Chandigarh, August 30 The Lokpal, with an annual budget of around Rs 2 crore, has decided 103 cases in the past five years. And none of them has resulted in conviction. The institution appears toothless and in no position to get its decisions implemented. According information made available to The Tribune, the Lokpal has decided only one case in the past eight months. In 2010 too it had decided just one case. Little wonder the flow of complaints is said to have turned into a trickle. In 2009, Lokpal Justice (retd) DS Dhaliwal settled 35 cases and in the preceding year 44. In 2007, 18 cases were decided but only four were disposed off in 2006. The Lokpal secretariat comprises an Inspector-General of Police, a registrar and 25 other employees. There are also allegations that most of the staff members do not attend office regularly. In one particular case (complaint 38 / 2009 Gurmeet Singh vs Gurbachan Singh) action, it is alleged, has not been taken despite the IG, Lokpal having submitted his report because one of the parties is close to an influential MLA. During the current year, the office of the Lokpal has spent Rs 56.40 lakh on rent for the building in which the Lokpal’s office is housed and Rs 4.87 lakh on petrol and repair of vehicles. Information collected from the Department of Finance and other sources show that during 2005-06, the Lokpal staff received a salary of Rs 6,97,383, that rose to Rs 8,45, 064 in 2006-07 and Rs 9,30,209 in 2008-09.
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Illegal mining poses threat to rail bridges
Bathinda, August 30 Illegal mining has increased in these areas due to steep rise in price of building material. Two rail bridges, one near Pathankot and the other towards Jammu, have already suffered damage this rainy season due to mining activity. Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Ferozepur, Vishesh Chaubey said the railways have written several letters to the Jammu and Kashmir Government for taking steps to curb mining of building material near the rail bridges. However, no action has been taken so far. The state governments were competent to take action against those indulging in illegal mining that was affecting stability of the railway, he said. The foundation of some pillars of the rail bridge at Balole on the Pathankot-Jammu section was recently damaged as a result of which the authorities had to take certain precautionary measures. Trains were being allowed to move on the bridge at snail’s speed. The bridge suffered massive damage also last year when the rail traffic was disrupted for a few days. The situation is alarming for the railway authorities as those engaged in stone mining near the rail and road bridges were indulging in crushing stone within the riverbeds to save transportation cost. The Industries Department and the pollution control board have shut their eyes towards such activity. The 160-km-long narrow gauge rail link between Pathankot-Joginder Nagar (Himachal Pradesh) is snapped since August 12 when a portion of the Chakki bridge washed away. The bridge is expected to be repaired by the December end. The railways had spent a sizable amount of money to repair the bridge that was damaged earlier too.
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HANSI_BUTANA CANAL ROW
Chandigarh, August 30 CWC Chairman AK Bajaj, who was busy at a farewell party today, refused to comment on his alleged change in stance. However, senior officials of the CWC claimed that Punjab and Haryana were not working towards a solution to the dispute. A senior official said Punjab would have to deal with encroachments in Ghaggar upstream of the Hansi Butana canal. He said the CWC had identified 63 such encroachments. The official said both the states could take the help of a grid map survey that would clearly show how much water could be retained under the present system and how much could be drained out through special siphons. This suggestion of construction of passages or cross-drainage works across the line of the canal was , in fact, made by the CWC Chairman in January 2007 when he was chief engineer, CWC, posted at Chandigarh, Capt Amarinder claims. Bajaj had then reported that Haryana officials had agreed to provide cross- drainage workers across the canal wherever required. The CWC is accused of going back on this stand now, submitting in the Supreme Court that the Hansi Butana canal and the toe wall being constructed on the Ghaggar bandh do not pose a flood danger to Punjab. Amarinder said from Bajaj’s findings in 2007 it was clear that cross-drainage works were needed across the line of the canal. He said instead of doing so, Haryana had constructed a toe wall along the canal, which would block the Ghaggar water and cause floods in parts of Patiala, Mansa and Sangrur. Accusing Bajaj of misleading the Supreme Court, Amarinder said the Hansi Butana canal was blocking the flow of riverwaters of both the Ghaggar and the Patiala rivulet. The toe wall would act as a further barrier to the sheet flow of water in the area. Meanwhile, even as Punjab Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon claimed the CWC had erred while giving its expert views to the apex court and that the same would be challenged, Haryana officials said they had already given an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating they would construct cross-drainage works along the canal if recommended by an independent agency. They however pointed out that the CWC had looked into the issue and did not feel the need for any such works. They however pointed out that the CWC had looked into the issue and did not feel the need for any such works while claiming that Haryana had created cross drainage works to cater to the passing of two lakh cusecs from under the canal. “The need for the passing of more than one lakh cusecs has never arisen in the last 100 years”, the spokesman said indicating Haryana is in no hurry to construct any further cross drainage works.
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Pollution board team raids slaughterhouses
Dera Bassi, August 30 The PPCB team included Superintending Engineer Samarjeet Goyal, XEN Joginder Singh and SDO Lavneet Dubey. Officials of the team told five samples were taken from a choe near Bijanpur village in the presence of villagers. The villagers of nearby villages had staged a protest against the pollution by meat plants.Meanwhile, residents of Samgouli village protested against dumping of waste on the Dera Bassi-Samgouli link road by the meat plants. — OC
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Tributes paid to Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha
Patiala, August 30 While describing his ‘Sikh Mahan Kosh’ (encyclopaedia of Sikhism) as the greatest primary source material for any type of Sikh studies, Vice-Chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh, in his presidential address, disclosed that Punjabi University, inter alia, was publishing the English and Hindi translations, besides reprinting the Punjabi version of the monumental work, using latest technologies. While three of the four volumes in English and Punjabi have already been published, the remaining work on these will be completed soon, he said. The university has also spent Rs 2 crore for centrally air-conditioning of its main library, named after Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha, Dr Singh added. While lauding the contribution of Bhai Kahn Singh, a noted historian and a former pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof Prithipal Singh Kapoor said his was a unique blend of traditional Sikh scholarship and western intellect. Talking about his other great work, “Ham Hindu Nahin” (We are not Hindus), establishing Sikhs having an independent identity, he challenged the prevailing religious misconceptions and other ritualistic practices. Even as this scholarly work attracted severe criticism from the Hindu fundamentalists, Bhai Sahib was dismissed from his service for creating uncalled for religious controversy, Dr Kapoor said.
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CEO seeks fresh report on Guru
Chandigarh, August 30 The CEO had earlier asked state Home Department to submit a report on the activities of Guru and Punjab DGP PS Gill. But since the Home Department has so far not submitted any report, the CEO’s office has asked the deputy commissioner to respond. The CEO’s office had on August 20 received a communication from the ECI, asking the CEO to find out if allegations against Gill and Guru received during a review a meetingin Chandigarh on August 9 were true. The ECI had asked the CEO to give a report by August 25 Sources said the CEO has also asked the Punjab Government as to why it hasnot been able to fill the 35 vacant positions of ROs and AROs which it was supposed to do by
August 31.
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Thapar varsity alumni is Dean of Canadian varsity
Patiala, August
30 Dr Sidhu completed his BE
(Hons) degree from Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology,
Patiala, in 1979 and MSc and PhD degrees from the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada, in 1985 and 1989, respectively. Dr Sidhu’s earlier responsibilities include positions with the Regional Computer Centre at
Chandigarh, Punjab State Electricity Board and Bell-Northern Research Ltd., Canada. He has also taught at the University of Saskatchewan. Dr Sidhu has published more than 200 papers. Expressing delight over his achievement, Dr Abhijit
Mukherjee, Director, Thapar University, said, Thapar University alumni had found great success in varied professional areas such as business, education, governance, societal services, etc.
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Medical college students call off stir
Faridkot, August 30 Principal of the college Dr GC Ahir addressed the students to end the 8-day deadlock of the strike, which affected the academic and hospital work. Dr Arvind Bansal, a student activist currently doing internship in the hospital, said their main demand was to stop a common public pavement passing through the college and hospital premises, which was immediately met by the college authorities. This pavement has been closed for the public. Another demand pertained to arrest all the 12 youths who molested the girl students and attacked their colleagues who came to their rescue on the August 21 night. The Principal assured the agitating students that he would talk to the authorities concerned of the local administration to arrest all the alleged culprits. The police had managed to nab two miscreants allegedly involved in the incident. Further, investigations were on. The students had earlier alleged that a local leader of the ruling SAD was protecting these miscreants. Arvind said if their remaining demands were not met within a week they would resume their protest. The students had also demanded setting up a police post on the hostel premises
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NDRF men rescue over 6,000 from border areas
Ferozepur, August 30 Praveen said 40 NDRF men, including trained deep sea divers, had been camping here since the flood water stared entering the villages. He said NDRF teams had been deployed at
Guruharsahai, Muthianwali, Bandala, Dhira Gaira, Talli Ghulam, Nihala Lavera, Gatti Rajoke and Hazarasinghwala areas.
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Beant Singh, a forgotten hero
Chandigarh, August 30 Assassinated on August 31, 1995, outside the Punjab Civil Secretariat, the seat from where he fought gallantly the disruptive forces to relieve the state of the menace of terrorism, Beant Singh appears to be a forgotten hero. Neither the Punjab Government nor any political outfit holds any event to commemorate his sacrifice. Instead, it has been left to his family and a group of loyalists to observe his martyrdom as
"Balidan Divas" annually. Senior Congress leaders have been joining the family in eulogising the great services Beant Singh rendered to the state, both as a committed Congress leader and later as Chief Minister. Besides a Sarv Dharam Prarthna
Sabha, a blood donation camp would be organised at the Sector 42 Samadhi Sthal here tomorrow to mark his 16th death anniversary, says Ravneet Singh
Bittu, MP and grandson of the slain leader. Intriguingly, the Samadhi
Sthal, raised by the Chandigarh administration for which the Punjab Government promised financial support, is still far from complete. After assuming office as Chief Minister of trouble-torn Punjab in 1992, Beant Singh went about the task of ridding the state of deep malaise of terrorism that had taken more than 20,000 lives. The election in which he led the Congress to a big win was boycotted by the Shiromani Akali
Dal. Though it recorded lowest turnout ever in the history of electoral politics in Punjab, Beant Singh remained in the forefront in sending a strong message to the militants. Ultimately, he, as Chief Minister, took upon himself the onerous task of ridding Punjab of terrorism. And he did
it. Beant Singh was not only a man of masses but also a strong administrator. Unlike the large and unwieldy teams the Chief Minister Secretariats have these days, he only had four officers in his Secretariat. The team headed by Jivtesh Singh
Saini, his Principal Secretary who recently retired as Secretary to Government of India, had two PCS officers to look after files from different departments. Besides Devinder Singh
Saroya, who was Officer on Special Duty throughout, the CM Secretariat had initially Jagjit
Puri, then a PCS officer, and later Harjit Inder Singh Grewal, as Deputy Principal Secretary. Later, the job of Deputy Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister went to Ashok
Goel. Beant Singh relied on the then Director-General of Police KPS Gill and the Intelligence chief, OP Sharma, to handle the turbulence in the state. Known as "steel man", he believed in restoring the "Rule of Law" besides cautioning the law and order machinery against any unwarranted police excesses. Since he believed in grassroots politics, Beant Singh relished his interaction with
"aam aadmi". Even before becoming Chief Minister, he would defy all threats and advisories from security agencies in visiting families of victims of
terrorism. Beant Singh's long political career was not only without a "blemish" but also full of some bold decisions and initiatives he took in the interest of the development of the state. He had served earlier in the Darbara Singh (Congress) government as a
minister. Devinder Singh Saroya, now Director, North Zone Cuiltural
Centre, recalls his association with Beant Singh as the best period of his career in service so far. He says: "It is difficult to imagine present times in Punjab without Beant Singh. His contribution and role in shaping the history of Punjab of our times is tremendous. When he took over the reins, Punjab was in turmoil. It appeared it would be like another Irish problem without solution in our life time. He brought peace. Contrary to the disinformation spread by his detractors, he was a large hearted man who was kind to persons even in opposition whenever they approached him."
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NRHM staff stir off, claims Principal Secy Ludhiana, August 30 Talking to the Tribune, Satish said, “We have fulfilled their demands. These include increase in the annual increment from 4 to 6 per cent, implementation of leave rules (which includes six month maternity leave to the NRHM female employees), casual leave, sick leave etc., while the third demand is to adopt Tamil Nadu pattern for fulfilling permanent posts of the Health Department. In Tamil Nadu, whenever there is a vacant permanent post, it is filled by contractual candidate and advertisement is given for the contractual NRHM vacancy. We will study this pattern and will implement it only after getting it passed from the Punjab Cabinet.”
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HC facilitates return of 8 Indians from Baghdad Chandigarh, August 30 The letter said 26 workers were brought to Baghdad and the embassy has taken charge of them by arranging for their food and accommodation. Taking up the matter, the Bench made Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs an additional respondent, while expressing satisfaction on the progress made for “bringing back the Indian workers whose services were sought to be exploited for clearing the remnants of the 2003 gulf war- bombs and missiles from the agricultural fields”. The Bench also expressed the hope that the good work being done by the respondents would “hopefully” continue and “all these workers would be brought back to the motherland with the assistance of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and if need be by spending some amount from the Indian Community Welfare Fund meant for emergency services. The Bench also asked amicus curiae Anil Malhotra and Haryana Additional Advocate-General Piyush Kant Jain to prepare a report after interacting with the workers brought back.
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AISSF to file petition in apex court Jalandhar, August 30 From the frontier regions of Peshawar till the hill tracts of Paonta Sahib, the duo carried the granth wherever their followers or their kith and kin were to be married over ninety years ago. Though the act was yet to be implemented, the Sikhs had been following this maryada at the time of marriage since long. Prof Harbans Singh Bolina, former SGPC honorary education secretary who is the coordinator of the Centre for Guru Granth Sahib Studies, Lyallpur Khalsa College, here, said the first ever Anand Karaj was performed by Mata Ludiki for her son Dayal Singh, who later on went to found the Nirankari Mission. She was a known social worker of the region and is said to have only brought the granth as her trousseau, he revealed. "The new committee that takes over on November 22 should raise the issue and take it to its logical conclusion," he said. On the other hand, the All-India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) has termed dropping the Anand Karaj (Marriage) Act, 1909, proposal by the Centre as a "discriminatory" act. The AISSF has decided to file a Constitutional petition before the Supreme Court challenging the Home Ministry decision. Federation chief Karnail Singh Peermohammad said the Centre's decision of asking Sikhs to register their marriages under the Hindu Marriage Act was in violation of 'equal rights' provided under Article 14 & 15 of the Constitution. "The SAD (Badal), SGPC and DSGMC have betrayed the Sikh community by doing nothing to get the act implemented for decades. We will take the issue to the Sikh Community and would expose the ineffectiveness of these organizations," Peermohammad said. At present, the Muslims, Christians, Parsis and Jews have their own marriage acts, he pointed out.
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Chemist shops raided, banned drugs seized
Patiala, August 30 The team, under the supervision of Drug Controller Ajay Singla, reached Patiala at 9.30 am in the morning and started raiding various chemist shops. As soon as the information about the raid spread, many chemists started closing their shops. Singla informed that the raids had been kept totally confidential. “We formed six teams of two members each so that more shops could be raided. We raided around 20 shops in Rajpura and sealed banned drugs worth Rs 17,200. A report in this regard has already been sent to senior authorities and would soon present this report in the court for future action,” he added. He further said they raided six chemist shops opposite AP Jain Government Hospital and collected three samples, including one of cough syrup and two liquid vitamins, from Bharat Medicos for laboratory testing. “Mainly, we raided shops on the Old Bus Stand road, Gurdwara Singh Sabha road and various shops in Rajpura town market, including Virk Medicos on old bus stand road, Sarwar Medical Store in Krishna market and Verma Medicos. We recovered various banned substances and these shopkeepers could not produce proper bills also. Therefore, we have also collected necessary documents from them and in case it was found that there were lapses, we could either suspend or cancel their
licences.
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Department has detected that a large chunk of forest land was being levelled in violation of the Punjab Land Preservation Act near Kasauli village, posing a threat to the eco-fragile Shivalik Hills in the periphery of
Chandigarh.
Sikh leaders and scholars have reacted strongly to the Centre’s decision to drop the proposal for a Sikh Marriage Act, a major demand of the Sikhs since decades. Law Minister Salman Khursheed had yesterday informed Parliament that after receiving several representations for amendment to the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, the government had decided to drop the proposal. He was answering a query by Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa (SAD).
Chandigarh, August 30
Many rail bridges in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir are facing threat of being damaged due to illegal quarrying of stone and other building materials from the riverbeds by the mining mafia.
The tussle between Punjab and Haryana over the Hansi-Butana canal is set to take another turn after PCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh accused the Central Water Commission (CWC) of changing its stance to Haryana’s advantage. The CWC today claimed that encroachments in the Ghaggar riverbed falling in Punjab’s territory were coming in the way of its free flow.
Rich tributes were paid to illustrious Sikh scholar Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha at a seminar organised by Punjabi University to mark his 150th birth anniversary at the university’s Senate Hall here today.
In a swift operation, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams today evacuated over 6,000 villagers from the flood-hit villages along the India-Pakistan border in the district. Five persons who got stuck in the strong current of the Sutlej near Dhira Gaira village were among those rescued. Praveen Kumar, Team Commander of the 7 Battalion,
NDRF, said the five persons got stuck after their boat capsised.
Chandigarh, August 30
Anand Karaj was introduced by third Sikh guru, Guru Amar Das. The four “lawaan” (hymns recited during the marriage ceremony) were composed by his successor Guru Ram Das