 |
|
|
Woman kills son, daughter
Child labourers rescued, not rehabilitated
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Slovakian killed as mobike rams into stationary truck
3 days to go for int'l camp, youth hostel faces infrastructure blues
Dilkhusha Market hit by garbage trouble
Communal Harmony Day celebrated
Married man held for raping minor girl
|
|
Woman kills son, daughter
Jalandhar, November 25 This shocking incident took place in New Baba Budha Ji Nagar in Dakoha, near here where a young mother strangled her two kids and then consumed poison. The woman, Pooja, was said to be under acute depression after the death of her husband, Rajiv Arora alias Vicky, just four months ago. Employed with a transport company owned by his cousin, Rajiv had died of a cardiac disease. Pooja is struggling for life at Johal Hospital in Rama Mandi, while the bodies of her son Swayam (8) and daughter Muskan (6) were handed over to the family members after postmortem at the Civil Hospital this evening. Dr BS Johal said, “This is a case of poisoning. Pooja is on ventilator and her chances of survival are bleak.” The incident came to light early this morning when Shanti Devi, Pooja’s mother called up Pooja’s brother-in-law Ashwani Kumar to see the welfare of Pooja and her kids. Pooja had informed her mother that she was going to kill both the kids and commit suicide as they were feeling lonely after Rajiv’s death. Pooja also left a four-page suicide note. In the note, Pooja has written that her brothers-in-law had taken good care of her and the kids, but they are not able to bear the loss of Rajiv, which is forcing her to take the extreme step. Pramod Kumar, a cousin of Rajiv, revealed that Pooja’s mother Shanti Devi had been staying with the family so that they could cope with the tragedy. As Shanti Devi left for her home in Amritsar on Thursday morning for some work, Pooja took the drastic step, he added. A pall of gloom descended in the Dakoha area soon after the news of killing of two kids by their mother in New Baba Budha Ji Nagar. The neighbourers assembled at the house and Pooja’s parents from Amritsar were also called. The neighourers were having words of praise for Swayam and Muskan recalling that they used to play in the street and were loved by the residents of the area. Swayam was a Class I student of British Olivia School in the same locality, while Muskan was in a playway school. Swayam’s class teacher Anu recalled his last words to her with a chocked voice, “I will top the IT examination, madam.” “He was a brilliant student. We have lost a loving and brilliant student,” Vijay Maini, school principal, said. |
|
Child labourers rescued, not rehabilitated
Jalandhar, November 24 None of the 41 children rescued during the Week Against Child Labour, observed from Children’s Day this November, have so far been rehabilitated. Officials say except a few, all children were turned back to their parents or relatives (which sources say is a lie, since many of the rescued children are without families). While the working of government departments has already come under question for their half-hearted drives carried out only around “special days”, the city NGOs are not doing a great job either. While some are clearly disinterested, others quote “protocol” bindings cited by the government and/or lack of resources as reasons for not rescuing and rehabilitating child labourers properly. A look into the city child labour-tackling infrastructure clearly reveals that both claims are partly true. Child homes
There is no juvenile home in the city, nor any facility to rehabilitate child labourers. While some of the female child labourers are sent to the Nari Niketan and Gandhi Vanita Ashram, there are no reports about any children being sent to either of the two this year. For boys, Jalandhar does not have a single child rehabilitation facility. All the boys have to be sent to the Observation Home at Hoshiarpur. Sources say the condition of the home’s infrastructure is not too good. There is lack of furniture and beds. According to Jaswinder Kaur, Superintendent of the home, in the past one month (since she joined) only one to two child labourers have come to stay in it. 1098 Helpline
The ambitious Central Government-funded helpline that was started this year in August has come under a lot of criticism. While it is meant to safeguard children who are victims of child labour, exploitation, violence etc, there have been complaints by people that the NGO hasn’t been of any help. Sources say some rescued children near the city railway station were sent to the custody of the railway police officials. Despite calls by the officials on the 1098 Helpline, no one turned up to take the children, following which the police released them (without any action or rehabilitation). Members of a city NGO, Bachpan Bachao Andolan, also complain that a call made to the helpline number, regarding a child being subjected to child labour, before Diwali yielded no results as the persons who picked up the phone said it was a holiday on that day. Interestingly, the 1098 team (which comprises 11 members) has no holidays since it’s a 24x7 helpline. Col Tarlok Singh, Director of the helpline project agrees that the NGO has tackled no complaints regarding child labour so far. He says, “We work in tandem with the Nari Niketan and the Gandhi Vanita Ashram. I do not understand how we are responsible for a general lack of infrastructure. We have also been writing to the Deputy Commissioner regarding children subjected to labour. There are presently 38 children at the niketan. It can house 50 more. How many child labourers can we take in? And what do we do with them? They need a rehabilitation centre or facility. The city has none. If we rescue boys they have to be sent all the way to Hoshiarpur. It’s for the government to ensure the city gets such infrastructure, not us.” Several NGOs have assisted the Labour Department during some drives around Labour Day this year and other have assisted it during drives before and after Children’s Day. Many of the city NGOs have also been running NCLP schools (with the government grant money) in the city. Some have one while others have two schools under them. These NGOs run children programmes in these schools and distribute stationery and other commodities among these children. But many of these haven’t even rescued a total of five children in the district so far even though the streets and industries are teeming with child labourers. The reason they cite: The strong and well-connected mafia promoting child labour is the prime worry. The second worry is the government’s lack of intent in employing a specialised Members of one of the NGOs said during a visit to the Hoshiarpur Observation Home, he saw an former employer of a rescued Jalandhar child labourer meeting him. “The government’s action plan against child labour clearly states that no employer is to be allowed to maintain any kind of contact with the child after he is freed. Why was the employer not prevented from meeting the child?,” the activist questioned. The government’s crippling rules and regulations make it necessary for anyone interested in rescuing a child labour to follow a systematic protocol. The NGOs say without a strong government backing and coordination, they can’t fight the child labour menace. Child Welfare Council
The Child Welfare Council is a body made to safeguard child rights and prevent the violation of the human rights of children, but city residents have a general feeling that the organisation has turned into a white elephant. It is presently without a chairperson. Among other things, it is supposed to dispose of complaints regarding exploitation of children and implement remedial measures, but it has not rescued any child labour in the district so far. Labour Department
There are only a total of three Labour Inspectors in the district when there should be nine. The officials themselves and many NGOs, which have accompanied them on drives, have often complained that there are regular spats about jurisdiction between the Inspectors during the drives. Shady drive
In as many as 368 inspections carried out by the Labour Department across the district, only 41 children were rescued in the drives around Children’s Day. The employers of 34 of these children will be prosecuted. Interestingly, seven children out of these, whose ages were disputed, were handed back to the employers for custody till the age-determination reports of these children, sought by the CMO, are ready. So basically, it will be the duty of the “offender” to get these age reports (which could even land them in jail) and give them to the Labour Department, and to protect these children until that happens. It is intriguing that the Labour Department trusts them with the reports too. It will be 10 days before the CMO’s reports are out. Till then, the children will stay with their employers. The challan for all these cases is also yet to be filed. The Labour Department says the challan can be filed within a period of six months, but it will file it earlier - within 10 to 15 days. Official speak There is certainly a dearth of places for the rehabilitation of these children. We send the girls to the local homes and the boys to the observation home for juvenile kids in Hoshiarpur. We certainly need childcare centres in the district so that children can be kept in the district itself rather than taking them all the way to Hoshiarpur. We had also written to the CMO, the police and the Education Department to provide us a requisite number of officers during the drives. No FIRs were lodged because the Police Department did not send Inspectors (the basic requirement for the Labour Department to lodge an FIR). Also, due to the absence of the DEO (Secondary), no one from the Education Department joined the task force. — Varinder Jaswal, Assistant Labour Commissioner
|
|
Slovakian killed as mobike rams into stationary truck
Jalandhar, November 25 The man, Dushan Simko, died while his girlfriend, Yana, sustained serious head injuries and is struggling for life at a private hospital in Rama Mandi. The police revealed that the couple was en route to Amritsar when the motorcycle they were riding rammed into a stationary truck, leaving the man and the woman seriously injured. They were rushed to Johal Hospital. Simko succumbed to his injuries on en route to hospital, while critically injured Yana, who was riding pillion, had to be operated on for blood clots in the brain. Her condition is said to be critical. The mishap occurred at about 7 am at PAP Chowk and the cops on duty rushed the duo to the hospital soon after the accident. Eyewitnesses revealed that Simco was speeding on his motorcycle (MP-23K-6709) and rammed into a stationary truck (JK-02AF-6315) from behind after failing to apply brakes in time. Though the couple were wearing helmets, yet this did not prevent them from sustaining serious injuries. Dr BS Johal, attending on Yana, said her condition was serious and it would take her a few days to recover. The SHO, Jalandhar Cantonment, Vijay Kumar, said the body of Dushan Simko had been kept in the morgue of the private hospital and the Slovakian Embassy had been informed about the mishap and death of Dushan Simko.
|
|
3 days to go for int'l camp, youth hostel faces infrastructure blues
Jalandhar, November 25 The camp is being organised by the National Youth Project under the aegis of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports from November 29 to December 6. In the camp, youths from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan will take part. Ever since its inception, this is one of the major camps being held in the newly constructed hostel, which was earlier hanging fire for the past almost 20 years. However, when finally the hostel got constructed it has been lying without any necessary furniture and bedding. This despite the fact that the department of youth services has written to the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for the requisite grant of Rs 6 lakh for the furniture. Assistant Director Youth Services, Captain IS Dhami said that a communication in this regard was done with the ministry officials and the funds were awaited. "Although it is a cause of concern but we have already made elaborate arrangements for the comfortable stay of the youth at youth hostel and at Surjit Hockey Academy hostel. Moreover, in this integration camp, the youth is supposed to bring their bedding along," he added. Dhami maintained that the girl participants of the camp would stay at the youth hostel while the boys would stay at the Surjit Hockey Academy hostel. "We are expecting some 500 plus youngsters from five nations and across the country. We will set up separate reception centres at the railway station and bus stand to facilitate the youth reaching the city on November 28," he added. y The youth hostel at Burlton Park can accommodate 60 youths. Earlier, the hostel has been hanging fire for the past 20 years and the construction was over last year. It took 17 years for the hostel project to begin and the construction work had also come to a halt following an objection raised by the Auditor General of India. The hostel got completed after the former Union Sports Minister MS Gill personally intervened in the matter.
|
|
Dilkhusha Market hit by garbage trouble
Jalandhar, November 25 Since the dump falls right on the Old GT Road, those visiting Rainak Bazaar and other market areas in the vicinity are also much upset over the dump being a regular feature. The shopkeepers tell that the safai karamcharis of the MC unload all their carts at the point in the morning which remains there till the afternoon. The trucks come over around past noon to lift the filth and shift it to the main dumping point at Wariana village. Gurpreet Singh, a chemist shop owner, said, “Every morning when we are here to start the day, we are greeted by stacks of garbage. Since the market does not have a parking of its own, most shopkeepers park their vehicles on the roadside adjoining the dump. We have to take out our handkerchiefs and stop our breathe as we pass closeby.” President of the Safai Mazdoor Union Chandan Grewal claimed that the garbage is daily lifted from the site, although a bit late in the day. “Earlier, there was an enclosed site at the area but it had been demolished owing to which the dump has shifted onto the centre of the road.” Dr Varinder Kalia, Health Officer, MC, said that he had brought the matter to the notice of the sanitation officials and he hoped that the problem would be solved at the earliest.
|
|
Communal Harmony Day celebrated
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, November 25 Boxing champs
The boxing team of BD Arya Girls College, Jalandhar cantonment, won a boxing championship held at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. The team overall won five gold and one bronze medals. |
|
Married man held for raping minor girl
Shahkot, November 25 The accused has been identified as Dalbir Singh, resident of Bal Nou village in Malsian, and a daily wage labourer. The 16-year-old victim told the police that she was alone at her house this afternoon as her parents had gone out for some work. Dalbir Singh, who lived opposite to her house, after noticing her alone, barged into her house and passed abusive and sexual remarks. “When I protested, he raped me,” the girl alleged. She shouted for help and on listening her shrieks, residents reached the spot and started beating the Dalbir Singh and later handed him over to the police. Malsian police station in charge Rachpal Singh said Dalbir Singh was later taken to the Civil Hospital. A case under Section 376 of the IPC wasregistered against Dalbir Singh. The medical report of the girl would arrive in a few days.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
The very hands that were supposed to nurture the young ones snuffed out two innocent lives.
This shocking incident took place in New Baba Budha Ji Nagar in Dakoha, near here where a young mother strangled her two kids and then consumed poison.
As the hype around the Labour Department’s drive of rescuing child labourers slows down, investigations reveal that the district lacks resources and the means to rehabilitate rescued during such drives.
Jalandhar, November 25
Shopkeepers of the Dilkhusha Market are a harried lot. Scores of chemists and courier office owners in the area have claimed that a garbage dump at the entry point to the market has come as a big nuisance and a cause of concern for them as well as their clientele.