The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Politicians visit Mohar Jamsher only for votes
Mohar Jamsher (Fazilka), January 15
It is the election time that has again made the leaders of various political parties visit the forsaken village bordering Pakistan to seek votes for their respective candidates. Residents of the village, who were facing problems, were critical that the political leaders visit them only during the elections to seek votes and thereafter leave them to their fate. With a peculiar topography, the village is surrounded by Pakistan on three sides while on the other side, the swollen Sutlej immobilizes the residents.

‘Sathi Haath Badhana’ says Cong, rebel refuses
Moga, January 15
The Congress seems to be in trouble in the four constituencies of the Moga district as the dissidents are adamant on fighting the elections as independent candidates rejecting a proposal of the party high command to fall in line.

Vijay Sathi (centre) along with the local Congress leaders at Moga. A Tribune photograph

Training imparted to election staff
Ferozepur, January 15
The poll rehearsals of the presiding officials and other election staff, who are being assigned poll duties, was held in the four assembly segments in the district today. District Electoral Officer, S. Karuna Raju, besides the election observer, C. Parthasarathi, conducted the training sessions regarding the usage of the EVMs and other election related duties.

IGP (Bathinda range), Nirmal Singh Dhillon presiding over a meeting of SSPs and other police officials of the Malwa region at Faridkot on Saturday regarding security arrangements for the assembly elections. A Tribune photograph

Jail inmate dies under mysterious circumstances
Fazilka, January 15
One Jaskiran Singh (35), jail inmate, Fazilka sub-jail, lodged in the judicial custody under the NDPS Act, died under mysterious circumstances today in the morning. Other inmates raised slogans against the jail staff for their negligence. Two constables posted at the jail have been placed under suspension in this connection.

IG's son refutes allegations
Ferozepur, January 15
Vikramjit Singh Gakhar, son of SL Gakhar, the IG of Patiala range, stated that he has not misused his security in the poll campaign of any candidate.

	Assembly elections ‘People won’t give Capt a chance’ Tribune News Service Jalalabad, January 15 Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister and candidate for the Jalalabad assembly seat, today said that during his previous tenure as Chief Minister during the Congress regime Captain Amarinder Singh had wrecked the education and health sectors in Punjab. Addressing a series of election rallies in the constituency, Sukhbir said that the SAD-BJP Government inherited schools without teachers and infrastructure and hospitals without doctors. “People of Punjab may recall that the Congress Government used to talk of encouraging privatisation in these basic sectors. It used to be said that people prefer private schools to government schools. We have reversed that situation,” he added. The SAD-BJP Government did not facilitate private investment at the cost of public sector but tried to carry both the sectors along. He said that the SAD-BJP Government has recruited doctors for dispensaries and teachers for schools. “Our Adarsh school scheme has been emulated by the government at the Centre as well. Had there been no vision and initiative, this would not have been possible,” he said. Describing the assembly elections ‘a fight between pro-Punjab and anti-Punjab forces’, Sukhbir reminded the people as to how the previous Congress Government had got the work on the Bathinda Oil Refinery stopped to favour its own men for five years besides putting brakes on the most prestigious project of the Khalsa Panth, the Virasat-e-Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib. He said that now the Punjab Congress chief is threatening that if elected, he would stop the thermal plants and the Kabbadi World Cup. “However, the good thing is that he is never going to be in a position to destroy Punjab again as people of Punjab are well aware of the development initiatives of the SAD-BJP Government and would not give him another chance,” he added. Meanwhile, Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, president, Bhartiya Kisan Union, said that the Union has decided to support the SAD-BJP alliance because of its pro-farmers policies.
	Dera influence Brewing liquor takes a backseat in border area Anirudh Gupta Ferozepur, January 15 Though the much hyped Deras in the state have hogged the limelight for the wrong reasons most of the time during the last few years, the silver lining is that they have brought a remarkable change in the mindset and lifestyle of their followers, particularly, those belonging to the Rai Sikh community as most of them have now given up the illegal practices like brewing country-made liquor and have adopted new vocations. They have started growing cash crops, vegetables and even working in the nearby cities as daily wagers. Consequently, the signs of distilling illicit liquor are fading away all along the border as no homegrown facilities for distilleries are visible here in the area, once known as the den of country-made liquor trade. “Bahut fark peh gaya hai hun,” said Mangal Singh of Chandiwala, who claims that there are only a handful of people left now, who are allegedly still in this trade. Even the grant of the SC status to the community has helped. The relatively educated members of the community are now looking for lucrative jobs. They even want more schools in the area. Mukhtiar Singh of Julloke said, “We need more schools and colleges to enable our next generation lead a better life as illiteracy has been our major drawback till now.” Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya also belongs to this community as do a lot of other influential leaders cutting across the party lines who have realised the importance of their numbers vis-à-vis vote bank politics. Now, no political party can overlook Rai Sikhs, who form a formidable chunk of voters to make a difference in the outcome of any elections, be it assembly or the parliament. BSP leader Mohan Singh Phalianwala, who won the Lok Sabha elections twice, is also a Rai Sikh, and is contesting the assembly elections from the Fazilka segment this time.
	Politicians visit Mohar Jamsher only for votes SP Sharma Tribune News Service (Top left) A temporary capsule bridge set up by the Army to provide a link to the border village, Mohar Jamsher, with the mainland in Fazilka district. On the other side is the bridge that was washed away two years back due to floods in the Sutlej; Santo (right), a resident of the village Mohar Jamsher, narrates the woes of the hamlet that is surrounded by Pakistan on three sides and the Sutlej on the fourth. Tribune photos Mohar Jamsher (Fazilka), January 15 It is the election time that has again made the leaders of various political parties visit the forsaken village bordering Pakistan to seek votes for their respective candidates. Residents of the village, who were facing problems, were critical that the political leaders visit them only during the elections to seek votes and thereafter leave them to their fate. With a peculiar topography, the village is surrounded by Pakistan on three sides while on the other side, the swollen Sutlej immobilizes the residents. Santo and her son Gurmel said, "The problems of residents of the village have multiplied as they were living under virtual confinement as the village has been encircled with the barbed wire fencing by the Border Security Force (BSF) to prevent infiltration of unscrupulous elements from across the border." They said the leaders of different parties visit the village only during the elections and do not show their face thereafter. With a population of about 800, the village has nearly 500 votes. Santo said, "One has to beg before the BSF officials to open the fencing gate in case of any emergency during night. The gate leading towards Fazilka is shut by 8 pm and is opened in the morning." Every resident of the village has been issued an identity card by the BSF and it has to be deposited at the check-post when anyone goes out. The residents are allowed to enter or go out of the village only after being frisked. Santo lamented that her daughter, who got married elsewhere in the district, was not allowed to enter the village when she came to meet her parents a few months ago. Permission was granted only after a hue and cry was raised on the issue. Another elderly resident Harnam Singh said, "There is no dispensary in the village and it becomes problematic when someone falls sick at night as the gate at the check-post is shut. There are a total number of five gates that provide access to the villagers to reach their fields across the fencing." The BSF has built a temporary capsule bridge that links the village with the mainland. However, in summers and monsoon, when the Sutlej is in spate, the village gets cut off and the only means to reach the mainland is boat. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had announced during the recent floods that a concrete bridge at a cost of Rs 10 crores would be built to provide a permanent link but nothing has been done so far. Harnam Singh said that his five acres of agricultural land was across the fence but he is able to go there every fifth day as the gates are opened by rotation. Many houses collapsed as the village was flooded last monsoon. A pittance of Rs 1,600 was paid as compensation to each sufferer, he added.
	‘Sathi Haath Badhana’ says Cong, rebel refuses Kulwinder Sandhu Tribune News Service Moga, January 15 The Congress seems to be in trouble in the four constituencies of the Moga district as the dissidents are adamant on fighting the elections as independent candidates rejecting a proposal of the party high command to fall in line. Senior party leaders, Oscar Fernandez and Jagmeet Singh Brar, met the leader of the dissidents, Vijay Sathi, at his residence here last night. However, Sathi rejected the proposal saying that he and his dissident friends would fight the elections. Sathi has filed the nomination papers as an independent candidate from Moga against the sitting MLA Joginder Pal Jain while his friend Amarjit Singh Rajeana has also decided to contest against the sitting MLA Darshan Singh Brar from the Baghapurana constituency. Similarly, in Nihalsinghwala constituency, former district president of the party Colonel Babu Singh (retd), who was the Congress candidate in the last assembly elections, has also filed his nomination as an independent candidate. The party has given the party ticket to the sitting independent MLA Ajit Singh Shant, who has joined the Congress. The worst situation for the Congress is in the Dharamkot constituency from where the party has given ticket to Sukhjit Singh Kaka, who left the SAD during the SGPC elections and joined the Congress. Former Congress MP from Bathinda, Kewal Singh and two more rebels, former district president Ranvinder Singh Pappu and the local leader Hardip Singh Fauji, had also filed their nomination papers from this constituency. Former district president of the party Dr Pawan Thapar, who is also the husband of the Punjab Mahila Congress chief Dr Malti Thapar, district president of the INTUC Vijay Dir, veteran party leader Pandit Sham Lal, PPCC secretary Harjot Kamal and many other local party leaders had extended their support to the dissident leaders. With regard to the last call given by the PPCC president Captain Amarinder Singh to the dissidents to withdraw their nomination papers, Sathi said, "There is no question of turning back after filing the papers." He added that he and his friends would start their campaign after getting the poll symbols from Monday onwards. Sathi further said he has a clean image with no criminal case pending against him. "The party should have given the ticket to me,” he said. Claiming that he would win the election against Gill and Jain, Vijay Sathi said he has got the support of all the local party leaders.
	Training imparted to election staff Our Correspondent Ferozepur, January 15 The poll rehearsals of the presiding officials and other election staff, who are being assigned poll duties, was held in the four assembly segments in the district today. District Electoral Officer, S. Karuna Raju, besides the election observer, C. Parthasarathi, conducted the training sessions regarding the usage of the EVMs and other election related duties. The polls rehearsals were held at the RSD College, MLM Senior Secondary School, and Government Senior Secondary School today. Raju said the presiding officials should make themselves aware of the correct use of EVMs, adding that on the day of the polling, they would make sure, in the presence of the polling agents of various candidates, that the EVMs are in working order before the voting begins. Raju said all the presiding officials would keep the ROs informed about the start of the polling process and the percentage of polling after regular intervals through ‘SMS’. Raju said the polling staff will be able to exercise their franchise through postal ballot.