Poll funding goes ‘mega’
Amritsar, January 17
Operators of mega projects in the holy city are reportedly funding poll campaigns of various leaders and political parties ahead of the assembly elections.

Theatre at its best
Mime performances leave audience speechless
Amritsar, January 17
When words fail, visuals do the require magic and grip spectators’ imagination. A similar impact was seen on the sixth day of the Bharat Rang Mahotsav.

Why Govt staff say no to poll duties?
Amritsar, January 17
Government employees often talk about free and fair democracy but when they are assigned poll duties they try to shift the responsibility to someone else.

Amritsar, January 17
In a major crackdown, the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Punjab, arrested two notorious Pakistani smugglers, active around the Ravi river areas along the Indo-Pak border.

The accused have been identified as Rashid Ahmed, alias Commando, a resident of Mustafabad, district Kasur, Pakistan, and Shaukat Ali, resident of Bharoke Cheema, district Narowal, Pakistan.

Acting on a tip-off, a specially constituted police party under the supervision of Surjit Singh, Assistant Inspector General of Police, SSOC, Punjab, apprehended the smugglers from an area near Malikpur Thobe village. “They were to meet their Indian counterparts and subsequently to hand over the smuggled contrabands which is yet to be recovered,” Surjit Singh said. Meanwhile, the Indian smugglers, three in number, were able to escape taking the advantage of the darkness, but the police is on the lookout for them.

The preliminary interrogations have revealed that they had crossed over to the Indian territory in the intervening night of January 16 and 17 from the area of Channan in Ajnala sector with a consignment of heroin, fake Indian currency and a pistol.

“The interrogation of the apprehended Pakistani nationals also disclosed that they have concealed the smuggled consignment near the river and the information has been shared with the BSF and other sister agencies to locate and recover the consignment.”

Sources said the miscreants had with them over six packets of heroin and counterfeit Indian currency to the tune of Rs 15 lakhs, which was dumped on the river bed. The police could not yet recover the contraband because the water level got elevated.

“It is true that they have concealed the smuggled consignment near the river and the information has also been shared with the BSF and other sister agencies to locate it, but the exact quantity would be known only after we recover the consignment,” he said.

It has been learnt that Rashid Ahmed was earlier caught under the Arms Act by Punjab Police in 1999 and was lodged in Amritsar Central jail. He was released in 2006. The arrest of these notorious Pak smugglers has also pointed that smugglers from across the border are now taking river routes instead of land to avoid detection while sneaking into the Indian territory. “But we are quite vigilant about it. Investigations are being conducted on different lines to unearth the complete nexus and network of this gang,” he said.

A case under Sections 21, 25, 29, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act, Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act, 489A, B, C of IPC, and Sections 14 of Foreigners Act, has been registered in this regard.

Meanwhile, on intervening night of October 6 and 7, the Border Security Force personnel foiled infiltration bid by Pakistan smugglers from two different places on Indo-Pak border. The BSF had then recovered a biggest seizure of narcotics like 27 kg heroin valued at Rs 135 crore in international market, Rs 1.98 lakh fake Indian currency notes, one Chinese-made pistol and 20 cartridges.

Drug trail

n Interrogations reveal that Rashid Ahmed and Shaukat Ali had crossed over to India in the intervening night of January 16 and 17 from the area of Channan in Ajnala sector with a consignment of heroin, fake Indian currency and a pistol

n They were to meet their Indian counterparts to hand over the smuggled contrabands

n Three Indian smugglers were able to escape taking cover of the darkness

Amritsar, January 17
The Amritsar Bar Association postponed its agitation after the police quashed a counter case registered against a local lawyer and few others today.

The lawyers showed a letter signed by ADCP Mohan Lal in which it was said that the case against Advocate Kuljit Singh has been quashed.

Later, in a press released issued here today, the Bar Association said it has submitted a memorandum to the Police Commissioner urging him to take immediate steps to arrest the accused, who made a murderous assault on Kuljit Singh.

The Amritsar Bar Association was all set to go on a strike today to press upon the police to take back the attempt to murder case registered against Kuljit Singh.

On January 3, Kuljit Singh was injured in an attack after he resisted illegal occupation of his plot. On January 13, a case of attempt to murder was registered against 11 persons. However few days later, a case under same section 307 was slapped on the injured lawyer and few others. The association said if the police failed to arrest the accused, the association would take up the matter with the administration.

Amritsar, January 17
A majority of the candidates, including representatives of the leading political parties, seeking to get elected from the five urban assembly constituencies of the city, are undergraduates. However, their minimum qualification is well “compensated” with their assets which run in crores.

BJP candidate for the North constituency Anil Joshi, 48, is only one with a higher secondary as his educational qualification. However, his total movable and immovable assets are worth a crore.

Congress candidate for the West segment Raj Kumar Verka, 49, could only pass the first year of his graduation degree in 1981 from Guru Nanak Dev University. Moveable asset worth Rs 1.47 crore are registered in his name. His annual income in fiscal year 2010-2011 was a little over Rs 7.49 lakh.

A little known political outfit Bharti Chetanya Party has fielded one Bal Krishan, who is only a matriculate.

Akali rebel from the South constituency, Gurpratap Singh Tikka, has completed the first year of graduation degree. Contesting as an independent, Tikka owns assets worth a crore.

From the same constituency, the Congress nominee Jasbir Singh Gill aka Dimpa, 43, has total assets worth Rs 4 crore but his educational qualification is a ‘Giani’ dgree, which he finished in 1988.

Manpreet Singh Badal has fielded Jasbir Singh as the PPP candidate for the South segment who is simply a matriculate.

A social activist Dr Shyam Sunder Deepti, who is leading a campaign in the city to make the electorates aware about the necessity of casting votes said, “In all jobs we come across minimum eligibility criteria. Choosing MLAs and MPs were an exception.”

He stressed that we should not question their wealth but their capacity to deliver results while holding the esteemed constitutional posts were a matter of great concern. He said it was another example of lack of accountability in the system.

He said the rule was simple if a person was not aware of the constitution how could he govern the country after merely taking an oath for the same. “If one does not know governance then one does not have the right to be in the government,” he feels.

Amritsar, January 17
Operators of mega projects in the holy city are reportedly funding poll campaigns of various leaders and political parties ahead of the assembly elections.

A leading shawl manufacturer and exporter said on the condition of anonymity that the leaders no longer require the monetary support of businessmen and industrialists with an annual turnover of some crores.

He said the huge amount of wealth disclosures made by the candidates of almost all political parties in their nomination papers is a pointer in this direction.

“A glance at the amount of their wealth shows that no longer do they require the financial support of small time traders and businessmen,” he said. He said it was only operators of mega projects who could fund them and match their standards.

He recalled that earlier political parties used to collect donations and issued receipts in turn. These days no representative of any political party come out with receipt books to collect funds.

President of Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal, an umbrella organisation of businessmen, Amrit Lal Jain said so far he had not come across a situation in which any member of the mandal had funded the campaign of any candidate. About the anticipated expenditure incurred on poll campaign, BJP’s candidate from the East assembly constituency Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, wife of MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, said so far she was funding her campaign with Rs 5 lakh drawn from her savings. She said in any case she did not expect the entire expenditure to cross Rs 12 lakh. She said many of her supporters were indulging in pasting stickers and installing banners on their own. She said she was trying to convince them not to indulge in such activities on their own as all these will be counted in her poll expenditure. She said major part of her ongoing poll campaign was in nature of meetings at the ward level and these did not require much funds.

Congress nominee from the Central segment OP Soni said poll expenditure had come down drastically from last elections. He said major portion of the campaign was being conducted in the form of ward meetings. He said supporters themselves arrange for and spent in these meetings.

Soni’s rival Tarun Chugh, BJP’s candidate, said keeping in view the trend he did not foresee expenditure of his election campaign exceeding over Rs 12 lakh. He said he was arranging funds from his own savings and the rest of the amount will be sourced from relatives, friends and supporters.

Congress candidate for the North assembly constituency Karamjit Singh Rintu said he was arranging funds from his personal savings and from his relatives.

District Congress Committee president Jugal Kishore Sharma said his office maintained receipt books on the money received. He said the party did not fund the election campaign of its candidates and they themselves arranged for their funds. He said the party received funds during membership drives as every member has to shell out Rs three to become a member of the Congress party. He said last year membership drive in Punjab had seen three lakh new faces joining the party.

Amritsar BJP president Anand Sharma said the party funds were garnered only during a collection drive. He said at present the party was not giving any kind of funds to its candidates and they were arranging their funds on their own.

The Election Commission of India appointed one of the five poll observers on expenditure UB Mishra said as per the norms expenditure of a candidate could not exceed over Rs 16 lakh. He said it did not matter whether the poll campaign expenditure was being funded by the candidates or their political parties.

Amritsar, January 17
When words fail, visuals do the require magic and grip spectators’ imagination. A similar impact was seen on the sixth day of the Bharat Rang Mahotsav.

The two performances for the day were rich in visuals; silence did more then words could ever do.

The Water Station, performed by Theatre Roots and Wings, Kerela, was a two-hour mime about loneliness, the need for sustenance and fragility of human emotions. A water tap is the centre of the plot where 18 different characters stop by at different time for different reasons. Some come to drink, soak, wash, and others to meet, love, fight, weep and separate. The play was written by Japanese playwright Shogo Ohta and directed by Sankar Venkateswaran. The Water Station is a part of the Station Trilogy penned by Ohta with other two parts comprising The Earth Station and The Wind Station.

The other play, The Hungry Stones by Kalakshetra from Manipur too enthralled the audiences. The Hungry Stones, based on a story by Rabindranath Tagore, is a mystical, enchanting story of personal disappointments and yearnings of stone statues that come alive at night and cry for freedom from bondage. Putting together the story in a contemporary form with cultural expressions and dance, the director Heisnam Tomba prefers non-verbal style of theatre. “We first did this play in 2003 with lot of characters and larger than life visuals. But for this performance, I toned it down to just the valuable part and used a form of theatrical expression which is visually appealing making it more sensuous, logical and lyrical,” said the playwright, director and filmmaker.

Tomba, who specialises in voice and movement training, has previously directed an off beat Manipuri film called Nobap and has fully devoted himself to promoting Manipuri culture through theatre. “In Manipur theatre is respected. We also try to interact with national and international artistes within our limitations to keep a track of the latest happening in the world of theatre,” said Tomba. Since Kalakshetra is continuously involved in renewal of ancestral tradition for a contemporary theatre, Tomba doesn’t feel the need to struggle. “We are more of a research group rather than a theatre company. Our work is inspired from the day-to-day living in Manipur and so is the medium to express it.”

His experience in Amritsar and the international theatre so far has been satisfying. “It’s the first time for us in this city and it feels great to perform in front of an enthusiastic audience. We are also planning to hold an international theatre event in Manipur next month.”

n The Water Station is a part of the Station Trilogy penned by Japanese playwright Shogo Ohta with other two parts comprising The Earth Station and The Wind Station. A water tap is the centre of the plot where 18 different characters stop by at different times for different reasons. It was performed by Theatre Roots and Wings, Kerela,

n The other play, The Hungry Stones, was performed by Kalakshetra from Manipur. The play is based on a story by Rabindranath Tagore.

Amritsar, January 17
Government employees often talk about free and fair democracy but when they are assigned poll duties they try to shift the responsibility to someone else.

In an interaction with The Tribune the government employees said they have reasons to avoid poll duties. An employee said, “We have number of problems. First, we do not get accommodations to spend the nights. Second, meals are not arranged for us. Third and the ugliest part is the harassment at the hands of goons hired by the politicians.”

Pleading anonymity a teacher said, “Once when I was on duty some men tried to poll bogus votes. I resisted and filed a complaint against them. They still hold grudges against me.” The losing candidates often file complaints against the presiding officers and employees are unnecessarily harassed, he added.

The employees said two days-one prior to the election and the election day-are really tough. “On election day submitting the voting machines is a big responsibility. Sometimes we get as late as 1am,” said another employee.

An employee of the health department said, “This year a famous and well known surgeon has also been assigned poll duty. Now who would handle the emergency cases which are bound to happen on the poll day?” The Election Commission should have exempted doctors and other emergency staff from poll duties, he added.

The staff of the local Government Dental College rued that they have been assigned these duties for the first time. “Who would manage the exams that are starting on January 16 and who would attend medical emergencies?” questioned an employee.

The employees said the remuneration is very less in comparison with the harassment they are subjected to. The employees were paid Rs 800 to 1,000 during the previous Lok Sabha elections.

Problem zone

n Do not get accommodations to spend the nights

n Meals are not arranged for them

Amritsar, January 17
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the All-India Terrorist Victim Association has demanded the Central Government to provide a special package to the terrorism-affected families in the state.

Releasing the letter to the media association’s Chairman Dr BR Hastir said in 2005, after the submission of Nanawati Commission report, the PM said victims of 1984 riots would receive a monetary compensation. Hastir demanded that the victims of terrorism should be paid the same monetary compensation as has been paid to the victims of 1984 riots. “Both the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured us to help the aggrieved families,” said Hastir.

The association members said residents of Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur were deeply affected during the 13-year-long terrorism in state. “Thousands of people were displaced during this phase and found refuge in other states,” said Hastir.

The association said as per figures available with the state government 16,957 families were displaced within the state, while 463 families had to migrate to other states. Hastir said, “The number of affected families is much more than the official figures. In the three districts of Majha: Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur more than 30, 000 families were affected.”

The association would hold meeting of its members on January 25 or 26 to decide on the political party they would support this time. During the 2007 elections they extended their support to the SAD-BJP coalition.

The association has also demanded that the scheme for assisting the victims of terrorist and communal violence launched by the central government should be made effective retrospectively from year 1982. “The government has made this effective from 2008. As such the victims of terrorism have got no respite,” he said.

The scheme for assisting the victims of terrorist and communal violence launched by the Union government should be made effective retrospectively from year 1982.The government has made this effective from 2008, says Association Chairman Dr BR Hastir.

Amritsar, January 17
The city youth, though in demand these days ahead of the elections, continue to grapple with problems like unemployment and drug addiction. National and regional political parties don’t leave any chance to woo the young electorates, but once in power the leaders do very little to enhance job avenues in their areas.

As per the record available with the State Employment office roughly half of the 33,000 educated unemployed in the district belonged to the city, said District Employment Office Jaswant Rai.

High number of dropouts, some employed on low wages and many of them falling in the net of drugs are also a matter of great concern for parents and social experts.

Amit Kumar, a youth of Bank colony Majitha road, said after completing graduation he didn’t know what course to opt. He said the government has the employment office, but it failed to introduce any career counselling centre to guide the youth.

Come elections and leaders of all parties make tall promises of initiating campaigns to de-addict the youth. However, these campaigns have limited impact. In the recent past, the SAD and Congress organised many sports tournaments claiming that it would dissuade the youth away from drugs. However, again it has a limited success as these competitions could not attract all segments.

Ranvinder Singh Sandhu, Professor of Sociology in Guru Nanak Dev University, who conducted the study in 2009, called the problem of drug abuse in the state a “ticking bomb”. He said it pointed towards an exponential increase in the number of drug addicts in the state in the past decade. He said as far as Amritsar city is concerned, it is manifestation of problems like unemployment, low wages, disrespect to jobs involving physically labour and easy availability of drugs. 

Amritsar, January 17
A team of doctors headed by Dr Jagdeepak Singh, Professor and in charge of ENT department at Government Medical College conducted the rare Tympanoplasty (repair of ear drum membrane) on an HIV positive woman. Dr Kulwinder Sandhu, a senior resident doctor at the college had assisted Dr Jagdeepak Singh in the surgery.

Dr Jagdeepak Singh said, “The doctors have to be extra cautious while performing such surgeries on HIV patients. The doctors too are at a risk of getting infected if needles or any other instrument accidentally pricks their body.”

Dr Singh said most of the doctors refrain from conducting such surgeries on HIV patients. He added that there is a need to encourage doctors to treat HIV patients at par with other patients.

“In this case the patient had consulted various doctors at various institutions. Finally the surgery was conducted at ENT department of the Government Medical College,” said Dr Kulwinder Sandhu.