B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Bonhomie during retreat at Hussainiwala
Hussainiwala (Ferozepur), July 8
While the hostility between India and Pakistan is unending on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, the retreat ceremony held here every evening symbolises perfect brotherhood between soldiers of both the countries, who, to lower their respective flags, enter each other’s territory without any passport or visa.

A BSF soldier folds the Tricolour in the Pakistani territory during the retreat ceremony at the Hussainiwala border while Pakistani Rangers present the guard of honour. Photo by writer

Saeed Mirza to film documentary on pesticide use
Faridkot, July 8
Days after Aamir Khan’s popular show, “Satyamev Jayate” chronicled the indiscriminate use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in Punjab and its adverse impact on human health, now Saeed Akhtar Mirza, who has made many famous Bollywood films and won plaudits  for using whole sentence as their names —- Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai, Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro, Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho and TV Hindi  serial like Nukkad,   has now forayed into Punjab to depict the negative side of pesticides and chemicals in agriculture in his documentary.

Filmmaker Saeed Akhtar Mirza interacts with organic farmers in Chaina village of Faridkot district on Sunday. A Tribune photograph

Two youths booked for raping minor in F’pur village
Ferozepur, July 8
Two youths have been booked for allegedly raping a minor girl of Darida village under the Lakho-Ke Behram police station. The accused belong to the same village.

Abohar-Fazilka rail link
DRM reviews preparations
Abohar, July 8
The Ambala divisional railway manager (DRM), Prem Kumar Sanghi, has turned down the plea made by citizens to reopen the 60-year-old passage to Nai Abadi that was recently blocked. He was here to review preparations for opening of the Abohar-Fazilka rail link.

Comp hard disk stolen from court
Gidderbaha, July 8
The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMIC), Gidderbaha, has lodged a complaint with the local police that some unidentified persons had allegedly stolen computer hardware from the court complex.

Bonhomie during retreat at Hussainiwala
SP Sharma
Tribune News Service

Hussainiwala (Ferozepur), July 8
While the hostility between India and Pakistan is unending on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, the retreat ceremony held here every evening symbolises perfect brotherhood between soldiers of both the countries, who, to lower their respective flags, enter each other’s territory without any passport or visa.

Two soldiers of the Border Security Force (BSF) and an equal number of Pakistani Rangers march through the thin white border line into each other’s territory to lower their respective flags.

The visitors on both the sides stand up as a mark of respect to the national flags when these are lowered and folded. The troops also present a guard of honour.

This is perhaps the only joint check post (JCP) in the country where such a drill is performed daily in the presence of hundreds of visitors. There is a deafening noise as visitors on both the sides cheer their respective soldiers by raising slogans while patriotic songs are played on loudspeakers.

The flag-lowering is preceded by a parade in which Pakistani Rangers display angry gestures while the BSF personnel have for the past some time mollified.

Senior officers of the BSF and the Rangers are present at the time of the retreat to oversee smooth conduct of the ceremony.

This border was one of the trade routes between India and Pakistan prior to the 1971 war when it was closed down. The demand for reopening it has gained momentum and has come on the agenda of both the countries.

While the visitors’ gallery and the gate in Pakistan have been renovated and beautified, the home ministry has started building a new gallery on the Indian side. The new gallery would cost about `16.39 crore with state-of-the-art facilities to accommodate over 1,800 visitors against around 500 at present.

With the martyrs’ memorial in the neighbourhood, the JCP has become a tourist spot with a large number of people from various parts of Punjab and other places in the country visiting every day.

The CPWD has been assigned construction of the majestic pavilion that would be landscaped with ornamental plants and fountains.

Deputy Commissioner S Karuna Raju said the martyrs’ memorial would be further beautified.

The Malwa region of Punjab has the proud privilege of hosting the retreat ceremony at two places, Hussainiwala in Ferozepur and Sadqi in Fazilka. Before the creation of Fazilka district a few months ago, both these JCPs were in Ferozepur.

The district administration of Fazilka is planning to beautify the Sadqi area where a number of people visit every day to witness the retreat ceremony.

Saeed Mirza to film documentary on pesticide use
Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, July 8
Days after Aamir Khan’s popular show, “Satyamev Jayate” chronicled the indiscriminate use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in Punjab and its adverse impact on human health, now Saeed Akhtar Mirza, who has made many famous Bollywood films and won plaudits  for using whole sentence as their names —- Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai, Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro, Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho and TV Hindi  serial like Nukkad,   has now forayed into Punjab to depict the negative side of pesticides and chemicals in agriculture in his documentary.

Accompanied by a 30-members crew and his younger brother Aziz Mirza, Saeed visited Jajjal, Harkishan Pura, Gahri Bhagi, Karam Satran, Chaina and Karirwali villages of the area. Most of these villages have high prevalence of cancer cases, depleted groundwater level and high fluoride content in the groundwater.

Revealing how the commercialisation under the garb of development in agriculture is playing havoc with human life, Saeed Mirza said there are 67 types of pesticides which are banned all over the world, but are still used by the Indian farmers.

Everyday through fruits and vegetables, we consume 400-500 per cent more pesticides than the permissible limit, he said. After about 65 years of freedom, India now needs to de-colonize its mindset. “In every sphere of life, we are following the developed countries, even in the way we eat,” he said.

Waiving his arms and talking loudly, 69-year-old Mirza had a great sense of calm about himself at Chaina village today when interacting with some organic farmers.

His 53 episode drama documentary will veer around the lower middle class, said Mirza.

Two youths booked for raping minor in F’pur village
Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, July 8
Two youths have been booked for allegedly raping a minor girl of Darida village under the Lakho-Ke Behram police station. The accused belong to the same village.

According to the information, the accused, Harbhej Singh and Channa, allegedly abducted the girl, Sarita (name changed), from her house around midnight, took her to fields and committed the crime.

Meanwhile, the victim’s parents and other family members kept searching for her.

The girl’s uncle, Makhan Singh, found her lying on the roadside during the wee hours of the next day. The victim was rushed to the Civil Hospital where her medical examination was conducted.

When contacted, SSP Hardial Singh Mann said on the basis of the statement of the victim, a case had been registered against the two youths in Lakho-Ke Behram police station. Further inquiry was being conducted in the matter, he added.

The SSP said the culprits were still on the run.

Abohar-Fazilka rail link
DRM reviews preparations

Abohar, July 8
The Ambala divisional railway manager (DRM), Prem Kumar Sanghi, has turned down the plea made by citizens to reopen the 60-year-old passage to Nai Abadi that was recently blocked. He was here to review preparations for opening of the Abohar-Fazilka rail link.

His advice to the activists of India Against Corruption (IAC) to call off the 57-day-old stir was not accepted. The IAC submitted a memorandum to the DRM demanding opening of the second reservation counter besides separate window for disabled, senior citizens and women.

IAC spokesman Radhey Shyam Sharma said their relay fast would end only after the first train on the rail link was flagged off. Social activists Rajesh Gupta, Praveen Chawla, Umesh Phutela said a decision over the stir would be taken on July 10. — OC

Comp hard disk stolen from court

Gidderbaha, July 8
The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMIC), Gidderbaha, has lodged a complaint with the local police that some unidentified persons had allegedly stolen computer hardware from the court complex.

The judge, Shilpa, alleged that the hard disk of a computer, worth nearly `4,000, was stolen from the court complex between June 30 and July 7, the police said.

A case under Section 380 of the IPC has been registered at the Gidderbaha police station. — TNS