Amritsar, December 20
The holy city has been put on high alert ahead of the first conference of Police Commissioners starting tomorrow.

About 55 delegates, including senior police officials from all over the country, have converged in the city to participate in the conference.

The police officials checked vehicles at various nakas in the city. A huge number of policemen have been called from neighbouring police districts to tighten the security in the city.

The police has also planned to conduct flag march in various parts, including Majitha road, Ranjit Avenue, Lawrence Road, Civil Lines area and Sultanwind road.

Director General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini arrived in the city today to attend the conference.

There are a total of 47 Commissionerates in the country. Commissioners of Police from 21 Commissionerates and representatives from seven Commissionerates would attend the conference.

In addition, Andhra Pradesh DGP V Dinesh Reddy and Principal Secretary (Home), Assam, Sailesh, would also attend the conference. Other eminent delegates attending the conference included Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar; Mumbai Police Commissioner Dr Satya Pal Singh; Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma and Dr KN Sharma, Director General of Police, Bureau of Police Research and Development.

Representatives from nine states which do not have the Commissionerate system would also participate at the conference to understand the system and make appropriate proposals to their respective states. These states included J&K, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Amritsar, December 20
Alert jawans of the Border Security Force thwarted an attempt of Pakistan-based smugglers to sneak in a heroin consignment from Chanamulla border post in Amritsar sector here today.

The BSF authorities seized seven packets of 7-kg heroin worth Rs 35 crore in the international market during a search operation in the morning hours following a brief encounter with smugglers.

BSF Inspector General Aditya Mishra informed that the troops noticed some movements of Pakistan-based smugglers near the border outpost number 87/7. When BSF personnel challenged the smugglers, the later started firing and continued with their nefarious designs to push in the contraband.

“The smugglers fired three shots on the Indian troops before the jawans retaliated in self-defence,” said Mishra. He added that Pakistani smugglers, however, managed to escape taking advantage of darkness and foggy conditions at the border.

He said with the winters setting in, the jawans had been instructed to remain on their toes. Smuggling attempts increase in the winters as smugglers take advantage of dense fog in the region. The IG said the BSF seized 285 kg of heroin in 2012. 

Amritsar, December 20
The district administration today dismissed two patwaris, who were convicted for corrupt practices by courts.

Deputy Commissioner Rajat Agarwal said patwari Daljit Singh, who was posted at Sheikh Bhatti circle (currently posted at Avan Lakha Singh Circle) and patwari Harjit Singh posted at Sodian Circle were dismissed under Section 5 (9) of the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 1970.

Giving details, he said Daljit Singh had done wrong demarcation of forest land (government land) measuring 78 kanals and 3 marla, which was illegally occupied by several cultivators. He tampered with the government documents and put the names of his wife Varinder Kaur and sister-in-law Kashmir Kaur in the documents. He destroyed all the government documents.

He said the patwari got a government land allotted in the name of his son which was against the code of conduct for government employees. Daljit also failed to reply to the show-cause notice issued to him.

Following this, the Ajnala SDM was asked to carry out an inquiry in the bungling which indicted him for the fraud committed with the government. Agarwal said he was given the chance to put up his side during which he failed to present any documents in his favour.

In the second case, Harjit Singh who is presently posted at Khatrai Kalan, Ajnala, was dismissed after the local court convicted him. He had demanded Rs 2,000 as bribe from one Manjit Kaur of Kotli Khehra for issuing her the demarcation certificate of her land. A case under Sections 7 and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against him by the Vigilance Bureau.

The local court convicted him in the case on November 23 and awarded him three years imprisonment. The Deputy Commissioner said Harjit Singh too was given a chance to plead his case, but he did not appear. 

Amritsar, December 20
While Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal intended to develop Amritsar as a world-class city donning a heritage-look, the ground realities present a dismal picture.

The holy city having a population of over a million is grappling with civic woes like deficient drinking water supply, garbage menace, poor sewerage system, inadequate road network, chaotic traffic and haphazard urbanisation.

This was also not the first time that such an announcement was made. Over the years, political leaders have been talking of developing the city as a major tourism hub as well. But, nothing seems to be happening on the ground and the residents feel ditched by the political class. The hopes from the new MC House for bringing about a change in their lives are yet to be fulfilled.

The quality life is still a distant dream for city residents. The walled city area, from where over 60 per cent of the total waste water of the entire city emerges, has the same obsolete British-era underground piped sewerage system. Around 36 per cent residents are still devoid of any sewerage facility and the water supply network could not reach more than 20 per cent houses here.

When a foundation stone of any project is laid, it should be made mandatory to give details like name of the project, total cost, starting date, completion date, antecedents of the agency which has undertaken the work. This will put a pressure on the agency as well as the authorities to plan the project accordingly
— Naresh Johar

The issue of development is a hollow poll plank. Corruption from top to bottom level has plagued our system to the core and there is no treatment to this menace
— Jagdish Singh

Amritsar, December 20
The holy city added to its intellect and theatrics as 2012 has probably been the most successful and culturally active year. Dubbed ‘silent’ and doubted for its intentions to promote theatre and cultural activities in the city, Amritsar proved its critics wrong with an overwhelming response towards three major theatre festivals of the Indian and International theatre world to the city and hosting the International Sufi festival.

From Grotowski’s abstract physical theatre to Tagore’s classics, the Sufi malangs of Pakistan to the Mariachi band from Mexico, Amritsar impressed with their warm hospitality to folk and cultural patrons from across the globe.

The year started on a high with Bharat Rang Mahotsava, the annual theatre festival organised by National School of Drama and Manch Rang Manch. The ten-day long theatre extravaganza at Punjab Natshala had packed audience and VIP guest list. The festival brought in renowned theatre groups and artistes from Poland, Italy, Japan, South Africa, Pakistan and India. Some of the highlights of the festival were gripping plays like Insha ki Intezr, an adaptation of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot Italian director Pino Di Buduo’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Chorus of Women From South Africa and Chandalika by Usha Ganguly, Adhe Dahurey By Lillete Dubey and Mohan Agashey.

The festival was a hit by all means, the plays getting houseful and audiences pouring in everyday to watch some quality theatre, with technology effects like the LED lighting and digital sounds being used as support on the stage. Moreover, it brought Amritsar to the map of global theatre. "

Then were the Birth centenary celebrations of Saadat Hasan Manto and a festival of his short stories and plays. To pay tribute to the legendary Urdu writer, the holy city’s artistic circles staged plays based on his most critically acclaimed writings like Ek Si Manto, short stories like Bu, Thanda Ghosht, Dhuan, Kaali Salwar, Utte Hethan te Vichkar and more.

Then celebrations came with two-day International Sufi festival organised by the SAARC Writers and Literature Council in association with the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board at Khalsa College. Educating and inculcating its principles in our socio-cultural existence, 13 countries, including Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and more presented various colours of Sufism.

The spiritual masti of Malangs, a prayer of the soul from Turkish Sufi Orchestra, classical recitals from Uzbekistan, mystical verses of Rumi, Bulle Shah and Amir Khusro wiped out the demarcations of mine to thine. Surjit Patar, Mohanjit, Ayesha Zee Khan, Jahan Ara Tabbassum, Manmohan Singh Mitwa, Harris khalique and many more shared a common platform and recited peoms from Rumi, Khusro and Waris Shah as well as their own poems. The cultural performances livened the audiences with traditional folk instrument of Punjab presented a colourful presentation using traditional instruments like tumbi, dhol, chimta. Vocal performances by Wahid Baksh from Pakistan, Mustafa Zaman Abbasi from Bangladesh garnered a lot of appreciation.

The powerful performers for the evening were Jodhpuri Group from Rajasthan, recital of Rumi’s poetry by Madan Gopal Singh, whirling dervish from Shah Hussain’s Mazzar from Pakistan, vocal group Do-Tara and Vocal from Turkmenistan.

Amidst all theses famous events were some calendar activities like Saanjh. "Let peace and amity prevail between India and Pakistan” was the profound sentiment behind the annual cultural gala organised by Punarjyot, Amritsar and Rafi - Peer theatre Workshop, Lahore.

The fifth Amritsar International Folk Festival held at Khalsa College of Education was another highlight of the year. Colourful celebration of different cultures, it hosted the members of Mariachi Imperial de America International group from Texas, USA, Polish and French folk dancers performing along with the Punjabi folk artistes.

The closing came by the ten-day national theatre festival organised by Manch Rang Manch. With known theatre personalities like Suresh Bhardwaj, Sharad Sharma, Chandradasan and others, the year ended on the same high it began with, promising a new year filled with more cultural abuzz!

(Clockwise from top left) Artistes enact a scene from play ‘Do kodi ka khel’ at Punjab Natshala of the National theatre festival; Pakistani Vocal artist Waheed Bukhsh performs during International Sufi Festival; Lilette dubey performs at the ongoing International theatre festival in Amritsar. Tribune photos: Vishal Kumar, sameer sehgal

Amritsar, December 20
Holding candles in hands, a number of students shouted slogans while carrying out a protest march against the rape of a girl in a bus in the national capital.

Students, along with several members of NGOs, expressed solidarity with the 23-year-old victim, who was gang raped, and brutally assaulted in a moving bus by a group of six persons on Sunday night. The girl, a paramedical student, had undergone various surgeries in a Delhi hospital as she had suffered serious injuries.

The agitators demanded death penalty for the rape accused, who had been arrested by the police. “The culprits should not be spared at any cost, besides stringent possible punishment should be awarded to them,” said Shivam Kapoor, a student.

It was a total non-political agitation which included young students from various schools and colleges.

Started from Lawrence road, the protest march passed through the Novelty chowk, MM Malvia Road, Crystal Chowk, Hall Gate and culminated near the Company Bagh.

Ashma, another student said, "People as well as the politicians should change their mindsets about the girls, who are feeling unsafe. Everyday we hear reports on rapes, abduction and killing of girls. Its difficult to understand what is the government doing?"

“In a country where the bills on Foreign Direct Investment and quotas in promotions for the reserved categories are passed without any delay, the Parliamentarians are sleeping over bringing in a legislation regarding the safety of the women and girls,” rued Palki, a student.

Amritsar, December 20
The Ahmadiyya Muslim community has announced to hold its annual convocation at Qadian on December 29, 30 and 31. Central Ahmadiyya Organisation National Secretary Zaheer Ahmad Khadim said the convocation would be a unique cosmos of people gathered from around the world for spiritual enlightenment and fostering bonds of brotherhood beyond national boundaries, cultures and languages.

He said the organisers of the event were a serving community of liberal and educated Muslims, who were striving to attain peace in the world, by removing misconceptions and spreading the true message of Islam. 

Amritsar, December 20
The long queue of trucks parked on the Amritsar-Attari roadside claimed the life of a youth belonging to Padri village here.

He was on his motorcycle when he collided with a tractor trolley while escaping from a truck which was wrongly parked. The victim was identified as Kala.

Joginder Singh, father of the deceased, said his son was coming from Mohawa village when his motorcycle was hit by the tractor trolley.

The trolley ran over him and Kala died on the spot. The police had taken the trolley in their custody.