Bathinda, February 17
The AIE/EGS teachers who had been sitting atop a water tank for two weeks have now finally climbed down and gone home. Earlier, the teachers sitting on dharna below the water tank and those outside the bus stand had returned last week after they were assured by the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal that they would be given their joining letters within seven days. The 11 teachers who were sitting atop the tank had refused to climb down saying they didn’t trust the government.

The teachers had earlier announced that they would climb down only after the government issued them joining letters. But today in the morning, they climbed down after their documents were submitted at the Block Project Officers’ offices.

Stating that the submission of the documents was a positive sign, the teachers said they were hopeful that the government would keep its promise this time. While the rest of the protesters had gone home last Sunday, they stayed atop to put pressure on the government in case it retracted from its agreement, said Kulbir Singh, one of the teachers.

Kulbir Singh, Birbal Singh, Manga Singh, Samma Singh, Sammar Singh, Sukhvinder Kaur, Veena, Mandeep Kaur, Ranjit Kaur, Sumandip Kaur and Paramjit Kaur had been sitting atop the tank. While all the women teachers are unmarried, many like Kulbir had left their families and children at home while they spent days atop the water tank.

“My father is a hepatitis patient and has to be taken to Bikaner once every two weeks. He missed his dose of medicine while I was away. My daughter also fell ill in my absence. The family has warned me against staging such protests in future. I will take my father to Bikaner on Tuesday itself,” said Kulbir, accepting that it was difficult for the girls to spend time atop the water tank.

Before leaving their protest site, the teachers garlanded the shopkeepers around the water tank and expressed their gratitude for the support they had extended to them.

Bathinda, February 17
City residents, with the help of an NGO, today rescued two stray dogs from some unidentified persons who were trying to take them away in a gunny bag.

The miscreants had allegedly beaten up the dogs with sticks and iron rods and had even tried to slit their throat when some commuters listened to the barking and howling of the dogs and stopped to enquire into the incident.

A passer-by on Dr Mela Ram Road said, “The two young boys told me that the animals were not dogs but wolfs who were creating a commotion in the area by chasing human beings. But when I spotted blood in one of the gunny bags and a sharp-edged tool, I immediately called up the NGO Sahara Jan Sewa.”

When the residents of the area started gathering, the boys carrying the dogs fled. While one of the injured canines ran away, the other with deep wounds on its neck was rescued by the volunteers of the NGO.

For around 45 minutes, the dog kept writhing in pain before the volunteers of the NGO caught hold of the animal and tended to it using injections and other medicines. The volunteers brought a first-aid kit, applied bandage with medicine and took it away in their ambulance.

Sahara volunteers said the animal had deep wounds in its neck, which seemed to have been caused by a sharp weapon.

President of the Sahara Welfare Society, Vijay Goyal, said the possibility of dog meat being sold off as goat meat at roadside eateries and marriage functions could not be ruled out. “Of what use could a dead dog be for anyone? There surely is more to it than meets the eye as the youngsters were trying to take away the dogs in gunny bags,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ludhiana-based chief coordinator of CAPE India, Sandeep Jain, said a criminal case should be registered and a high-level probe ordered in the case.

“This might just be the tip of an iceberg. There might be some organised gangs involved in killing dogs and selling them for meat,” he said. The policemen who arrived on the scene with a PCR motorcycle were also briefed about the incident.

Bathinda, February 17
The interim budget presented by Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Monday evoked reactions from industrialists and ex-servicemen in the city. Bathinda Tribune spoke to a few to gauge their mood.

The interim budget gives a feel-good sense to the manufacturing sector, but the small-scale industries get nothing, said PS Randhawa, a city-based industrialist.

The interim budget is definitely buoying for the manufacturing sector. Reduction of excise duty will go a long way in increasing the margin of profit for the manufacturers. However, the medium and small-scale industries have not got anything from the budget. The government must focus on the condition of these industries too. We were expecting some relief or a package to bail us out from the turbulence we are experiencing. However, the budget has remained silent on it. At the same time, there should be special emphasis on creating jobs for the middle income group and families below the poverty line.

Reacting to the Union Government's decision to implement the one rank, one pension scheme, Col (retd) Daya Singh, an ex-serviceman, said while the government must be thanked for it, the implementation of the scheme remains a challenge

Earlier, in 2009, the government had partially implemented the scheme by raising the number of service years of a jawan. However, it now remains a challenge for the government to implement the scheme, which is a cumbersome process.

Col Daya Singh (retd) said the Ex-servicemen's Association has sent a representation to the government suggesting that the existing pensioners be paid 3.25 per cent annual hike on their pension. As retirees from the armed forces, only the ex-servicemen are liable to get such a hike in benefit which no other pensioner can claim. Daya Singh also advocated double pension for the widows of the Army men or the Veer Naris.

Bathinda, February 17
The Bathinda District Congress Committee today derided the SAD-BJP government for spending extravagantly on the Agriculture Summit. Terming the summit a ‘farce’, general secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee and former Bathinda MLA Harmindar Singh Jassi today derided the state government for staging the drama of an agriculture summit while ignoring the demands of the farmers who have been sitting on a dharna on the road in Bathinda for six days.

In a statement released here today, Jassi said the state government wasn’t doing the right thing by wasting funds on organising such summits when the coffers are empty and the state is passing through a financial crisis. He also pointed out that the government was running short of funds when it came to paying its employees. But it had a lot of money to spend on such events.

He also asked the Badal family to spend the taxpayers’ money on the people of the state instead of hosting such events as part of its vote bank politics.

Jassi also raised the issue of farmers and ASHA workers sitting on a dharna demanding that the government heed their demands. He also questioned the dedication of Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal towards her campaign ‘Nanhi Chhaan’ that takes up the cause of the girl child.

Pointing out that several young women sitting on a dharna had said the Bathinda MP has no time to come and meet them, Jassi said though the MP made several promises during her Sangat Darshan programmes in the district, none of them were kept.

Calling the Sangat Darshan a “political stunt”, Jassi alleged that since the Lok Sabha elections were round the corner, the Bathinda MP has started holding Sangat Darshan programmes in the villages of her district. He also asked the Bathinda MP to take stock of the situation in which the residents of villages in the district were living instead of singing praise of her own government and her family during her Sangat Darshan programmes. 

Bathinda, February 17
Ninety four-year-old Baba Kashinath remembers meeting Prince Charles in Birmingham. But he can’t recall when he was given the President’s award for being a wanjli player. “This is perhaps because the Indian government has done nothing for me and several artistes apart from awarding them. The Indian government thinks that honouring an artiste is enough. Moreover, not even the state government came forward to help me,” said Kashinath, who was in Bathinda to perform at the Virasat Mela that concluded here on Sunday.

“When I went to the UK in 2006, I participated in a musical instrument competition and defeated artistes from as many as 60 countries to win the contest. I still remember how instead of announcing my name and calling me, Prince Charles, who was present at the competition, looked for me in the crowd and came to speak with me. The prince shook my hands and spoke highly of my talent,” he said.

“As opposed to the respect and appreciation I got in the UK, not even a single leader from my state (Haryana) or anyone from the Central government has said a word leave aside extending any kind of monetary help,” he added.

He further added that the Indian government is least concerned about keeping its dying arts, artistes and traditions alive. “Indian music, culture and traditions are popular all over the world. The apathetic attitude of the government is what forces many artistes to settle abroad. It is not uncommon for them, and sportspersons, to refuse an award being conferred upon them by the government. The awards will not win us two square meals,” he added.

Keeping the folklore of Heer-Ranjha alive, Kashinath plays wanjli which is believed to be played by Ranjha to call Heer to meet him. “I belong to a family that believes in keeping the tradition and culture alive. Wanjli first found a mention in the folklore of Heer and Ranjha. My father and his forefathers also played this instrument and my five sons are also doing the same though the level of their talent varies,” he said.

He also added that although he gets invitation to perform at several functions across the country, the performances alone are not enough to run the home. “I am too old to work now. My sons, who also play wanjli, remain engaged in other short-term works to earn a little more money and make their two ends meet. I have never forced them to follow my footsteps. But they chose their destiny and tradition over a full-time employement,” he said.

Bathinda, February 17
A number of drug addicts, who mix heroin with plain water and take it through intravenous injections, are reporting for treatment at the Civil Hospital.

This trend of drug addiction was earlier reported from the border areas of Punjab such as Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur and Pathankot only. For the last three months, the youngsters following this trend are coming to the Civil Hospital for treatment.

Such cocktail of plain water and heroin is lethal enough to cause cardiac arrest and sudden death, said Dr Nidhi Gupta, a psychiatrist "It is a very scary trend. Heroin is only available as a powder and not in the form of an ampoule form that is sterilised. We do not know the purity level of heroin and when taken in such a form, it is a deadly combination," she warned.

Dr Gupta said that addicts taking these injections are mostly amateur who have recently strayed into addiction through IV usage and take the dose without measuring it. Earlier, an inmate from Bathinda Central Jail too had reported for the treatment. The latest to report have been three youngsters from the Raman area.

A city psychiatrist Dr Vandana Singla added that the patients coming to her are from Moga, Ferozepur and Tarn Taran areas. Besides putting themselves to the risk of sudden death, the IV drug users are also exposed to increased infection due to needle sharing. "They are more exposed to contracting HIV or Hepatitis C due to shared needles," she said.

She also added that most of the users are youngsters who are in a hurry to get ecstatic as soon as they take drugs. "These drug users exploit the belief that drugs taken through injections have stronger and more lasting effect. Parents should keep a check on their children. They should especially audit the pocket money given to them," she advised.

“Such cocktail of plane water and heroin is lethal enough to cause cardiac arrest and sudden death. It is a very scary trend. Heroin is only available as a powder and not in an ampoule form that is sterilised. We do not know its purity level and when taken in such a form it is a deadly combination," said Dr Nidhi Gupta, a psychiatrist.

Bathinda, February 17
Speaking at the AIR FM’s live-in phone programme Gallan Chon Gall this evening, Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said it was a tricky job for the police to tackle the ever increasing number of agitators.

“If cops use force, they are blamed of committing excesses and if they allow dharnas on roads, even then the police face criticism of being indifferent to the vows of common people,” said Bhullar while responding to a query.

The listeners made phone calls sharing their grievances and suggestions with the SSP. When his attention was drawn to the incident of cops misbehaving with a journalist and some passers-by while shifting the agitating EGS teachers from Subhash Market a few days ago, Bhullar admitted that like all other organisations, the Punjab Police also had some flaws.

One of the callers, Lalit Mohan Sharma of Ganpati Enclave blamed the Bathinda police for being lax, particularly while dealing with complaints of crime against women and children. The SSP took note of it and assured of action.

He assured that by the first week of March, the city would have smart, well-dressed, ever more responsible and sensitive traffic policemen to ensure smooth flow of traffic on roads.

Bhullar called upon the common people to become eyes and ears of the police so that the city could be made a zero-crime district.