Jalandhar, April 16
Coming down heavily on the state government for ignoring the cause of Punjabi girls who get trapped in human trafficking while studying in foreign universities due to the shortage of money, the State Commission of NRI, while taking a suo motu notice, today issued directions to it to increase vigilance on fraudulent travel and immigration agents and also educate students and parents on the pitfalls of foreign education.

The commission also suggested that the police and immigration authorities should be extra vigilant at the airports to check whether the girls were going to study in genuine universities and not fake ones and also that they should have a two-way ticket.

A copy of the order along with the observations made by the Commission has also been sent to the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to see the feasibility in giving the orders at the airports as suggested by the commission.

The commission, while taking cognisance on various media reports published last month, observed that the trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation was an organised crime that violated basic human rights. While highlighting various forms of human trafficking in Punjab, the commission observed, “This kind of trafficking involves not only single individuals but also cultural and folk troupes, religious groups, sports teams along with their trans-national connections and trans-national syndicates." The commission also felt that “there is a need to facilitate the rescue of victims from the place of their exploitation and place them in safe custody to provide them rehabilitation services both immediate and long-term.” The commission also suggested to the parents that they should only send their daughters to foreign countries for higher education if they were financially sound.

In the recent past, many reports have been published in the media, highlighting the plight of Punjabi girls who fall in the trap of illegal agentsmushrooming across the entire state. These agents lure girls to visit countries like the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA) or Australia on the pretext of getting enrolled in educational institutions with the false promise of providing honourable jobs and better lifestyle. The girls fall prey to these promises and become vulnerable and helpless, only to be exploited and later forced into prostitution/flesh trade by vested interests.

Recently, the UK police has claimed to have identified more than 600 such hapless girls from Punjab trapped in the flesh trade racket.

Keeping in view the rise in the number of girls from Punjab being forced into such wrong practices in the UK, a memorandum to check the disturbing trend and also to create awareness amongst the community about the grim reality was recently handed over to the Commissioner of Police recently by various Sikh Organisations from the UK. The organisations had also requested the Punjab Government to provide grant-in-aid like the "return home expenses" to help these destitute, trafficked and vulnerable immigrants.

Jalandhar, April 16
Officially declared the third gender, the landmark decision by the Supreme Court yesterday, has sent a wave of cheer among the transgender community in the district, much like the rest of the country.

Overcoming insurmountable odds which others might not even be able to imagine, the decision has come as an important turnaround in the struggle of the community, which believes their fight for a dignified living will now see a bright end.

While there are over 200 members in the community in the district, about 100 of them stay in urban areas. The rest stay at villages. There are pockets where transgenders stay in Kartarpur, Phillaur, Nurmahal and Nakodar.

Unlike the vocal, robust members of their community in the big cities, who are seen airing heated statements on TV screens, the community in Jalandhar is relatively discreet. However, some of them said they have received a lot of love from people. Politicians also oblige them by paying heed to their demands of development.

Reena, who stays in Dana Mandi, says, “It’s been 20 generations of eunuchs who have stayed in Jalandhar. After ages, this judgment has come and we can’t welcome it enough. We don’t have any qualms with the government, it has backed us and fulfilled our needs whenever we asked for anything. Our only grudge is that people sometimes say that our rates at weddings are exorbitant. That is wrong. We only take what people give. Anything else is not true.”

Reacting on how respected she has felt among people, she candidly replies, “When a boy is born in a house, we are respected. When a girl is born, we are not.”

Shabbo, who has also been staying in the Dana Mandi area, says, “The decision has made us happy. Now things will be easier. Our demands will not be ignored as before. The Supreme Court thought about us. That’s nice to know.”

“We visit many areas and see so many fine youths without jobs. Then we think if they are not getting jobs, who will give us any jobs? Many of us stayed without studying as people look at us differently. So, we weren’t able to go to schools or colleges. Our lives have passed visiting weddings and child births. All we hope is our next generation sees a better life. However, I have to add that while there are some people who looked down upon us, there are others, who give us a lot of respect,” she added.

Naina, a resident of the Neeli Chakki area, is overjoyed, but still believes that there's a tough fight ahead.

“The judgment feels liberating. I have a sex of my own now. I won’t have to borrow some else’s.”

“The SC will pass order. It will not go and sensitise people. People look down on us. They tease us, call us ‘hijras’ and ‘chakkas’. Keep separate glasses and plates for us as if we carry infections. Some years ago, I sought a loan from a bank, but did not get it, as I wasn’t of a ‘recognised’ gender. The same happened when I wanted to open an account a month ago. Then I had to write myself up as a female.”

Speaking on their role during the elections, she said, “While we have no rights, we are often remembered when politicians want us to campaign for them. If we campaign, we would make better CMs than them. We understand pain.” 

Jalandhar, April 16
Born during the British rule, they have witnessed India unshackling the chains of slavery and becoming independent and being torn in two with the birth of Pakistan. They do not expect much from the government, as their century old experience has taught them that "nothing much changes with the change of a government".

Although the administration has never honoured them for their consistent participation in the country’s electoral process since its inception, they are anxiously waiting for April 30, the polling day when they will cast their vote, which most of them are considering as the last vote of their life!

Meet the 100-year-olds, but strong pillars of democracy from the Jalandhar constituency: 106-year-old Pakha Ram and 103-year-old Hari Chand from Mahisampur village near Phillaur, 103-year-old Pritam Kaur and Maj Kashmira Singh from Jalandhar city who recently entered the century old Voters Club of Jalandhar by turning 100 on April 15.

While the district administration is using all its power and innovation to drive youths to vote, these old people, without expecting anything from the government for their remaining life of a few more years, are anxiously waiting for April 30, the polling day of the Lok sabha elections in the state.

“I am consistently voting since 1952 in all assembly and parliamentary elections held so far. It was a habit given to me by my parents who, after witnessing the atrocities during the colonial rule, understood the importance of their vote for running an independent and democratic country. I myself have seen and experienced the carnage during the British rule and, hence, couldn’t stop myself from voting since the establishment of the electoral system in our country in 1952,” said 103-year-old Hari Chand in a stuttering voice, presently living in Mahisampur village near Phillaur.

Epitomising the same zeal and determination, 106-year-old Pakha Ram from the same village said that although no government has done anything exemplary to win the voter’s heart and mind, he would vote in the hope of a better tomorrow.

“If we do not vote, the corrupt practises in our political system will further eat our democratic system. So it is very important for everybody to practise their right to vote in the hope of a better tomorrow,” said a determined Pakha Ram. He also informed that just like him, his children had also imbibed the habit to cast their ballot in their children.

“All of us would be voting this time too. May be, this could be the last elections of my life,” he said with an unruffled calm on his face.

Jalandhar, April 16
With the Election Commission of India (ECI) having laid thrust on the enrolment of youth as voters and encouraging their participation in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in a big way, the candidates of various political parties have had to devise their strategy for their campaign in such a way that they are able to reach out to them and bring them into their fold.

The candidates have been doing so by holding early morning interactive sessions with the youngsters on the college campuses, stadia, gyms and sports centres in the city. They have also been roping in the contacts of their children, players in various disciplines and coaches known to them, asking them for support in the polls.

SAD candidate Pawan Kumar Tinu has been making daily rounds of one of the colleges or sports centres to meet the youth, share with them his plans to mobilise them and assure them of the support that they expect in terms of sports infrastructure and other facilities.

While earlier, he had been holding routine rallies and addressing meetings in various villages and localities, he has now changed his daily itinerary to ensure that there is separate time for interaction with the youth. This morning, he spent time with the weightlifters and football players at the Guru Gobind Singh Stadium. Talking to the weightlifters, the 47-year-old candidate took credit for the funds he had ensured as Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Sports, “I have helped players import international standard weights for daily practice,” he said.

Talking to morning walkers, he tells them, “Till the last few months, they were closing the doors on morning walkers. It was at our insistence that the JIT authorities had to budge and allow the morning walkers in.”

At DAV College two days ago, he told the players that he had himself been a student there and was a part of the cricket team. At Government Arts and Sports College, he interacted with swimmers telling him that his son Sagar too is in the same discipline. He also boasts of having spent Rs 28 lakh on various academies from his discretionary quota.

Tinu’s Congress rival has his own strategy for the purpose. He is taking the support of the huge academic circle of his wife Karamjeet Kaur, who retired as DPI (Colleges). “She has had a huge career spanning over three decades. Her students, ex-colleagues and their children are all assuring their support. My father Master Gurbanta Singh had started private schools in rural areas, including Randhawa Mansanda, Lambra and Gakhal. The youth who passed out from these schools are all our supporters.”

Chaudhary also claimed support from the passouts of Janta College in Kartarpur besides a private school for Ravi Dass families which are concentrated in Kishanpura Mohalla here. Significantly, the candidate’s son Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary is the chief of Punjab Youth Congress. 

Jalandhar, April 16
Exhibiting an unusual camaraderie towards the Jalandhar Central legislator and former Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal today repeatedly called him his brother during a rally organised by the former here at Talhan Road this evening.

The changed equation between the two since Kalia's ouster from the cabinet during the previous SAD-BJP regime could be easily seen during the rally held in favour of the SAD-BJP Lok Sabha candidate Pawan Kumar Tinu. The Junior Badal's repeated thanks for organising the rally overwhelmed Kalia.

Kalia had called BJP's national secretary Sham Jaju for the event. His entire team along with hundreds of BJP workers could be seen at the spot. Sukhbir told the gathering from the stage, 
"I have never said no to Kaliaji on any of his demands and would continue to show my generosity towards him."

The former minister, who at one point of time held the most important portfolio in the state cabinet and was the legislative party leader, had been feeling cornered even after getting re-elected from this Assembly constituency in 2012. He had then been hoping for a ministerial berth again but there were reports that the Deputy CM had clearly put his foot down on Kalia being elevated again by the party.

Kalia has been quite assertive on issues related to his party's stand, often used to show his defiance towards the SAD president on policies pertaining to urban voters. The BJP had chosen to give the same position to Bhagat Chunni Lal after forming the government again but the octogenarian leader could not hold on for long. The Deputy CM himself announced all new policies pertaining to the Local Bodies Department, despite the portfolio being in the kitty of the BJP. The ministry went to Anil Joshi, who too is now lying low ever since an inquiry began against him on the dual vote issue.

There are reports of a hidden pact between Kalia and Sukhbir Badal now. Sukhbir Badal has reportedly sought Kalia's support from the Jalandhar Central assembly segment for Pawan Tinu with some assurances of being taken back into the cabinet. The last term's SAD candidate Hans Raj Hans had lost from the same segment by nearly 12,000 votes. Kalia, when asked about it, only beamed back in response. 

Jalandhar, April 16
Four-year-old Heena may not have an idea that what acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (a type of blood cancer) is or how fatal the disease is. However, she has been fighting the disease bravely ever since her birth.

Her father, Surender Pal, said he is a daily wager and is earning less than Rs 3,000 per month. Therefore, he cannot bear the cost of her treatment. He needs a helping hand to contribute to her daughter’s treatment. “I would like to appeal to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or other charity organisations to come up and help me in this time of crisis,” he added.

Surender Pal said he got to know about the disease only in October 2013. Since then, she has been admitted to the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh. “Since then, I am without work as I have spent all my time with her in the hospital,” he added.

As per the medical certificate that Surinder provided to The Tribune from the Advanced Paediatrics Centre (APC) of the PGIMER, which was certified by Dr RK Marwaha: “It is a life threatening form of cancer and needs treatment with chemotherapy over a period of three years. The cost of treatment is approximately Rs 3 lakh.”

Surender said a doctor had said at that time: “She has to be admitted for six months and she does not need to be hospitalised for the remaining part of the treatment.” Yet it has been more than six months that she has been in the hospital, as she is not able to tolerate chemotherapy. Due to this, she has to remain admitted for a long time. Therefore, the cost of her treatment is going to increase.

He said he had applied for a grant of Rs 1.50 lakh under the CM's Cancer Relief Fund. He had received the first instalment of Rs 50,000 but due to elections, he could not get the other instalment as of now.

Anyone who wants to lend a helping hand can contact Surender Pal on his mobile number 8427752235. 

Jalandhar: A “Run for Fun” competition was organised at DIPS Tanda under the supervision of its principal Neelu Bawa. A special track was prepared for this purpose. Various events like frog race, balloon race, lemon race were organised in which the students of KG, Nursery and Prep classes participated. Shah Deep, Navneet, Arman, Kulraj, Harmanpreet, Anmolpreet, Aishpreet, Tanvir, Gursimar, Arshpreet, Sangeeta, Roop Singh and Manmeet were declared winners. Principal Neelu Bawa appreciated and honoured the winners. Teachers of the school including Rinku, Paramjit, Anu, Nandini, Harpreet, Aman, Rinky, Kuljit, Poonam and Priya were also present on the occasion.

Industrial training fest

Spreading its footprints to make the students understand the importance of industrial training in its affiliated institutes, Punjab Technical University (PTU), in association with the CT Group of Institutions, organised ‘PTU Industrial Training Fest IV’ at the Shahpur campus of the CT Group of Institutions, today. As many as 850 students from all over Punjab participated in the mega event. The selected students will undergo training for one semester in the respective organisations. This Industrial training fest aims to provide free/stipend-based internship opportunities for the students of B.Tech (all streams). The students from Lovely Professional University, Ludhiana College of Engineering and Technology, RGC, Rayat Bahra Institute of Engineering and Technology and from different educational institutions participated in this industrial training fest. Chairman of CT Group of Institutions, S. Charanjit Singh Channi said they are grateful to the university for being given a chance to host this mega fest in their campus.

Farewell party

A farewell party for the session 2013-14 was organised by the students of PG Department of English for the outgoing students of MA English (final semester) at Lyallpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar. Students presented various activities such as modelling, dancing, singing and fun games in which Amritpal Singh and Neha were adjudged as Mr and Miss Farewell, respectively. Winners of these events were presented bouquets and gifts. Principal Dr GS Samra congratulated the outgoing students. Continuing the annual tradition, students from each semester who bagged the first position in college during the university exams were honoured with a cash prize of Rs 3,100. Jasreen Kaur, Head, PG Department of English along with other faculty members witnessed the colourful proceedings and wished good luck to the students.

Co-branded card launched

Automobile giant Maruti Suzuki launched a special co-branded corporate card ‘My Drive- My Dream Car’ for students of Lovely Professional University (LPU). The card was launched today on the LPU campus by SN Burman, vice-president, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL). He distributed cards among final year students of the LPU. As many as 5,000 LPU students will benefit from the card. They will get attractive offers on sale/purchase and servicing of vehicles. Burman said: “Maruti is a strong and reliable brand and we too want similar partners to launch our services and products for the youth.” He said, “Young buyers’ survey reports have shown that more than 60 per cent of students plan to buy a car within the first year of their placement. Thus we have chosen the LPU to launch first co-branded corporate card so that students may be able to buy new Maruti cars. The special offers and other facilities will only be provided to co-branded card holders.” Chancellor Ashok Mittal welcomed the guest on the occasion.

67 participate in Project Expo

Students from Mehr Chand Polytechnic College bagged the second position in “Project Expo, 2014”, an event held at Lovely Professional University, Phagwara on Thursday. There were as many as 67 entries from various institutes. The project “Automatic blade sharpening machine” was prepared by students under the guidance of faculty members. The project is also commercially viable. Varun Gupta and Lakhwinder Singh, both students of Mehr Chand Polytechnic College, received the prize from the chief guest. Principal Jagroop Singh congratulated students and honoured the winners. Richa Arora and Gaurav Sharma were also present on the occasion.

Blood donation camp

Apeejay Institute of Management Technical Campus, organised a blood donation camp to encourage voluntary blood donation. The camp was organised as a part of NSS activity in association with Pahal, NGO and Blood Bank, Civil Hospital. The camp received an overwhelming response from students and the staff members of the institute. Around 100 units of blood were collected at the camp. The event was coordinated by NSS programme officer Avnip Deora, also an assistant professor in the School of Information Technology. Professor Lakhbir Singh inaugurated the event and distributed prizes and certificates among donors. He emphasised the paramount importance of blood donation in cases of severe injuries and surgeries. He said, “Safe blood donors are the cornerstone of safe and adequate blood. Blood is the binding and bonding factor of humanity, and erases all differences of caste, color and creed. Community service starts at home, at school, and within the heart.”

Director of the institute, Dr Rajesh Bagga, thanked Prof Lakhbir for his support. He also expressed his gratitude to students, who participated in the blood donation camp. He encouraged students to donate blood in future also. Dr Bagga, lauded selfless services rendered by students of the institution by donating blood.

Baisakhi celebrations

Baisakhi was celebrated on the premises of Apeejay School, Model Town on Friday. A special assembly was organised by students of Class III-A to on the occasion. Students presented a speech highlighting the importance of the Baisakhi festival. The school presented a melodious bhajan. A drama on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre moved the audience. The event concluded with a bhangra performance. The event was conducted under the guidance of Headmistress Namrata Sharma. In her address she made students aware about the importance of Baisakhi and the life and achievements of Dr BR Ambedkar.

MSc (chemistry, sem-II) results

Harjinder Singh of Lyallpur Khalsa College bagged eighth position in the MSc (chemistry, semester-II) conducted by Guru Nanak Dev University by getting 290 out of 400 marks. Amanpreet and Sonia Nayyar secured ninth position while Jaspal Kaur Kalsi bagged 10th position by getting 289, 289 and 282 marks respectively in the same class exam. This was stated by College Principal, Dr Gurpinder Singh Samra, in a statement here on Friday. The president of the College Governing Council Balbir Kaur congratulated the students and wished them success in life. Prof Surinder Kaur, head of the Department of Chemistry, was also present on the occasion.

Punjabi culture displayed

Punjabi culture and tradition were at display in Baisakhi celebrations held on the campus of Lyallpur Khalsa College yesterday. In a brief yet impressive colourful function, students of the college presented Punjabi folk songs and dance. Addressing the students, college Principal, Dr GS Samra, said the role of academic institutions included awareness and preservation of cultural heritage as well. He said this role had become more demanding in the age of rapid globalisation. He reiterated the commitment of Lyallpur Khalsa College to the Punjabi culture. All the staff and students of the college were present on the occasion.

The stage was managed by Dr Rashpal Sandhu, Dean, extra-curricular activities, of the college.

Cultural programme

Baisakhi festival was celebrated on the grounds of MGN Public School, Adarsh Nagar. A cultural programme was organised in which students from the primary wing recited poems and presented a dance performance. Senior wing students performed bhangra on the dhol beats. Children dressed up in the colourful Punjabi attire participated in the event. A turban tying competition was also held for boys from Class V to XII. Brinder Kaur Badwal, officiating principal, encouraged and congratulated students and wished them happy and prosperous Baisakhi. Students were given away prizes by the principal. Kiran Mehta, in charge of the primary wing and Sukham, officiating in charge of the KG wing were also present on the occasion.

Exhibition

Two days Happy Shopping Day, a lifestyle exhibition, witnessed a major foot fall at its inauguration at Regent Park on Saturday. The event was inaugurated by co-chairperson, Parminder Kaur and managing director Manbir Singh of CT Group of Institutions. The major attraction for the visitors was the Pakistani, Rajasthani and jute products stalls. As many as 4,000 people participated in the exhibition. — TNS