Help to the affected to come from Global Sikh Network; All India Sikh Student Federation, Rights Group to seek out families, for-ward their appeal

Jallandhar : People affected in the 1984 genocide of the Sikhs now have another source of support. The All-India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) and human rights advocacy group Sikhs For Justice are out with the Sewa Sambhal Lehar scheme for their welfare, all on the directions of the Akal Takht. Bibi Jagdish Kaur, prime witness against former member of parliament Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 massacre case is chairperson of the mission to provide the affected families with Rs 25,000 each for the marriage of daughters.The AISSF president, Karnail Singh Peemohammad, and Bibi Jagdish Kaur on Monday launched the campaign at a press conference. They told the reporters: “We will seek out the affected families living in Punjab and extend thm the financial support.” They have appealed the affected families to highlight their genuine needs to the Sikhs For Justice, which will pass on the message to the international Sikh community, and from there the resources will be collected. Each family in the global Sikh network will sponsor one of the affected families. The AISSF and Sikhs For Justice have asked the Punjab government for a fresh rehabilitation package for the affected families, and reminded it that, so far, only 2,557 distressed units had come to light.

Pakistan intruder shot dead

Ferozepur : An unidentified Pakistan national, who attempted to enter India, was shot dead by alert jawans of the BSF in the Shame Ke border observation post (BOP) area late last evening. Official sources said the unidentified Pakistan national, who appeared to be around in his mid twenties, was shot dead while he was trying to cross over to the Indian territory by climbing over the cobra fencing wire erected in the area located close to Indo-Pak border zero line. The spot, where the incident took place, was located close to the gate No 186 of the cobra fencing. Sources said jawans of the BSF, who were manning the security, first asked the intruder to halt while he (intruder) was running towards the Indian side.

Instead of listening to the warning given by the jawans, the intruder continued to run towards the cobra fencing. The intruder was shot dead when he refused to listen to the warning given by the jawans and tried to enter India’s land forcibly. A few Pakistani currency notes worth Rs 50 and some clothes were recovered from his possession. After the intruder was shot dead, his body was shifted to the local civil hospital for autopsy. Police sources said the body had been taken by BSF officials to handover the same to the Pakistan Rangers. If the body was not accepted by the Pakistan Rangers, then the police would carry out the last rites of the same as per its religious traditions. A case had been registered in this connection under different sections of the Indian Passport Act and the Foreigners Act on the complaint lodged by the BSF authorities.

13 trucks of Onion arrive from Pakistan

Amritsar : At a time when onion prices are soaring across the country, Punjab may look forward to some respite from unexpected quarters as 13 truckloads of onion today crossed over to India through the Attari-Wagah land route. Confirming the development, Assistant Commissioner of Customs RK Duggal said 13 small trucks laden with 200 bags of onions each had crossed over to India. He said it had cost the importers around Rs 20 per kg after paying custom duty etc. Rajdeep Uppal, the managing director of Narain Exim, a leading Amritsar firm, said they had received 120 tonnes of onion from Pakistan today. He hoped that as the import would increase, it would take care of the prevailing shortage here. He said they were expecting import of at least 30-40 trucks of onion from Pakistan daily for the next one week. He, however, added that the demand from India had also affected the onion prices in Pakistan. According to him, Pakistan, too, did not have extra onion crop and in fact India had been exporting onions to them in March-April this year.

Kotkapura bids tearful adieu to victims

Kotkapura : A pall of gloom descended in Kotkapura town of Faridkot district today as seven among nine, who were killed in a road accident at Bathinda late last night belonged to a poor family of the town. Tragedy struck when a Bolero jeep and a school van of Rajindra Public School, Panjuwana in Sirsa, had a head-on collision. The crash was so forceful that the upper part of the jeep was fully damaged. In the accident, 24 schoolchildren also sustained injuries. After first aid at the civil hospital, Bathinda, they were discharged in the morning. On the other hand, all nine persons, including a nearly two-and-a-half-year-old girl, travelling in the jeep succumbed to their injuries. After completing the legal formalities, doctors conducted the autopsy and handed over the bodies to the bereaved kin today. The deceased were identified as Roshni Devi (45), her sister Tara Vati (65), Tara Vati’s son Kuldeep (28), Roshani’s sister-in-law Ram Kali (48), Ramkali’s son Rajesh Kumar (31), daughter-in-law Santosh Rani (28) and granddaughter Deepu (3). Further, two of Kuldeep’s friends Pankaj and Rakesh (both in their mid-twenties) also killed in the accident. A large number of wailing relatives and residents of the town participated in the last rites at the Ram Bagh cremation ground in Kotkapura, in the afternoon. A sobbing Ved Parkash, husband of deceased Ram Kali, said: “Six members of our family were returning after attending a bhog ceremony of a relative at Sirsa last evening. As the train they were travelling in arrived late at the Bathinda railway station, they missed the connecting train for Kotkapura. With no other option to reach home, Tarawati phoned her son, Kuldeep, who was at home, to come and pick them up from Bathinda.” As Kuldeep was a driver, he was in the possession of a Bolero jeep of his master. He asked his friends Pankaj and Rakesh to accompany him, when they agreed, the trio left for Bathinda.

While returning they met with the mishap and all occupants of the vehicle lost their lives,” said Ved Prakash, whose throat chocked and tears started rolling down. The bereaved kin said the deceased, Rajesh and Santosh, had two children, while one daughter Deepu was also killed in the accident, they were survived by their nine-year-old son Prince. Speaking to the TNS, Prince said: “Though they all are saying that my parents and sister will come back, I know it well they are no more.” “Had I got up in time, I too would have left with them on Saturday morning, when they were leaving for Sirsa…,” he said and started crying. The pyres of eight adults were lit while the two-and-a-half-year-old child was buried at the cremation ground. A pensive manager of the Ram Bagh cremation ground, Hem Raj Sharma, said: “It is the first tragedy in the decade old history of the town, when eight pyres have been put on fire at the same time.” GS Randhawa, SSP, Faridkot, and Mantar Singh Brar, former MLA of SAD (B), were prominent among those who attended the cremation. Consoling the bereaved family members, they assured to provide the best possible support.

Relevance of religious scriptures in modern society discussed

Patiala : The department of historical studies of Punjabi University, bestowed a fellowship on Nikki Guninder Kaur Singh, chair and crawford family, professor of the department of religious study, Colby College Waterville, USA. Guninder’s father, Harbans Singh, had earlier taught at the same university in the department of religious studies. She also presented a lecture on the relevance of Guru Granth Sahib in the modern society at the university. She said historical scriptures were valuable in today’s society. Stressing on the fact that all religions taught humanity, Guninder said Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagwad Gita, Bible, Quran and Buddhism taught the same thing in different dialects. According to her, they taught the universal truth of life. “All these scriptures change our values and how we look at everything. It is important to interpret them,” she said.

She said Sikhism was a powerful medium of teaching right things in life and her main focus was to bridge the gap between Indians and Americans. Kaur said many Americans were interested in Sikhsim. “I am working to translate Sikh religious works into English,” she said. Guninder stressed on the five themes that had vital contemporary relevance, Historical Reality (Guru Granth Ji Manio Pargat Guran Ki Deh), the infinite one (ikk onkar), egalitarian ethics (khatri Brahman sud vais updes cahu varna ko sajha), a magical planetarium: worlds beyond worlds (patala patal lakh agasa agas), a feminist text: the divine is both male and female (ape purakh ape hi nar). Chief guest at the function, former MP Tarlochan Singh, lauded the work done by late Prof Harbans.

CITU protests against anti-labour policies

Dera Bassi : A protest March by the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) reached Dera Bassi this weekend. The protest started from Hussainiwala on December 14 and aims to highlight anti-labour laws passed by the Punjab Government during the last Assembly session. The CITU workers held a rally and marched in the town in favour of their demands. Addressing the rally, the state general secretary of CITU Raghunath singh said the new laws passed by the Assembly during the monsoon session made it compulsory for any party and organisation to get the permission of Deputy Commissioner or Police Commissioner for holding rally and demonstration. In the absence of this permission there is a provision of punishment and fine. He alleged that these laws would be used to crush the peaceful agitations of labourers and farmers. The rally was also addressed by Dev Raj Verma, Rattan Singh, Shyam Lal and Baijnath. Other demands of labourers were also raised during this campaign. One of these is that Anganwari workers and Asha workers should be promoted as government employees.

Plug lacunae in RTI Act implementation : Activists

Chandigarh : Right to Information Act (RTI) activists from different parts of Punjab staged a dharna against lacunae in implementation of the Act here today. Led by Advocate HC Arora, president, and Anil Vashisht, secretary of the RTI Activists Federation, the dharna was staged in front of the Punjab State Information Commission office. Arora said, “This was the first phase of the agitation by the federation as the charter of demands submitted by the federation on November 16 had not evoked any response from the State Information Commissioner Ramesh Inder Singh.” He said the Commissioner was derailing the act by deliberately protecting the PIOs by not imposing penalties despite deliberate delay on their part in furnishing information to the applicants.

Vashisht levelled a serious allegation against certain Information Commissioners saying they were manipulating the logbooks of official cars. Showing to be travelling 50-60 km to and fro from the Information Commission, even on Saturdays or Sundays and other close days was questionable. Arora demanded that the retired IAS and police officers should not be appointed as the Information Commissioners; rather the RTI or human rights activists, and some other prominent persons of high integrity should be appointed as the Information Commissioners. The protesters raised slogans against the Information Commission. The gathering, which converted itself into an extended Executive Committee of the Federation, and passed an unanimous resolution to publish a booklet of 100 ridiculous decisions of the Punjab State Information Commission and to present it to the Governor through memorandums to be sent to the Governor through the respective Deputy Commissioners. The booklet will also be sent to all Information Commissioners as well as the High Court Judges across the country, to impress upon them the need or desirability of appointment of right and competent persons as the Information Commissioners. Arora declared that the booklet should be released in a press conference in the last week of January.