Lata not to visit Anandpur Sahib

ANANDPUR SAHIB, March 31 — Melody queen Lata Mangeshkar has cancelled her visit to this "White city" on health grounds. She was invited to come here to participate in "Sarb Sanjhi Gurbani" programme to be organised in connection with the tercentenary celebrations of the Khalsa on April 13.

She had to recite "Shabads" along with Jagjit Singh, Hem Lata, Pandit Jasraj, all from Mumbai, Singh Bandhus from Delhi and Bhai Lalji from Pakistan. Barring Lata, the singers will perform without taking any money.

The Director of the Punjab Public Relations Department and Coordinator of the programme, Mr Jagjit Puri said here today that he had received a fax message from Lata on Monday, in which she had mentioned that she had been advised by her doctors not to visit North India as the April heat would have an adverse affect on her health. She also informed that her late father's birth centenary celebrations were to be held at Agra in March-end and she had to even cancel that programme.

Earlier, talking to mediapersons, here today, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister, confirmed that Lata was not coming due to health reasons. He said the remaining singers would arrive here.

The minister, who was here in connection with the preparations and review of the tercentenary celebrations' programmes, exhorted all those who had been opposing the programmes being organised by the Anandpur Sahib Foundation not to create hurdles.

Regarding the preparations, he said, an exhibition of Sikh relics would be organised at the local Khalsa College. The design and theme of the exhibition had already been prepared while placement of the relics would start from tomorrow. He said the relics had been collected from National Museum, Punjab Museums, the SGPC and other individuals.

The minister also said besides an exhibition of stamps, a book exhibition-cum-sale counter would be set up, where books published by the Punjab Government and three universities of the state would be displayed.

He stated that on the pattern of the November 22 Khalsa march, a Khalsa Fateh march from Kiratpur Sahib to Anandpur Sahib would be taken out on April 12. Five marches would arrive at Kiratpur Sahib on April 10 from the native places of the Panj Piaras. He said the Vice-President, Mr Krishanb Kant, would join the march on that day.

On April 13, a laser show and display of fireworks would also be held in the night for half-an-hour and a huge pandal was being raised in 4.5 acres near the Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, where about 60,000 persons could sit. All religious functions in connection with the celebrations would be organised at the pandal. He said an "istri conference" would be held there on April 11. The theme of the conference would be "Role of women in society, now and in the years to come".

The minister also informed that on April 2, former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral, J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, former Union Finance Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Deputy High Commissioner to Singapore Ajit Singh would visit Takht Kesgarh Sahib.

The formal tercentenary celebrations would start from April 8.

Woman shot dead by drunk cop
Tribune News Service

JALANDHAR, March 31 — Making it the second in a fortnight of "police excesses", a woman was gunned down, by a drunk cop at police naka, near Phillaur last evening. The police has registered a case against the erring police jawan.

The victim, Shweta, was travelling with her husband in a "Tata Sumo" when police personnel at a naka stopped their vehicle. They asked her husband Vinod Kumar, to come. out When he resisted, one of the jawans fired two shots which hit Shweta.

Realising that they had killed the young woman, they tried to force Vinod Kumar to drive off with the dead body. Vinod Kumar, drove to the nearest hospital in Phillaur, accompanied by the police party, which "stalled" him from using the STD, to inform his family in Jalandhar.

Shweta was cremated in the railway colony here, today.

Incidentally this is the second case of police highhandedness in a fortnight. Two persons were gunned down at their farm house in Rehrwan near Shahkot. ASI Darshan Singh was caught by the villagers when he tried to escape from the site.

The naka police which gunned down Shweta last night was also drunk.