5 of family commit suicide
Tribune News Service

HISAR, Oct 2 —Five members of a family committed suicide here late last night in the Railway Colony. They were identified as Madan Lal Jadia (40), his wife Geeta Devi (36), daughter Rajni (18) and two sons Vishal (16) and Prashant (13).

According to Kamla, one of the neighbours of the victims, Prashant rushed to her at around 12 in the night, telling her that they had consumed some poisonous substance. Kamla went to the Railway Station and informed other colleagues of Jadia. They were rushed to the Civil Hospital. They reportedly died within a few hours in the hospital.

Madan Lal Jadia, a resident of Narnaul, was working as High Scale Fitter, in the Carriage and Wagon Department of the Railways. He was also the cashier of the Hisar unit of All-India Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Employees Association. Jadia had been suspended only a few days ago.

Mr Jaipal Singh president of the Hisar Association, told TNS that Jadia had been "victimised as he had brought the negligence of some of his seniors" to the notice of the Divisional Railway Manager, Bikaner. He said, after some recent railway accidents, all officers and employees had been asked to bring any such event or activity, which can lead to accidents, to the notice of their senior officers. Jadia had reportedly complained about six employees to the DRM, Bikaner that they had been sleeping during the duty hours. He had reportedly submitted some photographs also. The six employees, who were charge-sheeted had allegedly launched a signature campaign against him after which he had been placed under suspension.

Mr Ram Nath Meena, secretary of the association, said Jadia had also submitted a representation wherein he had alleged harassment and victimisation by some of his seniors. He had submitted in his representation that no reasons had been mentioned in his suspension order.

The police has registered a case. However, the police was tight-lipped about the possible reasons. A police official said it was too early to say anything. Besides the five members of the family, their two dogs also died after consuming the poisonous food.

One of Jadia’s colleagues, Madan Lal, said he met him yesterday and though he was upset and depressed over the suspension, there was no indication that he may take this extreme step.

The neighbours said, only the youngest son Prashant was able to talk for a while when they were being taken to the hospital. He reportedly told them that the entire family had consumed poison along with two of their dogs.

While no senior official from the Railways was available for the comments, one employee said it was wrong to attribute the suicides to alleged harassment and victimisation by the six employees who had been chargesheeted on Jadia’s complaint.

A pall of gloom descended on the entire Railway Colony as the news of the suicide spread there. The residents were shocked to learn about the tragedy.

Mr Jaipal Singh said, the acute depression caused by the victimisation and harassment might have forced Jadia to take this extreme step. He said Jadia was feeling very upset as he was punished when he should have been rewarded.

JKLF men to cross LoC ‘without arms’

ISLAMABAD, Oct 2 (IANS) — JKLF chief Ammanullah Khan has said activists of his group will cross the Line of Control (LoC) into India unarmed on October 4.“We will cross the LoC without any arms. We have issued a code of conduct in which we have said no one would even carry a knife,” NNI news agency quoted him as telling the Voice of America.

“We will cross the LoC from Madarpur in Poonch district of “Azad” Kashmir. We will come back after crossing the LoC. The crossing will be symbolic,” he said.

The march was aimed at telling the world that Kashmiris did not recognise the LoC, he said. “It is also a march against moves to turn the LoC into a permanent border,” he added.He alleged that Kashmiris had always been ignored in the search for a solution to the Kashmir problem.

“We will accept a solution to the Kashmir issue that seeks the opinion of the Kashmiri people, including the right of sovereignty,” he added.He said the requests and protests by Pakistan and India with regard to the proposed march were unreasonable.

“We will have to cross the LoC to tell the world what we think about the Kashmir issue. India and Pakistan should not object,” he said.The Pakistani Foreign Office feared that there could be bloodshed if the JKLF went ahead with the march.

A similar attempt by the JKLF in 1992 resulted in the death of eight persons when Pakistani forces opened fire to disperse the marchers while an attempt in 1990 was foiled by Indian troops, killing three marchers.