The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

DSGMC angling for its own census
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 7
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has decided to undertake its own census enumeration in the Capital from next week, to prove its contention that the Sikh community has been under-represented in the Census 2001.

Tilak Nagar has been earmarked as the zone for the enumeration and the operation would be completed within two months, the DSGMC members who attended the meeting told The NCR Tribune today. “The data collected by the enumerators would be vetted by experienced demographers. They would analyse the previous census data and try to analyse the pattern in the growth of Sikh population in the Capital,” said Mr Pushpinder Singh, a member of the DSGMC census committee.

As per the 1991 Census, there were 4.52 lakh Sikhs in the Capital, which had a total population of 94 lakh, the single largest component of Sikhs outside Punjab.

Census 2001 has pegged Delhi's total population at 1.33 crore, which comprises 5,99,557 Sikhs, 1,338,297 Muslims and 1,17,701 Christians among others.

The DSGMC meeting today decided to challenge the official data and take up the issue with the Delhi Government and the Census Registrar after compiling its own figures. Though the community-specific official figures have not been published by the government yet, the DSGMC has been informed about the low representation of the Sikh community in the census by members of the Delhi Minority Commission. The commission has been given provisional figures by the government and these figures have a sample error of a few percentage points.

The official community specific figures are likely to be available by July 2002. It took almost four years for the community census figures to be provided after the 1991 census.

The meeting expressed concern over the under representation of the community in Delhi, as the largest concentration of Sikhs outside Punjab is in the Cpital. They also referred to the estimates of different political parties before polls, which claimed that Sikhs constitute 10 per cent of the Capital’s population. The meeting also felt that the low representation of Sikhs in the Capital would jeopardise Punjabi’s claim as the second language in the Capital.

Cutting across political divides, the Sikh census issue has evoked support from both factions of the Akali Dal, Namdharis, Congress and the BJP. Among those who attended the meeting included vice-chairman of the National Commission for Minorities Tarlochan Singh, former MP and head of the Namdhari Darbar H S Hanspal, Congress MLA Jaspal Singh, BJP municipal councillor Vir Bahadur Singh, DSGMC general secretary Kulmohan Singh, DSGMC member Manjit Singh and DSGMC president Avtar Singh Hit.

The meeting also decided to widen the DSGMC census committee by inducting two more members in the panel, making it a nine-member body. The two new members are the Congress MLA, Mr Jaspal Singh, and the BJP municipal councillor, Mr Vir Bahadur Singh.

Mr Manjit Singh, a member of the DSGMC, first raised the issue and made a complaint to the Prime Minister regarding “inaccurate” Census 2001 statistics of Sikhs in Delhi. Mr Hanspal, a former MP, said, “accurate census count is vitally important to every religious community as the Census figures are the basis for certain policies and plans related to communities and their economic development.”

Not even a clerk to pump life into
Improvement Trust
Ravi S. Singh
Tribune News Service

Gurgaon, November 7
The Gurgaon Improvement Trust was revived recently. But despite the fresh lease of life, it is still struggling to run the show. It is pathetic that the Trust is not able to collect even its arrears, due to acute shortage of staff. Remarkable though it may seem, the trust boasts of only one clerk and a peon.

The chief task of the Trust is to collect dues, which will work out to more than Rs 50 lakh this year. The dues accrue mostly from shopkeepers who are occupying the premises of the Trust, bought from the latter in auctions.

The trust, which is responsible for the overall improvement of the city, recently served notices to the defaulters and recovered about Rs 15 lakh. It proposes to recover an additional Rs 50 lakh by the end of this financial year.

A member of the Trust told The NCR Tribune in confidence that the problem was that the organisation had been virtually defunct for many years. There was bureaucratic interference, and the destabilising politics within the institution had resulted in the posting of a Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) as its Administrator.

Some of the members said though the trust had taken up the issue of office staff with the Ministry of Local Self Government, there had been no response from the Commissioner of Gurgaon Division and the local Deputy Commissioner.

The Trust had employed subordinate staff on its own recently to cope with the office and field work. However, the Local Self Government Department pulled it up, saying that it had no authority to appoint anybody. It further directed that the employed persons should be immediately removed. Local residents also feel that the trust's demand for more personnel is not without merit, given its enhanced activities in Gurgaon. (The trust has jurisdiction over areas lying within the municipal limits of the city.)

The general feeling is that the successive governments in Haryana, without exception, have been neglecting old Gurgaon, that is areas falling within the municipal limits as against new Gurgaon comprising sectors developed by the HUDA.

Sheila attends self-defence workshop for DU ladies
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 7
The non-governmental organisations and police officials on Wednesday gave a patient hearing to the female students of Delhi University and affiliated colleges, when they voiced their concern at the increasing incidence of eve-teasing on the campus.

The senior police officials present on the occasion of a workshop, hosted by the Delhi Commission for Women, were amenable to their demand for stepping up vigil around colleges and dealing promptly with complaints. The workshop, which was presided over by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and had Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University Deepak Nayyar as a special invitee, addressed a host of legal and psychological issues that were of immediate concern to many of the participants. It also had a team of experts to give lecture-demonstrations on the “art of self-defence” to the girls.

Incidentally, the issue of harassment of girls on the campus had been highlighted in a recent news report in the NCR Tribune.

Welcoming the initiative of the Delhi Commission for Women, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said that there was an urgent need to increase awareness among girls about legal issues and enable them to handle the various psychological aspects. Echoing similar views, Vice-Chancellor Deepak Nayyar said that besides education, the need of the hour was to arm the students with the requisite skills so that they were able to exorcise the feeling of insecurity.

It is monkey business at RML Hospital
Syed Ali Ahmed
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 7
Having been evicted from the North and South Blocks of the Central Secretariat, considered to be the most secure area in the country, monkeys have now descended with a vengeance on Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, attacking nurses and other staff. They have become a nuisance to employees as well as patients and their relatives.

The monkeys are reported to have bitten two nurses and several patients so far, causing considerable panic in the hospital. Ward boys and security staff are tired of chasing them away with thick bamboo sticks. Employees of the hospital, particularly those who have earned the wrath of the monkeys, allege that the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), under whose jurisdiction the hospital falls, has failed to do any thing to exorcise the menace.

The monkeys are often seen sitting on the ledges and attack the employees when they try to shut the windows. Result: Employees leave the windows open after duty hours, placing the costly medical equipment at the mercy of the simian intruders.

According to Nursing Superintendent, Mrs G. K. Khurana, monkeys often perch themselves atop trees and on the railing of the park in the hospital. They attack people at sight or when provoked.

Attendants of the patients would earlier sit in the hospital park. Now, they keep scouting for hideouts, which are not accessible to the monkeys. And for refreshments, they prefer to go out of the hospital. Mr Nilesh, who came to the hospital from Haryana for his brother’s treatment, was bitten by a monkey. He says: “Instead of attending to my brother, I myself have become a patient.”

A senior official of the hospital disclosed that earlier the NDMC would make arrangements for catching the monkeys and transporting them to remote areas. Now, the NDMC has left the job to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

According to hospital officials, the trouble started a few months ago when the monkeys were hustled out of the Central Secretariat by the simian police comprising trained langurs. The North and South Block administration had specially requisitioned the services of the Langur squad, when the monkeys started attacking employees and damaging important files and equipment in the high security zone.

COMMUNITY

India Gate remains Capital’s Garden of Eden
Smriti Kak

New Delhi, November 7
If there is one grouse against the national Capital that Delhities and tourist share alike, it is the dearth of places where one can unwind. Each city, it is argued, has attraction spots, which are conspicuous in the Capital by their absence. The Capital has its share of tourist attractions, like the Purana Qila, the Qutub Minar, and Appu Ghar, yet for the common Dilliwalla, there is no place where he can romance his youth, or retrospect his maturity.

“We don’t know where to go for a quiet evening. Restaurants are expensive, parks are full of unwanted people, and there are hardly any shopping malls. It is especially difficult for the youngsters. Really, Delhi is a disappointment,” is the general refrain.

So where do our disappointed Dilliwallahs go? Dilli Haat, Connaught Place and Purana Qila are some of the favourite spots. But a very large number throng to the Capital’s pride, the August India Gate.

A drive around the India Gate roundabout at any time of the day vouches for the fact that this majestic gate is a crowd puller. This is particularly evident in the evenings when a sea of human bodies tide over the cemented pavements and the lush green grass.

“We have been coming here ever since our courtship days. Things have not changed much and that is what brings us here repeatedly. It’s definitely more crowded, but that is a consequence of the population explosion. The chana wallas, the balloons and the candy sellers still tempt you. It is so romantic here. I say, everyone in Delhi who is in love must come here”, expounds Mr S.K. Singh, who has been an India Gate regular for the last eight years.

Like the Singh’s there are plenty of India Gate loyalists. “This is Delhi’s answer to Mumbai’s beaches, and Bangalore’s discos. We don’t have the sun and the sand, but the red sand that borders the luscious greenery is our USP”, says an over zealous Kamal.

The place promises fun for a family’s day out. You can spot dozen families picnicking in the lawns on a weekend. Grandpas can be seen chasing balls with toddlers and granny’s can be spotted laying out delicacies for the ravenous of the lot.

The fact that the India Gate lawns are sprawling compared to the rest of the parks is also an attraction for people. In most of the parks or gardens, one is made to put up with a whole lot of restrictions. And if there are no restrictions, then there are voyeurs who ruin the outing.

However, this almost perfect Garden of Eden has its share of flaws. “There are certain things which bother us here. For instance you have to pay extra for every little thing you buy. A bottle of cold drink cost around Rs 15, which means you are paying five bucks extra. Similarly, ice-cream vendors too charge extra money,” pointed out Sanjay, who was haggling with the vendors. The vendors on their part blame the police for extracting a weekly tariff. “We have to pay a sort of rent here, and to compensate for that lost money, we have to charge a little extra,” said an ice-cream vendor.

This apart, there are eunuchs who harass people, especially if they are a young couple. “The eunuchs are a harassing lot. It’s so irritating when they start hankering after you for money. Even the police rarely come to your rescue” says Vikram, who had just lost his precious dough. “For all you know, the police are hand in glove with them,” chips in his girlfriend Nina.

Laughter and cheerful banter rents the air, competing as though with the honking of the traffic which snakes through the round about. It is no less than a fair; colourful balloons, candy and snacks seller, bioscope for the movie buffs, photographers who can click you in the right pose, roses for the romantics, henna for decorating your beautiful hands, the list is end less.

So the next time when you have no where to go, you know where to head.

The ‘me-generation’ is making a beeline for nightclubs
Rohit Wadhwaney

New Delhi, November 7
If there was one thing about which Delhites were envious of the Mumbaikars and willingly accepted its superiority, it was the night-life that Mumbaikars took for guaranteed. Abhinav Darbari, 20, used to crib about how dead the night-life in the Indian Capital was, except for a few discos located mainly in the five-star hotels. But then NYX- a flashy nightclub on the outskirts of the city in Gurgaon-happened.

“Nowadays my day starts at 9 p.m, man. Thank God for some decent night clubs at last,” said Darbari, a final year student of Delhi University.

NYX at the 32nd Milestone in Gurgaon, Float, a fun pub at the Park Royal Hotel, Blues, Ruby Tuesday, Zeroes and Mezz are but a few of the 40 odd “nightclubs” that have sprung up in and around Delhi.

“Who wants to go to a disco?” asked 19-year-old Piya Kapoor. “I would rather go someplace where I could eat and dance if I feel like, rather than a place that is loud and full of ‘cheap’ crowd, and where you have no choice but to dance.”

For centuries, the Indian Capital has served as a hotbed of political activity, a city of intrigues, and a hub of poets and musicians. But strangely, it did not have much of a night-life, unlike other metros like Mumbai and Kolkata.

“And discos never improved the picture,” said Mr Rajeev Kapoor, the general manager of 32nd Milestone, which is just about 10 kilometers from Delhi, where NYX has opened in place of the famous Fireball discotheque.

“People in India have a very different idea of a nightclub. They feel it has something to do with strippers, but that’s not true. A nightclub is a place where you could eat, drink and dance. It’s all there in one place,” Kapoor told The Tribune.

“In Delhi it is notoriously difficult to obtain license to serve alcohol. Nightclubs used to be entirely in five-star hotels, which the young crowd found difficult to afford,” said Ms Pramila Kapur, a senior sociologist at the Integrated Human Development Services Foundation, a non-governmental organization. “But now, nightclubs and fun pubs are opening up as independent joints. And as far as youngsters are concerned though, it’s good that alcohol is not available easily,” she said.

Nevertheless, the 20 somethings are happy. Said Ms Tarini Mathur, a final year student of Delhi University: “If I am going to a nightclub, I think we can easily manage with just Rs 500. Earlier, just entering a disco would cost me that much.”

However, Rupali Chauhan, mother of two teenaged daughters, thinks otherwise. “It is completely unsafe for young girls to move around in Delhi after dark. This is not Mumbai where you can walk around in short skirts and no one even bothers to look at you,” she said.

Sarah Singh, mother of a 21-year-old girl, however, takes a realistic look at the issue: “Most people in Delhi have fixed notions about the city. Besides, there is no point in stopping youngsters from going out at nights. You can’t restrict them for too long. Sooner or later, children rebel. Kids today need their freedom. We have no reason to take that away from them.”

Hawkers pay the price for VIPs’ visit
Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, November 7
Visits of VVIPS and VIPs in the town have several fall-outs. A special cleanliness drive is launched in the areas they visit, with the result that it becomes a ‘bad day’ for the hawkers who earn their living by the roadside.

“It is not difficult to know that a VIP is visiting the town as there is a buzz of activity around like sweeping of roads, painting of grills of green belts and repairs and recarpeting of the roads,” said a resident of NIT here.

“We pray to God that the visits of VIPs should be frequent so that civic conditions improve,” says Rajesh of Jawahar Colony here. Quoting a recent case, he said that the road connecting Nehru Ground and Dabua Colony was remade due to the Chief Minister’s visit recently.

Prior to this, he said that the road had been in a pitiable shape for over a year. There are several examples in which civic facilities were improved only due to a visit of an important person, claimed another resident of Sector-16 here.

The local administration also became `active’ in view of the visit of the president of youth wing of Indian National Lok Dal

(INLD)and MP from Bhiwani, Mr Ajay Chautala, here today. All roads were cleaned and water sprinkled on the side of roads and the fountains at Neelam and B K Chowk were seen operating.

NCR BRIEFS

Three killed in GT Road collision
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, November 7
Three persons were killed on the spot and two injured seriously when a Tata 407 collided with a motorcycle on the G.T. Road near Liwaspur village about 12 km from here yesterday.

According to a report, the victims have been identified as Mr Yassen and his son Shahrukh, whereas the injured are Mr Farookh and a woman Raisa. All were of one family and were riding the same motorcycle. The third victim of the accident is an unidentified cyclist. The injured were rushed to the local civil hospital from where they were sent to a Delhi hospital for further treatment.

Student held for sodomy

The police has arrested a student of the B.M. Engineering College, Raipur village, on the charge of sodomy with Vivek Jain, another student of the same college in the hostel on October 18.

Superintendent of Police Paramjit Singh Ahlawat told mediapersons here today that the arrested student had been identified as Spesh, a resident of housing board colony at Kurukshetra. Other four students, Parimal, Utpal Dutt, Abhishek Gupta and Vikram are still at large despite the fact that the court had stayed their arrest.

Woman killed

A woman was killed and four were seriously injured in two different accidents near Gohana town, 35 km from here yesterday.

A woman Savitri Devi (45) was killed on the spot when a three-wheeler on which she was travelling, overturned near Ujale Khan Garhi village. Two more women Ms Shakuntala and Ms Bimla sustained serious injuries.

In another accident, two persons namely Mr Jagbir of Farmana village and Mr Sher Singh of Jagsi village were seriously injured when a truck collided with a jeep on the Gohana-Panipat road yesterday. Both the injured persons were immediately hospitalised. They are stated to be out of danger. Criminal held Babli alias Sardara Singh, a dreaded criminal of Uttar Pradesh, was arrested by a patrolling police party of the Civil Lines police station of Sonepat after a brief encounter on the Sonepat-Rathdhanna Road here last night.

According to preliminary reports, the police also seized a stolen motorcycle and a country-made pistol from him. The culprit who belonged to Girdharpur village under the Dadri police station of Gautam Budh Nagger district, is allegedly involved in as many as 40 cases of loot, dacoity, murder, kidnapping, arson and other crimes in UP and Delhi.

Giving the details of the arrest, the Superintendent of Police, Mr Paramjit Singh Ahlawat, told mediapersons here today that the police was on a routine checking of the vehicles on the Sonepat-Rathdhanna Road by organising a ‘nakabandi’ of the road.

The desperado arrived on a motorcycle from the side of Rathdhanna village and was asked to stop, but he defied the signal and fled by breaking the ‘nakabandi’.

As the police officials chased him, the culprit fired shots on the police. The police officials also returned the fire and finally overpowered the man.

Sex maniac arrested

New Delhi
The south district police today claimed to have solved two rape cases, with the arrest of a suspected sex maniac who had allegedly raped five minor girls for the last two years. The other three cases went unreported, according to the police sources.

The suspect, Avdhesh alias Sanjay (19), was arrested from his residence in Khanpur in south district in connection with a rape case of a seven-year-old girl.

He allegedly raped the girl in October last year and a case was registered against him by the Ambedkar Nagar police station. Since then, the accused was absconding.

The modus operandi of the accused was to take school children to isolated places on the pretext of giving them sweets. Laced with interesting stories, once he gained the confidence of the victims, he sexually exploited them. During interrogation, he also disclosed that he had attempted to rape a seven-year-old girl in a MCD school in Sangam Vihar. Avadesh had also raped three minor girls which had gone unreported. Avadesh, a school dropout, used to work as a daily wage worker in a factory in Khanpur area. His favourite time pass was watching television. Interestingly, he got inspired to commit these heinous crime by watching various TV serials.

Two killed

Faridabad
Two persons were killed, and two others including a minor boy were injured in various incidents. Ramdass, a resident of Sector-16-A, who had been injured in a road accident about three weeks ago, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital today. His scooter was hit by a speeding car.

In another incident, Dhanjay a resident of Sanjay Nagar, died under mysterious circumstances here last night. The deceased collapsed after vomitting. He worked in a cotton mill here. He died on the way to the hospital.