Ludhiana, August 14
For quite a number of people who are presented gallantry medals and honours during the Independence Day celebrations, it turns out to be just a one-minute glory that ultimately lands in scrap. Narinder Singh, a Ludhiana-based numismatist, who also has interest in collecting medals, has collected about 440 such medals that he has bought from scrap dealers.

Some of these medals belong to the colonial period. A few are of World War-I and some others of the World War-II period. One medal belonged to Kartar Singh of the 15 Punjab Regiment, who had been conferred the Burma Star for World War-II.

There are even “tamra pattar” which belong to freedom fighters and had been presented to them during the silver and golden jubilee celebrations of Independence Day. One of the medals in his possession belonged to Puran Singh, which was presented to him by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on August 15, 1972.

He said he had not bought the medals directly from the winners, but from scrap dealers or utensil sellers. Collection of ancient coins and medals remains his passion. He said he moved from town to town and city to city to get these coins and medals. “Whenever I visit any city, I make it a point to go to utensil sellers who are usually in possession of some medals which they sell to me for as small a sum as Rs 100,” he said, adding that for them the medals did not have much value.

Doraha, August 14
While the government is all set to launch the Atta-Dal scheme on Independence Day, hundreds of people residing in Doraha, Sahnewal, Payal and surrounding areas allegedly have been deprived of the scheme. These people allegedly failed to pass the test of ‘loyalty’ toward the SAD during the survey conducted by the Akali workers recently.

Several eligible villagers of Kaddon, Shahpur, Kotli, Dhamot, Bishanpura, Barmalipur, Araichan, Jaipura, Maksoodra, Raian, Allona-Pallah, Allona-Miana, Aloona-Tola, Jandiali, Dewa, Jallah, Ghudhani, Daraur Nandpur, Harnampura, Sahnewal, Natt, Kanech, Bilga, Bir Sahnewal, Heeran, Jandiali, Rampur, Paddi, Tibba, Khanpura and others, while talking to this correspondent, alleged that the beneficiaries identified for the purpose were not all needy people and a large number of them were well off and no way eligible for the scheme.

A needy villager from Begowal rued, “It is a mere stunt by the government as the Akalis are benefiting the well off people. The blue cards under the scheme have been mostly issued to party workers and their friends. Moreover, before issuing the blue cards it is indirectly confirmed whether the person is a SAD loyalist or not.”

“This is a sheer mockery of democracy. If the government has already decided to oblige their own party workers and voters, why was the survey conducted to concern and pity shown for the poor?”, said another disgusted villager of Dhamot.

A woman of Maksoodra village resented, “My husband is a daily wage worker and earns Rs 40-50 a day, which is not sufficient to sustain our lives. We have already filled the forms and completed all formalities, but no blue card has been issued to us till date. On the contrary some affluent people have been enlisted under the scheme and have got even more than one blue card issued for their near and dear ones.”

Ludhiana, August 14
Continuing its crackdown against colonisers developing unapproved colonies, the Greater Ludhiana Development Authority (GLADA) got another coloniser booked under the Punjab Apartment Property Regulation Act, 1995 even as the colonisers registered their protest with the Additional Chief Administrator (ACA) of GLADA here today.

The Sarabha Nagar police registered a case under Section 36 of the PAPRA Act against Jagdeep Singh of Barewal Awana village on the complaint of the ACA. The complainant had alleged that the accused had sold a colony contributing to the haphazard expansion of the city.

GLADA had taken action against 22 violators of the Act yesterday. Half a dozen such cases had been registered in the month of July also.

While GLADA is tightening its noose, the colonisers are protesting against the move arguing that they were providing houses to people who could not buy houses in approved colonies. They said at least they were providing a shelter to such people.

A delegation of Colonisers and Property Dealers Association even met the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Chief Administrator of GLADA, Som Parkash at Chandigarh today.

Ludhiana, August 14
The process for developing a water park on NH-1 near Sutlej bridge here is going on at a fast pace as the Revenue Department has already conducted a survey of the land to be acquired and sent the report to the state government.

While no official was willing to come on record about the project as the state government was going ahead with it secretly, fearing a backlash, sources said most of the land for the project belonged to private persons.

They added that some part of it fell in the Bet area also. This land had been transferred to the Forest Department for afforestation but still many farmers were depending on it for their bread and butter as they were using it for agricultural purposes.

In their report they had stated that scores of farmers would be uprooted to set up this centre of tourist attraction. ‘‘But it would be very difficult to remove them from even the forest land and protests would be sparked as moving these farmers has always been a cumbersome process.

Some years ago, the forest department had also taken possession of the land from these farmers. Police action had to be taken against some of them who even attacked the policemen also.

Meanwhile, the farmers of these villages who are facing acquisition said they would not accept any compensation even if they were paid lakhs for every acre. ‘‘We love our land that is why we face the fury of floods every year and still we stay put. We have nurtured it with our sweat and blood. How can we vacate it now? They should shift their project to some other area, ’’ said Charan Dass, sarpanch of Talwandi village.

‘‘Not any more. We would immolate ourselves but not allow them to take away our land,” said Gurcharan Singh, sarpanch of Alowal village.

Ludhiana, August 14
“Yeh daag daag ujala, yeh shabb guzeeda sahar, woh intizar tha jiska hamein, yeh woh sahar to nahi...” Faiz Ahmad Faiz probably summed up the best, the disillusionment of the people after the country got freedom in this couplet, particularly Partition that it brought along with itself.

Even for the people of Ludhiana it could be no less tragic that the person who unfurled the flag of freedom here for the first time after the country got independence from the British had to flee this land, his homeland. Despite persistent pleas from the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to return, he did not.

Mufti Mohammad Nayeem Ludhianvi was the Ludhiana District Congress Committee president at the time of the freedom of the country. He was also the member of the Congress Working Committee, Punjab. He led the independence celebrations and unfurled the flag as the leader of the Congress at the municipal committee ground here. However, the celebrations were too shortlived as soon he had to leave.

According to Bhajan Singh Sohal, a freedom fighter, after the country got freedom, Punjab got divided into two parts along communal lines. This followed riots and massacre. Mufti Nayeem decided to leave for the safety and security of his people. It was a hard decision taken in a desperate moment. But at that time safety and security of life was more important than the nationalistic sentiment. He moved to Lahore, which though not too far from here, had already become Pakistan.

Mufti Nayeem, like his other family members, had close association with Nehru, who wanted him to return and offered him land in Delhi. Some of his family members returned, but he refused. He remarked to Nehru, “It is immaterial whether I stay in Delhi or Lahore, what matters now is that I cannot stay in my home, in my Ludhiana.”

Maulana Atiq-ur-Rehman Ludhianvi, his great grand nephew, who is the president of the minority wing of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, said though Mufti Nayeem stayed in Pakistan, he never forgot his homeland. Since he belonged to a nationalist family, he could never reconcile to the idea of Partition or Pakistan. However, it was an irony that he had to stay in a country whose creation he had always opposed. So was the case with millions of people across the subcontinent who were made to live where they never wanted to. Everything comes with a price and freedom came with Partition, too heavy a price that the people of the subcontinent paid.

Ludhiana, August 14
He was waiting eagerly for the Independence Day function as the police administration had promised to reward him on the day for his exemplary role in nabbing criminals, allegedly responsible for the sensational Vikramjit murder case and many other kidnappings in the North India.

But for SPO Gurcharan Singh the wait turned into frustration with the Punjab Police refusing to recognise his contribution and failed to keep the promise. Interestingly, the police officials had, in a letter, informed him in January that he would be honoured on the Republic Day. The award ceremony was cancelled due to elections. But now his name does not figure anywhere.

While police officials were not available for comments as they were busy preparing for the state-level function to be held here tomorrow, documents carried by the cop say it all. In November last year, he and his mate Jagdish Raj, were acknowledged by senior police officials for nabbing Jagminder Singh, the main accused in Vikramjit murder case.

While head constable Jagdish Raj has been promoted and given a cash award of Rs 7.5 lakh, SPO Gurcharan Singh has been denied the honours.

Gurcharan Singh had worked on the case despite being under suspension at that time.

Gurcharan Singh said he was suspended in 2001 for absentism. He claimed that he worked on the case despite being under suspension and informed his seniors about it. Officials promised to reinstate as well as promote him if he performed well in the case.

Ludhiana, August 14
As per the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), school officials can land themselves in jails for calling students "stupid" or "mindless" in class.

The terms come under the ambit of adverse treatment or corporal punishment. Ludhiana Tribune finds that students as well as Principals feel that such terms were used by unthinking and unfeeling persons.

Sister Chantel, Principal, Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School	“We don’t believe in such conversation at our school. Bad words like ‘stupid, idiot or mindless’ are used by people having low IQ. Punishment can be given to students in many other lighter forms. I feel one-to-one counselling plays a major role in curbing the bad habits of students. Teachers don’t feel good if they punish students in a harsh manner. They must try to make them understand about good and bad things in life in an affectionate manner".
Siddhartha Goel, student	“Such words insult and humiliate the students. We are all grown-ups and understand everything. If a student is really mischievous, he or she should not be allowed to attend their favourite classes like sports, art or extra-curricular activities. We should be given an affectionate hearing by the teachers in school. Even the attention-seekers should be listened to in a patient way”.
S.C Saxena, Principal, KVM School	"In fact we never go for corporal punishments. Now-a-days, there are hidden cameras through which the activities of students and teachers are watched. There may be sporadic incidences of corporal punishment but that does not mean whole system is wrong. Counselling is the best way of making students understand. Secondly, we need to keep them busy as much as we can. If they are kept busy, there will be less problems. Teachers need to involve students in more and more constructive activities".
Rohit Kapur, student	"In ancient times, teachers were considered to be supreme. If they teach us for our betterment, we should tolerate their words but if they cross the limit, then they must be stopped. We should be taught in a polite manner first. There should be a mutual understanding between teachers and students. I feel naughty students should be given a special, polite treatment. They will definitely feel sorry for their unjust behaviour".
Sheeba Soin, student	"Then where should the teachers go? Mischievous students create a lot of problems in the class. With this behaviour, the studies of the whole class are disturbed. Other students suffer because of their indiscipline. Teachers have to punish the students in extreme cases. Why should anyone call you "idiot or "stupid" in the class? Students force teachers to behave in such rude manner by not obeying them".

Ludhiana, August 14
The Nepali Jan Adhikar Suraksha Samiti will organise the second biannual conference and cultural programme at Punjabi Bhawan, Bharat Nagar Chowk, tomorrow.

Giving details of the programme in a press note today, the president of the organisation, Dinesh Bhusal, said a lot of people from Nepal had settled in Punjab and were working mostly in hotels, restaurants, factories and residences as security guards.

He said since many youths from Nepal were employed as helpers and attendants in residences and offices in the city, it was essential to get their legal verification done before employing them.

According to Bhusal, the entire community has to bear the stigma for even a single person’s wrongdoing.

He advised that employers could approach the organisation to verify the credentials of a prospective employee.

According to the official spokesperson, people from Nepal had settled in India when the Nepal-India Treaty of 1950 was signed between the two countries, which agreed to grant the citizens of both nations the same privileges in matters of residence, ownership of property and participation in trade and commerce, which was the major turning point in the movement of Nepalese to India and was further reinforced by the Nepal-India open border.

In 1977, the legislative assembly of West Bengal passed a resolution that led Indian Parliament to include Nepali as a scheduled language. Members of the organisation said the state government should address the grievances and problems of the Nepalese community.

Samrala, August 14
All lawyers of the local Bar Association observed a strike today in protest against the judgement of the National Authority for Consumer Protection declaring lawyers’ services falling under the Consumer Protection Act. This was stated by Gaurave Chopra, secretary of the Bar.

Gaurav Chopra said in an emergency meeting held under the chairmanship of Uttam Chand, president of the Bar, it was unanimously resolved to request all Bar associations to send their resolutions in protest against the judgement to the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana and the Bar Council of India. 

Khamano, August 14
A man was killed and his wife seriously injured in a road accident near Jatana Newan village, near here, last evening.

According to information available, Deepak Jain, a resident of Ludhiana, was going toward Chandigarh in his Nova car with his wife Manisha and two children. When their car reached near Jatana Newan village a rear tyre of the car got burst. The driver of the car lost control over it and it hit a tree. Deepak, who was sitting with the driver, died on the spot while Manisha was seriously injured. One of their children was also injured while driver Manish escaped unhurt. The injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital Samrala. The doctors declared Deepak dead and referred Manisha to the CMC, Ludhiana. From the CMC she was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, in a serious condition. However, their injured child was discharged after first aid. According to police sources, no case has been registered.

Ludhiana, August 14
Rural areas, considered ‘not so good’ when it comes to financing, are now attracting finance companies that are looking forward to tapping the high potential that lies in lending money for commercial vehicles here.

Encouraged by an estimated 30 per cent annual growth, companies engaged in the business of financing new as well as used commercial vehicles are quite encouraged and are expecting the share of the rural segment to grow further from the existing 60-70 per cent in total financing.

“More than 60-70 per cent of financing for commercial vehicles that we do goes to rural areas alone. With a growing demand, primarily on account of expansion of the retail segment, this demand is bound to rise in the coming days,” said Bhupinder Kaur, regional head, Punjab, Magma Shrachi Finance. The company has a target to disburse Rs 109 crore in this fiscal year.

While this may come as a surprise, considering the high incidence of bad debts, the companies are not deterred from exploring rural markets further. Considered safer as it is “asset-based funding” the companies say problems like debts turning bad are not as severe in the commercial segment as they are in tractors.

In case of tractors, the problems arise due to uncertainties in agricultural lending, whereas the same is not the case when it comes to financing of vehicles like JCBs, tippers and dumpers.

Not only do rural areas capture a significant share in the total lending, the fact that over 90 per cent of commercial vehicles in the rural areas are bought on finance is another reason for these companies to be upbeat.

However, the industry feels that clear specifications in terms of loading and proper implementation of rules related to that will help the industry progress. “Currently specifications are not adhered to. If truckers, for instance, are aware as to the maximum load they can carry, they would be able to ascertain demand in a much better way. The market certainly holds a high potential in the coming days as the growing industry is contributing to its growth.”

Ludhiana, August 14
The new fire brigade building on Humbran Road that had been lying unused for years, was finally inaugurated after renovation by the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Vikas Partap here today.

The new building that is equipped with fire engines and required staff would help in reducing the responding time of the fire fighters in the city. Earlier, the fire brigade was housed in the MC office at Mata Rani Chowk which was a major traffic bottleneck and it used to delay the movement of fire-fighters in case of a fire incident in the city.

The new building is on the main Humbran Road which does not usually have traffic problems.

Partap said the firemen would be available round the clock. SDO (B&R) and SDO (O&M) were also posted in the building to redress the grievances related to these offices and the streetlighting wing. He added that they would spend Rs 25 lakh more on the building for setting up a Fireman Training Centre.

He said the MC would start another fire brigade office at the new bus stand.

Haphazard parking on roadsides, especially in front of shopping centres and even on G.T. road is adding to the traffic woes of the city residents.

At any given time of the day, almost half of the space on these busy roads is occupied by parked cars and motorcycles. This disrupts free movement of traffic causing frequent jams.

Who is responsible for the mess ? The person who has paid the road tax, who is paying all development taxes or someone who has acquired a driving licence after bribing the officials?

I strongly feel that the departments concerned should take effective steps to solve this menace. Towing away wrongly parked vehicles without any exception is one such step, while regulating the number of vehicles per household is another one. The latter may be opposed by many but then something has to be done before it is too late.

Is someone listening ?

Archna, Ludhiana 

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