The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Probe ordered into park lapses
Death of girl in pillar collapse
Tribune News Service

Gurpreet Kaur

Ludhiana, December 18
The Ludhiana Improvement Trust today ordered a high-level inquiry into the alleged lapses in the construction of a park in Block-C of Rajguru Nagar, which had led to the death of a nine-year-old girl Gurpreet Kaur. The girl was crushed under heavy stones when a pillar at the entrance gate of the park fell on her past evening. The girl suffered serious head injuries and died on the spot.

The incident flared up tempers in the city as it once again brought in focus, the alleged irregularities in the construction of parks. A couple of months back, a five-year-old girl had died in a similar incident in a park at Model Town Extension, when the slide on which she was playing fell on her. The Municipal Corporation was in the line of fire for the alleged irregularities leading to the girl’s death and with yesterday’s incident, the trust was facing the music now.

A visit to the site revealed that the allegations of using substandard material could hold ground as the heavy stones seemed to be constructed in sand with less quantity of cement.

The chairman of the trust, Mr M.M. Vyas, told Ludhiana Tribune that he was deeply disturbed at the incident and had ordered an inquiry into identifying the person(s) responsible for it. He said he had already checked the records and had found that the park was constructed in 1988 by an Amritsar-based construction company. Three officials of the trust had been associated with the construction work. One of them was in service while another had died and the third had retired.

According to Mr Sukhminder Singh, an uncle of the girl, the incident took place at about 5 pm, when Gurpreet Kaur, along with other children of the colony, went to the park for playing. She was standing near the pillar when suddenly the stones fell on her. Children accompanying her said the pillar came crashing down when the girl stood near the entrance with her back touching the pillar.

The children raised an alarm, at which the girl’s father, Mr Sharanjit Singh, and neighbours took the girl to the DMC, where she was declared brought dead. The girl had suffered serious head injuries and had bled profusely on the spot and on the way. The family members and neighbours said they informed the trust officials and the district administration immediately. No official from these offices visited the site till this evening. In the evening the trust chairman visited the colony and expressed sympathies with the family.

Heart-rending scenes were witnesed in the colony this morning when a Ludhiana Tribune team visited the site. The inconsolable family of the deceased girl was wailing uncontrollably. Mr Sharanjit Singh worked with a transport company. The girl had an elder sister and a younger brother. She was a student of Ishar Singh Public School in the colony. A number of teachers of the school were present in the house.

The family had shifted to their newly constructed house in the colony only two days back. Family members said the family earlier used to live in a congested area and had constructed their house here so that children could play in parks. The postmortem examination report stated that the girl had died due to injuries, while the police had registered a case under Section 174 of the CrPc.

Telecom official, wife held for fraud
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 18
A senior officer of the Ludhiana Telecom Department and his wife have been arrested by the Mansa police from their residence near Guru Nanak Engineering College here on the charges of cheating several people in the state by taking lakhs of rupees from them in the name of senior Akali leaders to get them influential jobs in Punjab and Haryana. The accused even gave fake cheques to some of the victims who had demanded their money back.

The alleged master swindler, Dalip Singh Chauhan, is charged with pocketing over Rs 60 lakh from several persons promising some of them with a petrol pump connection and selection in the Haryana Civil Service in Haryana and others with the appointment of a DSP and Inspector with the Punjab police, brandishing costly mobile phones, the man boasted about his links with senior Akali leaders like Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, Mr Ajit Singh Kohar, Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal and Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar besides Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala.

While the leaders could not be contacted, the Mansa police has on the basis of its investigation ruled out the possibility of any involvement of the leaders in the case. Talking to The Tribune over the phone, Mansa SSP Dilbagh Singh Gill said the accused was only using the names of the leaders and had no direct or indirect link with them. He said the accused used to talk with someone over the mobile and gave an impression to the victims that he was talking to one of the leaders.

Incidentally, sources in the police department said the Ludhiana police has been caught napping with the arrest as it too had information about the activities of the official but it was the Mansa police which scored over the local police and took away the alleged master swindler from the city. The arrest has also shocked the local telecom department employees as no one had suspected that the official was indulging in such activities.

The accused, Dalip Singh Chauhan, a Senior Telecom Office Assistant, and his wife were arrested by the Mansa police from their residence on December 15. He is now in police custody. The police said the accused used to take Rs 30-35 lakh for the post of a DSP and 20 to 25 lakh for the post of an Inspector. For getting selection in the Haryana Civil Service, the accused used to charge Rs 40 to 45 lakhs.

Police sources said the accused even duped the family of an Army officer of Patiala. Ms Surjit Kaur, a Patiala resident and wife of the ex-serviceman had given Rs 15 lakh to the accused for getting her son the post of a DSP. She was supposed to give Rs 20 lakh more. Other victims, included Amrik Singh of Mansa, who also give him same amount and Gurmeet Singh, a resident of Sangrur who gave him Rs 11 lakh for the post of an Inspector. The deal was finalised for Rs 22 lakh.

The accused also took Rs 20 lakh from Mr Sanjeev Kumar, who lives in some part of that state only, promising him selection in the HCS. The youth was supposed to give him Rs 20 lakh more.

SSP Mansa, Dilbagh Singh Gill said the complainant Amrik Singh was the first to complain to the police about the fraud. The accused had taken money from him but has not kept his promise. The other complainants came up during questioning. The SSP said SP(D) Roopinder Singh Bhullar was investigating the case. The SSP said the accused, when confronted by some of the complainants, gave them cheques returning their money but the cheques proved to be fake ones. The accused owns a palatial house near Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Gill Road here.

Want ticket? Come for interview
Vimal Sumbly
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 18
In order to maintain the momentum generated by the activities of the ticket aspirants, the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) seems to have devised novel methods. For the first time it has called all applicants seeking party nomination for the Assembly elections for interviews to be conducted tomorrow at Chandigarh.

The PCC has divided the state into three regions. The candidates of these regions will be interviewed by three separate committees constituted by the PCC. In fact the committee constitutes same people who were earlier nominated to the 16-member committee of the state for selection of candidates.

The three committees are headed by Mr R.L. Bhatia, Capt Amarinder Singh and Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. The candidates from Ludhiana district will be interviewed by the committee headed by Mr Bhatia. Other members in the committee include senior Congress leaders, Mr Jagmeet Brar, Ms Santosh Chaudhary, Ms Parneet Kaur and Mr Sushil Prashar.

The party sources disclosed that this was still the initial stage and everything may not be finalised at tomorrow’s interviews. They pointed out, on an average 10 candidates have applied for each of the 117 constituencies. This means there would be at least 1,000 people, who would obviously be accompanied by their supporters. This has generated great enthusiasm among ticket aspirants and their supporters.

Besides lobbying in Delhi, some of the candidates have already started mobilising their supporters. Leading candidates among these include, Mr Surinder Dawer, Mr Ajit Singh Chawla and Mr Pawan Dewan. Mr Dawer, who is also the District Congress Committee president, has been organising a few meetings daily. So has been Mr Chawla, who has started his campaign from the Jammu colony and has been drawing good response. Mr Dewan organised an anti-Pak demonstration here yesterday.

Residents for tough anti-terrorism steps
Kamal Kishore Shankar

Ludhiana, December 18
Local residents argue that drastic steps should be taken against Pakistan to eliminate the menace of terrorism from this country, but differ on the measures to be taken and the timing of the operation. Had there been a decisive and firm political leadership like that of Indira Gandhi, the ISI or any terrorist would not have dared to attack the biggest democratic institution of the world.

Lt-Col Bhupinder Singh Grewal (retd) opines, “We should wait for the right time to strike at the roots of terrorism flourishing in Pakistan. Now they must have wound up all the militant training camps in Pakistan occupied Kashmir to save their skin.”

He says after proper planning based on military intelligence reports, we should think of hitting the actual target. Terrorist training camps are not permanent structures like the Indian Military Academy or the National Defence Academy which can he destroyed anytime, he adds. Mr Parveen Sharma have some divergent views on this issue. He says, “We should take immediate action against militant outfits active in Pakistan. The country which promotes killing of innocents in our country must not be spared.”

He is of the view that if India does not attack Pakistan at this moment, terrorist outfits would be encouraged. They will think that we can have debates and talks on an issue and cannot do something substantial, he states.

Col H.S. Kalhon says (retd) says, “The politicians have been playing a dirty game since 1947. The do not give a damn to the nation’s pride as they lack national character. They just want to remain in power by organising debates and talks on the issue.” He opines that if political leaders favour an attack on Pakistan, it should be attacked. He is of the view that the military should be given a free hand to clean up the menace of terrorism.

Lt-Col. D.B. Sharma says at this stage, attack by the military at terrorist training camps in Pakistan will be useless as now there will be no such camps after such a major event. He is of the view that we have a strong Air Force and this time fighter pilots of the country should be given a chance to teach a lesson to Pakistan for daring to attack on the most important building of the country.

He says our country lacks good political leadership as politicians are just making this attack as issue for the media and are not really ready to take stringent steps against Pakistan. According to him, our politicians lack national character, which is the main reason terrorist outfits take us for granted. He opines that if India has to change its image, hardliners are the need of the hour.

Mr J.N. Sood is of the view that India should adops a wait-and-watch policy before attacking Pakistan. He thinks that we should first get the support of the world community before attacking, especially of Islamic countries.

Industrial units seek action on HC ruling
Disbursement of capital subsidy
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 18
Local industrial associations have urged the state government to implement the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, issued on August 7, 2001, in letter and spirit by disbursing capital subsidy to hundreds of small-scale and export units, amounting about Rs 500 crore, at the earliest, which has been pending for the past many years.

Mr S.C. Ralhan, chairman, Engineering Export Promotion Council, Northern Region, and president, Ludhiana Hand Tools Association, disclosed, “Mr Justice V.K. Jhanji of the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the state government on a writ petition of Mr S.K. Garg, to disperse the capital subsidy on the basis of seniority list without any further delay. It had directed that 80 per cent of the subsidy should be dispersed to the industrial units in accordance to the seniority list to the industrial units ( general category ) and 20 per cent of the amount should be dispersed to the export oriented units.” The court had asked the state government to take steps to release the subsidy without any further delay, but no action had been taken till today, he added.

The state government had issued a notification in September 2000 to provide capital subsidy to poultry farms under a priority list, which was challenged by a unit of Bassi near here in the court. Subsequently, Mr Justice Jhanji had directed the state government on May 15 this year to disburse the subsidy on the basis of seniority list, excluding poultry units.

Mr Garg, in accordance with that order, filed a writ petition, asking the court to direct the state government to disburse the subsidy without further delay, especially to export units. He argued that export units were finding it difficult to compete in the international market without government support and so the state should release the subsidy without further delay. He said, “Mr Justice Jhanji passed the order on August 7, but the export units had failed to get any subsidy so far despite repeated reminders.”

Under the Punjab Industrial Policy, announced in June, 1996, the state government had promised to pay up to 30 per cent capital subsidy to the industrial units set up in the industrially backward regions and border areas and 20 per cent capital subsidy to the units set up in other industrial areas of the state. The maximum limit for the individual units was fixed as Rs 50 lakh for the first category and Rs 30 lakh for the second category.

Criticising the state government for the delay in subsidy payments, Mr Joginder Kumar, president, Ludhiana Electroplaters Association, said, “The industrialists have been waiting for the disbursement of incentives for the past many years. The Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, in a meeting held in May, 2000, in Ludhiana, had assured them payment of subsidy worth Rs 185 crore during the financial year 2001-02. Nothing has been done till date.”

LUDHIANA CALLING

Probably for the first time there are at least three persons who have applied for the Congress nomination from Ludhiana West Assembly segment have Satluj Club connection. All three claim strong influence among the club members, who constitute the elite and opinion making section of society. And interestingly enough all of them have applied for the same constituency. The candidates, include Mr Ajit Singh Chawla, the incumbent general secretary and two former general secretaries, Mr Gopal Bhushan Gupta and Mr Jeevan Dhawan. All three have been claiming their eligibility mainly on this basis. And rightly so, the general secretary’s post in the club , itself does not come so easy. With over 2,500 members, winning the elections in the club is a gigantic task.

Mr Chawla is serving his second term as the club general secretary. In fact, the election had turned into a political battlefield, with Mr Mann Singh Garcha, the younger brother of the Minister for Technical Education, Mr Jagdish Garcha, taking a direct confrontation by supporting his opponent, Mr Jeevan Dhawan. Mr Dhawan, incidentally happens to be the general secretary of the District Congress Committee also. At that time, Mr Chawla managed a comfortable win with a handsome margin. On the other hand, Mr Jeevan Dhawan is no less influential. He has also served as club general secretary and also enjoys good influence among the club members. He has also been crediting his eligibility, besides other things, to this fact. He enjoys good influence among the club fraternity. Mr Gopal Bhushan Gupta has also remained the elected general secretary of the club for two terms. Besides, he has also remained associated with other organisations like the Lions Club, Jaycees and others. Currently he is the president of the Punjab. Roller Flour Millis Association and senior vice-president of the Roller Flour Mills Federation of India, with about 1000 roller flour mills as its members.

Although it is too early to predict whether any one of them will get the Congress nomination, but their claim for the ticket has once again brought the Satluj Club into the limelight. The club, counted among the few elite clubs in the country with restricted entry at a premium of about Rs 2 lakh, has as its members top and influential people from different walks of life. Having represented the club at the top level, naturally adds to the ambition of these people to contest at a higher level.

Some consolation

Politicians can hang onto anything that gives them recognition and credibility. Same thing happened with local Akali leaders who are engaged in a long-drawn power struggle against each other. The occasion was a meeting of the party workers from Ludhiana at the Chief Minister’s residence in Chandigarh. Obviously the workers and leaders belonging to both the groups, one led by the acting district president, Mr Avtar Singh Makkar, and the other by the party vice-president, Mr Amarjit Singh Bhatia, had gone to mark their attendance before the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. Mr Makkar has been claiming that he is the (acting) district president of the party, which Mr Bhatia is not prepared to acknowledge. On the fateful day, Mr Badal somehow announced from the mike that he wanted the “district president Mr Makkar on the dais”. And that is what the Makkar group had been desperately wanting for long. The group was so elated and excited that the leaders rang up the scribes and met them personally to claim that the Chief Minister had “described” Mr Makkar as the district president. This seemed to be a great victory for the Makkar group, which is yet to stop talking about the Chandigarh meeting with the CM. And not unexpectedly members of Bhatia group has been maintaining an unpleasant silence.

Misty mornings

There is something mystic about misty mornings. They are chilling yet always welcome. Every season has its character so has the winter. It is in this season when people hunt for the warm and cozy environs, wherever they may be. The semi-dark mornings even turn the urban areas like Ludhiana into Robert Frosts’ “lovely, dark and deep woods”. It is really a great pleasure to roam in the mist, although it provides only a chilling experience. But it has its dark side as well. For most number of accidents occur due to the fog as visibility comes down. The usual hustle and bustle at the market places is absent that also effects the business and still everybody likes the fog. Be it the beggars, the street vendors, the newspaper sellers, or the ubiquitous rickshaw-pullers, whoever has to come out perforce shrinks himself to maximum compactness, lest the cold may catch up with him.

Encroachment truths

It is sheer nonsense on the part of the management of Durga Mata Temple on the club road to say that the construction along the boundary wall of the Government College for Women is not an act of encroachment. It says that the stand had been built years ago by Janta Sewak Sangh to facilitate the devotees visiting the temple. It also says that the shoe-stand does not pose any traffic problem. But a visit to the place reveals otherwise. Sentinel learns that the shoe-stand provides a safe place to many idlers and drug-peddlers to hang around and had become the favourite of such anti-social elements. When Ludhiana Tribune had highlighted these encroachments much before the former Municipal Commissioner Dr. Sandhu decided to demolish the temple’s outer wall built on the road portion, the temple management had accused the correspondent concerned of being hand in glove with people opposed to the management without caring to verify from the Deputy Commissioner’s office whether a complaint had been made against it by a city resident or not. The resident had alleged that the management was sheltering drug peddlers in its own interest. An encroachment is an encroachment and no degree of pressure or hooliganism can prove it otherwise.

The temple management must mend its ways if it really cares for the city.

Official discount

Recently the wife of a senior bureaucrat posted in the city visited a newly opened departmental store. The manager and salesmen, who claim to provide world-class customer service, did not care to provide “special treatment” to the lady. The salesmen neither asked her to sit, nor offered her a coffee. She become furious, when the manager expressed his helplessness in giving more than 10 per cent discount offered by the store. She was reportedly asking for 50 per cent discount on the purchase, as offered by other showroom owners, of course, to please her husband. The manager was severely reprimanded by the owners next day, when the cranes of the traffic police reached there to toe away the vehicles, parked on the road in the unauthorised area. The manager, educated in a prestigious business school, was unable to find his mistake.

Walker’s ‘woes’

If one looks at the faces of hundreds of persons, who daily come to the campus of Punjab Agricultural University ( PAU) in the morning or evening for their daily walk and exercising, they seem to be grateful to the authorities of the PAU and especially to the Vice-Chancellor as they have been allowed to stroll freely without any hazard. It is almost rare to find a pollution free and a peaceful place in the most polluted city. A number of industrialists, officials and other well to do people and their families also come here for walks. However, several of these visitors complain about the absence of public toilet facility. Can dear VC, Mr Aulakh take care of their problem by constructing some public toilets, especially for the ladies and girls, who feel very uncomfortable sometimes.

Sentinel

COMMUNITY

YC for CBI probe into corruption in MC
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, December 18
The District Youth Congress (DYC) today focused on rampant corruption in all departments of the local Municipal Corporation and demanded a CBI inquiry to expose the corrupt employees, officials and conniving councillors, belonging to ruling SAD-BJP combine.

Addressing a protest rally at the MC main gate here, the DYC President, Mr Parminder Mehta, alleged that several employees and officials of the civic body, with questionable conduct, were working at the same seat for years together. A large number of kith and kin of ruling party councillors were working as contractors in violation of norms and were fleecing the MC under their political influence, he claimed.

Speakers at the rally charged that huge funds spent during the past four years on development works had been misappropriated and despite the top heavy bureaucratic set-up, enforcement in several key departments left much to be desired. Specially targeting the building wing of the MC, the activists observed that commercial complexes were being constructed in blatant violation of building bylaws and officials were looking the other way.

Criticising the MC for heavy expenditure on construction of dividers on several busy roads in the city like Samrala Road, New Shivpuri Road, Basti Jodhewal, Old GT Road, Field Ganj, Janakpuri, Brown Road, BRS Nagar Main Road and Jassian Road, the speakers pointed out that the tehbazari wing had failed to deal with the increasing menace of temporary encroachments on these roads. As a result, the entire exercise to improve the flow of traffic had been proved futile, they added.

The YC functionaries also raised an accusing finger towards construction of bus shelters and camouflaged garbage containers, from which, they said, only a few contractors and MC officials had been gaining, without generating any revenue for the civic body. The horticulture wing also came under sharp criticism for its acts of omission and commission. The recently constructed Mini Rose Garden in Kidwai Nagar was virtually a cesspool of corruption and a high level inquiry would bring out the real truth and the connivance between the senior MC officials and ruling party functionaries, they stated.

The DYC also castigated the government for sitting over the unanimous proposal adopted by the MC General House for providing free water supply and sewerage facility to the local population. While the government had refused to implement the proposal, which would have benefitted a large number of people, the MC had added to the woes of the residents by slapping inflated and enhanced bills for essential civic services and those unable to make payments were being threatened with auction of their property, said the protesters.

Cong asked to clear stand
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, December 18
“The stand taken by the Congress on the terrorist attack on Parliament on December 13 tends to create doubts in the minds of nationalist and patriotic forces and the party must come out clear lest its image should be adversely affected.”

A unanimous resolution to this effect was adopted at a joint meeting of more than one dozen social, religious and educational institutions held here last evening under the presidentship of Mr Amrit Lal Aggarwal, national President of the Bharat Ekta Council and an adviser to ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal).

The resolution further called upon all parties, including the Congress, to condemn the terrorist act without any reservation and extend unconditional support to the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, in the ongoing fight against terrorism.

The meeting took strong exception to uncalled for criticism of abolition of octroi by SAD-BJP government in Punjab, headed by Mr Parkash Singh Badal. Mr Aggarwal claimed that the octroi abolition had not only benefitted the trade and industry but had resulted in direct benefit to the members of public.

In another resolution, the meeting urged the ruling SAD leadership to nominate Mr Amrit Lal Aggarwal as the party nominee from Ludhiana West Assembly seat. Reiterating their unstinted support to the candidature of Mr Aggarwal, the representatives of these bodies decided to call on Mr Badal soon at Chandigarh to press the demand.

Prominent among those present at the meeting were Mr Ved Parkash Gupta, general secretary, Aggarwal Pratinidhi Sabha, Punjab; Mr Vijay Verma, vice-president, District Bar Association; Mr Devinder Gupta, secretary, Ludhiana Dharamshala Committee; Mr D.J. Jain, president, Tagore Public School; Mr P.P. Kansal; Mr Baldev Aggarwal, president, Aggarwal Sabha; Mr Surinder Gupta, President, Ludhiana Aggarwala Cooperative House Building Society and Mr Prem Gupta, secretary, Sri Raghunath Hospital.

Cong highlights govt’s failure
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 18
Hundreds of Congress activists led by the District Congress Committee president, Mr Surinder Dawer and senior vice-president of the Pradesh Youth Congress, Mr Amarjeet Singh Tikka, today took out a procession and submitted a memorandum to the President demanding dismissal of the Vajpayee government for its failure to safeguard the life and property of people.

The processionists raised slogans against the Pakistan government accusing it of masterminding the December 13 attack on Parliament. They also blamed the Vajpayee government for its failure to curb militant activities in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country, which ultimately encouraged the terrorist forces to strike at Parliament, the highest seat of the Indian democracy.

The Congress memorandum alleged that the government was busy shielding and protecting the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, who was allegedly involved in murky deals. “A Defence Minister, who has no moral standing cannot take effective measures regarding the safety and defence of the country so he should be removed”, the memorandum observed.

The procession started from the local Congress Bhawan and after passing through various areas culminated at the mini Secretariat. There, the protesters burnt the effigy of the Pakistani President, General Pervez Musharraf and later on submitted a memorandum to the President through the Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana.

NGOs resolve to fight drug addiction
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, December 18
A two-day workshop on “Joint proactive initiatives of NGOs for drug free society” organised by the Aas Kiran De-addiction and Rehabilitation Centre to mark its second foundation day concluded here today.

As many as 13 NGOs from various parts of the state participated in the workshop and resolved to launch an aggressive campaign for drug free elections. These included Guru Har Rai Hospital, Anandpur Sahib, Guru Nanak Charitable Trust, Mullanpur, DN Kotnis Acupuncture Hospital, Ludhiana, Indian Red Cross Society, Amritsar, Drug De-addiction Centre, Saket, Patiala, Drug De-addiction Centre, Gurdaspur, Drug Awareness and Counselling Centre, Bathinda, Aas Kiran De-addiction Centre, Hoshiarpur.

The participants prepared publicity material, including handbills, posters and cards on reduction in supply of drugs. The NGOs demanded that the candidatures of persons seeking votes be cancelled if they were found distributing drugs to lure voters. They said the Punjab Government should ban the sale of “gutkha” as per the pattern adopted by Tamil Nadu. They also said the Supreme Court ban on public smoking be enforced strictly.

On the occasion, Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar Sri Keshgarh Sahib and director of Guru Har Rai De-addiction Centre, Anandpur Sahib, appealed to all gurdwara and mandir committees, youth clubs and associations to work for drug free elections in the state.

Mr Gursharan Singh, SP (City I), presented talk on ‘Drugs and legal framework’. He said the interaction among the parents and kids had reduced and the youth had no means to ease mental tensions. He said the Drug and Cosmetic Act be made cognizable and non-bailable.

Principal Ram Singh, chief organiser, emphasised on providing alternatives to drugs in order to launch and effective prevention drive. He said the fight against drugs was a long one and elections were an important phase of the decisive battle.

Mr Gurmit Singh, chief secretary, called for active participation of women in the fight. Mr Jatinder Pal Singh, deputy chief organiser, expressed concern over the nexus between drugs and money laundering. Mr Inderpal Singh, also deputy chief organiser, said a team of volunteers from different NGOs would soon visit all districts of the state in order to mobilise public opinion against drug use during elections.

Dr R. Kala, clinical psychologist, delivered talk on a need for constant and effective counselling of detoxified patients. Dr Deepinder Singh, Prof Sarabjeet Singh, Dr G.P Singh, Principal Manjit Kaur, Ms Paramjeet Kaur and Mr Jasbir Singh were other resource persons on the occasion.

Daily-wage employees hold march
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, December 18
In response to a call given by the Daily-wage and Work charge Ad hoc Employees Action Committee, hundreds of daily-wage and ad hoc employees took out a protest march on scooters, motor cycles, tempos and other vehicles from Jodhan village to Dehlon today, as a part of their ongoing agitation in support of their demand for regularisation of their services.

Mr Balaur Singh, chairman, Mr Baljinder Singh Grewal, president and Mr Rajinder Singh, secretary of the Ludhiana zone of the action committee, who led the march termed this part of agitation as a mass movement against the ruling SAD-BJP government, aimed at exposing its anti-employees policies.

Addressing the protesters before the commencement of the march at Grain Market Jodhan, the state convener of the action committee Mr Karamjit Beehla lambasted the government for adopting an adamant attitude towards the genuine demand of the agitating employees. He said despite an uninterrupted agitation at Matka chowk in Chandigarh for the past four months, the government had not bothered to give a sympathetic ear to the daily-wage and work charge employees.

Mr Beehla made a fervent appeal to workers, employees and students to express solidarity with the toiling working class and show the ruling coalition the door in the coming Assembly elections.

Several key functionaries of the action committee, including Mr Ranbir Toose, press secretary, Ludhiana zone, Mr Gurdip Chand, Mr Nirpjeet, Mr Jasbir Khokhar, Mr Varinder, Mr Simarjit Singh Pandher, Mr Ravinderpal Singh Baroondi, Mr Harvinder Chachradi, Mr Balbir Singh, Mr Raj Singh and Mr Maghar Singh addressed the protesters at various places between Jodhan and Dehlon.

The speakers charged the government with adopting double standards. “On the one hand, octroi has been abolished after grant of free power and water facility to farmers, on the other hand, posts in government departments are not being filled on the pretext of financial constraints,” they said. They further rued that the issue of regularisation of ad hoc employees was a part of the election manifesto of the ruling combine during 1997 elections, but no action had been taken so far.

Forgotten hero of Goa’s liberation
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 18
Major Shivdev Singh Sidhu is one of the many heroes, the country seems to have forgotten. He laid down his life during the Goan liberation exactly 41 years ago on December 19, 1960. He left behind his wife and three daughters all of whom are married to defence personnel.

After the instrument of surrender was signed, Major Sidhu along with Capt Vijay Sehgal went for setting free the political prisoners in a Goan jail. The Portugese were still guarding the jail. When he asked them to retreat, as the Portugese had already surrendered, they did so initially but when Major Sidhu was coming out, unmindful of the fact that the Portugese soldiers guarding the jail would betray him, he was shot from behind along with Capt Sehgal. Both lost their lives, while trying to save the jail inmates.

Unfortunately neither the Goan Government, nor the Government of India cared to raise any memorial in honour of the two great heroes. There is only a mention on a memorial stone in the jail premises which mentions the sacrifice of Major Sidhu and Captain Sehgal. This was pointed out recently by senior Akali leader and former minister, Mr Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, who happens to be a nephew of Major Sidhu, during his visit to Goa. He regretted that the heroes, who had sacrificed their lives to remove the last traces of colonial remains had unfortunately been forgotten.

However, Major Sidhu’s wife Ms Shivinder Sidhu has no grudges against anyone. “Soldiers do not die for personal memorial and honours, they live and die for the honour of the country and in that mission my husband succeeded. What else should I want”, observes Ms Sidhu, while recalling the martyrdom of her husband. She was only 30 at the time she lost her husband.

Born in a Jat Sikh family in Sidhwan Khurd village, Major Sidhu was commissioned into Army during World War II. His father Mohinder Singh Sidhwan was a great freedom fighter and one of the co-authors of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee Act, who remained a member of the SGPC executive for over three decades. Major Sidhu had the distinction of taking the tank to highest Zojila Pass in Jammu and Kashmir. A book Hero of Zojila has also been written on him.

The three daughters of Major Sidhu are married to Army officers. One of his sons-in-law, Lt Gen G.S. Sahota is the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command. One of his daughters is herself a Colonel (doctor) in the Army. His wife Shivinder feels proud to be the wife of a great martyr and it is this pride that prompted her to marry off all her daughters to Army officers only.

Young Voice
Devoted to the cause of art

Gur Reet Pal Singh Brar

He yearns to do something to stop the commercialisation of art that he feels is being exploited at the hands of certain selfish persons. Gur Reet Pal Singh Brar, a student of Punjab Agricultural University, is a poet, an amateur theatre activist and is doing well in studies as well.

A poem written by him on the condition of the debt-ridden farmers had won him the award for Best Poem of Punjab Agricultural University. He has been writing poems that reflect the sensitivity of his mind and his feelings about the helpless people or victims of some tragedy.

He has been participating in various one act plays and skits. He has the credit of participating in six Kakkar Memorial Inter-College Youth Festivals, three Agrifests and has been awarded with the university merit certificate and decorated with College and University Color. He scored more than 75 per cent marks in BSc in Agriculture and was placed in the merit list in his Matric examination. He feels very strongly about the need to promote art and culture in Ludhiana.

“Young minds have the tendency to change the world if they are shown the right direction to channelise their energies. I will do my best to bring together such young minds with incessant energies to work for the betterment of art,” he says.

Devotees take part in nagar kirtan
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, December 18
Devotees from various parts of the city participated in a nagar kirtan held on the eve of Martyrdom Day of Guru Teg Bahadur here today.

Schoolchildren and various kirtan jathas participated in the kirtan which started from Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran, Field Ganj and passed through various parts of Chaura Bazaar. The jathas followed Panj Pyaras and the bir of Guru Granth Sahib. Some of the devotees also played gatka along the way. Shopkeepers arranged langars and tea stalls at various places.