Hailed as the new VC

The appointment of Dr Arvind Dhillon (in pic) as VC of Punjabi University, Patiala, has been hailed by the area residents. Dr Arvind belongs to Ekal Gadda village of Tarn Taran district which has given birth to a number of intelligent persons. This is one of the first few villages of the state known for better education facilities since Independence. The village has Government Senior Secondary School. Dr Harsharan Singh, father of world famous physicist Dr Arvind, was the first MBBS graduate from the village. His mother, who died some time back, had retired from the Children Welfare Department, Punjab. Baba Baldev Singh, follower of the Kar Sewa sect, Khadoor Sahib, said though Prof. Arvind most of the time served in international-level institutions but he remained frequent visitor to the educational institutions being run by the sect in Khadoor Sahib to interact with students to boost their morale. The family of Dr Arvind had its movable and immovable property in the village. Anokh Singh, Manjinder Singh, residents of Ekal Gadda village, said he had made the village proud by getting the top post.

Homecoming for farmers after 143 days

Farmer organisations belonging to this border district have been playing a remarkable role in the ongoing farmer agitation at Delhi borders. Though the agitation had entered in its fifth month, the enthusiasm among the farmers and their supporters was still alive. The state-level leadership of as many as seven farmer organisations had been playing a leading role in the agitation. A number of top leaders have been staying in Delhi since its start from November 2020 and had not visited their families since the start of the agitation. As many as 20 farmers had ‘sacrificed’ their lives while participating in the morcha. Harbhajan Singh, a resident of Shukarchak Cheema village, leader of the Zamhoori Kisan Sabha, visited his home this week after staying for 143 days in Delhi protest site. He was given warm welcome by villagers and a special gathering was organised at the village gurdwara to honour him. Harbhajan Singh, while sharing his experience in Delhi morcha, said the Central Government had spared no stone unturned to defame the farmer agitation with all its repressive tactics to torpedo the protest. He said the stand of the Central Government had made the farmers thinking more mature and rigid. He said the farmers would continue their protest until the laws were repealed. Harbhajan Singh said that after harvesting wheat crop he would be part of the agitation again. The villagers honoured him with a siropa and prayed for his better health and long life. Hardeep Singh, leader of the sabha while addressing on behalf of the villagers, said that Harbhajan Singh had a special affection for the common causes and was ready to contribute maximum for the society.

It’s poll time, again!

The district administration is geared up for the Nagar Council, Tarn Taran, elections which were not held with civic body elections held in the month of February in the state. The local government had increased the number of wards from the existing 23 to 25 for the Municipal Council poll. The boundaries of Tarn Taran Nagar Council had been extended to nearby Tharu, Kakka Kandiala and Malia villages after making Kajikot Khurd, Muradpur, Bachre, Jodhpur (partially) part of the city. Previously, the election of the Nagar Council was held when there was SAD-BJP government in the state. The ruling Congress had failed to open its account in the 23-member house. In that election BJP candidates had won from seven wards and the remaining 16 wards were bagged by the SAD. At the time of 2017 Vidhan Sabha election, all seven BJP councillors lost to the Congress. The fight in the Nagar Council election would be very interesting this time as in the last decade it was rare occasion when the ruling Congress had won the heart of town residents. The SAD, AAP, BJP and other splinter groups are fighting it alone, and this would go in Congress’s favour.

(Contributed by Gurbaxpuri)