HC: Bridge town-village divide

Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 20

The Punjab and Haryana High Court wants cultural differences between urban and rural people to go. For bridging the cultural gap, it has suggested a YouTube music channel. 

  Extending the scope of a petition filed by one Jugraj Singh, Justice Ritu Bahri has issued a slew of directions to Punjab and Haryana to empower those living in villages, especially women, to bring them on a par with their city counterparts. 

She suggested that a YouTube “application” could be developed “by associating children in villages in the backdrop of music and dance so that the urban population can connect with the residents of villages”. She also suggested updating mobile apps giving details of welfare schemes from time to time. 

Justice Bahri was hearing Jugraj’s plea for regular bail in an abetment to suicide case registered at Boha police station in Mansa. Initiating suo motu proceedings to prevent women from ending their life, she asked the Legal Service Authority to disseminate information to “poor villagers” on government schemes.

Justice Bahri has already opened a chapter on extra-curricular activities by asking Punjab to take urban students to villages for sharing books, toys and snacks and to consider the role of educational institutions in adopting villages for fair implementation of welfare schemes.