Punjab Diary: Navjot Sidhu on world affairs

Gurdaspur: Former PCC chief Navjot Sidhu, addressing a press conference at Dera Baba Nanak after visiting Kartarpur shrine in Pakistan last week, spoke about the Russia-Ukraine war. He feels the United Nations must intervene to stop hostilities between the two countries. Not only this war, the UN must play peacemaker whenever any two countries are caught in a conflict, he said. He was speaking with such fluency on world affairs that it seemed he had just attended a refresher course on international relations. Not many are aware that when Sidhu studied in Patiala, he kept a close watch on important events taking place on the world stage.

Batala gets wooden spoon

Gurdaspur: The Municipal Corporation (MC) officials were stunned when the results of Swachh Survekshan-2023 were announced recently. On the eve of the results, these very officials were optimistic that their civic body would find a good rank among the 16 MCs of Punjab. However, when news surfaced that the Batala MC had ended up getting a wooden spoon by being placed last, there was a sense of despondency all around. The writing was on the wall regarding cleanliness in the city — it clearly had got from bad to worse in the last one year. Following the result, there were rumours that heads would roll. An uneasy calm now prevails in the MC, while worried officials play the blame game.

‘Gabbar chala gya’

Pathankot: Whenever previous Deputy Commissioner Harbir Singh would stop his car in city markets and start supervising the removal of encroachments, he would be greeted with shouts of “Gabbar aa gya” from shopkeepers. Last week, after his transfer orders landed on his desk, there was a sense of joy among these shopkeepers — the shouts that now went were joyous: “Khushian manao, Gabbar chala gya.” City residents, however, are not delighted, for they say the DC was doing a good job of decongesting the markets.

Out of the blue

Amritsar: With the Lok Sabha poll around the corner, Sukhbir Singh Badal had stunned everyone by looking far ahead, to the 2027 Assembly election, when he gave the assurance that SGPC member Jodh Singh Samra would be the SAD candidate for the Ajnala segment three years later. In the short erm, the SAD is holding ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra’ ahead of the this year’s General Election. By naming Samra, local leaders said, the Akalis are addressing ‘disgruntlement’ in the segment, from where a two-time former SAD MLA, Amarpal Singh Bony, had resigned and joined the BJP.

A helping hand

Amritsar: Recently, a cop had to take the help of a mediaperson to get a complaint of his stolen motorcycle registered. The cop concerned is in a team of support staff of a former Deputy Commissioner (Law and order). The jurisdiction of the police station where the incident took place led to cops dilly-dallying on registering the case.

Police’s hospitality

Bathinda: Police personnel deployed on night duty will be served tea, coffee and soup, besides boiled eggs, to give them reprieve from instense cold. SSP Harmanbir Singh Gill said theirs is the first district to take such an initiative.

Contributed by Ravi Dhaliwal, Neeraj Bagga, PK Jaiswar and Sukhmeet Bhasin

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