The Tribune – Pakistan Sikhs seek citizenship

G S Paul, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 25. Niranjeet Kaur and her schoolmate Satya have completed plus two from a local school but are clueless about their future prospects because they have been summoned again to their native town of Peshawar in Pakistan for visa formalities before seeking admission in a college.

Their elders, who have been on petty jobs for over a decade here, would have to accompany them them back to Peshawar to furnish documents to seek extension for their stay in India.

Today, 20 such Pakistani Sikh families, on an initiative taken by Surinder Kumar Billa, president, All-India Hindu Shiv Sena, assembled at the Durgiana Temple complex, urging the Indian Government to grant them Indian citizenship on the plea that they had been living here for over 15 years now.

As Pakistani nationals, they have to go back to Pakistan once every five years to get their passports renewed and every second year to the New Delhi Embassy for their stay permit. “We are scared. Whenever we go back to Pakistan, we are subjected to humiliation by the Pakistani officials. Moreover, life over there is hell, especially for girls. The education scenario is very bad. We demand that the Indian Government grant us citizenship”, said 18-year-old Niranjeet, who came here when she was three.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110926/punjab.htm#7

The Tribune – Fight Against Female Foeticide; Patiala doctor’s efforts start bearing fruit

Gagan K Teja, Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 25. Having focused on her aim of saving the girl child for the past 15 years now, the dedication of Patiala paediatrician Dr Harshinder Kaur has finally started bearing fruit with a large number of students both in India and abroad joining her fight against female foeticide and dowry system.

The United Nations, Geneva, during June 2011 session conferred the title of the “International Women Rights Activist” on Dr Kaur for her efforts for checking this practice.

During her visit to Toronto in April 2011, she was able to motivate 2,500 university students against female foeticide and they gathered under her slogan “Hail the Girl Child” and promised that they would neither give nor accept dowry.

A signature campaign was also initiated in this regard and for this achievement, Dr Kaur was honoured with the lifetime achievement award in the Canadian Parliament.

Talking to The Tribune, Dr Kaur said it was nice to see youngsters come forward to support the cause.

“Dowry and female foeticide are the most common problems these days not just in India but abroad as well. Therefore, it is really important to engage youngsters in such missions, as they are the ones who can actually bring changes in society,” she added.

When questioned about her recent visit to Vancouver, she said around 250 more students from Kwantlen College joined her “No dowry campaign”. Meanwhile, a Hollywood Movie “Roaring Silence” based on Dr Kaur’s book “Female Foeticide – A Curse” was introduced at the Cannes Film Festival this year and was displayed in the Cannes Magazine.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110926/punjab.htm#6

The Tribune – Ahead of poll, parties trying to cash in on clemency for Bhullar

Naveen S Garewal, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 25. With the row over clemency for Devinderpal Singh Bhullar hotting up, all major political parties in Punjab, where Assembly elections are due early next year, are using the issue to outscore each other.

The SAD has already pledged to table a resolution in the coming Assembly session seeking clemency for Bhullar, who is a on a death row.

However, its alliance partner, the BJP, has cleared its intentions of not supporting any such resolution. Unhappy with its ally, the SAD patron and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal yesterday said he would like to consult the Congress leadership on the clemency issue.

The Congress, on the other hand, does not wish to commit itself in “favour” or “against” capital punishment. Today, state Congress chief and former CM Amarinder Singh cleverly tried to wriggle out of the situation by saying that Badal’s move “is politically motivated” and the Congress will not bite the bait.

Bhullar is said to have masterminded a blast in Delhi in 1993 that was aimed at killing former All-India Youth Congress president Maninderjit Singh Bitta. Bitta had escaped unhurt, but several others had died in the explosion.

With Assembly poll in February, no political party wants to annoy any section of the society on Bhullar issue. Hence, a fine balancing act is at work. Badal has exerted pressure on its ally BJP by seeking the Congress’ help. The BJP’s plea is that it is against commuting of capital punishment in general. If the BJP supports the SAD on Bhullar’s mercy plea and opposes the mercy plea for Afzal Guru and others, it would be accused of double standards. However, if it does not go with the SAD, the rift between the alliances partners is bound to get widened. This is not something the BJP or the SAD would want.

Amarinder has made the Congress stand clear that it does not want any resolution in the Assembly as the matter is pending in the Supreme Court. Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, however, wants Bhullar hanged.

Apparently, taking cue from Tamil Nadu, where the Assembly passed a resolution seeking clemency for Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins and Jammu and Kashmir where the Assembly has admitted a private member’s resolution seeking clemency for the Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, Badal also tried to adopt a similar course. He, however, knows well that an Assembly resolution holds no legal binding for anyone.

But now it will be very difficult for Badal to table such a resolution in the Assembly. It cannot afford to move a resolution, which would be opposed by its alliance partner. Worse, with the Congress also opposing it, it runs the risk of facing defeat on the floor of the house. Now Badal has limited options as he cannot take the risk of tabling a resolution that might get defeated, leading to a constitutional crisis. A government getting defeated on the floor of the House will automatically have to resign, a proposition Badal can ill-afford.

Congress noncommittal

The Congress does not wish to commit itself in “favour” or “against” capital punishment. Punjab Congress chief and former CM Amarinder Singh on Sunday tried to wriggle out of the situation by saying that Badal’s move “is politically motivated” and the Congress will not bite the bait.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110926/main3.htm

The Asian Age – Mumbai airport under high terror alert

26 September 2011. The Mumbai international airport was on Sunday put under heightened security alert following inputs from central intelligence agencies about a possible airborne attack on the country’s busiest airport. The alert was issued from New Delhi.

Without identifying any terror group that could possibly strike at the Mumbai airport, the Intelligence Bureau report said it could be like a 9/11 attack on the WTC. However, when contacted, a senior official of the Air Intelligence Unit at the Mumbai airport, as well the Sahar police, under whose jurisdiction the airport falls, said they had not received any fresh intelligence inputs from the IB since Friday.

Earlier, the IB had warned that a small plane could be used to carry out an airborne terror attack on the Mumbai airport. (PTI)

http://www.asianage.com/india/mumbai-airport-under-high-terror-alert-312 n

The Netherlands : Den Haag – Rotterdam – Amsterdam 2 till 12 September 2011

Mostly pictures of gurdwaras, trains and trams taken during my recent visit to the Netherlands

4 September, Guru Nanak Dev Gurdwara, Rotterdam
You can just about see the Nishan Sahib on the roof

4 September, Guru Nanak Dev Gurdwara, Rotterdam

4 September, Guru Nanak Dev Gurdwara, Rotterdam

4 September, Guru Nanak Dev Gurdwara, Rotterdam
Kirtan

Gurdwara Siri Guru Nanak Dev Ji
Ottergracht 6
3064 LN Rotterdam-Kralingse Veer

To see more pictures of Gurdwaras and sangat in the Netherlands :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622147381380/

More Netherlands pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
 Man in Blue

The Tribune – On green track, Delhi Metro earns carbon credits

New Delhi, September 25. The Delhi Metro has been certified by the United Nations as the first metro rail-based system in the world to get carbon credits for contributing to the fight against climate change by reducing pollution levels in the city.

The organisation has also earned carbon credits worth Rs 47 crore annually for the next seven years.

With nearly 20 lakh people taking the new-age transport system every day, the Metro has helped reduce pollution and emission of green house gases as it is a completely non-polluting and environment-friendly system.

“Thus, the DMRC has helped in reduction in emission of harmful gases into the city’s atmosphere and the United Nations Body administering the clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol has certified that DMRC has reduced emissions,” Delhi Metro spokesman Anuj Dayal said.

Thus, Dayal said, the organisation earned carbon credits worth about Rs 47 crore annually for the next seven years and with the increase in number of passengers, this figure would only increase.

No other Metro in the world could get the carbon credit because of the very stringent requirement of the United Nations Body to provide conclusive documentary proof of reduction in emissions. “It is difficult to give documentary proof of the difference of energy consumption of two scenarios – with Metro and without Metro. The DMRC proposed an innovative method of proving the emissions using sampling techniques. After rigorous persuasion, the UN body has finally agreed with this technique as it is very scientific in nature,” Dayal said.

The Delhi Metro has helped remove more than 91,000 vehicles from the roads of Delhi daily. Metro complements other modes of transport and replaces partially trips made by conventional or traditional means of transit, Dayal said.

The CDM project replaces trips made by conventional transport modes with Metro, being a more efficient, faster, safer and more reliable transport means. Emission reductions are achieved through reducing GHG emissions per passenger-kilometer, comparing conventional modes of transport with Metro, Dayal said. The resource efficiency of transporting passengers in Delhi by Metro has improved. It means emissions per passenger kilometer are reduced.

This is the second CDM project from the DMRC to be registered with the UN body in the last three years. The DMRC’s first CDM project on regenerative braking had also achieved many international firsts apart from earning valuable foreign exchange for the country. (PTI)

The Change Agent

The Delhi Metro has helped in removing more than 91,000 vehicles from the roads of the city daily.

It has resulted in a significant reduction in pollution levels and emission of green house gases, which directly contribute to global warming.

No other Metro in the world could get carbon credits because of the very stringent requirement of the UN body to provide conclusive proof of reduction in emissions.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110926/main7.htm

BBC News – Six charged with terrorism offences (UK)

25 September 2011

Six men have been charged with terrorism offences, including a suspected suicide bombing campaign, West Midlands Police have said.

Four of the men were charged with preparing for an act of terrorism in the UK, and two with failing to disclose information.

It follows a police operation in Birmingham last week.

The six, all from Birmingham and aged between 25 and 32, will appear at West London Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Irfan Nasser, 30, of Sparkhill, and Irfan Khalid, 26, of Balsall Heath, are accused of preparing for an act of terrorism, including travelling to Pakistan for training in terrorism, making a martyrdom video and planning a bombing campaign.

They are accused of constructing a home-made explosive device for terrorist acts and stating an intention to be a suicide bomber.

Seventh man

Ashik Ali, 26, of Balsall Heath, is accused of preparing for an act of terrorism, which involved planning a bombing campaign, providing premises for the planning of terrorist attack and stating an intention to be a suicide bomber.

Rahin Ahmed, 25, of Moseley, is accused of helping fund terrorist acts.

Mohammed Rizwan, 32, and Bahader Ali, 28, both of Sparkbrook, are both charged with failing to disclose information about potential acts of terrorism.

It is alleged that between 29 July and 19 September this year, both had information which they knew may help prevent the commission of an act of terrorism but did not disclose the information.

Mr Ali is also charged with providing money for the purposes of terrorism.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between Christmas Day 2010 and 19 September this year.

A seventh man from the city, aged 20, who was arrested on Thursday, continues to be questioned. Officers have until 29 September to charge, release or apply for further time.

The men were arrested as part of an operation carried out by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit. The arrests were unarmed, pre-planned and intelligence-led.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15054790