The Tribune – Protesting EGS teachers gherao CM, manhandled; Agitators threaten to spoil Badal’s birthday bash today

Archit Watts, Tribune News Service

Gidderbaha, December 7. Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) teachers, mostly women, were manhandled by the police when they gheraoed Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s convoy at Sukhna Ablu village in Muktsar district today.

The incident took place soon after an “unsuccessful” meeting of the EGS teachers’ delegation with the CM at the Government High School in the village, where he held a Sangat Darshan programme.

Accusing the CM of showing dillydallying attitude towards the demands of employment and stern action against the Akali Sarpanch Balwinder Singh “Toti” of Daula village for slapping Varinder Kaur, one of their female colleagues, they blocked the main gate of the school to press for the acceptance of their demands.

Protesting teachers squatted on the road in front of the CM’s cavalcade and raised anti-establishment slogans.

Policemen were seen dragging female teachers by their hair and even hitting them with shoes in order to clear the way for the CM’s cavalcade. Two of the women protesters – Sarbjeet Kaur and Kiranjeet Kaur – were hit by a jammer vehicle of the CM’s convoy. The teachers were left to cry in pain.

Meanwhile, seeing the policemen beating up women teachers, a large number of passers-by rushed to rescue them.

Enraged villagers targeted Gidderbaha DSP Bhupinder Singh as he was leading the police posse assaulting the protesters. One of the villagers hurled shoe at him, hitting him on the neck. The DSP, however, denied this while speaking to media.

Immediately after the CM’s convoy left the village, police reinforcements were rushed in to bring the situation under control.

Varinder Kaur, who was slapped on Sunday by an Akali Sarpanch of Daula village, was again thrashed by cops. The protesters then blocked the Bathinda-Malout national highway (NH-15) at Husnar Chowk. Later, they took out a protest march in the city.

The teachers had threatened to immolate themselves in front of Chief Minister’s residence in Chandigarh tomorrow on the occasion of his birthday.

Talking over the phone, Inder Mohan Singh, SSP Muktsar said, “A case under sections 353, 186, 341, 323, 148 of the IPC has been registered against seven protesters. Six of them, including one women, have been arrested.”

DSP Bhupinder Singh, two female ASIs and a few constables sustained injuries, he added.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111208/main3.htm

The Asian Age – Rahul image on Indira model ?

Manish Anand, Asian Age Corespondent

New Delhi, 8 December 2011. Claiming that the Congress is not getting political mileage for the Centrally sponsored flagship schemes, state party leaders are gearing up to build brand “Rahul Bhaiyya” image on the lines of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The Congress leaders are of the view that they have to drum up in states so that people should know that funds from the Centre are coming to them due to “Rahul Bhaiyya”, as was the popular slogan in south India for “Indira Amma”.

The focus on brand “Rahul Bhaiyya” came during a session held in the “war room” of the Congress on Gurudwara Raqab Ganj Road on flagship schemes, which was attended by concerned ministers, chiefs of 14 state Pradesh Congress Committee and also members of the monitoring committee of the party at the state level.

“The fact is that there is no connect between the Centre and the people on the ground, who is the beneficiary of the schemes. The people think that the money comes from the states. Therefore, it’s time to replicate the popular perception in South India earlier that the money came to them due to Indira Amma for Rahul Bhaiyya,” said a Congress leader who attended the session on Wednesday.

A delegate from Rajasthan told ministers, sources said, that a new scheme should be announced before consulting the state Congress leaders so that proper atmosphere could be created for having got it due to “Rahul Bhaiyya”.

The session was attended by Union minister for rural development Jairam Ramesh, who reportedly told the Congress leaders that the Centre could not do much due to federal arrangement and even pointed out that despite complaints of financial irregularities a CBI probe could not be initiated without the concurrence of the state government or a court order.

A delegate of Madhya Pradesh reportedly said in the session that the state government is still using the photographs of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in projects executed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY).

The delegates, sources said, told the ministers that they need to improve the monitoring of the implementation of the flagship schemes. A number of Congress leaders told Mr Ramesh that the Centre should take steps to increase the wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, sources added.

http://www.asianage.com/india/rahul-image-indira-model-817

Sint-Truiden Guru Nanak Nagar Kirtan 23 October & Ieper 11 November 2011

 The two last Nagar Kirtan pictures

Stapelstraat

Grote Markt – my two young brothers 

Commemoration of those that gave their lives in World War I
Ieper (Ypres) 11 November 2011

Early in the morning 
Kuldip Singh and Amrik Singh in Gurdwara Sahib

 Early in the morning
Malkit Singh on the phone

To see more Sint-Truiden Gurdwara related pictures go to :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157624495772533/  

More Nagar Kirtan pictures to follow  
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – RS condemns Milan incident; Turban issue raised during Zero Hour by SAD member Gujral

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 7 The Rajya Sabha condemned the incidents of Sikhs being forced to remove their turbans in the name of security, particularly in Italy, in one voice today. Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan, who was in the Chair when the issue was raised during Zero Hour, joined the members in condemning the disrespect shown to the Sikh turban.

The issue was raised by Shiromani Akali Dal member Naresh Gujral, who referred to the latest incident involving Jet Airways commander Ravijodh Singh at the Milan airport. Khan said, “The entire House joins in condemning this incident and this should be conveyed to the government”.

Gujral said the Sikhs were being publicly humiliated. While seeking government intervention in checking the recurrence of such incidents, Gujral said, “This has outraged the Sikh community worldwide”.

He was of the view that the government should urgently summon the Italian Ambassador and convey to him in unequivocal terms the anger of the community over the matter. “The government has to ensure that the brave Sikhs are not insulted again and again,” he said.

He was joined on the issue by Deputy Leader of the BJP in the House SS Ahluwalia, who termed the incidents as “highly condemnable”. He pointed out that the turban had religious significance and could not be removed and screened through X-rays like caps. “This should be condemned”, he said, pointing out that this was happening to the citizens of the country where the Prime Minister, a Sikh, wore a turban.

“The government is not taking it seriously,” Ahluwalia said and referred to other such incidents including one involving India ‘s former Ambassador in the US Meera Shankar. The BJP member said that the government should take immediate steps to ensure that the Sikhs were not humiliated anywhere in the world on the pretext of security.

He demanded that the Italian Ambassador be summoned to convey the hurt felt by the Sikh community. Akali Del leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa echoed similar sentiments.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111208/punjab.htm#8

Dawn – Bilawal, Gilani jointly chair PPP leaders meeting

7 December 2011

Islamabad: Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PPP’s Vice Chairman Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani jointly presided over a meeting of the senior party leadership present in Islamabad at the Prime Minister House on Wednesday evening.

Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said that the meeting discussed issues relating to the Nato air strikes, the forthcoming Senate elections and the steps for the implementation of the pledge made by the party to meet the longstanding demand of the people for Saraiki province.

The meeting decided that the Joint Session of the Parliament would be called as soon as the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security are finalized.

It was also decided that soon after the return of the PPP Co- Chairman, President Asif Ali Zardari, applications would be invited from the party workers for the Senate elections.

The meeting asked the manifesto committee to expedite finalization of its report on the Saraiki province.

Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari lauded the courageous stand promptly taken by the Government on the Nato air strikes.

He also appreciated the measures taken by the Government and the party to meet the genuine aspirations of the people of Pakistan.

The meeting was attended by Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Hina Rabbani Khar, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Syed Khursheed Shah, Dr Babar Awan, Syed Naveed Qamar, Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Sherry Rehman, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Jahangir Badar, Farhatullah Babar, Rukhsana Bangash and Hashaam Sheikh.

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/07/bilawal-gilani-jointly-chair-ppp-leaders-meeting.html