Meensestraat outside Menenpoort (Menen Gate)
Kuldip Singh in blue pag
Meensestraat outside Menenpoort (Menen Gate)
Gurmail Singh, Sevadar
Meensestraat outside Menenpoort (Menen Gate)
Happy Singh, not looking happy
Meensestraat outside Menenpoort (Menen Gate)
Sukhchain Singh with pag !
To see more Ieper pictures go to :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157621976532703/
More Ieper pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 10 The Punjab Cabinet has approved a comprehensive policy for the regularisation of unauthorised colonies within municipal limits of various cities in the state.
A decision to this effect was taken here at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal late in the evening.
A Punjab Government spokesperson said that in view of the problems of the general public, a policy had been framed under which the local municipal institutions concerned would identify and demarcate the unauthorised colonies being developed along the existing developed areas.
The identification would ensure that no unauthorised colonies may be developed in future. The municipal institutions concerned would approve the building plans in the demarcated areas after charging requisite development fee from the colonisers.
The Cabinet, however, decided to take strictest possible action against any illegal construction in future in urban areas to curb the practice of developing such colonies.
The Cabinet also gave approval to transfer Parliwala village to Dharamkot sub-division of Moga district after excluding it from Shahkot subdivision of Jalandhar district.
The Cabinet also approved to revert back the possession of 1500 sq yards of land adjacent to Shaheed Udham Singh Bhawan at Bhagtan Wala Gate in Amritsar to the state government from the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company and to allot it further to Shaheed Udham Singh Trust.
The Cabinet also approved to reduce the purchase tax from 5 per cent to 2.5 per cent on sugarcane. However, 10 per cent surcharge would be levied as charged earlier. The Cabinet also decided to slash VAT from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent on household items used with hand.
10 December 2011
The Pakistan Taliban is in peace talks with the country’s government, the group’s deputy commander has said.
Maulvi Faqir Mohammad said the focus was on the Bajaur tribal area bordering Afghanistan, and that if successful, talks could be extended to other areas.
He said 145 Taliban prisoners had been freed as a goodwill gesture and the authorities wanted a ceasefire.
It is the first time a top Taliban commander has confirmed negotiations. There has been no government comment.
“Our talks are going in the right direction,” Reuters news agency quotes Mr Mohammad as saying.
The BBC’s Orla Guerin in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, says that in the past such negotiations have backfired allowing the militants time to re-group.
There are also doubts about whether or not any possible peace treaty would be observed by all of the factions in the Pakistan Taliban, which is an increasingly fractured alliance, she says.
In October, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik said talks would only be held if the group disarmed.
The Pakistani army has conducted a series of offensives against strongholds of the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehrik-e-Taliban, along the mountainous border with Afghanistan.
But it has failed to curtail the activities of the group, which has ties to al-Qaeda.
Militants in Pakistan have carried out a series of devastating suicide bombings and other attacks across the country since 2007 in an attempt to overthrow the US-backed government.
Ehsan Fazili, Tribune News Service
Srinagar, December 9 Even as liquor flows “covertly” in the Kashmir valley after a “ban” was imposed on it by separatists with the eruption of militancy two decades ago, the recent suggestion of Union minister Farooq Abdullah on opening liquor shops and cinema halls to give a boost to tourism and economy has led to a religious and moral debate over the issue.
Protest demonstrations were held in various parts of the city and elsewhere in the Valley after the Friday prayers today in response to a call given by chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Geelani.
Geelani had called for “peaceful demonstrations” after the prayers and has declared that the conglomeration (All Party Hurriyat Conference) would continue to campaign for total ban on the use of liquor in the state. “This is (consumption of liquor) unIslamic and immoral and a place like Kashmir cannot be used for such immoral activities,” he said.
The moderate APHC chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has also condemned the remarks of National Conference president Farooq Abdullah. Addressing the Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid here today, Mirwaiz said liquor was the root cause of several evils. He added that the ruling party’s approach towards liquor was condemnable.
With the eruption of militancy in Kashmir over two decades ago, the sale of liquor in the open market became the target of militants in 1990. “There is a misconception over the issue as the sale of liquor is not banned in Kashmir,” said an official.
With the Assembly elections in 1996, there was a gradual change in the security scenario. During Farooq Abdulah’s regime after the 1996 elections, one of the oldest cinema halls, Broadway, was reconstructed and opened but had to be closed after a poor response from the viewers. Later the Regal cinema also reopened, but had to be closed after the first show as a grenade attack on it claimed one life and injured several other viewers. Neelam cinema had been functional for many years, but shut down after the summer unrest last year.
The initial tirade against liquor trade was launched by a youth known as “Air Marshal Noor Khan”, who had the support of religious leaders.
At present, only four liquor shops with proper licences are selling liquor in Srinagar, officials said, adding that three of these are located in the boulevard area of the Dal Lake and one at Sonwar. Both these areas fall in security zones and are popular with tourists.
Besides these liquor shops, some of the hotels in the high security zones are running bars for visitors. Official records suggest that there has been a growing trend towards consumption of liquor during the past few years. This increase in consumption could be attributed to the flow of tourists to the Valley.
According to government figures, the Valley consumed liquor worth Rs 19.39 crore in 2009-10 as compared to Rs 12.59 crore in 2008-09.
Aman Sood, Tribune News Service
Patiala, December 9 With assembly elections round the corner in the state, the police is taking stringent measures to check flow of drugs from nearby states in the district. The district police had seized 150 quintal poppy husk and whopping 325 kg opium in the past few months, which speaks volumes about this trade.
The recent recoveries, especially of opium and poppy husk, have astonished not only the state police, but also the intelligence agencies. With elections almost a couple of months away, demand for the drugs is all time high in the state.
Following recent recoveries of drugs from numerous persons in the recent past, the district police has started a special campaign to check the flow of drugs in Punjab, especially through Patiala as a ‘transit route’. With hard work, the police was able to crack and identify routes and accused involved in this trade.
Patiala SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill told TNS that excess production in Rajasthan and Punjab’s border with Pakistan ensure regular supply of contrabands in Punjab and Patiala is fast emerging as a favourite destination. “We have recently recovered over two quintals of opium and many other drugs, including smack from peddlers,” he said.
An officer deputed with the Crime Investigating Agency confirmed that the peddlers had recently adopted another method of smuggling wherein they use couriers to send contrabands. “Couriers are easily available for a few thousand rupees and once they deliver it in Punjab, the amount they make is big”, he said. “These drugs, beyond doubt, are for the youth and with elections round the corner, their free and regular supply cannot be ruled out. The election commission should also ensure that all districts, especially Ferozepur, Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Bathinda should have special operation cells to check contraband inflow”, claimed a senior police officer.
Asian Age Corespondent
New Delhi, 10 December 2011. Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday turned 66. The first among those who wished her was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Dr Singh called her up on the phone and sent a bouquet to her. Later in the day party leaders and workers thronged her official residence to celebrate the occasion.
Special prayers were offered at a mobile temple outside Mrs Gandhi’s 10, Janpath residence and enthusiastic Congress workers cut huge cakes and distributed it to all gathered there.
A number of party leaders, including Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Reddy, several Union ministers, including external affairs minister S.M. Krishna, members of Parliament K. Keshava Rao, K.S. Rao, Sudarshan Natchiappan and Jammu and Kashmir state Congress chief Saifuddin Soz visited Mrs Gandhi’s residence and greeted her.
A group of party workers had installed a Ganesha idol on a mini-truck and were seen offering prayers for a long and healthy life for the Congress party president.
Mrs Gandhi, however, had appealed to party workers not to take a lot of trouble and spend money to come all the way to Delhi from far off places to greet her.
Despite the appeal, party workers gathered at Mrs Gandhi’s residence since early morning beating drums and taking out processions to celebrate her birthday.
http://www.asianage.com/india/sonia-turns-66-cong-workers-throng-house-230
To the left Theodorus from the Netherlands
Kashmira Singh’s daughter, wife, ex colleague from UK
Meensestraat on the way to Menenpoort (Menen Gate)
Meensestraat outside Menenpoort (Menen Gate)
Meensestraat outside Menenpoort (Menen Gate)
With skyblue pag Amarjit Singh, tabla wala
To see more Ieper pictures go to :
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More Ieper pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue
Government asks Anna to put agitation plans on hold
Hazare to go on 1-day fast tomorrow
Vibha Sharma, Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 9. No Parliamentary document has perhaps generated so much public interest and speculation as the report on the contentious Lokpal Bill, which the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice today submitted to the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.
Chairman Abhishek Singhvi claimed to have completed the complicated task assigned to the panel — examining the Bill and giving recommendations — with 100% agreement on 13 of the 24 issues it set out to scrutinise over two months ago.
But even before Singhvi could complete the formality of tabling the Bill came the criticism from the BJP. It accused Singhvi of unnecessarily binding simple issues in legal complexities, also wondering whether it was an attempt to make passage of the legislation difficult.
Team Anna also rejected the report, saying they would oppose “tooth and nail” the committee’s proposals on the ombudsman. Hazare will go on a one-day fast on Sunday in protest against the Standing Committee proposals.
Claiming that the committee recommendations, if implemented, would increase corruption, Anna Hazare said only Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appeared to be serious about Lokpal.
Describing Rahul Gandhi as the main roadblock to a strong Lokpal, he said: “Since Rahul Gandhi has spoken on the matter, we have doubts that he is pressuring them (committee members). Rahul doesn’t want to end corruption. If corruption ends, their powers will reduce,” Anna said.
Meanwhile, ahead of Anna Hazare’s proposed dharna on Sunday, the government advised Team Anna to wait for the passage of the Bill before going ahead with his agitation plans.
“They should all wait for a decision in Parliament. People can give their views and Parliament takes the decision,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said.
“It amuses and bemuses me that discussions will be held at Jantar Mantar,” Bansal added, saying that issues, if any, should be resolved in an atmosphere of peace and amity and not by vitiating it.
Submitted on International Anti-Corruption Day, the report recommends making the anti-corruption agency – the Lokpal - a Constitutional body. While Group A and B bureaucrats have been kept under the ambit of Lokpal, Group C officials are recommended to be placed under the CVC which would file a quarterly report. Team Anna had batted for the inclusion of the lower bureaucracy under Lokpal. This the government had initially opposed. But Congress members on the panel gave a dissent note demanding that the CVC be placed under Lokpal.
Peshawar: Pakistan’s blockade of the vital US supply line into Afghanistan entered a third week Saturday, the longest closure of the 10-year war with no imminent sign of the border reopening.
Pakistan’s fragile alliance with the United States crashed to new lows two weeks ago on November 26 when Nato air strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in what the Pakistan military called a deliberate attack.
Officials in the northwest, where the main Torkham crossing into Afghanistan is situated, told AFP there were no plans to reopen.
“There is strong public resentment. People are angry about this incident and we cannot take a decision in haste,” one senior security official told AFP.
“Pakistan will reopen the border when public anger cools down and the route is protected,” he added.
Two nights ago, gunmen destroyed at least 34 trucks in a gun and rocket attack on a Nato trucking terminal in Balochistan.
Around 44 oil tankers and goods trucks were parked at the temporary terminal, one of three set up in and around Quetta for stranded vehicles.
While few expect the alliance to break down over the strikes, officials gave AFP no date for reopening the crossing.
“People are still protesting. How can we take this decision in such an atmosphere?” said a security official in the northwest.
On Thursday, around 800 people poured onto the streets in Islamabad, venting fury with the United States and Nato, demanding an end to the unpopular alliance in the war against the Taliban.
“Nato will have to apologise. They will have to provide solid security for the future,” the official added.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/10/nato-blockade-enters-third-week-today.html
8th December 2011, Fresno, California: A 56 year old Sikh preacher, S. Anup Singh was attacked by a 26-year-old white man named Mitchell Dufur at the Fresno airport earlier this week. This terrifying incident has left the Sikh community in a shock. According to the Fresno Police Department, a 56-year old Sikh man from India was seated near the Transportation Security Administration terminal waiting to board his plane when he was stabbed. There was no communication between the victim and the assailant. The Sikh traveller suffered a minor cut to his upper torso, and was treated at the airport prior to resuming his journey back to UK.
United Sikhs team spoke to a Fresno resident Bakhtawar Singh, an eyewitness to this fearsome incident who had gone to drop the victim, Anup Singh. Bhaktawar Singh said, “This young man came forward and lunged at Bhai Saheb, who donned an open flowing beard and hit him with a knife just below the collar bone. Few minutes before the incident, I saw him going towards his bag and taking something out but I didn’t know that he was going to stab. I don’t sport a full flowing beard and don’t look like the images being flashed on TV screens and this may be the reason that I was spared”.
Meanwhile, the medical doctors arrived and Anup Singh Ji was bandaged and he chose to travel to his country, the United Kingdom. According to sources, the assailant has not admitted to any charges and motives for this act as yet and has been charged with minor clauses 1. Carrying weapon at the airport and 2. Assault with weapon. This will allow him to elude from any major punishment for this very heinous crime.
United Sikhs has contacted the local authorities and also elevated this incident at the federal level and will work with them to make sure that justice prevails. Kashmir Singh, Director of United Sikhs, said, “We are in touch with Anup Singh and understand that he was in a state of shock and thanks god who protected him from this not taking a turn that would have cost him his life.”
Anup Singh also said, “I saw hatred in the assailant’s eyes. I urge all Sikhs while travelling to or out of the United States to be careful and alert as this incident has literally shocked all of us. Clearly one can see as to why I was the prime target and no one else around me and it is primarily because of my appearance. Donning our Kakkars (Sikh articles of faith) is our birth right. Its a shame that even today within the United States hatred and prejudice are still prevalent and their casualties are innocent people”
Earlier this year, two elderly Sikh men were gunned down in suburban Sacramento on March 4, Surinder Singh, 65, and Gurtej Atwal, 78 when they were walking through a neighbourhood in Elk Grove. Police are investigating the fatal shooting as a possible hate crime potentially linked to the men’s appearance. Both men wore turbans and long beards.
The incident has once again highlighted the issue of Sikhs being repeatedly targeted for their appearance and dress code. A lot of these incidents also go unreported and that does not help the cause either. Ensure to be cautious while travelling. If you suspect any possible threat which may bring harm to you or people around you, please don’t take it lightly and call 911 to report the incident. Victims of hate crimes and racial profiling are also advised to contact United Sikhs to advocate on their behalf.
You may report a hate/bias crime/incident to United Sikhs at
http://unitedsikhs.org/hatecrime/
Your support is indispensable for United Sikhs to fight for justice and recognize the human race as one.
Support our advocacy work to put an end to hate and discrimination against Sikhs.
Volunteer with United Sikhs, and Donate to our civil rights advocacy projects.
Issued by: Manvinder Singh Legal Advocate United Sikhs
law-usa@unitedsikhs.org
646-688-3525
