The Tribune – Disrespect to ‘Birs’ in Italy; Akal Takht announces punishment for guilty

Recommends registration of police case against miscreants who showed black flags to PM
Amitabh issue deferred

G S Paul, Tribune News Service. Amritsar, January 3. The Akal Takht here today held the members of Italy-based National Sikh Dharam Parchar Committee (NSDPC) guilty of showing disrespect to Sri Guru Granth Sahib and misbehaving with the SGPC officials who had gone there (to Italy) to distribute 450 Birs (holy scriptures).

Led by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh, the five high priests directed the guilty to clean footwear and wash utensils of devotees who partake ‘langar’ at a path they have been told to hold at Vakanza gurdwara in Italy. They were also directed to appear again before the Akal Takht to pay obeisance and offer ‘karah prasad’ of Rs 1,100.

Also, the high priests recommended registration of a police complaint against the voluntary organisation supporting civil activist Anna Hazare for showing black flags to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his recent visit to the Golden Temple.

The hearing on another key issue, alleged involvement of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan in provoking anti-Sikh riots, was deferred.

It was for the first time that following a request from Italian gurdwaras that 450 holy ‘saroops’ were transported to the foreign nation as ‘tourists’ on April 19. The Birs were sent in special vehicles up to Mumbai from where they were sent to Italy by ship with an SGPC delegation, which included general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, secretary Dalmegh Singh and information officer Dalbir Singh Fauji.

The issue raked controversy when upon returning, the delegation submitted a complaint of misbehaviour and non-cooperation by NSDPC officer bearers.

The NSDPC members too levelled allegations against the SGPC delegation. Following this, the Jathedar summoned NSDPC head Harwant Singh to appear before the Akal Takht secretariat today to pronounce the verdict.

On the black flags shown to the PM, the Jathedar said it was a breach of VVIP security. “The PM was here on a personal visit, not with any political motive. It was not proper on the part of a handful of miscreants who disturbed the peace and sanctity of the Golden Temple. We recommend registration of a police case,” he said.

Meanwhile, the high priests also advocated that no one would be allowed to script Sri Guru Granth Sahib without the prior permission from the SGPC.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120104/punjab.htm#12

The Tribune – Kapurthala DC told to serve notice on Bibi Jagir Kaur

Kanchan Vasdev, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 3. The Election Commission today directed Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner to issue a notice to Bibi Jagir Kaur, former SGPC president and SAD candidate from Bholath assembly constituency, over a complaint pertaining to her son-in-law urging schoolchildren to ask their parents to vote the SAD to power again if they wanted the grants to the school to continue.

Jagir Kaur’s son-in-law, Bhupinder Singh, known as Yuvraj in the constituency, allegedly misused government premises and announced a grant of Rs 21,000 to Government Senior Secondary School, Bholath. He later asked the students to ensure that the SAD returned to power. Usha Sharma, Additional Chief Electoral Officer, said it was a clear violation of the code of conduct.

“We have issued a notice to the school headmistress as well as Bibi Jagir Kaur asking them to explain why government premises were misused and an announcement of a grant was made, said Paramjit Singh, Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner. The action followed in the wake of a complaint made by sitting MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira who enclosed the video footage of the function in which Yuvraj was clearly heard announcing a grant and making a political speech.

He was speaking at a function organised by Krishan Kumar Kakkar Cricket Club on the school premises.

Meanwhile, Chief Electoral Officer Kusumjit Sidhu has asked the state government not to allow ADGP Mohd Mustafa and former Principal Secretary DS Guru’s wife to go on leave. Guru, whose wife is a Medical Officer in a government hospital in Chandigarh, is contesting from Bhadaur assembly segment on the SAD ticket. Mohd Mustafa’s wife, Razia Sultana, is a probable Congress candidate for Malerkotla seat.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120104/punjab.htm#2

The Asian Age – Omar meets slain student’s family

Yusuf Jameel, Age Correspondent

Srinagar, 4 January 2012. Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday visited the home of the Class 12 student killed in CISF firing during a protest over erratic power supply outside NHPC office at Boniyar, Uri, near the Line of Control and admitted the circumstances of the death are “tragic, shocking and inexcusable”.

The chief minister was confronted by angry crowds and while returning from the slain youth’s home his cavalcade was attacked with stones by angry residents at Boniyar bazaar, about 100 km northwest of here, witnesses said.

He flew into Boniyar from winter capital Jammu in a helicopter and then walked to the house of the slain youth at Sakin Brinyat at a distance of 2 km from the helipad to console the bereaved family and assure justice.

Meanwhile, CISF chief N.R. Das on Tuesday visited the firing spot and said his force will conduct a parallel internal inquiry into the incident.

He promised that the guilty will be punished. Mr Das said initial reports suggested that his men were “outnumbered” at the protest site.

The chief minister told villagers who had gathered outside the residence of 19-year-old Altaf Ahmed Sood and were furious at his “brutal murder” that the incident could not be described in any other words in an apparent attempt to pacify them.

He said, “Altaf Ahmed’s death is a clear-cut case of murder. It is unfortunate that he was gunned down when he had books in his hands and was returning from a tuition class. He was shot twice in chest. He was murdered. There is no other way of terming this incident.”

The local police has arrested five CISF personnel on charge of murder.

Later, the chief minister told a national television channel in an interview that the protests over the erratic power supply are genuine. “Their anger is genuine. Our response was wrong,” he said, adding, “You don’t deal with a genuine protest the way you did… this was not a protest for azadi, this was not a protest for Pakistan. This was a protest for genuine demand that people have for electricity.”

http://www.asianage.com/india/omar-meets-slain-student-s-family-417

November visit to UK 14/11 till 21/11; many pictures of trains !

20/11 Northwood, Iron bridge, bus 282
I travelled from Hayes on bus 140 and bus 282 to Northwood

20/11 Northwood, Iron bridge, Metropolitan Line and Chiltern Railways
Bridge maintenance

Northwood Metropolitan station
Mostly served by trains to/from Watford

Northwood Metropolitan station
Southbound train

To see more UK public transport pictures go to :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157611244941713/  

More UK pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – Total disregard for SC norms led to Ambala tragedy

The ill-fated van had no fog lights, no grills on windows, no attendant, all made mandatory by the Supreme Court

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 3. The avarice of the school management, the absence of a regulatory mechanism and total disregard for the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court for school vehicles are some of the main causes behind yesterday’s tragic accident in which 11 children lost their lives in Ambala district.

As reports suggest, the ill-fated school van had no fog lights, no horizontal grills on windows and not even an attendant, though all these are mandatory as per the apex court orders.

The Ambala school is not alone to violate the court guidelines. A large number of schools and other educational institutes across the state are guilty. Unfortunately, it takes a tragedy to wake up the authorities. The steps announced by the district administrations in the state now after yesterday’s tragedy, if taken earlier, might have saved several families from the extreme grief.

Managements often allow children in school vehicles in excess of the vehicle’s capacity to make extra money. Even Chandigarh, which has a fairly good regulatory mechanism, is no exception.

Drivers hired by schools are semi-trained, having no orientation for driving school vehicles. Many of them learn driving while working as assistants to drivers of commercial vehicles. Managements hire them because they agree to work on low remuneration. Transport authorities, whose responsibility it is to ensure that the school buses are run in accordance with the Supreme Court guidelines, do not find the checking of schools vehicles “lucrative enough”.

They prefer to spend their time on commercial vehicles. It would be interesting to know how many school vehicles were booked by the transport authorities in each district during the last one year.

The figure is sure to be nominal. Meanwhile, one person was killed and another seriously injured on Tuesday when a truck coming from Saha hit their motorcycle on the Saha-Shahabad road.

The deceased has been identified as Yogesh (22), a resident of Khozkipur village in Yamunanagar district. Rajpal (25) of Dukheri village, who was seriously injured, was rushed to Civil Hospital Ambala Cantonment.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120104/main4.htm

Dawn – Two killed, 28 injured in Peshawar explosion

Ali Hazrat Bacha

Peshawar, 4 January 2012. Two people were killed and 28 others injured when a bomb exploded in the basement of a multi-storey plaza on the main University Road on Tuesday.

Cantonment Circle SP Dr Mian Saeed Ahmed said one man died on the spot and the other in hospital.

The injured were taken to the Khyber Teaching Hospital where six of them were said to be in critical condition.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain described it as an act of terrorism and an attempt to pressurise the government. But, he said, the militants would never succeed in their design.

“A number of hardcore militants have been killed recently in Khyber Agency and the blast may be its reaction,” he said.

The minister said it was yet to be ascertained which Taliban group was involved in the attack. He said the government was determined to face the challenge.

Tahir Khan of the Azam Tower administration told Dawn that he had just come out of his office when the bomb exploded. He said that five internet cafés in the basement might have been the target.

“We had received no threat in the past but because of the tense situation the plaza administration had asked the owners of the net cafes to leave the building but they used delaying tactics,” he said.

An official of the bomb disposal unit said the blast was caused by six kg of explosives.

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/04/two-killed-28-injured-in-peshawar-explosion.html