Netherlands 23 december till 2 January, Den Haag & Amsterdam

24 December 2011 – Amsterdam Sloterdijk
Tram & Bus station, GVB Tram 12 to Amstel Station

24 December 2011 – Amsterdam Sloterdijk
Tram & Bus station

24 December 2011 – Amsterdam Sloterdijk
Tram & Bus station, terminus GVB Tram 12
(and many bicycles)

24 December 2011 – Amsterdam Sloterdijk
GVB Metro line 50

To see more Belgium and Netherlands public transport pictures :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622685920411/

More Netherlands pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – Delhi HC stays DSGMC polls

Ajay Banerjee, Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 7. The much-awaited elections to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) have been stayed. The elections to the cash-rich and politically influential body of Sikhs were slated for March 11.

The body is headed by Paramjit Singh Sarna, a known critic of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his party Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Sarna and his brother Harvinder Singh reportedly enjoy good relations with Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh.

Acting on a petition, Justice Vipen Sanghi of the Delhi High Court today asked that fresh electoral roll having photos of the voters be prepared within one month. He has also stayed the election schedule.

The Delhi Gurdwara Election Commission was scheduled to issue a notification on February 16 listing the dates for filing nominations, withdrawals, polling and counting. The commission had announced the schedule and also released advertisements in various newspapers.

The court has fixed March 22 as the next date of hearing.

Advocate Gurbaksh Singh, appearing for the petitioner, demanded that the voter lists, which did not have photos of the electors, should be scrapped. Harmohan Singh, petitioner, also contended that the de-limitation of the constituencies, numbering 46, needed to be carried out as they had become too lopsided. There are constituencies that have less than 1,500 votes while places like Tilak Nagar have nearly 27,000 votes.

The development started causing ripples among the Sikhs by the evening, resulting in a blame game. P S Sarna blamed Badal and his group saying, “First they say elections are not being conducted. Now when polls are being conducted, they go to court to seek a stay”. Manjit Singh, who heads the Delhi’s SAD unit, blamed the Delhi Government saying “it is ploy of the government to ensure that Sarnas stay in the saddle.” He termed the stay “unfortunate”.

The DSGMC has a budget of Rs 60 crore approximately and the amount is spent on maintaining and running 35 educational and management institutes in the capital. Nine historic gurdwaras are also controlled by the committee.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120208/main3.htm

Dawn – Appeal filed against PM contempt charges

Islamabad, 8 February 2012. An intra-court appeal requesting the Supreme Court to suspend its decision of framing contempt charges against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was filed on Wednesday, Dawn News reported.

On February 2, the apex court had issued summons for the premier for February 13 for him to be indicted with contempt over his refusal to pursue corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

The announcement significantly escalated pressure on the embattled prime minister, threatening to plunge his weak government deeper into crisis and force early elections within months.

The appeal, filed by the prime minister’s counsel, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, requested the court to postpone the indictment.

It moreover said that the ruling was given without the premier being given an opportunity to defend himself directly.

Ahsan said he based the appeal on precedents set by top courts in Australia, Britain, France, India and the United States.

“I have filed an appeal today. I have quoted more than 50 national and international cases and given specific reasons against the Supreme Court order,” Ahsan told reporters.

A court official confirmed that the appeal had been received.

If convicted of contempt, the prime minister could be jailed for up to six months and disqualified from public office.

Ahsan called for an early hearing of the appeal.

“It depends on the court to stay the proceedings and decide against summoning the prime minister on February 13,” he said.

http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/08/appeal-filed-against-pm-contempt-charges.html 

500.The man in blue – Anand Sahib pauri 20

My 500th Man in Blue column !

jíhu nirmal báharhu nirmal ||
No-dirt inside and no-dirt outside.
báharhu t nirmal jíhu nirmal satgur te karní kamání ||
Having no-dirt outside and no-dirt inside, through the true Guru, they do good deeds.
kúrr kí soi pahuchai náhí mansá sach samání ||
No falsehood touches them; their desire is to merge in Truth.
janam ratan jiní khattiá bhale se vanjáre ||
Those who earn the jewel of this birth, are noble traders.
kehai nának jin ma(n)n nirmal sadá rehehi gur nále ||20||
Says Nanak, those whose minds have no-dirt, stay with the Guru forever ||20||

For the above translation I consulted the Nitnem Gutka of Harbans Singh Doabia and the ‘Sikhitothemax’ website. I checked the meanings in the ‘Dictionary of Guru Granth Sahib’ by Surinder Singh Kohli.

I have translated ‘nirmal’ throughout as ‘no dirt’, not because I think this is the best translation but because I want to show that ‘mal’ of nirmal and ‘maile’ (dirty) come from the same root.

We see in the second line that having no-dirt inside or outside leads to good deeds. The third line is also logical, persons who are nirmal must live in Truth, and God Truth, with whom they want to merge.

I would like to translate the fourth line as ‘Noble traders will earn the jewel of this birth‘. I think it is more logical to say that through being a noble trader you earn a ‘janam ratan’ than the other way round, but as Guru seems to put it the other way round my understanding must be faulty.

The last line, starting with ‘kehai nának’, is again pretty straightforward.

Those that have met me know that I do not only wear the 5 Ks and the turban but also usually wear a blue Panjabi style outfit. Through my bana I want to tell the world that I am a committed follower of Guru, trying to be Guru’s sant-sipahi (saint-soldier).

I am realistic enough to know that I am not perfect. I am on the way, I do make progress, but there is a long way to go before I can call myself a ‘puran gursikh’.

Everyone who thinks about her/himself as a Sikh, everyone who even wears just a kara (steel bangle) should be on the path to the Guru, the path shown in the Guru Granth Sahib.

It might be only faltering steps that you put on that path, you might repeatedly fall of that very narrow cutting edge of the sword, but Guru will love you for it.

Wearing bana, wearing 5 Ks, doing your nitnem without fail is not enough. If that is all you do you are only clean on the outside. You have to listen to Guru, you have to work on understanding Guru, and then you must apply the teachings in your daily life.

Look like a Sikh, Be a Sikh !

Be clean inside and outside !

The Tribune – Mystery killing; Vehicles recovered, experts take fingerprint samples

Mohit Khanna, Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 6. With the police having recovered vehicles used by slain Moga DSP Balraj Singh Gill and Monica Kapila, an industrialist’s wife, to reach the farmhouse near the Hambran Road on February 1, a forensic team from the Punjab Police Training Centre, Phillaur, today collected samples of fingerprints, footprints and blood stains of the suspects from the vehicles.

While the Chevrolet Optra of the DSP was recovered from Balloke village last night, Toyota Innova of Monica was found abandoned near Sacred Heart School in BRS Nagar here late last night.

According to police sources, both the cars were driven for nearly 700 km each before being abandoned at two different locations. The police arrived at a conclusion that the killers abandoned the vehicles after exhausting the available fuel. It has questioned Narinder Pal Singh, the owner of Chevrolet Optra (the car used by the DSP) and Monica’s husband about the mileage of the vehicles.

The culprits did not touch the expensive car accessories of both the vehicles. While they tampered with the number plate of the DSP’s vehicle, the registration number of Toyota Innova remained the same.

The sources said the police got information about the car during the evening and launched a massive search operation in Ladhowal, Noorpur Bet, Balloke and Hambran villages.

“Earlier, the police was working on the theory that the killers might be nabbed along with the vehicles. But, we are now deprived of a crucial lead,” said a police official.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120207/punjab.htm#7

The Asian Age – Anti-terror body starts March 1

Asian Age Correspondent

New Delhi, 7 February 2012. The country has got its first dedicated anti-terror body, the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), with the government passing an executive order to operationalise the NCTC from March 1.

The body, which will function under the Intelligence Bureau, has been given its own operational wing with powers to arrest and conduct searches under Section 43A of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The NCTC has been empowered to requisition the NSG or any other specialised force in the country it deems necessary for anti-terror operations.

Though National Counter Terrorism Centre will initially be part of the IB, the government has kept the option open of evolving NCTC into a separate statutory body.

At present the NCTC unit is to be headed by a director of the rank of additional director-general with three units — gathering intelligence, analysis of intelligence and carrying out operations — each to be headed by an IB joint director. While the “core staff” will be drawn from the IB, the National Counter Terrorism Centre will have officers on deputation from other agencies, such as RA&W, JIC, NTRO, DIA, DGMI, Directorates of Air and Naval Intelligence, Central Economic Intelligence Bureau, CBDT, Central Board of Excise and Customs and the Narcotics Control Bureau.

http://www.asianage.com/india/anti-terror-body-starts-march-1-576

The Tribune – Bills worth Rs 1600 cr pending as Punjab’s fiscal woes worsen

Sarbjit Dhaliwal, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 6. Punjab is facing a difficult fiscal situation. The state expenditure has outpaced the state revenue.

Sources say bills worth Rs 1,600 crore have been lying pending with the state treasury. Only the urgent payments are being made while other bills are being kept pending, they say.

A shortfall is likely in VAT collection this fiscal year. Till December-end, the VAT collection had touched a figure of Rs 8,500 crore. Compared to last year’s figure of the corresponding period, the increase in the VAT collection by December-end is around 13 per cent.

In its budget estimates, the state government had projected a figure of Rs 11,800 crore (about 17.8 per cent increase over the last fiscal figures) as VAT collection by the end of current fiscal year against the last fiscal year’s figure of Rs 10,016.91 crore. However, the current trend in VAT collection hints at a shortfall of around Rs 500 crore by the end of this fiscal year.

Expecting good revenue receipts, the authorities concerned had cleared various proposals. However, the flow of revenue in the state treasury has not been on the expected lines. This has resulted in pendency of bills. Sources said the Chief Secretary had been briefed about the fiscal situation. He had told the officials concerned to clear the bills as regards supply of medicines to dispensaries and civil hospitals in the state.

There is likely to be an annual burden of Rs 2,000 crore on the exchequer due to various sops announced by the SAD-BJP government shortly before the Assembly poll. In October and November, the state government had implemented several pending recommendations of the 5th Pay Commission and also announced an instalment of DA.

Sources said the burden of DA, which was revised from 51 to 58 point, will be to tune of Rs 600-700 crore per annum. The remaining burden of around Rs 1,300 crore will be due to the revision of grades, amendments in pension eligibility norms and removal of anomalies in pay scales etc.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120207/main2.htm

Netherlands 23 december till 2 January, Den Haag & Amsterdam

24 December 2011 – Den Haag HS
NS Doubledecker Intercity to Amsterdam CS via Sloterdijk

24 December 2011 - Amsterdam Sloterdijk
Tram & Bus station, GVB Tram 12

24 December 2011 – Amsterdam Sloterdijk
Tram & Bus station, GVB Tram 12

24 December 2011 – Amsterdam Sloterdijk
Tram & Bus station, GVB Tram 12 to Amstel Station

To see more Belgium and Netherlands public transport pictures :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622685920411/

More Netherlands pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – Pakistan can’t afford war over Kashmir: Gilani

Islamabad, February 6. Acknowledging that Pakistan “cannot afford wars” in the 21st century, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said the Kashmir issue would have to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

Four wars have already been fought on the Kashmir issue and the region still “was a flashpoint”, but in the 21st century “we cannot afford wars”, Gilani said.

“We want to resolve issues through dialogue, diplomacy, prudent policy and national consensus,” he said while addressing a convention at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat to mark ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’ yesterday.

Gilani said the Kashmir issue remained the cornerstone of the country’s foreign policy. “We are committed to continue with the moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris. The whole nation, including all the political parties, is united on the cause of Kashmir,” he said.

Since Pakistan is a responsible country and a responsible nuclear power, it has to make responsible policies, he said.

Pakistan’s policies should be made through national consensus and by the chosen representatives of the people, and not by individuals, the prime minister said. The Kashmir policy had been the focus of the Pakistan People’s Party-led government in line with the vision of the party’s founder, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, he said.

Rallies were held across Pakistan to mark ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’, which is a public holiday. The day has been observed by Pakistan since 1990 to highlight the Kashmir issue.

Meanwhile, Gilani cited India’s flourishing democracy and its “stark difference” from Pakistan as he lamented that no elected government had been allowed to complete its term in his country.

Highlighting the importance of maintaining democracy in Pakistan, Gilani said the completion of Parliament’s term is in the interest of the country but conspiracies were being hatched against his government to prevent the holding of elections to the Senate next month. For a long time, not a single government in Pakistan was allowed to complete its term, he remarked. (PTI)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120207/main7.htm

BBC News – Facebook and Google remove ‘offensive’ India content

Monday, 6 February 2012. Facebook and Google say they have complied with an Indian court directive and removed “objectionable” material.

They are among 21 web firms, including Yahoo and Orkut, facing a civil suit in Delhi accusing them of hosting material that may cause communal unrest.

A criminal case of similar allegations is due to be heard next month.

Judges have threatened to block sites that fail to crack down on offensive content, but many firms say it is impossible to pre-filter material.

Late last year, Communications Minister Kapil Sibal met officials from Google, Facebook and other websites and said the government would introduce guidelines to ensure “blasphemous material” did not appear on internet.

The Delhi High Court last month asked Facebook and Google India to “develop a mechanism to keep a check and remove offensive and objectionable material from their web pages” or “like China, we will block all such websites”.

‘Constitutional issue’  

The civil case being heard in Delhi on Monday was filed by Muslim petitioner Mufti Aizaz Arshad Kazmi, who alleged the companies were hosting material intolerant to religious sentiment.

Google and Facebook told the court they had complied with an earlier order by a Delhi district court judge to take down certain material.

Google said: “This step is in accordance with Google’s longstanding policy of responding to court orders.”

Facebook India said it had also filed its compliance report.

Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and others all argued that no action should be taken against them.

But the judge insisted the 22 firms should provide a written reply within 15 days detailing the removal of the material.

A second, criminal case – brought by Hindu journalist Vinay Rai – is scheduled to be heard next month, with leading company executives summoned to appear.

However, a Delhi High Court judge will rule next week on an appeal by the firms involved for the case to be quashed.

A spokesman for Microsoft said it had “filed an application for rejection of the suit on the grounds that it disclosed no cause of action against Microsoft”.

Google India has argued that it is not feasible to pre-monitor material posted by “billions of people across the globe”.

Google lawyer, N K Kaul, said in an earlier court hearing that the issue also related “to a constitutional issue of freedom of speech and expression, and suppressing it was not possible as the right to freedom of speech in democratic India separates us from a totalitarian regime like China”.

Facebook says policies are in place that enable people to report abusive content.

In December, Mr Sibal said: “My aim is that insulting material never gets uploaded. We will evolve guidelines and mechanisms to deal with the issue. [The companies] will have to give us the data, where these images are being uploaded and who is doing it.”

Mr Sibal was angered by morphed photos of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, as well as pigs running through Islam’s holy city of Mecca.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-16903765