The Tribune – Special train to 5 Sikh takhts leaves on Baisakhi

Man Mohan, Our Roving Editor

New Delhi, March 1. If you want to visit Sikhs’ five sacred ‘takhts’ in Punjab, Bihar and Maharashtra in one go, board a special pilgrimage train from Amritsar on Baisakhi, April 13.

After showing the first ‘takht’ at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the 12-day spiritual journey in a 244-passenger Rajdhani-style train will take the pilgrims to four other ‘takhts’ - Anandpur Sahib (near Ropar, Punjab), Damdama Sahib (near Bathinda, Punjab), Patna Sahib (in Bihar), and Hazur Sahib (in Nanded, Maharashtra).

In between, the passengers will visit Delhi, Gwalior and Agra for other historical gurdwaras and monuments. It is a joint initiative of the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation and Punjab Tourism.

Last year, a similar train was operated on an experimental basis with “luxury fares”. This time, the entire journey will cost much less — Rs 1.55 lakh (Ist AC), Rs 1.25 lakh (IInd AC), and Rs 85,000 (IIIrd AC). The tariff includes food, hotel stay and sightseeing. The train has been revived to accommodate the common man. It will carry 72 (Ist AC), 138 (IInd AC) and 34 (IIIrd AC) passengers.

After the April run, the train is likely to be operated once a month from September-October. “We want to provide Sikh, Punjabi and other communities the best of Punjab and gurdwara yatras,” says Sajivve Trehen, a tour operator, who has got the franchise to run the train.

The passengers will be asked to reach Amritsar on April 12 for boarding the train next day. The first day will be devoted to a tour of the holy city, including the Jallianwala Bagh Ranjit Panorama. In the evening, they will also witness a 45-minute “Change of Guards” ceremony at the India-Pakistan border at Wagah. The day will end with a visit to the first “takht” at the Golden Temple — the Akal Takht.

On Baisakhi, the train will leave for the second “takht” at Anandpur Sahib. Known as “Sri Keshgarh Sahib”, this “takht’ was founded in 1665 by Guru Tegh Bahadur.

The pilgrims will also visit “Guru Ka Lahore” where the marriage of Guru Gobind Singh with Jeet Kaur took place in 1734. The passengers will then visit “Virasat-e-Khalsa”-the heritage museum. They will also visit Sri Keshgarh Sahib gurdwara for seeing Guru Gobind Singh’s weapons. It is the birthplace of Khalsa. The most precious of the weapons is “Khanda”-a double-edged sword-used by the Guru to prepare ‘amrit’ (nectar) used in the first Khalsa initiation ceremony.

On the third day, the pilgrims will be in Bathinda to visit the third “takht”-Damdama Sahib where Guru Gobind Singh took nine-month refuge during his battles with the Mughals, and worked on the “Adi Granth”.

The train will arrive at the Safdarjung railway station in Delhi on the fourth day. The yatra will start with Sisganj Gurdwara at Chandni Chowk. It was built at the place where Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb beheaded the ninth Guru Tegh Bahadur in 1675.

From Chandni Chowk, the pilgrims will move to see Gurdwara Bangla Sahib with a gold-plated dome. Eighth Sikh guru, Harkishen Dev, had stayed there in 1664. The passengers will also be shown the Parliament House, the Rashtrapati Bhawan and the India Gate. On the fifth day, the train will move on for “takht” Sri Patna Sahib in Patna. This is the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh.

In the evening, the train will leave for Nanded (Maharashtra) and will reach there next morning. The yatra will start with a visit to “takht” Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib where Guru Gobind Singh held his camp in 1708 after the departure of the Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

This shrine was erected exactly where he had pitched his tent, in which he was convalescing after being attacked by assailants. This is where he and his horse “Dilbag” breathed last. In the evening, the pilgrims will be shown a laser show on Sikh history.

On the eighth day (April 18), the pilgrims will get another chance to visit “takht” Hazur Sahib before catching the train for Gwalior. On April 19, they will visit the Gwalior fort and Data Bandi Chorh Sahib gurdwara. The train will depart on its last leg of the journey back to Amritsar from Agra on April 20.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120302/main3.htm

The Tribune – Pakistan ‘negative list’ to benefit state traders most

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 1. With Pakistan switching over to “negative list” regime for trade with India, the trading community here is expecting the Indo-Pak trade to flourish manifold in future as they see the move as a leap in bilateral ties in the field.

Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal president Amrit Lal Jain said it was a positive step on the part of Pakistan and it would increase the bilateral trade manifold between the two neighbours via Attari-Wagah land route, which at present stood at 2.33 billion US dollars. “The opening of the integrated check post (ICP) in Attari in near future will further brighten the trade prospects.” He said Amritsar, which had badly suffered during the Partition followed by the Indo-Pak wars and dark days of terrorism, would certainly gain a lot in terms of trade and employment opportunities.

CII Zonal Council chairman Suneet Kochhar said, “Firstly, it came as surprise to me as we didn’t expect Pakistan to act so swiftly on the matter. However, it is definitely a step forward in taking the trade between the two countries to another level.

It will bring in clarity to the business as the negative list will give a clear idea as to what can be traded with the neighbouring country.” He said it will also provide a platform to the leadership of both the countries to further build a strong economic partnership.

“The most important point is that the Pakistanis are sticking to deadlines. May be they have compromised a bit by increasing the negative list, but it is only an attempt to take everybody along so that there is no opposition at a later stage,” he said.

Gunbir Singh, member, CII National Council on Public Policy, said the step would act as a force multiplier for trade in Punjab in general and Amritsar in particular. “Once notified, the trade, which is restrained to 1,963 items currently, will go up to over 5,600 items, which will certainly be a giant leap in the Indo-Pak bilateral trade,” he said.

Amid the euphoria surrounding the Pakistan move, there is also a section of businessmen who are keen on first receiving the “negative list” before commenting on the benefits it will bring in for the holy city. Indo-Pak Exporters Association chairman Om Prakash Arora said there are around 5,600 items that can be traded now, but of these the number of items that Punjab can produce will decide how much it will benefit the trade in the state. He, however, said Amritsar will definitely benefit from the move as all the goods will pass through the city.

Hoping to Rake in the moolah

- Pakistan’s initiative of ‘negative list’ will give a clear idea as to what can be traded

- The bilateral trade through the Attari-Wagah land route, worth US$ 2.33 billion at present, is likely to increase manifold

- Once notified, the trade, which is restrained to 1,963 items currently, will go up to over 5,600 items

- The step will provide a platform to the leadership of both the countries to further build a strong economic partnership

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120302/punjab.htm#1

The Asian Age – Priest held with 500 rounds of ammunition at IGI Airport

Asian Age Correspondent

New Delhi, 29 February 2012. A 53-year-old priest was arrested with 500 rounds of ammunition from the domestic airport on Tuesday morning.

The accused, Sunil Bhim Rao Sardar, a resident of South Extension Part II, was minutes away from boarding a domestic flight to Maharashtra before being intercepted and handed over to the Delhi police by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) security, R.A. Sanjeev, DCP (IGIA), said.

“He told us that he had bought the 500 cartridges of .22 bore from Los Angeles during his trip to the US and wanted to gift these to his friend in Maharashtra. He was handed over to us at 10 am,” DCP Sanjeev said.

The priest admitted to have bought ten boxes of the ammunition, 50 rounds in each box, for $35 over the counter from the US and, during questioning, said that he had done so once earlier, too, the police said.

The cartridges of the said specification are usually used for hunting by means of small arms. “He told us that he had originally planned to gift them to his friend, one Sanjay Samudra, in Maharashtra and that he was unaware that carrying these on an aircraft was a crime. He has been arrested under the Arms Act,” said a senior officer investigating the case.

http://www.asianage.com/delhi/priest-held-500-rounds-ammunition-igi-408

Netherlands 23 december till 2 January, Den Haag & Amsterdam

28 December, Den Haag, Transvaalbuurt, Brandtstraat
Citroen Deux Chevaux

 28 December, Den Haag, Transvaalbuurt, Brandtstraat
Citroen Deux Chevaux

  28 December, Den Haag, Transvaalbuurt, Graskopstraat
Again, the building with the beautiful roof

29 December, Den Haag, Zuiderpark
Miniature railway

To see more Belgium and Netherlands public transport pictures :

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

To see more Belgium and Netherlands gurdwara pictures :

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

More Belgium / Netherlands pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – Italy begins case against marines; Could lead to a prison term of not less than 21 years

Kochi, March 1. In a bid to persuade India to hand over its two arrested marines charged with murder for killing two fishermen, Italy told the Kerala High Court today that it has initiated criminal proceedings against them under its law that could lead to a prison term of not less than 21 years.

The police custody of the two Italian marines Latore Massimiliano and Salvatore Gironi was meanwhile extended till March 5 by a Kollam court. The two accused are in police custody since February 20.

A communication from the Deputy Attorney Dr Eliza Betta Cenicola stating that as per Article 575 of Italian Penal code whoever causes death of a person was punishable with a prison term of not less than 21 years was filed in the High Court by counsel for Italian government and the two marines. The case has led to a diplomatic stand-off between India and Italy.

During the proceedings in the High Court, Justice P S Gopinathan ticked off the Italian government, pointing out “serious defects” in its plea seeking quashing of FIR against the two marines and sternly told them it will look into the petition only after these are “cured”.

Italian government should not have an impression that the Indian Judiciary was so loose that anyone could file a plea before courts, he said in the open court.

The judge directed the Consul General to produce necessary documentary evidence to show that the Consulate has the authorisation to represent Italian government in legal proceedings relating to the killing of the fishermen by the marines on board the cargo ship Enrica Lexie off the Kerala coast last month.

The judge even expressed doubt whether the signature of one of the accused affixed in the affidavit produced before the court was genuine.

Even though senior counsel for the petitioners repeatedly requested the court to look into the documents, the court refused and directed the petitioners to “cure” the defects. Only after “curing” the defects, the documents would be looked into, the judge held. (PTI)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120302/nation.htm#6

BBC News – Pakistani politicians elect senators

Friday, 2 March 2012. Closely watched elections to the Pakistan Senate are being held, with the beleaguered government expecting to make significant gains.

Members of parliament’s lower house and the provincial assemblies, largely from the party of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, will vote in the poll.

More than half of the senators are being replaced as their terms end.

Analysts say recent political conflicts have partly been aimed at removing the government before this vote.

The government, opposition and the powerful military are in conflict over a leaked memo suggesting that President Asif Ali Zadari wanted to ask the US government for support to prevent a possible coup, during the turmoil which followed the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

The Supreme Court has also tried to force Mr Gilani to re-open corruption allegations against Mr Zardari.

Several leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which Mr Zardari leads, have said publicly that opposition parties have conspired to stop the Senate election.

Seats for minorities  

The opposition say the vote would establish the ruling PPP with a majority in the upper house, giving it a comfortable position for the remainder of parliament.

The vote is also likely to ensure the PPP a role in parliament for the next six years, with the party widely expected to do badly in parliamentary elections to be held by early next year.

Local journalists are predicting the PPP could see its number of senators rise from 27 to 48 in Friday’s vote, with two other parties in the ruling coalition also due to benefit, says Sajid Iqbal at BBC Monitoring.

Elections are being held for 45 senators. Pakistan’s official APP news agency says nine more candidates are standing unopposed.

The voting takes place in four provincial assemblies – Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan – with each choosing 12 senators.

All four provinces reserve two seats for women, two for technocrats and one for minorities.

Four senators for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and two for the Islamabad Capital Territory will be chosen by members of parliament.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17225502