The Tribune – IIT-Delhi to help restore Harmandar Sahib sheen

Saurabh Malik, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 13. The Golden Temple in Amritsar will soon get back its sheen. Dulled by pollution to an extent, its gold will get back its glitter with New Delhi-based Indian Institute of Technology carrying out a study in this regard.

As a petition based on a letter to the Prime Minister on the matter came up for hearing, the Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Mahesh Grover was informed by the Punjab Pollution Control Board that the IIT was being consulted on the issue.

The board, in its status report dated March 12, said it had consulted the IIT “for studying” the problem. “The IIT has agreed to undertake the study and suggest ways and means to restore the sheen”, the report said.

Taking up the affidavit, the Bench observed: “We have also noticed that the IIT has estimated that a period of six months will be required to undertake the study and submit a report”.

Fixing July 18 as the next date of hearing, the Bench added the progress “as may have been made by the IIT” be intimated to the court.

The havoc that environmental pollution is playing on the Golden Temple had come under judicial scanner about a year ago with the court calling for putting in place a mechanism to check pollution in the temple vicinity.

The matter was placed before the Bench after Justice Ranjit Singh took suo motu cognizance of the letter written by one Gursewak Singh to the Prime Minister, with a copy addressed to him.

Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “One Gursewak Singh has addressed a letter in Punjabi to the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh…

“I have received a copy of this letter through post, which is enclosed in original. The letter says that industry in and around the area is causing pollution to the gold plates fixed on the domes of Gurdwara Sahib.

“There has also been discoloration of the white marble… some invaluable mural paintings are also getting spoiled.

“Considering the importance of the issue, I thought it appropriate to place it before the Chief Justice for taking notice in public interest, if considered appropriate”.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120314/punjab.htm#8

The Tribune – DSGMC poll: Supreme Court declines plea for urgent hearing

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, March 13. The Supreme Court today refused to hear immediately a petition filed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi and UK) and the Dashmesh Sewa Society, challenging the Delhi High Court verdict allowing the holding of elections to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC).

A Bench comprising Justices RM Lodha and HL Gokhale made it clear that the petition would be taken up for hearing only on the listed date , March 23. Arguing for the petitioners, counsel Abinash Kumar Mishra pleaded for urgent hearing as their efforts would become meaningless if the election was notified before March 23. “Nothing will become infructuous. If it becomes, what can we do,” the Bench remarked.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120314/punjab.htm#9

The Asian Age – Indian Railways aims to cut operating ratio

New Delhi, 14 March 2012. Indian Railways aims to cut operating ratio, which is the money spent to earn every Rs. 100, to

84.9 per cent in 2012-13 from 95 per cent in the current financial year, Railways Minister Dinesh Trivedi said on Wednesday.

While presenting his ministry’s budget for the next fiscal, Trivedi said reducing operating ratio would be one of the priority areas of the Indian Railways in the next five years.

“Our target is to bring down the operating ratio, which is at the moment 95 per cent, to 84.9 per cent in 2012-13 and to 74 per cent in terminal year of 12th five year plan, which will be the improvement the best ever achieved by Indian Railways,” Trivedi said.

“This would need to be supported by sustainable financial model,” he said.

He said the government has outlined a long-term plan to improve the financial health of Indian Railways, which employs 1.36 million people and has annual revenue base of Rs. 106,000 crore.

The minister said railways must get at least 10 per cent of the government’s total spending on infrastructure sector.

According to the approach paper of the 12th plan, investments to the tune of $1 trillion are proposed in infrastructure sector over the next five years; half of it is expected to come from government resources.

Presenting his maiden budget, Trivedi said Indian Railways expected to receive Rs. 2.5 lakh crore as budgetary support from the government in the 12th five year plan that begins April 1.

“There cannot be more opportune moment to formulate a long-term plan now as we are at the threshold of finalisation of 12th five year plan. My budget therefore looks at time horizon of much longer period as I intend to follow a carefully thought out plan for at least five years,” the minister said.

The Indian Railways run the third largest railroad network in the world spread over some 64,000 route km. (IANS)

http://www.asianage.com/india/indian-railways-aims-cut-operating-ratio-805

Netherlands 23 december till 2 January, Den Haag & Amsterdam

First Sunday Divan in new Singh Sabha Gurdwara Den Haag
1 January 2012

Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha
Herman Costerstraat 140
2571 PC  Den Haag

Guru Granth Sahib, local kirtan jatha

Naujawan

Sadh Sangat

 Sadh Sangat 

Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha
Herman Costerstraat 140
2571 PC  Den Haag

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 – NCTC a necessity, will go ahead with it: Chidambaram

Aditi Tandon, Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 13. The government today made it clear that it had no plans of junking the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) even as its main ally, the Trinamool Congress, demanded immediate withdrawal of the proposal to set up the anti-terror hub, stating it was infringing upon states’ powers.

Rejecting the fears of the TMC, which wants the counter-terrorism centre junked without further debate, Home Minister P Chidambaram said in the Lok Sabha today that it was an exceptional idea and only its functioning was debatable. He told the House that most states had welcomed the idea of the NCTC at the crucial meeting of Chief Secretaries and DGPs yesterday.

“We can debate the matter but I am quite clear that NCTC or a similar centre is an absolute necessity to fight terrorism. I don’t think NCTC violates the federal rights of states,” Home Minister said after TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee demanded withdrawal of the February 3 office memorandum on NCTC.

Referring to yesterday’s meeting, Chidambaram said a number of states supported the NCTC in principle and the opposition was only aspect-specific. “Even states that opposed certain aspects of the NCTC office memorandum supported its principle,” he said.

The government also said that state DGPs and Chief Secretaries had expressed two main concerns, as had some CMs in an earlier letter to the Home Minister: How will the power accorded to NCTC under Section 43 (where the Centre will have police powers) be exercised and what will be the scope and function of the Standing Council that is proposed to have state representation.

“Many of these concerns were addressed yesterday. When I receive the minutes of yesterday’s meeting, I will see if a further letter has to be written to the CMs. If needed, I will do that… In the government’s view, we don’t believe setting up the NCTC violates any federal principle.

The CMs of Odisha, Bengal, MP, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Tripura, Bihar, Himachal, Jharkhand and Karnataka had written to the government saying the NCTC was anti federal.

“On the contrary, it will be a mechanism where the shared responsibility for the Centre and states governments can be achieved,” said Chidambaram.

“I am absolutely confident that with discussions, a consensus can be reached and NCTC operationalised,” he said during Question Hour today.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120314/main3.htm

BBC News – US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta in surprise Afghan visit

Wednesday, 14 March 2012. US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has arrived in Afghanistan on a previously unannounced visit, officials say.

They say the trip was planned before 16 Afghan civilians were shot dead by an American soldier on Sunday.

Mr Panetta is due to have talks with President Hamid Karzai, provincial leaders and senior officials.

Correspondents say his visit has taken on a new meaning as political pressure mounts on Afghan and US officials over the unpopular war.

The defence secretary is also due to speak with US troops in Afghanistan as fears mount that they could be the victims of a Taliban-led backlash over the killings of villagers, including nine children, by the rogue US soldier.

His arrival at Bastion Airfield in Helmand province came a day after protests over the massacre flared in the eastern city of Jalalabad.

Mr Panetta is the most senior US official to visit Afghanistan since the shootings.

He told reporters ahead of his trip that he believed that American strategy in Afghanistan was working and would withstand repercussions from the killings.

“I think we’re on the right path now and what we’ve got to do is convince people that despite these kinds of events we ought not to allow these events to undermine that strategy,” he said on Monday.

His trip coincides with discussions in the US between UK Prime Minster David Cameron and President Barack Obama over a possible “endgame” to the war in Afghanistan.

The leaders are expected to agree that Afghan forces should take over a lead combat role by mid-2013 – earlier than planned – but the US president has said there will be no “rush for the exits”.

Correspondents say that anti-Americanism was rampant in Afghanistan even before the shootings.

Last month there was outrage over US troops inadvertently burning Korans on an American base.

Fury also followed the posting of a video on the internet in January apparently showing four US marines urinating on Taliban corpses.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17363675

505.The Man in Blue – Sant-Sipahis ?

During the morchas to liberate the historical Gurdwaras from the mahants, the old Khalsa spirit was still alive. Whether the demonstrators were beaten up or arrested, or even if some of them were killed, the Sikhs remained in chardikala. They controlled their anger and continued with their campaign.

During the late seventies and the eighties there were organisations that claimed to be Guru’s Sant-Sipahis. They were soldiers all right, but many were not motivated to achieve justice for all and they were often ruled by anger.

Of course the period from the Nirankari killings (1978) to the murder of Beant Singh (1995) was very tough and challenging and there was much to be angry about. But the Khalsa principles are not just there to be followed during good times, 10th Guru devised the Khalsa just to face such challenges.

We all know that during the period from1978 to 1995 some of the abuses were committed by RAW controlled ex Naxalites and other agent provocateurs. But if we compare this period with the morchas of the early 20th century there is a huge difference. In the eighties and nineties many so-called Khalsa answered indiscriminate violence with indiscriminate violence of their own.

Indira Gandhi was looking for an excuse to attack the Sikhs, and the Sikhs provided that excuse. Akali Phula Singh, Baba Deep Singh and other true Sant-Sipahis got their strength from God, the strength that enabled them to fight against injustice without anger taking over. The true Sant-Sipahi controls the ‘five thieves’ and stands up for justice for people of all background. The true Sant-Sipahi has the God-given strength to be a winner even if she/he loses her/his life.

We can use our kirpans in self-defence but the aim of the Sant-Sipahi is to serve all. Also during peaceful campaigns, like our struggle against the ban on wearing turbans in schools in Belgium, we must have the wider view.

During the debate in the Flemish parliament about religious head-cover in schools a Belgian Singhani spoke on behalf of the Sikhs. She was asked what her reaction would be if Sikhs were allowed to wear turbans in schools while the híjáb would remain banned. She answered that she would feel very uncomfortable with such an arrangement, and showed that she was a Sikh of the Guru.

When I was part of the UK Sikh community from 2000 to 2010 what struck me was that many Sikhs were angry. They were angry with other Sikhs, angry with Hindus, angry with Muslims, angry with Christians and angry with the Indian government.

Sikhs are strong when they stick to our principles of seeing God in all, of coming up for the rights of all. Group egoism is as bad as individual egoism. Guru Sahib said : I will serve that Khalsa that serves all.

I am also an ordinary human being who struggles to control the ‘five thieves’. But we must all recognise that in order to be Guru’s Khalsa we must seriously try to win this struggle.