The Tribune – Facilities to Bibi; No major violations: DIG Jails

Deepkamal Kaur, Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 9. Even as DGP Jails Shashi Kant today said he was yet to receive a copy of the inquiry report on the alleged VIP treatment being given to Bibi Jagir Kaur in the Modern Jail, Kapurthala, he said the brief given to him on the matter did not point to any major violation.

Hinting at a clean chit to jail officials, the DGP said the inquiry did not bring to forth any major violation by the Jail Superintendent and other staff members.

Regarding the use of a private vehicle for transferring Bibi Jagir Kaur to the jail, he said: “ The IG has put on record certain letters from the security wing which say that Bibi being a dera leader had to be provided security personnel.

The Jail Superintendent has stated that he had asked the local SSP to send force and a vehicle which, perhaps, he did not.”

On the LCD and dish facility for Bibi, he said a jail employee had bought these items for his own self. Kant said the IG had quoted the jail manual which, he said, gave special powers to the Jail Superintendent to facilitate meetings with the convict anywhere in the premises under his supervision.

On the supply of food items, the DGP said: “Since we have allowed it to other prisoners as part of welfare measures, Bibi is no exception.” The IG Jails, Jagjit Singh, said he had submitted his inquiry report to the DGP.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120410/punjab.htm#16

The Tribune – Century-old miniature Guru Granth Sahib on display in Rajpura

Gagan K. Teja, Tribune News Service

Patiala, April 9. Devotees thronged Gurdwara Singh Sabha at Rajpura today to catch a glimpse of 100-year-old Guru Granth Sahib that is one inch in size and contains 1,430 ang (pages).

Head granthi (priest) Bhai Kashmir Singh and granthi Kulwinder Singh of Gurdwara Maithan Sahib in Agra, who are in Rajpura with this holy book along with a 224-year-old Guru Granth Sahib, written using dyes made out of rock, and a 275-year-old Guru Granth Granth Sahib, handwritten by Baba Deep Singh and Bhai Mani Singh, were overwhelmed by a large number of devotees thronging the gurdwara to see the holy books and narrated the story of how these holy scriptures reached the Agra gurdwara.

Narrating the history of the miniature manuscript, Kulwinder Singh said in 1913 when the World War-I was going on, the Indian Army (then British Indian Army) was called to fight for the common cause. “During that time, soldiers of Sikh Regiment of the Indian Army said they would not go to the battleground without taking Guru Granth Sahib along with them.

Therefore, the British Government got 13 miniatures of Guru Granth Sahib prepared from a printing press in Germany for these soldiers. Each of these was 1 inch in size and contained 1,430 pages, which were carried by the soldiers. There used to be a special lens for reading the holy book. One of these is safely kept at Gurdwara Maithan Sahib in Agra,” he said.

He said the 224-year-old holy book made from rock dyes was prepared by two Muslim brothers in five years seven months and three days and weighs around 28 to 30 kg. Moreover, the handwritten Guru Granth Sahibh has a few pages written using gold, ruby and sapphire.

He said, “These books are currently on a tour of various cities to provide Sikhs in other parts of the country an opportunity to see and learn from the history of their religion and scriptures. We brought these books to Ludhiana on January 21 and it was displayed for the first time at Shaheed Baba Dalip Singh Chowk, Model Town, Ludhiana. Later, it was taken to Khanna, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Nakodar and now it will be in Rajpura for 15 days.”

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120410/punjab.htm#13

The Hindu – Assam rhino population swells by 304

Sushanta Talukdar

Guwahati, 10 April 2012. Assam has recorded an increase in the total population of the world-famous one-horned rhinos over the past three years. The figures of the just-concluded 2012 census have revealed the presence of 2,505 rhinos as against 2,201 found during the 2009 count — an increase of 304.

The Kaziranga National Park (KNP) had 2,290 rhinos and the Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park 100. The Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary recorded 93 rhinos while the Manas National Park housed 22 rhinos received through translocations from Kaziranga and Pabitora under the Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020 programme.

In 2009 Kaziranga accounted for 2,048 of the animals. The census figures show that rhino population in this world heritage site has increased by 242 over the past three years. The Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary has recorded an increase of nine rhinos from 84 in 2009. However, the actual increase would be 17 as eight had been translocated to Manas. The sanctuary has the highest density of rhinos in the world. The Orang National Park which accounted for 64 in 2009 recorded 100 rhinos this time, an increase of 36 rhinos.

“The growth is satisfactory. We will be able to achieve the IRV 2020 target of 3000 rhinos in Assam by the year 2020,” Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) S. Chand told The Hindu on Monday. The senior IFS official said the growth in population had been possible due to the “dedication and commitment” of the officers and the staff in the field as well as “strong support of the political leadership in the State.”

In 1999, the total rhino population was 1,672 which increased to 2006 rhinos in 2006 and to 2201 in 2009. The IRV-2020 programme, implemented by the Assam Forest Department with the support of the WWF and the International Rhino Foundation, is aimed at ensuring that the animals are distributed over at least seven protected areas of the State so that in the event of an epidemic afflicting the entire population in Kaziranga and Pabitora, the one-horned rhinos in other protected areas can be conserved.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article3297507.ece?homepage=true

28 February 2012 – Antwerp, trams, the river, the castle and the wedding

On 28 February I went to Antwerp to attend the wedding of Jatinder Singh & Reyhan Kaur
As I was early I had time to take pictures of trams, the river and the castle

Sint-Jacobsmarkt, De Lijn Tram 10 to Deurne

Sint-Jacobsmarkt, De Lijn Tram 10 with trailer to Deurne

Sint-Katelijnevest, De Lijn Tram 4 and 7

Sint-Katelijnevest, De Lijn Tram 4 and 7

Sint-Katelijnevest, De Lijn Tram 4

To see more Belgium and Netherlands public transport pictures :

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

More Belgium pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – 49 trucks from Pakistan arrive on first day

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 9. With the trial run of cargo movement to and from Pakistan beginning today, the countdown has begun for the inauguration of the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on April 13.

The trucks started moving into the ICP through the new gate early in the morning as the authorities have changed the timings for trade to 7 am to 7 pm as against the earlier time of 8 am to 4 pm. A total of 49 trucks, mostly loaded with gypsum, arrived from Pakistan. The movement of trucks from India to Pakistan was slow apparently due to the new system of documentation introduced by the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) at the ICP.

Meanwhile, the passenger movement continued through the old gate for the second day today as Pakistan continues to remain adamant on its stand due to lack of infrastructure on its new gate. The passengers coming from Pakistan are alighting at the old gate from where they are taken to the ICP in special buses. Similarly, the Pak-bound passengers board these buses after getting their custom and immigration clearance to reach the old gate from where they cross over to Pakistan.

The Lahore-Delhi bus got delayed by around three hours today due to the new system in place at the ICP and also more luggage with its passengers who were heading to Delhi for an exhibition. Overall, more than 200 passengers crossed over to Pakistan, while around 175 arrived in India via the ICP.

Meanwhile, the preparations have begun for the inaugural ceremony of the ICP with a huge pandal being erected on its sprawling premises. The security arrangements are tight at the ICP with a battalion of the BSF being deployed there.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120410/punjab.htm#12

BBC News – Indian court finds Gujarat rioters guilty of killings

Monday 9 April 2012. A court in India has found 23 people guilty of killing Muslims in religious riots in Gujarat state 10 years ago.

Twenty-three other defendants were acquitted and one other died during the trial. Most of the defendants were Hindus.

They were accused of burning 23 Muslims to death in a house where they had taken shelter from rioting mobs.

More than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, died when riots erupted after a train fire killed 60 Hindu pilgrims in 2002.

It was one of India’s worst outbreaks of religious violence in recent years.

Muslims were blamed for starting the train fire, and Hindu mobs eager for revenge went on the rampage through Muslim neighbourhoods in towns and villages across Gujarat in three days of violence following the incident.

‘Ode Massacre’

The case refers to killings that took place in Ode village on 1 March, 2002 a few days after the Godhra train deaths.

A mob of around 2,000 people went through the village targeting Muslim homes and killed 23 Muslims, mostly women and children, who had taken shelter in one house.

The Ode massacre is the third verdict out of 10 key incidents that took place during the riots that is being probed by an independent Special Investigating Team (SIT) set up in 2008 after a Supreme Court directive.

The 47 accused were charged with murder, conspiracy, rioting, unlawful assembly, attempt to murder and destruction of evidence by the SIT.

Sentencing is expected to be announced later this week.

In November 2011, a court sentenced 31 people for burning to death 33 Muslims near Sardarpura village in Gujarat.

Last February a special court in the state found 31 people guilty of setting fire to the passenger train in the town of Godhra.

It acquitted 63 other people of conspiracy and murder.

Gujarat’s authorities have been accused of not doing enough to stop the riots.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17655715