The Tribune – Granthi’s killers arrested after encounter, Gurbaxpuri

Tarn Taran, April 21. The district police today nabbed two of the three vehicle lifters and robbers who had shot a granthi of the historic Darbar Sahib here.

The suspects were nabbed following a brief encounter at Kakka Kandiala village.

According to the information available, the three suspects tried to flee on seeing the police naka near the village.

The police had to open fire when the trio did not heed to their repeated instructions to stop.

They were identified as Balraj Singh alias Raju of Khara village and Ranjit Singh of Tarn Taran. Their accomplice Baljinder Singh managed to escape.

Granthi Sukhchain Singh (28) of the local Sri Darbar Sahib was shot on April 4 in front of the holy shrine when he stopped the suspects from decamping with the motorcycle of a devotee.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120422/punjab.htm#14

The Tribune – SGPC to put rare artefacts on display; Devotees earlier had to wait for gurpurab to catch a glimpse of these precious items

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 21. With the SGPC planning to put rare artefacts and invaluable gifts from the Golden Temple’s ‘toshakhana’ (treasure) on public display at the shrine in near future, the pilgrims now would not have to wait for a special occasion like gurpurab to catch their glimpse.

The SGPC chief, Avtar Singh Makkar, said they were planning to exhibit these rare artefacts in the ‘parikarma’ of the Golden Temple. Though he did not specify, it would most probably be showcased in some of the rooms located along the veranda in the ‘parikarma’.

Makkar said the pilgrims visiting the holy shrine have long been demanding that they be facilitated the ‘darshan’ of these artefacts whenever they visit Sri Harmandar Sahib and not just on special occasions. He said the matter had already been discussed in the SGPC executive and now it would be forwarded to the Sikh high priests for seeking their approval.

The SGPC secretary, Dalmegh Singh, said they will first ensure digital recording of the artefacts kept in the ‘toshakhana’ before putting them on display. He said they will also tie up with a top security agency to make sure stringent security was in place for the display. He said these artefacts had never been displayed in this manner.

Last year, the issue was raised by Rajya Sabha MP Tarlochan Singh. “The decision to exhibit them permanently in the ‘parikarma’ of the Golden Temple will make the devotees aware of the invaluable articles gifted to our holy shrine,” he said today. He said security should not be an issue when measures like bulletproof glass and ultramodern security gadgets were available these days. He also stressed on proper preservation of these artefacts.

At present, these artefacts and gifts are displayed during “jalau” (show of splendour) on six ‘gurpurabs’ in a year. During these occasions too, the time for “jalau” is restricted from 8 am to 12 noon. Apart from these ‘gurpurabs’, the “jalau” was held on three special occasions so far. The first was in 1965 when sacred relics and arms of Guru Gobind Singh were brought from the United Kingdom, the second on the conclusion of kar seva in 1973 and the last in November 2001 when they were displayed in bullet-proof boxes for three days to mark the bicentenary of coronation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

As per “Sri Harmandar Sahib da Sunaheri Itihas”, a book penned down by Giani Kirpal Singh, during “jalau” 44 such items are put on display at the sanctum sanctorum, nine at the Akal Takht and six at historic Baba Atal Gurdwara.

The ‘toshakhana’ boasts of invaluable possessions like necklace of diamonds and pearls of Kunwar Naunihal Singh presented by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, jewel-encrusted ‘kirpan’ of the Maharaja, a ring of Princess Bambah, gold canopy, gold and turquoise peacock, gold necklace made of currency notes of Guru Nanak Dev, golden spades and containers presented during various ‘kar sevas’, gold ‘bir’ of Baba Deep Singh and four pairs of ornate doors.

Treasure trove

Diamond necklaces – Kunwar Naunihal Singh’s pearls – Jewel-encrusted ‘kirpan’ – A ring of Princess Bambah – Gold canopy – Gold and turquoise peacock – Gold necklace made of currency notes of Guru Nanak Dev – Golden spades and much more

Before on display during :

Birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, Guru Ram Das, Guru Hargobind, Guru Teg Bahadur, Guru Gobind Singh and Gurta Gaddi Diwas of Guru Granth Sahib

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120422/punjab.htm#1

The Hindu – Witness statement on Sajjan recounted

Staff Reporter

New Delhi, 22 April 2012. The final arguments in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case saw the CBI on Saturday refer to the January 6, 2011, testimony of prosecution witness Nirpreet Kaur, who had identified in court senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar as the man she saw at Mangolpuri on November 2, 1984, exhorting a mob to attack Sikhs.

Ms. Kaur’s father was burnt alive by a mob on November 1 at Raj Nagar, and she had testified to having seen Sajjan address a mob while she was fleeing to take refuge at Palam Air Force Station.

Ms. Kaur, 16 then, had accused investigating agencies of harassing her and foisting false cases on her. Her account of the brutal manner in which some of the accused persons in the case burnt her father was also recalled by CBI counsel R. S. Cheema.

PTI reports:

Resuming final arguments in the case, Mr. Cheema told District Judge J. R. Aryan that witness Ms. Kaur had alleged in her statement that she had seen Sajjan Kumar and heard him saying, “No Sardar [Sikh] should be left alive. All their remaining houses should be burnt down. Kill all Sikhs as they have killed my mother (the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi).”

Sajjan Kumar and five others — Balwan Khokkar, Kishan Khokkar, Mahender Yadav, Girdhari Lal and Captain Bhagmal — are facing trial in the killings of six people at Delhi Cantonment during the riots.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article3340299.ece

Sint-Truiden – Brussel – Den Haag – Antwerpen – Sint-Truiden 24 March 2012

I was meant to attend a meeting in Den Haag on Saturday 24 March, but it was cancelled at the last moment. I decided to go to Den Haag anyway to pay a quick visit to my family members there.

Antwerpen Centraal, Keizerlei

Antwerpen Centraal

Antwerpen Centraal
I will take the 16.43 to Hasselt

Hasselt NMBS Station
Train just arrived from Antwerpen

Sint-Truiden NMBS Station
2700 series Engine with the train to Brussel and the North Sea coast

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 – Centre to withdraw Additional Solicitor General (ASG) from case

Thiruvananthapuram/Chennai, April 21. Livid over the U-turn made by Additional Solicitor General Harin Raval in the Italian ship case, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today sought his immediate withdrawal from the case even as Centre distanced itself from the ASG’s remarks.

In a fax message to Law Minister Salman Khurshid, Chandy wanted to know under what circumstances Raval had submitted in the Supreme Court that India has no jurisdiction to detain the Italian ship ‘Enrica Lexie’ from which Marines had shot dead two Indian fishermen on February 15 off Kerala coast.

In his submission, Raval had said that the ship was not within the Indian territorial waters when the shooting incident took place.

Chandy wanted the Centre to engage the Attorney General in the case in place of Raval, whose submission in the apex court yesterday drew sharp reaction from both opposition and ruling Congress-led UDF.

Earlier, talking to reporters in Kochi, Chandy said there was no change in the state’s stand on the issue and that Raval would not appear in the case.

Chandy said Kerala had informed the Central government at each stage of the case and had received full support.

“The Government is clear the incident happened in Indian waters,” Shipping Minister G K Vasan told reporters in Chennai. “It might be his personal opinion,” Vasan said when asked about Raval’s submissions. The ruling Congress-led UDF in Kerala found itself in a bind as the ASG’s submission contradicted the stand of the government headed by Oommen Chandy which firmly held that India has every legal competence to try the case under its law.

Seizing on the development, the critics said the ASG’s submission amounted to reinforcing Italy’s assertion that Indian courts had no jurisdiction to try the case since the alleged incident happened when the ship was in international waters.

Corporate Affairs Minister Veerappa Moily said in Thrissur that the Centre and Kerala were not on different “wavelengths” on the issue. “Sometimes the views expressed …are not in consonance with the views of the Central government. I do not think that the Central government and the state government are on different wavelengths,” he said. “Whenever there are mistakes, we have corrected them,” Moily said.

CPM stalwart V S Achuthanandan said the submission made by the ASG was nothing short of a betrayal of the country. Doramma and Derirk Valentine, the deceased fisherman’s wife and son, respectively, said in Kollam that it was difficult for them to understand as to how the Centre could take such a U-turn in the case after expressing solidarity with the bereaved families. (PTI)

The controversial statement

Additional Solicitor General Harin Raval had said on Thursday that the Italian ship was not in Indian territorial waters when the shooting took place. His submission amounted to reinforcing Italy’s assertion that Indian courts had no jurisdiction to try the case.

Centre’s U-turn

The government is clear that the incident happened in Indian waters. It might be his (ASG Harin Raval) personal opinion.

GK Vasan, Union Shipping Minister

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120422/main2.htm