The Tribune – Rajya Sabha passes Bill to amend Anand Marriage Act; Likely to be tabled in Lok Sabha today

Ajay Banerjee, Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 21. The Rajya Sabha today unanimously passed an amendment to the Anand Karaj Marriage Act 1909, paving the way for separate registration of Sikh marriages.

This meets the 63-year-old demand of the community that so far gets its marriages registered under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955. The Anand Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2012 is expected to be tabled in the Lok Sabha tomorrow and once it clears the final hurdle — it should keeping in mind the consensus — it will become a law. The amendment to the marriage laws was introduced on May 7.

Shiromani Akali Dal members Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Balwinder Singh Bhunder praised the Prime Minister for this move and demanded the amendment of Article 25 of the Constitution, which hinders Sikhs from having a distinct identity. At present, Sikhs are clubbed with Hindus under the Constitution and the amendment in Article 25 has been one of the major demands of the community.

Speaking for the Congress, MS Gill lavished praise on the PM while Avinash Rai Khanna welcomed the move. Avtar Singh Karimpuri (BSP), Naresh Aggarwal (SP) and Kanwardeep Singh (TMC) welcomed the move and supported it on behalf of their parties. Dhindsa, Bhunder, and Karimpuri spoke in Punjabi.

Naresh Gujral of the SAD suggested that Law Minister Salman Khurshid issue instructions that Sikh couples who had earlier registered their marriages under the Hindu Marriage Act be allowed to register under the new law.

Once it becomes a law, it will help millions of Non Resident Indians. As of now, marriages registration certificates of NRIs term them as Hindus while their passports define them as Sikhs, resulting in confusion and rejection in visas.

The new Act does not have a provision for divorce as the Sikh clergy could not arrive at a consensus on the issue. The opinion among Sikhs is that the divorce clause could be added later, if the need be.

Parsis, Christians and Muslims already have separate laws for the registration of marriages under their own customs. The Sikh wedding is distinctive from a Hindu wedding and is called an ‘Anand Karaj’. The number of circumambulations (pheras) in Sikh weddings is lesser than those in Hindu weddings. The Sikh priest reads out from the verses from the Guru Granth Sahib.

Sikh couples that get their marriages registered under the Anand Karaj Marriage Act “shall not be required to get their marriages registered under the registration of Births, marriages and Deaths Act, 1969 or any other law for the time being in force (including state Acts)”.

The Anand Marriage Act was promulgated during British times, but was not adopted at the time of framing of the Constitution of Independent India.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120522/main3.htm

The Tribune – 2 terrorists arrested in Nawanshahr; 2.7 kg of RDX hidden in fields recovered

Parmod Bharti

Nawanshahr, May 21. Two members of banned terror outfit Khalistan Zindabad Force were arrested near Karnana village in Nawanshahr today along with two China-made pistols and 11 cartridges.

Identified as Sandip of Saifabad village in Jalandhar and Sukhwinder of Rohanano village near Khanna (Ludhiana), the terrorists were nabbed during a naka. The police action came following a tip-off regarding their movement.

After their questioning, the police recovered 2.7 kg of RDX, three bombs, as many detonators and two timers buried in fields at Poonia village in Banga and Saifabad village in Phillaur.

Inspector General (Patiala range) Paramjit Singh Gill and SSP Dhanpreet Kaur said the police had, besides laying the naka, beefed up patrolling after getting information about the terrorists.

The mastermind of the gang, Gurnek Singh alias Neka of Bara Pind village in Goraya (Jalandhar), had been residing in the US.

It has come to light that the explosives and arms had been brought to Punjab by the gang two years ago.

Asked why intelligence agencies took so long in recovering the explosives, Gill did not give a direct reply. However, he said the Punjab Police enjoyed the faith of the state people, which was a must to thwart any attempt to disturb Punjab’s hard-earned peace.

“The activists of the Khalistan Zindabad Force could not dare to use the explosives under pressure from the police and the public. But, they used their pistols for committing petty crimes like snatching and thefts. Seven cases of snatching had been registered against the two at different police stations,” he said.

The police has registered a case under sections 121, 121-A, 120-B of the IPC, sections 17, 18, 20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and section 25 of the Arms Act at Sadar Banga police station.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120522/punjab.htm#1

Also read :

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120522/punjab.htm#2

The Asian Age – Obama delivers snub to Zardari in Chicago

Lalit K. Jha

Washington, 22 May 2012. In a rebuff to Pakistan President Asif Ali Zar-dari, US President Barack Obama refused to meet him on the margins of the Nato summit in Chicago as the two countries failed to strike a deal on reopening the Nato supply lines to Afghanistan.

Mr Zardari, who flew to Chicago with hopes of lifting his stature after a meeting with Mr Obama, was preparing to leave empty-handed as the two countries continued to feel the repercussions of a Nato airstrike last November that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, an incident for which the US President offered condolences but no apology.

As the two-day Nato su-mmit opened in Chicago Sunday evening, Mr Obama remained at loggerheads with Mr Zardari, refusing even to meet him without a deal on the supply routes, which both countries’ officials admitted would not be coming soon, the US media reported on Monday. White Hou-se deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said Mr Obama could not meet Mr Zardari as he had a “full slate of summit meetings to attend”.

A deal to reopen the supply lines fell apart as Mr Obama began talks on ending Nato’s combat role in Afghanistan in 2013, the New York Times reported, adding that the failure to strike a deal ahead of the summit had injected new tension into the US-Pakistani relationship. (PTI)

http://www.asianage.com/india/obama-delivers-snub-zardari-chicago-886

Sint-Truiden – Brussel – Bristol vv 19/04 – 25/04 2012

On the 19th of April I went to Vilvoorde and on the 20th I travelled from Vilvoorde to Bristol via Brussel and  London. I returned from Bristol to Sint-Truiden on the 25th of April.

21 April, Bristol, River Avon, Bristol Floating Harbour, Steam Tug Mayflower

21 April, Bristol, River Avon, Bristol Floating Harbour, Steam Tug Mayflower

21 April, Bristol, River Avon, Bristol Floating Harbour

21 April, Bristol, River Avon, Bristol Floating Harbour, Steam Tug Mayflower

To see more UK pictures :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157627296796095/

More UK pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – Ludhiana man is mayor of Hounslow

Puneet Pal Singh Gill, Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 21. A former resident of Kila Raipur, Pritam Singh Grewal, has become the Mayor of Hounslow in the UK. His wife Ajmer Grewal is a councillor in Hounslow. Born in Ludhiana, Grewal graduated from Panjab University with B.Sc in Maths, Physics and Chemistry.

He also did his master’s degree in English literature from the same university. Coming from a sports background, his father Ranjit Singh Grewal and younger brother Mohinder Partap Singh Grewal, both of whom are no more, were national-level hockey players.

Having migrated to the UK in 1976, Pritam’s family organises the All-India Mohinder Partap Singh Grewal Women Hockey Tournament at Ludhiana every year. The outgoing Mayor of Hounslow, Amritpal Singh Mann, also hails from Ludhiana district’s Nangal village, 5 km from Kila Raipur.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120522/punjab.htm#7

BBC News – India anti-corruption Lokpal bill tabled in parliament

Monday 21 May 2012. India’s controversial anti-corruption Lokpal bill has been re-introduced in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament.

The bill, which empowers an independent ombudsman to prosecute politicians and civil servants, was passed by the Lok Sabha, the lower house, in December.

A heated debate in the Rajya Sabha then had seen hundreds of amendments put forward.

But the house had been adjourned amid chaos without a vote.

Leading anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare has been campaigning for a tough Lokpal bill and has called the government bill “useless”.

Mr Hazare’s main complaint is that the bill proposes keeping India’s top investigation agency, CBI, out of the purview of the ombudsman.

In other words, the nine-member Lokpal committee – which would include the ombudsman – would not have its own investigative agency, a major demand of anti-corruption activists like Mr Hazare and many opposition parties.

His 12-day fast in August received widespread support, with tens of thousands of people attending protests across the country.

He had started another hunger strike in December but called it off and threatened instead to launch a campaign of civil disobedience that would fill the country’s jails.

Mr Hazare and his supporters say that tougher measures are required in the bill if it is to prove effective at reducing the level of corruption.

The Indian government has been rocked by recent corruption scandals including an alleged telecoms bribery scam that may have cost the country $39bn (£23bn), suspected financial malpractice linked to the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games and accusation that homes for war widows were diverted to civil servants.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-18141956