The Tribune – 1984 scars persist; Justice still eludes 1984 riot victims, 28 years after riots in Delhi and other parts of the country, The Tribune takes a look at how the affected people are coping with the trauma

Ajay Banerjee, Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 30. There have been two commissions of enquiry and eight committees to probe the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. In these 28 years, meek efforts of the government to bring the guilty to book have just meandered through a maze of paper work and such toothless enquiries or commissions.

The inaction on the reports of the commissions and the committees stems from futility of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. It does not give the commissions of inquiry any powers to prescribe punishment (though they can recommend it). The government can ignore their findings and that is what has happened in this case for 28 years. The commissions are like “a dose of homeopathic medicine when immediate surgery was needed”, says a senior police man who has served in Delhi.

Such has been the attitude that for the first two years, no account of the dead was carried out. The Ranganath Mishra commission – the first one set up to probe the riots — was given names, addresses and complete details of 3,870 people killed in Delhi. But police said 1,419 were killed. Cases of only these people were registered. The Delhi government filed a list of 2,300 people killed. A separate committee later established that 2,773 people died in Delhi alone.

In 2009, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram admitted in an interview to a news channel that Sikhs had a “legitimate grievance”. Jarnail Singh, author of the book “I Accuse… the Anti-Sikh Violence of 1984″ says: “We seek justice. Bring the guilty to book”.

In 2005, the GT Nanavati Commission indicted Jagdish Tytler, he resigned from his post as Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs. The government asked CBI to re-investigate the cases.

The Nanavati Commission found that there was a colossal failure in maintenance of law and order in Delhi during the riots. It expressed dissatisfaction with the then Lt. Governor P.G. Gavai and the then Police Commissioner, S C Tandon. The latter said the commission, did not take strict action against the defaulting police officers nor did he give them directions to be strict with the marauding mobs.

The Nanavati Commission also touched upon the delay in deploying the Army in the Capital on October 31 itself. So who delayed the deployment? The Lt Governor of Delhi has the powers to deploy the Army in such circumstances, without waiting for the political clearance. The then LG, P G Gavai claimed he gave the go-ahead to the Police Commissioner SC Tandon on the morning of November 1. The riots started the same day. The Delhi Police is directly under the Central government.

To read more :

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121031/nation.htm#2

The Tribune – High Court gives Punjab 4 months to verify ’84 riot victims’ claims

Saurabh Malik, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 30. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that the authorities in the State of Punjab are required to decide the claims of the “1984 anti-Sikh riots victims” in a time-bound manner.

“It is imperative upon the authorities to consider their claim in a time-bound manner,” a Division Bench of the high court has asserted, while setting a four-month deadline for the Ludhiana and Mohali deputy commissioners to verify the claims of the “riot victims”.

The ruling came on three separate petitions filed by Mohinder Singh and other petitioners against the State of Punjab and other respondents. Taking up the petitions, the Division Bench of Justices Surya Kant and RP Nagrath asked the deputy commissioners to recommend their claims for the benefits under the government policy to the “competent authority”, if they were found to be genuine “riot victims”.

Going into the circumstances leading to the filing of the petitions, the Bench said the grievance of the petitioners was that their status as victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots was not being determined by the Deputy Commissioners of Ludhiana and Mohali, “keeping in view the decision of this court dated September 14, 2010, passed in the case of Kuljit Singh and others versus State of Punjab and another”.

The Bench observed that the order was upheld by the Division Bench on February 15, 2011 in the case of Greater Mohali Area Development Authority versus Kuljit Singh and others.

The Bench added the petitioners “are said to have represented the authorities several times, including vide representation dated May 15. Suffice it would be to observe that if the petitioners are found to be bonafide victims of the 1984 riots, they shall be entitled for some benefits under the Government Policy.

“Hence, it is imperative upon the authorities to consider their claim in a time-bound manner. In these circumstances and without expressing any views on merits of the petitioners’ claim, we deem it appropriate to dispose of this writ petition with a direction to the Deputy Commissioner to verify the petitioners’ allegations, keeping in view the above-stated decisions of this court. The needful shall be done within a period of four months from the date of receiving a certified copy of this order.”

To read more :

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121031/main5.htm

The Asian Age – Supreme Court pulls up Delhi, UP and Haryana

Ridhima Malhotra, Asian Age Correspondent

Delhi, 31 October 2012. Expressing disappointment over high levels of pollution in the Yamuna, the Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments for little being done in the past 18 years for cleansing the river despite over Rs 4,400 crores being spent for the purpose.

“All the agencies have spent crores of rupees. What is the purpose? What work has been done ultimately?” said a bench of justices Swatanter Kumar and M.B. Lokur.

The court also appointed a two-member expert committee, comprising a member each from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Delhi Jal Board, to determine what has been achieved so far by the governments in their attempt to detoxify the river.

The bench also asked the committee to examine the feasibility of blocking the drains which discharge untreated waste water into the river and submit its report by November 9, the next date of hearing.

The bench, meanwhile, directed the Centre to place before it the Yamuna Action Plan.

The apex court had taken suo motu cognisance of the endangered state of the Yamuna, on the basis of newspaper reports, way back in 1994.

During the hearing on Tuesday, the bench lamented that despite huge amount of money being spent by the Centre and the concerned states to set up several sewage plants for treating the effluents being discharged into the Yamuna, the river water still had a high pollution rate.

It has also sought a report from the committee regarding the working condition of these plants and whether untreated waste can be stopped from being directly drained into the river.

The UP and Delhi governments, along with DJB and the New Delhi Municipal Committee, had recently submitted before the apex court that they have together spent Rs 4,439 crores in the last 18 years to implement the apex court’s directions to make the river water potable.

The submission was made before the court pursuant to its order directing UP, Delhi and the Haryana governments to specify the exact amount of money spent on the river cleaning.

http://www.asianage.com/delhi/sc-pulls-delhi-and-haryana-162

09 August 2012 – NMBS and De Lijn : Sint-Truiden – Brussel – De Panne – Oostende – Leuven – Sint-Truiden

The Belgian Kusttram (coastal tram) which runs along the Belgian Northsea coast from near the French border till near the Dutch border

De Panne Centrum – Tram to De Panne station

De Panne Centrum – Waiting for the tram to Knokke

De Panne Centrum – The tram to Knokke

De Panne Centrum – Inside the tram

Kokzijde Bad Tram stop

To see more Belgium and Netherlands public transport pictures :

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

More Belgian pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – India-Pakistan cricket ties to resume after 4 years; MHA gives nod to tour; first match on December 25

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 30. Cricket buffs are in for a mega treat. The Ministry of Home Affairs today cleared Pakistan cricket team’s tour of India for a limited-over series beginning December 25 and said the government will provide foolproof security to the visiting team.

The arch-rivals have not played a bilateral series since Pakistan’s tour of India in 2007 after cricket ties were snapped following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

A delegation of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) met Union Home Secretary R K Singh here today. BCCI senior official and Union Minister Rajiv Shukla said the Board delegation discussed with the Home Secretary about security and logistical issues. “We have discussed all security aspects. The tour is on,” he told reporters here. The BCCI has finalised dates for the one-day series, with the first match due to kick off on December 25.

The series would comprise three ODIs and two Twenty20 Internationals between December 2012 and January 2013. The ODI matches are likely to be played in Chennai, Kolkata and New Delhi and the Twenty20 games in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

Central forces will be deployed to aid the state police in guarding the match venues.

In July, the BCCI had decided to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan by inviting the neighbouring country for a short series in December 2012-January 2013, to be sandwiched between the Test and ODI legs of the England team’s tour of India.

Apart from the security issues, the Union Home Ministry also gives visa clearance to Pakistani spectators.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121031/main1.htm

Dawn – Pakistan strongly supports human rights’ application: FM Khar

Islamabad, 30 October 2012. Foreign Minister, Hina Rabbani Khar on Tuesday said Pakistan strongly supports the promotion and application of universally recognized human rights.

In her opening statement at the 14th Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Foreign Minister said Pakistan’s resolve and commitment to combat terrorism remained unwavering.

However she termed the drone attacks as counter-productive, unlawful, against international law, and violation of sovereignty.

The Foreign Minister said Pakistan as the Chair of the OIC Group on Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva has played a constructive role in building convergences between West and Islamic world on the most contentious and challenging issues in the Human Rights Council.

She said Pakistan welcomes this engagement with the international community through an open and constructive dialogue on its human rights record in line with the provisions identified in the Institution Building Package.

She thanked the “Troika” comprising Chile, China and Congo, for facilitating Pakistan’s review.

The Foreign Minister said following restoration of democracy in 2008, Pakistan had taken a number of steps to restore the democratic nature of state institutions.

Today Pakistan is a functional democracy with an elected and sovereign parliament, an independent judiciary, a free media and a vibrant and robust civil society, she added.

She said the reporting period (2008 to 2012) had been one of the most challenging in recent years for Pakistan. Pakistan continued to face enormous challenges on different fronts, ranging from security and terrorism to the economy, apart from natural calamities.

“Despite these serious challenges, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights,” she said.

The Foreign Minister said during the last four years, there had been transformational changes in the legislative framework.

She mentioned passing of three constitutional amendments requiring two-third majority as part of a overarching compact between the country’s major political parties to engender long-term democratic values in the country, after the trauma of repeated military interventions.

She said in April 2010, Parliament unanimously passed the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, addressing the many imbalances of power that had entered the legislative framework at the behest of military governments.

She said among the key features of the 18th Amendment is its strengthening of human rights guaranteed under the Constitution. The Right to Education (Article 25A), Right to Information (Article 19A) and Right to Fair Trial (Article 10A) are now recognized as fundamental rights, which cannot be suspended, she added.

The Foreign Minister said consistent with its longstanding commitment to promote and protect human rights, Pakistan ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Convention against Torture (CAT) in June 2010.

She said in August 2011, Pakistan ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Option Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.

Foreign Minister Khar said Pakistan has now ratified seven out of nine core international human rights treaties. Joining these international human rights instruments demonstrates Pakistan’s commitment to international human rights standards.

http://dawn.com/2012/10/30/pakistan-strongly-supports-human-rights-application-fm-khar/

The Tribune – 100 schools in Fatehgarh Sahib without furniture

Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, October 29. More than one hundred primary schools out of the total 465 schools located in various parts of the district are functioning without any furniture.

This information was revealed in a press release issued by the SAD General Secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra here today.

It further said that only 70 to 80 per cent of the primary schools in the district had been provided with furniture including benches and chairs while students in the rest of the schools continued to sit on jute carpets in the classrooms. A total of 28,147 students were studying in primary schools in the district.

Chandumajra said he had been making constant efforts to provide building funds to the primary schools. He said he had been able to get a grant of Rs 4.5 lakh as building fund and Rs 70,000 each for Madhopur High School and primary schools in Sodha, Badali Mai, Jhampur, Harlalpur and Bhagat Colony. He said the funds would soon be provided in other primary schools.

The SAD general secretary said that in addition to this he had also been instrumental in getting a grant of Rs one crore for building primary schools in villages Chudki, Panjoli, Meer Meera and Daadu Majra. He said vacant posts of teachers were being filled and other basic facilities, including furniture in the primary school of the state was being provided.

Earlier, addressing senior Akali leaders he claimed that the state had retained the number three position in the country in the field of education by opening engineering, medical and nursing colleges besides establishing a world class university and an IIT.

Harinder Pal Singh Chandumajra, Hardev Singh Harlalpur, Inderjit Singh Sandhu, Jathedar Manmohan Singh Mukaropu, Mandeep Singh Tarkhanmajra, YAD national General Secretary Baljit Singh Buta, Sher Singh, former president Sirhind Municipal Council, were among those present during the meeting.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121030/punjab.htm#20

The Tribune – Canadian PM to visit Chandigarh next month; Punjabi origin ministers Bal Gosal & Tim Uppal in delegation

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 26. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper begins his seven-day official visit to India from November 3. Accompanied by both of his ministerial colleagues of Punjabi origin, Bal Gosal and Tim Uppal, he would also visit Chandigarh during his trip.

It will be Stephen Harper’s second visit to India.

“Canada enjoys a strong working and personal relationship with India but we must further strengthen the links between our two countries,” said the Prime Minister.

“India is a growing economy with enormous potential, and expanding our trade and investment links with India will create jobs, growth and long-term prosperity here in Canada.”

Accompanying him will be a big business and cultural delegation besides five ministers. Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, Joe Oliver.

Minister of Natural Resources and Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport), and Tim Uppal, Minister of State (Democratic Reform) will be part of the official delegation.

Other than meeting with the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and his ministerial colleagues, Stephen Harper will also address the World Economic Forum on India, an independent international organisation committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders.

Trade between India, one of the fastest growing economies, and Canada has been on the rise.

The strength of the ties between the two countries is reflected in the estimated 1 million Canadians of Indian origin residing there.

Stephen Harper would also visit Agra, Chandigarh and Bangalore.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121030/punjab.htm#16

The Hindu – Possession of fake currency not an act of terror: HC

Accused under detention for over three years gets bail

Staff Reporter

Mumbai, 30 October 2012.  The Bombay High Court on Monday noted that mere possession and circulation of fake currency cannot be termed an act of terror under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The court, therefore, granted bail to Ravi Dhiren Ghosh, arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad in 2009 for alleged possession of counterfeit notes. The case was later taken up by the National Investigation Agency.

Referring to the UAPA, Justice A.M. Thipsay remarked, “Circulation of counterfeit currency, even if it is printed in a foreign country can’t be considered, by definition, as a terrorist act. Prima facie, the act being attributed to the applicant, Ghosh, cannot be termed a terrorist act, and the provisions of UAPA cannot be invoked.”

The court also noted that there was no material to suggest that Ghosh was part of a “larger conspiracy,” where notes were printed in a foreign land and sent to India “to ruin the Indian economy.”

According to the ATS, Ghosh was arrested in May 2009, and found to be in possession of 200 notes of Rs. 1,000 denomination.

Justice Thipsay considered Ghosh’s continuing detention for the past three and a half years, with no sign of the trial beginning soon. Moreover, there was no material on record in terms of an FIR or case diary to show that the ATS had received some “secret information” upon which they acted against Ghosh.

The court granted him bail on a surety of Rs. 75,000.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/possession-of-fake-currency-not-an-act-of-terror-hc/article4044723.ece

09 August 2012 – NMBS and De Lijn : Sint-Truiden – Brussel – De Panne – Oostende – Leuven – Sint-Truiden

The Belgian Kusttram (coastal tram) which runs along the Belgian Northsea coast from near the French border till near the Dutch border

De Panne, the beach, the boulevard and the high rise apartment buildings

De Panne, the beach

De Panne, old style buildings near the beach

De Panne Centrum

De Panne Centrum
De Lijn Trams on the ‘Kustlijn, in Gent and in Antwerpen all run on 1 meter gauge tracks

To see more Belgium (mostly Limburg) pictures :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622046344528/

To see more Belgium and Netherlands public transport pictures :

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

More Belgian pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue