The Tribune – Martyrdom of Banda [Singh] Bahadur; Plans afoot to celebrate tercentenary in 2016

Sanjay Bumbroo, Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, May 13. Preparations are afoot to celebrate the tercentenary of the martyrdom of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, the erstwhile Sikh General, in Fatehgarh Sahib in 2016.

Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar said today a procession would start from Nanded Sahib in Maharashtra and culminate here after passing through the towns, which the Sikh General had conquered after fighting the Mughal rulers.

Makkar said no kar sewa would be held during the renovation of Jahaji Haveli of Dewan Todar Mal. Makkar said the SGPC had hired the services of an architect for the restoration of the historic building, the construction of the boundary wall and the landscaping of the area around Jahaji Haveli.

SGPC chief said the construction work of the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur museum was on. Executive Engineer Manpreet Singh, Parmjit Singh and other members of the SGPC were among those present in the meeting.

Banda Bahadur was sent by Guru Gobind Singh to Punjab to punish the cruel rulers of the time. Soon, Sikh forces, under the leadership of Banda Bahadur, killed many tyrants, including Nawab Wazir Khan, who was responsible for mercilessly killing the two younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh.

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The Tribune – Seven students of Sikh varsity hurt in attack by outsiders; Security official trying to save them injured too

Sanjay Bumbroo, Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, March 22. At least seven students and a security official were injured when a group of 20-25 students today barged into Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University here and attacked them with sharp-edged weapons.

The incident occurred at 4.30 am inside the university complex when 32 MCA-II students, including girls, were boarding a bus to Amritsar for a tour. Three of the injured students and the security official were admitted to the Civil Hospital.

The rest were discharged after first-aid. Sources said as the bus was about to leave, students wearing masks from a private engineering institute barged into the university campus and attacked Jasmeet Singh, tour coordinator.

Terrified, students fled from the bus to save themselves.

Security official Kirpal Singh rushed to the rescue of the students. He too was attacked by the intruders.The police was informed. It arrived on the scene within 15 minutes and took the injured to the Civil Hospital. Jasmeet Singh was hit on the head and elbow. Kirpal Singh received bruises on the leg. Some girls received minor injuries.

The sources said trouble began last evening when a group of university students attacked Maninder Partap Singh with sharp-edged weapons at a fast food shop. A student of MTech, Nano-Technology, he had objected to a student from Jammu and Kashmir being ragged. His friend Iqbal Singh, studying in a private engineering college, tried to intervene but was hit with iron rods. The two were admitted to a hospital.

The students of the engineering institute, who learnt of the incident, decided to retaliate and attacked Jasmeet Singh. Acting Vice-Chancellor Dr Gurmohan Singh Walia said an inquiry committee headed by the Dean, Academic Affairs, had been set to probe the matter. He said action would be taken against the students found guilty. He said he would ask Senior Superintendent of Police Hardial Singh Mann to set up a police post outside the university.

Earlier, the then VC, Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, was shot at and seriously injured near the university gate on August 1, 2011.

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The Tribune – Shaheedi Jor Mela concludes amid fervour

Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, December 27. The three-day Shaheedi Jor Mela concluded here today amid performing of religious ceremonies. A nagar kirtan was taken out from Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib to Gurdwara Jyoti Swarup Sahib. The palanquin carrying Guru Granth Sahib was placed on a well decorated vehicle.

Gurbachan Singh, Jathedar, Akal Takhat; Tarlochan Singh, head priest, Gurdwara Keshgarh Sahib; Giani Mal Singh, head priest, Golden Temple; Harnam Singh Dhuma, head, Damdami Taksal; and Baba Nihal Singh, head, Budha Dal; were among those who participated in the congregation.

The palanquin was escorted by SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar, SGPC member Karnail Singh Panjoli, SAD general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra, former minister Dr Harbans Lal, former MLA Didar Singh Bhatti and other political leaders.

Lakhs of devotees from various parts of the country and abroad also participated. Performances by school bands, gatka teams, nihangs, kirtani jathas, Sukhmani Sahib sewa societies, students of Mata Gujri College, Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University and Akal Academy Baru Sahib charged the atmosphere.

Addressing the devotees, Gurbachan Singh urged the devotees to follow the path as shown by the Sikh gurus. He lashed out at leaders of various political parties for printing their photographs along with Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh and Mata Gujri.

SGPC president Avtar Singh said Thande Burj and Garhi of Chamkaur Sahib would be reconstructed to give it a historic look so that future generations of the community could remember the great sacrifices made by the younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh. He said renovation of the historic haveli of Diwan Todar Mal would be completed by next year.

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The Tribune – SAD leaders accused of committing sacrilege

Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, September 30. Former Deputy Speaker of Punjab Assembly Bir Devinder Singh has urged Akal Takht Jathedar to summon Bikramjit Singh Majithia and Prem Singh Chandumajra for committing sacrilege at the Diwan Todar Mal Yaadgari Hall, inside the historic shrine of Fatehgarh Sahib, during a rally organised by Youth Akali Dal (YAD) on September 25.

Bir Devinder demanded immediate intervention from the high priests of the Five Sikh Takhts and urged them to jointly visit Diwan Hall to take cognizance of the matter.

Bikramjit Singh Majithia, Revenue Minister and president of the Youth Akali Dal, Prem Singh Chandumajra, SAD general secretary, senior SAD leaders and members of the SGPC, who were present at the rally violated the Sikh traditions, said Bir Devinder.

The former Speaker said chairs were laid in Diwan Todar Mal Yaadgari Hall and volunteers of the Youth Akali Dal entered the hall wearing shoes and with their heads uncovered. The traditional Sikh practices were ignored and the sanctity of the historic Diwan Todar Mal Yaadgari Hall was reduced to that of a marriage palace or a banquet hall, he said.

Chandumajra refuted the allegations and said the religious place was not disrespected. He said they had organised a social function to create awareness among the youth against drug abuse and female foeticide.

He said Congress leaders who were levelling allegations against them should do some introspection as they were responsible for the demolition of various Sikh shrines including Akal Takht during Operation Blue Star.

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The Tribune – SGPC seeks to reconstruct 450-yr-old shrine

Sanjay Bumbroo, Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, September 15. Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) has renewed its efforts to reconstruct the 450-year-old gurdwara Gyan Godhri at its original place near Har-ki Pauri in Haridwar.

The SGPC has once again sought an appointment with Uttarakhand Chief Minister through local MLA Harbhajan Singh Cheema to resolve the issue.

SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar, who was in town for the installation ceremony of Guru Granth Sahib at Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University, said two delegations of the committee had already visited Uttarakhand earlier. But with the change of guard in the Uttarakhand government, the matter could not proceed further, he added.

The 450-year-old gurdwara Gyan Godhri was set up at Har-ki-Pauri in memory of Guru Nanak Dev who visited the place in 1504-05. The Sikh community in the hilly state of Uttarakhand had been demanding that the shrine, which was demolished during 1984 anti-Sikh riots, should be restored at its original place.

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The Tribune – SGPC signs pact with Cambridge University; To offer five PhD scholarships of Rs 25 lakh each

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 6. The SGPC and Cambridge University have forged a tie-up for PhD research scholarship. An announcement in this regard was made by Avtar Singh Makkar, SGPC president, at a press conference here today. Sir Leszek Borysiewiczh, Vice Chancellor of University of Cambridge, was also present.

A maximum of five students will be selected every year for the programme. All expenses, including fee and boarding, totalling Rs 25 lakh per year will be shared equally by the SGPC and Cambridge University. Students who pass out will be required to teach in an SGPC institute for at least three years.

Prof Borysiewiczh said: “Cambridge is not aiming to open campuses anywhere, including India, unlike the current trend. We are looking for academic tie-ups. In India, we have at least 270 active projects in different educational institutes”.

Makkar for Sikh Chair at Cambridge

Fatehgarh Sahib: Makkar has urged Prof Borysiewicz to set up Sikh Chair at Cambridge University. Sources said Prof Brysiewicz had assured Makkar that he would discuss the issue with the university management.

Prof Borysiewicz also visited Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University here today and interacted with faculty members and students. Later, he gave away degrees to 443 students at a convocation held at Mata Gujri College.

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The Tribune – Fatehgarh Sahib varsity awaits recognition, writes to UGC

Sanjay Bumbroo, Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, August 6. Its earlier request having gone unheeded, the local Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University has again written to the University Grants Commission (UGC) for getting an inspection done of the Sikh institution.

The scrutiny of staff, infrastructure and other facilities would pave the way for UGC recognition to the university. The earlier request was made on January 19.

Sources said the latest appeal was made by Registrar Prithipal Singh, who had been given the additional charge of Vice-Chancellor (VC). The post fell vacant with the suspension of Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia.

The Registrar said the university was following the UGC norms and deviations, if any, would be taken care of. He said the university had 1,350 students in 18 courses, including mechanical and electrical engineering.

Ahluwalia, first VC of the Sikh university, was shown the door following allegations of irregularities and mismanagement of funds. The ouster was ordered by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Avtar Singh Makkar, university Chancellor, on August 2.

Makkar had also appointed two auditing firms for inquiring into the alleged mismanagement of funds by Ahluwalia. Sources said the auditing teams comprising eight members had already sealed the VC office and were busy checking accounts of the previous four years. The teams also met the Registrar.

Students said Ahluwalia had turned his office into a fortress and had passed strict instructions that nobody be allowed to enter it without his permission. Besides, he had hired private security personnel, a few of whom would always stand guard outside his office. The security agency was paid a whopping Rs 3 lakh a month by the university, said sources.

Apart from this, the university was footing a monthly bill of around Rs 80,000 on fuel and other expenses of the three luxury cars used by Ahluwalia.

A few teachers alleged that while they were ignored by the VC for annual increments, he gave a hike of Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500 a month to his aides.

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The Tribune – Tug-of-war over control of Sikh varsity at Fatehgarh Sahib

SGPC chief forms audit committees to look into expenditure

Suspended VC Ahluwalia calls for CBI probe into appointments by Makkar

Jangveer Singh & Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Amritsar, August 3. More dirty linen is set to be washed in public with SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar managing to gain control of Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University at Fatehgarh Sahib by suspending its Vice-Chancellor Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia.

Ahluwalia has accused Makkar of being responsible for 92 allegedly illegal appointments, including that of his grandson.

Speaking to The Tribune, Ahluwalia demanded a CBI inquiry to probe the allegations that he had levelled on Makkar and also to look into the counter-allegations by the SGPC president.

The suspended VC is set to become more strident in the days to come, saying he had an “atom bomb up his sleeve which, if released, would make it difficult for Makkar to remain in office”. The “atom bomb” refers to an “objectionable action” committed by Makkar.

For his part, Makkar today announced the SGPC had hired two private companies to conduct an audit of the expenditure during Ahluwalia’s tenure as VC. One team would probe the construction work quality and the other the financial aspects. They would submit their reports within a week. “Everything will become clear once the reports are out,” he said.

Sources, however, said much of what Ahluwalia was claiming could be posturing on his part after being unceremoniously shunted out both from the university as well as the Trust that runs it. Ahluwalia had complete control over the university since its inception in 2008. However, things changed after he was hospitalised following a bullet injury on August 1, 2011.

Apart from controlling the university, the point of contention is the 92 appointments done when Ahluwalia was in hospital.

The then officiating VC, Dr Gurnek Singh, said the appointments were on an ad hoc basis as they needed to be made immediately. He said due procedure could have been followed when services of the appointees were to be regularised.

Makkar, it is learnt, had a full say in these recruitments. After again taking charge of the university in January, Ahluwalia prevailed upon the syndicate on March 30 to inquire into the procedure under which these appointments had been made. This set the scene for a clash between Makkar and Ahluwalia.

Ahluwalia, it is learnt, had been successful in getting his way earlier because of his proximity to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. He had ruled the roost earlier as well when he was the VC of Punjabi University, Patiala. That, despite the fact that charges of moral turpitude were levelled against him, though he was subsequently acquitted in the case. But, Ahluwalia was not second-time lucky. He alleged that Makkar had conspired to remove him when the Chief Minister was out of the state and scheduled to go abroad.

His claim, however, came under question as before being removed from the Trust on July 24, Ahluwalia was asked by a former chief secretary to put in his papers, it is learnt. This could not have happened without Badal being kept in the loop.

Sources said the CM had attributed his support for Ahluwalia to his qualifications and expertise in academics.

Ahluwalia also claims that Makkar had insulted him on the day when the foundation stone of the university was laid in 2008.

Sources said it was Ahluwalia’s “autocratic” style of functioning that did him in. It is learnt that when the university came into being, several sub-committees comprising the Trust members were formed to look into issues like expenditure, construction and salaries but the VC reportedly bypassed them all.

Makkar also echoed the charge, alleging Ahluwalia “never” took the Trust into confidence while taking any university related decision. Sources said most of the Trust members had also raised objections over Ahluwalia’s functioning.

Makkar today called a press conference in Amritsar where he alleged that the suspended VC did not initiate any measures to get UGC (University Grants Commission) recognition for the university.

He alleged that Ahluwalia had hired private security guards for himself who were being paid Rs 4 lakh a month. This, in addition to the security that had been provided to him by the state government. Ahluwalia’s suspension and its consequent war of words between him and Makkar has prompted many to question his appointment to the key post. Noted Sikh scholar Bhai Ashok Singh Bagrian said it was “shameful” that the first VC of the university, named after Guru Granth Sahib, had to be suspended. He said the sequence of events also raised a question mark over the functioning of those who were managing the university affairs and were responsible for appointing Ahluwalia. (With inputs from Sanjay Bumbroo in Fatehgarh Sahib)

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The Tribune – Suspended Vice Chancellor, SGPC president trade charges

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 2. Suspended Vice Chancellor Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia has accused SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar
of being responsible for “92 illegal” appointments, including that of his grandson as Deputy Director, Youth.

The SGPC president, when questioned on the issue, hit back at Ahluwalia, saying he had awarded three increments to seven members of his personal staff within a period of six months and enhanced the salary of a woman employee within five days of her appointment.

Makkar claimed the woman employee was recruited 10 days back despite the fact that her services had been dispensed with by the earlier acting Vice Chancellor.

Ahluwalia claimed that Makkar had suspended him because he had failed to follow his directions on “justifying” the 92 appointments after these were challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Ahluwalia said the petition before the court claimed that a sum of Rs 7 crore was spent on various purchases but there was hardly anything in the stock registers and only vouchers for payments. Ahluwalia, likening Makkar to a ‘mahant’, claimed that despite his services to the university, he was eliminated from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Fourth Centenary Trust which runs the university.

The SGPC chief said Ahluwalia was a “liar”. He said his grandson was associated with the university since 2006. “It was Ahluwalia who sent a written note to me, stating that being a Chancellor’s relative did not bar my grandson from serving in the university”.

Makkar said all the 92 appointments that Ahluwalia was objecting to now had been advertised by him. “ Since Ahluwalia was in hospital with a bullet injury, these were filled after following due procedure.” He said Ahluwalia had been unable to explain the increments to a chosen few without the sanction of the university trust. The SGPC president said Punjabi University Vice Chancellor Jaspal Singh and two others had been made trustees.

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The Tribune – Three of family from Fatehgarh Sahib murdered in Italy; Deputy Commissioner writes to Indian Embassy Surinder Bhardwaj

There is a Solofra in southern Italy near Napoli and it has a Via Margharita (Margharita Road) HSKh

Fatehgarh Sahib, June 28. Shock wave swept Nadiali village here today as the news of the murder of three members of a local family reached the village. Charanjit Singh, his wife Jasbir Kaur and daughter Jaspreet Kaur, who had lived at Margharita, Solofra in Italy, were murdered last night.

A large number of villagers gathered at the residence of Gurnam Singh, Charanjit’s brother. They later met Deputy Commissioner Yashvir Mahajan to apprise him of the situation and request him to help bring the bodies to India.

The Deputy Commissioner assured the villagers that he would make all efforts to help them. He sent an e-mail to Indian Embassy in Italy in this regard.

Gurnam Singh said the dead bodies were currently in the custody of the local police there. He said he did not have adequate resources to visit Italy. He requested the Indian Embassy in Italy to make arrangements for sending the bodies to India.

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