The Indian Panorama

Tag: Punjab

  • Cong MLA’s shoes get Rs 50,000 price tag

    Cong MLA’s shoes get Rs 50,000 price tag

    Chandigarh: Congress MLA from Banga Tarlochan Singh Soondh would never have imagined how his worn-out pair of shoes would become a “prized” possession.

    A Canada-based news channel has reportedly offered Soondh Rs 50,000 if he could bring on their show the shoe allegedly hurled by him towards the Akali Dal legislators in the Vidhan Sabha, or even the one he did not throw.

    The MLA went back to the Vidhan Sabha this afternoon to get his shoes. Secretary Shashi Lakhanpal Mishra reportedly told him that the shoe that landed near Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia was a “case property”, while the other one was not in their possession.

    Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Mohan Mittal said while the shoe that fell near Majithia had been handed over to the Speaker’s office, he had no clue where the other one was.

    Soondh had claimed that he had hurled the shoe at Akali MLA Virsa Singh Valtoha over an alleged caste slur.

    The Treasury benches came to know about the shoe-hurler only when they noticed that Soondh had only   one shoe on. Sensing trouble, Soondh hid it near his seat. It was taken into possession by the watch and ward staff and its whereabouts are not known.

    Soondh admitted receiving calls from Canada-based news organisations. “They want to highlight the incident as a strong protest not just against Majithia, but against the government,” he said. Soondh walked barefoot yesterday and asked the CLP office secretary to arrange a pair of shoes. “They did buy me a new pair, but it was uncomfortable. Now I am looking for a new pair in the Sector 19 market,” he said.

  • Sidhus formally quit BJP; Funny, they Had Not Resigned till now

    Sidhus formally quit BJP; Funny, they Had Not Resigned till now

    Apparently, Sidhus had still not resigned, while he did resign from the Rajya Sabha in July but it is must be noted here that the BJP are so desperate for good candidates in Punjab that they never acted against them. Now even when he was in negotiations with Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party and not when he launched his own party, the “Awaaz-e-Punjab”, earlier this month.

    The mystery of whether Navjot Singh Sidhu had quit the BJP, as he weighed over multiple options (Politicians!!!) two months which would be his next political party, was solved today. He had not.

    Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu formally quit the BJP yesterday, Sep 14.

    Navjot Singh Sidhu last week had floated a new front ‘Awaaz-e-Punjab’ along with former Indian hockey team captain Pargat Singh, Awaaz-e-Punjab, which will contest the Punjab assembly elections against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

    Navjot had been upset since the party decided not to field him from Amritsar, a seat he had held for 10 years, in the 2014 parliamentary elections.

    Navjot Kaur Sidhu also hinted at joining the new front and said, “Along with Pargat Singh and Bains brothers we have formed a front. This will be against those working against Punjab.

  • A New Political Outfit in Punjab

    A New Political Outfit in Punjab

    CHANDIGARH (TIP): Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu formally announced his new political front ‘Awaaz-e-Punjab’ in Chandigarh on Thursday, September 8.

    “At this stage ‘Awaaz e Punjab’ is not a party, it’s a forum. The redemption, resurrection and revival of this state is the aim of our Awaaz-e-Punjab,” Sidhu said at a media briefing in Chandigarh. Sidhu had resigned from the Rajya Sabha on July 18, fueling speculation that he may join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). On Thursday, he attacked both AAP chief Arvind Kejrwal and the BJP.

    “Kejriwalji told him don’t fight (the upcoming Punjab) elections. Ask your wife to contest, (i/we) will make her a minister. I said ‘Sat Shri Akal’,” Sidhu said. The AAP chief, Sidhu added, only wants “yes men.” The former cricketer said his resignation from the Rajya Sabha “had nothing to do with Kejriwalji”.

    In a veiled attack on the BJP, Sidhu said that good leaders in India have been reduced to mute spectators. “There is a tradition in India that good people are kept as decoration pieces and used only for campaigning,” Sidhu said.

    The former Rajya Sabha member had on September 2 floated the ‘Awaaz-e-Punjab’ front. It is expected to contest the Punjab assembly elections that are slated for early next year.

    Other members of the new front include former Indian hockey team captain Pargat Singh, a legislator of Punjab’s ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, and two independent legislators, Balwinder Singh Bains and Simarjeet Singh Bains. Pargat Singh was last month suspended from the Akali Dal for “anti-party” activities. The Bains brothers, who had fallen out with the Akali Dal top leadership three years ago, have significant influence in Ludhiana district.

    Highlighting the blueprint of his front for the upcoming Punjab elections, Sidhu said that their aim is to make the state prosperous again by fighting people who have ‘ruined Punjab’. In his media briefing, he also talked about Punjab’s drug menace. “Where is the Punjab that used to produce so many sportsmen? Today, the streets are filled with drug addicts,” Sidhu said.

    Elections to 117 assembly seats are likely to be held in January or early February next year.

  • AAP likely to suspend Punjab convener Chhotepur over tickets for cash charge

    AAP likely to suspend Punjab convener Chhotepur over tickets for cash charge

    NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH (TIP): AThe Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is contemplating action against its Punjab unit convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur for taking a packet of cash in a reported video sting operation . Not only may he be removed from his post, but even be expelled from the party, barely six months before the assembly elections are due.

    The video was shown to AAP national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal upon his return from Himachal Pradesh, where he had gone for a Vipassana retreat from August 1 to 11, and he was “very upset”, said a Delhi-based, senior AAP leader, who briefed the media on the issue on Wednesday, on the condition of not being named.

    “That is one of the reasons why Kejriwal did not meet Chhotepur regarding any change in tickets,” said the leader, adding that Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia last week “confronted” Chhotepur with the video, for a reaction before any “appropriate action against him in the next few days”.

    Chhotepur has expressed objections over the two lists of candidates announced so far, and has been waiting for an appointment to meet Kejriwal. He was absent at both press conferences where the lists, containing 32 names so far out of 117, were revealed earlier this month.

    The video was made by an AAP supporter following verbal complaints that Chhotepur was demanding money for various purposes, the Delhi-based leader said. When asked for a copy of the video, the leader refused to part with it saying that will bring bad name to the party. “But the video is incriminating,” he said, adding that it had more content than acknowledged by Chhotepur in an interview to HT on Tuesday.

    When contacted, Chhotepur said he is not aware of the party mulling any action : “I have already said that it (sting) is a move to embarrass me. I don’t have anything more to say on the matter. I will speak up when the time is right.” He refused to comment on his meeting with Sisodia.

    ‘No tolerance’

    The Delhi-based leader, when asked if Chhotepur was being targeted for raising his voice against the party’s Delhi leadership, said rules are the same for everyone. “If a similar video of mine surfaces, I will be the first to quit politics. There is no tolerance in AAP for such things,” he said.

    When HT contacted party MP and campaign panel head Bhagwant Mann on the matter, said the party has taken the matter “very seriously”. “But I don’t know what the party’s next course of action is,” he added.

  • Indian American couple donates for Sikh, Punjabi culture research in US

    Indian American couple donates for Sikh, Punjabi culture research in US

    WASHINGTON: An Indian-American couple has donated $100,000 to a top American university to support graduate students studying Sikh and Punjabi culture there.

    The endowment by Harkeerat and Deepta Dhillon to University of California, Riverside, will help attract graduate students with an interest in Sikh and Punjabi culture, and support fieldwork on Sikh communities in the United States, the univestity said in a statement.

    “This gift is a testament to their commitment to higher education, their passion for the arts and humanities, and their desire to expand the knowledge base about Sikh and Punjabi culture,” said Milagros Pena, dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.

    The Harkeerat and Deepta Dhillon Endowed Research Award for Sikh and Punjabi Studies in the Arts and Humanities will provide much-needed support for dissertation research and writing on arts and humanities topics that relate to Sikh and Punjabi culture, said Pashaura Singh, professor and Jasbir Singh Saini Endowed Chair of Sikh and Punjabi Studies and chair of the Department of Religious Studies.

    Dhillon, a prominent Riverside orthopaedic and hand surgeon, had earlier helped raise funds needed to launch the endowed chair in Sikh Studies in 2008.

    “We are grateful to Dr. Dhillon and his wife, Deepta, for their generous gift. This award will help UCR attract new graduate students interested in Sikh and Punjabi music, history of Sikh settlers in California, film and media studies, and ethnographic fieldwork on various Sikh communities in the United States,” he explained. “Dr. Dhillon has contributed energetically in many ways to build the new program in Sikh Studies at UC Riverside. His selfless and untiring support has put the field of Sikh Studies on the academic map of North American universities.”

    Dr. Dhillon, a prominent Riverside orthopedic and hand surgeon, and Deepta Dhillon, who worked as an architect in India and London, said the graduate student research award will raise the profile of UCR nationally in the field of Sikh and Punjabi studies.

    “UCR is justly proud of and known nationally for its diverse student population,” said Dr. Dhillon, who has been a member of the UCR Foundation Board of Trustees for 14 years and helped raise the funds needed to launch the endowed chair in Sikh Studies in 2008. “We believe that establishing this award will enhance the belief that this is an educational institution that recognizes diversity and teaches diversity. The fact that an institution with the reputation of UCR’s is supporting this kind of  research will give the Sikh community in the United States confidence that mainstream America wants to know about us.”

    The fifth-largest organized religion in the world, Sikhism has more than 25 million adherents. About 80 percent of the world’s Sikhs live in the Indian province of Punjab. More than 500,000 live in the United States, about half of them in California. Sikhs have lived in the U.S. for more than a century, but their culture and religious practices remain unfamiliar to a majority of Americans.

    Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that originated in the Punjab province of India about 500 years ago. Sikhs believe in the equality of all people, emphasize the family, and advocate service to others and living in the world without being worldly.

    Dr. Dhillon said he hopes that graduate-level research supported by the award over time will embrace all aspects of Sikh culture, from music and history to the Sikh diaspora and the influence of Sikhs in global politics.

    “It’s important to add this dimension to Sikh Studies,” he said. “We hope this gift will spread the global influence of UCR and stimulate more positive energy for the university. When you fund something like this, you can see what our graduate students can do, and their potential. We want to give back to this community, and pass something on to the next generation of teachers and leaders.”

  • Indian American Stepmom charged with 9-year-old’s murder

    Indian American Stepmom charged with 9-year-old’s murder

    NYC: An Indian-origin woman faces 25 years to life in prison in the NYC for strangling her 9-year-old step-daughter to death as federal prosecutors charged her with murder and her ex-husband for obstructing the investigation.

    arjun_samdhi_pardasArjun Shamdai Pardas, 55, was arraigned on Sunday, Aug 21, before Queens Criminal Court Judge Gerald Lebovits on a criminal complaint charging her with one count of second-degree murder – an intentional killing that is not premeditated – of Ashdeep Kaur.

    The little girl was tossed around and hit — but adults in ­9-year-old Ashdeep Kaur’s life didn’t think too much about it until she was found dead in an empty bathtub.

    “That is how we grew up in Punjab. I was thinking, ‘It’s normal, it’s OK. It’s family,’ ” said Ashdeep’s uncle, Manjinder Singh.

    The petit woman held back tears as detectives walked her out of the precinct in Richmond Hill, Queens, in handcuffs Saturday, Aug 20, night — then burst into sobs in the car.

    The girl from Punjab, India, had been entrusted to Pardas’ care, even though relatives knew Ashdeep had accused her of abuse.

    Raymond Narayan was accused of helping his ex-wife Shamdai Arjun Pardas leave her home after allegedly strangling her stepdaughter and trying to hide her in his house, Ron Brown, the top public prosecutor for the New York city district of Queens, said in a statement on Sunday.

    “This is a horrifying case of a child, a defenceless nine-year-old, who was left in the care of her stepmother who allegedly strangled her to death,” Mr Brown said. “Her actions, if true, are beyond comprehension and must be severely punished.”

    Judah Maltz, Pardas’ lawyer, asked the judge to place her in protective custody in jail, the New York Daily News reported.

    This will keep her away from other prisoners as New York jails are notorious for brutal attacks by fellow inmates on those accused of heinous crimes, especially those involving children.

    When authorities produced her in the court, she wore a white jump suit made of a tough plastic material, Tyvek.

    Mr Maltz said the 55-year-old Pardas denied killing the child and claimed there was no proof that she did it.

    Michael Curtis, the assistant prosecutor, made chilling new revelations in the court. He said that on Tuesday Pardas had told Kaur’s father, Sukhjinder Singh, 35, that she would kill the child, the News reported.

    She had “repeatedly and on numerous occasions threatened to kill the victim”, Curtis said. “On Friday, she made good on this threat.”

    Mr Curtis told the court that circumstantial evidence that Ms Pardas killed the child is “overwhelming”, according to the News.

    Mr Brown gave the following account: Narayan, who is 65 years old, was seen by a witness leaving Singh’s house in Richmond Hill around 5.30 p.m. on Friday with Ms Pardas and two of her two grandchildren.

    When detectives went to Mr Narayan’s house in South Ozone Park he kept them at bay for over an hour refusing to come out or letting them in, before relenting and coming out.

    Mr Narayan and Ms Pardas were then arrested. He is charged with “obstructing governmental administration” and faces a year prison if convicted. Ms Pardas faces 25 years to life in prison.

    Ms Pardas told a witness as they were leaving that Kaur was in the bathroom and waiting for her father to pick her up.

    The witness called the child’s father and said that the light had been on in the bathroom since 11.30 a.m. Singh asked the witness to break open the door and the child was found dead in the bath tub.

    This is the second recent incident involving step-mothers of Indian origin in New York city.

    Last month 35-year-old Sheetal Ranot was convicted of slashing her 12-year-old step-daughter with a broken metal broom handle and cutting her left wrist to the bone, Brown said.

    Sheetal Ranot and her husband, Rajesh, of Ozone Park were also accused of torturing Maya Ranot for two years, Brown said.

    They locked her up in a room without food or water long periods of time and when she was found by authorities she weighed only about 26 kg.

    Sheetal Ranot faces up to 25 years in prison. Mr Rajesh is waiting for his trial. They were both arrested in 2014, but the first case came up for trial only last month.

    Richmond Hill has a sizable population of people of Indian descent, while South Asians have a significant presence in the Ozone Park neighbourhoods.

    Ms Pardas, who faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted, was ordered held without bail.

    She will return to court on September 2.

  • Former Union Home Minister Shinde Inaugurates Maharashtra Chapter of INOC, USA

    Former Union Home Minister Shinde Inaugurates Maharashtra Chapter of INOC, USA

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Sushil Kumar Shinde, a former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and a former Minister of Home Affairs of India formally inaugurated the Maharashtra Chapter of INOC, USA on Aug. 16, 2016, at an animated gathering at a prestigious Manhattan Restaurant and inaugurated Devendra Vora as its new President. Vora hails from Maharashtra and has been an active supporter of the Congress Party and its ideology for a long time.

    In his speech, Shinde urged the Congress supporters not to lose heart but to continue to work hard to earn people’s trust again. ‘Congress was in similar predicaments before but always came back when people realized that Congress party is their best option to keep political tranquility at home while achieving sustained growth.’ He recollected efforts as Home Minister in dealing with various domestic upheavals and expressed doubts that the current Government is pursuing proper strategies that could bring peace and harmony at home. He also agreed with current assessment within the party that it hadn’t done a great job of communicating its achievements to the public at large and hoping to do a better job in the future.

    After welcoming the Chief Guest and Sangat Singh Gilzian, MLA from TANDA URMUR District of Punjab, Harbachan Singh, Secretary-General of INOC, USA, thanked both dignitaries and the distinguished guests for gracing the event. He dwelt in some detail upon some of the landmark achievements of the Congress party and how it had transformed India as one of the leading countries of the world. “India is more connected today than it has ever been – networks of railways, roads, airlines, information, communication, people and media where new ideas emerge, develop and take flight very rapidly,” he said. He opined that youth which forms a great chunk of India’s population would undoubtedly unleash their talent and energy through modern technology and play a greater role in forming future governments. He reminded that the Indian people have and will continue to throw out governments that fail them and which does not fulfill campaign promises.

    Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of INOC, IUSA facilitated the new Chapter officers and members and was happy to see them join the dozen other Chapters already established since a long time.

    George Abraham, Chairman, felicitated the Chief Guest and lauded his brilliant career in politics from his humble beginnings to becoming the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Home Minister of India. He congratulated the newly appointed President of Maharashtra Chapter Vora and wished him and Ms. Malini Shah (Chairperson) well in their development of the chapter.

    Sangat Singh Gilzian, was very appreciative of the work of INOC, USA and reassured everyone that the Congress party alone, with its rich long experience and established institutions, can provide maximum benefits to the people and develop the country not only to keep pace with the advanced countries of the world but also to compete with them effectively. He was proud that some of the best talents in the world in every sphere of human activity, science, and technology, were trained in India. He said that the foundation laid by the Congress Party is very strong, and it had already embarked on eradicating irrational red-tape and outdated laws which were suffocating India of the speed of progress it desired so critically.

    The placing of the Shawl on Devendra Vora, amidst a big applause, by Shinde, highlighted the event.

    Devendra Vora thanked, Shinde, SangatSingh and INOC, USA for the confidence and the responsibility entrusted to him. He vouched that he would take his responsibilities seriously and would do his best to live up to their expectations.

    Zach Thomas (Vice-Chairman), Harry Singh (Joint Secretary), Subash Kapadia, Mohammed Islam, Arvind Vora, Ms. Priscilla Pinto, Ms. Megha Mehta, Ms. Hema Virani, Rajesh Joshi, Divesh Tripathi, Kaushik Dave and Peter Shah were amongst the many prominent persons who attended.

  • BJP, Dalits, and the ‘Cow politics.’

    BJP, Dalits, and the ‘Cow politics.’

    In these four years, I also saw with, some disquiet, forces of divisiveness and intolerance trying to raise their ugly head. Attacks on weaker sections that militate against our national ethos are aberrations that need to be dealt with firmly. The collective wisdom of our society and our polity gives me confidence that such forces will remain marginalized, and India’s remarkable growth story will continue uninterrupted,”so said honorable Pranab Mukherjee, President of India, addressing the nation on the eve of the 70th yearof Independencefrom British colonialism.

    It is indeed quite an emphatic and forceful statement coming from the bully pulpit of the highest office in the land. It also puts to shame those who refuse to acknowledge the growing intolerance and prejudice that is sweeping across India by the rightwing zealots who are emboldened by the election of Narendra Modi to power. The question to ponder is whether this is only an aberration or a growing trend that may have disastrous consequences to the way of life as we experience it today!

    Just as India was celebrating its Independence Day, word has come out from Bengaluru that SEDITION charges are being filed against Amnesty International of India, an organization that promotes human rights and creates awareness when it is violated in any part of the world. Once again, it appears that the law enforcement agencies are madepawns by ultra-nationalists bent upon imposing their version of cultural hegemony on the diverse people of India.

    Millions of Indians everywhere must be feeling the shame of India as the President has spoken out on the continuing assaults on Dalits. In a recent incident in Una, Gujarat, four Dalit youths were severely beaten up and dragged on the road for nearly a kilometer for allegedly possessing beef. It is widely known that the so-called upper castes will not touch the carcass and the Dalits are forced to clear or handle it and when they do, they are mercilessly beaten up in the name of self-appointed ‘Gau Rakshak Samiti.’

    Dalits who constitute one-sixth of India’s population, some 170 million people, live in precarious existence, shunned by much of Indian society because of their rank as “untouchables” or Dalits – meaning broken people – at the bottom of India’s caste system. Dalits are discriminated against, denied access to land and basic resources, forced to work in degrading conditions, and routinely abused at the hands of police and dominant caste groups that enjoy state’s protection.

    It appears that the Prime Minister had finally broken his silence when he made a statement in a town hall meeting saying that “I feel really angry that some people have opened shops in the name of cow protection. I have seen that some people commit anti-social activities through the night, but act as cow protectors by the day”. It is noteworthy that Modi did not call for the prosecution and punishment of these cow vigilantes but asked the authorities to prepare ‘dossiers’ on them and keep them under control!

    Almost a year ago, a mob lynched Mohammed Akhlaq in Dadri U.P. on suspicion of possessing beef in his home refrigerator. Subsequently, the meat was sent for forensic examination. In June, Baliyan, who is a member of Modi’s Council of Ministers, BJP MP Yogi Adityanath and BJP MLA Sangeet Som defended the killers and demanded action against the dead man’s family for the ‘crime of eating beef.’

    If there is growing intolerance on the dietary habits of Indians and rising violence by the emboldened vigilante groups who have taken up law unto their hands, many in the current leadership are in complicity, lending credence to their nefarious activities with their overt or covert support to this highly charged environment.

    Amit Shah, the President of BJP, boasted once that wherever there is a BJP government, there is a ban on beef. Raja Singh, a member of Parliament, went even further stating that he extends his full support to all those who take it upon themselves to teach those Dalits a valuable lesson!Mohinder Lal Khattar, the current Chief Minister of Haryana, is on the record saying that Muslims can live in the country only if they give up eating beef. Panchajanyam, an RSS newspaper has quoted Vedic scriptures that ordered the killing of sinners who slaughtered cows and the Union Minister of Agriculture Radhamohan Singh termed cow slaughter a ‘mortal sin.’

    There is no doubt that these vitriolic statements from higher ups have given fodder and cover to these cow vigilantes who roam the streets and become the judge, jury, and the executioners. Since BJP came to power, states like Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand have tightened laws against cow slaughter, but those in the leadership used the beef issue as an emotive political tool without any repercussions from the Prime Minister. In Maharashtra state, one may get five years incarceration for possession of beef as opposed to two years for sexual harassment of a woman!

    Prime Minister himself effectively conjured up the specter of a ‘pink revolution’ – cow killing on a mass scale – in the event of a BJP’s defeat in the 2014 election as part of a   strategy to motivate people and to vote for his party. Both in Western Uttar Pradesh and again in Bihar Modi spoke at length about the dangers of ‘pink revolution.’ “The agenda of the Congress is the pink revolution,” he said. “we have heard of the green revolution and white revolution but never pink, and this means the slaughter of animals (pashu). You see, the color of mutton is pink, and they are committing the sin of exporting it and bringing revolution…Because of this, our animal wealth is being slaughtered, our cows are being slaughtered, or sent abroad to be slaughtered….And now the Congress is saying, ‘if you vote for us, we will give you permission to kill cows’”

    It is quite apparent that if Modi has to call the heinous and brutal beating of the Dalit boys in Gujarat as criminal wrongdoing and ask that the perpetrators to be punished, he would have to cross that ideological line he and his party have helped to formulate in attaining the power. However, what he has done with his recent statement to the nation is an attempt to soothe the bruised feelings of Dalits who are critical to the BJP’s prospects in the upcoming elections in U.P. and Punjab. What else could explain his silence in all these months when Muslim youths were lynched or beaten up by cow vigilantes?

    The very idea of a consolidated vote bank based on the ideology of ‘Hindutva’ to include the Dalits and other backward castes may be fast unraveling as the video footage of the beating has gone viral and stoked Dalit anger. The nation also witnessed the de-recognition of the Ambedkar Students Association in Chennai, mistreatment and subsequent suicide of the Dalit scholar Rohit Vemula in Hyderabad, torching of a Dalit home in Haryana and killing of two children. All these incidents may only reinforce the age-old Dalit thinking that BJP is essentially a party dominated by an upper caste ideology, and there may be very little room left in it for anyone else!

    (The author is a former Chief
    Technology Officer of the United
    Nations and Chairman of the Indian
    National Overseas Congress, USA)

  • Taliban frees crew of crashed Pakistani helicopter

    Taliban frees crew of crashed Pakistani helicopter

    ISLAMABAD (TIP): The Afghan Taliban has freed the crew of a Pakistani helicopter that crash-landed in Afghanistan’s Logar province on August 4, Pakistani intelligence officials have said.

    Six Pakistanis and a Russian pilot, who were captured by militants in a Taliban-controlled district, were handed over to authorities in Pakistan’s Kurram Agency on Friday, Radio Free Europe quoted the intelligence officials as saying.

    The Punjab government Mi-17 helicopter was on its way to Russia via Uzbekistan for maintenance when it crashed in Afghanistan, the officials said.

    According to Dawn online, the reports have not been confirmed by Pakistani officials.

    Both Russian and Pakistani governments were making efforts for the release of the crew. The Afghan government also initiated an operation for their rescue.

    The Foreign Office said earlier this week that the Afghan government was trying to secure their release with the help of tribal elders of the area.

    Following the crash, Pakistani Army chief General Raheel Sharif had immediately called Commander Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan General Nicolson and asked him to help in the recovery of the crew. Gen Sharif also asked Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to help in organising a safe and early recovery of the crew. (IANS)

  • Punjab’s new guv Badnore will be Chandigarh boss too, oath on Aug 22

    Punjab’s new guv Badnore will be Chandigarh boss too, oath on Aug 22

    CHANDIGARH (TIP): It’s official now. Chandigarh will not have its own administrator, and the charge will be with the new Punjab governor, BJP veteran VP Singh Badnore, who will take oath on August 22. With this, the reported move of the central government to appoint Kerala BJP leader and retired bureaucrat KJ Alphons as the UT’s administrator has been aborted.

    That move would have changed a 32-year-old system of the governor being the boss of the UT, joint capital of VP Singh Badnore Punjab and Haryana. The BJP-led Centre’s u-turn came after political parties, including key ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with which it is in power in Punjab, decried that.

    Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal had approached Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday asking him to review the decision to appoint Alphons as it was seen as weakening the poll-bound state’s claim over Chandigarh. Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had also resented the move.

    Alphons, meanwhile, expressed disappointmen t at the turn of events, which culminated with the President issuing a communique appointing Badnore as UT administrator too.

    Badnore, a former MP who hails from Rajasthan, will take over from Kaptan Singh Solanki, the Haryana governor who has additional charge of Punjab and the UT. The swearing-in will be held at 4pm, Monday, at Punjab Raj Bhawan, where Punjab and Haryana high court chief justice SJ Vazifdar will administer the oath.

    Badnore said he is looking forward to “this new, exciting and very interesting assignment”. He said over the phone, “I have lots of regard for the brave and hard-working people of Punjab. Yes, most probably, I will take oath next week on Monday.”

    Source: HT

  • Indian Jewish American Kesha Ram Falls Short in Vermont Lt. Gov. Primary Election

    Indian Jewish American Kesha Ram Falls Short in Vermont Lt. Gov. Primary Election

    NEW YORK(TIP): Kesha Ram, D-Vt., the great great granddaughter of  Ganga Ram, an Indian civil engineer known for building a network of health infrastructures in both India and Pakistan before partition, lost the race for the elected position of Lt Governor of Vermont.

    At just 30, Ram had served four two-year terms as a state representative before deciding to make the shift to run for lieutenant governor as the first woman of color to run for State-wide office in Vermont.

    But, following the Aug. 9 primary election, Kesha lost the three-way Democratic primary race which was won by David Zuckerman, who nabbed 29,957 votes, or 44.53 percent, according to the Vermont Secretary of State. Shap Smith, who with 25,594 or 38.05 percent, came second.

    Ram finished third in the election with 11,720 supporters and 17.42 percent of the vote.

    Randy Brock, on the Republican side of the primary, and Boots Wardinski, of the Progressive party, both advanced as they were unopposed.

    About Kesha Ram: Her father was born in Lahore but after partition the family moved to India and grew in Punjab. He came to Los Angeles for studies as a student where he met her mother, a Jewish American.

    For her studies, Ms Kesha Ram moved to the University of Vermont.

    She was elected to the state House of Representatives at age 22 to represent the University District and Hill Section of Burlington.

  • Phoolka, 18 others on AAP’s first poll list in Punjab

    Phoolka, 18 others on AAP’s first poll list in Punjab

    CHANDIGARH (TIP): The Aam Aadmi Party on August 4 released its first list of candidates for 19 constituencies for Punjab Assembly elections scheduled early next year, nominating senior lawyers H S Phoolka and Himmat Singh Shergill, stealing a march over its rivals Shiromani Akali Dal and Congress.

    Besides Phoolka and Shergill, who will contest the polls from Dakha and Mohali respectively, the list includes several office-bearers of the party’s youth wing, including Harjot Singh Bains, one of the founder members of the party in Punjab.

    Bains, who heads the youth wing, will conest from Sahnewal. Two former basketball players, Arjuna awardee Sajjan Singh Cheema and Gurdit Singh Sekhon, who also figure in the list, will contest from Sultanpur Lodhi and Faridkot respectively.

    The party has given tickets to two former members of Bahujan Samaj Party–Mohan Singh Phalianwala and Santokh Singh Salana. Phalianwala will contest from Ferozepur (Rural) and Salana from Bassi Pathana.

    Kultar Singh Sandhwa, a member of the extended family of former President Giani Zail Singh, will contest from Kotkapura.

    The first list was announced here by AAP MP Bhagwant Mann who was accompanied by party’s Punjab affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh and women’s wing in-charge Baljinder Kaur.

    “The party has allotted tickets to its committed workers and youth, who all have a clean image. We will soon release the next list,” Mann said.

  • US Documents Reveal Pak-Based JeM’s Involvement In Pathankot Attack

    US Documents Reveal Pak-Based JeM’s Involvement In Pathankot Attack

    The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has recently received documents from the United States that support India’s claim regarding Pakistani terror group, Jaish-e-Mohammad’s involvement in the Pathankot IAF base attack.

    According to a report in Times of India, over a 1000 pages of chats and conversations between JeM handler Kashif Jaan and the four fidayeen (identified as Nasir Hussain, Punjab province, Abu Bakar, Gujranwala, Umar Farooq and Abdul Qayum, both from Sindh) are included in these documents.

    Reportedly, the conversations recorded prove that the attack was carried out from Pakistan. The handlers maintained regular contact with the four fidayeen members.

    The Daily reported that the conversations of Kashif Jaan with other office holders of the Pakistan-based JeM were also contained in these documents.

    The Facebook account that was in use by Kashif Jaan was also connected to the cell number that the attackers used to make calls from Pathankot following the abduction of Punjab police SP Salwinder Singh.

    Another Facebook account under the name ‘Mulla Daadullah’ was connected to a number that the terrorists had called.

    WhatsApp chats amongst the terrorists were also included in the documents that are now being analysed by the NIA.

    These accounts are said to have been accessed around and during the time of the Pathankot attack. The IP addresses used were found to be those of telecom firms (Telenor and Pakistan TeleCommunications Company Ltd, Islamabad)

    The Al-Rahmat Trust, that funds the JeM, was also contacted by these mobile numbers discovered by the US upon the request of the NIA.

    The Pathankot Air Force Station was infiltrated on the night of January 1 to conduct the attack the next day.

    The ensuing encounter resulted in the deaths of seven security personnel and four terrorists.

    India had asserted that JeM chief, Masood Azhar had devised the attack and seeks action against the JeM.

    A list of a total of 300 questions was submitted to Pakistan along with besides soliciting voice samples of Azhar, his brother Abdul Rauf and Khayyam Baber (mother of slain terrorist Nasir). It is reported that Nasir had spoken to his mother during the attack.

    Pakistan’s investigation team had visited India in March to probe the incident.

    The strike had advanced the tensions between the two countries and the India-Pakistan Foreign Secretary-level talks was also postponed as a result of the attack.

  • The Indian Panorama Editor Prof. Saluja bereaved

    The Indian Panorama Editor Prof. Saluja bereaved

    Shanti Devi, the revered mother-in-law of The Indian Panorama Publisher-editor Prof. Indrajit S Saluja passed away July 26, 2016. The 90-year-old Shanti Devi had not been keeping well, having broken her hip bone a number of times and was bedridden for some years. She died in peace with family members by her bedside.

    Shanti Devi leaves behind two sons, Surjit Singh Chawla, retired Superintending Engineer, Punjab State Electricity Board and Harmohinder Singh Chawla, retired Indian Railways officer, daughters in law and a large number of grand and great grandchildren.

    Bhog of Sri Akhand Path Sahib and Antim Ardas for the dear departed will take place on Saturday, July 30th at 1669 Phase 1, Urban State, Dugri, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.

    For more information, please contact Surjit Singh Chawla at 9855729717 or Harmohinder Singh Chawla at 9878792426.

  • NAVJOT SIDHU LIKELY TO JOIN AAP ON I-DAY EVE, CAMPAIGN FOR PUNJAB POLL

    NAVJOT SIDHU LIKELY TO JOIN AAP ON I-DAY EVE, CAMPAIGN FOR PUNJAB POLL

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Former Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Navjot Singh Sidhu is likely to join the Aam Aadmi Party on August 14 and plunge into the campaign for the Punjab assembly elections from the next day, party sources said on July 28 (Thursday).

    The cricketer-turned-politician, who stunned his Navjot Singh Sidhu party on July 19 by suddenly resigning from Rajya Sabha to which he had been nominated just two months ago, will be one of the AAP’s chief campaigners in Punjab. However, he will not be named its chief ministerial candidate, a member of the party’s top body, the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), told HT.

    Sidhu, who is in Mumbai, was not available for comment.

    The move is seen as a symbiotic boost for the AAP, and the three-time Amritsar MP and his legislator wife, who will follow suit.

    For days after he quit Rajya Sabha, Sidhu remained incommunicado. On the day of his resignation, his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu – who is a BJP MLA in Punjab and chief parliamentary secretary – said it implied he had quit the party. When Sidhu finally surfaced and made a brief statement to the media on July 25, neither did he say he quit the BJP nor clarify on where he was headed.

    Instead, he used the opportunity to say that he quit because he was asked to stay away from Punjab.

    “Rashtra dharma (duty towards the nation) is the most superior. How can Navjot Singh Sidhu stay away from his motherland,” Sidhu said in his brief appearance before the media in New Delhi, where he did not field questions. “No party in this world is above or greater than Punjab … If it comes to choosing between my family, my party and Punjab, I will choose Punjab a hundred times.” Delhi chief minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal tweeted after Sidhu’s July 24 press conference: “Sidhu wud hv spoken against drugs, if he went to Punjab. BJP prevented him. Who was BJP trying to protect? Shocking (sic).” Source: HT

  • Self-inflicted injuries: BJP’s anti-Dalit moorings laid bare

    Self-inflicted injuries: BJP’s anti-Dalit moorings laid bare

    The BJP has just done a Bihar in Uttar Pradesh. In Bihar, its electoral prospects were damaged by no less than the RSS chief. In UP, a middling BJP leader called Mayawati, Dalit icon B R Ambedkar’s self-anointed legatee, words that shouldn’t be used even in drawing room conversation. The BJP has been swift in expelling the leader but it remains to be seen whether this is perception management to control the damage not just in UP but also Punjab, a state with the country’s highest Dalit population simultaneously going to the polls.

    But for this intemperate statement, the BJP had learnt from the Waterloo in Bihar. It was luring away Mayawati’s lieutenants, started cobbling a Bihar-type grouping of backward caste leaders, party chief Amit Shah made the mandatory pilgrimage to a UP Dalit’s house and Prime Minister Narendra Modi inducted five Dalits in his first Cabinet reshuffle. However, Dalit ferment is underway elsewhere too, beginning with Rohith Vemula’s suicide. Mumbai saw a massive Left-Dalit rally against the demolition of Ambedkar Bhavan and large parts of Gujarat shut down against the public flogging of Dalits by vigilantes of a self-styled cow protection unit.

    The BJP has scored all these self goals with no provocation from any quarters. Rather the heightened social and religious tensions in several parts of the country are due to the BJP’s upper caste-centric mindset and the low standards in public speaking set by its senior leaders. From Punjab to Maharashtra, the BJP has single-mindedly pushed a vigilante-led cow protection agenda that ignores the reality on the ground. As for using offensive words, wasn’t it junior Minister V K Singh who described journalists as “presstitutes”? And didn’t the Prime Minister term a fellow-politician’s companion as “50 crore ki girlfriend”? As no party can afford to be counted without the Muslim and Dalit votes, the BJP had no choice but to act contrite to keep the latter in good humor. As political temperatures rise in UP and Punjab, time will tell whether the expulsion of the UP BJP leader was a sincere effort to discipline the cadres.

  • PRIYANKA CHOPRA’S PUNJABI PRODUCTION TO HAVE COMING-OF-AGE STORY

    PRIYANKA CHOPRA’S PUNJABI PRODUCTION TO HAVE COMING-OF-AGE STORY

    PRIYANKA CHOPRAActress Priyanka Chopra’s production house, Purple Pebble Pictures (PPP), has begun working on its first Punjabi feature film, which will be a coming-of-age drama. The yet-untitled movie features Punjabi star Amrinder Gill in the lead role. “It is a young boy’s coming-of-age story of unknowingly discovering his true identity. The film is already on floors with Amrinder Gill. It will be shot in various locations in India, including Punjab, and then in Canada as well,” a spokesperson said.

    “Purple Pebble Production’s Punjabi film is not ‘Ek Onkar’ and it is yet untitled. A formal announcement of the title will be made soon,” the spokesperson added. The film has been directed by Karan Guliani, who has also penned the story with Ambadeep Singh. Priyanka’s mother Madhu Chopra will be producing the project. The 33-year old actress, who began shooting today for the second season of her American TV show ‘Quantico’, will be in the US shooting for the show till December. “She will be there till the end of the year. She might come here in between as she has some commitments including brand endorsements and all,” a source said.

  • RBI allows foreign investors to buy PNB shares

    RBI allows foreign investors to buy PNB shares

    MUMBAI (TIP): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday lifted the almost seven year old restriction on fresh purchase of shares of state-owned Punjab National Bank by foreign investors.

    The RBI on Monday notified that the aggregate foreign share holdings by foreign institutional investors/NRIs /PIOs/FDI and others under Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS) in PNB have gone below the prescribed threshold caution limit stipulated under the extant FDI policy.

    “Hence, the restrictions placed on the purchase of shares of the above company vide Press Release No 2008-2009/1914 dated May 22, 2009 have been withdrawn with immediate effect,” the central bank said.

    Reeling under bad loans, PNB posted the largest quarterly loss by any public sector lender at Rs 5,367 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2016.

    A three-fold surge in provisioning for bad loans, including those extended to power discoms and for foodgrain purchase in Punjab, were the main drag on the bank’s performance and it expects the pain to continue for some more time.

    The second-largest public sector bank posted a net profit of Rs 306.56 crore in the corresponding period of 2014-15.

  • Modi expansion: Shiv Sena roars, Akali Dal chooses silence

    Modi expansion: Shiv Sena roars, Akali Dal chooses silence

    When asked to comment on the recent changes at the Centre, a Shiv Sena leader observed: “It was the BJP government’s expansion, not the NDA’s”. NDA coalition partners have reason to be unhappy. They have not just been left out in the ministry expansion; they were neither consulted nor briefed. Basic niceties and coalition dharma, it appears, are no longer in fashion. By now reconciled to the way it is treated in “Modi Durbar”, the Akali Dal leadership has stopped complaining. Only the Shiv Sena makes public its anger at the deliberate neglect. Unafraid of jeopardizing its arrangement in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena’s reaction varied from “we do not beg for Cabinet berths” to questioning the caliber of Modi’s ministers. In the BJP’s growth and expansion scheme in states, allies serve a limited purpose.

    BJP leaders’ arrogant behavior annoys the Shiv Sena but the Akali Dal has apparently learnt to put up with it. Whatever the portfolio, it appears content with the Badal bahu’s adjustment in the ministry. The Centre’s “discrimination with Punjab” used to be a recurring theme of Chief Minister Badal’s speeches at one time. It is a different tune he plays today. If he does make a demand – like seal the border – it is more to shrug off responsibility for the drug menace than genuinely find a solution. Larger issues – terror attacks, neglect of agriculture, meagre hikes in MSPs, river cleanup, Central stand on SYL etc – no longer agitate the Badals as they did in the past. Only Delhi Akali leader Manjit Singh GK has shown some courage while accusing the Modi government of having “the same mindset as the Congress on the issue of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots”.

    The RBI has pointed to a loss of Rs 12,000 crore of bank loans in the wheat procurement in Punjab, but both the Central and Punjab governments have failed to come clean on the issue. A cover-up in this day and age does not last long. An otherwise aggressive Akali leadership turns meek while taking up Punjab’s legitimate demands with the Centre. It has a right to keep its peace with Modi but, as a Congress leader has pointed out, Punjab is under-represented at the Centre.

  • Disqualify 24 Punjab MLAs for being parliamentary secretaries: AAP to EC

    Disqualify 24 Punjab MLAs for being parliamentary secretaries: AAP to EC

    New Delhi (TIP): With the sword of disqualification hanging over its 21 Delhi legislators over the issue of office of profit, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has approached the Election Commission, seeking similar action against nearly 45 legislators of the BJP, Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal, holding similar posts in other states.

    In Punjab, the AAP has sought disqualification of 24 legislators for holding posts of parliamentary secretary (called ‘chief parliamentary secretary’ in the Punjab), of which five are of the BJP and the remaining 19 belong to the SAD. Its complaint said the total number of parliamentary secretaries in the state had gone up to 24 “in violation of Article 191 of the Constitution”.

  • MOVIE REVIEW #UdtaPunjab

    MOVIE REVIEW #UdtaPunjab

    STORY: Four parallel tracks, that of a Punjabi rockstar, Tommy Singh (Shahid) a Bihari migrant, Kumari Pinky (Alia); a Sikh cop, Sartaj (Diljit) and a doctor, Preet (Kareena) address the insurgence of the drug menace in Punjab. Their lives are sometimes linked to one another but usually not.

    Udta PunjabREVIEW: Welcome to Chaubey’s Punjab; a world you may not inhabit, but cannot ignore. As notorious as Mexico in the current context, the state that is known for wrestlers and wheat, serves up heroin, opium, cocaine faster than parathas and lassis. Yes, Punjab the land of the five rivers, is a description only reserved for the text-books. In reality, it’s a place besieged by cartels, cocaine and corrupt cops.

    The films opens with a discus thrower from across the border flinging a packet into a jungle in Punjab in the dead of the night. The pink powder lands in the lap of the Bihari hockey player who works in the fields. And so begins her tryst with the contraband.

    Cut to the tattooed-gun-toting world of Tommy. He’s a role model for the youth.

    Unfortunately he’s also a junkie masquerading as an Alpha male, who can only make music when he is ‘coked up’ to his eyeballs.

    Then there is Inspector Sartaj and his superior (Manav Vij) who have no qualms about taking blood money. Sartaj’s conscience only stirs when he realises his younger brother, Prabhjyot Singh (Balli) is a victim.

    Completing the quartet is the Florence Nightingale doctor who rehabilitates addicts and moonlights as a reporter, hoping her report on narcotics will save the day.

    Chaubey uses a part-documentary-part-mainstream approach here. Post interval, the film is sometimes too indulgent and sluggish. Also this is not your sunny-side up cinema. It is stark and makes you cringe. However, its victory lies in making you empathise with its characters. As Alia and Shahid, both victims of drug and physical abuse fight their demons and destinies, you shed a silent tear. Shahid has got his act pat but Alia beats everyone hollow. Kareena and Diljit are adept. This review also doffs a hat to the nuanced performances of Satish Kaushik, Prabhjyot Singh and Manav Vij.

     

  • Congress cuts its losses | Kamal Nath defrocked of Punjab charge

    Congress cuts its losses | Kamal Nath defrocked of Punjab charge

    Opinion & Perspective: Perceptions do matter and sometimes even win elections. No party realizes it better than the Congress, now reduced to less than 50 seats in the Lok Sabha. When it set about setting its Punjab house in order, the Congress thought it had ticked all the boxes. Capt Amarinder Singh became the state party chief while the Punjab party in-charge, the ineffectual and ineffective Shakeel Ahmad was shown the door. But the Congress missed a trick by replacing him with Kamal Nath. With a reputation for ingenuity and resourcefulness, Kamal Nath was the right person for a grueling, no-holds-barred battle of wits with the Akalis and AAP. The Congress has rapidly realized that Punjab’s DNA is different. The albatross of Kamal Nath’s alleged involvement in the 1984 riots far outweighs his usefulness as a shrewd political operative.

    Soon the Akali Dal and AAP targeted the Congress for picking a 1984 riots suspect to oversee polls in a state still awaiting closure on a dark chapter. It is a measure of the dissonance in the Congress that it did not sound out the Captain before replacing Ahmad with Kamal Nath. The upshot was a tempest in Punjab that put Congress’ poll preparations on the backburner while Amarinder Singh lamely defended the high command’s choice. The former Punjab CM cut a sorrier figure when the Congress removed Kamal Nath hours after he had defended his appointment.

    For a party short on confidence, luck and public support, the Congress can ill afford a slip-up. It currently has a narrow window of opportunity to prove it will be a worthy contender. AAP’s claim to be purveyors of experimental politics is under challenge. The sword of disqualification hangs on 21 of its Delhi MLAs, half of its original lot of ministers has quit and the first scam under Arvind Kejriwal’s watch seems to be brewing. The Akali Dal is saddled with more than an incumbent’s disadvantages but is not throwing in the towel. Kamal Nath’s appointment is a distraction the Congress could have done without.

  • BOLLYWOOD FILM ‘UDTA PUNJAB’ SET TO RELEASE ON JUNE 17 in NY

    BOLLYWOOD FILM ‘UDTA PUNJAB’ SET TO RELEASE ON JUNE 17 in NY

    NEW YORK (TIP): The last ditch attempt to stall release of the controversial film Udta Punjab havingfailed, the controversial film is now all set to release, as planned, on June 17. The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday, June 16 dismissed the petitions seeking stalling the release of Bollywood film ‘Udta Punjab’ on Friday, on the plea that it projected Punjabis in bad light.

    The petition filed by a lawyer and other petitions failed to find favor with the court as Justice M Jayepaul dismissed the petitions after the amicus curiae argued that the film did not glorify the use of drugs in Punjab, there was nothing objectionable to Punjabis in it and it did not portray them in bad light.

    Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain the plea by an NGO seeking stay on the release of the film. A vacation Bench of Justices AK Goel and LN Rao had advised the NGO petitioner to await the outcome of a similar case pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

    The NGO, Human Rights Awareness Association, had accepted the suggestion and withdrew its appeal against the Bombay High Court verdict allowing the release of the movie.

    The NGO had moved the Supreme Court on Wednesday to stall the screening of the film, while another plea by it had prompted the Delhi High Court to direct the producer to modify the promos by adhering to the Bombay High Court order.

    The plea filed before the apex court bench sought a direction to restrain the screening of the movie on the grounds that it depicted Punjab in a bad light.

    Behind the noise lie layers of reality: a cringing fear of getting swamped by drug prevalence and the unverifiable impact of government’s efforts to minimize the damage.

    Here are the facts from a report on drug addiction in Punjab published in The Tribune, Chandigarh some time ago.

    First the figures:

    The state police say 32,522 persons have been arrested for possessing drugs since January 2014 in Punjab at an average of about 1,121 persons per month. As many as 48,653 people have visited OPDs of the various de-addiction centers besides about 16,230 admitted for treatment. Over Rs 100 crore has been spent on constructing 26 de-addiction and rehabilitation and skill development centers.

    The government says there are around 700 beds in 22 functional government de-addiction centers in the state. In his budget speech, state finance minister Parminder Dhindsa said: “The state government is committed to eradicating drug menace in an effective manner. To provide tertiary level facilities, five model drug de-addiction centers, 50-bed each, have been set up in Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda, Amritsar and Faridkot. The state government has also established 22 counselling and rehabilitation centers.” The state has 14 licensed private de-addiction centers

    There are 108 male staff nurses and 82 ward attendants in the centers. One counsellor has been provided at a DDC in each of the eight central jails. Currently, the state health department has 30 psychiatrists. 60 trained medical officers for counselling and rehab services.

    In 2012: Punjab Opioid Dependence Survey conducted in 10 districts by AIIMS and Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses found that 2.32 lakh individuals are dependent on opioid in state. An overwhelming majority (89%) are illiterate.

    Government officials as well as the police have no idea as to what impact the state government measures have had. A senior doctor responsible for rehabilitation says: “The entire concept of rehabilitation needs to be studied again before formulating a workable, purposeful plan of action for resettlement of addicts. Wasting crores of rupees on useless infrastructure will be just a meaningless exercise.”

    The police data claims the worst is over. The figures of seizures reveal that even if there were fewer arrests this year, the quantity was almost on the line of the previous years. In 2015, about 11 kg of smack was seized, but in the first five months of this year, the haul has already reached 7.5 kg. For the first time since 2014, about 10gm cocaine was recovered.

    Ever since the hypersensitive Pahlaj Nihalani took over as the CBFC head, he has been hyperventilating his spleen and disdain against all things he deems un-Indian. As he locked horns with more than one maker, even the government understood the impasse couldn’t continue. When Shyam Benegal-led committee was appointed to look into the CBFC guidelines and suggest changes, the government seemed sincere. Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitely too observed that he wanted the board to be controversy-free. Many saw light at the end of the tubular vision of the board otherwise groping in darkness of regressive values. Never mind if the well-meaning Mudgal committee recommendations could not be implemented.

    The CBFC chief, meanwhile, has gone about his business as usual: Films have been cut left, right and center. Innocuous kissing scenes, the staple diet of James Bond films, were axed in Spectre. Films like Jungle Book based on all-time favorite book of children were slapped with a U/A rating.

    Aligarh director Hansal Mehta was miffed when censor board gave an A certificate to film’s trailer too. Expectedly he dismissed the board’s thinking in one word “outdated.” Prakash Jha too saw red when the censor’s axe fell on Priyanka Chopra starrer Jai Gangajal. Nevertheless, directors relented. A snip here and there was taken in stride.

    But this time an altogether different game plan was in the offing: Change the film’s title, remove references to Punjab and its cities, shift the story to an imaginary land… the suggestions were as ludicrous as endless. Expecting a film to make 89 cuts (the review committee list stated 13 suggestions but then there are cuts within cuts) is crazier than any character Shahid would ever get to portray on screen. Somebody out there is so rattled by the film’s ‘unsavory’ subject of drug abuse in Punjab that even before the film could hit the screens, an absurd campaign was unleashed.

    The point isn’t whether the CBFC should limit its role to certification. Its very existence and utility has come under a cloud. Udta Punjab or Udta India or whatever might be the new title of the film (if the censors have their way), the board can’t be allowed a free run.

    On June 13, the Bombay High Court had cleared the decks for the release of ‘Udta Punjab’ after ordering deleting of one scene-a urination scene and displaying a revised disclaimer as per which the makers would have to delete reference to Pakistan.

    The Bombay High Court had also directed the film-maker to make additions to the disclaimer to the effect that the movie, its characters and the film-makers do not promote the use of drugs and abusive language, and the film is only attempting to depict the reality of drug abuse.

    In the Bombay High Court, Anurag Kashyap’s Phantom Films had challenged the Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) revising the committee’s order of June 6 directing a total of 13 changes in the movie.

    The Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh-starrer “Udta Punjab” delves into how a large number of youth in Punjab have succumbed to drugs.The film premiers in New York on June 17 at Bombay Theatre, 68-25 Fresh Meadows Lane, Flushing, NY 11365.

  • Bombay HC orders #UdtaPunjab To Be Released With Just One Cut

    Bombay HC orders #UdtaPunjab To Be Released With Just One Cut

    MUMBAI (TIP) :Controversial film #UdtaPunjab will release as per schedule on 17 June with only one cut suggested by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and an ‘A’ certificate, the Bombay high court ruled on Monday, June 13, and directed Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) HC to issue a fresh certificate to movie Udta Punjab in 2 days.

    A bench comprising justices S.C. Dharmadhikari and Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi approved only one cut of the 13 suggested by CBFC and ruled that the film could be released as per schedule.

    The court said “there is no mention of the word ‘censor’ in board. Board should use its powers as per Constitution and SC’s directions.”

    The court also directed film maker Anurag Kashyap to delete one scene from the movie.

    Kashyap’s lawyer said ”We have to delete only one scene (urination). It is a vindication of democracy.”

    Earlier on Friday, the court pulled up the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for insisting on ‘censoring’ films instead of ‘certifying’ them and demanded to know why it was not banning ‘Udta Punjab’ film if it was trying to glorify drugs.

    Simultaneously, it asked the makers of the film to tone down the expletives and certain vulgar scenes to which the CBFC has objected as these alone cannot guarantee the film’s success.

    A division bench comprising Justice S.C. Dharmadhikari and Justice Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi, which concluded the two-day hearing following a petition filed by the “Udta Punjab” producers, will pronounce its final verdict on Monday.

    Coming down heavily on the CBFC, the court asked it not to be overly critical. This could kill creativity in the film industry.

    Questioning the CBFC’s Revising Committee orders of June 6 to delete references to Punjab and other cities in “Udta Punjab”, the judges felt that by dropping references to Punjab from every dialogue or scene, “the crux fo the film would be lost.

    “If the filmmaker wanted to be critical of a place or person, then these would have to be shown,” the judges point out.

    “If the film is glorifying the use of drugs, then ban it entirely,” the judges told the CBFC, adding that people must be given the choice to view what they want to.

    On the overdose of expletives or cuss words, the judges said these do not contribute to the success of a film as today’s generation is very direct, open and a lot mature.

    “Films do not run on such content in this age, there must be a strong storyline and content. The modern generation won’t be impressed by all this. Many movies are failing in multiplexes because the audiences are bored with this overdose,” the court observed.

    On the contrary, the court said that by passing such an order, the CBFC was giving the film undue weightage and publicity.

    CBFC lawyer Advait Sethna has justified the decision to order cuts, remove all expletives and cuss words, axe references to Punjab and other cities, and delete scenes showing the hero urinating in public, terming them “vulgar and deplorable”.

    The court suggested that while a scratching scene be deleted fully, the film-makers could display ‘disclaimers’ for the expletives or tone it down though that could not be expected if a rustic character is speaking out his mind.

    Phantom Films counsel Ravi Kadam readily agreed to both the suggestions made by Justice Dharmadhikari and Justice Phansalkar-Joshi, adding that by the use of the expletives, the film-makers were merely trying to depict the real situation.

    Co-produced by Phanton Films and Anurag Kashyap and directed by Abhishek Chaubey, “Udta Punjab” stars Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh.

    Kashyap accused CBFC chairman Pahlaj Nihalani of bullying and deliberately not certifying the film slated for release on June 17.

    While the CBFC at one point demanded 89 cuts in the film, its Revising Committee brought down the number to 13.

  • AKALI DAL, BJP DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM ‘#UDTAPUNJAB’ ROW

    AKALI DAL, BJP DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM ‘#UDTAPUNJAB’ ROW

    CHANDIGARH (TIP): Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal on June 9 asked the opposition to stop spreading canards about a ban on the release of ‘#UdtaPunjab’ movie. “It is absurd even to suggest a governmental intervention at this stage,” he said. “Neither Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal nor I, nor anyone else at political or administrative level in the government or the party has seen the film.

    “So how can we take a call on whether or not the film would affect the peaceful atmosphere in the state by hurting the sentiments of Punjabis through a vulgar and humiliating presentation of the present day Punjab and Punjabis?” Sukbbir said in a statement.

    The BJP also distanced itself from any role in the CBFC’s objections to the film’s content. “The government of Punjab and the political alliance of Akali Dal-BJP in the state have neither written any letter nor issued any statement (regarding the film). It is without any reason or logic, or due to vested interests, that our name is being dragged into this controversy,” said Vineet Joshi, assistant media adviser to the Punjab government and a BJP leader.

    Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on June 9 heard objections raised by the producers of the film Udta Punjab against cuts suggested by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and also heard the body’s justifications for the same.

    The High Court sought an explanation from the Censor Board over its insistence on deleting the Punjab signboard in the film that deals with drugs. The CBFC submitted that all 13 changes, including deletion of Punjab in the film title, suggested by its revising committee were justified and proper.

    Phantom Films and producer VikasBahl moved the HC against the 13 suggestions.

    A Division Bench of Justices SC Dharmadhikari and ShaliniPhansalkar Joshi heard senior counsel Ravi Kadam appearing for the producers and Advocate AdvaitSethna representing CBFC.

    The senior counsel said the cuts suggested by the body were central to the film. He argued that the standards of certification should evolve. The modern audience was mature and would not get depraved by references to drugs in the film.

    Advocate AdvaitSethna, on the other hand, said that the cuts were suggested on the grounds of sovereignty, integrity and morality laid down by the law. The film was not suitable for unrestricted exhibition, he said. The court then asked how the integrity of the state would be affected by just pulling down one signboard.

    The court also mentioned the film Go, Goa, Gone and said movies had got away with much worse in the past.

    Politics has hotted up in Punjab on the issue. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh on June 9 announced he would release uncensored copies of Bollywood movie ‘Udta Punjab’ in Majitha town near Amritsar on June 17. The Congress leader said: “Majitha town, like Mexico, is the epicenter of drugs trade in Punjab. It was decided to release the movie there.” The movie’s release is scheduled for June 17.

    AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wondered whether the word Punjab would be also removed from the national anthem. Kejriwal, whose party is looking to make inroads in the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls, claimed that by censoring the movie themed on drug abuse, the BJP-Akali Dal has “accepted defeat.”

    “The way censorship is being done, the BJP, Narendra Modi, and Akali Dal have accepted their defeat in Punjab. Now the worry is how big would be their defeat. Will they be reduced to three seats like in Delhi?” he said.

    In the entire film world in India, voices of resentment against PahlajNihalani, the president of the Certification and Censor Board have been growing with every passing day. However, given the past record of Central government which did not yield to cancel appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as Director of Film Institute, it appears unlikely that PahlajNihalani would be removed. Thus, both sides have to be prepared for a long drawn battle.