04102018-TT-01.qxd 03-10-2018 23:00 Page 1 13 chandigarh | gurugram | jalandhar | bathinda | jammu | srinagar | vol.3 no.274 | 16 pages | ~4.00 | regd.no.chd/0006/2018-2020 established in 1881 | thursday, october 4,2018 CJI GOGOI GETS DOWN TO STREAMLINING APEX COURT FUNCTIONING PAGE 7 UN COURT ORDERS USA TO LIFT IRAN SANCTIONS ON HUMANITARIAN AID PAGE 13 /thetribunechd IN BRIEF ! jammu & kashmir KERALA HIGH COURT DISMISSES BAIL PETITION OF BISHOP PAGE 16 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Maya snubs Cong, no pact UN chief at Golden Temple BSP chief flags ‘arrogance’, to go it alone in election-bound MP, Rajasthan Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service SPOs not to perform personal guard duties Srinagar: Days after a Special Police Officer (SPO) decamped with seven assault rifles to join militant ranks, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have barred all SPOs from performing duties of personal security guards with immediate effect. The lists of all such withdrawn SPOs have to be given to the police headquarters by October 5. TNS UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (right) and SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal pay obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTOGRAPH ICJ public hearings in Jadhav case in February The Hague: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will hold public hearings in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case from February 18 to 21 at The Hague. Jadhav, 48, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017. India moved the ICJ and a Bench on May 18, 2017 had restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till adjudication of the case. PTI Food for shepherds to be airdropped today Dharamsala: The Kangra administration will press helicopters into service to drop food packets at Thamsar Pass and Kalahandi at 16,000 feet on Thursday where over 100 shepherds and their 7,000 livestock have been trapped in the snow for the past 10 days. Two search parties had reached the spot and informed that over 500 sheep had perished. TNS New Delhi, October 3 The Congress’ desire for statewide alliances to prevent the division of anti-BJP votes suffered a setback today with the Bahujan Samaj Party deciding to go it alone in election-bound Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. BSP chief Mayawati made the announcement in Lucknow, saying certain Congress leaders were acting as saboteurs to the proposed alliance. She blamed former Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh squarely for failed talks and said she was under no pressure of CBI and ED as Singh had been ‘CONG DOESN’T SEEM TO BE READY TO RECTIFY’ The Congress is getting arrogant and is under misconception that it can defeat the BJP on its own. The ground reality is that people haven’t forgiven Congress for its mistakes and corruption. They don’t seem to be ready to rectify themselves. ❝ Mayawati, BSP SUPREMO going around saying. “Digvijay Singh, who is also a BJP agent, is giving statements that Mayawatiji has a lot of pressure from the Centre so she doesn’t want this alliance. This is baseless,” Mayawati told ANI. The Dalit satrap, however, left one door open for a potential 2019 Lok Sabha alliance with the Congress when she said she never doubted the intentions of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi on the alliance issue. “I feel Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi’s intentions for a Congress-BSP alliance are honest. However, some Congress leaders are sabotaging this,” she said, attacking the Congress for its “arrogance” and “failure to rectify mistakes”. She argued that the Congress, like the BJP , wanted to finish off the BSP . The BSP supremo had earlier rejected Congress overtures in Chhattisgarh, choosing to ally with former Congress leader Ajit Jogi. Even in Madhya Pradesh, where Congress unit chief Kamal Nath was sure of striking a deal with the BSP , Mayawati declared candidates for 22 seats. continued on page 7 Candidates moved to Up to 21% hike in rabi MSP, Teacher unions bin ‘secure’ places in J&K but farmers not impressed Punjab’s proposal Unopposed, BJP wins majority in Shopian Suhail A Shah Anantnag, October 3 While candidates in fray for the urban local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir have been moved to “secure places” after the names of some went viral on the social media, the BJP has secured a majority in the militancy-infested Shopian district with its 13 candidates elected unopposed. Twenty municipalities will go to the polls on October 13. But the strength of candidates being insufficient, voters in only four of these municipalities will cast their vote. “Many candidates will be elected unopposed. With no nominations, most wards will remain unrepresented," said officials. Though the authorities took care not to disclose the identity of the candidates, given the threats by militants, the names of some in two municipalities — Aishmuqam and Dooru in Anantnag district — were leaked on the social media. Consequently, the candidates were moved to safer locations. A senior police official explained: “As security cannot be provided to every candidate, we have moved them to protected locations.” continued on page 7 Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 3 A day after farmers laid siege at its doorsteps, the Centre today announced a Rs 105 per quintal hike in the support price of key rabi crop wheat to take it up from Rs 1,735 a quintal in 2017-18 to Rs 1,840 a quintal for the 2018-19 season. While the government claimed the new wheat MSP would give farmers “112.5 per cent extra return” over its cost of production, farmers rejected what they called was a “meagre” 6.1 per cent hike over last year’s support price. Persisting on their demand for implementation of the “real” C2+50 formula, Govt job offer at one-third of salary SUPPORT PRICE VARIATION CROP Wheat Barley Gram Masur Mustard Safflower OLD MSP (~) 1,735 1,410 4,400 4,250 4,000 4,100 NEW MSP (~) 1,840 1,440 4,620 4,475 4,200 4,945 farmer leaders called it yet another “betrayal by an antifarmer government as the cost of production was much higher than what was being claimed”. However, terming the MSP announcement as a “big boost to farmers’ income by way of higher support price for all rabi crops, including barley, gram, pulses and oil %AGE HIKE 6.1 2.1 5 5.3 5 20.6 seeds,” Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said the initiative would provide farmers “additional income of Rs 62,635 crore and more than 50 per cent return over the cost of production”. According to the government, the support price includes “all paid-out costs like those incurred on continued on page 11 Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 3 The Punjab Cabinet today offered two options to the agitating SSA (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) and RMSA (Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan) unions — a government job on a fixed salary of Rs 15,000 per month and regular service after three years or continuing on ad hoc basis on the present salary (above Rs 40,000). They have been given 15 days to decide. In case of delay, they will continue to draw their current salary. Rejecting the offer, the teachers' unions said they would continue to hold dharnas in front of the residences of ministers and sit on a relay fast from October 7. President of the SSA-RUMSA Adhyapak Union Hardeep Singh Todarpur claimed the support of 26 unions under the Sanjha Morcha. "We will continue to protest till our demands are accepted. The police arrested 14 teachers when we tried to open the gates of the CM's house in Patiala to express anger over the government proposal," he said. Education Minister OP Soni maintained the teachers, recruited by the Centre continued on page 7 Justice Surya Kant is Punjab govt comes up with own IELTS Return to India, govt CJ of HP High Court Education Dept to improve English skills to eventually help students emigrate asks Karmapa Dorje Sanjeev Singh Bariana name was also considered, Tribune News Service but his name was not recommended “for the present”. Chandigarh, October 3 The office of the Himachal Nearly 10 months after the Supreme Court collegium HC Chief Justice has been cleared Justice Surya Kant’s lying vacant for almost a yearand-a-half following the name for elevation as retirement of Justice Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High MA Mir on April 24, 2017. Court, the President has Justice Hemant Gupissued the order of his ta, the seniormost judge appointment. of the Punjab and Justice Justice Surya Kant is Surya Kant Haryana High Court, is to be administered oath currently the Chief Juson Friday. A judge of the Pun- tice of the Madhya Pradesh jab and Haryana High Court, HC. The number of judges his name was cleared by the with Justice Surya Kant’s collegium on January 10. At elevation will go down to 49 that time, Justice AK Mittal’s continued on page 7 Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 3 With the youth in Punjab, nothing sells like Canada. Hoping to tap into the emigration craze, the state Education Department has come up with a plan to improve their English skills by launching a programme called the ‘IELTS’. Only in this case it stands for “Interactive English Language Training for Students”. The acronym plays on the language testing exam prescribed by several countries for immigrants, the International English Language ❝Our intention is to improve students’ proficiency in English. They are paying huge amounts to private coaching centres. Most of the staff in these centres are not better qualified than our teachers. Our staff have surveyed private centres, even taken their mock tests.❞ Krishan Kumar, SECRETARY (EDUCATION) Testing System (IELTS). Coaching for the IELTS exam has become a roaring industry in the state. Even as Bindu Gulati, Assistant Director of the State Council of Education Research and Training that has designed the programme, says they do not claim to help students emigrate, the fact is that the course is designed such that it will improve their chances of success with the test. The free coaching is set to start for class XI and XII students in around 1,000 government senior secondary schools from November 1. The programme will make use of existing faculty. There are already 46 teachers on the department rolls especially trained in Canada in the teaching of English. They are conducting workshops in districts to train other teachers. In 2014, 50 teachers were sent to Canada by then CM Parkash Singh Badal specially to learn IELTS coaching; four have since retired. Their services, however, were never utilised till now. Bindu Gulati says the exercise will make students “subject smart”, particularly in listening, comprehending and speaking English. A senior MHA official, however, said the spiritual leader New Delhi, October 3 appears to be reluctant to Noting that his followers return, as he wants unredesire to have him in India, stricted movement within the government today asked the country as well as abroad, Tibetan spiritual leader like the Dalai Lama. Karmapa Ogyen Trinley The Sikkimese BudDorje, who is currently dhists who follow the staying in the US, to Khagyu sect recognise come back to India. At the 32-year-old Dorje as the same time, the Min- Karmapa the real heir of the 16th istry of Home Affairs Ogyen Dorje Karmapa, who passed confirmed that the away in 1981. He is also Karmapa has acquired the recognised by the Dalai citizenship of Dominican Lama. The Centre had Republic and uses that coun- banned entry of all claimants try’s passport for travel all to the title of Karmapa to the continued on page 7 over the world. Mukesh Ranjan Tribune news Service When Manto lived in Amritsar, friends recall Proceedings stayed by SC, HC ‘Generations to come should know there was once a Manto, who spoke nothing but the truth’ Aashish Kochhar Sadat Hasan Manto, who dared to lay bare the truth unfiltered in his numerous writings, seems to have come alive again, six decades after his death. A biopic on the controversial author has created a buzz on the social media, attracting youngsters to his works. This has left his friends and associates elated. They say they can almost hear his footsteps in the narrow lanes of the old city of Amritsar where he lived as a young fellow, nurturing his thoughts, before leaving for OP Soni Sadat Hasan Manto Bombay, and then Pakistan. “Not just a great author, he was an extraordinary person too. The fire of honesty and courage in his eyes could not be missed,” said Bharpur Singh, a former CID officer who now lives in Australia, only too glad to reminisce about his childhood friend. Bharpur Singh Moka “I was a student of Pt Bajnath High School outside Amritsar’s Hall Gate and Manto of the nearby Islamia High School. Every other day he would be punished for bunking classes. He would spend the entire day glued to books, struck by the boldness with which Euro- pean authors presented the true face of society.” Bharpur Singh would often accompany Manto to his house in Kucha Vakilan in Katra Jaimal Singh. “Manto’s mother’s hospitality was overwhelming. She was always happy to serve us meals,” he recalled. They had a common friend, Hari Singh, who lived in an adjacent lane. All three were members of Mian Ghulam Sadik Library located in the district’s Town Hall, renamed as Pandit Motilal Nehru Municipal Library post Independence. They would spend hours together there. When they couldn’t find a book they were searching for, they would visit Qureshi Book Store in Kucha Kanjariyan in Mughal Bazar, now called Pratap Bazar. “Manto’s works became popular. This drew him close to renowned authors such as Faiz Ahmad Faiz. He shifted to Bombay. Once a friend went to meet him, but Manto had by then attained great heights and had become inaccessible. After Partition, he shifted to Lahore. I could not bid him adieu,” said Bharpur Singh, sounding remorseful. continued on page 7 bail to Junaid lynching accused Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 3 The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Naresh Kumar, an accused in the Junaid Khan lynching case. The order by Justice Daya Chaudhary came after the Bench, among other things, was told that Naresh had been behind bars since July 2017. The Bench was also told that proceedings in the case had already been stayed by the Supreme Court. Fifteen-year-old Junaid was stabbed to death on a train in June last year. Following the incident, six accused had been facing trial. Junaid, his brother and two cousins were attacked on a Mathura-bound train by a mob, which allegedly hurled communal slurs. The Supreme Court had recently stayed trial court proceedings in the case while issuing notices to Haryana and the CBI on his father Jalaluddin’s plea. The petitioner was seeking probe by a premier investigating agency. He had, in a petition in the High Court, claimed that the offences were intentionally diluted. Junaid’s father had claimed that an offence under Section 153 of IPC for promoting enmity between different groups and Section 505 regarding statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes were excluded to weaken the case. “The true nature of the crime has been subjected to a cover-up. It has been projected as if the occurrence was sudden without any element of perpetrators having acted in conspiracy or an unlawful assembly,” he had added.