11012021-JTR-01.qxd 1/10/2021 11:25 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar TRIBUNE ISN’T PUBLIC SAFETY CIVIC BODIES’ RESPONSIBILITY? PAGE 2 On the boil are fears of stray canines as cases of mauling and biting remain seared on citizens’ memory. FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY INBRIEF 2 HELD WITH 90K INTOXICATING PILLS Hoshiarpur: The Garhdwala police arrested two youths on Saturday with 90,000 intoxicating pills. The accused have been identified as Amandeep Singh, alias Bau, and Balwinder Singh, alias Mannu, of Haibowal Kalan, Bharat Nagar Chowk, Ludhiana. Mannu originally hails from Sahungra village in Nawanshahar district. After seeing the naka near Kalra turn, they threw a large plastic bag and tried to escape in an SUV. The police nabbed them and recovered the bag. On searching, 180 boxes of intoxicating pills were recovered from the bag. There were 500 pills in each box and total 90,000 pills were found in the boxes. SHO Balwinder Pal of Garhdiwala police station said a case under the NDPS Act was registered. The accused were produced in court. The court handed them over to the police for two days’ remand. The SHO said they will interrogate them and find out from where they brought the pills. OC MP condemns Centre’s stubborn attitude towards farming laws Nawanshahr, January 10 Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari has condemned the stubborn attitude of the Central government in not withdrawing the farming laws despite holding several meetings with farmer organisations. Tewari was addressing a programme organised at the residence of Satvir Singh Pallizhikki, chairman of the Nawanshahr District Planning Board. During his address, Tewari continued on page 2 SHOWING THE WAY Ajay Joshi Tribune News Service Jalandhar, January 10 ‘Manpreet weds Manpreet’ engraved on the wedding invitation cards of Manpreet Kaur (32), has given the bride an ever-lasting memory. While she is an international-level para-powerlifter, her husband, Manpreet Kumar (30), is a mechanic in Bahrain. Her dedication and hard work to excel in her game made Kumar fall head over heels, compelling him to know more about her. Contrary to the conventional choice of partners, the groom not only made a difference in society but also in his family after he decided to tie the nuptial knot with Kaur. He now stands next to his wife, with all his support to make her dreams come true. Crippled due to polio, Manpreet’s journey as a parapowerlifter seems nothing short of a fairytale. While she has already represented the country in several international championships, within 20 days of her marriage she moved to her practice ground at the Sports Authority of India, Gujarat, to clear the two remaining qualifying rounds for the Tokyo Olympics. She competes in the 41-kg division. “My family had been looking for my suitable match for last four years but only HRITHIK AND DEEPIKA TO COME TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME! PAGE 3 NEHA BHASIN IS BACK WITH A NEW OFFERING TU KI JAANE The actors put all rumours to rest as on Sunday they announced their collaboration with the film Fighter. MAX 17°C | MIN 3°C | YESTERDAY MAX 17°C | MIN 5°C SUNSET MONDAY 5:43 PM PAGE 4 The singer has launched a new track, a Punjabi hip-hop, and says that it is a melancholicsong about unfulfilled love. SUNRISE TUESDAY 7:27 AM MONDAY | 11 JANUARY 2021 | JALANDHAR Agri stir: Unions trying to rope in more youth The disgruntled lot Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service A high-security cover was provided to state BJP chief Ashwani Sharma before he was about to address a gathering of party workers outside the MC office. It took over 200 cops to pacify angry farmers on Sunday. To prevent them from attempting to break through the barricades, the police indulged in the use of force, which caused minor injuries to some farmers. SARABJIT SINGH Jalandhar, January 10 Farmers’ movement against three agri laws has catched everybody’s attention and all want to stand in solidarity with the agitating peasants. The youth wing of the Kirti Kisan Union has been working relentlessly to garner maximum support from youth for the farming community. Members of the union said they had been touring villages and trying to rope in more youth. They said youngsters were approaching them to make them a part of the movement and they were preparing for a tractor march to be held on the Republic Day on January 26. Tarpreet Singh Uppal (32), convener, Kirti Kisan Union (youth wing), who came back on Sunday after spending 20 days at Singhu and Tikri borders, said volunteers were Using social media to maximise their reach Youth associated with Kirti Kisan Union protest in Delhi. working day and night to ensure maximum participation of youth in this movement. Tarpreet said they were looking after every arrangement, right from managing the stage and maintaining discipline. He said, “Our day starts early in the morning and we continue to work till late night. I have come back to monitor the situation here in villages. We want a plethora of youth from Pun- jab for the Republic Day march in Delhi.” Tarpreet said people from every faith were present at the protest sites in Delhi. “Not just youth associated with the farming community, but everyone must head to Delhi in solidarity with farmers,” he said. Members have been eyeing to maximise their reach and interact with youth through social media. Amid protests, activists raise issue of sustainable future of agri models Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, January 10 Amid the historic farmers’ agitation at the Singhu, Kundli, Tikri protest sites in Delhi, a number of state organisations and activists are advocating organic farming and sustainable agricultural paradigms for the farming community in the state. Many say the mass protest has brought an awakening, which has paved the way to talk about the shift in agri models. Some say the protests could even serve as a platform to advocate sustainable farming. For three days in December, Kheti Virasat Mission’s exec- utive director Umendra Dutt camped at the Delhi border, simultaneously holding a kodo millet porridge langar for farmers. First to raise awareness about the adverse effects of GMO foods in the state, Dutt, a staunch promoter of organic and sustainable farming model and a former RSS member and a Gandhian, returned from the protests teary eyed. Reason: He was moved by the spirit of farmers. Environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal, while visiting farmers for a day, too, advocated organic farming from the main stage of Singhu earlier this month. He said: “Jad addressing farmers’ ❝Jad tak da ❝Along withPunjab needs an jhone, kanak current issues, badlaav na labbheya jave, odon tak Punjab tarakki nahi kar sakda(as long as no alternative is found to the paddy wheat cycle, the state cannot prosper). ❞ Balbir Singh Seechewal, ENVIRONMENTALIST tak jhone, kanak da badlaav na labbheya jave, odon tak Punjab tarakki nahi kar sakda” (as long as no alternative is found to the paddy wheat cycle, the ecological and sustainable agriculture paradigm for farming to turn into a profitable vocation. Seeds, bio-diversity, water conservation are all essential, which need to be factored in to make farmers selfsufficient through a new agricultural model. Along with wheat and paddy, oil seed and pulses also need to be grown. Umendra Dutt, FOUNDER MEMBER, KHETI VIRASAT MISSION, PUNJAB ❞ state cannot prosper). Kavitha Kuruganti, founder convener of Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) and a long term votary of sustainable CHOOSING HEART OVER MIND Able-bodied man sets an example by marrying a para-powerlifter ❝ Everyone asked me to think twice before making this decision. After watching her videos on social media, I was determined to approach her for marriage. Despite having disabilities, her hard working and vibrant nature attracted me more towards her. It's even harder to believe that with the incapacity she not only completed her education but also became an international player. It took me a year to persuade my mother and other family members, before they gave their nod Manpreet Kumar, MANPREET KAUR'S HUSBAND, WHO IS A MECHANIC IN BAHRAIN rejections came my way. While I was ready to marry a physically-disabled man, my dependency on a wheelchair was accepted nowhere. Surprisingly, when I had come to home from Gujarat around three months ago, my friend told me that there is a man who wants to talk to me for marriage. Considering him an able-bodied man, I initially didn’t pay much attention. However, later I got to know that he was serious and wanted to marry me,” she blushes. Thereafter, the heavens hitched them together on December 12, after he convinced and proposed her for the wedding in the month of November. A resident of Dhadday vil- c m y b lage in Phagwara, she was a distant relative of Kumar, who’s a native of Randhawa village in Gorayan. She met him around seven years ago at a common family function and the thought of marrying had never occurred to her. From going against his family’s wishes of not letting their elder son marry a physically-challenged woman, Kumar said, everyone asked me to think twice before making this decision. “After watching her videos on social media, I was determined to approach her for marriage. Despite having disabilities, her hard working and vibrant nature attracted me more towards her. It’s even harder to believe that with the incapacity she not only completed her education but also became an international player. It took me a year to persuade my mother and other family members, before they gave their nod,” added Kumar. Kaur’s brother, Daljit Kumar, double-checked before marrying his sister off. Now, he, his uncle, Sohan Lal and aunt Parveen Bala are happy that she is happily married. The couple has been receiving appreciation from the well-wishers at their villages. farming model across the country, stayed at the Delhi border for 20 days. While Umendra Dutt was a member of the RSS long ago, he has also been the edi- 20 new cases reported in Hoshiarpur Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, January 10 The health authorities reported 20 new positive cases in Hoshiarpur district on Sunday. As a result, the total number of positive cases reached 7,873. The authorities reported zero death in the district on Sunday and the toll stood at 320. Civil Surgeon Dr Ranjit Singh said 590 samples of people with flu-like symptoms were taken on Sunday. The total number of samples taken till date in the district reached 2,54,376. According to information, 2,45,590 samples turned out to be negative, while the reports of 2,569 samples were awaited and 184 samples turned out invalid. At present, the district has 106 active cases and 7,447 persons recovered to date. The Civil Surgeon said of 20 new patients, eight cases were related to Hoshiarpur city and the remaining were from other health blocks of the district. tor of Swadeshi magazine of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch. A Gandhian for the past several years, he is taken seriously amid the votaries of ‘swadeshi’ farming techniques in the RSS and the Sikh farming community of the state. KVM, set up in 2005, has 5,000 farmers associated with it in the state and a majority of them are camping at Singhu. Hartej Singh Mehta, Kamajit Singh Hayer, Ramandeep Singh Pharvai and Gurmeet Singh Bahalavalpur — all votaries of organic farming and the office-bearers of the Kheti Virasat Mission — were also present at the protest site from early on. “Jin pradeshon ne desh ke kisanon ko khadya suraksha pradaan ki hai, un deshon ke kisanon ko badnaam karna unke prati anyaay hai. Kisan andolan bilkul shudh hai, kisanon ki ashankaon aur sanvaad se nikla hua hai (It is injustice to defame farmers of the states who have provided food security to the country. The farm strife is purely born out of doubts, dialogues of farmers),”said Dutt. He adds: “The energy of farmers there gave way to 100 per cent pure protest, which will give way to awakening and political shift in the state. The anger of the past many continued on page 2 High-powered panel to woo foreign investment Tribune News Service Jalandhar, January 10 The Government of Punjab has formed a high-powered investment committee. Jalandhar-based Karan Randhawa, NRI Coordinator, Australia, is also part of the committee. Apart from him, NRI Coordinator UK Manjit Singh Nijjar will also be part of the committee. The decision to form the committee was taken in the meeting presided over by NRI Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi. Karan Randhawa said the committee had been formed on the directions of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi to aim for development of the state through foreign investment. “Apart from this, committee will also make efforts to help recover from Covid-imposed economic crisis taking into consideration the changing world economic scenario. The main aim of this committee would be to woo foreign investors in a strategic manner and to work towards creating coordination between the NRI Affairs Department and different departments of the Punjab Government. By including NRIs Jalandhar-based Karan Randhawa, NRI Coordinator, Australia, is also part of the committee into the committee will help create a favourable environment to attract foreign investors and companies,” Randhawa said. Karan Randhawa and Manjit Nijjar said the NRI community had appreciated the decision to include NRIs into the said committee for the development of the state. It would prove a landmark decision for the socio-economic development of the state. As per the notification, Kripa Shankar Saroj, Additional Chief Secretary, NRI Affairs Department, will be its Chairman; Rajat Agarwal, CEO, INVEST PUNJAB, will be Vice-Chairman; DPS Kharbanda, Special Secretary of the NRI Affairs Department, will be the Secretary Member, and Invest Punjab Additional CEO will be member. Apart from Deepinder Dhillon, Joint Director, IT Invest Punjab, Meena Dhesi Sanghera, NRI Coordinator, USA, Harnik Singh from the UAE will be members of the committee.