04072024-ATR-01.qxd 7/4/2024 12:14 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune CHARUNI PAYS OBEISANCE AT GOLDEN TEMPLE ILLEGAL ADVERTISING SCREEN A THREAT TO COMMUTERS A giant LED advt screen installed on Bhupindra Road is a complete violation of the outdoor advt policy bylaws. P3 GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 29°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 30°C RESTAURANTS GETTING INSTAGRAM-WORTHY He said the political outfit constituted by farmers would contest all Assembly seats in the Haryana elections. P2 FORECAST Here’s a guided tour of Tricity eateries that are currently the toasts of food bloggers. P4 » » SUNSET THURSDAY 7.39 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 5.30 AM » THURSDAY | 4 JULY 2024 | AMRITSAR Minister extends ~1 lakh financial aid to Glory Bawa after her distress call Neha Saini Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 3 Days after Glory Bawa, daughter of eminent Punjabi folk singer and Padma Bhushan awardee Gurmeet Bawa, called out the government for turning its back on artistes, sharing the story of her financial struggles in a video that went viral, Cabinet minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal today visited her home and presented her with a Rs 1 lakh cheque as assistance. Amritsar DC Ghanshyam Thori also presented another Rs 1 lakh cheque to her on behalf of the District Red Cross Society. Glory, who is the sole earning member left in the family of folk singers, had revealed how their five shops on the main road near the Fatehgarh Churian bypass had been illegally occupied over the years, blocking their source of income. “I have been facing a financial crunch since my mother passed away in 2021. Somehow, through the earnings from live concerts and shows, I managed to bear the family’s expenses. But for the last four months, after my father, Kirpal Bawa, also passed away, the crisis got deeper and I had to make a desperate call for help,” she said. Glory shared in the video how her family was facing acute financial crisis as she was Singer says dwindling work, illegal occupation of 5 shops owned by family hit her earning Minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal and Amritsar DC Ghanshyam Thori with Glory Bawa in Amritsar on Wednesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR POOR RETURNS FOR PUNJABI FOLK INDUSTRY The Punjabi folk music industry suffers from poor return for the artistes. While a different kind of Punjabi music is now being made popular, people have stopped listening to kind of music we make. There are no patrons, no shows, lesser concerts are being held and many folk artistes have faded away from public memory. Glory Bawa, FOLK ARTISTE ❝ the sole earning member left and she had to look after her sister Simran and her daughter, her own daughter and children of her deceased sister Lachi Bawa, a noted singer who passed away due to cancer. Made vulnerable by the circumstances, Glory said: “I seek employment through the promotion of folk art and artistes.” Dhaliwal said: “I came here with a heavy heart that our singer, who took Punjabi language and culture to all corners of the world, was facing such issues. I was even more saddened to hear that the family’s five shops, which are the source of their livelihood, have also been illegally occupied by some persons. They are neither paying rent nor vacating the outlets.” The minister also met those shopkeepers and asked them to comply with the lease regulations and pay rent or face legal action. Glory, an award-winning artiste, and her sister Lachi joined their mother Gurmeet Bawa in carrying forward the legacy of Punjabi folk music, but she now is a disheartened woman. Glory believes that the Punjabi folk music and artistes cannot just survive on a glorious past — giving the lie to her name. “The Punjabi folk music industry suffers from poor returns for the artistes. While a different kind of Punjabi music is now being made popular, people have stopped listening to the kind of music we make. There are no patrons, no shows, lesser concerts are being held and many folk artistes have faded away from public memory. I know a folk instrumentalist who used to play with my mother — he now works in a factory. Another folk artiste I know sells vegetables now,” she says. Appealing to CMBhagwant Mann — whom she referred to as an artiste — to give financial stability to folk artistes by formulating a new policy. “When artistes age, they cannot perform the way they used to, so their income suffers. The government must start a pension scheme for elderly artistes.” Tejpal’s family struggles for return of his mortal remains A day after landing in Moscow, Tejpal had joined Russian army Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 3 The family of Tejpal Singh, who died fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine, has been running from pillar to post to bring back his mortal remains and due compensation as per the Russian army norms. In a communiqué to the Immigration Department at the Russian Embassy, New Delhi, “I have no source of income and at present, am looking after my family and seek payment of his dues from the Russian Government and request for sending back the dead body of my husband and also issue a death certificate.” She appeared before the Russian Embassy in New Delhi for help last month. After being made to wait for hours, embassy officials guided her to approach Indian embassy officials in Moscow. Unable to find any positive response, the family is now planning to knock the door of the Prime Minister’s office. Parminder said her family has already prepared a letter, but they have not posted it yet. She said through her con- Victim Tejpal Singh (left). FILE PHOTO WILL ALSO KNOCK ON PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE She appeared before the Russian Embassy in New Delhi for help last month. After being made to wait for hours, embassy officials guided her to approach Indian embassy officials in Moscow. Unable to find any positive response, the family is now planning to knock the door of the Prime Minister’s office. tacts with Punjabi boys enrolled in the Russian army, she was told to come to Moscow to get the body and the compensation. Subsequently, she applied for the renewal of her passport to fly to Moscow. A distant family relative of her rang up the Indian Embassy in Moscow and was informed that the Russian Government had issued a list of those who were killed in the war, which included the name of Tejpal. However, she said, it mentioned Tejpal’s date of birth as of October 12, 1994, which, she says, is wrong. Tejpal was born on October 2, 1994. She said her family has been trying to rectify the mistake. Still unable to come to terms with the loss of her husband, she is gearing up to raise her two children — 6year-old Armandeep Singh and 3-year-old Gurnaazdeep Kaur. She said so far, her efforts to bring back her husband’s mortal remains have failed to bear fruit. On March 12, Tejpal Singh, 30, was killed, thousands of kilometres away from his home in Amritsar. Before the tragedy, he had last spoken to his family on March 3 and told his wife that he wouldn’t be able to call often here onwards because he was going to the frontline. But Parminder Kaur was not aware of her husband’s death until she called his friend in his unit who broke the news. A day after landing in Moscow, Tejpal had joined the Russian army after clearing the physical and medical tests on January 13, 2024. 2 vehicle lifters who escaped Reopen probe into Canal bank near Sultanwind turns police custody arrested in city artiste Chamkila a garbage dump, residents suffer Amritsar, July 3 The Division C police have arrested two vehicle lifters who had assaulted and kidnapped a cop. A police team had gone to Beas area for recovery of vehicles following disclosure of the accused. Mandeep Singh, alias Monu, of Bhorsi Brahmna village and Satnam Singh of Bhorsi Rajputa village had fled with the car of an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) after throwing him out of the car. Neeraj Kumar, Station House Officer (SHO), Division C police station, said the duo was arrested by the police on June 28 with a stolen motorcycle. During preliminary investigations, they disclosed that they had to hidden stolen bikes for further sale at Kot Mehtab village near the Beas river. A police team headed by ASI Satnam Singh along with ASI Harjit Singh and head constable Kundan Lal and two vehicle lifters went to the village for recovery in ASI Satnam Singh’s car. He said two ASIs murder case: BJP Tribune News Service The two accused in custody of the police in Amritsar on Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO were sitting on the front while he along with two thieves was sitting on the back seat. The two were handcuffed while travelling to Beas. He said on reaching there, ASI Satnam Singh and ASI Harjit Singh alighted from the car and went to see the spot where the accused had hidden the bikes. He said the ASI left the key in the car. He said taking advantage of this, one of the suspects jumped on the driver seat and sped away while kidnapping Kundan Lal along. He said the accused hit him on the head with handcuffs leaving him injured. They threw him out of the car near Pheruman village and sped away. Neeraj said the accused were hiding in the Sheikhupura Mohalla in Jandiala Guru. The police also recovered the car which they had abandoned there and which was later recovered by Jandiala Guru police. During investigation, it was found that the accused had snatched ~3,500 from a man in Khadoor Sahib in Tarn Taran also. — TNS Amritsar, July 3 BJP leader Jagmohan Singh Raju on Wednesday urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to reopen investigation into the murder of Dalit artiste Amar Singh Chamkila. In a communiqué to the CM, he said the investigation should be handed over to the National Investigating Agency (NIA). He said if the government was short of funds, he would offer ~5 lakh award to the informer from his own pocket. He said recently, the NIA had announced a cash reward of ~10 lakh to the person who would give information regarding Goldy Brar, the alleged mastermind behind the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. Similarly, Punjab Congress chief and Ludhiana MP Raja Warring urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to bring his killers to book. “I make an equally fervent appeal to you regarding an unsolved case of murder of another renowned artiste Amar Singh Chamkila who was brutally murdered along with his wife at a very young age of 28 years in 1988. His murderers remain scot free till date,” he said. “Can Chamkila be denied justice simply because he was a Dalit?” he said, urging the CM to reopen investigation into the case of murder of Chamkila and hand over the investigation to the National Investigating Agency . He said if the government did not have enough funds to announce a cash reward for providing information about his killer, he was willing to contribute ~5 lakh towards the reward amount. Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 3 The passage alongside the canal bridge near Sultanwind has turned into a garbage dump as there is no check on the throwing of waste at the place by people. Residents of the area stated that many of them earlier used the passage alongside the canal bank for a morning and evening walk but now it is not possible. “Stray dogs can be seen roaming around these garbage heaps looking for food. The presence of dogs is a threat to joggers,” said Jasveer Singh, a resident. Hungry dogs can attack passersby and injure them. Waste is also thrown into the canal polluting its water, he said. Even though a display board asking people to not throw any kind of waste, including coconuts, religious pictures, and other puja items into the canal, a large number of such items can be seen on garbage heaps. The residents stated that strict The banks of Sultanwind canal near Tara Wala Pul has turned into a garbage dumping site in Amritsar on Wednesday. PHOTO: SUNIL KUMAR action must be taken against those who cause pollution at the place. They stated that a large number of people come to the canal bank to perform puja as told by babas and tantriks and leave behind many materials adding to heaps of waste. “Sometimes, the waste heaps are also seen burning which causes air pollution and damages nearby trees,” stated another resident. They demanded that the area should be cleared of the waste heaps and the administration must keep a strict vigil and take action against those who throw waste here. “The foul smell emanating from the waste heaps is unbearable. As the bridge leads to the Golden Temple, a large number of residents use it daily. Home Guards jawan ‘Expedite work on desilting Tung Dhab drain’ 1 held with 2.5-kg heroin killed in road accident Tribune News Service Tarn Taran, July 3 A motorcyclist was killed in a road accident on the Chaunk Kainchi-Assal Uttar crossing when his motorcycle collided with a school bus here on Tuesday. The deceased has been identified as Sirtaj Singh (51), a resident of Khemkaran. He was a Punjab Home Guard jawan and was deputed at the Valtoha police station. Prabhdeep Singh, son of the victim, said his father was going to the Valtoha police sta- tion. When his father reached near Chaunk Kainchi, the driver of the bus of Saint Kabir Convent Boarding School, Valtoha, suddenly applied the brake to stop the bus and the victim’s motorcycle rammed the rear of the bus. He was on way to Amritsar to admit his father in a hospital when he succumbed to his injuries. ASI Sawinderpal Singh said bus driver Gursewak Singh of Mehandipur village had been booked. — OC Amritsar, July 3 Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal reviewed the progress of desilting Tung Dhab drain near the Verka milk plant here on Wednesday and instructed the officials to expedite the work as the monsoon seasons has set in. Dhaliwal said the MC is already busy in work and would complete the job within the next few days. The minister said after the completion of the work of desilting near the Verka milk Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal (C) during his visit to the Tung Dhab drain in Amritsar. plant, a portion of the drain near the Fatehgarh Churrian road would also be cleaned. Dhaliw- c m y b al expressed satisfaction over the ongoing desilting work which had started 15 days ago. The minister said Tung Dhab area would be cleared continued on page 2 Amritsar, July 3 In yet another seizure of contraband, the Amritsar Rural Police on Wednesday confiscated 2.5 kg of heroin from the possession of Jatin Singh, a resident of Maude village, located near the International Border. During investigation, two more names have cropped up and raids were on to arrest them, said Satinder Singh, SSP Amritsar (Rural). They , were identified as Sajan Singh and Daler Singh, both residents of the same village. “We are checking the antecedents of Jatinder while raids were on to nab his two accomplices Sajan and Daler,” said the SSP . Meanwhile, he said the Amritsar Rural Police in a joint operation with the Border Security Force seized an assembled drone carrying two 9mm Glock pistols smuggled from Pakistan along with four magazines and 40 live cartridges. The drone landed in the wet paddy fields near Nissoke border village in Ramdas area. Members of the village defense committee informed the police about the presence of drone, he said. — TNS
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