01122025-TTC-01.qxd 1/1/2025 12:37 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 9 NO. 1 | 16 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 CASTEISM RAMPANT IN BJP-RULED STATES, SAYS KHARGE NATION /thetribunechd KATRA BANDH ENTERS SEVENTH DAY AS IMPASSE PERSISTS J&K APRIL-NOV FISCAL DEFICIT AT 52.5%: GOVT DATA BUSINESS INDIAN-ORIGIN HEROES ON KING CHARLES’ HONOURS LIST WORLD wednesday | 1 january 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Dallewal to accept medical aid if Centre offers talks: Punjab to SC THE TRIBUNE WISHES ITS READERS A HAPPY NEW YEAR Top court gives state govt two more days to implement its orders Satya Prakash Tribune News Service Fireworks over the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge as part of the celebrations to usher in the New Year in Sydney. AP/PTI Punjab extends winter break in schools till Jan 7 CHANDIGARH: In view of the cold weather, the Punjab Government has extended the winter vacation in government-aided, recognised and private schools across the state till January 7. Announcing this on his official X account, School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the decision was taken under the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, considering the prevailing cold weather conditions. All schools will reopen on January 8. — TNS Quad vows to work towards free and stable Indo-Pacific NEW DELHI: India and other Quad member nations on Tuesday reaffirmed the grouping’s steadfast commitment to work towards a free, open and peaceful Indo-Pacific amid China’s increasing military muscleflexing in the region. The foreign ministers of the member nations of the grouping made the pledge in a joint statement commemorating the 20th anniversary of “Quad cooperation”. India, the US, Australia and Japan came together 20 years ago to extend assistance in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and that coalition subsequently took the form of the Quad. BACK PAGE SGPC seeks judicial probe into killing of 3 youths in Pilibhit AMRITSAR: The SGPC on Tuesday demanded a judicial inquiry into the killing of three Punjab youths in a police encounter in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. On December 23, a joint team of the Punjab and Uttar Pradesh police had killed the three suspected terrorists in an encounter. They were allegedly involved in a grenade attack on a police post in Gurdaspur. During a meeting, the SGPC passed a resolution, raising serious questions over the police encounter “This is a serious matter and it seems like a deliberate act to target Punjab’s youths,” the resolution read. INSIDE Let’s forget & forgive: Manipur CM apologises for ethnic conflict Imphal, December 31 Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday apologised for the ethnic conflict in the state which has claimed over 250 lives and rendered thousands homeless since May 2023. He appealed to all communities to forget and forgive past mistakes and live together in a peaceful and prosperous state. Addressing a press conference here, Singh said there had been relative peace in the state in the last three-four months, giving him hope that normalcy would be restored in the new year. “I want to say sorry for what happened in the state. Many people lost their loved ones and many had to leave their homes. I regret and want to apologise. But after seeing relative peace in the last three-four months, I hope that normalcy will be restored in the coming year. “Whatever happened has happened... I want to appeal to all communities to forgive and forget our past mistakes and start life afresh by living together in a peaceful and prosperous Manipur,” he said. Singh said firing incidents had declined in the state over the last 20 months since the ethnic conflict began in May 2023. “From May to October 2023, 408 firing incidents were reported. From November 2023 to April 2024, there were 345 firing incidents, New Delhi, December 31 The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted two more days to the Punjab Government to comply with its directions on shifting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a fast-unto-death since November 26, to a hospital. “Taking into consideration the totality of circumstances and keeping the interest of justice in view, we are inclined to accept the request to afford some more time for compliance with the directions issued by this court,” a Vacation Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia said, posting a contempt petition against the Punjab Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police for further hearing on January 2. The order came after Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh submitted that negotiators had visited the protest site and efforts were made for implementing the court order by mobilising about 7,000 personnel. Due to the Punjab bandh called by farmers’ organisations on Monday, there were traffic Farm leaders with Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a fast in Khanauri. ATTEND NEXT HEARING TOO, CHIEF SECY, DGP TOLD ■ “If something happens which is ■ Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sin- acceptable to all sides, we are equally happy. As of now, we are only concerned with the compliance of our orders,” Justice Surya Kant said blockades. “According to the negotiators, a proposal has been given by the farmers to the Centre that if they get an invite for talks, Dallewal is ready to take medical aid as desired,” Gurminder Singh said, seeking three more days for compliance. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said he had no ha and DGP Gaurav Yadav, who were present during the virtual hearing, were asked to remain present on the next date of hearing on Thursday as well instructions on the submissions made by the Punjab Advocate General. Maintaining that he would not like to comment on the negotiations, Justice Kant said, “If something happens which is acceptable to all sides, we are equally happy. As of now, we are only concerned with the compliance of our orders.” Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, who were present during the virtual hearing, were asked to remain present on the next date of hearing on Thursday as well. On December 28, the top court had warned Sinha and Yadav that it would frame charges of contempt of court against them if its order on shifting Dallewal to a hospital was not complied with. “It’s a contempt case and the next step is known. Why shouldn’t there be charges against the Chief Secretary and the DGP? Why should charges be not framed? This is the logical flow of a contempt matter,” it had told the two senior officers. Dallewal has been on a fastunto-death at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 to press for the acceptance of farmers’ demands. Acting on a contempt petition filed by Labh Singh of Mohali, the top court had on December 27 issued a notice continued on page 8 edit: Looking Ahead Sangh mindset: Kerala MEA promises to provide CM on Maha minister’s assistance to Kerala nurse ‘mini Pakistan’ remark facing execution in Yemen Manipur CM N Biren Singh addresses a press conference in Imphal. PTI 250 LIVES LOST IN VIOLENCE SINCE MAY 2023 More than 250 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in the ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023 STATE ACCOUNTED FOR 77% OF NE VIOLENCE Manipur accounted for about 77 per cent of the total violence in the northeastern region in 2023, according to MHA. Among the 243 violent incidents that occurred in the North-East, 187 took place in Manipur whereas from May this year till now, 112 firing incidents were reported,” he said. He said of all the looted weapons, 3,112 had been recovered and 2,511 explosives had been seized during the period. As many as 625 people had been arrested and 12,047 FIRs registered so far, he added. More than 250 people had been killed and thousands rendered homeless in the ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May last year. The Chief Minister claimed that the state government was “tirelessly working to improve the law and order situation”. Meanwhile on Tuesday, a clash between women from the Kuki community and security personnel triggered fresh tensions in Kangpokpi district of Manipur. The locals were protesting against the “forceful occupation” of community bunkers by security personnel, claimed witnesses. — TNS/ PTI Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 31 Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday vehemently criticised Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane for calling Kerala a “mini Pakistan” and said his remarks were highly “provocative” and “condemnable”. “The Sangh Parivar’s basic approach towards Kerala is exposed through the words of the Maharashtra minister,” the CM said in a statement. “The Sangh Parivar believes it can isolate a place that’s difficult for them to influence by alienating and spreading hate campaigns and these statements came as part of that,” he said. Vijayan maintained that a minister who made the hate statement “did not deserve to continue in the position”. “It is surprising that the leadership of the country’s ruling party is yet to react to the min- Tribune News Service BARB INSULTS CONSTITUTION Parivar believes ❝ The Sanghplace that’s it can isolate a difficult for them to influence by alienating and spreading hate campaigns… amounts to insulting the Constitution. Pinarayi Vijayan, KERALA CM ister’s act of serious breach of oath, which amounted to insulting the country’s Constitution,” he said. Later, in a post on X, the CM termed the Maharashtra minister’s comment as “deeply malicious and utterly condemnable”. Such rhetoric reflects the hate campaigns orchestrated by the Sangh Parivar against Kerala, a bastion of secularism and communal harmony, the CM said. “We strongly denounce this continued on page 8 NewDelhi, December 31 A day after Yemen President Rashad al-Alimi approved the execution of an Indian nurse convicted of murdering a Yemeni national in 2017, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday stepped in saying it would extend all possible help in the matter. Randhir Jaiswal, MEA spokesperson, said the government was aware of Nimisha Priya’s sentencing in Yemen. “We understand that Priya’s family is exploring relevant options. The government is extending all possible help,” the spokesperson said in a statement. Hailing from Kollengode town in Kerala’s Palakkad, Priya’s execution is scheduled to take place within a month. Married with a daughter, she moved to Yemen in 2011 and there came in con- tact with Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi. Priya’s husband and minor daughter had to return to India in 2014 due to financial woes. The same year, Yemen was engulfed in civil war and the duo could not return as the country stopped issuing new visas. As Yemen’s law bars foreigners from starting their own businesses unless they have local partners, Mahdi is said to have helped Priya set up a clinic in capital city Sanaa. In 2017, Priya was convicted of murdering Mahdi even as she called it “an act of selfdefence”. She alleged that Mahdi had been harassing her for money and had even seized her passport. She also alleged that he forged her documents to project himself as her husband while subjecting her to physical and emotional abuse. continued on page 8 Messiah for the missing: Cyber expert reunites families via digital footprint Chandigarh-based Gurcharan Singh has traced hundreds of missing persons over past 16 years, all for free Jupinderjit Singh Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 31 When a Class IX student went missing from a Jammu school, his family explored all avenues in a desperate attempt to trace him, but to no avail. Two months later, they approached Gurcharan Singh, a cybersecurity expert in Chandigarh, and within a short span, the boy was back with the family. A member of cybersecurity faculty at the Central Detective Training Institute under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Gurcharan trains police officials in investigating online frauds. But his expertise lies in finding missing persons, and he does it out of passion. In 2008, Gurcharan stumbled upon his first case — a missing girl from Jhajjar — and since then has traced hundreds of such individuals, including children. A messiah for missing persons, Gurcharan follows the digital footprint of his subjects to track them down. He has mastered the art of navigating through the murky waters of the digital landscape, using social media, online transactions, CCTVs, smart TVs and even GPS data as tools to zero in on the subjects. Sharing his experiences in a video interview with The Tribune, Gurcharan, who hails from Yamunanagar in EVERYTHING IS TRACEABLE ONLINE ❝ Every click and every search creates a trace. The digital footprint on the ‘cloud’ is vital. In today’s connected world, we have the tools — if we know where to look. Gurcharan Singh, CYBERSECURITY EXPERT, CENTRAL DETECTIVE TRAINING INSTITUTE, CHANDIGARH Haryana, reveals how the Facebook account led him to the Jammu boy. “To open a new account on the social media, one needs to be 18, have a phone and an email ID, where the OTP is sent for verification. The boy lied about his age and created the account using his mother’s phone. The family was kept in the dark. Once I Today’s issue is of 16 pages, including four-page Jalandhar Tribune. c m y b found the account, I traced the last access. He had used the broadband connection of a popular dhaba in the heart of Amritsar. The boy, who was sent to a top school, was found working as a waiter there,” he shares. The Jhajjar girl case, which was his first, turned out to be that of elopement. “Through the digital footprint, I could pinpoint her live location in a moving train. The police found her at the next railway station.” He recalls another case involving a prominent Gujarat doctor who had been missing for three months. “He was found in a meditation centre in Himachal. The digital footprint can’t be erased,” he asserts. “Police from various states approach us. I have trained many cops who are doing a great job, but due to the pressure of probing other crimes, their priorities shift,” he says. “Families often approach self-styled godmen for help, but the scientific way of finding someone is through their digital footprint,” he asserts. “Every click and every search creates a trace. You can access the CCTV and even smart TV for leads,” he says. Gurcharan doesn’t get paid for all the hard work, but the gratification, he says, is priceless. “I used to trace cyber frauds. And when I achieved some success, I thought of helping families in despair. Seeing them reunite with their loved ones is what drives me. That’s why I do this. To see that joy, that relief — it makes it all worthwhile,” he adds.