03112025-JTR-01.qxd 11/2/2025 10:47 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune POLITICAL ROW ERUPTS OVER CENTRE’S MOVE TO SCRAP PU SENATE REFORM POLICING, PUNISH MISCONDUCT & UPHOLD DIGNITY Ensure female officers during women’s FIRs and review police performance periodically. P3 MAINLY CLEAR MAX 30°C | MIN 16°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 16°C KING-SIZE BIRTHDAY TREAT FROM SRK MP Chabbewal says that the decision tramples on Punjab’s hard-earned autonomy and constitutional rights. P2 FORECAST Shah Rukh Khan’s dark and menacing transformation for the film, King . P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 5.37 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6:45 AM » MONDAY | 3 NOVEMBER 2025 | JALANDHAR HEALTH & WELLNESS The Tribune is starting a Q and A column to address your health-related queries. Please mail your questions (not exceeding 40 words) at healthandwellness@tribunemail.com. The Tribune’s panel of doctors will answer all your healthrelated concerns. INBRIEF 2 BOOKED FOR ABETTING SUICIDE Phagwara: The Shahkot police have booked two villagers on the charge of abetting suicide. The accused have been identified as Maghar Singh and Manpreet Singh, residents of Reharrwan village. Kulwindar Kaur of Mand Puniyan village complained to the police that his husband committed suicide due to harassment by the accused. A case under section 108 abetment of suicide has been registered against the accused. OC MAN BOOKED FOR FARM FIRE Phagwara: The Shahkot police have booked a farmer on the charge of burning paddy stubble. The accused has been identified as Gurveer Singh of Bhadman village. The nodal officer concerned has sent his report to the police which was verified and examined at the place of occurrence. The accused had set afire his stubble fields on October 30 and violated government order. OC MAN HELD UNDER NDPS ACT Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested a man on the charge of selling intoxicating tablets. as many as 27 tablets were recovered from the possession of the accused, identified as Ajay Chatak a resident of Mohalla Mallri, Nakodar. A case had been registered under Sections 22/ 61/85 of the NDPS Act against the accused. OC Books worth ~20 lakh sold, fair becomes a haven for readers Mela Ghadri Babeyan Da 100 stalls, 50 new releases in three days Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 2 Amid worries of a social media onslaught stealing away people’s time and energies formerly reserved for books, the success of the 3-day Mela Ghadri Babeyan Da and soaring book sales at the fair has come as a relief for book lovers. Thousands of books worth between Rs 18 lakh and Rs 20 lakh were sold at the fair. At least 40 to 50 new books were also released in 3 days. The fair had 100 book stalls. While it is a not-to-be-missed opportunity for top Punjab publishers, it also hosted university publishing houses, Language Department stalls, publishers and sellers from Delhi, Haryana, UP and Uttarakhand. The mela doesn’t charge a single penny for anyone setting up a book stall. It is also credited with being the first Punjab fair which sparked a bustling book culture in the state. The fair has also been marked with an enthusiasm from Delhi and Haryana Progressives and students groups (Vanguard, Lal Taara, etc.) who came in with their art - witty badges, tote bags, cups and posters screaming “Viva La Revolucion” and cat logos vowing allegiance to “Chairman Meow” (cat-sy twist to Mao Zedung). Apart from Ghadar and Our Correspondent Phagwara, November 2 In yet another case of immigration fraud reported in Phagwara, the police have registered a case against fake travel agent for allegedly cheating local residents on the pretext of sending them abroad. The complaints involve a combined financial loss running into several lakhs. In the complaint, a resident of Chewa village, under Phagwara Sadar police station, Kulwinder Ram alleged that local travel agent Balvinder Singh, a resident of Rayitinda village, duped him of Rs 4 lakh with the promise of arranging his travel to Greece. According to the FIR, Balvinder allegedly took the money but failed to provide any visa or travel documents. After receiving the amount, he reportedly stopped responding to calls and messages from the victim. Following an inquiry conducted by officials of the Phagwara police and the Immigration Bureau, a case was registered against the accused under Sections 406 and 420 of the IPC and Section 13 of the Punjab Travel Professions Regulation Act, 2014. Police stated that the matter is under investigation. Marxism, themes like Punjab’s waters, agrarian crisis, Sikh history, global water wars, philosophy, Islam, Dalit consciousness, the new world order, illuminati, etc. found collective place at the book stalls. Frida Kahlo, Pablo Neruda, Nikola Tesla, Tupac Shakur and Bob Marley remained as celebrated on the bookstalls as Bhagat Singh, Man dies of heart attack on road, dogs mutilate body Our Correspondent Fake travel agents booked for fraud Books stalls at Mela Ghadri Babeyan Da in Jalandhar. PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH Phagwara, November 2 A tragic incident was reported from the Nurmahal where a man died of a suspected heart attack during his morning walk, and his unattended body was later mauled by stray dogs. The deceased was identified as Vivek, a resident of Nurmahal, who had reportedly been unwell for some time. According to family members, Vivek left home on Sunday morning for his routine walk. While passing near a religious site, he suddenly collapsed. Witnesses believe he suffered a heart attack and died instantly. His body remained on the roadside for some time, during which stray dogs started mutilating it. A passerby noticed the body and recognised Vivek. He immediately informed the family members, who rushed to the spot and took possession of the remains. The body was then taken home, and the family performed the last rites. Residents of the area expressed shock over the incident and raised concerns about the growing population of stray dogs and the lack of monitoring on public roads. Locals also questioned how long the body remained unattended before being identified. Phagwara residents plan to repair road through donations Ashok Kaura Phagwara, November 2 Residents of Phagwara have decided to take road repair into their own hands. The link road beneath the Sugar Mill bridge — an important passage used daily by thousands — has been lying in a severely damaged condition for several years. Numerous complaints to government representatives and municipal officers have failed to yield any action, pushing locals to initiate a donation drive to rebuild the road themselves. The plan, according to residents, involves installing a donation box at the site where passers-by and commuters will be requested to contribute funds. People from Satnampura, Bhagatpura, Adarsh Nagar, Mansa Devi, Hariyabad, Nakodar Road and several adjoining localities depend on this link road for daily travel. The route has become even more critical since a stretch of the national highway connecting these areas was closed for administrative reasons. Despite shutting down the main road, the authorities never repaired or upgraded the alternative route, leaving commuters to struggle with potholes, damaged patches and frequent accidents. Locals insist that the condition is not due to lack of complaints. Residents claim to have raised the issue repeatedly with municipal officials and elected leaders, but the response has been limited to assurances and promises. Many citizens have been seen spreading soil and debris themselves just to make the road temporarily motorable. Phagwara Mayor Rampal Uppal, reacting to the controversy, stated that the link road does not fall under the corporation’s jurisdiction and is to be repaired only by the PWD. booklets on the teachings of Mohammed. Kesar from Punjab Prakshan, key organizer of the ‘pustak mela’ at the fair, said, “When the mela started off in 1992, there were two elderly men who put up stalls, rather vends. The babas used to call them ‘kitaban de vanjare’. Today people send us requests to come 93 flood-hit farmers get compensation Adopt poison-free farm practices: MP to devotees during ‘Green Nagar Kirtan’ Nawanshahr, November 2 Under the government’s ongoing initiative to compensate those affected by floods, Rs 17,31,535 was given to 93 farmers in the district today. The compensation cheques were handed over at the local SDM office by Lalit Mohan Pathak, Vice-Chairman of the Punjab State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training, in the presence of SDM Anamjyot Kaur. Pathak said the compensation distribution was being given to support farmers whose livelihoods were impacted by floods. He further said farmers from Saidpur, Burj Tahil Das, Kanoun and nearby areas received compensation cheques during the event. — TNS Our Correspondent Police personnel inspecting the jewellery shop. FILE when Vijay, the jeweller’s son, had just arrived at the shop. The entire act was captured on CCTV, sending shock waves across the city. The road in a dilapidated condition in Phagwara. BR Ambedkar, Pash, Guru Nanak, Banda Bahadur and Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule. Doctors from Bathinda NGO “Sada Doctor” disbursed pamphlets spreading awareness on diseases and members of Punjabi Islamic Publications, Malerkotla and members of the Ahmediya Muslim Community gave out free copies of the Quran and Jewellery shop robbery accused to be held soon, location traced Jalandhar, November 2 The location of three accused of the sensational Bhargo Camp robbery case that rocked the city three days ago has been traced and the process to arrest them has also been started. Sources suggest that the accused were in Ajmer, though the police have not confirmed it yet. The robbery took place at a jewellery showroom in Bhargo Camp, where armed assailants looted ornaments worth over Rs 95 lakh at gunpoint. The incident occurred here. The Desh Bhagat Yadgaar hall was the first to kick off book culture, similar fairs are now hosted across state universities, Lyallpur Khalsa College, Baba Farid Mela and other platforms. Books worth Rs 18 to Rs 20 lakh were sold this year. 40 books were released at the mela this year – three from the committee alone. We also host a special first day committed only to books where dedicated book sellers, publishers and NGOs are called on to speak. A girl from Lucknow who sells Marxist books across country, was the key speaker this time.” Pardeep Singh, from Moosa, the diligent friend of singer Sidhu Moosewala set up two stalls one of his own book house (in Moosa village) and another under White Crow Publishers run by a relative. Pardeep said, “The Ghadri Mela is the only book fair in Punjab where all big and small publishers vie to come. Our White Crow publishers have published 50 books on Punjab, country’s hidden truths – on waters, Deep State, Geo Politics, Tihar Jail etc., also publishing jailed writers.” Vikas from Laal Tara, Haryana said, “Our art and slogans are all made by government school kids. The mela is a very robust space where alternate thought, is welcomed.” The robbers made away with eight jewellery sets, 12 gold chains, a men’s bracelet, two women’s bracelets, several rings, and earrings. TNS c m y b Phagwara, November 2 Environmental crusader and Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal has called upon people to adopt poisonfree and sustainable farming practices. Addressing devotees during the third ‘Green Nagar Kirtan’, which began from Nirmal Kutiya, Seechewal, and reached Sultanpur Lodhi by evening after passing through several villages, he urged farmers to protect environment and return to natural methods of cultivation. People from every village along the route extended a warm welcome to the Nagar Kirtan. Seechewal reminded the gathering that Guru Nanak Dev spent the later part of his life in Kartarpur, personally cultivating his fields and upholding the dignity of honest labour. He lamented that in the pursuit of profit, people have begun poisoning their own crops. Explaining Guru Nanak Dev’s teachings, Seechewal highlighted the timeless message of “Kirat Karo, Naam Japo, Vand Chhako” — work honestly, remember God and share with others. He recalled that Guru Nanak Dev undertook four great journeys (Udasis) to spread divine wisdom, living a simple life but carrying a universal vision that bound the entire creation together through the message of air, water, and earth. Appreciating the farmers’ collective decision not to burn stubble (parali) this year, Seechewal hailed it as a commendable step towards envi- To mark birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, a ‘Green Nagar Kirtan’ was taken out from Seechewal village to Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH ABOUT GREEN NAGAR KIRTAN MP Balbir Seechewal called the Green Nagar Kirtan an initiative aimed at environmental awareness wherein instead of ‘patase’ and ‘kahraa’, plants are disbursed as prasad to devotees to promote planting of trees. They were encouraged to stop the use of pesticides and the burning of stubble. A target of disbursal of 5,600 plants was also set at the onset of the Nagar Kirtan, to be donated among devotees. ronmental protection. “Stubble is not a curse for the fields, it is a blessing,” he said. Throughout the procession, the focus remained firmly on environmental awareness. Thousands of participants carried messages promoting a clean, green, and pollutionfree Punjab. The Green Nagar Kirtans, Sant Seechewal said, have emerged as initiatives capable of transforming the image and destiny of the state. A large truck in the procession displayed the Seechewal model, showcasing 25 years of work dedicated to raising groundwater levels and restoring the sacred Kali Bein river. Schoolchildren actively participated, holding placards with environmental messages. To mark Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s 556th birth anniversary, 5,600 saplings were distributed as “green prasad.” The Nagar Kirtan covered a 40-km route from Seechewal to Sultanpur Lodhi, drawing large participation from women devotees. Students from Sant Avtar Singh Memorial School contributed by collecting plastic bottles and waste along the route to promote cleanliness. Sant Jeet Singh from Sirsa also joined the procession with his followers. Recalling his earlier assistance during the Baupur floods, when he had sent 16 tractors to help level farmers’ fields, he announced that devotees from three villages in Sirsa had joined the Nagar Kirtan. He further declared plans to assist flood-affected farmers in sowing wheat crops this season.