07102026-ATR-01.qxd 06-10-2026 23:24 Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY AI, CYBERSECURITY STORM CLASSROOMS IN GOVT SCHOOLS MANOCHAHAL: A VILLAGE ROOTED IN HISTORY, FAITH TUNE IN TO TRADITION WITH HINDUSTANI, CARNATIC MAESTROS The government to roll out a skill-based initiative aimed at preparing young learners fora technology-driven future. P2 Manochahalvillage, situated south of Tarn Taran city, is known for its significant role in the freedom struggle . P3 The 48th Chandigarh Sangeet Sammelan brings leading Hindustani and Carnatic maestros to the city. P4 » » » MAX 32°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 22°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.07 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:24 AM WEDNESDAY | 7 OCTOBER 2026 | AMRITSAR Partition through the lens of artist whose art connects hearts, heals those scarred Neha Saini Tribune News Service An artwork by Krishen Khanna at Partition museum. VISHAL KUMAR 24-year-old shot by in-laws for ‘honour’ Gurbaxpuri Tarn Taran, October 6 In a suspected case of honour killing, a 24-year-old youth was shot by his in-laws at his house in Panjwar Khurd on Sunday night. It is learnt that the deceased, Amritpal Singh, was in a relationship with his maternal cousin for six-seven years and the two had even eloped. Following this, the girl’s father got a kidnapping case registered against Amritpal. The girl, who was a minor then, reportedly refused to go back to her parents and was senttoNariNiketan,Jalandhar,in 2022.OnSeptember17this year, the two tied the knot, leaving the girl’s family enraged. On the night of October 4, her fatherDilbagh Singh, along with the relatives, Kulwant Singh, Mukaddar Singh, alias Kaka, and Mohit, reached Amritpal’s house and threatened him. Mukaddar Singh allegedly opened fire at him, killing him on the spot. The deceased’s father was also shot at, the police said. The Chabal police have registered a case. No arrest have been made so far. Amritsar, October 6 Partition scarred what time could not heal. Fracturing families, communities and a shared cultural heritage, it left behind memories that continue to shape art and public institutions decades later. At the centre of this complex memory is artist Krishen Khanna’s Bandwala series, which revisits Partition not through scenes of violence, but through the haunting image of a marching band. And, the city’s Partition museum will be home to one of the Khanna’s famed artwork titled, "Retired Captain Ramesh Kumar Accordion Wala" for 2026. It depicts a band musician holding an accordion and is described as a Bandwala in the artist’s body of work, reminding us of colonial times, playing an accordion. The Bandwala represents the working musician — someone hired to create joy, but distanced from the celebration. Partition connection comes through Khanna’s larger engagement with memory, displacement, belonging and the world he experienced before and around 1947. Khanna, who grew up in Lyallpur and started his career as a banker, experienced the upheaval of Partition as a mem- Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, October 6 A joint team of the Mining Department and the Amritsar rural police unearthed illegal sand mining at Kot Sidhu village in the Lopoke subdivision during a late night raid on Monday. The team found excavated sand at the site, but failed to get hold of those involved in the illegality as the latter fled the scene, leaving the machinery behind. XEN, Mining Department, Vishavpal Goyal said during the raid, they found three JCB machines and seven tippers being used for excavation and transportation of sand. Two of the JCB machines had chassis numbers, while the third had no chassis number. The tippers’ registration number was also recorded. Following the raid, an FIR was registered at the Bhindi Saida police station under Section 21(1) of the Mines FIR REGISTERED ■ Officials found excavated sand at the site, but failed to get hold of those involved in the illegality as the latter fled the scene. ■ Following the raid, an FIR was registered at the Bhindi Saida police station. Registration numbers of tippers and JCBs found at the site were also recorded. and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. The police are now trying to identify the landowners and owners of the vehicles and machinery allegedly being used in the mining. SSP , Amritsar Rural, said the role of all those involved would be investigated and action initiated according to law. Goyal said illegal mining would not be tolerated in the district and that strict action would continue against those involved in the unauthorised excavation. Illegal sand mining along the Ravi in the Ajnala-Ramdass area and other parts of the border belt has come under intense scrutiny, keeping the officials on their toes. Earlier too, multiple cases were registered in this connection amid allegations of heavy mechanised excavation. On October 3, the Ajnala police arrested Bugga Singh of Khanwal village and recovered a tractor and trolley with 200 cubic ft sand. The police had also nominated his accomplice Pamma Singh in the case. Various political leaders also raised the issue on their social media handles. While former Punjab minister and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that the Ravi was being plundered in broad daylight at Malakpur village, Congress leader Dilraj Sarkaria stated that political patronage was behind the illegal sand mining in the Rajasansi area. JCB machines and seven tippers were found at the site in Kot Sidhu. Tribune News Service BKU members say their next move will depend on the outcome of the October 13 meeting. Farmers call off stir after govt word Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Tarn Taran: The police have booked four members of a family for duping a woman of Rs 17 lakh on the pretext of sending her abroad. Complainant Preet Kaur, a resident of Mohalla Jaswant Singh, Gali Gurinder Printing Press, Tarn Taran, told the police that Rupinder Kaur, alias Rimpi, her husband Surjit Singh, their son Jaideep Singh and a girl living in Australia took Rs 17 lakh from her, saying they would send her abroad. But nothing of the sort ever happened. TNS in the city and Delhi. The artwork has been brought to the city through the FICCI FLO’s art and culture vertical. Tannya Khanna, chairperson, FLO-Amritsar, said it was an attempt to merge the city’s vibrant tourism and hospitality culture with celebrated art. Talking about Krishen Khanna, widely considered the master of Indian contemporary arts, who got caught in the aftermath of Partition, Kishwer said along with the tangible, intangible also got lost during the division. Amritsar, October 6 Following the government’s assurance, the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) on Tuesday suspended its protest. Members of the organisation have been invited for talks on October 13. On October 5, the organisation launched an indefinite protest outside nearly 19 DC offices across the state. Addressing protesters in Amritsar, BKU leader Dr Parvinder Singh Pandori Vadaich said the decision was taken after the government assured the union of a meeting. He said the organisation would decide its next course of action based on the outcome of the October 13 meeting. District president Kashmir Singh Dhangai said both Punjab and Central Governments had allegedly maintained a criminal silence on farmers’ issues. In Amritsar, farmers and women held a demonstration by blocking the gate of the DC office. They later marched from the Kacheri Chowk to the Police Commissionerate office, where they burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The union wants negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement with the US scrapped, agreements with imperialist countries that it alleges are against farmers’ interests with- drawn and the land pooling policy repealed. The protesters also sought compensation for those affected by floods, implementation of a new agriculture policy, resolution of the shortage of DAP fertiliser, a legal guarantee for minimum support price, loan waiver for farmers and farm labourers, withdrawal of cases registered against leaders during farmers’ agitations. They also demanded withdrawal of the electricity and seed bills, and resolution of other pending farmers’ issues. The union leaders warned that if the October 13 meeting failed to work out a resolution, the organisation would decide on intensifying the agitation. c m y b "Music got divided, art got divided and cultural heritage got divided. Museums and collections across the region were similarly affected, with artworks and historical objects finding new homes on either side of the border," he added. Khanna’s work also raises a difficult question: Why did a few artists immediately document Partition through paintings? The answer may lie in the sheer scale of the crisis. As Khanna, in one of his recorded interviews at the museum said, "For millions of people, the priority was survival. Families were fleeing homes, trains became uncertain routes to safety and many Amritsar, October 6 The civic body on Tuesday vacated four illegal cattle pounds operating from Tarn Taran Road Colony and Gurdwara Shahidan Sahib Road. The drive follows the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The joint enforcement operation was conducted in the presence of Duty Magistrate Angad Singh. Officials said the dairy owners resisted the action, but municipal teams pro- MC action follows court directions ceeded with the eviction in accordance with the court directions. Dairy owners operating within the municipal limits have been asked to permanently shift their animals outside the city and comply with the court orders. Officials said strict action would be taken against those who failed to remove animals voluntarily. The civic body said the drive would continue in other parts of the city. passengers never reached their respective destinations. Memories of women waiting at railway stations for husbands and sons who never returned, and of trains and trucks carrying the dead, became part of the collective trauma." His approach connects with a larger generation of artists, including Satish Gujral, who confronted the psychological consequences of Partition through their work. Today, the Bandwala series stands as a reminder that Partition was not merely a political division. It was a rupture in every-day life and cultural memory. Obscure terror outfit claims responsibility of attack on ASI Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Four illegal dairies vacated 2 ARRESTED WITH HAND GRENADES WOMAN DUPED OF ~17 LAKH ber of a generation forced to confront displacement and uncertainty. "His Bandwala paintings draw on nostalgia, depicting musicians in elaborate uniforms, complete with tassels and instruments associated with ceremonial and colonialera bands. The Bandwala becomes a figure of memory — a reminder of a world that once existed, but was violently disrupted," said Kishwer Desai, chairperson of the Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust (TAACHT), which founded Partition Museum Illegal sand mining unearthed at Kot Sidhu in late-night crackdown INBRIEF Tarn Taran: The police have arrested two youths and recovered four hand grenades from their possession in Mari Megha and Khalra here. The police said the accused, Krishan Singh and Princepal Singh, both residents of Dhun, were nabbed during patrolling. The two were on a motorcycle and when the police signalled them to stop, one of them threw a bag into a drain. The police managed to find the bag, which contained four hand grenades. A case has been registered. Krishen Khanna’sBandwalaseries at Partition museum Amritsar, October 6 Two days after a GRP ASI was shot at, an obscure organisation, Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH), claimed the responsibility of the murderous attack. The police, however, said the veracity of the claims in the organisation’s poster on social media could not be authenticated at the moment. Evidently, the same organisation had claimed the responsibility of previous attacks on police personnel. Meanwhile, the Amritsar rural police are yet to make any breakthrough in the case, although various theories, including targeted attack and personal enmity, being probed. DGP (Special) Praveen Kumar Sinha visited the crime scene at Jagdev Kalan village on Monday and spoke to IG, Border Range, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and SSP Amrit, sar Rural, Kanwalpreet Singh Chahal taking first-hand information about the incident. He later visited the hospital, where injured ASI Sukhchain Singh is recuperating and enquired about his health, assuring him of swift action. During preliminary probe, Sukhchain Singh told the police that his brother was murdered by some assailants in 2020. A case in this connection was registered at the Sadar police station under the Amritsar Commissionerate. The matter is currently at the stage where witnesses’ statements are being recorded. He was following up the case. The police are examining whether the attack was linked to the old murder case. Nevertheless, the police have neither ruled out targeted attack theory so far. “We have been investigating the case technically to identify the suspects, while not ruling out anything at the moment as the probe is on,” he had said. ASI Sukhchain Singh, posted with the Government Railway Police, was Continued on page 2 Why should BRTS be dismantled after a decade, HC asks Punjab Undertrial alleges assault; kin move court Saurabh Malik Amritsar, October 6 A jail inmate suffered serious injuries in a clash between two groups in the Amritsar central jail here recently. The matter came to light after his family approached a local court seeking an inquiry and proper treatment today. Sneha, a resident of Kale village near Chheharta, alleged that her husband, Jujhar Singh, was beaten up inside the jail, causing him serious injuries, including a fracture in shoulder, apart from a head injury. Through her counsel, RahulSingh Sethi, she has filed a petition before the court of Additional District and Sessions Court, seeking an inquiry into the incident and appropriate medical treatment for Jujhar. Sethi claimed that the court had directed the jail authorities to appear before it on Wednesday. The counsel said Jujhar, who was facing an NDPS case registered this year, was scheduled to appear in court on October 4. However, he came to know that Jujhar had been thrashed by some inmates in the barrack. Continued on page 2 Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 6 The state government has kept in abeyance its proposed discontinuation of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in Amritsar, the Punjab and Haryana High Court was informed on Tuesday. State Advocate-General Maninderjit Singh Bedi made the statement before a Bench comprising Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor, which was hearing a public interest petition filed by Amritsar Vikas Manch. The court directed the state to explain as to why the project, implemented at a cost of nearly Rs 600 crore, was proposed to be discontinued after nearly a decade and directed the government to disclose details of the project’s original conception, expenditure and future plans. The petition raised concerns that the BRTS project was being discontinued without any justifiable cause despite substantial public expenditure. The petitioner argued that ending the proj- Petition raises concerns that project being discontinued without any justifiable cause ect would not only result in wastage of public money but also cause inconvenience to the public. The Bench recorded the petitioner’s grievance that the project had been implemented at a cost of nearly Rs 600 crore and was being discontinued without justification. The court directed the respondents to file an affidavit explaining what was originally conceived when the BRTS project was introduced in Amritsar. It also sought details of the amount of public money spent on the project. The affidavit has also been directed to clarify why the project was proposed to be Continued on page 2 Tribune News Service