Jammu: The Army has postponed its common entrance examination for recruitment which was to be held in Samba on April 25. — PTI
Current Events :
Jammu: The Army has postponed its common entrance examination for recruitment which was to be held in Samba on April 25. — PTI
Border Roads Organisation (BRO) constructs bridge on Tarnah river
The bailey bridge. File Photo courtesy: BRO
New Delhi, April 23
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed a 160-foot-long bailey bridge on the Tarnah river to connect Sakol village in Punjab with Jammu, an official statement said on Friday.
The bridge will provide a much-needed lifeline to the village residents, who had to go through a lot of hardship to cross the “dreaded” river every year during monsoon, it noted.
Workers of the Border Roads Organisation worked relentlessly round-the-clock and finished the construction of the double-decker bridge in five days, the statement said.
The bridge lies on the Chadwal-Sanjimore-Hariyachak-Paharpur-Simbal stretch, the BRO stated. “Every year a pontoon bridge was required to be launched for crossing the river and delaunched (removed) after receding of water levels post-monsoon. Now, this bridge will provide all-weather connectivity between both the regions,” it said. — PTI
Covid-19 testing machinery being loaded onto Chinook at the Air Force Stations in Chandigarh on Saturday. PTI
Jammu, April 24
The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Saturday airlifted to Ladakh medical equipment weighing 1,700 kg, including bio-safety cabinets and centrifuges, which will help augment Covid-19 testing facilities in the Union Territory, officials said.
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM) in Jammu provided the equipment.
“The IAF’s Chinook and AN-32 helicopters airlifted a payload of 850 kg each, comprising a total of four bio-safety cabinets, two centrifuges and two stabilisers to Leh and Kargil. The items worth over Rs 1 crore were handed over by CSIR-IIIM-Jammu for the UT of Ladakh,” Jammu-based Defence PRO Lt Col Devender Anand said. Last year, CSIR-IIIM director DS Reddy had promised the equipment to Ladakh in collaboration with Sun Pharma as part of its corporate social responsibility to augment the testing capacity in the UT’s two districts — Leh and Kargil. — PTI
A farmer gets vaccinated at Tikri on Saturday. Photo: Sumit Tharan
Jhajjar, April 24
The district administration finally succeeded in persuading protesting farmers camping at the Tikri border to get vaccinated against Covid. In all, 10 farmers received the jab at a vaccination booth today.
The booth was set up three days ago, but no farmer turned up during the first two days even as the number of farmers at the Tikri border continued to increase.
Purushottam Singh Gill, a leader of the BKU (Lakhowal), said: “In the Thursday’s meeting with administrative officials, farmers’ organisations had made it clear that they did not have a problem with anyone getting vaccinated. The outfits had also said they would not force anyone to get the jab. It would be a personal choice.”
He added many farmers had already got themselves vaccinated in Punjab.
The number of farmers is increasing at the Tikri and Singhu borders as the harvesting is over.
Civil Surgeon Dr Sanjay Dahiya said, “A team of doctors was in constant touch with protesting farmers and motivated them to get vaccinated. It is good some farmers have come forward, leading by example. It is hoped that the number will increase.” — TNS
Mukesh Tandon and Ravinder Saini
Tribune News Service
Sonepat/Jhajjar, April 25
With Haryana Chief Minister authorising Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to take a call about the imposition of Section 144 of the CrPC to avoid public gatherings in their respective districts in view of the Covid pandemic, the development has put a question mark over the continuation of the farmers’ agitation with thousands of farmers camping at Singhu and Tikri borders for the past five months.
Sonepat DC Ashok Bansal said the prohibitory orders would be enforced on getting the directives from the government in black and white. “Thereafter, no one will be spared whether they are farmers or any others if they are found violating Section 144,” he added.
While Jhajjar DC Jitendra Dahiya said Section 144 was already in force in the district following the farmers’ agitation and the new directives were for crowded places. He avoided answering the question about whether the prohibitory orders applied to protesting farmers at Tikri border or not.
Meanwhile, Pargat Singh, a BKU (Rajewal) leader while reacting to the CM directives about Section 144, said it might be a new plot of the state government to spoil their agitation which was getting stronger with every passing day.
“We are not afraid of such orders and will not move back without getting the three farm laws repealed. The government is now under pressure and wants to instigate us to indulge in violence, but we will not do so even when the police cane charge us. Our protest will continue in a peaceful manner until the demands are met,” Singh added.
Mentions articles from newspapers to give it authenticity
Aakanksha N Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, April 25
Amarveer Kaur (17) from Dasuya, Hoshiarpur, has made her presence felt everywhere, including overseas with her book ‘Inquilab 2020’.
The book features various events of farmers’ protest so that future generations can read about the struggle of the farming community. This book is based on research conducted on the Indian Peasants Movement (Kisan Ekta Morcha) from September 2020 to December 2020.
In the book, Amarveer has mentioned articles and edits from various newspapers to give it authenticity and more weightage. She has documented day-to-day events and remembers all dates by heart.
The 17-year-old has also mentioned other issues, which are prevalent in Punjab. Amarveer, who initially planned to write the book in Punjabi, said, “In Punjab, we all know what is going on. This is not only for us, but for those who reside abroad as well.”
An excerpt from the book reads: “Farmers are struggling since September 15 against agricultural ordinances (now laws), the fear of which shall snatch their livelihood in the coming decade. The year 2020, proved to be one of the worst years of civilisation. It did no good, but eventually gave momentum to the farmers’ revolution of 2020. Farmers have stood against the injustice for almost 73 years after Independence and before. It is one of the most revolutionary movement in which, not only men, but women participated, along with poor and rich, young and old. In my words, it’s going to be the most dramatic revolution in an independent democratic rule, where, representatives of people try to become rulers and henceforth, plan to become dictators.”
She said she was trying to know and understand the world and things around both analytically and emotionally.
An allrounder
struggle continues: Farmers stage a dharna at the Tikri border. Photo: Sumit Tharan
Tribune News Service
Sonepat, April 25
The farmers’ protest at the Singhu and Tikri borders completed 150 days on Sunday.
“Our protest is an example of unity and commitment towards a just cause. The Centre tried several tactics to defame the protest, but farmers held their ground during the past 150 days.
“They will not step back without getting the three farm laws repealed,” said Pargat Singh, a leader of the BKU (Rajewal).
Other Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders said farmers had already won the battle ethically and morally by protesting peacefully for five months. “The victory will be complete once the Centre repeals the three farm laws and assures legal guarantee on the MSP,” said Dr Darshan Pal, an SKM leader.
Another SKM leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said farmers had already opened one side of the road for emergency services in view of the rising Covid cases and cleaned it today, but barricades put up by the Delhi Police had not yet been removed.
On the KMP expressway, meanwhile, the authorities tried to re-start toll plazas again today.
Gurnam Singh Chaduni, a BKU leader, said: “No toll will be charged till farmers are protesting. If the state government and toll operators try to charge the toll, they will face protest by farmers.”
Parvesh Sharma
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, April 25
The surge in Covid cases has failed to deter farmers from joining in large numbers at protest sites across Sangrur and Barnala. At many places, protesters are terming the Covid surge as an excuse by the government to weaken their agitation. The shortage of medical oxygen has become the latest ammunition against the protest, they claim.
No dip in numbers
Our protest has been going on for the past over 200 days and we have never seen a dip in the number of protesters. — Baljit Kaur, BKU (Ugrahan) Activist
Apart from protesting at the Delhi borders against central agricultural laws, farmers are up in arms against the tardy lifting of wheat in various grain markets of Punjab.
“Farmers continue to throng all protest sites, even though the agitation has been long and indefinite. We have not missed the protest even for a day and the number of participants continues to rise,” said Narayan Dutt, a farmer activist from Barnala.
Initially only elders and youngsters were visible at protest sites, but as they have to agitate against authorities to ensure timely purchase of their wheat, many families are sending their all members.
“Protests against the slow purchase of wheat are also happening simultaneously. The participation of farmers and their family members continues to get better,” said Baljit Kaur, a woman activist of BKU (Ugrahan) protesting at a petrol pump near Lehal Khurd village of Sangrur. Jagdev Singh Mangwal, a farmer protesting in front of a BJP leader’s house at Sangrur, says: “We have blocked almost all roads in Punjab and in coming days, we would block the remaining roads of other states too.”
Two of the jawans, Sepoys Parabjit Singh and Amardeep Singh, belonged to Punjab
wo of the jawans, Sepoys Parabjit Singh and Amardeep Singh, belonged to Punjab. Tribune photo
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 26
In an unfortunate incident, six soldiers from the Punjab Regiment lost their lives in Siachen Glacier as the ice face on which they were present, carved in.
Two of the jawans, Sepoys Parabjit Singh and Amardeep Singh, belonged to Punjab.
“Saddened to lose 6 brave Jawans of Punjab Regiment in Siachen due to ice calving,” Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh tweeted late this evening.
“Government of Punjab will provide Rs 50 lakhs ex-gratia and a job to their next of kin. My condolences to their families,” he added.
The Punjab Regiment draws the bulk of its manpower from Punjab and some adjoining areas of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu region.
Siachen is known as the world’s highest battlefield and is characterised by extreme climate, deep snow, blizzards and temperature ranging up to minus 40 degrees Celsius.
In the past, there have been several incidents when troops, deployed at altitudes up to 21,000 feet, have fallen victim to climate and other natural calamities.
Girl says noble deed of her father left her overwhelmed with joy; district collector hails gesture
Photo for representation. — PTI
Neemuch, April 26
Moved by the plight of COVID-19 patients and the growing scramble for medical oxygen, a farmer from Neemuch district in Madhya Pradesh has donated Rs 2 lakh he had set aside for his daughter’s lavish marriage to the local administration for buying the life-saving gas.
Champalal Gurjar, who hails from Gwal Deviyan village, has handed over a cheque for Rs 2 lakh to district collector Mayank Agrawal for buying two cylinders of medical oxygen one for the district hospital and another for Jeeran Tehsil where he lives.
Gurjar, who survives on farming, said he raised his daughter Anita with great care and wished that her marriage, which took place on Sunday, was a grand ceremony.
However, the pandemic situation made Gurjar change his mind at the last moment.
“….So to make my daughter’s marriage memorable I donated two lakh to the district administration so that they can buy two oxygen cylinders,” he added.
Anita said the noble deed of her father left her overwhelmed with joy.
“Right now, there is a dire need for medical oxygen given the surge in COVID-19 cases,” she said.
Collector Agrawal praised Gurjar’s gesture.
“If others take a cue from the farmer and donate, the fight against the pandemic will become a lot easier,” he said.
As of Sunday, Madhya Pradesh’s caseload stood at 4,99,304 and toll to 5,133, as per the state health department. PTI
