Punjab seeks better coordination with Canada

Chandigarh - Punjab Revenue and NRI Affairs Minister Bikram Singh Majithia on Friday sought better coordination with Canada to redress the grievances and disputes pertaining to Non Resident Indians. Majithia sought this cooperation from Canada when Consul General of Canada, Scot Slessor called on him at his residence.Majithia said that constant and better coordination between Punjab Government and Canadian Government would also create new job avenues for Punjabi youth besides strengthening the ties of both countries in agriculture, business, industrial and skill management and skill training sectors. He also emphasised on the need to initiate joint ventures between young entrepreneurs of both the countries.
He also informed that in view of exchanging agriculture techniques the Punjab and Alberta State of Canada would soon sign an MoU of Agriculture Cooperation. Majithia said that Punjab can play a major role to establish stronger bilateral relations between India and Canada.
He said that Canada was facing a shortage of skilled workers and this problem can be solved by Punjab by providing skilled workers to Canada. He said that Canada should coordinate with Punjab Government to take forward the concept of Twin City for the training of skilled workers.
Slessor invited the delegation of Punjab Government’s officials from departments like Agriculture, Education and Industry to identify the job opportunities for punjabi youth according to requirement of Canadian Government.
He said that the farmers of Punjab can also replicate the modern techniques of farming in Canada here to make farming sector more earning through scientific and environment friendly methods. He also exhorted the Punjabi youths for their hard work and enterprising spirit for further acceleration Canada’s development.

Fake encounter: CBI court acquits Moga SSP, 6 others

Chandigarh - A CBI court in Chandigarh acquitted on Thursday seven police personnel, including Moga SSP Surjeet Singh Grewal, in a 23-year-old alleged fake encounter case.
The court acquitted the police personnel by giving them "benefit of doubt". Kulwant Singh's father Tarlochan Singh (73), retired Principal of Khalsa School in Kurali, was fighting to get justice for his son, who was allegedly killed in a fake encounter in 1989.

Tarlochan's only son, 20-year-old Kulwant alias Kid, was allegedly abducted by Punjab police personnel from a rented house at Mohali along with another person and later eliminated in a fake encounter near Sohana in 1989.
Tarlochan did not even get to see his son's body as the police had cremated him in a hurry. Kulwant is shown by police to be a proclaimed offender (PO) till now.
The CBI had named seven Punjab police personnel in the case, including Grewal, who was then the incharge of crime investigation agency staff at Patiala, Nikka Ram, Gurcharan Singh, Chanan Singh, Dyal Singh, Amarjeet Singh and Birbal Das. One of the accused died during the trial.

Timeline

• July 22, 1989: Kulwinder Singh allegedly killed in fake encounter
• April 24, 1995: Court directs CBI to register a case
• 2002: Court frames charges of abduction against Grewal and Amarjit; five other policemen booked for murder
• 2010: Charges of murder slapped against Grewal and Amarjit too
• 2012: All accused acquitted of charges

Anand Marriage Bill introduced in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi, May 7
The government today brought before Parliament a Bill to amend the 103-year-old statute that hitherto allowed solemnisation of Sikh marriages but not their legal validation.
The Anand Marriage Amendment Bill:2012, introduced in the Rajya Sabha today by Law Minister Salman Khurshid, amends the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, by inserting a new Section enabling registration of marriages performed as per the Sikh rituals (Anand Karaj).
The amendment Bill defines the Sikh marriage ceremony as “Anand Karaj” instead of “Anand” as in the old law. Once passed by both Houses of Parliament, it will give the Sikhs the liberty to register their marriages separately and will exempt them from registering these under the Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths Act, 1969 (which the government plans to amend to provide for religion neutral registration of marriages across India).
The Sikhs would continue to have the option of registering their marriages under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, as before. It was registration under this Act that had been causing confusion about their religious identity abroad with their marriage certificates describing them as Hindus.
Importantly, the amendment Bill doesn’t provide for divorce among Sikh couples. For a divorce, they would have to use the Hindu Marriage Act.
Senior Supreme Court lawyer HS Phoolka, commenting on the matter, said: “Because the amendment Bill serves a limited purpose of giving Sikh religion a separate identity by allowing marriage registration under a pre-existing law, it is not a complete marriage law.
“Any religion to be recognised must have its separate ceremony of births, deaths and marriages. Sikhs didn’t have a separate marriage law so far and they wanted the Anand Marriage Act amended for the purpose. For divorce, Sikhs can use the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.”
The amendment Bill clearly states that “parties whose marriage has been registered under this Act won’t be required to get marriage registered under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, after the enactment of the proposed amendments in this Bill.” “Today we have won the battle for a separate identity as a religion,” said former MP Tarlochan Singh who led the movement for the Bill. “The SGPC is also against any divorce provision under the Anand Marriage Amendment Bill,” he said. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law had approved these amendments in 2007 when Veerappa Moily was Law Minister. “The Bill need not go again to the standing committee and can be simply taken up and passed,” Tarlochan Singh added.

No provision of divorce in the new BillFor seeking divorce, Sikhs would have to use the Hindu Marriage Act. The Union Cabinet had approved amendment to the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, on April 12 this year

‘Satyamev Jayate’: Truly Soul Stirring

Satyamev Jayate, a reality show anchored by Khan that dealt with the issue of female foeticide in its first episode, saw huge support from viewers on social networking websites within hours of its broadcast on Sunday morning.

The show, aired on television channels run by Star India Pvt. Ltd, including Star Plus and Star World and other regional channels in the Star bouquet, was among the top five trends in India on microblogging website Twitter.
Satyamev Jayate was also the top search in India on Google Trends.
“I am really touched and emotionally moved with the response,” Khan said. “I am glad people have liked it.”
Satyamev Jayate’s website received 42,000 likes on Facebook by around 9pm. On Twitter, at least 3,800 tweets were posted on the subject.
The debut episode of Satyamev Jayate was made available for viewing on its website soon after the telecast. “Our website crashed twice,” Khan’s spokesperson said.
Star India plans to upload the episodes on YouTube, a video website run by Google Inc.
Viewers lavishly praised the show, which also marked Khan’s television debut, on Facebook, the leading social networking website.
“Great show…and hope lots of other issues of importance would be covered,” said Rajan Sekhir. Another viewer, Ali Akbar Barodawala, said, “Great show and hosted it beautifully Aamir bhai. God bless and we are all with you supporting the cause.”
Satyamev Jayate aims to address India’s socioeconomic issues in 13 episodes, which will be aired every Sunday at 11am. The first episode dealt with the issue of female foeticide. The one-and-a-half-hour episode also featured a song, O Ri Chiraiya, performed by Swanand Kirkire and Ram Sampath.
The song, too, was well received by viewers. “A song that brings tears to the eyes,” Shweta Patil posted on Facebook.
Viewers outside India also praised the show. One such viewer, Ankit, tweeted, “I loved it and so did my entire family with whom I revived the lost Sunday morning tradition of watching TV. Thank you for that Satyamev Jayate.”
“A show which brings tears in our eyes and force us to think upon such a major issue,” another viewer, Raghib Khan, tweeted. “Hats off to Aamir and Satyamev Jayate team.”
Corporate India, social activists, and film and cricket celebrities also joined the praise bandwagon.
Anti-corruption campaigner Kiran Bedi tweeted, “Aamir’s Satyamev Jayate on Star Plus turned an idiot box into collective inspirational seeding, across professional cultural or age differences.”
Neeraj Roy, managing director and chief executive of Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, tweeted, “Stop being cynical and start acting. Watching Satyamev Jayate. Brilliant effort. Well done Aamir Khan and Satya. We can make a difference.”
Khan and his team have left no stone unturned in making sure viewers participate through phone messages. Satyamev Jayate’s tweet said, “Thanks. SMS Y to 5782711 if the Rajasthan govt should set up a fast track court to tackle female foeticide.”
Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle tweeted, “If Aamir Khan provides the action promised, Satyamev Jayate will truly succeed. For that action, we too have to be involved. SMS for a start.”
Shabana Azmi tweeted, “Aamir Khan’s show can bring a revolution. Thoroughly researched, covers all aspects, touches emotional chord n forces us to re-examine ourselves.”
Bollywood actor Preity Zinta tweeted, “Watching Aamir Khan on Satyamev Jayate discussing female feticide. I love this effort from him and thank him as a woman.” Film-maker and actor Farhan Akhtar tweeted, “Satyamev Jayate. A show with a heart.”
Khan is earning Rs. 3 crore to anchor each episode, a record in Indian television, Mint had reported on 21 April.
The broadcaster Star India is betting big on the show. It hopes to earn Rs. 10 lakh per 10 seconds of commercials aired during the show. According to Kevin Vaz, president, advertising sales, Star India, each episode of the show has just 30 seconds of inventory still available for advertisers.
Bharti Airtel Ltd is the presenting sponsor of the show and has paid around Rs. 18 crore, while water purifier brand Aquaguard, another sponsor, has paid some Rs. 16 crore, according to media buyers and channel executives.
The six associate sponsors—Axis Bank Ltd, Coca-Cola India, Skoda Auto India, Berger Paints India Ltd, Dixcy Textiles Pvt. Ltd, and Johnson and Johnson Ltd—have paid between Rs. 6 crore and Rs. 7 crore each.

SANGUR (India): It's not only the NRIs from Punjab are giving back to the state and helping the people.

An NRI from Nagpur, settled in Bad Homburg in Germany, has donated Rs 55 lakh for construction of a school for dumb and deaf children in Thalesa village of Sangrur district.

Prabhu Paramatma, belonging to Nagpur, had attended a school function  in 2010.

When Prabhu attended a function by these children and learned about the lack of basic amenities, he announced a donation to construct a special school for these children without any government help.

Prabhu, who has been working as a coordinator and consultant for Vision 4 Children NGO of Germany, said that helping poor and needy children is the mission of his life and he has been providing help in many countries to needy children.

"Children are a precious gift of God. Children live through us and with us. Therefore, we must help them if they need us," Prabhu told TOI from Germany.

Prabhu went to Germany around 25 years back after completing his LLB from Nagpur.

When this school started in 2006, there were only 16 special children, but now the number of children has grown to 38.

Children from Sangrur, Badrukhan, Ubhawal and many other villages have been admitted in the school and  authorities have been working hard to bring maximum children to their school so that they could help them improve their lives.