WHY THE BJP LED CENTRAL GOVT. BARRICADING THE COMPENSATION TO THE JODHPUR DETAINEES ?
Why
The BJP Led Central Govt.
Barricading The Compensation
To The Jodhpur Detainees Of Operation Blue
Star ,1984 ?
JAG MOHAN THAKEN FROM CHANDIGARH
Despite a long tearful passage of 34 years , the
Detainees of Operation Blue Star,1984
are still waiting for the full
compensation awarded to them by the
District and Sessions Court of Amritsar in April last year ,which had been
barricaded by the center’s BJP led government .
A total of 365
persons were arrested and detained in Jodhpur jail in the wake of Operation
Blue Star, and were later released in three batches, between March 1989 and
July 1991. Of these, 224 detainees had appealed for compensation in the lower
court, alleging ‘wrongful detention and torture’ but they failed to get any
relief from the court in 2011 . However, 40 of the detainees went in appeal to
the District & Sessions Court, Amritsar, and were awarded Rs. 4 lakh each
as compensation with 6% interest (from the date of filing of the appeal to
payment of compensation) in April last year. The total compensation, including
interest, worked out to Rs. 4.5 crore rupees approximately . The court had held the Union and the State
Governments as jointly liable for payment of the compensation, and although the
Punjab government had given an undertaking to the court to pay half the amount,
the Union Government had moved an appeal in the Punjab and Haryana High Court
against the order .
Punjab Chief Minister
Captain Amarinder Singh had urged
the central government to withdraw its appeal in the Punjab and Haryana High
Court against the award of compensation to those arrested and detained in the
Jodhpur prison following ‘Operation Blue Star’ in June 1984.
Captain
Amarinder Singh had appealed to the central government to pay, without further
delay, half the compensation amount of Rs. 4.5 crores that was awarded by the
District and Sessions Court of Amritsar in April last year. In a D.O letter to
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the Chief Minister in June,2018 said the central government’s appeal against
the compensation, which the court had held to be jointly payable by the Union
and State governments, had evoked a strong reaction amongst the Sikh community and It was further likely to lead to an
avoidable sense of alienation and perceived injustice among the community.
However ,in compliance of orders of the District court ,
the congress government led by Capt. Amarindar Singh now on June, 28 handed over the cheques amounting to Rs. 2,16,44,900 of the state’s 50% share of the approximately
Rs. 4.5 Crore compensation announced by District Court Amritsar for the 40
detainees who had sought judicial
relief. On the occasion the Punjab Chief Minister assured compensation for the remaining 325
Jodhpur detainees also , at par with the 40 who have been awarded by the Court,
while promising to persuade the Central Government to also do the same.
Though the central
government , which has gone for an appeal against the district court
decision , does not seem to be extending the help in
near future , but the Punjab CM is still
hopeful . Expressing confidence that the Centre would agree to his plea
to also contribute its share to the remaining 325 detainees , the Punjab CM said , “ Even those who did
not go to the court were also entitled to compensation and his government will
make the same payment to them too. It is a small compensation for the pain they
had undergone.”
Blaming
the Centre for delaying the compensation by going in appeal before the Punjab
and Haryana High Court, Congress MLA from Patti, Harminder Singh, who was also
detained after 1984, thanked the Chief Minister for coming to the rescue of the
detainees, time and again. He recalled Captain Amarinder’s gesture in visiting the
detainees in Nabha prison (where they
were initially kept before being shifted to Jodhpur), to give them clothes. The
detainees had been kept naked in Nabha prison, said Harminder.
Congress leader Harminder further recalls , “It was Captain Amarinder who gave them Rs
1 lakh each in 2006, during his previous tenure – the only compensation given to
the detainees before today. The
detainees had met former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal several times
during the various Akali rules after Operation Blue Star but got no help.”
One of the
detainees, Jasbir Singh Ghuman lauds the
Chief Minister Captain Amarinder as the
`man of the match’ in the entire episode.
Ghuman says , “ Their acquittal
had come after a 20-year court battle and then it had taken them seven years to
win the compensation. Only Captain Amarinder understood the pain of the
detainees .”
Lambasting on Akalis , Ghuman adds , “ Despite their pleas, the Akalis
failed to persuade the BJP-led central government not to go in appeal against
their compensation.The detainees had met the Badals on several occasions to
seek compensation but the Akali leaders simply refused to pay heed to their
grief and need.”
Ghuman suspects that
he is still doubtful if the
Centre would even now pay its share and it might still be left to Captain
Amarinder to pay the full compensation.
But here arises a question , despite the undertaking of
state government to the court to pay its 50 % share, why the central BJP government has gone for an appeal in the Punjab&
Haryana High Court against the district court’s decision ? Has BJP not thought
of its consequences in the
forthcoming Lok Sabha elections ? Did BJP want to linger on the issue by filing the appeal and release the compensation just before the
elections to win over the support of the detainees by keeping the issue afresh
and live? Will now this trick of BJP get
any favour ,as the congress led state government has won over the game by distributing its share to the detainees and
putting the ball in the court of central
government by publically
persuading and writing a letter
to the Home Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh to pay the center’s share ?
Circumstances speak loudly that ultimately the central government will have to
pay the share and will not even get its credit . What the results may come , in the present
scenario the BJP seems to be in deep waters .JMT.
========
MY STORY IN HINDUSTAN TIMES DIGITAL INTERNATIONAL SERVICE
http://htsyndication.com/htsportal/articles/byline/Jag%20mohan%20thaken
LINK OF MY STORY IN HINDUSTAN TIMES DIGITAL INTERNATIONAL
PUNJAB GOVT'S GHAR GHAR HARIYALI- A RAY OF HOPE TO COUNTER POLLUTION
http://en.specialcoveragenews.in/news/state-news/punjab-news/punjab-govts-ghar-ghar-hariyali-a-ray-of-hope-to-counter-pollution-493194
https://www.socialpost.news/states/punjab/ghar-ghar-hariyali-a-ray-of-hope-to-counter-pollution/
https://www.socialpost.news/states/punjab/ghar-ghar-hariyali-a-ray-of-hope-to-counter-pollution/
Punjab
Govt’s 'Ghar Ghar Hariyali' : A Ray Of
Hope To Counter Pollution
By Jag
Mohan Thaken From Chandigarh
Amid dismal
and dark figures of stubble burning in Punjab , creating health problems not
only limited to Punjab periphery but
even to adjoining national capital , there emerges a ray of hope from a campaign of Punjab government’s 'Ghar Ghar
Hariyali' Programme to counter pollution
effects .
Every year about 7 to 8 million metric tonnes
of paddy residue is burnt in the fields
by the Punjab farmers . Injurious toxic chemicals, which result in respiratory and
other health problems, are released in the atmosphere giving it a poisonous mix
.
As a
punitive step to curb stubble burning ,the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had
directed to impose fine on farmers involved in stubble burning . The NGT had
fixed a fine slab of Rs. 2500 in two acre land and from Rs. 5000 to 15000 in the land measuring above 2 acres on stubble burning .
But now
seeing the not so successful results of punitive measures , the Punjab
Government has initiated a new positive campaign in the form of 'Ghar Ghar
Hariyali' to combat the pollution effects . The purpose of the campaign is to
provide clean and fresh air to the people of Punjab as well as contribute
towards having a green and clean environment . This programme will increase the
green cover in the state. Under the campaign every citizen of the state would
get 3 and every household 10-15 saplings of varied types free of cost and during 2018-19 the people of Punjab would get
20-25 lakh saplings absolutely free with 4-5 lakh households being covered in
current year.
"The
Forest Department, Punjab, has planned a specialized campaign to plant maximum
saplings and increase green cover in the state." Disclosing this here on Thursday , the Forest Minister, Punjab,
Mr. Sadhu Singh Dharamsot said that in pursuance to the 'Tandarust Punjab
Mission' of the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, the Forest Department
has chalked out a special campaign called 'Ghar Ghar Hariyali' which would see
the distribution of free saplings throughout the state to increase forest
cover.
Minister
Dharamsot further added that during the special campaign under 'Mission
Tandarust Punjab' various types of natural saplings having medicinal properties
as well as fruit bearing capacity such as Sheesham, Neem, Arjun, Harad, Behra,
Anwla and Jamun would be supplied to the people. The minister also exhorted the
people to come forward to plant more and more saplings so as to ensure a clean,
green and healthy environment for the present and future generations. He also
solicited the cooperation of all to make this campaign a grand success and said
that to have a healthy and robust lifestyle is the catchphrase of 'Mission
Tandarust Punjab.'
=======
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GLOBAL AGRICULTURE MAGAZINE--MAY 24- JAG MOHAN THAKEN
GLOBAL AGRICULTURE MAGAZINE--MAY 24- JAG MOHAN THAKEN
