Diversity of Indian Culture and Religion appreciated ---

Kurukshetra, December 4 – Poevleena (40) and Bartosh (24) from Lublin town of Holland today appreciated the diversity of Indian culture and Religion displayed at the International Gita Mahotsav being organised at Kurukshetra to mark the Gita Jayanti.

            Poevleena, a trader from the food industry and Bartosh, an industrialist in frozen food in Holland had come to India to participate in an International food seminar organised by Haryana Marketing Board at Panchakula, decided to visit Kurukshetra when they were informed about the importance of Gita.

            Poevleena, who made various purchases at the ‘Sark and Craft Mela’ sad that she liked the “Patiala’ ‘Chappals’ and Rajasthani ‘Shawl’ she was wearing. She said that she knows a little about the Gita and Mahabharta. Explaining she said that Mahabharta was a fight between two brothers for truth and the message of Gita was delivered by ‘lord’ Krishna before the war.

            She said that massage of Gita is very relevant for mankind as it teaches equality and a lifestyle of peaceful co-existence.

She said that they were impressed by the positive energy and colourful culture displayed at the ‘mela’. They were impressed with the smiling and friendly gestures of the people here. Brahmasarovar with a beautiful architect is a site to be seen, she added.

Though International Gita Mahotsav was inaugurated on Tuesday ‘Sark and Craft Mela’ is being held around the Brahmasarovar since November 23. According to Madan Mohan Chhabra, honorary Secretary of Kurukshetra Development Board which is organising the affair in coordination with Haryana Government, over 3 lakh people are visiting the mela daily. Over 700 artisans drawn from various parts of the country had displayed their craft-fits for sale. A large number of cultural groups from various states are showing their talent at the mela.

Photo- Poevleena (left) and Bartos (Right) talking to the media at the media centre at Brahmsarovar.

2) Illuminated Brahmasarvar

A unique campaign against the use of plastic bags

A unique campaign against the use of plastic bags
Kurukshetra, November 12 --- To spread awareness against the danger of pollution on human bodies, a large sculpture of plastic bags in shape of a turtle is being made by several volunteers at the eastern ‘ghat’ of holy Bharmsarovar here today.
Keeping an Eye on Guinness World Record. Dr. Ritu Sharma Environmentalist has submitted an application for the largest Sculpture of plastic bags in the shape of a turtle. After approval, with the help of volunteers of various section of society this project succeeded in the collection of 87,000 used plastic bags from the town. Volunteers also collected plastic bags from the marketplaces, temples and Gaushalas. From 200kg of plastic waste, Volunteers segregated the handle plastic waste 87,000 counts.
Dr. Ritu Sharma, who has done her Master in Environment and effect of Pesticides on human bodies, from Nalanda International University, Patna, said that the sole motto behind this project is to contribute in Prime Minister’s march towards “Swachh Bharat”, Beat the plastic pollution. And as well as to create awareness amongst the people to shun away the single-use plastic bags.
The reason behind this Turtle shape, it is a reptile that lives on land as well as in water. This sculpture depicts a crying turtle, who is begging for his survival. Because human has left no place for him to live due to heavy accumulation of plastic. Plastic has made his life so miserable. Despite his long age of 300 yrs. He is also struggling for his survival. He is trying to give a message, the only refusal of single-use plastic can bring a healthy life back for humans as well as for other lives. Because plastic is a prominent cause of cancer, daily thousands of lives are dying due to it.
This entire event is being held under the supervision of Independent witnesses.
Vinod Singhala, District Informatics officer of Information and science centre Kurukshetra, who is supervising the project said that turtle iron frame which is 24 feet long and 7 feet in height would beat the earlier world record of making plastic waste sculpture in shape of octopus with 68 thousand counted plastic bags in Singapore. He said that it would help in spreading the massage to the masses as over 30 lakh people are likely to visit the Bharhmsarovar during the 18 days long Gita Jayanti celebrations starting from November 23 onward, and during Solar eclipse fair here on December 23, next.
Photo- Dr. Ritu Sharma and others working at the site

Spurious Milk a danger for life

Spurious Milk a danger for life

Kurukshetra, Oct 25 --- As the festive season approaches every year, we begin to hear more and more stories about spurious milk and dairy products being sold in the Indian markets. “Around 68.7 per cent of milk and milk products sold in the country is not as per the standards laid down by FSSAI,” conceded recently M.S. Ahluwalia, member, Animal Welfare Board of India and that “the most common adulterants are caustic soda, glucose, detergent, white paint and refined oil,” he added.

These scary details remind me of Darshan Singh, the first person from my village Bagthala in district Kurukshetra to migrate to Germany in search of work back in 1964. After some initial struggles, he managed to land a good job at the clinic of a doctor who ran a dairy business alongside. One day, the doctor had to go out of town, and so he entrusted upon Darshan Singh the task of supplying milk to his enlisted customers.

When the doctor returned and inquired from Darshan Singh whether the milk had been supplied to all the customers, he proudly replied in affirmative. However, when the doctor checked the records, he discovered that the milk yield on that particular day was lower than usual. Darshan Singh’s claim to have delivered milk to all despite less production, therefore, confounded the doctor.

But when questioned about the contrariety, Singh said that he had added water to the milk to make up the shortfall. Outraged by Singh’s shameless conduct, the doctor asked him to pack his bags at once and leave the country or he would file a police complaint against him.

Having lived for ten years in Germany, Darshan Singh immediately returned to India as a dejected man. His relatives and friends despite knowing why he was ousted from the country accorded him a hero's welcome with great pomp and show. When somebody later asked him the reason for his eviction, Darshan Singh quipped, “I don’t know what angered the doctor so much, this was exactly what we used to do in our village in such a situation without any hue and cry.” Apparently, Darshan Singh did not see an issue in what he had done.

Nothing seems to have changed much since then, except that water has been replaced with hazardous adulterants like detergent, paint, formalin, and even urea. Many factories involved in the manufacturing of spurious milk have been unearthed recently in Punjab and Haryana by the respective state police and several litres of synthetic milk has been seized which would have otherwise been used in the preparation of delicacies and sweets prior to festivals.

Those who indulge in this trade keep doing it without fear despite clear-cut directions from the Supreme Court that state, “It is also desirable that the Union of India revisits the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 to revise punishment for adulteration making it more deterrent in cases where the adulterant can have an adverse impact on health." Although the authorities stay alert to curb the production of synthetic milk and do take strict measures from time to time to prevent such milk from reaching the public, they are not able to stop this unfair trade practice completely.

Milk adulteration is a grave issue because synthetic milk has many harmful effects on human health. Unfortunately, unlike Darshan Singh’s case, this rampant malpractice is not based on shortage or need; rather it is the result of some people’s greed who have no qualms about jeopardising human lives. The government must take more stringent steps to check this menace. It is high time that just like the German doctor we too take such offences very seriously and don’t let the culprits get away with them easily.

Chaupal 4 with vetran Journalist Shi Vijay Sabharwal and Shri. Harish Ka...

Blind murder of smack seller solved by Kurukshetra police

Kurukshetra, September 14 --- Kurukshetra police today claimed to have solved the blind murder of a youth whose half-burnt body was found in a ditch near the railway track at Shahbad Markanda 20 kms from here on July 31.

Superintendent of Police, Astha Modi, told media persons here today that the case was a challenge for the police and the enquiry was marked to CIA-1, under Inspector Gurvinder Singh. She said that the half-burnt body was also eaten up by some animals, which was clear that the accused had tried to destroy the identity of the victim.

With the help of the public police could identify the victim as Sandip Kumar s/o Om Prakash r/o Jainpur Shahbad. During further investigation, the police found that Krishan Gopal alias Kittu, and Shivam r/o HEFFED colony Shahbad, and Ajay Kumar r/o village Tayora, had some money dispute with the victim.

Following suspicion, all the three accused were arrested by the police yesterday. During interrogation, Krishan Kumar told that he was running a shop to sell, and repair mobiles and his relative Ajay was employed to learn repair of mobiles. He as well as Ajay had become habitual of taking smack for the last few months. Smack was costly so to earn easy money they also started selling smack in small quantities. One of his Sandip (victim) used to consume and sell smack. Sandip’s neighbour Shivam also started consuming smack. All of them used to purchase smack from Sandip.

Krishan Kumar confessed that he owed Rs. 20 thousand to Sandip while Ajay and Shivam also owned heavy amount to Sandip. Sandip demanded his money and threatened that he would get them arrested by police for selling smack if they failed to pay his money. On July 27, all the three accused conspired to kill Sandip and invited him through mobile phone to come and get his money. As per plan when Sandip came in the evening Shivam took him on a motorcycle to river ‘bundh’ in village Damli, while Ajay and Krishan also reached there. All three strangulated Sandip with a scarf. When he became unconscious, they threw him into a ditch. Shivam hit his head with a stone. Krishan caught the action of Shivam in his mobile so that he could save himself in case the murdered is leaked out. They took out Rs. 1800/- and mobile from the pocket of the victim before putting patrol on the body to lit it up. Later they threw Sandip’s mobile in a drain and left for Haridwar after committing the crime.  

Accused were produced before the court today which sent them into police custody for three days.

It may be mentioned here that Shahbad is famous throughout north-india for easy availability and smuggling of smack and other banned drugs. During the past, the police had arrested many and sent them to jail but the business is still flourishing.  

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