Friday, August 30, 2013

Human Right Violation by Thaksin Shinawatra

Uploaded on Sep 15, 2007                                                                                                                         
A written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), a non-governmental organisation with general consultative status       Fri, Aug 30, 2013 at 7:47 AM

THAILAND: The Normalization of the Violation of Human Rights in the Name of Protecting the Monarchy   --Click to see the video 
This short documentary show the Human Right Violation that happens in Thailand concerning the southern border provinces and the drug war during the former Thailand PM, Dr Thaksin Shinawatra.                                   Click to read the latest news

Courtesy Photo
1. The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) wishes to raise concerns about the normalization of the violation of human rights in the name of protecting the monarchy in Thailand with the Human Rights Council. This statement is the seventh on this topic that the ALRC has submitted to the Council since May 2011. During the seventeenth session of the Council in May 2011, the ALRC highlighted the rise in the legal and unofficial use of Article 112 of the Criminal Code and the 2007 Computer Crimes Act (CCA) to constrict freedom of expression and intimidate citizens critical of the monarchy (A/HRC/17/NGO/27). During the nineteenth session in February 2012, the ALRC detailed some of the threats faced both by those who have expressed critical views of the monarchy, both legal and extralegal, as well as those who have expressed concern about these threats (A/HRC/19/NGO/55). During the twentieth session in June 2012, the ALRC raised concerns about the weak evidentiary basis of convictions made under Article 112 and the CCA (A/HRC/20/NGO/37) and the concerning conditions surrounding the death in prison custody of Amphon Tangnoppakul on 8 May 2012, then serving a 20-year sentence for four alleged violations of Article 112 and the CCA (A/HRC/20/NGO/38). During the twenty-second session in March 2013, the ALRC highlighted the January 2013 conviction under Article 112 of human rights defender and labour rights activist Somyot Prueksakasemsuk (A/HRC/22/NGO/44). During the twenty-third session in June 2013, the ALRC emphasized the regularization of the crisis of freedom of expression in Thailand, and noted that constriction of speech had become constitutive of political and social life in Thailand (A/HRC/23/NGO/42).
2. Over the course of the prior six statements, the ALRC first noted with surprise the active use of measures to constrict speech, then tracked the expansion of this use, and finally, the entrenchment of the foreclosure of freedom of speech. The ALRC is again raising the issue of freedom of expression with the Council in order to ensure that the regularization of this threat to human rights does not lead to it being normalized or forgotten. In the statement submitted to the Council in June 2013, the ALRC cautioned that current conditions threatened to normalize the routine denial of bail to individuals awaiting trial and appeal, the provision of substandard medical care in prisons, and the use of secrecy to restrict the openness of trials and public information about ongoing cases. In this statement, the ALRC wishes to alert the Human Rights Council to ongoing developments that lend weight to these concerns and underscore the urgency of addressing the crisis of freedom of expression in Thailand.
3. Article 112 criminalizes criticism of the monarchy and mandates that, "Whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent, shall be punished with imprisonment of three to fifteen years." The 2007 CCA, which was promulgated as part of Thailand's compliance as a signatory to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, has been used to target web editors and websites identified as critical of the monarchy or dissident in other ways. The CCA provides for penalties of up to five years per count in cases which are judged to have involved the dissemination or hosting of information deemed threatening to national security, of which the institution of the monarchy is identified as a key part. While Article 112 has been part of the Criminal Code since the last major revision in 1957, available statistics suggest that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of complaints filed since the 19 September 2006 coup; how often these complaints become formal charges and lead to prosecutions is information that the Government of Thailand has continuously failed to provide up to the present. The CCA has often been used in combination with Article 112 in the four years since its promulgation; similar to the use of Article 112, complete usage information has not been made available by the Government of Thailand. This failure to provide information creates fear and diminishes the space for freedom of expression through the use of secrecy and creation of uncertainty.
4. At present, there are 4 persons known to be serving prison terms for alleged violations of Article 112 and/or the CCA and 1 person behind bars while undergoing trial.
a. Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul was convicted of violations of Article 112 related to 55 minutes of speech and sentenced to 18 years in prison on 28 August 2009. Following examination of her case by the Constitutional Court, her sentenced was reduced to 15 years in December 2011. The Appeal Court upheld her conviction and sentence in May 2013.
b. Surachai Sae Dan (Danwattananusorn) was convicted of a series of violations of Article 112 related to political speeches he made and sentenced to a total of 12.5 years in prison in a series of cases in 2012. He has submitted a request for a royal pardon and is awaiting the outcome.
c. Somyot Prueksakasemsuk was convicted of violations of Article 112 related to his work in editing and publishing Voice of Taksin magazine, which was deemed to include two anti-monarchy articles (written by someone else) and sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison on 23 January 2013 (10 years on Article 112-related charges and 1 year related to a prior case). He has submitted an appeal to the Appeal Court and is currently awaiting a decision.
d. Ekachai Hongkangwan was convicted of violations of Article 112 related to selling VCDs of an ABC Australia documentary and copies of WikiLeaks material and sentenced to 3 years and 4 months in prison on 28 March 2013. He has submitted an appeal to the Appeal Court and is currently awaiting a decision.
e. Yutthapoom (last name withheld) has been held in the Bangkok Remand Prison since 19 September 2012 on charges of violating Article 112 following a complaint submitted by his older brother related to a conversation they had while watching television at home. The witness hearings in his case began on 20 August 2013, after he endured 333 days of pre-trial detention.
6. Common to these 5 cases is that the individuals involved have repeatedly been denied bail, always on the grounds that their crimes are too grave a threat to national security to permit even temporary release, despite full cooperation of all parties in investigation and prosecution. Although some individuals were granted bail while awaiting trial, upon conviction they were all denied bail, despite ongoing processes of appeal. This is in contravention to Article 9(3) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Thailand is a state party, which specifies: "Anyone arrested or detained on a criminal charge shall be brought promptly before a judge or other officer authorized by law to exercise judicial power and shall be entitled to trial within a reasonable time or to release. It shall not be the general rule that persons awaiting trial shall be detained in custody, but release may be subject to guarantees to appear for trial, at any other stage of the judicial proceedings, and, should occasion arise, for execution of the judgment."
7. To raise one notable example of the denial of bail, Somyot Prueksakasemsuk (5c above), submitted his 15th request for bail on 24 July 2013. Along with the application, approximately 152,000 USD of property deeds were submitted as security with the request. On 26 July 2013, the Appeal Court denied the request. The justification offered was that as Somyot had been sentenced to a prison term greater than 10 years, if he was released, there was a danger that he might flee. The Appeal Court further noted that, "The actions of the defendant impacted public order and the feelings of the people," and so his release on bail was not warranted.
8. Bail is routinely granted during trials and after conviction while awaiting appeal in cases of committing violent crimes in Thailand, but routinely denied for cases involving freedom of speech. To offer one example, on 30 July 2012, in Black Case No. 3252/2552, 3466/2552, the Criminal Court found five police officers guilty of brutally murdering Kiettisak Thitboonkrong, age 17, in 2004 as part of the so-called "War on Drugs," in which close to 3000 people were extrajudicially killed across Thailand. Three of the police offers were found guilty of premeditated murder and hiding a corpse and sentenced to death. One police officer was found guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. One police officer was found guilty of abusing his authority to aid in protecting his subordinates from criminal prosecution and sentenced to seven years' imprisonment. All five police officers were granted bail while they appeal their conviction. In all but one of these instances, the police were sentenced to longer prison terms than Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, yet they were granted bail. Given the explanation by the Appeal Court when they denied Somyot's request that the length of his sentence meant that he might flee and that his crime impacted public order, granting the police officers bail seems strange. In the absence of an explanation from the Court, this collection of actions suggests that constricting dissident speech and protecting the monarchy are more important to the Thai state than ensuring accountability for extrajudicial violence committed against citizens by state actors.
9. The ALRC is gravely concerned about the effects of the ongoing entrenchment of the constriction of freedom of expression on human rights, justice, and the rule of law in Thailand. The frequency of the exercise of the draconian Article 112 and CCA risks the naturalization and normalization of violations of rights and the constriction of speech and political freedom. The ALRC would like to remind the Government of Thailand that under Article 19 of the ICCPR, restrictions on the right to freedom of expression are only permissible under two circumstances: "for respect of the rights or reputations of others" and "for the protection of national security or of public order (ordre public), or of public health or morals." While measure 112 is classified as a crime against national security within the Criminal Code of Thailand, and this, along with the need to protect the monarchy, is frequently cited by the Government of Thailand when faced with the criticism that the measure is in tension with the ICCPR, a precise explanation of the logic for categorizing the measure as such has not been provided to date. Until this explanation is provided, the constriction of freedom of expression is arbitrary.
10. In view of the above, the Asian Legal Resource Center calls on the UN Human Rights Council to:
  1. Call on the Government of Thailand to release all those convicted or facing charges under Article 112 and the 2007 Computer Crimes Act. At a minimum, those currently being held should immediately be granted bail while their cases are in the Criminal or Appeal Courts.
  2. Demand that the Government of Thailand revoke Article 112 of the Criminal Code and the 2007 Computer Crimes Act.
  3. Urge the Government of Thailand to allow and support the full exercise of freedom of expression and political freedom, consistent with the terms of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which it is a signatory, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which it is a state party.
  4. Request the Special Rapporteur on the freedom of opinion and expression to continue ongoing monitoring and research about the brought situation of constriction of rights and individual cases in Thailand; and, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to continue to monitor and report on those cases of persons arbitrarily detained under Article 112. 
# # #
About the ALRC: The Asian Legal Resource Centre is an independent regional non-governmental organisation holding general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. It is the sister organisation of the Asian Human Rights Commission. The Hong Kong-based group seeks to strengthen and encourage positive action on legal and human rights issues at the local and national levels throughout Asia.

Cemetery Walk

Fri, Aug 30, 2013 at 7:01 PM                                 08/30/2013 09:23 AM CDT
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel visits the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila, Philippines, Aug. 30, 2013. The 152-acre cemetery is the resting place of 17,201 U.S. service members killed in World War II, most of whom died during operations in New Guinea and the Philippines.

PM’s statement in the Lok Sabha

30-August-2013 13:35 IST
PM on the current economic situation 
Following is the text of the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh’s statement in the Lok Sabha, on the current economic situation in the country: 
“The movement of the exchange rate of the Indian Rupee recently has been a matter of concern. The Rupee has depreciated sharply against the dollar since the last week of May. There are concerns, and justifiably so, of the impact this would have on our economy. 

What triggered the sharp and sudden depreciation was the markets’ reaction to certain unexpected external developments. On May 22, 2013, the US Federal Reserve Bank indicated that it would soon ‘taper’ its quantitative easing as the US economy was recovering. This led to a reversal of capital flows to emerging economies which are now sharply pulling down not just the Rupee, but also the Brazilian Real, the Turkish Lira, the Indonesian Rupiah, the South African Rand and many other currencies. 

While global factors such as tensions over Syria and the prospect of U.S. Federal Reserve tapering its policy of quantitative easing have caused general weaknesses in emerging market currencies, the rupee has been especially hit because of our large current account deficit and some other domestic factors. We intend to act to reduce the current account deficit and bring about an improvement in the functioning of our economy. 

In 2010-11 and the years prior to it, our current account deficit was more modest and financing it was not difficult, even in the crisis year of 2008-09. Since then, there has been a deterioration, mainly on account of huge imports of gold, higher costs of crude oil imports and recently, of coal. On the export side, weak demand in our major markets has kept our exports from growing. Exports have been further hit by a collapse in iron ore exports. Taken together, these factors have made our current account deficit unsustainably large. 

Clearly we need to reduce our appetite for gold, economise in the use of petroleum products and take steps to increase our exports. 

We have taken measures to reduce the current account deficit. The Finance Minister has indicated that it will be below $ 70 billion this year, and we will take all possible steps to ensure that outcome. These are already showing results with a declining trade deficit in both June and July. The Government is confident that we will be able to lower our current account deficit to $70 billion. Our medium term objective is to reduce the current account deficit to 2.5% of our GDP. Our short term objective is to finance the current account deficit in an orderly fashion. We will make every effort to maintain a macro economic framework friendly to foreign capital inflows to enable orderly financing of the current account deficit. 

Coming back to the effects of the Rupee depreciation, we must realise that part of this depreciation was merely a needed adjustment. Inflation in India has been much higher than in the advanced countries. Therefore, it is natural that there has to be a correction in the exchange rate to account for this difference. To some extent, depreciation can be good for the economy as this will help to increase our export competitiveness and discourage imports. 

There are many sectors which are regaining competitiveness in export markets as a result of the fall in the exchange rate. Over the next few months, I expect the effects of this to be felt more strongly, both in exports and in the financial position of exporting sectors. This in itself would correct the current account deficit to some extent. 

However, foreign exchange markets have a notorious history of overshooting. Unfortunately this is what is happening not only in relation to the Rupee but also other currencies. 

The RBI and Government have taken a number of steps to stabilize the rupee. Some measures have given rise to doubts in some quarters that capital controls are on the horizon. I would like to assure the House and the world at large, that the Government is not contemplating any such measures. The last two decades have seen India grow as an open economy and we have benefitted from it. There is no question of reversing these policies just because there is some turbulence in capital and currency markets. The sudden decline in the exchange rate is certainly a shock, but we will address this through other measures, not through capital controls or by reversing the process of reforms. The Finance Minister has clarified this matter at length, and I take this opportunity to reaffirm our position. 

Ultimately, the value of the rupee is determined by the fundamentals of our economy. While we have taken a number of actions to strengthen those fundamentals, we intend to do more. 

Growth has slowed down in recent quarters. I expect growth in the first quarter of 2013-14 to be relatively flat, but as the effects of the good monsoon kick in, I expect it to pick up. There are many reasons for this optimism. The decisions of the Cabinet Committee on Investment in reviving stalled projects will start bearing fruit in the second half of the year. The full effects of the growth friendly measures that have been taken over the last six months, such as liberalizing norms for Foreign Direct Investment, resolution of some tax issues of concern to industry and fuel subsidy reform will come into play over the year resulting in higher growth particularly in manufacturing. Exports are also starting to look up as the growth performance of the rest of the world is showing signs of improvement. So I believe growth will pick up in the second half of the fiscal year barring extreme unforeseen eventualities. 

There are questions about the size of the fiscal deficit. The government will do whatever is necessary to contain the fiscal deficit to 4.8% of GDP this year. The most growth-friendly way to contain the deficit is to spend carefully, especially on subsidies that do not reach the poor, and we will take effective steps to that end. 

Inflation measured by the Wholesale Price Index has been coming down, even though inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index is still too high. The depreciation of the rupee and rise in dollar prices of petroleum products will no doubt lead to some further upward pressure on prices. The Reserve Bank will therefore continue to focus on bringing down inflation. The favourable monsoon and the anticipated good harvest will help bring down food prices and ease the task of controlling inflation. 

All in all, the macro-stabilization process which should support the value of the rupee is under way. I expect that as the fruits of our efforts materialize, currency markets will recover. 

Even while we go about doing what is necessary, it is important to recognize that the fundamentals of the Indian economy continue to be strong. India’s overall public-debt to GDP ratio has been on a declining trend from 73.2% of GDP in 2006-07 to 66% in 2012-13. Similarly, India’s external debt is only 21.2% of our GDP and while short-term debt has risen, it stands at no more than 5.2% of our GDP. Our foreign exchange reserves stand at US$278bn, and are more than sufficient to meet India’s external financing requirements. 

Many foreign analysts worry about banking problems that may arise in the wake of the currency crisis. The Indian banking sector has seen some rise in bad loans. The question that needs to be asked is whether there is a liquidity problem or a solvency problem for the borrowers. My belief is that there is a liquidity problem. Many of the projects are not unviable but only delayed, in contrast to the overbuilding that has characterized the banking sector problems in many other countries. As these projects come on stream, they will generate revenue and repay loans. Our banks are fortunately well capitalized much above the Basel norms and they have the capacity to provide for any non-performing assets until those assets are turned around. 

The easy reforms of the past have been done. We have the more difficult reforms to do such as reduction of subsidies, insurance and pension sector reforms, eliminating bureaucratic red tape and implementing Goods and Services Tax. These are not low hanging fruit and they need active political consensus. 

It is here that I urge Honourable Members across the political spectrum to reflect on the need of the hour. Many laws that are necessary are held up for lack of political consensus. Reforms such as the Goods and Services Tax, which everyone agrees is essential to restore growth and boost revenues, require States to come to an agreement. We need to forge consensus on such vital issues. I urge political parties to work towards this end and to join in the government’s efforts to put the economy back on the path of stable, sustainable growth. 

There may be short term shocks to our economy and we need to face them. That is the reality of operating in a globalised economy, whose benefits we have reaped over the last 15 to 20 years. We will need to ensure that the fundamentals of the economy remain strong so that India continues to grow at a healthy rate for many years to come. That we will ensure. We are no doubt faced with important challenges, but we have the capacity to address them. It is at times like these that the nation shows what it is truly capable of.”

******

SC/NK

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Adulteration of Milk

28-August-2013 15:42 IST
68.4% samples were found to be non-conforming 
Courtesy Photo
New Delhi: 28 agst 2013: (PIB//Punjab Screen)In the National Survey conducted by the Food Safety and Standards of Authority of India (FSSAI) to ascertain the quality of milk throughout the country, 68.4% samples were found to be non-conforming to Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011. State-wise details of non-conforming samples in the descending order of percentage with respect to the total samples collected in different States / UTs are annexed.

No such data is maintained centrally by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the nodal agency for the purpose to regulate manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import of articles of food, and to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

The implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 rests with State/UT Governments. Random samples of food items including milk are drawn by the State Food Safety Officers and sent to the designated food testing laboratories for analysis.  Penal action is taken against the offenders, in case samples are found to be not conforming to the provisions of the FSS Act and Regulations made thereunder.  There is an outlay of              Rs. 1500 crore in the 12th Five Year Plan to strengthen the food regulatory system at  the State level.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha yesterday. (PIB)                   BN/BK/HB


Annexure
 State-wise details of non-conforming samples in the descending order of percentage with respect to the total samples collected in different States / UTs

State(s)
% of non-conforming samples
Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Daman and DiuJharkhandOrissa, West Bengal and  Mizoram
100%
Manipur and Meghalaya
96%
Tripura
92%
Gujarat and Sikkim
89%
Uttrakhand and Uttar Pradesh
88%
Nagaland
86%
Jammu & Kashmir
83%
Punjab
81%
Rajasthan
76%
Delhi Haryana
70%
Arunachal Pradesh
68%
Maharashtra
65%
Himachal Pradesh
59%
Dadra and Nagar Haveli
58%
Assam
55%
Chandigarh and Madhya Pradesh
48%
Kerala
28%
Karnataka
22%
Tamil Nadu
12%
Andhra Pradesh
6.7%
Goa and  Puducherry
Nil

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

National Eye donation awareness fortnight celebrations

Rising star Satnam Singh Satta inaugurated the event
Sh. Satnam Singh Satta receiving the revolving trophy of the project health for all from Dr.Ramesh and subhash Malik
Ludhiana: 28 August 2013: (*Subhash Malik): Punarjot Eye Bank Society organised a very simple but impressive function to start National Eye Donation Awareness fortnight celebrations at Dr. Ramesh`s free eye hospital, Village Sehzad, Pakhowal Road, Ludhiana by holding free eye and dental checkup and eye operation camp and seminar on eye donation.
Eye camp was inaugurated by 18 years young basketball player Satnam Singh 7 feet 2 inches rising star of our country who is presently having professional basketball training in IMG Reliance Basketball Sports Academy, Florida, USA and under scheme of special sports talent search programme to tap budding sports personalities to fame the name of our country.
The whole project of searching of sports talent of basket ball players among rural Punjab is being carried by s Teja Singh Dhaliwal secretary Punjab basket ball association who in instrumental in promotion of this project.s Harjinder Singh senior coach of basketball SAI also working hard to give coaching to players.

Satnam Singh along with his companion Harpreet Singh Palli lauded the eye donation cause for mankind and appealed the society to come forward for this noble cause. He also appealed youth to shun the drugs and alcohol in life and have good diet do good exercise and have good health.
On the occasion Dr. Ramesh also gave details of eye donation facts to audience and more than 27 persons pledged to donate their eye after death. Dr Ramesh himself also disclosed that he is also sports talent search lovers for new budding sports star individuals especially in rural area, he also worked in past with help of sports authority of India and sports academies of rural area of Punjab as motivator. This kind of promotion activities will promotes sports promotion as well as noble cause on eye donation among society to make healthy India.

At this occasion Mr. Subhash Malik, Secretary of Punarjot Eye Bank Society inform that our society has arrange 648 free eye checkup camps in which free eye examination of 205326 patients were conducted by Dr. Ramesh and his team alongwith 15728 free cataract and 2646 free corneal transplantation up to May 2013. Mr. Malik appealed to public, NGOs, religious and social organizations to come forward in this noble cause of eye donation for the eradication of corneal blindness of our country.

At this occasion, Jatinder Singh Pamal, Atul prsher, Dharminder Kumar, sukhchain singh, Amandeep singh, sumeet singh, amrit singh, bhajan singh, Manjeet kaur etc. were present.

*Subhash Malik is Hon. Secretary of Punarjot Eye Bank Society his mobile numbers are:
9357506505, 8146607101

AUGUST 29: JOIN US IN DELHI

Aim:TO END CHILD SLAVERY IN INDIA

What: Petition Delivery to the Indian Parliament
When: Thursday, August 29 - Assembly time is 10:30 am to 11 am
Where: Indian Parliament - Assembly point is opposite Janta Dal (United) Party Office, Jantar Mantar Road, New Delhi

RSVP on the right so we know how many people we can expect. (We have free Walk Free shirts for the first 50 RSVPs!)
We are calling the Indian Parliament to pass the "Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill," which: 1) prohibits employment of children under 14 years of age, 2) outlines harsh sentences for violators, and 3) provides for monitoring of suspected cases of child slavery.

Right now, millions of children in India—some as young as 5 years-old—are kept from school and forced to work 7 days a week for up to 18 hours a day in hazardous situations. Because these children are often left illiterate and plagued with health problems, they are—in a cruel twist of fate—less likely to find employment once they reach adulthood.
Courtesy Photo
This continued enslavement of children traps generations of Indians in a vicious cycle of slavery, illiteracy and poverty.This legislation that would put an end to the enslavement of children in India, but the Parliament has delayed putting it to a vote. It risks not passing without a demonstration of mass public support.
Join us in delivering 1,010,917 signatures calling on the Indian Parliament to immediately pass the Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill and end child slavery in India.

Celebrating Togetherness, Celebrating Traditions

Janamashtmi at Mothers Pride proved a Great Event
Ludhiana, 27th August’13. (Vishal//Punjab Screen):Festivals are always a special occasion at Mothers Pride, as it believes that children need to be aware of our rich culture & traditions thereby respecting them.

Celebrating this feel of festivities, Janamashtami was celebrated at Mother’s Pride today with full vigor & zeal. Entire school was beautifully decorated with flower garlands to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna. Matki’s with makhan, Bal Gopal on swing were displayed to demonstrate about occasion to the children.  Brightening the spirit of the day, children also came dressed up as Krishna & Radha.
The celebration included the, Aarti, Flower showering, Tilak Ceremony, a small performance based on the life of Lord Krishna & dance on the bhajans of radha-Krishna. The school was captivated with the melodious bhajans and songs getting the children tap their feet to the music.
To the pleasure and enjoyment of children & staff, delicious Prasad was also distributed. Kids also enjoyed swinging the bal gopal & wished him a very happy birthday in their cute little voice.
Director of Mother’s Pride, Ludhiana Mr. Shobhan Soi also congratulated the students & staff on this occasion & gave them warm wishes on this special occasion of Janamashtami.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Lecture on Gynaecological disorders At K.C.W

Dr. Seema Goel explained the facts
Courtesy Photo
Ludhiana: 27 August 2013: (Vishal/Punjab Screen): The Youth Red Cross (YRC) unit headed by Mrs. Himkanta & Mrs. Nirupma Sood from Khalsa College for Women, Civil Lines, Ludhiana in collaboration with sunpharma organised an awareness programme on 27th Aug, 2013 to make young girls aware of general gynaecological disorders. The resource person on the occasion was Dr. Seema Goel from Raghunath Hospital, Ludhiana.
Dr. Goel appraised the students with the basic facts of general disorders mainly problems associated with pre-menstrual syndrome, type and features of dymenorrhoea and polycystic ovary syndrome. She also explained about the diagnosis, treatment and medication for all these types of disorders. She further added that polycystic ovary syndrome is caused due to increased level of male hormones in females. According to her all these types of disorders are treatable by medication, changes in diet and exercise. She stressed on the point that this syndrome is one of the leading causes of infertility and also affects the health in many other ways than just reproduction.
Lecture was followed by an interactive session. Students came up with questions and broke their initial shyness. Their queries were answered by the expert very clearly and thoroughly.
Madam Principal Dr. (Mrs.) Varinder Kaur Thind thanked the doctor for sparing the time from her busy schedule.  

Get rid of all evil thoughts

Tue, Aug 27, 2013 at 5:12 AM
Gurbani Healing Camp by Sarab Rog Ka Aukhad Naam
Gurbani Healing Camp by Sarab Rog Ka Aukhad Naam by Dr Balwant Singh ji & his team from 3rd Sept - 22nd Sept. 2013.
By reciting, understanding and practicing Gurbani enshrined in the Guru Granth Sahib at pages 1 to 1429, let us perform the righteous and truthful deeds in life, and get rid of kaam, karodh, lobh, moh, anhkaar including other evil thoughts.
With best wishes and Charhdi Kalaa,
Gurmit Singh (Australia)

Gurbani Healing Camps by Sarab Rog Ka Aukhad Naam are going to held all over  the UK in different Gurdawaras Sahib (please see attached program poster).  It is a humble request to the sangat to be there at your nearest Gurdawaras. The camps are free of charge. 

The poster can be print out and taken to your Gurdawaras and to the Gurdawara's Committee so that Sangat can be made aware of these camps.  For further information Giani Amarjit Singh Gulshan ji can be contacted on Mobile 07979977008.

With Chardikala
Mrs Balbir Kaur Jabbal

With the Grace of God, The poster of Gurbani Healing Camp by Sarab Rog Ka Aukhad Naam Mission is ready. The poster was approved by Dr. Balwant Singh ji recently today.  This will be great if you can print this poster on A4 paper size because tomorrow is Sunday and you can display on notice board of Gurdwaras. This will be good for information of Sadh Sangat.

Please find enclosed attachment:  

Kind Regards,  

Gulam Guru Ka,
A S Gulshan  
Mobile 07979977008

Monday, August 26, 2013

Rise in gas prices only to benefit Reliance

Motive to collect funds for election-alleges CPI
A fraud with the nation 
Reply from the Petroleum Ministry
Letter of Com Gurudas Das Gupta
Communist Party of India (CPI)  has charged that union cabinet’s decision of  fixing the cost of  natural gas produced from RIL KG Basin at USD 8.4 MMBTU is a fraud with the nation and a move to give billions to the Ambanis while the actual cost of production  is USD 2.74 MMBTU as told by the Ministry of petroleum and Natural Gas in the Parliament vide its reply dated 2nd August 2013 to a question by com Gurudas Das Gupta MP. This is only to give huge sum of money to the Ambanis with a view to collect crores from them for the election fund.  This was alleged by Com Amarjeet Kaur, national secretary CPI while addressing a group of comrades here at Ludhiana. She said that despite repeated requests and queries neither the finance ministry nor any other government agency came forward to tell the actual cost of production. Therefore Com Gurudas had to file a PIL in the Supreme Court. The court has already served notice to 6 parties including the Finance and Petroleum Ministry and RIL in this regard.  Petroleum and Natural Gas ministry ultimately gave the reply after computing the financial statement of the company 2011-2012. It is a clear violation of democratic norms and cheating with the national exchequer by the government. This hefty benefit to the RIL will lead to increase in the prices of LPG, Power Supply by Rs.2.00 per unit and rise in the prices of fertilizers like urea. Whereas the RIL will reap a benefit of Rs.81000 crorers in the next five years, the nation will lose Rs.2,20,000 crorers she said.  No wonder the Congress is opposed to RTI on financial status of the parties. CPI has demanded immediate review of the cabinet’s decision as  already the RIL is being given  USD 4.2 MMBTU which is nearly 1.5 times of the cost of production.  Com Gurudas has  written a letter to the Prime Minister. 
(Letter of Com Gurudas Das Gupta and reply from the Petroleum ministry is attached)