Bikram Majithia’s multilingual tongue

Punjab Information and Public Relations Minister Bikram Singh Majithia on Sunday made the masses breake into laughter as he showed his multilingual speech skills during a Railway Department’s occasion at Bathinda, in the presence of Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. Majithia was there to represent Sukhbir Singh Badal and Harsimrat Kaur Badal, so he tried his best to advocate Punjab’s demands in front of Raiwaly Minister. To make him understand better, Majithia kept on switching from Punjabi to Hindi and also didn’t mind using English words, which he claimed was a gesture to make a connect between the Malwa gathering and the Union Minister. However, some of his sentences and usage of words one after another language made the audience split into peals of laughter.

Sukhbir’s special plan for farmers
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, few days back, surprised all when he announced to set up 5,000 MW solar power projects in the state in the coming five years, with a mention that it would make the state free from the crop procurement hassles. He was, in fact, addressing a gathering on the inauguration of a solar power plant at Sardargarh in Bathinda, where he disclosed his plan to set up 5,000 MW solar power plants on 25,000 acres of land across the state. Explaining the idea, Sukhbir said once the land came under power projects it would not only make the farmers free from crop cultivation but also the state from the procurement hassles. His statement didn’t go down well among the gathering as it didn’t gel with the state’s distinction of being ‘food bowl of the nation.’

How Tota Singh exposed Punjabi writers
Tota Singh is currently serving as Agriculture Minister of Punjab. He presided over a function at SGPC-run Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University, Fatehgarh Sahib to mark Guru Nanak Dev’s birth celebrations this past week. When Tota Singh arrived at the function, a kavi darbar was being held. In his address Tota Singh exposed the dual standards of Punjabi writers who were opposing introduction of English language in Punjab schools from Class I onwards. Citing an example, Tota Singh said when he was Education Minister, he had decided to implement introduction of English language from Class I. After announcement of his decision, prominent Punjabi writers started to oppose the decision and claimed that it was not in favour of state and it was an anti-Punjabi language stand. After strong opposition by Punjabi writers, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal discussed the issue with him (Tota Singh). He requested the CM to arrange a meeting with Punjabi writers at his (CM’s) residence. The meeting was fixed but before the meeting he had done a lot of homework. He directed District Education Officers of the state to collect the data of Punjabi writers and prepare a list in which their wards of other close relatives had studied. Tota Singh said during meeting at CM’s residence Punjabi writers strongly opposed his (Tota Singh) decision and after lot of discussion, Tota Singh presented his data before the CM and as per that data most of Punjabi writers own children or close relatives were studying in English medium or convent schools. When the CM asked Punjabi writers to explain it, they failed to give a satisfactory reply.

Haryana leaders in grip of SYL mania

Leaders of all political parties in Haryana are in the grip of SYL mania, while the problem with the Congress is much more serious. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is learnt to have called a meeting of his party MLAs, MPs including formers ones to discuss the situation at his official residence in Chandigarh on Monday, while HPCC president Dr Ashok Tanwar has called the meeting to disucss the issue with party office-beaers in Gurugram. The BJP is sitting calm as the state government under the leadership of Manohar Lal Khattar is dealing with the matter. However, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has called an emergency meeting of the state body on Sunday to work out the future course of action. INLD is accusing the Congress and the BJP of doing sheer politics in the name of SYL. It is true that the two grand parties have got active only after the verdict of Supreme Court on
SYL.

Demonetisation has cascading effect on AAP

Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has threatened of more stringent measures against hoarders of blackmoney, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) already has a taste of demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. The party had to cancel its mega rally here which was scheduled for November 15 for the release of its Dalit manifesto. Arvind Kejriwal was to release the manifesto at a spot near Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of great martyr Bhagat Singh, at the rally and the local media was also duly informed about it by party activists. However, demonetisation threw the proverbial spanner in the party’s plans as it soon realised that it would not be able to make “huge payments” to ‘tent-wallas’ and owners of hundreds of vehicles which were to ferry the activists from across the state. But here the ‘aam aadmi’ is questioning the claims of party leaders who always have maintained that at such rallies it is the volunteers who manage the vehicles on their own, from their personal pockets. “Perhaps another example of party being a bunch of hypocrites,” opined a lecturer of Political Science here.

Scramble for new currency notes
This past week saw a never-before-seen scramble of residents queueing up at banks and outside ATMs to exchange their demonetised currency notes and to get new currency notes. The situation was such at some places in Punjab, that police personnel had to resort to mild lathi-charge to disperse the clearly agitated residents who had been waiting in queue for upwards of two hours. Even bank officials went through a harrowing time as they had a tough time trying to explain to several senior citizens why they could only be issued Rs 4,000 in one go in exchange for varying amounts of money that they had come to deposit.

No to `500, `1,000 in donations
Since the BJP government has banned the usage of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, the religious places including the temples and the gurdwaras have also pasted notice outside the cash box stating ‘please do not put in cash in Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations in the cash box.’ The caretakers of the religious places have also given instructions to the managers to not to accept the cash in Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations.

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