Is India in grip of terrorism?
Hardly one week had passed, when the terrorists made serial bomb blasts in Delhi, the Capital of India once again came on the headlines on September 19, when Delhi Police and National Security Guards (NSG) raided a hideout of the terrorists in the Okhla area of Delhi and subsequently killed two terrorists. A brave inspector of Delhi police, Mohan Chandra Sharma laid his life in this encounter.
In this area, a suspect named Saif was arrested whereas two terrorists managed to escape. In the densely populated Muslim area, there were some persons who were trying to call it a fake “encounter” to insult the Muslim community. Where as there were a large number of the Muslims and the others who were the eyewitness of the event of the firing from the both side, the police and the terrorists.
Besides this, the martyrdom of inspector Sharma is a hard proof that the terrorists constantly fired at the security persons and in return the police had to open the fire. As the terrorism, especially the terrorism based on religion and the community is taking the country in its grip. There is great need to check the activities and those who give shelter to the terrorists should be immediately curbed.
The statement of the father of Saif, the suspect caught in Delhi should be a lesson for the Muslims in India. He said, 'If my son is a terrorist, shoot him in front of me'. The Muslims of India should also learn a lesson from the mother of another alleged terrorist Zubeida. She said that if her son was involved in the terrorist activities, he should be hanged to death.
Despite one thing that came out causes great worry. The Indians were proud of the fact that the persons involved in these terrorist activities were not Indians. But misfortunately the name Indian Mujahideen, the terrorist organisation that is in the headlines today belongs to the Indian soil. It simply means that some misguided Indians have been impressed and started work with an organisation that has been striking at the very cause of communal harmony in India.
To publicise their worry, a Muslim priest told this correspondent that Islam is not associated with terrorism. He clarified the point that the Islam doesn't teach terrorism. It doesn't inspire for terrorism. It is anti-Islamic to kill innocent and unarmed people. It is totally anti-Islamic to kill the women, the children and the old people. A person who is involved in such activities is unreligious and can't be called a Muslim.
But the reason is beyond one's knowledge that in spite of these declarations, the terrorism is spreading in India. The word “Jihad that was heard from across the border or sometimes in Kashmir has made a base in India under the name Indian Mujahideen.
Because of these misguided Muslim youths, the communal harmony of the country is being spoiled.
Now it is a proper time to see the challenges that the Indian Muslims have to face and what should be done to lessen the terrorist activities. Obviously it is not time to waste the time in discussing, all this why and how it happened and why it is happening?
A true Indian Muslim should get inspiration from our very own Bharat Ratna, APJ Abdul Kalam, Dr. Zakir Husain, Abul Kalam Azad, Rafi Ahmed and Azeem Premji, the persons who have the national thoughts as the ideal.
Is terrorism gripping “India”?
What steps do you think should be taken to tackle these threats?
Mail your views to: mandeeppuri@hotmail.com
City was once under terror threat: IG
andeep Puri
With terror blasts taking place almost every other month in major cities across the country and leaving an e-mail trail, the UT police and its counterparts (Punjab and Haryana) have already put its new strategy to thwart any such bid in the tri-city in place.
Even after the terrorist-secessionist movement for Khalistan was comprehensively defeated in 1993, there remain a handful of terrorist outfits chiefly supported by Pakistan and some non-resident Indian Sikh groups who continue to propagate the ideology of Khalistan. One of the most prominent among them is the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). It is among the oldest and most organised Khalistan terrorist groups.
The northern region largely remained peaceful through 2007 apart from a bomb blast occurred in a cinema hall in Ludhiana in October, leaving six dead and over 25 others injured .The region remained relatively free of major political violence after the widespread terrorist-secessionist movement for ‘Khalistan’ was comprehensively defeated in 1993, but the year 2008 intensively turned out to be a disaster for the entire country.
Sources in the UT police also said that their alert is also based on the fact that IT industry is being made a target. The state police have increased their vigil on radical groups here, particularly those having sympathies with the Islamic terrorist groups and outfits.
Even the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi told the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the last week of August, of possible terror strikes in two Indian cities. One of those two cities Delhi was hit list .Modi also told the PM about a possible attack on Chandigarh or Chennai, it is reliably learnt.
If intelligence reports are to be believed, Chandigarhians can heave a sigh of relief as the city is still not on the radar of terrorists.
Highly placed sources in the UT police revealed that as of now there were no intelligence reports suggesting Chandigarh to be a possible target. However, he said all precautionary measures were in place.
There are least chances of Sikh militants striking here in the city or in neightbouring states. Sikh militants could be used in executing the conspiracy; planning and funding would certainly be of either the kashmiris or the Indian Mujahideen residing within the country.
Talking to this correspondent, UT, Inspector General, SK Jain admitted that the city could be a possible target as being a capital of two states. “Though, we have not received any report suggesting that the city is on terror radar, but we are not taking any chances. We are in touch with the intelligence agencies, and measures are being taken in accordance to the reports received by the intelligence bureau”.
With the most sophisticated technologies being available to terrorists, fighting terrorism has become an increasingly difficult task for India. It becomes even more challenging when states lack specialized police forces, effective intelligence mechanisms, and cutting-edge technology. Only a trained police force in adequate numbers with timely intelligence inputs can fight the menace of terrorism. The citizens' role is equally important, and the Home Minister has proposed the creation of civil defense units for local policing, while suggesting the need for security committees in the villages, said an officer of the UT police.
Recent hoax calls received by the UT police:
Last month, a letter claiming that a bomb has been planted at the Punjab mini-secretariat building sent officials into a tizzy, however, it later turned out to be a hoax.
The letter written in Punjabi was found at the Sector 9 secretariat building which said that a bomb had been planted inside. The letter claimed that the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) had accomplished its job and dared the Parkash Singh Badal’s government in Punjab to save itself if it could.
It is to remember that on August 6 the Chandigarh Police received a bomb hoax call to blow district courts complex situated in Sector 17 with bomb at about 10.30. The bomb disposal squad reached on the spot and searched the complex for more than one and half hour but could got any bomb and declared complex fully safe at 12.15 pm, after that on July 13 two flights of MDLR Airlines, travelling from Delhi to Chandigarh and Chandigarh to Delhi, had a harrowing time, after their flights were delayed due to a bomb-cum-hijack hoax.
Sources said a call was received at the MDLR call centre at about 4.45 pm, saying that one of their flight would either be bombed or hijacked.
On March 19 of this year, a bomb hoax call was made about bomb in Union Territory Secretariat but nothing was recovered.
Sensitive areas within Chandigarh :
The UT police has intensified its security at numerous places including the ISBT Sector 17 and 43 , railway station, Punjab and Haryana High Court, secretariat, IT park, shopping complexes, religious places and at other vital installations.
Steps taken by the UT police:
A senior police officer of the UT police said though they had not received any report from the intelligence agencies regarding the possibility of bomb blasts in the city, however, they were just not taking any chances.
The Chandigarh police has set up helpline numbers (279194 and 2749874) for public to inform about suspicious persons.
The UT SSP has directed all SHOs to monitor the presence of outsiders living in their respective areas. Special instructions have been given regarding checking of cyber cafes.
Apart from increasing the police bandobast, all chemical and cycle dealers in the city had been instructed to keep a list of people buying goods from them in higher quantities. Even second-hand car dealers had been instructed to verify the antecedents of purchaser, said sources.
Efforts were on to create awareness among the public and pamphlets were being distributed giving a list of dos and don’ts for the people to follow. Reiterating that public has a major role in fighting terrorism, sources said, “A general vigil by the people can prevent a lot of mishaps”.
Though it was not possible to have a policemen posted at every nook and corner of the city, the presence of the khaki on the streets had been increased with more patrolling duties, the network informers and intelligence was being strengthened.
Punjab:
Central intelligence sources, however, indicate that a concerted attempt to revive militancy in the State is under way. Sources disclose that Pakistan-sponsored terrorist cells are plotting to trigger sectarian violence and that there had been a three-fold increase of narcotics and arms trading into Punjab from Pakistan . The Intelligence Bureau has reportedly indicated that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan ’s external intelligence agency, had chosen five groups in Pakistan , including the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), to train Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) militants.. The BKI has reportedly set up a common office with the LeT in Nankana Sahib, in West Punjab, Pakistan. There is also a substantial amount of overseas funding and support for the militant groups, coming primarily from Khalistani operatives in Germany, US, UK and Canada, a trend that has been sustained since the separatist movement was defeated.
If the sources are to be believed, various interrogation reports suggested remnants of Punjab militancy have been under constant pressure from Pakistan ’s ISI to carry out operations against India and to revive insurgency once again in Punjab, which is a bordering and Strategic State .
Sources revealed that the Punjab militants are no more dependent on RDX, mostly smuggled in from Pakistan, but have shifted to home-made gelatin sticks, proven to be as much or even more effective by naxalites.
Highly placed sources in the Punjab police revealed that the ISI was behind the regrouping of the BKI in Punjab .. The Punjab Police recently had identified a new terrorist group in the name of the International Liberation Revolutionary Force (ILRF) working in the Malwa region and had arrested all the six persons behind the formation of this outfit, along with one AK 47 rifle and other weapons.
Three Sikh bodies have formed a base in the region in a bid to launch terror attacks in Punjab , said sources.
Three militants belonging to them were recently arrested. During interrogation, they said about 40 terrorists have formed three outfits - Khalistan Zindabad Force, Panj Pardhani Group and Iknoor Khalsa Fauj - with their base in Barnala .
Sources in Punjab police revealed that details about bombs used in Delhi blasts would also be discussed with top officers. “The danger is real,” said an intelligence agency official. The presentation would seek to make the officer aware of the modus operandi of these groups, ‘‘The last few catches in the state were similar to the one found in Delhi . These comprised aluminium nitride sticks, basically used for mining activities and are India-made,’’ said an officer.
The most significant among the surviving leaders of the Khalistani militant groups and many cadres are currently hosted by the ISI in Pakistan , and there is a constant effort to revive recruitment and terrorism in Punjab , as well as a continuous vigil for opportunities that may help provoke a favourable extremist mobilisation. Information was reportedly sent to the Punjab Police about plans to target towns in the Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Pathankot regions. Instructions had, at this junction, been issued to the authorities to monitor the activities of sympathisers of these groups, who were allegedly sending funds through hawala (illegal money transfers) to "re-launch their separatist movement."
ISI playing a supportive role:
The principal base of active Khalistani terrorist groups remains in Pakistan, with several groups enjoying the active patronage of the ISI, which has also assisted in the coordination of their activities with Islamist terrorist outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, as well as with organised crime operators, and drug and weapons’ smugglers who have assisted in the movement of men and materials across the border into Punjab. The principal groups currently hosted by Pakistan include:
BKI: Wadhawa Singh Babbar, Chief of Babbar Khalsa continues to operate from Pakistan . A large number of youth associated with Babbar Khalsa have under gone training from time to time in Pakistan . The BKI were the most active in executing terrorist strikes in Punjab over the past decade.
Khalistan Commando Force (KCF)-Panjwar: Headed by Paramjit Singh Panjwar who has been camping in Pakistan for over 13 years. This group currently has limited striking potential. Nevertheless its alliance with ISYF, Sikh Youth of America and Sikh Youth of Belgium makes it a numerically large group. About 100 youth in small batches belonging to these countries have undergone training in the handling of weapons and explosives from time to time. Panjwar’s links with smugglers and Islamist terrorist groups are old and well-known. Panjwar has failed to muster dependable support within India .
ISYF-Rode: Lakhbir Singh Rode, the nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, is the coordinator of this group, and has links with Islamist terrorist groups such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba. The group plays a major role in shaping the Khalistan-Kashmir International, a joint platform for strikes by Sikh and Islamist extremist in the aftermath of the setback received by terrorists on the K2M (Khalistan-Kashmir-Muslim militancy) front, which was the pioneer platform for joint strikes by Punjab militants, J&K militants and Islamist terrorist elements in the early 1990s.
Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF): Ranjit Singh Neeta, hailing from Poonch area in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), is the head of this outfit, which had an operational alliance with ISYF & BKI in the past, is now operating independently. Neeta’s associates were responsible for a series of explosions in running trains and buses in Punjab, Delhi , Haryana and J&K.
Dal Khalsa International: Headed by Gajinder Singh ‘Hijacker’, tried to float a joint group with J&K militants, indications of which surfaced in 1997-98. This group is one of the most active, with substantial funding available through Khalistani elements abroad.
Various outfits, which once was active in state of Punjab :
Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Khalistan militant outfits, a Germany based terrorist outfit, Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) , Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and Dal Khalsa International (DKI), have been making effort to revive militancy in the State. Further, the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) has been making efforts during the last couple of years to create bases in Ludhiana , Jalandhar, and Pathaankot and Udhampur areas in Jammu and Kashmir . There are reports that the Punjab militants have so far maintained close association with the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Al Burq and Jammu Kashmir Islamic Front (JKIF).
In June, 2008, the Punjab Police recovered 34.5 kg of explosives from three people reportedly said to be the member of Babbar Khalsa group in Jagraon district.
The trio was in regular touch with other groups in Pakistan . During the interrogation the accused told the police that they were trained in Pakistan in handling explosives and that they were associated with the Khalistan Zindabad Force.
In February, 2008, the BKI militants arrested in connection with the blast at a cinema hall in Ludhiana on October, 2007, told the investigators that they had approached Naga outfits for supply of arms and ammunition. During their interrogation, the militants told the central security agencies that few Sikh youths had been tasked to kill political leaders including Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, his son Sukhbir, president of the All India Anti-Terrorist Front M. S. Bitta and former Punjab Director General of Police K. P. S Gill, said sources.
Following this, the Punjab police arrested three suspected militants affiliated to International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF-Rode) from different locations on December 24 in Jalandhar along with 11 kg of RDX and other ammunitions. Punjab police sources opined that the explosives were to be used for carrying out disruptive activities during the forthcoming State Assembly election.
In 2007, Punjab also became an extended area of operation for the banned Assam-based outfit the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). On August 13, 2007, two ULFA militants were arrested from Jalandhar following a joint operation by the Western Command Military Intelligence and Punjab Police. The duo was identified as residents of Assam . This was perhaps the first time that we have had specific information on ULFA militants in Punjab .
In October, 2007, terror attack struck Ludhiana , when at least six people were killed and 25 others injured in a blast in one of the three cinema halls in a multiplex located in industrial town.
In May, 2007, the Intelligence agencies reportedly said that the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan ’s external intelligence agency, are trying to revive militancy in Punjab through sympathisers of Sikh militant groups like the BKI, the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) and Khalistan Commando Force (KCF).
In March, 2006, four BKI terrorists were arrested from Chandigarh and one kilogram of RDX, arms and ammunition were seized from their possession. Chandigarh Police arrested the four from the Bus Stand in Sector 17.
In November, 2005, the Punjab Police arrested three Pakistan-trained terrorists of the BKI in the Jagroan district and foiled their plan of a major strike in crowded localities in Chandigarh and Delhi . The police seized 1.2 kilogram of RDX, one pencil bomb, 28 detonators, a timer, 55 AK-47 cartridges, 56 Mauser cartridges and four .9 mm cartridges.
In July, 2005, the police arrested three BKI terrorists near Madhopur Chowk in the Fatehgarh Sahab district of Punjab.
In June, 2005, the police arrested two close associates of Jagtar Singh Hawara from the Ropar district.
In 2005, six people were injured in a blast at the interstate bus terminus (ISBT), Sector 17 in Chandigarh . The explosive was kept inside a pipe, near the counter for Delhi-bound buses.
The UT Police had arrested 2 persons in connection with the explosion at the bus stand, who were identified as Satnam Singh and Sukhwinder Singh.
The duo, who were arrested for their alleged involvement in the conspiracy of bomb blast and were actively helping a Pakistan , trained terrorist Charanjit Singh, member of Khalistan Commando Force (Panjwar) module.
In May, 2005, two BKI terrorists are arrested in connection with the bomb blasts at two cinema halls in the national capital New Delhi .. The duo was arrested from Nawanshahar in Punjab .
In January, 2004, four under trials, including three accused in the Beant Singh assassination case, escape from the high security Burail jail in Chandigarh .
In 2001, a powerful explosion rocked Chandigarh leaving at least four injured and over a dozen vehicles badly damaged. The blast was said to have been caused by a powerful explosive such as RDX or a PETN which was apparently planted in the dicky of a scooter, said police sources.
In August, 1995, a human bomb Dilawar Singh assassinated Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh at the civil secretariat in Chandigarh . He allegedly owed allegiance to the BKI.
In April, 1991, the then UT SSP Sumedh Saini was injured a bomb attack, which was meant to kill Saini in Sector 17. Three policemen were killed.
Recent Terror Attacks:
In one of the worst terror strikes in the country in recent times, at least 61 (64, according to agencies) persons were killed and 364 injured, many of them seriously, when terrorists detonated 12 serial explosions in four districts — Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Barpeta — in Assam on October 30.
A curfew was clamped on Guwahati city for over five hours following the blasts.
Two persons were killed and 17 injured in a blast in Mehrauli market in New Delhi on September 27.
Five serial blasts rocked New Delhi , the capital city of India on September 14, killing over 30 persons and 90 persons are injured.
The serial blasts responsibility was claimed by banned Students Islamic Movement (SIMI) of India and Lashker-e-Taiba through an email sent to news organizations at almost the same time as the serial blasts.
In July, Surat recovered a total of bombs in different parts of the city, which were later defused successfully by the bomb disposal squad.
The next was Bangalore . A series of seven bomb blasts ripped through the Bangalore , the IT hub of India on July 25. While four were of low-intensity, the three were said to be of high intensity. All blasts happened in a span of one hour. Following Bangalore , Ahmedabad was the nest to witness the terror attack on July 26. 17 blasts terrorized Ahmedabad had killed 29 people and over hundred injured.
The pink city ‘Jaipur’ was the first faced the terror attack on May, 2008. In total there was an incident of 9 bomb blast, which took more toll than any other blast occurred in the country. More than around 70 people are reported dead in the incident more than 15o people are injured.
With more than five dozen vital installations and dozens of VVIPs staying and working in the city, the police’s anti-sabotage team, including the bomb-disposal squad and dog-squad consists of a meagre two dozen personnel.
Equipment with Chandigarh Police
The Chandigarh Police’s anti-sabotage squad included three ‘hi-tech’ machines viz Explosives Vapour Detector (EVD)-3000, a Deep Search machine and a Super Broom (non-linear junction detector) to detect bombs and explosives in the city.
Labradors- Trained exclusively to detect explosives, is someone whose sniffing skill is believed to be 98 per cent accurate by Chandigarh Police.
HHMD- Hand Held Metal Detectors are used to detect any metallic object in a person’s physical possession. Besides frisking people entering the vital installations, HHMD is also used to check boxes, cargo, luggage and parcels/ packets.
About three dozen head constables and constables of the UT Police force are also trained to deal with explosive-detection mechanism and are kept as members of the Reserve Force.
Training
The personnel receive training from BD Company 202 at Jalandhar. Members of the anti-sabotage team claim they receive training time and again by various officers of the Indian Army and even the Intelligence
Bureau officials.
The sniffer dogs are trained at Punjab Police Academy , Phillaur, or at ITBP Bhanu, Ramgarh. The training begins when the dog is two months old and they are tagged with only one trainer for the rest of their lives. Currently, the city police have about have a dozen sniffer dogs, exclusively for the purpose of tracking movement of suspects; sniffing narcotics, explosives etc..
What the team can’t do
Tips from the men
* Anything unusual lying at public places should not be touched. The police should be immediately informed.
* While in a movie hall, bus, train, aircraft, one must check the seat’s surroundings to see if there is any unusual/ unattended object lying.
* Any unclaimed vehicle parked in the locality should not be touched and the police must be duly informed.
Can UT Police deal with cyber-attack?
EVENTS in cyberspace are becoming scarier.. Just five minutes before the serial blasts in Delhi on September 13, a terror e-mail was sent as a challenge to the security forces. This was of a piece with a similar e-mail sent before the serial blasts in Ahmedabad in July.
The e-mail ID used to send the mail was created just a few hours before the blasts in the Capital on September 13. The e-mail warning about the Ahmedabad blasts in July, too, had been sent in a similar manner by misusing the Wi-Fi Internet connection of an American citizen living in Navi Mumbai. The act was executed in such a manner that the actual sender might not be nabbed despite technology trails and the country's legal infrastructure.
Five terror e-mails have been sent till now and as many as three of these had PDF files attached to them. The mails are sent with a chilling accuracy to the IDs of all major media houses in the country. These mails were sent by hacking the unsecured Wi-Fi networks.
BOX:
It may be highlighted that India has witnessed over 70,000 deaths, including that of 11,000 security personnel - more than in all the wars fought since Independence - killed by terrorists. With the most sophisticated technologies being available to terrorists, fighting terrorism has become an increasingly difficult task for India . It becomes even more challenging when states lack specialized police forces, effective intelligence mechanisms, and cutting-edge technology. Only a trained police force in adequate numbers with timely intelligence inputs can fight the menace of terrorism. The citizens' role is equally important.
Monday, April 6, 2009
NANDED witnessed largest religious gathering
NANDED witnessed largest religious gathering
Nanded in Maharashtra witnessed one of history's largest religious gatherings as more than 40 million Sikh devotees are expected during the celebrations of the Gurta Gaddi.
The tercentenary event was held to commemorate long cherished history of Sikhs and to reaffirm, rejoice and rejuvenate the global Sikh community. This event involved the remembrance of the 300th year of the consecration of holy book of the Sikhs – Guru Granth Sahib as the eternally steady master – Guru - of entire Sikh community by Guru Gobind Singh. The event lasted for 8 days.
The celebrations began on Simran Diwas, 15th November 2007, when the devotees across the world meditated, participated and celebrated together. For 15 minutes, devotees everywhere recited the Mool Mantra together. On the same day, commenced the Jagriti Yatra, a journey of faith from Nanded to the world. A rath carrying the puratan hand written Bir of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji & Shastars of Guru Gobind Singh Ji & other shaheed Singhs started it's journey. Jagriti Yatra has covered almost 200 cities in India and culminated on 10th August in Nanded amongst great devotion.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pratibha Patil had too became a part of the history, visiting Nanded town to participate in the tercentenary celebrations of Gurta Gaddi on October 30 and November 3 respectively.
Official sources said the Prime Minister and the President visited the Takhat Sachkhand Shri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Gurdwara besides attending the ‘samagam’ or convention at the samagam hall during their brief stay.
About NANDED:
Nanded is a place with great historical significance. Situated in Marathwada region of Maharashtra on the north bank of Godavari, it is famous for Sikh Gurudwaras. Nanded is a very old town, the history of which is traced down to the Puranic days. In Puranic period, Pandavas traveled through Nanded district while Nandas ruled over Nanded through ages. The last guru of Sikhs Sri Guru Gobind Singh visited the city in 1708 and decided to settle here until he breathed his last. Sri Guru Gobind Singh proclaimed himself the last Guru – the spiritual leader- and established the Guru Granth Sahib as the eternal Guru after his demise. A monument has been constructed at place where the last Guru breathed his last. Around 1835, Maharaja Ranjit Singh constructed a beautiful Gurudwara at Nanded which features an imposing golden dome with intricate carvings and spectacularly beautiful artwork. This Gurudwara is known as Shri Huzur Abchalnagar Sachkhand Gurudwara. Considering its occurrence in 100 years, the Gurta Gaddi celebration was deemed with high importance for Sikh Community. An estimated 30 to 40 lakh Sikh devotees were gathered in Nanded from around the globe to commemorate 300 years of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji – 300 saal guru de naal (reliving 300 years with the Guru).
The year 2008 had certainly gone down in the pages of history as a golden year for the Sikh community. The eternal Guru (Akal purkh) celebration took place on October 30, 2008 while the heavenly journey (Parlokgaman) of Sri Guru Gobind Singh was organised on November 3, 2008, while the revolution of devotion that started with the Jagriti Yatra had touched and replenished millions of lives during the historical 'Shatabdi Samagam' from 29th October to 4th November.
Due to expected massive influx of tourists to the Nanded town, large scale infrastructure preparations concerning accommodation, transport, utilities, and Gurudwara development was taken care of. Maharashtra Government in advanced had earmarked a budget of Rs. 817 crore to create infrastructure facilities for pilgrims. The central government was contributed to it. The entire Gurudwara complex was redesigned with modern amenities to accommodate at least 40,000 devotees in its prikrama. Close to the Gurudwara, a complex called the Guru Granth Sahib Bhavan was constructed to spread the message of the last Guru with the help of various traditional modern media. This complex can now accommodate 4000 devotees.
Arrangements for Devotees: Free stay at several camp-sites was arranged for millions of devotees expected to visit Nanded for the celebrations. These modern camp-sites had all necessary facilities like medical, electricity, langar halls, wash areas and parking. From September 20th, special trains to Nanded were being run from all over the country.
The Hazur Sahib Gurdwara with the golden dome and intricate art work, was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh between 1830 and 1835. Nanded also has 10 other gurdwaras that have historical importance for Sikhs. The Nagina Ghat, Bandh Ghat, Maltekdi, Heera Ghat, Mata Saheb, Shikar Ghat, Sangat Sahib, Ratangarh, Gobind Bagh and Damdama Sahib (Basmat) are located in the vicinity of Nanded. The Nanaksar, Langar Sahib and Bhajangarh Sahib were later additions to the list of pilgrim sites.
Nanded in Maharashtra witnessed one of history's largest religious gatherings as more than 40 million Sikh devotees are expected during the celebrations of the Gurta Gaddi.
The tercentenary event was held to commemorate long cherished history of Sikhs and to reaffirm, rejoice and rejuvenate the global Sikh community. This event involved the remembrance of the 300th year of the consecration of holy book of the Sikhs – Guru Granth Sahib as the eternally steady master – Guru - of entire Sikh community by Guru Gobind Singh. The event lasted for 8 days.
The celebrations began on Simran Diwas, 15th November 2007, when the devotees across the world meditated, participated and celebrated together. For 15 minutes, devotees everywhere recited the Mool Mantra together. On the same day, commenced the Jagriti Yatra, a journey of faith from Nanded to the world. A rath carrying the puratan hand written Bir of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji & Shastars of Guru Gobind Singh Ji & other shaheed Singhs started it's journey. Jagriti Yatra has covered almost 200 cities in India and culminated on 10th August in Nanded amongst great devotion.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pratibha Patil had too became a part of the history, visiting Nanded town to participate in the tercentenary celebrations of Gurta Gaddi on October 30 and November 3 respectively.
Official sources said the Prime Minister and the President visited the Takhat Sachkhand Shri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Gurdwara besides attending the ‘samagam’ or convention at the samagam hall during their brief stay.
About NANDED:
Nanded is a place with great historical significance. Situated in Marathwada region of Maharashtra on the north bank of Godavari, it is famous for Sikh Gurudwaras. Nanded is a very old town, the history of which is traced down to the Puranic days. In Puranic period, Pandavas traveled through Nanded district while Nandas ruled over Nanded through ages. The last guru of Sikhs Sri Guru Gobind Singh visited the city in 1708 and decided to settle here until he breathed his last. Sri Guru Gobind Singh proclaimed himself the last Guru – the spiritual leader- and established the Guru Granth Sahib as the eternal Guru after his demise. A monument has been constructed at place where the last Guru breathed his last. Around 1835, Maharaja Ranjit Singh constructed a beautiful Gurudwara at Nanded which features an imposing golden dome with intricate carvings and spectacularly beautiful artwork. This Gurudwara is known as Shri Huzur Abchalnagar Sachkhand Gurudwara. Considering its occurrence in 100 years, the Gurta Gaddi celebration was deemed with high importance for Sikh Community. An estimated 30 to 40 lakh Sikh devotees were gathered in Nanded from around the globe to commemorate 300 years of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji – 300 saal guru de naal (reliving 300 years with the Guru).
The year 2008 had certainly gone down in the pages of history as a golden year for the Sikh community. The eternal Guru (Akal purkh) celebration took place on October 30, 2008 while the heavenly journey (Parlokgaman) of Sri Guru Gobind Singh was organised on November 3, 2008, while the revolution of devotion that started with the Jagriti Yatra had touched and replenished millions of lives during the historical 'Shatabdi Samagam' from 29th October to 4th November.
Due to expected massive influx of tourists to the Nanded town, large scale infrastructure preparations concerning accommodation, transport, utilities, and Gurudwara development was taken care of. Maharashtra Government in advanced had earmarked a budget of Rs. 817 crore to create infrastructure facilities for pilgrims. The central government was contributed to it. The entire Gurudwara complex was redesigned with modern amenities to accommodate at least 40,000 devotees in its prikrama. Close to the Gurudwara, a complex called the Guru Granth Sahib Bhavan was constructed to spread the message of the last Guru with the help of various traditional modern media. This complex can now accommodate 4000 devotees.
Arrangements for Devotees: Free stay at several camp-sites was arranged for millions of devotees expected to visit Nanded for the celebrations. These modern camp-sites had all necessary facilities like medical, electricity, langar halls, wash areas and parking. From September 20th, special trains to Nanded were being run from all over the country.
The Hazur Sahib Gurdwara with the golden dome and intricate art work, was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh between 1830 and 1835. Nanded also has 10 other gurdwaras that have historical importance for Sikhs. The Nagina Ghat, Bandh Ghat, Maltekdi, Heera Ghat, Mata Saheb, Shikar Ghat, Sangat Sahib, Ratangarh, Gobind Bagh and Damdama Sahib (Basmat) are located in the vicinity of Nanded. The Nanaksar, Langar Sahib and Bhajangarh Sahib were later additions to the list of pilgrim sites.
Ladakh, a Heaven on Earth
A Nightmare but still worth it
Ladakh, a Heaven on Earth
It’s human nature to dream, so is the nature to do what few have done and is considered as a “foolish thing”. There is some allure in doing what only a select few can do, to make it to “The Top of the world”. Once your heart and mind is set on such a task, few things in the world can divert you from it.It is impossible to overcome the lure and fascination of the Himalayas if you love mountains. There are innumerable options right from simple sight-seeing to adventure, or a mix of both. No better place than Ladakh for this, what experienced a group of seven youth, who went to Leh in June, this year.
Tarun, Danny, Jaiveer, Doll, Jaggi, Sobi and Tony, all working had embarked a journey to the vary heart of Himalayas, a place known as Ladakh, land of passes
No sooner did they reach Manali, their adventure began.
Manali in Himachal Pradesh is the roadhead for the trans-Himalayan highway for the near-legendary two-day journey to Ladakh's capital, Leh.
The breath-taking view at every turn of the Manali-Leh highway imprints images that remain long after. In summer, a stream of buses and Enfield motorcycles set off from the Kullu Valley to travel along the second highest motorable road in the world, which reaches a dizzying altitude of 5,328m. This highway is open only for 3 months (between July 15th and Sep 15th approx.) every year. During the other seasons of the year it is closed because of the snow.
BOX:
The 485 km route from Manali, open only for 3 months in the year, takes around 24 hours with an overnight camp at Sarchu at an altitude of 4,000 m.
From Manali, the road crosses the Beas to begin its long ascent of the Rohtang Pass (3,900m). The views over the eternal snows of Solang Nala improve as you progress up, ranging from the coniferous forests to grassy mountain pastures. Just below the pass, we stood for a breakfast halt beside some dhabas. Nearby, a temple crowns the top of a bluff from where you get a great panoramic view of the upper Beas Valley.
The descent from Rohtang to the floor of the Chandra Valley affords tantalizing glimpses of the shining white sail massif. Koksar is where the road finally reaches the river. I can't forget the parathas we had there. They were aaloo-stuffed parathas, deep fried, yet not oozing oil, served with Tibetan chutney. Finger-licking irresistible!
The next few hours were some of the most memorable of the entire trip. As the road runs across the slopes of the valley, you see towering peaks and hanging glaciers. A sharp descent around the base of the sacred Rangcha mountain brings you to the Chandra-Bhaga confluence at Tandi, after which the bridge across the river takes you along the Bhaga Valley to Keylong. Beyond Keylong, the Bhaga valley broadens.
A hot bowl of Tibetan thupka from a roadside dhaba is a favourite. This is a dish of noodles in Chinese soup. The Tibetan chutney adds to the taste of thupka. We had a tasty samosa-like Tibetan dish called Momo.
From Darcha, the road climbs steadily along the mountain side of wine-red and pale-green scree to Zingzing Bar. As you move from this desolate land, you approach Baralacha La, which will blow your mind. The "twelve-horned" pass forms the head of three valleys, the Bhaga, the Chandra, and the Yunan. By the time you get to Sarchu Serai you'll be ready for a night's rest, which is in a tent.
Lachlang La (5,059m) from Sarchu, the second highest pass on the highway, before descending to Pang at 4,500m. 3 km from Pang is the extraordinary Moray Plains (4,800m), a 45-kilometre-long plateau encircled by rolling hills and brilliant white Himalayan peaks.
The road starts its ascent from Dibring Camp to Tanglang La at a head-spinning 5,328m. This is the second highest pass in the world and by the time you reach there, your nose might well start bleeding slightly. All along the route you can see slogans of "Save Tibet" and "Free Tibet". Tibetans cherish their dream of freedom from Chinese domination.
The Gateway to Ladakh from Manali is Upshi. This is where the project for constructing and maintaining the highway, undertaken by the Indian army concludes. Considering the rugged terrain of the mighty Himalayas, maintaining this road itself is a Herculean task. Project Himank, as it is called, is amazing. One roadside board read, "If you want a road to the moon, please contact Himank". And we didn't find any exaggeration in it!
On the way from Upshi to Leh (40kms) there are high peaks crowned with village houses and gompas. Gompas are Buddhist monasteries, ranging from solid stone structures to fairly large temples.
“The first impression of Leh was that of a desert with green patches fed by the Indus. One of the first things that we noticed was the prayer wheels with ringing bells”, asserted Tarun.
As Leh is 3,505 m above sea level, most tourists experience a degree of altitude sickness. The symptoms are persistent headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, bleeding and blocked nose, and/or shortness of breath. It is because your body has not yet acclimatized to the comparative lack of oxygen. So the tourism department suggests you take complete rest for at least 48 hours. Since we couldn't afford so much rest, we had to make do with 24-hours rest, before venturing out.
Predominantly Buddist, Leh has 25% Muslim population.These are Ladakhi Muslims, with their own cultural heritage, quite distinct from elsewhere.
Ladakh is a trekkers' paradise. Foreigners move around with their backpacks, heading in different directions. Attractions in and around the town itself include the former palace and Namgyal Tsemo gompa.
The power situation in Leh is very bad. Much of the time, including the nights, there was no power at all. That forced us to have many candlelit dinners. Telephone connection is through satellite. In the evenings, it is very difficult to get connected by telephone to the rest of India. Since Leh is cut-off from the world for around 8 months each year, they have to get most of the necessary cargo (like building materials, etc) during the 3-months' season. The only solace is that they are connected by air almost throughout the year. But the villages on the Manali-Leh highway remain completely isolated for 8-9 months a year.
If only there were more time to explore Ladakh as it deserves to be. The spectacular Zanskar valley, the blue-green Pangong Tso (Lake), the 7,000m Nun peak (situated at the Indo-China border).
Khardungla Pass, the highest motorable road in the world (18,380 feet) was the end point that made their journey “worth going”.
Ladakh, a Heaven on Earth
It’s human nature to dream, so is the nature to do what few have done and is considered as a “foolish thing”. There is some allure in doing what only a select few can do, to make it to “The Top of the world”. Once your heart and mind is set on such a task, few things in the world can divert you from it.It is impossible to overcome the lure and fascination of the Himalayas if you love mountains. There are innumerable options right from simple sight-seeing to adventure, or a mix of both. No better place than Ladakh for this, what experienced a group of seven youth, who went to Leh in June, this year.
Tarun, Danny, Jaiveer, Doll, Jaggi, Sobi and Tony, all working had embarked a journey to the vary heart of Himalayas, a place known as Ladakh, land of passes
No sooner did they reach Manali, their adventure began.
Manali in Himachal Pradesh is the roadhead for the trans-Himalayan highway for the near-legendary two-day journey to Ladakh's capital, Leh.
The breath-taking view at every turn of the Manali-Leh highway imprints images that remain long after. In summer, a stream of buses and Enfield motorcycles set off from the Kullu Valley to travel along the second highest motorable road in the world, which reaches a dizzying altitude of 5,328m. This highway is open only for 3 months (between July 15th and Sep 15th approx.) every year. During the other seasons of the year it is closed because of the snow.
BOX:
The 485 km route from Manali, open only for 3 months in the year, takes around 24 hours with an overnight camp at Sarchu at an altitude of 4,000 m.
From Manali, the road crosses the Beas to begin its long ascent of the Rohtang Pass (3,900m). The views over the eternal snows of Solang Nala improve as you progress up, ranging from the coniferous forests to grassy mountain pastures. Just below the pass, we stood for a breakfast halt beside some dhabas. Nearby, a temple crowns the top of a bluff from where you get a great panoramic view of the upper Beas Valley.
The descent from Rohtang to the floor of the Chandra Valley affords tantalizing glimpses of the shining white sail massif. Koksar is where the road finally reaches the river. I can't forget the parathas we had there. They were aaloo-stuffed parathas, deep fried, yet not oozing oil, served with Tibetan chutney. Finger-licking irresistible!
The next few hours were some of the most memorable of the entire trip. As the road runs across the slopes of the valley, you see towering peaks and hanging glaciers. A sharp descent around the base of the sacred Rangcha mountain brings you to the Chandra-Bhaga confluence at Tandi, after which the bridge across the river takes you along the Bhaga Valley to Keylong. Beyond Keylong, the Bhaga valley broadens.
A hot bowl of Tibetan thupka from a roadside dhaba is a favourite. This is a dish of noodles in Chinese soup. The Tibetan chutney adds to the taste of thupka. We had a tasty samosa-like Tibetan dish called Momo.
From Darcha, the road climbs steadily along the mountain side of wine-red and pale-green scree to Zingzing Bar. As you move from this desolate land, you approach Baralacha La, which will blow your mind. The "twelve-horned" pass forms the head of three valleys, the Bhaga, the Chandra, and the Yunan. By the time you get to Sarchu Serai you'll be ready for a night's rest, which is in a tent.
Lachlang La (5,059m) from Sarchu, the second highest pass on the highway, before descending to Pang at 4,500m. 3 km from Pang is the extraordinary Moray Plains (4,800m), a 45-kilometre-long plateau encircled by rolling hills and brilliant white Himalayan peaks.
The road starts its ascent from Dibring Camp to Tanglang La at a head-spinning 5,328m. This is the second highest pass in the world and by the time you reach there, your nose might well start bleeding slightly. All along the route you can see slogans of "Save Tibet" and "Free Tibet". Tibetans cherish their dream of freedom from Chinese domination.
The Gateway to Ladakh from Manali is Upshi. This is where the project for constructing and maintaining the highway, undertaken by the Indian army concludes. Considering the rugged terrain of the mighty Himalayas, maintaining this road itself is a Herculean task. Project Himank, as it is called, is amazing. One roadside board read, "If you want a road to the moon, please contact Himank". And we didn't find any exaggeration in it!
On the way from Upshi to Leh (40kms) there are high peaks crowned with village houses and gompas. Gompas are Buddhist monasteries, ranging from solid stone structures to fairly large temples.
“The first impression of Leh was that of a desert with green patches fed by the Indus. One of the first things that we noticed was the prayer wheels with ringing bells”, asserted Tarun.
As Leh is 3,505 m above sea level, most tourists experience a degree of altitude sickness. The symptoms are persistent headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, bleeding and blocked nose, and/or shortness of breath. It is because your body has not yet acclimatized to the comparative lack of oxygen. So the tourism department suggests you take complete rest for at least 48 hours. Since we couldn't afford so much rest, we had to make do with 24-hours rest, before venturing out.
Predominantly Buddist, Leh has 25% Muslim population.These are Ladakhi Muslims, with their own cultural heritage, quite distinct from elsewhere.
Ladakh is a trekkers' paradise. Foreigners move around with their backpacks, heading in different directions. Attractions in and around the town itself include the former palace and Namgyal Tsemo gompa.
The power situation in Leh is very bad. Much of the time, including the nights, there was no power at all. That forced us to have many candlelit dinners. Telephone connection is through satellite. In the evenings, it is very difficult to get connected by telephone to the rest of India. Since Leh is cut-off from the world for around 8 months each year, they have to get most of the necessary cargo (like building materials, etc) during the 3-months' season. The only solace is that they are connected by air almost throughout the year. But the villages on the Manali-Leh highway remain completely isolated for 8-9 months a year.
If only there were more time to explore Ladakh as it deserves to be. The spectacular Zanskar valley, the blue-green Pangong Tso (Lake), the 7,000m Nun peak (situated at the Indo-China border).
Khardungla Pass, the highest motorable road in the world (18,380 feet) was the end point that made their journey “worth going”.
SMUGGLING CONTINUES
Smuggling of alcohol continues to flow outRiver of bottled liquor has been flowing out Chandigarh illegally
Smuggling alcohol out of the city is turning into something like a fine art, with the UT police impounded a truck and recovered more than 180 bottles of Indian made foreign liquor at a check post at Sector 19, last month. The bottles were hidden beneath wooden panels fastened to the floor of the truck's cargo area with screws, while some cartons of liquor were also hidden in a covered niche behind the driver's cabin. The operation cell of the UT police arrested truck driver Ashok Kumar and his colleague Rashid Ali, both residents of Meerut. According to the sources, this was the first time that liquor was being smuggled in such a manner. An official said, "We had received reliable information that the truck was smuggling liquor, but it took us more than half an hour to find the contraband." The truck's engine and chassis numbers were also amiss.
Smuggling of liquor from the city to districts of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal has now become a matter of concern for the State Excise authorities. Official sources reveals that liquor from the city are being smuggled daily causing revenue loss of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh to the state exchequer every month.
A regular river of bottled liquor has been flowing out Chandigarh illegally. The last six months have seen Mohali police seizing 1.18 lakh liquor bottles that were being smuggled out of Chandigarh to states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi. This shows how hollow the claims of UT administration about stemming this flow have been. Police officials say elections scheduled in these states have caused the smuggling to rise leading to recovery of all the alcohol, as tax regimes there make liquor cost a lot more than it does in Chandigarh. “A truckload of liquor smuggled from the UT to states like Rajasthan or Gujarat can be sold for a profit of around Rs 4 lakh,” said a source. Another reason for smugglers preferring liquor from Chandigarh is that no limits have been imposed on the number of bottles one can buy in the city, said officials. This makes procuring large quantities easy. Moreover, because of high price of liquor in Himachal, , the Liquor mafia is expanding its network in these particular states. The State is losing Rs 60 to Rs 80 on the sale of one bottle of smuggled liquor in the state, in the form of duties.
In Punjab and Haryana a bottle of liquor is cheaper by Rs 60 to Rs 80 compared to one in Himachal. Smugglers buy liquor from these states and sell it in Himachal, where there are no checks.
Other than normal trucks, smugglers also use ambulances and water, oil and milk tankers as modes of transport, said a senior official. He added some of them also make special alterations to their vehicles, which allow them to conceal the contraband. Some times, smugglers also put bottles in apple cartons. All this has got the liquor suppliers in Punjab to demand uniform prices in Chandigarh and its surrounding areas. A leading liquor supplier from the city said until prices in other states are brought at par with Chandigarh, liquor smuggling would continue and keep causing losses to legal vendors. Cops said the smugglers showed preference for the Ramgarh-Derabassi via Nada road and Landran-Kharar road. To make smuggling foolproof, even the truck drivers are not told about the destination of their consignment. A separate vehicle escorts the loaded truck till it crosses the border to keep its driver informed about the police presence along the way, said cops. This was revealed when the police arrested a truck driver, who was taking an illegal consignment, at the Ramgarh-Derabassi road. Mohali SSP Jatinder Aulakh said that with increased vigil along the important entry and exit points, police had been able to curb the smuggling of liquor from Chandigarh. if the sources are to be believed, the smuggling of liquor has reached an alarming proportions with bootlegging making up for as much as 35 percent of sales recorded which was burning a big hole into the states revenues.
According to sources, 12,000 liters of smuggled was seized during the present financial year
Three city roads — Delhi Road, Tonk Road and Sikar Road, the most used ones to get access to and getting out of the city — pose a major challenge to the excise department as they are proving to be the gateways for smuggling of foreign liquor. The huge cache of foreign liquor seized throughout the state at regular intervals are only a tip of the iceberg and the menace still remains unchecked to a great extent. The police are facing difficulty in conducting regular checks not only of trucks and other heavy vehicles on the highways. With most of the operators are now days using Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) to smuggle in liquor, it has become almost impossible to check all such vehicles.
According to sources most of the smugglers obtain permits to transport liquor to Arunachal Pradesh but instead deliver the consignment to their clients in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and other states.
Talking about the routes, Tonk Road is used to deliver consignment in Madhya Pradesh, while all the consignments from Delhi and Haryana take Delhi Road and Sikar Road. Beawar plays as transition point as consignments to Pali, Jodhpur and Gujarat are diverted from here. The excise duty in Haryana and Punjab is much lower. Therefore, the liquor is smuggled to from there to other adjoining states. The salesmen take orders up to 40-50 cartons directly from the clients and deliver consignments privately without paying the duty. In most of the recent cases, the smugglers were associated with the industry and were well known to the manufacturers and clients. However, police sources claimed the liquor mafia operating from Haryana and Chandigarh was quite active on the GT Road. Gujarat is considered as a high-profit zone for the liquor mafia, said an official.
Every year, Punjab empties 12 crore bottles of “desi sharab”(Punjab Medium Liquor ), four crore bottles of IMFL and two crore bottles of beer.
No wonder, the revenue collection graph under the Excise Act goes up each year. It is expected to cross Rs 1,440 crore in the current year, against Rs 1,350 crore in 2005-06. It is interesting to note that illicit distillation has a parallel network, particularly in the three border districts of Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Ferozepore. As per the departments estimates, 30 per cent of the liquor trade there, is controlled by bootleggers and illicit distillers and smugglers. Punjab has always had problems with Haryana and Chandigarh. The excise duty on the IMFL is highest in Punjab, as compared to its neighbours. Punjab also levies a sales tax of 22 per cent, which gets the state another Rs 120 crore per annum. This makes IMFL retail price higher in Punjab. This leads to smuggling of liquor into Punjab, which adversely effects its trade.In fact, the smuggling-facilitating policy of Chandigarh, as an official of the Punjab Excise and Taxation department says, encourages daily consumers to buy cheap liquor in the union territory. The rate difference is over Rs 350 per case. Also, Chandigarh licencees on the border with Mohali quite often lower retail sale rates to the detriment of their Mohali counterparts. Despite the matter having been officially discussed with Chandigarh and Haryana and the minimum rates of IMFL, PML and beer determined, problems persist.The border between Punjab and Haryana is perennially porous to smuggling of liquor. Sources cite a typical case of problems created by PML and L-2 vends of Azimgarh (Kaithal) in Haryana. These liquor vends are located right within Samana city of Patiala district. It is common knowledge that politicians and bureaucrats have shares in liquor trade and provide protection. This sometimes poses problems in checking smuggling. Till June-end, 4,593 cases were registered and a large quantity of illicit and smuggled liquor and lahan was either seized or destroyed.
Sources say drivers and conductors of Punjab Roadways often act as a conduit to smuggle liquor from Chandigarh. At least four FIRs were registered, liquor seized and buses impounded by the Ludhiana excise staff. A monthly report on revenue earned from excise and sales tax is sent to the minister and the secretary concerned. The June report shows a revenue collection (all sources) of Rs 1,000 crore against Rs 972 crore in the corresponding month last year.
Steps to block illicit liquor smuggling
Apprehending a spurt in the smuggling of illicit liquor in the wake of the upcoming State Assembly elections, the Delhi police have carried out an exhaustive study on the modus operandi of 12 inter-State liquor mafia and prepared the profiles of over 125 bootleggers active across the city. An intensive drive to contain the menace would soon be launched.
As per a rough estimate, over 16 crore litres of illicit liquor is being pushed into Delhi every year. These consignments are being smuggled in from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and supplied mainly in jhuggi clusters across the Capital. The authorities' major concern is that most of these liquor consignments are spurious as they are being prepared by mixing flavours and colour agents in alcohol.
It was after the alleged deaths due to consumption of spurious liquor last year that the Delhi police clamped down heavily on this trade and a massive drive was launched to block supply lines and nab the perpetrators. The police found that country-made liquor of brands -- Shokeen, Hulchal, Murthal No.1, Jagadhari No. 1, Mastana No.1, Toofan, Moj and Piamana - were being pushed in.
During the drive, over 9,000 people were arrested and 3 lakh litres of pouches, 1 lakh litres of country-made liquor and around 77,700 Indian Made Foreign Liquor, seized last year. Till August 31 this year, the police have arrested 8,144 people and seized 75,000 litres of country-made liquor and unearthed several factories preparing spurious liquor.
One such factory being run by an alleged liquor mafia, Dalbir Singh, was unearthed at Bahadurgarh in Haryana in September last year, while another one was discovered by the Excise Department at Loni Border in Haryana in August 15 this year. The Delhi police have unearthed six ``bhuttis'' operating at Sarita Vihar in South Delhi and one at Alipur in North-West Delhi.
Considering the sensitivity of the matter, the Crime Branch of the Delhi police carried out a study on the illegal liquor trade to brief the district police on measures to be taken in this direction. The study identifies 12 big-time mafia, like Dalbir and Sikandar from Bhadurgarh in Haryana, Bitto from Sabzi Mandi, Kake and Virender from Haryana; and Rakesh from Rajasthan. Investigations revealed that these gangs were running in connivance with dreaded criminals.
The police found that the liquor mafia, Dalbir, had strong link with Krishan Pehalwan gang.
A study of the modus operandi followed by these gangs has revealed that the liquor consignments are first brought to border areas hidden in transport vehicles and escorted by armed musclemen. From there, they are downloaded into smaller vehicles to be transported further to local bootleggers.
The police have identified 15 entry points in South-West Delhi, seven in South Delhi, nine in New Delhi, 12 in East Delhi, three in North Delhi and 11 in North-West Delhi.
While the Delhi police have plans to launch an inter-State drive for a fortnight, vigorous operations would be carried carried out before the start of the festive season in October
NETWORKING OF A DIFFERENT KIND
NETWORKING OF A DIFFERENT KIND
Want to hire a maid or driver? Log on to the slew of new networking sites that serve special needs
LET’S say you are looking for a driver for your family. One way to go about it is to go to a placement agency but then you may not be convinced about his antecedents despite the agency’s guarantee. Enter BabaJob. com, where you create a posting, and add a few people you know on the site.
Now, assuming that one of your friends knows a driver, who’s actually has his trusted guard’s brother, you may consider hiring him. In the whole process, your friend and the driver will earn an incentive from the website too.
Welcome to the world of niche social networking sites, where you can share common interests and passions with your friends and relatives without being intimidated by the plethora of complex features and applications that sites like Orkut and Facebook offer.
Topics range from music to Bollywood, jobs to computer games.
Take Uhooroo. com for instance.
Started by two lovers of Indian classical music but with a techie background, Vinay A. Mahadik ( 29) and Bharath Madhusudan ( 26), the networking site allows musicians to improve themselves with ratings, comments and stats from its members and get discovered by the ‘ Indian music community’. “We don’t constrain ourselves to becoming a networking only site. But we do see several benefits of niche networks,” says Vinay, who grew up in Mumbai but is now based in San Francisco bay area.
Ankush Wadhwa ( 29), co- founder of BPOVoice. com, agrees. “ With high- branding budgets and strong financial backup, likes of Orkut and Facebook would remain the leaders of the pack for some more time to come in terms of numbers.
However, chances are that the future will belong to micro networks with intense end- user engagement,” he says.
So what do these niche networking sites have to offer? BabaJob. com provides a social networking job site for hiring cooks, maids, drivers, office helpers, and so on, in several cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
“Most people find jobs through people they know – namely their extended social network – and most employers – particularly when hiring employees that work in the home - would like to hire a person who someone they trust can vouch for. Babajob. com is an attempt to digitise this process to efficiently ‘ get the word out’ and provide an incentive for the folks in between an employer and employee,” says the 32- year old American CEO of BabaJob. com, Sean Blagsvedt, who spent eight years at Microsoft before founding the site last year.
Sean started with an investment of Rs 1 crore. Although the returns have been quite nominal so far, he feels the future is quite bright in the informal job sector. The site registers about 25,000 unique visitors a month.
However, not everyone is focusing on the monetary aspect right now.
Vinay of Uhooroo. com, for example, says: “ We are on a bootstrap budget, and we have kept our operational costs trivially low. We are focused on achieving scale, innovative features and strategies at this point,” he says. V INAY IS an amateur student of Indian Hindustani classical singing.
After a failed audition with a local Indian pop/ rock band, he wanted to know what his weaknesses ( and strengths) were and how he could improve. Thus was born Uhooroo. com. However, his partner, Bharath, though not a musician himself, comes from a lineage of Carnatic maestros – his great- grandfather was a court musician in the Mysore palace.
Similar is the background of BPOVoice. com. It was founded by Amit Saxena ( 27) and Ankush ( 29) in November 2007. Both have their professional roots in the BPO sector.
When they analysed Google and some Yahoo groups and even Orkut communities, they realised that most of them, apart from reuniting the related folks, were either full of spam messages or some mindless activity. “ That is where we saw the need to make use of our collective intelligence,” says Ankush.
While BPOVoice. com provides a platform for outsourcing professionals who can share their views, ask their queries and get to meet people from same industry with different profiles, there are several other niche sites catering to select audiences.
Criticat. com, for example, allows you to anonymously ask the current employees of the company that you are planning to join. Then there’s Chakpak. com for users who eat, drink and breathe Bollywood.
Nunook. com lets you to connect with new or old friends while playing your favourite strategy or board game.
With a sudden boom in the niche social networking segment, will they survive in the long run? Ankush feels only intense end- user engagement would be the key to success. “ People have had enough of scraps, friend requests or testimonials. In the times to come, only micro networks would be more successful,” he adds.
Want to hire a maid or driver? Log on to the slew of new networking sites that serve special needs
LET’S say you are looking for a driver for your family. One way to go about it is to go to a placement agency but then you may not be convinced about his antecedents despite the agency’s guarantee. Enter BabaJob. com, where you create a posting, and add a few people you know on the site.
Now, assuming that one of your friends knows a driver, who’s actually has his trusted guard’s brother, you may consider hiring him. In the whole process, your friend and the driver will earn an incentive from the website too.
Welcome to the world of niche social networking sites, where you can share common interests and passions with your friends and relatives without being intimidated by the plethora of complex features and applications that sites like Orkut and Facebook offer.
Topics range from music to Bollywood, jobs to computer games.
Take Uhooroo. com for instance.
Started by two lovers of Indian classical music but with a techie background, Vinay A. Mahadik ( 29) and Bharath Madhusudan ( 26), the networking site allows musicians to improve themselves with ratings, comments and stats from its members and get discovered by the ‘ Indian music community’. “We don’t constrain ourselves to becoming a networking only site. But we do see several benefits of niche networks,” says Vinay, who grew up in Mumbai but is now based in San Francisco bay area.
Ankush Wadhwa ( 29), co- founder of BPOVoice. com, agrees. “ With high- branding budgets and strong financial backup, likes of Orkut and Facebook would remain the leaders of the pack for some more time to come in terms of numbers.
However, chances are that the future will belong to micro networks with intense end- user engagement,” he says.
So what do these niche networking sites have to offer? BabaJob. com provides a social networking job site for hiring cooks, maids, drivers, office helpers, and so on, in several cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
“Most people find jobs through people they know – namely their extended social network – and most employers – particularly when hiring employees that work in the home - would like to hire a person who someone they trust can vouch for. Babajob. com is an attempt to digitise this process to efficiently ‘ get the word out’ and provide an incentive for the folks in between an employer and employee,” says the 32- year old American CEO of BabaJob. com, Sean Blagsvedt, who spent eight years at Microsoft before founding the site last year.
Sean started with an investment of Rs 1 crore. Although the returns have been quite nominal so far, he feels the future is quite bright in the informal job sector. The site registers about 25,000 unique visitors a month.
However, not everyone is focusing on the monetary aspect right now.
Vinay of Uhooroo. com, for example, says: “ We are on a bootstrap budget, and we have kept our operational costs trivially low. We are focused on achieving scale, innovative features and strategies at this point,” he says. V INAY IS an amateur student of Indian Hindustani classical singing.
After a failed audition with a local Indian pop/ rock band, he wanted to know what his weaknesses ( and strengths) were and how he could improve. Thus was born Uhooroo. com. However, his partner, Bharath, though not a musician himself, comes from a lineage of Carnatic maestros – his great- grandfather was a court musician in the Mysore palace.
Similar is the background of BPOVoice. com. It was founded by Amit Saxena ( 27) and Ankush ( 29) in November 2007. Both have their professional roots in the BPO sector.
When they analysed Google and some Yahoo groups and even Orkut communities, they realised that most of them, apart from reuniting the related folks, were either full of spam messages or some mindless activity. “ That is where we saw the need to make use of our collective intelligence,” says Ankush.
While BPOVoice. com provides a platform for outsourcing professionals who can share their views, ask their queries and get to meet people from same industry with different profiles, there are several other niche sites catering to select audiences.
Criticat. com, for example, allows you to anonymously ask the current employees of the company that you are planning to join. Then there’s Chakpak. com for users who eat, drink and breathe Bollywood.
Nunook. com lets you to connect with new or old friends while playing your favourite strategy or board game.
With a sudden boom in the niche social networking segment, will they survive in the long run? Ankush feels only intense end- user engagement would be the key to success. “ People have had enough of scraps, friend requests or testimonials. In the times to come, only micro networks would be more successful,” he adds.
THE BREAKING KNOTS
Dowry complaints pour and divorce cases doubles
While the institution of marriage has always been sacred to Indian family system the alarming rate of divorces and complaints of dowry demands have become major threat to Indian society in the changing social system.
The younger generation in their quest to seek independence is today breaking the mold and is becoming more intolerant to their partners. Many unhappy couples are now breaking the relationships biding farewell to social pressure of pulling on just for the sake of family honour and society.
Abusive relationships are one key reason for many splits, where a partner feels enough is enough. Violent and abusive partners are no longer being tolerated. Moreover, the families of the women are also becoming more aware. A large section of Indian women have become physically and financially self dependent where sexual relationship is also becoming a determining factor for happy married life.
Conversely, many unhappy Indian men are divorcing women due to stress, tension and different pressures. Extra-marital affairs and communication gaps also play a role in creating a chasm in married life.
The two views seemed to be rather divergent, coming from two strong-minded career women who have made a name for themselves in their respective fields.
Counselors are of the opinion that intolerance is one of the reasons for the rising number of divorce cases in the city. Working partners do not find enough time to spend together and the connection that binds two people together is often missing.
Many times couples seek divorce on flimsy grounds, which again is symptomatic of a lack of deeper understanding. Breakdown of the social fabric is also a culprit. Earlier, there were people in the family who were there to iron out any differences or friction between the partners. “Financial independence could be one of the factors but it does not mean that you lose your family life in the process”, opines a district court lawyer. Moreover, the day the Indian woman walked out of the home and into the workplace, everything changed — the dynamics of traditional family life and the position of women in our society. Divorce is still an urban phenomenon and has to do with expectations — women are not prepared to settle for less. With money comes assertiveness in marriage and true independence as well. The change in our society is based on the economic realities of a double family income.
An increasing trend of ex-parte divorces taking place in far off villages takes females completely unaware as the unscrupulous partner discover an easy route to get rid of an illiterate partner.
These unfortunate partners do not even get a summons from the court before they get the divorce order. An ex-parte divorce is a one-sided case where the judge passes the ruling if the other party does not appear twice in the court.
On an average around 1 marriage out of 100 marriages ends up into divorce in India. The divorce rate in India is quite low in the villages in India as compared to urban India. These days divorce rate among urban population is increasing day by day.
The latest figures collected from the courts in Delhi indicate a disturbing trend. Of the 50 petitions being filed everyday almost half relate to people from rural backgrounds where the groom takes dowry and after sometime files a divorce case on the unsuspecting bride.
Divorce cases are on an upswing and such ex-parte cases are adding to the numbers. In 2006-07, 6,283 divorce cases were filed in matrimonial courts - adding to the 5,677 earlier cases pending. Out of these, 5,236 cases were disposed of leaving 6,724 still undecided.
There may be a close connection between increasing divorce rates and the swelling numbers of cars in Indian cities, says a recent study by a Punjab-based voluntary group. A study says that divorce rates in urban India’s metros and smaller cities have more than trebled alongside an almost proportional rise in the number of cars, flyovers and expressways.
Delhi leads with the highest number of divorces, which have doubled to 9,000 over the past four years. This has been accompanied by nearly a 100 per cent in the population of registered motor vehicles in the capital. In Mumbai, which adds more than 80,000 vehicles annually, the report says, more than 40,000 of the 104,287 registered marriages between 2002 and 2007 ended up in court. And in the sparkling urban Indian showcase of Chandigarh, the divorce cases have gone up five times since 1997 alongside a proportion increase in the vehicular population which today counts up to nearly 600,000.
The judge of a matrimonial court said there used to be one to two cases in the 1960s, 100-200 in 1980s, about 1,000 in 1990s, but now it has increased to about 9,000 cases per annum.
Of the 1.3 lakh marriages registered every year, about 10,000 do not spell happily ever after for the couples involved — they end up filing for divorce.
The Delhi Crime Cell started a helpline in 2002, which is used quite often. The cell has so far received 13,061 calls; in 2006, it received approximately 15 calls a day. Of the 4,907 calls finally attended to by the cell, 71 per cent involved domestic violence, and only in about 4 per cent of the cases the police were able to broker a compromise. This suggests that increasingly women are speaking up against domestic violence. In 2007, the cell received 7,838 calls.
Complaints received at the CWC have shown a rising trend. In 2004, 2005, and 2006 and until November 2007, the cell received 8,349, 8,629, 9,879 and 9,166 complaints respectively. As far as the disposal of complaints was concerned, even though the formula of “compromise” was deployed in the majority of the cases, the number of cases registered was gradually going up.
There were 114 (2005), 137 (2006) and 132 (up to November 30, 2007) dowry deaths in Delhi. There were 658 (2005), 623 (2006) and 560 (2007) rape cases, while the cases of molestation for the same years were 762, 718 and 812 respectively, showing a substantial increase in such cases over the past one year.
According to NCRB data, the numbers of dowry deaths in the country during 2004, 2005 and 2006 was 7,026, 6,787 and 7,618 respectively. Amendments relating to the definition of dowry as also to increasing the penalty for dowry deaths under Section 304 B of the IPC are pending. In the years from 2002 to 2006, a total of 2,816, 2,684, 3,592, 3,204 and 4,504 cases respectively were registered under the Dowry Prohibition Act.
Data regarding dowry-linked suicides by women for the same period reveal that a total of 2,378, 2,347, 2,585, 2,305 and 2,276 women respectively committed suicide, with the largest numbers reported from Madhya Pradesh.
Mumbai by and large overtakes Delhi as the divorce capital of India in the next few months if the trend continues.At times, even 40 cases are registered in a day. According to the figures, more than 500 couples rush to the family court every month to seek divorce.
In the Chandigarh UT district courts the number of divorce cases filed in the local courts in the first four months of the year has gone up three times as compared to yesteryear.
In the last six years, a maximum of 54 divorce cases were filed in the local courts from January to April, but in 2008, the number in the first four months has touched 153.
Not only the number of divorce cases is on the upswing, another trend being witnessed is that couples, after having 15 to 20 years of living together, are moving the courts seeking legal separation. Reasons are many. While the older couples are citing incompatibility as the main reason for divorce, the younger couples are blaming it on cruelty, desertion and impotence.
Lawyers dealing with divorce cases hold that the lion’s share of such cases comes from upper middle class and it’s the working women who are usually the complainants in the case.
Parents of women who have been harassed not only want compensation from the court for their daughter but want her in-laws to face humiliation and harassment from the hands of police and court. We come across so many cases in which we ourselves try to persuade the parents to enter into a compromise and get rid of the litigation. But they flatly refuse the offer asking us rather to delay the litigation and suggest more ways of filing criminal cases against the husband and his parents tells an advocate.
While advocates blame it on the decreasing intolerance in the upcoming generation, the couples are ready to take any ground which fetches them quick legal separation.
Consider this: A local couple merely 13 days after their marriage approaching their counsel seeking divorce. The couple, belonging to an upper middle class was asked to remain separate for a year (a requisite under the law) to get divorce. The two got married on April 14 last year. On April 14, 2008 without wasting a single day, the two moved the court seeking separation. To ensure that no delay is caused in getting divorce, the girl, who was taking cruelty as the reason for separation readily agreed to convert her matrimonial dispute into a mutual divorce case when she was told that the normal case would take 4 to 5 years in Courts.
With population touching nearly 21 million, the divorce rate, in recent years, has increased tremendously in Haryana, witnessing about 5,000 divorces occurring every year. Haryana have recorded 150 per cent increase, out of which 75% of divorce cases are filed by youth in the 25-35 age group.
Punjab:
No official statistics is available on the status of “deserted” women in Himachal Pradesh despite the fact that studies by independent organizations show that the rate of desertion is very high in the State. Many rural women have been simply abandoned or “left” by their husbands, without any proper divorce proceedings.
The Women and Child Welfare Unit working in every district of Punjab approximately receives about a thousand complaints every year. Similarly in one of the districts of the state 1,247, dowry harassment complaints were filed. Actually, out of which only 123 cases were registered in 2006.
Going by the official data 58319 dowry deaths had occurred in 2005. As many as 134757 men were arrested, out of which 47828 cases reached the charge sheeted stage, where as 10491 cases were not charge sheeted on frivolous grounds.
It may be highlighted that the rate of men acquitted were actually four times that the rate of convicted. 5739 were convicted, where as 24217 were acquitted.
BOX:
Does law needs to be changed?
Send in your views at Hill Quest, SCO 96, Sector 40-C, Chandigarh.
Mail your views at:
Mandeep.puri@yahoo.co.in
CITY AUTO INDUSTRY
A place to walk in and drive outChandigarh Car Bazaar
Car buyers never had it so good, especially those on the lookout for second hand models. With the economy showing no sign of improvement and the price war between the key players in the car segment intensifying, it is finally the consumer who is having a small laugh.
Sudarshan Singh of Yamunagar, who had come to the Sector 7 car bazaar in a bus, was hoping to drive back in Maruti 800, 1991 model, for a mere Rs 60,000. “This is the time the second hand car buyers have their catch. The prices of almost all makes have come down by one-third,” he says. “I have already taken test drives in a couple of cars and will soon decide which one to buy.”
A majority of the 25 dealers in the car bazaar which operates only on Sundays are of the view that the cut in the prices of new cars has had a direct effect on the second hand car market. Every Sunday this market is abuzz with activity when the showrooms are closed. Over 500 spruced up cars of various makes and models are lined up in the parking lot, vying for the attention of prospective buyers who, egged on by the urge for social recognition and restrained by financial constraints, flock around them.
Chiranji Lal who has a business in Shimla had come hoping to buy a Ford Fiesta for less then Rs 2,00,000. “I can’t afford a new one and am looking for a Fiesta in good condition. Cars in this market can be bought for affordable prices.”
The dealers in the market, which has been in place since 1978, play the middleman between the seller and the buyer and are responsible for the whole transaction including the transfer of papers. “We charge two per cent commission from both the parties,” says a prominent dealer in the market. The dealers had to pay a weekly rent of Rs 200 to the Estate Office before it came under the Municipal Corporation. “The Corporation has now exempted us from paying the rent,” says another dealer.
According to the dealers, the ‘small Segment Cars’ is the most sought after brand. However, the others in demand are the Esteem, Ford Ikon, Tata Safari, Honda City-Civic, Lancer and the Skoda. Whereas the Maruti 800, 1996 and 2001 models, are priced between Rs 50,000 to 1 lakh , the Esteem 1996 VX model can be had for Rs 80,000, Skoda 2005 is available for anything between 5 to 5.75 lakh.
Sanjay Sharma and Ajay Sharma — both businessmen — were looking for a Skoda 2007 model. “We are willing to pay Rs 6 lakh provided the car is in good condition,” they said, adding that they would only buy a car with Chandigarh registration. “You can’t be sure of cars from outside the city.”
The seller is the worst affected by the slash in the prices of second hand cars. Sellers say that the resale value of cars is low. “People want to buy them cheap. Otherwise they normally prefer to buy new models,” says Ravinder Singh, a Panchkula-based businessmen.
Harvinder Singh was in the car bazaar to sell his Esteem but had not found a buyer willing to pay Rs 2 lakh. “Last Sunday also I had brought my car to the market but nobody offered the amount. I think the only way to sell it will be to further reduce the price,” he said adding, that he had booked a Mitsubishi Lancer and required money to buy it.
Car dealers point out that the drop in prices has actually caused a slump in the market. Few sellers are willing to sell their cars at throwaway prices. “People prefer to keep the cars with them rather than sell them for a mere, say Rs 60,000. Similarly, the buyers are reluctant to pay more for they feel buying a new car is a better deal than spending a fortune on a second hand car,” explains Mr Rajesh , a dealer.
One of the oldest dealers in the market, says he is able to make around 10 deals every Sunday. He says the method of the transactions in the bazaar is foolproof. To ensure that the car being sold is not a stolen one, the dealers explain that they only deal with sellers who are either known to them personally or whose identity is established. “If the seller is from outside the city we ask them to bring somebody who can stand surety for them and after verifying all the facts we make the deal,” he adds.
Buyers come from far off places like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and even Rajasthan. The reason cited by the dealers is that since most of the cars sold here are from Chandigarh itself, these are generally in good condition because the roads in the city are good.
How does a buyer ensure that the car he is buying is in good condition? Bahadur Singh, a driver, who had come to the car bazaar along with his boss says, “I have come here because my boss doesn’t know much about cars. The best way is to inspect the car properly. See that its pickup is good. The engine is in proper working order and also find out whether the car has been repaired or not.
Some buyers bring mechanics with them to ensure that they are not cheated. The transactions in the market are done very fast. The buyer gets delivery of the vehicle the same day. However, the complete transfer of papers and other formalities may take up to 10 days. If the car being sold is from outside the city, then the seller is required to get a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the registration authority concerned.
Some dealers, apart from playing the middleman, also buy cars through newspaper advertisements and then display these in the bazaar. “This involves a lot of risk since the prices of these cars are generally high and it becomes difficult to get buyers for them,” says a dealer. “Moreover, we have to spend money on doing up the car before it can be sold,” he adds.
The dealers issue to the buyer a delivery letter on the day of the transaction which means that from that day onwards the dealer is accountable for any fraud detected thereafter.
The dealers opine that business is never good in the months of March and April. “Buyers of second hand cars include farmers and employees. Where as the former are busy with the crops, the latter have to spend money on the admission of their children during these months”.
Dealers also attribute the slump in the market to the easy financing schemes available. People prefer to buy new cars since credit is easily available. The dealers have formed this association to ensure their credibility. The transactions in the bazaar are generally fair but whenever there is any fraud it is the dealer who suffers.
Car buyers never had it so good, especially those on the lookout for second hand models. With the economy showing no sign of improvement and the price war between the key players in the car segment intensifying, it is finally the consumer who is having a small laugh.
Sudarshan Singh of Yamunagar, who had come to the Sector 7 car bazaar in a bus, was hoping to drive back in Maruti 800, 1991 model, for a mere Rs 60,000. “This is the time the second hand car buyers have their catch. The prices of almost all makes have come down by one-third,” he says. “I have already taken test drives in a couple of cars and will soon decide which one to buy.”
A majority of the 25 dealers in the car bazaar which operates only on Sundays are of the view that the cut in the prices of new cars has had a direct effect on the second hand car market. Every Sunday this market is abuzz with activity when the showrooms are closed. Over 500 spruced up cars of various makes and models are lined up in the parking lot, vying for the attention of prospective buyers who, egged on by the urge for social recognition and restrained by financial constraints, flock around them.
Chiranji Lal who has a business in Shimla had come hoping to buy a Ford Fiesta for less then Rs 2,00,000. “I can’t afford a new one and am looking for a Fiesta in good condition. Cars in this market can be bought for affordable prices.”
The dealers in the market, which has been in place since 1978, play the middleman between the seller and the buyer and are responsible for the whole transaction including the transfer of papers. “We charge two per cent commission from both the parties,” says a prominent dealer in the market. The dealers had to pay a weekly rent of Rs 200 to the Estate Office before it came under the Municipal Corporation. “The Corporation has now exempted us from paying the rent,” says another dealer.
According to the dealers, the ‘small Segment Cars’ is the most sought after brand. However, the others in demand are the Esteem, Ford Ikon, Tata Safari, Honda City-Civic, Lancer and the Skoda. Whereas the Maruti 800, 1996 and 2001 models, are priced between Rs 50,000 to 1 lakh , the Esteem 1996 VX model can be had for Rs 80,000, Skoda 2005 is available for anything between 5 to 5.75 lakh.
Sanjay Sharma and Ajay Sharma — both businessmen — were looking for a Skoda 2007 model. “We are willing to pay Rs 6 lakh provided the car is in good condition,” they said, adding that they would only buy a car with Chandigarh registration. “You can’t be sure of cars from outside the city.”
The seller is the worst affected by the slash in the prices of second hand cars. Sellers say that the resale value of cars is low. “People want to buy them cheap. Otherwise they normally prefer to buy new models,” says Ravinder Singh, a Panchkula-based businessmen.
Harvinder Singh was in the car bazaar to sell his Esteem but had not found a buyer willing to pay Rs 2 lakh. “Last Sunday also I had brought my car to the market but nobody offered the amount. I think the only way to sell it will be to further reduce the price,” he said adding, that he had booked a Mitsubishi Lancer and required money to buy it.
Car dealers point out that the drop in prices has actually caused a slump in the market. Few sellers are willing to sell their cars at throwaway prices. “People prefer to keep the cars with them rather than sell them for a mere, say Rs 60,000. Similarly, the buyers are reluctant to pay more for they feel buying a new car is a better deal than spending a fortune on a second hand car,” explains Mr Rajesh , a dealer.
One of the oldest dealers in the market, says he is able to make around 10 deals every Sunday. He says the method of the transactions in the bazaar is foolproof. To ensure that the car being sold is not a stolen one, the dealers explain that they only deal with sellers who are either known to them personally or whose identity is established. “If the seller is from outside the city we ask them to bring somebody who can stand surety for them and after verifying all the facts we make the deal,” he adds.
Buyers come from far off places like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and even Rajasthan. The reason cited by the dealers is that since most of the cars sold here are from Chandigarh itself, these are generally in good condition because the roads in the city are good.
How does a buyer ensure that the car he is buying is in good condition? Bahadur Singh, a driver, who had come to the car bazaar along with his boss says, “I have come here because my boss doesn’t know much about cars. The best way is to inspect the car properly. See that its pickup is good. The engine is in proper working order and also find out whether the car has been repaired or not.
Some buyers bring mechanics with them to ensure that they are not cheated. The transactions in the market are done very fast. The buyer gets delivery of the vehicle the same day. However, the complete transfer of papers and other formalities may take up to 10 days. If the car being sold is from outside the city, then the seller is required to get a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the registration authority concerned.
Some dealers, apart from playing the middleman, also buy cars through newspaper advertisements and then display these in the bazaar. “This involves a lot of risk since the prices of these cars are generally high and it becomes difficult to get buyers for them,” says a dealer. “Moreover, we have to spend money on doing up the car before it can be sold,” he adds.
The dealers issue to the buyer a delivery letter on the day of the transaction which means that from that day onwards the dealer is accountable for any fraud detected thereafter.
The dealers opine that business is never good in the months of March and April. “Buyers of second hand cars include farmers and employees. Where as the former are busy with the crops, the latter have to spend money on the admission of their children during these months”.
Dealers also attribute the slump in the market to the easy financing schemes available. People prefer to buy new cars since credit is easily available. The dealers have formed this association to ensure their credibility. The transactions in the bazaar are generally fair but whenever there is any fraud it is the dealer who suffers.
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