Residents near the Sachkhand road have been complaining of foul smell emanating from the illegal garbage dump but the administration seems to be looking the other way. The garbage has been seen scattered in the middle of the road since years together. The garbage dump site claimed by the Nagar Council is not walled. The filth often falls in the nearby Kasur Nullah which adds to the trouble of the residents. This road was the lifeline of the residents and the people of the nearby villages as it leads to Darbar Sahib, Tarn Taran, and Gurdwara Guru Ka Khooh. Tarn Taran city’s cremation ground too was situated on the same road. The residents said they had approached the SDM many a times as the office of the SDM too was situated at a stone’s throw away. But all their requests have fallen on deaf ears. The dump had become a paradise for the stray animals who were seen taking feed from the garbage which adds more to the sorrows of the residents. They have requested for shifting the illegal garbage dump but there was no one to redress their grievance.

Humble background no deterrent for Paras

Paras Singh, a Class IX student of Shaheed Niab Subedar Paramjit Singh Senior Secondary School, Vein Poin, had cleared the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship examination in the session 2020-2021 with a remarkable performance. He would be given scholarship upto Class XII under a Union government scheme. Parveen Kumari, principal of the school, said all formalities had been cleared and the required record had been sent to the proper authorities. The principal said as he had scored well in science and social science, she instructed teachers of concerned subjects to pay special attention to Paras Singh. He was given extra coaching for the NMMS examination. “The teachers encouraged Paras to score well,” said the principal. “Paras Singh is a shining star for our school and inspiration to other students. He is very hardworking, well-disciplined and a brilliant student,” said the principal. His father is a daily wager and mother a housewife. At times, his family also has to live from hands to mouth.

A political train missed 40 years back

Manjinder Singh Behla, (now an octogenarian) had bid goodbye to SAD in the 1977 election, but has been trying to make inroads into politics for the past more than 40 years. Behla, belonging to a well-off Jat Sikh family, came into active politics after the death of his elder brother Harjinder Singh Behla in 1967. Few days after the completion of the election process in 1967, Harjinder Singh Behla was going to Chandigarh to take part in the first session of Vidhan Sabha in which the SAD was to prove its majority in the session when he met with an accident. The accident proved fatal for Harjinder Singh Behla who died few days after the accident. Manjinder Singh Behla, younger brother of Harjinder Singh, who was just 27-year-old succeeded his brother as he was given SAD ticket for the by-election held in 1967. He managed to cash in the sympathy wave and defeated his rival Congress candidate Dilbag Singh Dalake with a margin of 14,201 votes. His elder brother Harjinder Singh had defeated Congress candidate Narain Singh Shahbazpuri and won with a margin of just 3,885 votes. In the election of 1972, Manjinder Singh Behla lost to Congress candidate Dilbag Singh Dalake with a margin of 1,877 votes. In the election of 1977, after the lifting of emergency, Manjinder Singh Behla was denied SAD ticket but he came into the fray as an independent candidate and won in the triangular contest with a margin of 1,069 votes. SAD Candidate Prem Singh Lalpura and Congress candidate Dilbag Singh Dalake lost the election. After the election of 1977, Manjinder Singh Behla lost his political career forever. SAD had closed its doors permanently for Behla since 1977 election. He tried to make political inroads but failed. In 1999, when Captain Amarinder Singh was the PPCC President, he joined Congress party as he was given assurance for the party ticket by Captain Amarinder Singh in the 2002 election but Congress ignored him. He was still waiting to come back in the active politics but no political party, even SAD (Samyukta) was not ready to approach him.

— Contributed by Gurbaxpuri