She was a citizen, a woman and a teacher!

Akali Dal representative slapped her 
It shows, party’s arrogance, insensitivity, brutality:PPP
Chandigarh// December 5, 2011//Bureau Report: 

The disgraceful incident of Akali Sarpanch manhandling a lady teacher, epitomizes all that is wrong with Shiromani Akali Dal. It shows, party’s arrogance, insensitivity, brutality, rudeness and cowardice. It is a matter of absolute shame that the Akali Dal representative slapped someone who deserved respect on three counts i.e. she was a citizen, a woman and a teacher!.
Worst, it happened in front of the police force and other employees of the government who stood by doing nothing. Even after many hours of the incident, the government did not take any action. The fact, that the Sarpanch had the impudence to file a police complaint against the teacher and the government has not taken any action against him, shows that there is no remorse on either side.

The so called anger of the manhandler is beyond comprehension. The lady teacher was merely expressing her anger against patently unjust policies of the government. As a citizen she is entitled to do that. In fact, citizens inability to reach the government and express their grievances leads to such situations, where they are left with no options but with a slim hope that of conveying their demands when they meet their reprsentatives during the latter’s public appearances. But there too, the so called leaders are surrounded by a battery of police personnel who ruthless push and shove everyone away.

The PPP strongly condemns the incident and calls for strictest possible action against the sarpanch and the police officials on duty who kept on watching the whole incident without intervening even when the lady was being brutally thrashed. What is also staggering is the silence of Mrs Harsimrat Kaur Badal. The incident happened in her public appearance and as a woman, a Member Parliament and as a member of the ruling family of the state, she should have empathized with the gross injustice and inhumanity involved in this incident. Instead of taking prompt, stern and exemplary action, she has chosen to observe perfect silence.

A government and leaders, who cannot show respect and dignity to its citizens, has no right to represent its people.

Sanjha Morcha assured again

Shaheed Bhagat Singh rozgar yojna
Neta Ji Subhash Chander Bose health insurance 
Manpreet Singh Badal promised many more benefits

File photo:Seven Seas News

So as to ameliorate the living conditions of those inflicted with life threatening diseases like diabetes and cancer, Manpreet Singh Badal, President of People's Party of Punjab (PPP) today promised to offer an insurance of three lakh rupees. 
Addressing a rally at Ropar on Sunday, the PPP President said that if voted to power, the PPP will offer insurance of upto three lakh rupees for those belonging to ecnomically weaker section, suffering from such dreaded diseases. Manpreet said that it's government will spend 200 crores on this project which will be termed as "Netaji Subhash Chander Bose" health insurance scheme.
Manpreet added that certain belts of Punjab, especially Malwa area has Punjabis suffering from water borne diseases including cancer. As a fallout of contaminated water, people living in this area are suffering from cancer and other life threatening diseases.
Manpreet said that the PPP will not only offer insurance upto three lakhs but also ensure that the menace of contaminated water is removed from Punjab. This is not the first scheme that Manpreet has promised to make available for those belonging to economically challenged sections.
Manpreet in the recent past had promised to offer one lakh jobs for youths each year under the Shaheed Bhagat Singh rozgar yojna. Also, he had promised that PPP will get a fixed deposit of Rs 5,000 in the name of a newly born girl child in Punjab. The fixed deposit will be made available after twenty years.
Manpreet SIngh Badal said that if Punjab has to rise, the people living in the Punjab and those who remain deprived from basic amenities owing to financial constraints need to be empowered and made self dependent.
He said that not only jobs will be made availabe to youths but also PPP's endeavour will be to make the public independent by providing small business opportunities for Punjabis.
He added that PPP will also guarantee that the Police force serves the public and is not reduced to a political tool.

Special tribute to those who serve

This holiday season the White House is offering a special tribute to those who serve. According to Elaine Sanchez of American Forces Press Service in a report from Washington special arrangements have been made for this holidays season. 
 Among the White House's 37 Christmas trees scattered along the visitor tour route are two special Christmas trees intended to honor service members and their families.

Some of those cards are inspiring, Obama said, sharing one of the written messages. Five children in Medical Lake, Wash., wrote, "No matter how many Christmases our dad misses, he makes every Christmas special and we love him." 

The military families also toured holiday decorations in several of the White House's ornate rooms. A big attraction was the White House gingerbread house, which is made up of 400 pounds of gingerbread, white chocolate and marzipan. But Obama's dog, Bo, upstaged even the gingerbread house. Scattered throughout the tour route are five Bo topiaries made of various materials such as felt, buttons, pom-poms, candy, and even trash bags.
As the children did their crafts, they had the opportunity to compare the fake first dogs with the real deal when the first lady brought Bo to the State Dining Room for a visit.

The official White House Christmas tree � a towering 18-foot balsam fir in the Blue Room � is a salute to service members of all branches. The tree is decorated with holiday cards created by military children around the world; service medals, badges and patches; and military images adorned with pinecone frames and ribbons.

Ceramic gold star ornaments on a Gold Star Christmas tree serve as reminders of families of the fallen at the White House in Washington, D.C., Nov. 30, 2011. The tree, which is adorned with gold star ornaments and framed Purple Heart medals, graces the visitor's entrance on the East Wing landing. DOD photo by Elaine Sanchez 

U.S. Central Command to Lead Pakistan Investigation

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2011 - U.S. Central Command will take the lead in investigating the Nov. 26 cross-border attack that killed 24 soldiers in Pakistan, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today.
Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force and of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, requested that Centcom lead this review, the press secretary said.
"ISAF did as you would expect -- assign an initial assessment team to look into the incident," Little said, adding that more information from Centcom "will probably be forthcoming later today."
While Centcom has not yet officially announced its role in the investigation, the press secretary said, "I think you can expect the investigation to look at the full range of factors that contributed to this tragedy and it will be broad, expansive and thorough."
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta offered their deepest condolences for the loss of life in a joint statement issued over the weekend and said they are closely monitoring reports of the incident.
"The secretary has been monitoring these events very closely with military leadership in Afghanistan and here in the United States," Little said, but has not yet reached out the Pakistani officials.
Clinton, Allen and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, each called their Pakistani counterparts, Little added, noting that Dempsey and Allen each spoke with Pakistan army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.
Cameron P. Munter, U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, also met with Pakistani government officials in Islamabad.
"The Pakistani government knows our position," Little said, "and that is that we do regret the loss of life in this incident and we are investigating it."
Despite increasing conflicts between the United States and Pakistan, including one that followed the U.S. raid on Abbottabad in May that killed Osama bin Laden, Little said, "the focus now is on continuing to engage with our Pakistani counterparts over time, even during difficult periods."
The Defense Department, he added, has "been working very hard for some time to address areas of disagreement with the Pakistanis. We understand there are deep concerns over the incident this weekend and we'll continue to try to engage closely with our Pakistani counterparts."
The relationship is important for the United States, the press secretary added, "and we intend to continue to make that clear to the government of Pakistan."
A strong military relationship with Pakistan is in both countries' interests and in the interests of peace and stability of the region, he added.
"That's where we hope to go in the future," Little said.
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Related Sites:
U.S. Central Command
Related Articles:
Clinton, Panetta Monitor Reports of Pakistan Border Incident

First Lady Kicks Off Holiday Season With Military Families

White House is offering a special tribute 

By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2011 - In a gesture of gratitude for their service and sacrifice, First Lady Michelle Obama today invited military families � including families of the military fallen -- to be among the first to see the White House decked out for this year's holiday season.

First Lady Michelle Obama invites military children to decorate cookies and create ornaments with her during a special holiday event at the White House in Washington, D.C., Nov. 30, 2011. The first lady invited military families, including families of the fallen, to be among the first to view the White House's holiday decorations this year. By the first lady's side is Jennifer Jackman of the American Gold Star Mothers. DOD photo by Elaine Sanchez

"I know for some of you this holiday season will be tough," the first lady said. "But hopefully it's times like this that make you know that you live in a grateful nation, and that we are just so inspired by your sacrifice."This holiday season, she said, the White House is offering a special tribute to those who serve. Among the White House's 37 Christmas trees scattered along the visitor tour route are two special Christmas trees intended to honor service members and their families.
The official White House Christmas tree � a towering 18-foot balsam fir in the Blue Room � is a salute to service members of all branches. The tree is decorated with holiday cards created by military children around the world; service medals, badges and patches; and military images adorned with pinecone frames and ribbons.
Some of those cards are inspiring, Obama said, sharing one of the written messages. Five children in Medical Lake, Wash., wrote, "No matter how many Christmases our dad misses, he makes every Christmas special and we love him."
In another card is a more matter-of-fact message, the first lady noted. "Hey Dad, it's cool you're in Italy. So when are you coming back, because I already know what I want for Christmas."
A Gold Star Christmas tree, bright with gold star ornaments and framed Purple Heart medals, graces the visitor's entrance on the East Wing landing. The tree was decorated by families of military fallen and features photos of fallen heroes and messages from their loved ones.
A mom from Anchorage, Alaska, wrote this note to her son, Obama said: "I love and miss you, son. Thank you for all of the great memories we shared."
The tree is surrounded with photos and stories from more than 800 Gold Star families, the first lady noted. "Each one showcases the strength and resilience that characterizes our Gold Star families," she said.
In the coming weeks, visitors to the White House will be able to write notes to service members to express their gratitude, and Gold Star families will be invited to inscribe a ceramic gold star ornament with a personalized note.
These families deserve the gratitude of a thankful nation, the first lady said, particularly in light of the sacrifices they make each day. Spouses are raising kids alone while their loved ones are deployed and their children are taking on extra responsibilities to help. And she's been inspired, she said, by the survivors of the fallen who continue to give back to their communities.
Americans need to hear these stories, she said, and to understand what it's like to be a military family.
The Joining Forces campaign is intended to do just that, she said. The first lady and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, started the initiative earlier this year to raise awareness of military families' sacrifices and to rally Americans around them.
"We wanted to make sure that never again would someone have to ask the question: What is a Gold Star family and what does that sacrifice mean," she said. "We all should know."
Obama said that's one of the reasons the troops and their families are highlighted at the White House this holiday season.
The first lady wrapped up with her own message of gratitude.
"I want to thank all of the Gold Star families for your enduring strength and commitment to this country," she said. "And I want to thank all of the troops, all of our veterans, all of our military families, whose service and sacrifice inspires us all."
The first lady then invited the military children lining the front rows to decorate holiday cookies and ornaments with her in the State Dining Room. She iced cookies alongside them as she praised their festive creations.
The military families also toured holiday decorations in several of the White House's ornate rooms. A big attraction was the White House gingerbread house, which is made up of 400 pounds of gingerbread, white chocolate and marzipan. But Obama's dog, Bo, upstaged even the gingerbread house. Scattered throughout the tour route are five Bo topiaries made of various materials such as felt, buttons, pom-poms, candy, and even trash bags.
As the children did their crafts, they had the opportunity to compare the fake first dogs with the real deal when the first lady brought Bo to the State Dining Room for a visit.
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Navy Officer Donates Marrow, Saves Life

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Jared Marquis

Defense Information School

FORT MEADE, Md., Dec. 1, 2011 - During the holidays, people all over the country spend time with family, eating, watching football and enjoying the opportunity to reflect and give back.

Navy Lt. Cmdr. John T. Schofield goes through final preparations for bone marrow transplant surgery at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C., Nov. 21, 2011. Schofield's bone marrow matches that of a seriously ill 57-year-old patient. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Russ Scalf

Navy Lt. Cmdr. John T. Schofield, a 15-year military veteran, is doing much the same thing, save one difference. Three days before Thanksgiving, Schofield was in a hospital undergoing a procedure to extract his bone marrow.

While the procedure usually takes no more than two hours, Schofield's path toward becoming a bone marrow donor started more than two years ago.

In July 2009, Schofield was stationed aboard the Navy's newest aircraft carrier, USS George H.W. Bush. The ship's senior medical officer asked him to market a marrow-donor registration drive for the C.W. Bill Young Department of Defense Marrow Donor Program.

The goal was to add to the more than 622,000 people already in the system. Already a regular donor of blood and platelets, Schofield not only was willing to help publicize the event, he also registered. Nearly three years and two moves later, the instructor and Navy element commander at the Defense Information School here got the call he never expected.

"They called me early last month and told me I had been identified as a potential match for someone in need of a bone-marrow donation," he said.

Until that call, Schofield said, he had forgotten he had registered in the system. But that did not change his willingness to give.

"From the second I received that call two and a half months ago until this very moment, it has been hard for me to think of anything else," the Salt Lake City native said.

Schofield said donating a part of himself to someone for a lifesaving procedure is one of the most meaningful things he has done. He knew from the moment he got that phone call he wanted to donate, he added, and his only fear was not being able to. This fear followed him throughout the next couple of phases of the process.

Being matched in the database does not guarantee a donor's marrow will work, Schofield explained. It takes several more tests before the donor is identified as both physically and medically capable of donating. Just getting a preliminary match to a nonrelative is a one in a million chance, said Schofield. It was still only a one in a hundred chance he would actually be able to donate.

But after all the follow-up tests, Schofield got the news he hoped for. The donation was a go.

A month passed from the time he got the first phone call to the time he went into the operating room. That didn't give Schofield much time to worry, but he didn't do a lot of worrying anyway, he said. His wife and children were a different story.

Susan Schofield, who also is on the registry, said she was concerned at first, because she wasn't really sure what was involved. But, she added, her husband put her at ease with his assurances that the surgery was not dangerous and he would be fine.

With his wife's fears calmed, it was time to focus on the children -- three boys, ages 3, 5 and 7 -- who were not particularly aware of what was taking place, Schofield said.

"They knew daddy was going to the hospital, and would be home in a couple of days," Susan said.

"The only question they really had was, 'Will it hurt?'" Schofield said. "Once I assured them it wouldn't, they were fine."

In addition to easing his family's concerns, Schofield used the opportunity to teach his kids it is important to help out those in need.

"I feel that this transplant sets a good example for my kids in that I want them to see at a very early age that kindness and service are very good things," he said. "It doesn't take a lot of work. ... Just being available and being willing is sometimes all it takes to save someone's life."

That lesson, and motivating people to do their part, is why Schofield volunteered for the registry. Now that he is out of the hospital, he said, he is humbled by all the appreciation he received from the doctors and nurses following the surgery. But as much as he appreciates it, he said, it was not necessary.

Schofield said the 57-year old patient needed his marrow for a chance at life. There never really was a choice for him, he said.

"[It] doesn't seem to me that it's something you should be thanked for," Schofield said. "It is something you should do."

Post-surgery, Schofield's goal is to raise awareness for the marrow-donor program.

"The process is so simple," he said. "It took mere minutes to register. There is nothing about this that was difficult." And the pain, said Schofield, who spent one night in the hospital, was minimal.

"At its worst, the pain was no more than what I would have after a day spent raking leaves," he said. The average recovery time is about two weeks, but Schofield said he is able to do pretty much everything he could do before the surgery.

Schofield added that he hopes more people come forward to volunteer their marrow. The experience has affected him profoundly, he said.

"When you break it down, you are availing yourself to someone for a lifesaving procedure," Schofield said. "I really don't think I'll have that opportunity to do something that special again."

For her part, Susan said the experience has motivated her to be a donor. She already was on the registry, but after experiencing the process through her husband, she said, she hopes to get the same call. Her aunt was a marrow donor recipient, she noted, but they were never able to find a complete match, and she hopes to be that complete match for someone else.

Related Sites:
C.W. Bill Young Department of Defense Marrow Donor Program 

Left rally again warned

Decision to allow FDI will further jeopardize economy
Rally also condemned Pb Govt’s welcome to the FDI  

Ludhiana//Kalyani Singh and Rector Kathuria// December 1, 2011

The district unit of Communist Party of India (CPI)  and CPI (M) held a rally at the Railway Station Ludhiana followed by demonstration to the Clock Tower Chowk to protest against the decision of the union cabinet to allow 51% FDI in retail as it is going to hit hard the small producer, trader as well as the consumer. This has been done at a time when the Parliament is in session and this decision has been taken without taking the Parliament into confidence. This is in complete violation of democratic principles. The reaction is obvious as not only the opposition or the UPA allies but a section of the congressmen have also opposed the decision. Various speakers addressing the rally warned that as per the latest reports the GDP  growth rate has further gone down belying all the claims of economic growth by the government; and rupee is continuously falling to its lowest ever. The decision to allow FDI in multi brand retail sector will further jeopardize the economy of our country. The speakers also condemned the Punjab Government’s welcome to the FDI when most of the states have opposed it. The international experience has shown that with the entry of these big players in the retail business the small businessman is hit hard as it is unable to compete with the big fish. Their sales have gone down in all such areas around the globe. In India 33-60% of the traditional fruit and vegetable retailers reported 15-30% decline in footfalls, 10-30% decline in sales and 20-30% decline in incomes across the cities of Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh, the largest impact being in Bangalore, which is one of the most supermarket penetrated cities in India.

There is also loss of jobs. The experience in Vietnam has shown that the supermarket expansion also leads to employment loss in the value chain as compared to 18 jobs created by a street vendor, 10 by a traditional retailer and eight by a shop vendor in Vietnam, a supermarket like Big C needed just four persons for the same volume of produce handled.

The small farmers will be hit as supermarkets will buy only ‘A ‘grade produce, that too on open market-based prices, and only a part of the output of farmers, who end up going to an APMC mandi to dispose of the remaining/rejected produce. Moreover there will be no commitment to buy regularly as they do not want to share the risk of growers. What is the guarantee that they will buy from the farmer at prices higher than they are being offered to them now?

So far as the role of FDI-driven food supermarkets in containing food inflation is concerned, the evidence from Latin American (Mexico, Nicaragua, Argentina), African (Kenya, Madagascar) and Asian countries (Thailand, Vietnam, India) shows that the supermarket prices for fruits and vegetables and other basic foods were higher than those in traditional markets. Even if it is accepted that supermarkets are able to offer lower prices, the low-income households may face higher food prices because of reasons of distance from supermarkets, and higher prices charged by supermarkets in low-income areas. How will these super markets solve the problem of food security and security of livelihood of the peasants of our country the speakers asked?

Those who addressed the rally include Com Kartar Singh Bowani-Distrtict Secretary CPI, Com. Sukhwinder Sekhon-Secretary CPI(M), Dr Arun Mitra, Com O P Mehta – City Secretary, Com Jatinder Pal singh, Com Jagdish, Com Gulzar Gorea, Com Ramesh Ratan, Com. Vijay Kumar, Com Gurnam Sidhu, Com  Gurnam Gill, Com.Mewa Singh Raikot, Com Raghbir Singh Venipal, Com Tersem Jodhan, Sukhminder Singh, Ragbir Singh, Dev Raj, Amarjit Mattu, Sudey Singh, Manjit Singh, Mahinder Parsad Dubey