Punjab CM stops unscheduled, interacts with auto-rickshaw drivers
Darpan News Desk IANS, 22 Nov, 2021 12:19 PM
Ludhiana, Nov 22 (IANS) Auto-rickshaw drivers in Punjab's industrial town Ludhiana on Monday received an unusual guest in the form of Chief Minister Charanjit Channi, who halted unscheduled on his way to the grain market to listen to their problems.
Taken by surprise, the drivers were elated as for the first time in the recent past any Chief Minister had came to them that too for listening their grievances in a 'chaupal' (meeting).
The Chief Minister, accompanying President of Punjab Congress, Navjot Sidhu, sat on a wooden bench amongst the auto rickshaw owners and interacted with them.
In his impeccable style, Chief Minister Channi relished the tea offered by them by dipping a 'mathi' in glass of tea.
During the interaction, the Chief Minister assured them to consider their genuine demands sympathetically. Due to huge rush of the auto rickshaw drivers, the Chief Minister then stood on the stool and addressed the gathering.
Striking an emotional chord, Channi said, during his initial days, he himself had driven an auto-rickshaw. Winning the hearts of the auto-rickshaw drivers, he announced that new registration certificates will be issued soon to them for preventing their harassment.
Channi also announced that all challans which are pending will be waived off. He asked the auto-rickshaw drivers to follow traffic rules and work honestly.
He also acceded to the demand of auto-rickshaw owners to draw a yellow line exclusively for plying of the auto-rickshaws.
Fate was kind to him - initially. The eighth son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and that too from a minor wife, Duleep Singh became Maharaja of the Punjab when he was just five years old.
As the exorbitant prices of onions bring tears to the eyes of Indians, social media has been abuzz with memes highlighting the reactions of common people to the situation.
The Washington Post has hired Indian journalist Rana Ayyub as its latest contributing writer to the Global Opinions section, the Jeff Bezos-owned company announced on Thursday.
"The new species was named "Thackeray's cat snake'' (scientific name "Boiga thackerayi'') for researcher Tejas Thackeray for his contribution to the discovery," Mr Giri said.
Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations, Jaishankar, to a question on the "rise of politicised Hindu nationalism" in India, said he did not agree with the analysis of the questioner.
