Latest news with #Namit
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Love & longing: Pahalgam attack disrupts cross-border family reunions, weddings
1 2 Jaipur: The Suthar family from Tharparkar, Pakistan, and settled in Jodhpur, is gripped with anxiety as they follow developments on Indian and Pakistani news channels via YouTube in the wake of the terror attack in Pahalgam. As tensions between India and Pakistan soar, families like the Suthars find their long-awaited reunions and weddings postponed, perhaps indefinitely. For 55-year-old Prakash Suthar (name changed), who migrated to India with his wife and children in 2012, the heartbreak is personal. His ailing 82-year-old father, finally granted a visa to visit India after 3 years, was to arrive on April 26, but that visit had to be called off. "I imagined my father sitting in my Indian home, sharing stories and blessing my children. It's all over now," Prakash said, his voice breaking. After living as refugees for eight years, Prakash received Indian citizenship in 2020. His wife and two children were granted citizenship in 2022. Trained as an agriculture engineer in Pakistan, he now runs a handicraft shop at Jodhpur, since his degree is not recognised in India. The emotional weight is heavier on his older son, Namit (name changed), 30, whose decade-old engagement now seems like a story suspended in time. Engaged to his childhood friend, Dr Reena (name changed), also from Tharparkar, Namit has been trying wed for 3 years. "We thought we would find a way, but now things look difficult," Namit said. The Suthar community in Pakistan is close-knit, with around 15,000 to 18,000 people. "I haven't seen my fiancée in years. If she were living in the US or UK, we would be married by now," Namit added. Now an Indian citizen, Namit restarted his visa application for Pakistan, but under the circumstances, is not hopeful. The couple are now considering Nepal as a possible neutral ground to formalise their long-delayed wedding. Across the border, Reena waits, watching the same news on YouTube, clinging to hope. "My passport has been with the Indian High Commission for months. Every day I pray for that one message saying my visa is approved. Since Pahalgam, I've stopped counting days. I've left it to God," she told TOI over phone.
Hindustan Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Illegal hoardings mar West constituency ahead of bypoll
As the bypoll for the Ludhiana West constituency draws near, the city has been flooded with unauthorised hoardings and banners by various political parties, raising serious concerns over blatant violations of norms and lack of enforcement by the civic authority. Locals complain that these hoardings not only deface the city but have also covered critical sign boards, leading to confusion among commuters. 'Important traffic signs are hidden under layers of posters and banners. It's becoming increasingly difficult to navigate, especially for outsiders,' said Namit, a resident of BRS Nagar. An official of the municipal corporation (MC), on condition of anonymity, admitted that despite clear provisions under the law, no action has been taken due to political pressure. 'We have been told to turn a blind eye until elections are over,' the official revealed. The worst-affected areas include Pakhowal Road, BRS Nagar, Jawahar Nagar Camp, Haibowal, Civil Lines, Dugri, Ghumar Mandi, and Chandan Nagar. Even the pillars of the elevated road along Ferozepur Road are plastered with illegal banners, leaving residents fuming over the deteriorating civic sense ahead of the elections. According to the Punjab Municipal Outdoor Advertisement Policy, 2018, no person is allowed to erect or display a hoarding, banner, poster, or billboard without prior permission from the civic body. Yet, the rules seem to be openly flouted, with political parties treating public spaces, residential colonies, and marketplaces as their private advertising boards. Earlier, the MC had claimed that teams had been deployed across the city to monitor and remove unauthorised hoardings. However, the ground reality paints a grim picture, with little to no action seen on the streets. Residents are demanding urgent action. 'Rules should apply equally to everyone. If a common man puts up a banner without permission, heavy fines are imposed. But political leaders are allowed to break rules with impunity,' said Jashanpreet, a shopkeeper near Dugri. The locals have urged the district administration and MC to issue challans and register FIRs against the political leaders who are dotting the city with illegal hoardings.
