Abohar, Nov. 25 : The Punjabi Durbar programme of Radio Pakistan has a new theme. In its recent broadcasts it finds the burly Sikhs not having enough health and education facilities.

While Sikhs settled in different parts of the world are sending their children to Punjab to get them admitted to schools here to ensure that they receive good education and imbibe traditional Punjabi culture, the Punjabi Durbar programme wants people to believe that there is discrimination against them in education facilities.

The programmes have amused people living along the border. They know that Punjab has many schools, well-equipped with hostel facilities. Even the government schools have modern facilites.

Omprakash Gehlot, a vocational lecturer at a government school, said: There is no discrimination in our school on the basis of caste. Not just in our school, I don’t think there is any discrimination on caste or religious basis anywhere in Punjab. We have students belonging to Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and Christian faiths. The schools instill in students that any other type of discrimination is bad for society.”

The doctors in border areas find it difficult to believe that Sikhs do not receive proper health facilities. They would like to believe that Sikhs in Pujab

are basically sturdy that they do not need to visit hospitals.

Dr. Ramesh Verma, Senior Medical Officer, said: “ There is no discrimination against Sikhs regarding health services. In hospitals proper treatment is given to all people irrespective of their religion.”

People of the border areas feel that the Punjabi Durbar programme is fast losing credibility. How can anyone believe that there is discrimination against Sikhs in Punjab which is ruled by a Government headed by the Akali Dal. The producers of the programme, they say, should know that Government of India is headed by a Sikh.

Many people living along the border are willing to host the producers of the Punjabi Durbar programme at their homes to enable them appreciate the conditions prevailing in Punjab.