L U D H I A N A

Independence means no interference
For the women of independent India appears to have graduated from collective freedom to individual liberty. It appears that in today's world everybody is concerned about his/her own independence. 

COMMUNITY

Appalling degradation of values
I was born in the part of Punjab which went to Pakistan after Partition. My first painful memory is of the sudden realisation that all non-Muslims became unwanted creatures in that dominion because a sinister campaign was being engineered to drive them out or to annihilate them. 

Mentally challenged kids celebrate I-Day
LUDHIANA, Aug 14 — Students of Nirdosh, a school for mentally challenged children run by the Inner Wheel Club, celebrated Raksha Bandhan, Independence Day and Janamashtmi here today. The function started with a dance to the tune of Dil diya hai, jaan bhi denge, ae watan tere liye. They also danced to the tune of Taal se taal mila. The teachers helped them to perform dance numbers.

YC flays price rise, lawlessness
LUDHIANA, Aug 14 — The District Youth Congress today lambasted the SAD (B)-BJP government in Punjab for the increase in prices of essential commodities and the spurt in criminal activities by organised gangs all over the state. Addressing a party meeting in Jawahar Nagar locality here, the DYC president, Mr Pawan Diwan, said that the price rise had crossed all limits and common people in Punjab were finding if difficult to make both ends meet.

I-Day: ritual for politicians?
LUDHIANA, Aug 14 — The 54th Independence Day of the nation would be observed in the city with the same 'typical indifference' the Ludhianvis are known for. While the administration is duty bound to organise a government function on the day and hectic preparations were on for the district-level celebrations, the political parties and their important functionaries also take advantage of the occasion to propagate the policies and programmes of their respective parties.

Promoting theme parties among Ludhianvis
A few decades back, Cliff Richard crooned in his mellifluous voice: You are a theme for a dream. Of course! He meant his lady friend. But you can really go and have any theme of your dream for a party. Your party need not be a routine affair, food, lights, music and dance. You wish that you could have a party in Goa or in the sand dunes of Rajasthan or even underwater. You name it and Vishwadeep Bali and Ashish Mehta, the two young persons from XTC, will turn your dream of a theme party into a reality.

Blast haunts court complex
LUDHIANA, Aug 14 — The bomb blast in the court of the District and Sessions Judge on Friday night, which damaged the dilapidated court room building, continued to haunt lawyers, judicial officers and visiting public today, when the courts reopened after the weekend.

CRIME

Five arrested for gambling
LUDHIANA, Aug 14 — The police has arrested five persons for gambling and recovered Rs 24,070 from them.

BUSINESS

Forum to mobilise industrial units for bandh
LUDHIANA, Aug 14 — The Punjab Industry and Trade Forum has begun mobilisation for the Punjab bandh to be observed on August 23 in protest against the hike in power tariff, the increase in the minimum charges for the steel and furnace industry and the compulsory weekly off for the industry in the state.

EDUCATION

PAU to use IT in its programmes
LUDHIANA, Aug 14 — Punjab Agricultural University has decided to make use of Information Technology in its programmes of teaching and training. In order to achieve this objective, Information Technology Club has been constituted, with Dr H.S. Sekhon, Dean, College of Agricultural Engineering, as its convener, and 30 members.

Schools celebrate Independence Day
LUDHIANA, Aug 14 — To infuse the sense of patriotism in the students, Independence Day celebrations were organised in several schools of the city here.

‘Develop scientific temper in kids’
LUDHIANA, Aug 14 — The president of the Punjab Kisan Club, Mr Amarjit Singh Sidhu, has said that for giving boost to rural development programmes, school children should be motivated. He was addressing a state-level advisory committee meeting organised by the Department of Extension Education, PAU Ludhiana.

PAU dons hold dharna
LUDHIANA, Aug 14 — The Punjab Agricultural University Teachers Association has resented the delay in implementing demands of college and university teachers in spite of the acceptance by the UGC on July 27, 1998. The executive resolved to intensify its agitation if the respective governments failed to honour the commitment for the implementation of demands.

CULTURE

Dance contest for children
LUDHIANA, Aug 14 — The Indian Cultural Entertainment School and Asian Club held a dance competition to celebrate Independence Day for children at Aggar Nagar Community Centre yesterday. The cultural programme was inaugurated by Mr Chander Shekhar, IG, Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur.

Fancy dress contest for tiny tots
LUDHIANA, Aug 14 — While the Western influences in everyday life have become an accepted fact, the patriotic spirit among people also does not appear to have escaped such influences. This was manifested at the Independence Day celebrations organised by a local health centre today.

HEALTH

An apple a day keeps stroke at bay
An apple a day keeps stroke at bay. That is what new research of nutrition suggests.