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A little bit of Himachal in city’s life
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Traffic chaos rules as Bhandari Bridge closed for repair
Rs 75-cr integrated development plan for city; MC out to
Six-storey complex may not find takers, say property
dealers; World Peace Pilgrimage, 2004
The keeper of forty 400-year-old
Sanskrit, Persian manuscripts
Light at the end of the tunnel
Low-denomination stamp paper shortage lines
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A little bit of Himachal in city’s life
From the snow-smooched mountains of Himachal to the sun-kissed plains of Amritsar, it has been a long journey for Himachalis here. It was the search for the greener pastures that compelled many of them to leave the beautiful mountains of Kangra, Dalhousie, Chamba and Hamirpur and settle down in the holy city. It is believed that the first batch of the Himachalis arrived in Amritsar and adjoining Lahore (now capital of West Punjab) in 1904. The year 2004 is the year of the centenary celebrations of their settling down here.
Though residents of the Kangra Colony, on Amritsar-Batala road, may be missing the fresh whiff of tea gardens of the picturesque Kangra valley, the scenic
Dhauladhar mountains, the tingling aroma of pine forests, yet they do not seem to regret their decision to relocate here. These Himachalis have done exceptionally well for themselves. When they came to the city, most of them were financially not-so-sound. But nowadays, more than 70 per cent palatial houses in the colony are owned by the Himachalis. Late Pt Brahm Dass of Hamirpur was the man behind the establishment of the Kangra Colony. No wonder, it is said that the people of the Kangra valley, who are renowned as hardy and courageous soldiers, have earned laurels wherever they have gone. They have brought the tranquility and the glory of the hill culture to the plains and added colour to the region. Mr Kewal Krishan Sharma, President, Himachal Sudhar Sabha (HSS), is euphoric when he enlists achievements and contribution of the Himachalis. He claims that the number of Himachalis in Amritsar parliamentary constituency, which includes Batala, has crossed the figure of 2.50 lakh. This includes about 90,000 voters in the Lok Sabha constituency. Mr Bhandari Lal Sharma, patron of the HSS, says the Amritsar North seat could not have been won by any party without the support of the Himachalis, who have at least 45,000 votes in this constituency. He says the Himachalis are well-settled now and they can field their candidate for the Lok Sabha and the assembly constituencies in the forthcoming elections. This may sound alarming for Akalis, who were instrumental in creating a separate Punjabi Suba with the single aim of remaining in power, say observers. If Amritsar has earned fame for delicacies and its eating joints, the major contribution has been that of the Himachalis. Many shops of kulche-chhole, which have become a household name in other parts of the country, are owned by the Himachalis. Anant Ram Kulchianwala, a resident of Una, who arrived in Amritsar in 1915 and started selling kulche-chhole has established a string of shops, including those at the posh Lawrence Road and Chhatti Khuhi. These shops used to be visited by Dr Manmohan Singh (now Prime Minister). If the city gave prosperity to Anant Ram Kulchianwala, he, in turn, helped the Amritsari kulche-chhole and bund-chane to become a part of the Indian cuisine. Not many know that Pt Udho Ram Sharma, father of the famous cricketer, Madanlal, hailed from Hamirpur district and came to Amritsar in 1928. He still runs a big halwai shop at the busy Lawrence Road. He says he is proud that his son was born here. Interestingly, most of the halwais, who have excelled in catering service, are from Himachal Pradesh. Those familiar with Amritsar must have relished the jalebis of Kattra Ahluwalia. The two brothers — Dina Nath and Gurdas Ram — who were in the age group of 11-13 years, started selling jalebis some 54 years ago. Beli Ram Munim of the Munim Sweets fame also hails from the mountainous state. The family of late Krishan Chand Kalia, who started the Krishna Bakery, is from Himachal. Prem Nath Halwai, hailing from Hamirpur, is one of the most sought after halwais of Amritsar. Mr Bhandari Lal Sharma took this correspondent to a ramshackle dera (Gaza Nand) in the walled city, where “newcomers” looking for greener pastures, take shelter. Mr Sharma, one of the sons of the famous Anant Ram Kulchianwala, who is now a big marble dealer and property dealer, takes pride in the fact that he was born and brought up at the dera. The family, now, owns property worth crores. In fact, children of many Himachalis, who had come to the city without many resources at their disposal, have grown up to be eminent doctors, engineers and owners of big factories. Mr Sharma said that a former principal of the local medical college hailed from Himachal Pradesh. The Himachalis have monopolised the newspaper business as well. Mr Beli Ram, who started his career as newspaper hawker in 1946, has now employed 450 hawkers. Mr Vijay and Mr Pradeep, both sons of Mr Beli Ram, say that they have the sole agencies of various newspapers and magazines published from metropolitan cities, including Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. It goes to their credit that the Himachalis have not forgotten their roots. Some of them returned to their state after earning huge money, particularly when militancy was at its peak. Those permanently settled here still prefer to get their children married in Himachal Pradesh. Though they speak chaste Punjabi, yet they converse in Pahari when they are amongst themselves. Their rituals and culture can be seen during their marriages. The age-old folk songs can be heard at the time of ladies’ sangeet. Bride and bridegrooms wear traditional outfits and ornaments on such auspicious occasions. The HSS, on its part, is not lagging behind in social work. The sabha has opened a few sewing centres, which provide free-of-cost training to needy women in Tandon Nagar and Indira Colony. The HSS also arranges marriages of daughters of widows and helps in providing free education to the needy. What is creditable, say observers, is that the Himachalis have been rated as the most peace-loving citizens and they hardly commit any crime, as crime statistics would bear it out. |
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Amritsar’s Himachali World Cup hero
Madhi
Bhaa, as Madan Lal is fondly called, scored 10,204 runs with 22 hundreds, 50 half-centuries and a top score of 223. He is a proud Himachali, who was born in Amritsar. Madan Lal was a member of the famous World Cup winning team of 1983. He was also awarded the “Cricketer of the Year” award in 1976.
For many years one of the leading utility players in the country, he proved his value to the team with his courageous middle-order batting and his nippy medium-pace bowling. He was useful both in Test cricket — as he proved while bowling India to victory over England at Mumbai in 1981 and by rescuing the country by scoring a gallant 74 against Pakistan at Bangalore in 1983 — and in the one-day game. He was one of the heroes of the 1983 World Cup and earned a name for himself by his spell of three quick wickets that dealt a crushing blow to the West Indies batting in the final. At the domestic level, he was both a prolific run-getter and regular wicket-taker, frequently rescuing his team from a bad start by taking some quick wickets. His all-round record in the Ranji Trophy — 5270 runs and 351 wickets — is one of the best in the national competitions. After retiring
from cricket, he did a stint with the UAE team and the India ‘A’ as a coach, before being appointed India seniors coach during 1996-98.
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Traffic chaos rules as Bhandari Bridge closed for repair
The city has been reeling under traffic chaos, owing to the closure of the Bhandari Bridge for the ongoing repair work by the railway ministry. The bridge is a vital link of the civil areas with the walled city.
The bridge was closed on December 3 and would remain so till December 17. Most of the people commute via this bridge. Pilgrims coming from railway station and airport also use this route to reach the Golden Temple. It is the main route for dignitaries visiting the holy shrine. Mr Gursharan Singh, a pilgrim from Canada, said that he had tough time trying to reach the Golden Temple. It was after considerable efforts that he came to know about the alternative route. Mr Vikas Sharma, a resident of Kabir Park, said that traffic jams had become a part of the city life. “Earlier, on December 2, the police had blocked a number of roads on the arrival of West Punjab Chief Minister, Chaudhury Pervaiz Elahi, for security reasons”, he said. “The next day, roads were blocked to facilitate the repair of the bridge,” he added. Municipal Commissioner, Mr K. S. Kang, also acting Deputy Commissioner, said that it had become inevitable to close the bridge for repair work that had been long overdue. Besides, the repair work was essential to facilitate the smooth passage of electric trains. He said the distance between wires of trains (25,000 volts) and iron rods under the bridge was dangerously close. The repair work was being done to ward off any mishap due to this, he added. Admitting that residents could face some difficulty due to the closure of the bridge, the commissioner said that a comprehensive plan for traffic regulation was being made. As per the plan, commuters could move out of the walled city from the Rego Bridge, near Quila Gobindgarh, while people coming from the other side could go to the walled city from the Hukam Singh Road-Over-Bridge. |
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Rs 75-cr integrated development plan for city; MC out to woo investors
The municipal corporation here has prepared an elaborate development plan for the walled city, the densely-populated part with a population of over two lakh. The plan is estimated to cost Rs 75 crore.
The plan envisages upgrading civic amenities and underground wiring, and creating additional parking areas around the Golden Temple. It has been forwarded to the Prime Minster’s Office (PMO). Municipal Commissioner, Mr K. S. Kang, also acting Deputy Commissioner, during an interactive session organised recently by the CII Amritsar Zonal Office, said that the PMO had already cleared the Galiara and the slum development projects for the holy city. He added that the district administration would work hard on these He said Rs 20 crore out of the total amount would be spent on building a parking lot for devotees visiting the Golden Temple. This would help in decongestion of the areas around the busiest parts of the city, including Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh and Hall Bazaar, and would regulate the traffic movement, he added. The holy city had become one of the most sought-after destinations in the northern part of the country. So, a special emphasis was being laid to tap its enormous potential,
he said. He also said there was a need to conserve about 52 decaying-buildings of heritage value. For this, Rs 25 crore would be earmarked. He informed that all these heritage buildings were located inside the walled city. Besides, the 12 historical gates would also come under the plan. About Rs 10 crore would be spent on lights around the Golden Temple, while the same amount would be spent on the upgradation of roads leading to the Golden Temple. Admitting that more than 35 per cent of the population of the city was living without basic civic amenities, including sewerage and regular water supply, the commissioner said Rs 10 crore would be spent on augmentation of water supply and sewerage system. These steps would help in reducing the problem of shortage of water, he added. According to commissioner, to end the menace of illegal constructions and encroachments in the city, the municipal corporation would soon meet PUDA. The issue of slum development would also be discussed during this meeting. Mr Gunbir Singh, Chairman, CII Amritsar Zonal Council, emphasised on the need to create a platform for regular interface between the industry, the municipal corporation and the district administration. This platform would help in developing infrastructure in the city, which would gain more importance after the declaration of the Golden Temple as the World Heritage Site. He added that there was an urgent need to address the issues of decongestion and upgradation of roads, supply of electricity and adequate water supply. These measures, if taken in entirety, would develop the confidence of potential investors, he averred. |
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Six-storey complex may not find takers, say property
dealers; Improvement Trust officials disagree
In view of the mushrooming multi-storey shopping complexes at the posh Lawrence Road, speculation is rife about the newly-inaugurated six-storey parking-cum-commercial complex built by the improvement trust.
Located at the Novelty Crossing that connects the Lawrence Road to another posh area of the Mall Road, the newly-built complex may face tough competition from the Nehru Complex adjoining it and from many other multi-storey complexes that have mushroomed at the Lawrence Road and the Mall Road. The complex, built at whopping cost of Rs 6 crore, took nearly one and a half years to complete. Started in 2002, it was inaugurated on November 14 by Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, Minister, Local Bodies, nearly six months after its completion. However, there are speculations in the business circles about the “bleak” prospects of the recovery of the input amount of Rs 6 crore, as in the adjoining Nehru Complex, constructed seven years ago, only about 100 shops out of 380 are operational. Although built to cater to the parking needs of the Nehru Complex, the new complex has 23 shops and 27 booths on its ground and first floors. There is double basement and terrace parking to accommodate 300 cars in one-lakh square feet of the total covered area. The original plan of the parking complex was modified to include shops in it. Property dealers say that the poor maintenance of the Nehru Plaza Complex may cast its shadow on the new complex. Both complexes are owned by the improvement trust. However, senior improvement trust officials had a different view. They claimed that “mistakes” in engineering and construction of the Nehru Plaza had been rectified. Accordingly, each floor of the new complex was provided with adequate fire-fighting equipments, as per the norms. “Cable trays” were placed on each floor to minimise the chances of short-circuiting. Besides, hydraulic ventilation and air-conditioning system were incorporated. However, improvement trust officials remained tightlipped when asked why only six sweepers were deployed in the entire building. Mr Jugal Kishore Sharma, the trust chairman, could not be contacted, despite repeated attempts. |
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‘Ambassador for Peace’ award for Dr Jatinderpal Singh Jolly Pawan Kumar
Dr Jatinder Pal Singh Jolly, Reader, School of Punjabi Studies, Guru Nanak Dev University, has been honoured with “Ambassador for Peace” award by the Inter-religious and International Federation for World Peace (IIFWP), an organisation working for establishing peace in the world.
He was part of the five-member delegation from India, which participated in the World Peace Pilgrimage, 2004 held in Israel recently. He was later honoured at New Delhi. He shared the honours with Mr Alok Mehta, Editor, Outlook Saptahik magazine, Dr M.C. Paul, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Mr Tajul Islam Bakshi, president of an education and vocational society of Assam. Dr Jolly presented the philosophy of Sikhism in the World Peace Pilgrimage, the theme of which was to forge a path to peace and reconciliation in the Middle East. The “Ambassador for Peace” award is given to those people whose lives exemplify the ideal of living for the sake of others and who dedicate themselves to practices that promote the ideals of the IIFWP, including universal moral values, strong family life, inter-religious cooperation, international harmony, responsible media and establishment of a culture of peace. The IIFWP has now more than 50,000 “Ambassadors for Peace” (AFP) from all nations, religions, cultures and professional fields. These AFP provided the foundation on which the IIFWP launched its “Inter-religious and International Peace Council” (IIPC) on October 3 the previous year. The conference represented a serious effort to establish a model of good governance and cooperative leadership among representatives of governments, religions and non-governmental organisations for the sake of world peace. Dr Jolly said he was the only Sikh from the country who participated in the World Peace Pilgrimage. He said that the Sikh religion, based on Sri Guru Granth Sahib, presented the unification of teachings of various religious and spiritual men. |
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The keeper of forty 400-year-old
Sanskrit, Persian manuscripts
Sanskrit and Persian manuscripts dating back to 400 years would be any individual’s most prized possessions. But Mr Rajnish Khosla, who has a rare treasure trove of Sanskrit and Persian manuscripts, has offered them to various religious institutions of the country. Of course, he has already conserved some of these manuscripts as per the guidelines of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), New Delhi.
“I was concerned about the upkeep of these manuscripts. So I offered some of them to various religious institutions,” says Mr Khosla, who has in his possession about forty 400-year-old rare manuscripts. He inherited these books from his forefathers. His family has been taking care of these books from generations to preserve them. Mr Khosla offered one handwritten book “Sharah Hikmatul Ain”, written in 1270 Hijri, (a Mohammedan calendar), to Dargah Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti, Ajmer. A thanks letter issued by Mr Shakil Ahmed, Nazim, Dargah Committee, states that the book would solve many problems of moulvis and muftis. The book is being kept in the library of the dargah for public viewing. He donated a manuscript of the Bhagavad Gita to the famous South Indian shrine — Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). Mr Viswanadham Garu, Museum Officer of the Devasthanams, in his letter to Mr Khosla, said that “duly-cut, mounted and glass- framed Bhagavad Gita, which is of ancient nature, will be displayed at TTD Museum”. On the directions of the ASI, he “cleaned” the books in his possession. Then he used cut-mounted technique to bind the books. Later, he framed the fragile pages in glass covers. “It was under the influence of the late Chaman Lal Seth that I decided to donate these books to various religious institutions. These books showcase our vibrant heritage, which must be preserved at all costs,” he says. He has also donated pages of “Markanday Puran” to Chintpurni, Jawala Ji and Chamunda Devi shrines. He has in his possession a Persian manuscript “Tibbe Akbari” written in 1190 Hijri by Mohammed Alzani during the reign of Aurangzeb. Each page of the book is encircled with gold. The majority of the books he possesses are on Ayurveda. Some of these books are on Ayurvedic research and Sanskrit grammar. His prized possessions include Meghdoot of Kalidas, a 325-year-old book on Ayurvedic drug formulations and a Puran written in 1787 Vikrami Samvat. He is now contemplating to donate religious books to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. |
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To Amritsar, with love…
Ms Sarwat Mohiuddin, a writer from Pakistan, was here on her second visit in a month. All praises for the holy city, she said that Amritsar captivated her. Though she had to visit Patiala and Jalandhar for various programmes, she preferred to spend most of her time here, interacting with students of university and delivering lectures in various colleges of the district.
When asked about her visit to the Golden Temple, she said, “It was like paying obeisance to my own great-grandfathers. The whole complex exuded divinity and the sacredness of the temple reminded me of our own place of worship — a mosque,” she explained. Her first book “Kannian” was published in 1989. Her other books include “Sek Sunehre” (The Golden Warmth) and “Do Phool Khile”. She has done a number of classified translations from Hungarian and Swedish literature and Latvian folk songs into Punjabi. Born in Lahore, she completed her primary studies at Saint Queen Marries, a convent school in Lahore. She got married to Mr Zia Mohuiddin at a very young age and became a teenage-mother. When girls of her age were still thinking about their future, she was busy tending her three little children. But she did not let her responsibilities stifle her creativity. The language she chose to express her feelings was Punjabi. The noted critic of Punjabi literature, Mr Nazab Hussain Sayeed, provided her valuable assistance in her literary endeavours. Ms Mohiuddin feels she has a long way to go. |
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Light at the end of the tunnel
Inmates of the Central Jail here have found a new meaning in their lives, thanks to Dr Kiran Bedi’s India Vision Foundation, which in active collaboration with jail authorities, launched a project for healing the “hurt psyche” of a large number of prisoners.
Taking the initiative, the UN Police Advisor, Dr Bedi, personally sponsored the project during her visit to the city on November 8. She said that the India Vision Foundation was already running similar projects at Tihar, Srinagar and Gurgaon jails. She deputed Ms Shakira N Scolt, Project Director of the foundation, as in charge of the rehabilitation project here. Ms Scolt said that they were extremely encouraged by the enthusiastic response of women inmates of the prison. The response of the jail Superintendent, Capt S.P. Singh, was also encouraging, she added. She said that during the past two-three days of counselling sessions and interaction with under-trials, a sea-change in the attitude of some jail inmates could be witnessed. The women inmates showed responsiveness and they were open to suggestions,
she added. She said that more than 60 women had already registered with their foundation. Out of these 60 women, 39 had taken up adult education classes being conducted by women prisoners, while six had joined craft classes and 15 had enrolled for painting, stitching and
embroidery training. According to Ms Scolt, the jail superintendent and his staff were extremely helpful. They had offered to arrange sewing machines, screen printing equipment, embroidery machines and other materials required for running vocational training and adult education centres. Capt S.P. Singh had even decided to set up a small stall outside the jail premises. The stall would sell the items produced by the jail inmates, encouraging the latter to become self-reliant. Regarding the de-stressing part of the project, Ms Scolt said that they were contemplating to introduce the Vipasana meditation module soon. |
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Low-denomination stamp paper shortage lines
black marketers’ pockets
The government treasury is losing daily income to the tune of lakhs of rupees due to the short supply of stamp papers of low-denominations in the city. The majority of the transactions are reportedly being delayed or rendered “illegal” in the absence of the stamp papers.
Stamp papers of low-denominations have been in short supply for the past four months. Property dealers and those dealing with court cases have started purchasing the same from outside the city and other states. The stamp papers in denominations of Rs 5, Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 50 and Rs 100 have been in short supply. The matter was taken up by the Sri Ram Social Welfare Society’s President, Mr Mangat Ram Silly. He alleged that people were facing harassment due to this shortage. “Some are being forced to buy Rs 500 stamp paper to undertake the work that may need stamp paper worth only Rs 400 or even less. Others have started purchasing the same from outside the city or from unauthorised vendors,” he alleged. Transactions of land holdings, agreements, affidavits for court use or presentation, name change, registration of land or vehicle, property dispute, passport, ration card, public notice, insurance, banking have been left high and dry. Specific stamp papers or their combinations are used for specific purposes. Judicial experts say that in the absence of specified denomination of stamp papers, the users may come under suspicion or simply lose the “legal authenticity” of the transaction. However, nearly 350 vendors in the city expressed their helplessness in procuring the stamp papers. Their contention was that the treasury was not releasing them. Mr S.C. Sayal, District Treasury Officer, when contacted, admitted the lapse in the supply of the stamps papers. Blaming the Ludhiana Depot, a nodal agency for supplying the stamp papers, for the laxity in supplying the stamp papers, he said he had sent a communiqué to them to immediately restore the supply of the stamp paper. But, so far, it had not met with any response. He added that he was aware of the gravity of the problem. Meanwhile, members of legal, business and trading communities alleged that they were facing harassment, as the shortage had shot up the demand for stamp papers of low-denominations. It was learnt that these stamp papers could be procured in black-market at a premium of double or triple the price. Meanwhile, Mr Silly, in a statement, said that already the government had burdened the taxpayer with the hike in stamp duty. The unavailability of the stamp papers caused further harassment to the people, he added. |
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Pak film ‘Khamosh Pani’ set to create ripples in city
Art film buffs in Amritsar are eagerly awaiting the screening of “Khamosh Pani” (Silent Waters), the first Pakistani film to be released in film theatres in the border city as also in India.
The film has a celebrated cast of Indian actress Kiron Kher as widowed mother Ayesha or Veero, and her son Saleem — a character played by Aamir Ali Malik from Pakistan. The directorial feature film début of Ms Sabiha Sumar, the film also features actors Arshad Mahmud, Salman Shahid, Shilpa Shukla, Sarfaraz Ansari. Having won seven international awards last year, including five “Locarno Awards” for the best film and the best actress, it also won two awards in “Nantes Three Continents Festival”. The film has been screened 41 times in both rural and urban Pakistan, besides theatres across Europe, US and Canada. Amritsar has been chosen among nine Indian cities for the release of the movie in India. The movie has already been released in Mumbai and Gurgaon. Other cities in which the movie would be screened include Pune, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Delhi, Ludhiana and Chennai. Mr Ramesh Gupta, north zone distributor in Jalandhar for Shinghar films, Mumbai, said they had high hopes from the film, although it was a serious and intellectual kind of cinema. The curiosity level was high, given the recent Indo- Pak bonhomie, he added. The film, set in a small Pakistani Punjab village “Charkhi”, is the real-life story of a woman Ayesha, who survived the massacre of Partition. After Gulzar’s Macchis, Anil Sharma’s Gadar, Dr Chander Parkash’s Pinjar and Yash Chopra’s Indo-Pak love saga Veer-Zaara, the film Khamosh Pani is about the other side of the Radcliff Line during the period of militancy in Punjab. This has generated even more curiosity about the film in the entire border belt, including Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ferozepore that were affected by the decade-long militancy supported from across the border. Although the film is not seen as a social statement, it touches upon the issues of religion, Partition, coexistence, terrorism, besides being an emotional drama. |
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Etching eve’s pain on canvas
The fifth art exhibition of artist Nona Khanna was held here. Aptly named “Astitva”, the exhibition showcased paintings and sculptures depicting social problems faced by women.
Using leppen, madhubani, meenakari techniques in her paintings, the artist from Ludhiana says that the madhubani technique comes from Darbhanga in Bihar and some areas of Gujarat. She has used vegetable dyes and a bamboo twig, instead of a brush, to produce paintings like “Beauty and Beast”. Using newspapers, coal, sand and mud, she has created sculptures with brilliant hues to give the traditional touch. “Agnipariksha” is her other work highlighting the terror of social ostracism. Using French technique of impasto and fiery colours, she brings forth the agony of women in the fresco. A commercial arts teacher at CFC Public School, Ludhiana, this artist has held five solo exhibitions in Ludhiana, Chandigarh and Amritsar. Exploring women’s psyche and portraying her pain has been her forte. |
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