R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

Regional potpourri

• ‘SANJHA PUNJAB’ a dream on wheels
• Music of the monks
• Show time

PUNJAB

Abohar
PLEDGE: Students of the Sardar Patel Medical Institute for Multipurpose Health Workers on Friday pledged that they would never indulge in sex determination tests or female foeticide. As Principal Jagseer Singh read the prepared text at a seminar on the campus, the students raised their arms in support. Dr Gauri Shankar Mittal, MD, and Mr Sita Ram Sharma, chairman of the institute, after lighting a lamp, exhorted the students to create awareness among the rural folk about the threat posed by female foeticide to Indian society.

ALLOWED: The local DAV College has been allowed to go ahead with admissions in M.Sc. Physics after a visit by a PU team on Saturday. Dr B.C. Josan, Principal of the college, said on Sunday that students who had been selected for the course should contact the college office on July 22.

Batala
ARRESTED: The police has arrested Jatinder Singh, alias Hero, and Swarn Singh, alias Sammi and has recovered two stolen mobile phones, a toy pistol and a scooter along with some cash. They were involved in many incidents of looting.

Bathinda
ARRESTED: Darbara Singh (50) of Mehma Sarja village was arrested on Saturday for an attempt to rape a deaf and dumb girl. A case has been registered against him under Sections 376 and 511 of the IPC.

BODY FOUND: The body of an unidentified man was recovered from a canal here on Sunday. The man, who was aged around 30, had only undergarments on his body. About 200 feet away from the spot, a shirt, jeans and a bicycle, were lying, which reportedly belonged to the deceased.

Faridkot
THEFT CASES: Thieves struck thrice at various localities and decamped with gold worth about Rs 3 lakh and Rs 50,000 in cash. Sources said thieves entered the house of constable Ranjit Kumar in Baigar Basti and escaped with gold. In Balbir Basti, they barged into the home of Saroj Rani and took away valuables. They also struck at Harinder Basti.

Gurdaspur
RAIDED: The SDM, Mr Amarjit Paul, on Saturday raided the sites of illegal mining in Khadi rivulet. The SDM said the contractors who were resorting to illegal mining had taken away machinery from the site. A case would be registered against unidentified persons who were resorting to illegal mining despite pending inquiry and ban by the Department of Industries.

Hoshiarpur
THREE BOOKED: On the complaint of Baldev Singh of Uchi Bassi, the Dasuya police registered a case under Section 498-A of the IPC against Gurmit Singh, his mother Shingar Kaur and father Charan Singh of Ibrahimwal of Kapurthala district on Saturday. According to an FIR, Baldev Singh stated in his complaint that his daughter Nirmal was married to Gurmit Singh on January 13, 2004. He stated that on account of alleged torture of his daughter for more dowry, divorce between the couple had taken place. The in-laws had agreed to give Rs 90,000 and return the dowry articles of Nirmal. But they did not fulfil their promise.

TWO KILLED: Kasturi Lal (45) of Bhogpur died on the spot and Ankait (10) son of his sister-in-law of Ludhiana, succumbed to his injuries at Government Hospital, Tanda, on Sunday. Their motor cycle (PB-08RP-5807) dashed into a truck (HP-39-3344) coming from the opposite direction on the Jalandhar-Pathankot National Highway at Khakhan village, near Tanda, today. According to police sources, Kasturi Lal, along with Ankait, was coming on his motor cycle to Bhogpur. The police has registered a case.

Pathankot
PATWARI HELD: Vigilance officials arrested a patwari on Friday for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 500. According to the police, Parbhod Kumar, posted at Kaunterpur circle, had allegedly demanded and accepted a bribe from complainant Uttam Chand for getting an entry done in the revenue record. A case has been registered.

SAPLINGS PLANTED: The Pathankot Rotary Club here on Saturday planted a large number of ornamental and other saplings at Guru Harkishan Public School. Mr Satinder Singh Walia, Dr Munish Goel, president and secretary of the club, respectively, were among those who were present.

Patiala
COMPUTER CENTRE: The Helping Hands Society (HHS), an NGO founded by a group of engineers, opened a computer centre to impart free training to needy students at Manshia Colony here on Sunday. Mr Sebastian Chacko, General Manager, State Bank of Patiala (SBOP), who inaugurated the centre, said providing opportunities to the deprived children was a noble cause as these children would be playing a constructive role in society.

Phagwara
CIRCLE PRESIDENTS: Mr Surinder Singh Walia and Jathedar Gurmukh Singh Chana had been made circle presidents of Phagwara urban and rural circles, respectively of the SAD said jathedar Jarnail Singh Wahid, organising secretary SAD and the SGPC member here on Saturday. Mr Harbel Singh Pahwa and Mr Malkiat Singh Madhopur have been made circle vice-presidents of Phagwara urban and rural circles of the party.

THEFT: The Sadar police on Sunday registered a case against Gurpreet, a domestic help, on the charge of stealing 1500 euros (Rs 78,000, Indian currency) from the house of her mistress, Smt Santosh Devi at Chaheru village. The SHO, Sadar police station, Mr Lakhwinder Singh Mall, said that a case had been registered under Section 381, IPC, for theft.

DOWRY CASE: Smt Bharti Sharma on Sunday lodged a complaint that her husband Karan Kant had been tormenting her for dowry. She alleged that she was confined to a room on Saturday night and beaten up. Somehow, she managed to ring up her sister at New Delhi who came here and took her to the Civil Hospital for treatment.

Ropar
APPOINTMENT HAILED: The district Congress Committee on Sunday welcomed the appointment of Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee at a meeting held here on Sunday. The president of the district Congress Committee, Mr Amardeep Singh Sain, said the appointment would further strengthen the party.

Tarn Taran
ARRESTED: Ranjit Singh, a resident of Kaironwal village, has been arrested by the police for allegedly molesting a married woman of the same village. A case has been registered on the complaint of Hardeep Singh, son of the victim.

CHANDIGARH

DENTAL COLLEGE: Local member of Parliament, Pawan Kumar Bansal paid a visit to Dr Harvansh Singh Judge Dental College, Sector 25 on Sunday. Vice-Chancellor K N Pathak and Chief Engineer, V.K. Bhardwaj were also present. The two members of the Dental Council of India, Mr S. Jagdish from Banglore and Dr Neelam Andrade, who are to inspect the college, have arrived in the city.

Mohali
TALENT HUNT SHOW: To welcome class XI students, a talent hunt was organised for freshers of Gian Jyoti Public School here. The show started with a song by Sarabjit Singh. The show ended with a comedy skit presented by Jagat and Ravinder of class XII.

PaNchkula
CRAFT SHOW: A craft exhibition to develop creativity among school children was organised at DAV School, Sector 8, here on Sunday. The students exhibited things made under the “Best out of waste” project. They had used ice-cream sticks and toffee wrappers, Their art and craft teacher, Ms Suman, encouraged them not only to develop creativity but also keep their environment clean.

HARYANA

Kaithal
PROTEST HELD: Residents of the Shakti Nagar locality organised a protest march here Friday and demanded the shifting of a liquor vend from their locality. The protesters raised slogans against the liquor contractor and the administration for not heeding to their long standing demand. Later they reached the office of Mr Naveen Jindal, MP, on Dhand road here and submitted a memorandum to his staff.

SAPLINGS: The Deputy Commissioner, Mr B.S. Malik, said here on Saturday that about 32 lakh saplings of different varieties would be planted in the district during monsoon. These saplings would be distributed free of cost to farmers, panchayats and other institutions.

INSTALLED: Mr Satish Mittal, Mr Ramnik Dewan and Mr Sandeep Goel were installed president, secretary and treasurer, respectively, of the local Lions Club on Saturday.

PLANTED: Members of local Rotary Club organised a sapling plantation programme and planted about 100 saplings an premises of the local RKSD Public School and the RKSD College stadium on Sunday.

Karnal
SUICIDE: A 17-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance at Barhwala village in the district on Friday. She was rushed to a local private hospital where she died. The police, after recovering the body, sent it for a post mortem examination.

Panipat
ORPHAN MISSING: Bhoop Singh (5), ran away from ‘Bal Anath Ashram’ here on Saturday. The in charge of the orphanage, Mr Amarjit Narwal, said he had informed the police.

Rewari
EFFIGY BURNT: Activists of the BJP burnt the effigy of Salman Khan at the Moti Chowk here on Saturday. Mr Rohtash Pradhan, state secretary of the BJYM, led the protestors who were also joined by former state BJP chief, Mr Om Prakash Grover and other prominent BJP activists of the Rewari region.

Rohtak
MBBS course: The Union Ministry of Health has allowed Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharama Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, to admit 150 students in the MBBS course for the current academic session. According to Dr D.R. Yadav, Director PGIMS, a notification regarding this was received here on Friday. This follows approval from the Medical Council of India (MCI).

Sonepat
THEFT CASES: Two cases of thefts in the broadday light were reported from Ganaur on Sunday. According to a report, thieves are reported to have broken the locks of the main gate of the house in the K.D. Nagar area and decamped with Rs 60,000 in cash, 40 tolas of gold and other valuables. According to another report, theft was committed in the house of Mr Krishan Saini in ward No 7 and thieves are reported to have decamped with Rs 20,000 in cash, gold and silver ornaments.

BUS STAND: The Haryana Government has decided to construct a bus stand at Kharkhauda. According to a report, the Municipal Committee of Kharkhauda has given three acres of land for the purpose. The bus stand will have eight counters, three shops and an office.

INJURED: Kalandar Singh, an Assistant Sub Inspector was seriously injured when he was hit by a car at a naka on the GT Road near Rai police station on Saturday. The police has arrested the driver of the car Bhopal Singh and a case under Sections 279, 336 and 337 IPC has been registered.

PARK RAIDED: The Gita Bhavan police carried out a raid in the Ambedkar Park near the general bus stand here on Friday night and arrested a woman along with her paramour on the spot. A case under Section 109 of the Cr PC has been registered against them. The woman and her paramour are teachers in a school at Nandnaur.

BLOOD DONATION CAMP: As many as 146 persons donated blood voluntarily at a blood donation camp organised jointly by the District Red Cross Society and the Lions Club here on Saturday. According to a report, Mr Suresh Kumar Goel, Deputy Commissioner, inaugurated the camp.

Regional potpourri
‘SANJHA PUNJAB’
a dream on wheels

DRIVING A DREAM: Maluk Singh Badh’s (right) dream of seeing a ‘Sanjha Punjab’ translated into a taxi service by that name in Jalandhar. — Photo by Des Raj Kali

MANY are the ways of realising a dream and this can be seen very well in the pursuits of Maluk Singh Badh of Jalandhar. A Left-wing activist all his life, he cherished in his heart the dream of seeing Punjab, ripped apart at the time of the Partition, reunited. He thought it could express his dream best by starting a magazine in Punjabi called ‘Sanjha Punjab’. This magazine, he hoped, would play a role in bringing the two Punjabs together.

So, some years ago he set about the task earnestly. He requested Jodh Singh, Assistant Editor of ‘Lok Lehar’, to write editorials and motivated other writers to contribute features and articles. Looking back, Badh recalls: “I could not bring out the magazine for lack of financial resources.” Anyone else would have been disheartened but Badh carried the dream with him. Hence, the name of the small taxi service he runs next to Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall in Jalandhar is called ‘Sanjha Punjab Tours and Travels’.

Badh’s greatest joy was when early this year he got a chance to drive around some visitors from Pakistan’s Punjab. Needless to say, it was a joy ride for these visitors from West Punjab, for Badh refused to charge them anything.

Music of the monks

The Grammy-winning monks of Palpung Sherab Ling Monastery at Bhattu in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh are getting ready with their second CD: ‘Relative Sound of the Ultimate.’

Produced by Jamyong Singye, this 74-minute digitally recorded CD contains 11 tracks; chants specifically chosen by the monastery for this collection, including ‘Before the Great Compassionate Avalokiteshvara and Ghuyassamaja’, known as ‘It Has Been Foretold’.

Inspired by the great success of the first CD, ‘Sacred Tibetan Chant: The Monks of Sherab Ling Monastery’ (Naxos World, 2003), the Palpung Sherab Ling monastic seat has given permission to Singye to launch Sherab Ling Records. Singye has not only produced the new CD, but is handling all aspects of the project; from coordinating the professional digital recording sessions on location to distribution.

Says Singye, “We hope to make ‘Relative Sound of the Ultimate’ widely available and all those who hear it will enjoy and benefit from this sacred Tibetan Buddhist chant. These chants have been recorded just as they are performed by monks and nuns in the prayer halls of the monasteries in the Palpung tradition of the Kagyu Lineage.”

Show time

Nandita Katyal

A former Miss Shimla, Nandita of Dharamsala, always wanted to be in front of the camera. After dabbling in newspaper reporting for sometime, she is finally doing what she always wanted to do, as the anchor for ‘Bollywood Online’, a new TV programme on DD News.

She says that besides anchoring the show, she also writes the script herself. “It is fun as the programme is entirely based on new Bollywood releases and has been re-launched after a gap of one year,” she says.

A student of the Department of Mass Communication, Himachal Pradesh University, she had never imagined that she would ever be anchoring and scripting a film-based programme in Delhi. “But formal training in journalism and my stint as a reporter did help me a lot,” she adds.

Contributed by Nirupama Dutt, R.K. Prashar and Vibhor Mohan