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Struggling
to keep the sacred flame alive
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NRI to seek justice from US Embassy Senior Study students celebrate the spirit of national integration
Residents of White Avenue accuse MC of apathy
Theatre workshop for school students
Students present a cultural programme Weekly Round-up Advanced CT
scanning facility in city Sikh model to appear in serial on Maharaja Ranjit Singh
‘Education system needs a change’
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Struggling to
keep the sacred flame alive
Parsis
— Zoroastrians of Persian origin belonging to the region called Pars —
have enriched India educationally, industrially, economically and
culturally. Jamshedji Tata, the Godrejs, the Wadias, Dr Homi Bhabha, Zubin
Mehta, Field Marshal Sam Maneckshaw, Admiral Jal Cursetji, Air Marshal
Engineer all are from this very distinguished community. Indira Gandhi
married into the Parsi community and so did Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s
daughter, Dina Wadia, as Sooni Taraporevala has mentioned in her book “The
Zoroastrians of India”. But this very dynamic community has become today a “dying community”. The birth rate among the Parsis is very low. In the city, too, very few Parsis are left today. Zoroastrians or the sun worshippers (the Sacred Flame at the Fire Temple holds special significance for them), had fled from Persia (Iran) and arrived in the Holy City in the beginning of the last century. Today, their number has been reduced to such an extent that they are considered a “community that is fast shrinking”. There were a few Parsi families that came to Punjab and even fewer who made the Holy City their permanent home. However, they were still able to create a niche for themselves here as they did in many fields in the rest of India. Field Marshal Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Sam Maneckshaw, the first Field Marshal of India and hero of 1971 Indo-Pak war, and 99-year-old Tehmi Bhandari, are among the last Amritsar-born pure Parsis and they are not keeping good health. Age, too, is not on their side. Field Marshal Sam Maneckshaw was born in Amritsar in 1914 to Dr H.F.S. Maneckshaw. Sam Maneckshaw, who had made Delhi his home, did his FA (second year) from Hindu Sabha College (Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister, was also the alumnus of the college). As per the official records, Sam Maneckshaw joined the college on March 3, 1934, and left the institution in January 1935 to join the IMA. Earlier, he had schooling from the local PBN School. Though the date of birth of the Field Marshal is said to be April 3, 1914, the record of Hindu College mentions the date as October 28, 1916, that makes him 89 years old. The city hosted a memorable reception when the Field Marshal visited the historic Ram Bagh here after scripting history in the 1971 war. He also visited the “Sur Babu & Co” in Katra Ahluwalia, the chemist shop once owned by his father, who was a doctor. Octogenarian Om Parkash Sharma, a former assistant manager of “Sur Babu & Co”, who had worked for 25 years with the company, recalled that Dr Maneckshaw was a “man of word”. He said Dr Maneckshaw kept his word and disposed of his palatial bungalow on the Mall for Rs 1 lakh. Recalling the deal, Mr Sharma said that one Gheewala praised the bungalow of Dr Maneckshaw and sought to purchase it at any cost. Not knowing that Gheewala might be having the amount of Rs 1 lakh with him, Dr Maneckshaw offered to sell the bungalow to him. Though Baiji (wife of Dr Maneckshaw) got annoyed following the deal, Dr Maneckshaw told her that he had already given his word to Gheewala and he could not go back on his word. Not surprisingly, Dr Maneckshaw’s son, Field Marshal Maneckshaw, has had a special affection for the city. Once, late G.R. Sethi, a veteran journalist from Amritsar, went to the Army headquarters for a courtesy call without appointment. The staff of the Army Chief refused to entertain him. But on seeing the visiting card of the journalist from Amritsar the Field Marshal immediately came out of the room and accorded him a warm welcome. Another noted Parsi in the city has been Maneckshaw’s childhood friend Tehmi Bogga Bhandari. In a letter written on January 19, 1948, a few months after Partition, Lady Edwina Mountbatten, wife of the first Viceroy, Sir Edward Mountbatten, praised her for her relief work for Partition-ravaged refugees. Later she was invited by the lady to Shimla, says her daughter Rattan. In fact, Tehmi met the challenge of attending to the refugees during Partition in 1947. She stitched clothes for the refugees who arrived in Amritsar and were given shelter at the Govindgarh Fort and other camps. The cloth was provided by the government and the All India Women’s Conference (AIWC). “I worked with nearly 25 tailors at my residence in the cantonment and stitched clothes. I saw ‘kaflas’ of penniless and semi-clad refugees crossing over to Amritsar,” she says. Tehmi is a frail and quiet lady today. She will complete her 100 years in January 2006, and so far she has been abstaining from medicines, says her favourite granddaughter Shirin Tehmina Bhandari. Born in a rich, conservative Parsi family in 1906, Tehmi continues to live in the city, though her children are
Owning a Lincoln 12-cylinder car in the mid- 1930s, she used to drive in the open car to Lahore. She shopped at Anarkali, went for silent movies, and after coffee at Fallty’s Restaurant, which is still in Lahore, returned to Amritsar before the “forbidden hour”. She was lovingly called “guldasta” by her friends and admirers, among whom were writer Mulk Raj Anand, and Surjit Singh Majithia, who went on to become Deputy Defence Minister of India in 1958. While she was studying for her Masters in English at Khalsa College, Amritsar, she fell in love with a Hindu gentleman Padam Chand Bhandari and married him. He was an executive officer (EO) in the Improvement Trust. She says, “The famous ‘Bhandari Bridge’ was named after my husband in 1954. He had executed the marvellous vision of a multi-lane bridge, a modern concept of a flyover, which connected the walled city areas with the Civil Lines.” Ostracised by many, including family and friends, for a love marriage, and that, too, outside her community, Tehmi had to fend for herself and her family after her husband died when she was just 48. She had three daughters and a son to look after. Undeterred, she rose to the challenge and converted her palatial “red bougainvillea home” into a guesthouse with the help of an engineer D.D. Kaila. She became the first woman in these parts to run a business. To ward off unwanted attention, she took on a tough demeanour. She says she had to use “abusive” language so that she could protect her own self and her children. Four years after losing her first husband, she remarried at a time when remarriage of widows was unheard of. She married D.D. Kaila, an engineer, who provided the transport and conveyance service to her guest house. In 1962 during the Chinese aggression, the flow of tourists lessened and Tehmi’s business suffered. The 1965 Indo-Pak War, too, took its toll. She lost her second husband to a heart attack just before the Indo-Pak War of 1971. Family and friends urged her to move to a safer place, but she preferred to complete her swimming pool. The decade-long terrorism in the 1980s caused loss to her business. She struggled to maintain her guesthouse for more than ten long years. There’s yet another Parsi family in the city. This family of Keccki Kawasji has only one surviving member here, while their only daughter Shirin has migrated to the US. Baktwar Bhuller Khambatta, an international discus and shot put thrower, also a Parsi by birth, has been staying in the city for many years. She is in Amritsar by virtue of her posting here as a senior Railways officer married to Manjit Bhuller, an international hockey player. Interestingly, most of these Parsis can speak fluent Punjabi!
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Mall Road
losing its old glory The unchecked construction of huge shopping complexes and commercialisation are taking a toll on the natural surroundings of the Mall Road, which was once popular for its green and shady zone. Experts feel this three kilometers long stretch of road would soon be in the list of heritage sites if the trend continues around the area, which is also a result of callous attitude of authorities concerned. A large number of shady and ornamental trees, which once enhanced the green cover of this posh area, have been alleged to be chopped off by the owners of the shopping complex as these ‘obstruct the view’ of the building. Some of these trees were nearly hundred years old. Built in 1880 by Britishers after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Mall Road once had a beautiful landscape with a large number of shady fruits-laden trees including silver oaks, golden shower, acacia, maulsary, peepal, neem, and jamun among others. The forest department is responsible to maintain green covers, but it reportedly remained a “silent spectator” without taking any action against the culprits, who ordered the cutting of trees. The change in the houseline plan by the corporation has further aggravated the problem besides leading to the parking and traffic chaos. Footpaths, where these trees were mostly planted, have been converted into parking places. The shopping complex owners had reportedly adopted an unusual way to get rid of these trees. They allegedly first pour some acid on the roots of the healthy trees causing their early death. The huge trees were then cut by large number of labourers and big wooden saws. Mr Deepak Babbar, President of AAGAZ, an NGO which works in the earth and resource care sector, expressing his anguish, said “why only those trees in front of these shopping complexes got dried or suffered from termite as claimed by the forest department and other authorities concerned.” He claimed that he took the matter a number of times with the forest department, but in vain. The blind and ill-planned commercialisation has also irked the residents of the historic mall, who expressed disappointment over the negligent approach of civic authorities and district administration. The residents allege the authorities and political leaders, who organise heritage festival to save the heritage and claimed to develop the city like Singapore or Toronto after visiting there on government expenditure, even could not equal Lahore, which has maintained the original glory of its Mall. Mr Mahavir Singh, District Forest Officer (DFO), when contacted, said the civic authorities concerned were destroying everything in the name of development. He further said that he would personally look into this “serious” matter and the responsible persons would be taken to task whether they belonged to the shopping complex or his own department. |
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NRI to seek justice from US Embassy Raghbir Singh Sandhu, an NRI from the United States, is facing tremendous political pressure to withdraw his complaint against a councilor who had allegedly misbehaved and beaten him up in full public view at Katra Jaimal Singh. He said the police was also not registering the case due to alleged political influences. A resident of Texas, Mr Sandhu, has threatened to take up the matter with the US Embassy, the NRI Sabha, Jalandhar and the DGP, Punjab to get justice. Describing the incident, he alleged that on November 17, the councilor banged into his car from the wrong side of a one-way road. Mr Sandhu was travelling with his wife and two minor sons. Following this, the councilor and some people with him allegedly roughed up Mr Sandhu. He alleged that his family were being threatened and pressurised to reach a compromise with councilor. The councilor was not available for comment. Mr Sandhu said he had come to the city to attend a wedding. |
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Senior Study students celebrate the spirit of national integration Senior Study School embraced the theme of “National Integration” on its annual function, held here recently.
Instead of regular histrionics, filmi songs and dances, the school chose an enlightening and knowledge enhancing track, which centered around presenting physical activity with glimpses of all religions, and highlighted the very national theme unity in diversity.
Students displayed amazing flexibility in performing ‘asaans’ in yogic postures. Music of the bygone era enveloped the beautifully charged environment. Junior students presented a colourful dance on “My Barbie” bringing smiles on faces of their parents. Displaying systematic synchronized routines in gymnastics, physical training, karate, the performance of ‘lazium’ brought memories of freedom struggle of India amongst many in the audience, observed Ms Kanchan Mehra, the school’s principal. In the background of the setting sun, the ‘dama dam Mast Kalandhar’ of Muslim community, the swift movements of traditional war preparation of ‘gatka’ performance of Sikh community and the ‘Krishan leela’ of the Hindu community amidst colourful burning lamps instilled the national feelings among the audience. The Kerala dance was especially appreciated. The event concluded with a soulful rendition of “Sarey Jahan sey Acha” with the audience joining in the show of unity. |
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Residents of White Avenue accuse MC of apathy Residents of White Avenue, known to be one of the posh areas of the Holy City, complain that the Municipal Corporation has failed to repair the roads and maintain the parks of the area. President of the White Avenue Welfare Association K. K. Agarwal, and secretary Anil Agarwal said they had written a number of times to Municipal Corporation to address the issue but in vain. They said the association had raised all these issues in a special meeting with the Mayor, Mr Sunil
Datti, and Mr Jugal Kishore Sharma, Chairman, Improvement Trust (Amritsar) here. Mr Agarwal said the corporation also delayed the salaries of gardeners and sweepers. Funds were not provided to the association as promised, due to which the maintenance of the parks had become difficult, he alleged. He said the funds they collected from the residents of the area were not enough for maintaining the parks and the roads. |
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A museum of antiquities This young farmer has a rare hobby. He loves to collect uncommon and historically important things.
Manpreet Singh, a resident of Verka, has an array of objects now forgotten by people. As such, he has decided to open a museum in his house located at the Amritsar-Verka road. He said it would be thrown open for public by the end of next year. His collection includes the spinning wheel of Sham Singh Attariwala, a general in the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Renowned Akali leader Master Tara Singh’s gramophone also adorns his collection. Objects related to the British Raj like a six-anna registry in Urdu prepared in 1937, a jumbo size Rs 5 note, and thumb-size Webster’s English Dictionary made in Germany. A stove made in Holland, which runs on spirit; about a century-old bulb, and the fore lamp of an old bicycle transports one to the bygone era. Other articles include a piece of famous “Kokeyian Wali Kathi” (frame of horse), a pair of mortar and pestle (commonly known as “Chattu-Mungali”), a pair of “Kalam-Dawat” (pen and inkpot), about ten locks, 100 to 150-year-old, a metre-long hand-fan. Recently, he spent Rs 10,000 for a 1964 Lambretta manufactured in Italy. It is still in working condition. |
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Theatre workshop for school students Sankalp, an internationally-known organisation working for children and the youth, is organising a series of theatre workshops in various government-run and government-aided schools in the holy city and its adjoining villages. The organisation says the idea is to use theatre and other artistic forms for the holistic and creative development of children. Mr Harnek Singh, a theatre artist and recipient of a fellowship from the Sangeet Natak Academy will be conducting the workshops. He says it will provide content and structural features of Indian theatre. The workshops will be conducted at Shri Ram Ashram Senior Secondary School, Government High School, Nagoke, Government Senior Secondary School, Ajaibwali, Government High school, Mudhal and Government Senior Secondary School, Mall Road. Mr Harnek Singh says the students will be introduced to theatre and its various exercises involved in it. He said Sankalap had been bestowed with the unique distinction of being one of the four NGOs’ whose works were praised by the Government of India. He said the organisation had been involving eminent exponents.
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Students present a cultural programme More than a century-old Sacred Heart School recently organised its annual function in which the students enthralled the audience with their wonderful performances.
The function started with a welcome dance and a prayer. The tiny tots of the school highlighted various social issues like drugs addiction and growing crime among minors through their performance in various cultural activities. While yoga presentation surprised many, the bhangra stole the show. Senior students presented a play written by Rabindranath Tagore, where they advocated for the conservation of natural resources. Dances of Karnataka and Maharashtra and stories from Panchtantra, besides eight other items, were engrossing, thought-provoking and enjoyable. Earlier, principal of the school, reading out the annual report of the school, announced cent per cent result in the ICSE examination with 15 students scoring above 90 per cent and another 84 above 80 per cent. The chief guest on the occasion was MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, who shared with the students a couple of incidents from his “life on the pitch.” He exhorted girl students to work hard for becoming successful and added that the celebrities they saw daily on TV screens had come there after hard struggle. “Success always smells of perspiration,” said Sidhu in his characteristic style. |
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Weekly Round-up The district Sainik Welfare Board organised a cultural evening in which about 250 army personnel, including the retired ones, and their families participated. Lieut Col S P Singh, the Board’s deputy director, on the occasion said such programme would be helpful in enhancing the mutual coordination among the servicemen. Inaugurated Mr Jugal Kishore Sharma, chairman, Improvement Trust, inaugurated the construction work to cover the Ganda Nalah, which passed through the Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar causing pollution in the colony which is being developed under the Mall Mandi Scheme. Mr Sharma said about Rs 88 lakhs would be spent in the construction work, which would be completed in four months. Medical Camp A free screening camp for detection of piles was held on the World Piles Day by the department of surgery of the Nagpal Nursing Home. Dr Jaideep Singh, surgeon of the hospital, said about 60 patients suffering from piles were examined. Free medicines were also distributed on the occasion. Scheme implementation The Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM) has urged the government to implement ‘Patwari Tuhade Sadde Te’ (Patwari at Your Call) scheme all over the state besides putting the revenue record on the Internet. In a letter to the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, the Manch’s president, Dr Charanjit Singh Gumtala, said the scheme mooted by the Deputy Commissioner of the district Nawan Shehar had given fruitful results. As per the scheme, a special phone number is assigned to book public calls for those who need any document from Patwari, which is provided to the concerned person by courier within 48 hours saving the time and money. The Manch also demanded the computerisation of revenue record put on the Internet so that any person all over the world could see the status of land concerned. It would be helpful for the NRI and general public also. Elections Mr Jagjit Singh Walia, Director, Press and Publications of the Guru Nanak Dev University, has unanimously been elected as President of Sultan-ul-Qaum Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia Memorial Society, Punjab. He was elected in a meeting of the society, chaired by the former Minister of Punjab, Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta. After his election, Mr Walia said the main objective of the body was to preserve the Memorials of Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and to highlight his achievements. The organisation would also work for the welfare of the society, brotherhood and peace, he added. Launch The Monte Carlo company has launched an exclusive range of winter wear, including Jackets, coats, printed tops, cardigans and twin sets among others at the Holy City. Ms Monica Oswal, executive director of Oswal Wollen Mills, said the sweaters were woven with ornamental details- embroideries.
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Advanced CT
scanning facility in city Another
breakthrough has been achieved in the health care sector in the Holy
City after the installation of a light speed 32 slices CT scan from
General Electric Company of America at the Dhillon Scanning Centre,
claimed the clinic’s authorities. Dr Tejinder Singh Dhillon, Managing Director of the centre, talking to the Tribune said this facility would provide a simple and non-invasive method for accurately diagnosing the coronary artery disease at its early stage and that too in just one breath hold of 20 seconds. He said this would be a boon for the heart patients who were earlier facing the agony of catheter angiography. Elaborating on the functioning of this highly-advanced CT Scanner, Dr Dhillon said the machine had the capability of scanning the whole body of the patients, especially of the victims of accident, in just 90 seconds from head to toe. He said all other routine examinations would also be carried out in much shorter periods to the comforts of the patients. The CT Coronary angiogram was an extremely accurate, reliable, ultra fast, non-invasive, out patient procedure, which was capable of providing detailed information of the heart and coronary vessels, thereby giving the most needed breakthrough in primary evaluation of coronary artery disease, Dr Dhillon said, adding that the GE LighSpeed obtained virtually artifact-free, diagnostic-quality images at a minimum patient dose and also reduced radiation errors in CT exams in children. The new machine delivered superb quality and allowed the clinician to see details that could not be seen previously, he claimed |
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Sikh model to appear in serial on Maharaja
The first ever Sikh model, Jaspal Singh Sehgal, remains an icon for the Sikh youth. Sehgal hit the headlines when he became Grasim Mr India in 2002 and repeated the feat next year. He also went on to represent the country in the US and clinched the titles of the best-dressed model and for wearing the best national costume. Jaspal Singh Sehgal was also on the panel that judged Mr Singh International, a contest held here recently. Talking to this correspondent, Sehgal said he had signed for a Hindi serial on Maharaja Ranjit Singh being directed by Raj Babbar. He said the shooting of the serial was expected to begin in the last week of November and the first phase of it would be done at Chandigarh and Patiala. To keep the authenticity of the historical facts related to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the makers had consulted four universities of Punjab, he added. “I am playing the role of Charat Singh, the grandfather of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.” The first 15 episodes, out of a total of 100, would bring out the life of the leader of Sukarchakia Misl, he said. “Efforts have been made to present the social and cultural scenario of the time and not restrict the storyline to wars only.” Sehgal belongs to a business family settled in Mumbai since Partition. After completing his graduation from Mumbai, he went on to Canada to complete his management degree. |
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‘Education system needs a change’ For achieving success, integral development of a student was at core of education, said Founder Chairman of FITJEE D.K. Goel.
He said school education, unfortunately, did not address this all-important aspect. He said yoga and meditation, which energised the mind and the body, needed to be included in the curriculum.
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