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Did Guru Gobind Singh really visit
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Hoardings eclipse road markings in city
School celebrates Martyrdom Day
Road safety week observed
Streets in Canada county named after Bhagat Puran Singh
Season’s first rainfall
beneficial for crops, health
Bank of India celebrates its centenary
Experts analyse works of poet Parminderjit
Amritsar Dental College to add new specialties
Stone laid for new school building in Maqboolpura
Rang Phulkari De
Play on the Ganges
Professor honoured
Pension camp for widows
In the name of the rose
Ethiopian envoy invites local businessmen
Weekly Round-up
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Did Guru Gobind Singh really visit the Holy City? No Sikh historian or the SGPC confirm it, but the late Karm Singh believed that the Master had come to Amritsar. However, the facts are still open for debate and further research, writes
Varinder Walia
On the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh today, it is pertinent to ask whether the Tenth Sikh Guru had ever visited Amritsar. While most historians say the Guru had never visited the Majha region of Punjab, including Amritsar, a book titled “Amritsar Di Twarikh” (The History of Amritsar), authored by a historian, Mr Karam Singh, and published by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) has claimed that the “Dasam Pita” (Guru Gobind Singh) indeed visited the Holy City in 1752 Bikrami Samant. The author substantiates his viewpoint with reference to the list of gurdwaras. The book assumes significance because it has been published by the SGPC’s Dharm Parchar Committee (DPC), to mark the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa Panth. However, another book, “Gurdham Sangreh” authored by renowned the Sikh historian, Giani Gyan Singh, and also published by the SGPC does not mention any gurdwara built to commemorate the visit of the Tenth Guru. The book has now started a debate in the Sikh Panth because the SGPC’s own website does not mention any such visit. So much so, Mr Waryam Singh and Mr Roop Singh, secretary and assistant secretary of the SGPC, respectively, have differed with Karm Singh on this count. The book has also pointed out about the gurdwara (residence of Guru Gobind Singh) that once existed at Katra Dal Singh near Kaulsar, which was built to commemorate the visit of Guru Gobind Singh to the Holy City. It claims that the gurdwara was renovated by an energetic Sikh, Mahant Gurdit Singh, in those days. The question then arises that if Guru Gobind Singh had ever visited Amritsar, then why the historical gurdwara, constructed in his memory, was allowed to “disappear”? The editor of the book, Giani Gurdit Singh, said the then President of the SGPC, Jathedar Gurcharn Singh Tohra, had evinced keen interest in its publication. But Mr Waryam Singh says, “It was perhaps a historical error committed by Sardar Karm Singh.” However, he was unable to give an appropriate reply regarding the wisdom of publishing of the book with a “historical error” by his department (DPC), and that too on the centenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa Panth. He, however, said Karm Singh had done a great service to the Panth by collecting primary sources pertaining to Sikhism. Mr Waryam Singh adds that it required more research to establish the fact regarding the visit of the tenth Guru to the Holy City. The visit of Guru Gobind Singh to Amritsar, however, got credence as the renowned Sikh historian, Giani Gurdit Singh, wrote the foreword to the book. In the preface of the controversial book, Giani Gurdit Singh claimed that the “golden pages” of “Amritsar Di Twarikh” were found from the trash. The book contains “most valuable” information that was earlier not touched by any historian. These invaluable pages of history were found in June-July 1998 by his son Ranbir Singh from the waste papers, Giani Gurdit Singh wrote. Due to complacency, many invaluable books of Sardar Karm Singh were lost after his death, he added. Most of the Sikh historians are of the view that Guru Gobind Singh remained busy fighting the hill chieftains and the Mughals, and hence could not find time to visit Amritsar during his lifetime. The Guru was an example of a perfect saint-soldier and had been able to build a small but well-trained army. At the age of 33 on the Baisakhi Day of 1699 AD, he established the new order of the Khalsa and gave Sikhism the present form. The Guru had to fight many battles at Anandpur, Charnkaur and Muktsar. His two sons — Ajit Singh and Jujhar Singh — died fighting at Chamkaur. The younger ones — Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh — were captured by the ruler of Sirhind and were bricked alive. The Guru sacrificed his entire family and underwent untold hardships for righteousness. Except for “Amritsar Di Twarikh”, any other literature, including the history of Sikhism on website of the SGPC, does not mention any visit by Guru Gobind Singh to Amritsar. The legendary saint, soldier and poet was a prolific writer. He spent his youth studying Sanskrit, Persian and other Indian scriptures. Guru Gobind Singh got compiled the final version of the Adi Granth. The Tenth Guru was born to Mata Gujri at Patna in 1666 AD when his father Guru Teg Bahadur was touring Bengal. Guru Gobind Singh lived in Patna till the age of five. He was taken to Anandpur after that. There he went on to patronise poets, thinkers and scholars, too, which was a time-consuming exercise. The site of the house at Patna in which Gobind Rai was born and where he spent his early childhood, now stands as a shrine— Takht Sri Harimandar Sahib— one of the five most honoured seats of Sikh religious authority (Takhts). Gobind Rai was escorted to Anandpur (then known as Chakk Nanaki) at the foothills of the Shivaliks. Much of Guru Gobind Singh’s literary work was done at Paonta, which he had founded on the banks of Yamuna and where he had temporarily shifted in April 1685. Guru Gobind Singh reached Dina in the heart of Malwa. There he enlisted a few hundred warriors of the Brar clan, and also composed his famous letter, Zafarnamah or the Epistle of Victory, in Persian verse, addressed to Emperor Aurangzeb. He took position astride the water pool of Khidrana. After spending some time in the Lakkhi Jungle country, Guru Gobind Singh arrived at Talwandi Sabo, now called Damdama Sahib, on January 20, 1706. From Dina, Guru Gobind Singh continued his westward march until, finding the host close upon his heels, left for the south on October 30, 1706. However, there is no mention of Guru Gobind Singh visiting Amritsar in these books on Sikh history.
The services of Karm Singh have been recognised by the Sikh Panth from time to time. He was the spirit behind the establishment of the Sikh History Research Department (SHRD) at Khalsa College, though it came into being after his death. A year before the establishment of this historical department, a meeting was convened on December 22, 1929, at Akal Takht, and a society was formed. Karm Singh was nominated as its first secretary. Though he died on September 30, 1930, the proposal was not given up by Khalsa College that announced the setting up of the department at a meeting held at Guru Ka Bagh (Golden Temple) to mark the Shardhanjli Samaroh of the great Sikh historian the same year. The SHRD, established in 1930, has a collection of rare paintings of the Sikh rule and the British era, old newspapers, journals that are dexterously arranged in the museum. The department has rare coins and weapons of the 17th and the 18th centuries (mathlock, dhaal, Katar, chakkar, bows and kirpans). Sardar Karm Singh was born in 1884 (Bikrami Samant) at Jhabal village, Tarn Taran in Amritsar district. His one leg was polio-affected and it is said that one day a bonesetter of the area said that the leg could be cured with Rs 5 only. An old man of the village said in a sarcastic way that the “total worth of the boy (Karm Singh) is less than that amount of money. He (the old man) perhaps did not know that the same boy would earn laurels for the region. After finishing his schooling in Tarn Taran, Karm Singh got admission in F.A. at Amritsar’s Khalsa School. However, he dropped the idea of the higher studies for the sake of research. He knew that many old men, who were eyewitness to the Sikh history, were dying due to plague and it was the need of the hour to record rare facts.
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Hoardings eclipse road markings in city
The city has been dotted with hoardings at various crossings and almost at all high attention points. And even the luminous boards indicating directions to important places of the city have not been spared as they are eclipsed at many points by hoardings with photographs of political personalities of the ruling party.
That the political figures on hoardings were of the ruling party, including the union ministers, councillors, MLAs and the president of a national party on the entry and the exit points of the city, it was an irony as the government itself was unable to conform to rules and regulations, say senior residents. The Punjab and Haryana High Court’s blanket ban on hoardings have proved no hurdle as advertisers freely install hoardings even on rooftops of high-rise buildings rendering the area dangerous. Several hoardings exhibiting political personalities adorn newly-finished government buildings. On the main road, where the civic authorities had painstakingly put up directions for important destinations mounted on steel frameworks, has been usurped by the hoarding agents. “The defaulters are aware that the faces of political personalities would not be tampered with for fear of earning their ire,” says a senior official of the Municipal Corporation. The entry point on the international route coming from the Wagah Indo-Pak border and international railway station at Attari, outside Guru Nanak Dev university also have not been spared with most landmark directions blanketed over by the faces of politicians. A large number of unipoles with huge advertising hoardings have occupied almost all the pavements in complete violation of Supreme Court orders. Even on the posh Mall Road, considered to be the pride of the city, such ignominy can be located. Hoardings can be seen at GT road, Jhajgarh, mounted on public toilets, government buildings, bus top shelters, overhead pedestrian bridges that have been taken over by mobile service providers displaying their advertisements, as also almost every nook and corner. Despite the High Court’s ban on erecting of hoardings on railway tracks and roads within the Municipal Corporation limits as they distract drivers posing a risk to public safety, the orders have been violated with impunity, courtesy the hoardings by various banks, leading jewellers and other business houses. |
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School celebrates Martyrdom Day
Guru Teg Bahadur Public School and Institute of Business Management Studies at Khankot celebrated the Martyrdom Day of the Ninth Sikh Guru with religious fervour.
Mr Jai Singh Gill, Punjab Chief Secretary was the chief guest on the occasion. While addressing the gathering, he said education and health were the two important segments which need the support of private institutions backed by government efforts to fulfill the needs of the country. He said it was the private sector, which was coming forward in offering jobs to the younger generation while the government could not offer that many job opportunities due to constraints. He lauded the role of the institutions, which were providing quality education in the rural areas. The students of the school presented hymns, shabads and even kavishery, focusing mainly on the life of Guru Teg Bahadur. The two-hour function and its meaningful presentation were absorbing. The managing director of the school and India’s ambassador to Madagascar, Dr Diljit Singh Pannun, said the school was making all the possible efforts to impart quality education through an honest effort. Earlier, the president of the school, Dr Ranbir Singh in his welcome address highlighted the history of the school and institute and detailed account of the education set up. The chief guest gave away medallions and awards to students for their outstanding achievements in the board examinations. |
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Road safety week observed
The district transport department has launched a week-long road safety programme by organising a special campaign for the school children.
Addressing the rally on the opening day of the programme, DSP (Traffic), Mr Harinderjit Singh, said the children could together create awareness among the traffic violators. He also appealed to the public to follow the traffic rules to avoid accidents in the urban and rural areas. He said the week-long celebrations would include seminars and workshops on the observance of traffic rules and road safety aspects. To give credence to the campaign, the traffic police launched a major derive to book traffic violators. During the day-long campaign, the traffic police challaned a retired colonel, who was driving the car with red light on top. The police also removed black film from more than 50 cars during the day. They also challaned more than 200 vehicles for violations of various acts of the traffic rules. Earlier, the state-level campaign was launched by the IG (Traffic), Mr S.K. Sharma. “We should follow the traffic rules as road accidents have had claimed 2500 lives in the state during last year,” Mr Sharma said. |
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Streets in Canada county named
Two streets in the county of Surrey in British Columbia were dedicated to Bhagat Puran Singh, a missionary and the founder of the All India Pingalwara Society in Amritsar.
Giving this information, President of the society, Dr Inderjeet Kaur, who had recently returned from a month-long tour of Canada, said that Bhagat Puran Singh worked to protect nature’s bounties and as such the administrator of Surrey had decided to commemorate his services. Dr Inderjeet Kaur said a blood donation camp was also organised on the occasion. The president of Pingalwara Society said she was overwhelmed and deeply touched by the generosity of the people of Canada who had been kind enough to offer specially-designed wheelchairs for physically-challenged children to participate in the Special Olympics. Dr Inderjeet Kaur said the number of at the society inmates had shown considerable inclination for basketball and other games. “The society will add more games and engage special coaches to train them so that they could participate in the national and international events on regular basis.” |
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Season’s first rainfall
beneficial for crops, health
The first rainfall of the season this week not only broke the three-month old dry spell, but also brought smiles on the face of the farmers awaiting a bumper crop of wheat sowed in 3.70-lakh hectare in the border belt.
Mr Yadwinder Singh Chhina, Chief Agriculture Officer, Agriculture Department said the rain would be beneficial to all crops including that of sugarcane sowed in 7,000-hectare of land in district. Besides, this downpour, he said, would be favourable for various crops. It would remove dirt from the crops and end fog, which was harmful to the crops, he added. Though Mr Chhina said excess rainfall and hail would damage the crops to a certain extent. “But this present spell helped in proper mixing of the fertilizers and manures required for the cultivation of the multiple crops and the crops to be followed after wheat or the present crops. This would also fulfill the nutrient requirements of the soil.” According to experts, the rain was important for recharging the groundwater level, which would needed during the growling summer season. They added that the government and the NGOs must come together to work out a comprehensive strategy to preserve the precious water resource through conservation and proper planning. Meanwhile, medical experts said this present spell of rain was healthy and diseases like cough, cold and respiratory problems would be solved. They added that prior to the rain, the environment was polluted due to dense fog containing virus, bacteria and dirt particles that were causing infections and allergies. |
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Bank of India celebrates its centenary
To celebrate its centenary in a unique way, the Bank of India (BoI) extended a helping hand to the inmates of the Institute for Blind, located outside Lohgarh Gate. A function was organised recently in the hall of the institute. The programme began with the rendering of songs and music by the visibly challenged students. Mellifluous voice, alacrity of movement of palms on tabla and beautiful playing of harmonium left the viewers spellbound. Bedsheets and sweaters were distributed among the 80 inmates. Mr Suresh Kumar Jain, Zonal Manager, said that it was a token gift from the bank to the inmates for the New Year. The bank has undertaken the onerous task of overall development of 101 villages across the country. Jamsed village in Jalandhar has been chosen under this project in Punjab. He said all rural and semi-urban branches of the bank would pick up a farmer, a student, a woman and a dalit and would work to raise their standard of living and push them to achieve success in their lives. Established in 1906, the BoI has 2611 branches across the country. Addressing the gathering Mr Paramjit Singh, ADC (Development), who was the chief guest during the function, said the trained visibly challenged persons must be offered financial help to make them self reliant.
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Experts analyse works of poet Parminderjit
A discussion on style and works of Shiromani Sahityakar Award winner poet, Parminderjit, was held recently in which famous writers and poets, including Dr Mohanjit, Inderjit Sidhu from Canada, Dr Karnail Singh from UK and Vishal from Italy, participated. A book of Inderjit Sidhu ‘Khalaa ‘ch Dastak’ was also released on the occasion. Analysing the poetical aspects of Parminderjit’s book ‘Bachpan, Ghar te Main’ Dr Mohanjit, a well-known poet, said it was full of profound experiences of life beginning from his childhood and family. He said it was indeed a touching poetical narration, which left a deep psychological impact on the reader. He pointed that what impressed most was his easy style punctuated with unique phraseology which had left indelible mark having an individual and original style of Punjabi poetry. He said Parminderjit’s perception about life was vividly reflected in his poetry. He said his poems about childhood was the reflection of childhood of each individual which created a niche for himself in Punjabi literature, where Parminderjit stands out tall and bright among his peers. On the occasion Inderjit Sidhu (Canada), Dr Karnail Singh (UK) and Vishal (Italy) also recited their poems.
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Amritsar Dental College to add new specialties
The Punjab Government Dental College and Hospital, one of the oldest dental institutions in India, is ready to add new specialties focussing on areas like community dentistry, dental medicine and dental pharmacology, as the government has sanctioned Rs 8.25 crores project for the construction of new block to equip the hospital with the latest facilities. The College authorities have sent a proposal for recruitment of new specialist professors and lecturers against the vacant sanctioned posts to principal secretary, health and directorate in this regard. The process is going on and is likely to be accepted by the government. With the state government recently restructuring the cadre by making changes in nomenclature and creation of more posts, the faculty today consists of 44 posts (7 professors, 9 associate professors, 9 assistant professors, 9 senior lectures and 9 medical officers (dental)). Besides the teaching faculty, there is a supporting staff of more than 100 persons, including the ministerial, and paramedical among others. Dr Amarjit Singh Gill, Principal of the college, said the ambitious project involving construction of a new three-storied clinical block boys’ hostel, auditorium, residential accommodations for faculty and supporting staff and other required infrastructure had recently been started and was likely to be completed in about three years’ time. Set up in 1952 under its founder principal Dr M L Watts, the college had contributed a large number of professionals in the fields varying from academics to civil and defence services, not only to the country but also all over the world. Therefore, the need of the hour, which was being felt, was induction of new specialties and facilities as per the recommendation of Dental Council of India. There are nine specialties considered in dentistry, out of which five have already been available in this college. The college offers degrees to its students, BDS, MDS, pedodontics, prosthodontics, periodontology, Conservative Dentistry and Oral Maxillofacial Surgery etc. The four new specialties being planned include Orthodontics, Oral pathology, Oral Medicine and Community Dentistry. Established as fragment of De Motmorency College of Dentistry, Lahore, the College, still has its connection with Pakistan with gadgets that the students and staff who migrated to Indian side after Partition brought with them. The doctors and dentists from the neighbouring country, whenever get a chance to visit Amritsar, also prefer to visit this college. Before Partition, there was only one dental college in the country that awarded BDS and MDS degrees — de Montmcrency College of Dentistry at Lahore. Post-partition, the students who left Lahore were admitted to Sir CEM Dental College at Bombay, while the faculty joined the V.J. Hospital, Amritsar. Soon a need was felt to establish a dental college in this part of the country. The faculty at the V.J. Hospital, particularly Dr M.L. Watts, Dr J.C. Manchanda and Dr B.R. Vacher, managed to get the proposed college located at Amritsar. The campus is spread over a sprawling area of more than 10 acres and is a delight to every college students’ heart. A well-equipped college and hospital section with modern infrastructure system, a lively students’ hostel bubbling over with life and the residential and sports complex constitutes and make up of the campus.
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Stone laid for new school building in Maqboolpura
The foundation stone for the new building of Citizen’s Forum Vidya Mandir located in Maqboolpura was laid by its one of the founders and patron, Mr Brij Bedi here last week. The where the school will be built is infamous as a locality of widows where at least 150 men had died due to drug addiction in the last five years. The new school would teach over 350 children. The 200-square yard plot was purchased from money pooled from awards and contribution made by Ms. Satdeva Kaur, a resident of Germany. Mr Brij Bedi and Master Ajit Singh, two philanthropists, who are running the school, donated a Rs one lakh which they had received from the Dalai Lama on behalf of Organisation of Understanding & Fraternity (OUF) in New Delhi on December 10 last year. They also donated Rs 10,000 they received as prize money in the Red and White Bravery award. Ms Satdeva Kaur, who embraced Sikhism, is based in Germany and sends the charity collected for school here. The school here was established in 1999 with only 20 students who were adopted by Mr Bedi and Master Ajit Singh. Later, the senior students took up the responsibility of imparting education. Today, the strength of the school has risen to a little over 350. So far, the school was being run in ramshackle building in which senior students taught their juniors on a meager remunerations to pursue their own studies. Ms Kiran Bedi later associated herself with the school and has been giving it financial help. Mr Rajan Kashyap, a former chief secretary, Mr Gurdev Singh Sahota , DIG (border range) are patrons of this school. Mr Bedi said the new building would have six rooms and vocational courses would also be started here.
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Rang Phulkari De
The finest of all folk arts of Punjab is Phulkari. After great immigration consequent to the Partition of the country in 1947, east Punjab has emerged as a granary of India. Phulkari became out of fashion. At present, a few interior villagers of Punjab embroider them now. The young generation has not even heard of it. The cultural loss has to be recovered somehow.
The origin Paramjit Kaur Kang, a young artiste, who has done her masters in Fine Arts from Punjabi University, Patiala, devoted herself in making innovative patterns in phulkari, which speaks of Punjab’s rich culture and heritage. Her paintings have text imbibed on them in shape of tappas or couplets of folk song, which are very relevant to the situation picturised in phulkari. According to Paramjit, phulkari is not the prerogative of Jats alone. The best phulkari and bagh are known to have been from Hazara and Chakwal areas of northern Punjab, which is dominated by non-Jat Sikhs. The phulkari traveled to India from two fronts. One is from Persia and second is from Mohanjodro Harappan, which could be verified from the murals of Ajanta where the designs and floral patterns could be seen on the clothes of the female folk. According to Sir Denzil Ibbetson in 1883, it was customary for the Punjabis of all caste to give phulkari and chopes to their daughters on the day of their marriage. From mother to daughter Paramjit learnt the art of phulkari from her mother. She learnt the short and darning stitch (the chief characteristic of the phulkari work), which involves counting of threads. She started to learn phulkari from her mother and grandmother from the childhood who traditionally started a ‘bagh’ for her wedding day when she was born. All the way from China Red is considered to be auspicious by Sikhs. Other colours, including brown, blue in various hues and shades, are used in daily living. ‘Pat’ is used in embroidery phulkari and baghs. Paramjit reveals that it is fluffy to touch and clings to the fingers particularly in summers. Little more care to handle it is required while doing phulkari. The silk thread strands used in phulkari were from Kashmir, Afghanistan and Bengal and best quality silk threads were from China. Interpreting emotions A distinctive type of embroidery painting by Paramjit is a sincere effort for the presentation of rural domestic tradition and its originality. She has interpreted emotions of villagers through this device. These paintings create colourful aura around us. She is also working in making sculptures based on Punjabi folk art. Her paintings have roots in the Sainchi type of phulkari of eastern Punjab, which make use of human figures and animals as well as abstract motifs. Documenting phulkari Paramjit Kaur is documenting and making new designs, which will be later on translated on the khaddar cloth with silk thread by herself, which will be on display for the next exhibition at Chandigarh. |
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Play on the Ganges
Tiny tots of Delhi Public School (DPS) here presented a dance performance in the Art Gallery on the multiple-facets of the Ganges .
Principal Sangeeta Singh said the school wanted to showcase the value of rivers to children. The play started with the chanting of hymns based on the spiritual value of the Ganges. The children, colourfully dressed, created the symbolic scenes of the Ganges and the many shrines situated on its banks. |
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Professor honoured
The Indian Economic Association (IEA) has honoured Prof R.S. Bawa, a leading economist and Registrar, Guru Nanak Dev University, at its 88th Annual Conference held recently at Andhra University, Visakhapatanam (Andhra Pradesh). He was honoured for his commendable contributions to the field of economics and education.
Prof T.S. Papola, President of IEA and Dr Y.V. Reddy, Governor, Reserve Bank of India, conferred the IEA Felicitation Award upon Prof Bawa. |
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Pension camp for widows
A special widow pension camp would be organised at S L Bhavan’s Public School next month to benefit the widows who collect their monthly ration free from the mission, the deputy commissioner, Mr Kirandeep Singh Bhullar, said.
The camp will be organised in coordination with the Chinmaya Mission. Mr Bhullar made this announcement while presiding over the 42nd monthly widow ration distribution function held during this week organised by the local Chinmaya mission society. Appreciating the role of the mission, he said he was highly impressed by the dedication of the members of the mission who had been organising this regular monthly ration function for the past three years, thereby helping the poor widows. The deputy commissioner said the district administration and the Red Cross society would provide all possible assistance in making these widows economically self-reliant. He said the Red Cross society would also provide them sewing machines. Earlier, Mr Vijay Tandon, general secretary of Lumsdon Club, offered to provide all kinds of assistance for making ration scheme successful, including of providing voluntary contributions for the members of the Club.
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In the name of the rose
“For the love of rose, I built this garden,” says Mr Satpal Singh Uppal, an avid gardener who has developed a new variety of the rose.
Born in Kenya, the flower caught his fancy in the late 50s, and he turned his backyard into a garden of Eden. Using the grafting technique with nearly 20 years of relentless dedication, Mr Uppal was able to create a hybrid variety of English rose and named it “Pink Zambra.” His rose was recognised internationally and registered in his name on 1981. “That year was special as I swept the All India Rose and Chrysanthemum Show, Punjab Horticulture Show and District Flower Show, my rose winning trophies everywhere.” He was conferred the rare honour at an impressive ceremony by the National Rose Registration Centre at the Asian Trial Grounds in New Delhi . The certificate reads: “For attaining international recognition in the flower by getting christening the floribunda rose “Pink Zambra” and winning majority of prizes at national, state and district levels.” “That was my peak,” he exclaims. Despite his present 70 years, the passion in him is full of reigning kings in the flower-world—the chrysanthemums and the dahlias. His king-size chrysanthemums, buttons, incurved, out-curved, spider, apart from hues, shades, sizes, shapes of dahlias in variegated forms and colours have won him more than 100 prizes at district, state and national level competitions. Having won the national overall trophy for nearly five times, Mr Uppal laments that for the past five years, the district administration has stopped holding the annual flower show that marked the birth anniversary of noted writer and poet Bhai Vir Singh in December. “The hobby of cultivating flowers has also diminished.” A member of the Royal Society of Horticulture in London, Mr Uppal gets his seeds from Germany, the UK and the US. The Victoria Butchart gardens in Canada fascinated him leading him into growing globular hanging pots. The garden is known to be famous with the quaint line —-“For the newly-wed and the newly-dead”, says Mr Uppal with a twinkle. He often gifts potted plants to his friends and enjoys their queries. Although he is grounded to scents and flavours of the soil as an exporter of vegetables, it is his father, Dr Sarmukh Singh Uppal, who was behind his passion for the “delicate pleasures.” He also grows foreign herbs and vegetables like basil, parsley, dill, rosemary, sage, thyme , celery besides rarities like brussels, poiree, aneth, broccoli and red cabbages spending nearly Rs 2 lakh on his hobby annually. “Lately, I have started selling cuttings, saplings and seeds as an excuse for people to visit my garden,” he says.
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Ethiopian envoy invites local businessmen
Dr Teketel Forssido, Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to India, interacted with the local members of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here in an attempt to convince them to invest in his country.
He said Ethiopia could act as a gateway for Indian industrialists to Africa in view of its geographical location, climate and peaceful political environment. Ethiopia is an active member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), embracing 19 countries with a population of 380 million and enjoying market access to these countries at preferential tariffs and is a favourable destination to invest in. Dr Forssido said his country had begun the process for accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). He said the favourable sectors to invest for Indian industrialists were drugs and pharmaceuticals, primary and semi finished iron and steel, cosmetics, toiletries, rubber and paper manufactured goods, finished leather, inorganic and organic chemicals, electronic goods and plastic goods. Besides, he mentioned that investors could earn handsomely in agriculture, IT, horticulture, fisheries, manufacturing, mining, tourism, services and other areas beneficial to both the countries. Mr Gunbir Singh, Chairman, CII Amritsar Zonal Council, welcomed the guests and apprised the participants of the India-Ethiopia trade scenario. He said “Punjabis have done a great job in developing education and industrial sectors of Ethiopia.”
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Weekly Round-up
The residents of the city ushered in 2006 with great gaiety and spirit. Leading hotels and clubs here organised special celebrations on the New Year’s eve by inviting famous DJs and offered the best in snacks and foods along with drinks for a grand show. A large number of people let their hair down and passed the midnight in New Year parties.
The hotels also held fashion shows and invited artists from Mumbai for dance and musical performances. Some of the youngster’s organised private parties at farmhouses with live band in attendance and the parties wound up early in the morning. The New Year pageant also included a contest for the best dance couple. The police made elaborate arrangements around the Lawrence Road to ward-off any incident. A large number of people gathered at the Mall Road Chowk for bhangra and offered New Year greetings to everyone. Officer-bearers The following members were elected officer-bearers of the Missionary Education Society for 2006 in the annual general meeting of the society here this week. Mr Balwinder Singh Aiden was elected as the patron while Dr J S Arora was elected president. The other members include Mr Harjinder Singh Arora, honoray secretary, Mr Harinderpal Singh Sood as senior vice-president, Mr Bakshish Singh as vice-president, Mr Kirpal Singh, vice-president (finance), Mr Anish Arora as finance secretary, Mr Urvinder Singh Bhasin, additional honorary secretary, Mr Barinderpal Singh as secretary (scholarships). Talent Hunt A talent hunt contest would be organised by Service Club on January 11 in which the club members and their families would be given opportunity to perform on the stage for instrumental music, ghazals, songs, dance, mono acting, poems, giddha and bhangra, fancy dress and painting competition and children fashion show. The judges would be from field of art and culture. Diamond
mela Tanishq has launched a dazzling solitaire mela at its showroom on Mall here. The Regional Head, North, Mr Vipul Sachdev said the mela would showcase an array of exquisite solitaire under one roof. He said the diamonds were symbol of opulence and eternal beauty. The mela houses over 30 solitaires along with different types of mounts designed to suit every customer. He said a rare five carat diamonds had also been displayed at this mela. The mela would remain open till mid-January. Zonal office The Punjab National Bank has upgraded its local regional office to a zonal office by bifurcating the Punjab zone into two zones— Punjab North and Punjab South. The new zonal office would be headed by a newly appointed General Manager, Mr G. K. Sawhney. The zonal office would serve the state through its 276 offices divided into four regions Amritsar, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur. Skin care Uttam Group launched its Thalasso Natural Skincare range here recently. The spokesman of the company said the products easily absorbed into the skin through the blood stream and are suited for all age groups. He said the company had specialised products for slimming. Compiled by Pawan Kumar. Honour The Punjab Pradesh Youth Congress
(PPYC) has honoured the newly-appointed DIG jails and commandant 3rd IRB Battalion, Mr Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, with Best Police Officer award for his honesty and the achievements he made. Mr Narinder Kumar
Tinu, PPYC’s secretary, said the Youth Congress had earlier honoured, Mr Chander Shekhar, the then IG with this award. Mr Partap is the second police officer to be awarded with this honour. Mr Kunwar Vijay Partap had exposed many crimes during his stint as SP city in the Holy City. He came to limelight when he exposed the infamous Kidney case in which many heads, including that of doctors, police officers, advocates were rolled. He had also busted many flesh trade rackets.
(Compiled by Pawan Kumar)
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