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With a spring in one’s step
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City girls find costume jewellery chic and stylish
Hedonists’ haven
Competition among NRIs over investments in Punjab: expert
Kapurthala railway station awaits basic facilities
Life’s Kaleidoscope
Navaratras: ‘Fast’ way to good health
Students of mass communication say ‘Bon Jour’
‘Introduce easy finance schemes for farmers’
Different
Strokes
From
Schools and Colleges
Seminars on information security, tourism
Octogenarian twins pledge to donate bodies
Babies’ day out
Market
Buzz
Workshop on ‘Technology, Development, Utilisation and Transfer’
Passing
Thru
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Seasons change, bringing with them a new hope. As flowers bloom and lushness spreads over, sagging spirits are rejuvenated, find Minna Zutshi, Deepkamal Kaur & lensman Pawan Sharma, while making a recce of Jalandhar Cantonment As you move on, dahlia of varying shades greet you. Unlike the city, where flowers are squeezed to flowerpots, and greenery is apologetic about its own existence, here flowers dot the boundary walls of offices and houses. Just one cursory look and you can easily rattle off names — sweet williams, candytuft, pansies, marigolds, petunia, red salvias and dog flowers. “During the mornings and the evenings, it’s simply wonderful to walk down the roads here. The flowers and the greenery are soothing. And so is the instrumental music that plays on softly,” says Mr Anup Vats, a resident of cantonment. All gardens here have been spruced up. Sapper’s Garden, with its huge shoe-shaped slide, now wears a new look. It’s no longer a dilapidated, unkempt garden. Vajra Vatika, one of the most frequented parks in the cantonment, has also been done up well. Here, flora takes the shape of fauna (bushes have been pruned to give them animal-like shape)! The Sub-Area Commander, Brigadier S.S. Patil, unfolds quite a few in-tune-with-nature plans, as he tells us that a new garden is coming up near the old church. The garden is yet to be christened, but the work there is already in progress. He also reveals that the area near the outer wall of the cantt would be done up. “The cantonment area may be very well-maintained from within, but for an outsider moving past the GT Road, the area looks drab and dull, and a tad dirty, too. Our focus is to improve that area by planting trees, creepers and flowering plants,” he says. There are plans to start rainwater harvesting projects also. “We need to save each little drop of water. We, faujis, who have lived in inhospitable terrains of deserts and mountains, know the value of water,” he remarks, adding that sparing a thought for eco-preservation is imperative. Well, this ‘thought for eco-preservation’ may soon give the cantonment residents a nice picnic spot near Sofi pind village, a beautified walking track near Lal Diggi and a bird habitat. Already some of these projects have taken off with a fauji flourish! Nursery in the offing Jalandhar Cantonment would have its own plant nursery soon, where saplings of trees and seasonal plants would be available. According to Brigadier S.S. Patil, Sub-Area Commander, the nursery would be managed by an officer who is also a qualified botanist. Yet another heartening news for the green brigade is that a tree plantation drive, in which more than 4000 students from various Army schools here are likely to participate, would be started. If each student plants even two saplings, it would mean well over 8000 new trees in the area. The Army has also initiated a drive (in cantonment) to identify vacant plots for tree plantation. Fruit trees would be planted in the plots with boundary walls intact, while the other plots would be lush with flowering trees like amaltas and bottlebrush. Well, seems it’s time for sans-greenery Jalandhar City to take a cue from the cantonment and go green with envy! |
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City girls find costume jewellery chic and stylish
The price of gold is no longer the talk of the town. Lasses and ladies from the city have semi-precious and costume jewellery on their fashion agenda. From long danglers to pretty bracelets, the women around the town are having a ball at the parties carrying ornaments that are easy on the pocket. Costume jewellery, made of pearl, gold-plated silver, white metal or oxidised black metal studded with semi-precious stones of all kinds of hues, is a favourite with the city women. Be it a party wear or a wedding trousseau of a bride, jewellery full of coloured stones shines its way through. Mallika, who got married six months back, goes easy on gold and likes to wear designer costume jewellery that adds shine to her bridal outfits. “Costume jewellery has gained acceptability. Even elderly women like me wear it,” says a homemaker from Jawahar Nagar. College girls say stone jewellery is their favourite. Harshita Kochar, a student of Hans Raj Kanya Mahavidyalaya here, believes costume jewellery made of polished metal, part gold or polished silver is the new fashion statement. “We don’t wait for our family to give us heavy ornate jewellery to be worn at weddings. We go in for costume jewellery that is hot and happening,” she says. Mehak Mahajan, an MBA student, says she no longer has to borrow precious jewellery from her sister-in-law to dress up for a party. “Costume jewellery is making waves. It has reduced the tension of carrying costly ornaments,” she adds. For Dr Ravinder Bath, price adds to the appeal. “Costume jewellery with attractively carved stones is expensive, but it looks great,” she says. Sukhpreet Saini, an executive, says, “Women like me need jewellery for a variety of occasions. Costume jewellery comes in handy,” she adds. The trend is to play up the colours in the outfit, and embellish it with costume jewellery. 
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If you thought Jalandhar was a city that had yet to find its shopping
malls and multiplexes, take a reality check with Deepkamal Kaur Jalandharis would soon get the privilege of enjoying shopping and watching movies with ultimate visual and sound effects. While five to six shopping malls with multiplexes have already been under construction for the past one year, the construction of another mall is proposed to begin after two months. Planning to open its food court and retail shopping centre at Ansal Highway Plaza opposite Haveli Resort before Divali, the group has also acquired a land close to 1.75 lakh square feet in the heart of the city near Model Town for opening another mall with a multiplex. The new Rs 100 crore project was expected to begin in 45 days, said Mr Ashish Jerath, AGM of the group. The AGM said the company had tied up with various food chains, including Bikaner, for setting up a food court. He said other brands, including Benetton and Levis, had also signed up with the company for setting up their retail outlet. He said it had been planned to open the mall before the festive season as people loved to shop around that time. Construction of yet another mall in a 1.5-acre land on the Police Lines Road began last month. Already, the basement and two floors of the building have been constructed. The proprietor of this yet-to-be-named mall, Mr Ram Parkash Wassal, who is also the owner of Arora Prime Towers, said the mall would come up in a year’s time. He, however, refused to divulge any details about the plans of his building. The MBD group, more popular as a publishing house, is also coming up with a shopping mall with a three-screen multiplex. Mr Balwant Sharma, Managing Director, said the group had earlier started the construction of a hotel. But, he said that more land had now been acquired alongside and the map line had been changed to set up a mall that was a more profitable proposition these days. At the site, a hotel building is currently being demolished. Mr Sharma said the mall would come up in an area of two acres. He said the group was investing Rs 200 crore in Punjab. MBD Neopolis (as the malls of the group are called), were simultaneously also being set up in Ludhiana, Patiala and Amritsar. The construction of Starcity, a shopping mall with four-screen multiplex and food court, has been on for the past one year on the Jalandhar-Phagwara Highway, near Haveli Resort. The mall is conceived to encompass a gamut of shopping and entertainment activities. It is proposed to be divided into four theme-based floors that would showcase specifically-planned products and services. The ground floor would be dedicated to youth. The lower ground floor would cater to kids and the first floor would showcase commodities related to bridal shopping. The second floor, it is learnt, would have four different cinema halls with a seating capacity of 1000 people. The mall would also have a food court, a discotheque, a bar and many other attractions. Apart from this, the Starcity would also have a huge atrium for live stage, and space for exhibitions. The owners of Jyoti Cinema in Jalandhar had razed their cinema hall about two years back for the construction of a shopping mall. The project, however, is yet to take off. |
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Competition among NRIs over investments in Punjab: expert
Analysing Sikh philanthropy for the last nearly 30 years, Verne A. Dusenbery, Professor of Anthropology at Hamline University (US), and currently a Fulbright Senior Research Scholar in India, observed that competition among the Sikh NRIs to pay back to their motherland was the driving force behind the huge investments into Punjab.
Talking to The Tribune at the Lyallpur Khalsa College during a seminar on “Sikh Philanthropy in Punjab”, organised by the United States Educational Foundation in India (USEFI), Professor Dusenbery said that there were multiple factors motivating the NRIs to invest in the state, but competition among them certainly played a key role. “Just because they are envious of an NRI making donations at an adjoining village, they are ready to spend more on their own village,” he said. Claiming that religion, too, was an important factor in Punjab, the anthropologist said he had travelled hundreds of kilometers across Punjab and found that the majority of the charity had come in the form of donation to gurdwaras and temples. The professor said he was “surprised” to see huge and expensive gates being erected at the entrance of the villages as another major form of donation to rural Punjab. Professor Dusenbery said he had found some peculiar aspects to Sikh philanthropy. “Most such investments by the NRIs here are being made at the places of their origin, where they had spent their childhood. Emotional attachment with the place was a major motivation to the Sikh NRIs, as they were contributing primarily to their own village or town, even though they know that similar requirements are needed in some other areas of the state.” He said that he started his research on the topic way back in 1979 when he visited India for the first time. “I happened to visit the village of a popular NRI based in Canada, Mr Budh Singh Dhahan, in Dhahan Kaleran. At that time, he had just started the construction of Guru Nanak Charitable Mission Hospital there. “I was surprised to see him make his project alive despite political troubles and bureaucratic interference. That was the actual motivational factor”, he added. The one-year tour of the professor in the current academic session had been sponsored by the USEFI, said its executive director, Ms Jane E. Schukoske. She said that Professor Dusenbery had been attached with the Punjab Centre of Migration Studies being run in the college by its director, Mr Darshan Singh Tatla. The workshop held panel discussions and group presentations on issues related to Sikh philanthropy. Scholars from the US, Canada and the UK, NRIs, government officials and mediapersons participated in the event. Friday’s programme would include academic sessions with scholars discussing their findings on Sikh philanthropy, a session with NRIs on their experiences of working towards the betterment of their home country, site visits to philanthropic projects in and around Jalandhar and a plenary session with recommendations, Principal of the college, Dr Satish Kapoor, said. |
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Kapurthala railway station awaits basic facilities
The Kapurthala Railway Station was provided with a multiple-aspect colour light signal facility last Wednesday. There is another proposal to fully computerise the working of the station.
But technologies apart, the problems being faced by the passengers as well as the staff remain unsolved: no fuel to run the generators, no over-bridge, putting lives of passengers at risk, a three-line station with a single platform and above all, no telephone. If you have to visit this railway station situated in the district headquarters for getting a ticket booked, do check out the power cut schedule in the city. Otherwise, you may have to wait for hours at the reservation counter, since there are no arrangements for running the computers in case of a power failure. Though there is a generator set present, the authorities have no provision for procuring fuel. The ticket booking counters remain open for six hours a day — 8 in morning to 2 in the afternoon. The next shift, from 2 pm to 8 pm, cannot be started because of a reported shortage of staff at the station. Kapurthala is a district headquarter which also houses a cantonment and is a known NRI area. There is more. The lone telephone number of the station — 232794 — started functioning in September last year after remaining disconnected for nearly five months because of the non-payment of bills. It was disconnected again in November by the telecom department since the bills were not deposited by the Railways. The three-line station has only one platform. Sometimes the passengers have to cross the tracks to get to their train standing beside the platform. They have to cross the coaches of an already-parked train to reach the platform. It is a risk they have to take, since there is no overbridge at the station. A commuter here said more platforms and an over bridge is required, as “the passengers of sixteen trains, in addition to some goods trains, halt daily on this lone platform”. “Though much developments has taken place in the other sections of the Railways, the plight of our station continues,” Mr Khazan Singh, a resident of the city, said. The station doesn’t have any train to the national capital, even though the city was once a princely state and is close to Sultanpur Lodhi, the holiest place for Sikhs after the Nankana Sahib, he added. The station does not even have a waiting room for the passengers. However, no higher railway official was available for comment. |
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Life’s Kaleidoscope
How life’s compulsions and penury have forced these three daily
wage earners to sit under a transformer, finds out Anita D. Mahajan Avinash Khullar has been selling newspapers, court documents and stationary items outside a shaded platform in front of the district court complex here for the past 40 years. Rameshwar Prasad polishes and mends shoes sitting beside Khullar for the past 20 years. The duo also has for company a barber, Balram. Along with the venue, another thing binds the three persons — electricity wires hanging overhead. They have chosen to overlook the “Danger” sign, which hangs above the shaded platform. “We are sitting here at our own risk,” Khullar, who has three sons and two daughters, said. He added that as the spot was situated opposite the district court, a large number of visitors came there. “Many buy court forms. Some buy papers as they wait for the hearings of their cases,” he added. Rameshwar Prasad has 12 family members, including eight sons and three daughters. He came to Punjab from Rajasthan. He sometimes makes around Rs 100 after repairing shoes, but it becomes difficult to arrange food for the family on dull days, when he cannot even make Rs 10. “Where do we go from here? It will be hard to find so many customers anywhere else. Moreover, we don’t earn so much to pay for continuing our work at any other place,” Rameshwar Prasad says. Rameshwar Prasad is sometimes helped by his sons in mending shoes. He also keeps asking visitors if they know any suitable job for his sons. However, Mr K.K. Vohra, Superintendent Engineer, PSEB, says that proper safety measures were taken while setting up a transformer and from time to time, officials kept on inspecting and checking the wiring systems in all the transformers of the city. “If a proper distance is maintained from a transformer, it could not harm anybody”, he said. But, he also admits that “sitting beneath a transformer is not safe and should not be allowed.” For these people, feeding families is more important than caring about the overhead electric wires. |
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Navaratras: ‘Fast’ way to good health
The next time your grandmother asks you to fast, think before rejecting her “backward” idea.
Experts and scholars say fasting is not just about religious restraints, but also about good health. They support the idea with scientific reasoning. Even researches advocate intermittent fasting, though not regularly or continuously. Fasting, a cardinal principle of Hinduism, is an intrinsic part of the “Navaratras”. In fact, traditionally speaking, fasting is fundamental to most religions. During Ramazan, which falls almost at the same time, a large number of Muslims adhere to “Roza” through the holy month. Mr Ramnik Joshi, a priest in Shiv Mandir here, says that ‘Vrat’ (fasting) disciplines the body and helps in digestion. “It eliminates toxins and wastes, reducing laziness and lethargy in the body. Fasting makes us physically and mentally fit, enhances mental clarity and meditation. There are three types of “gun” (properties) — Sat, Raj and Tam — and the Hindu religion condemns Tamsik food.” Fasting is also an important concept in Ayurveda. “Fasting at intervals keeps our body healthy. We eat all sorts of food, which clogs our digestive system. Fasting helps keep away blood-related diseases and is beneficial for arthiritis patients. It brings down the level of thermal and potential energy, which gets accumulated in our body,” Mr Ram Rishi, another priest here, adds. He says Navaratras come at a time of the year when the weather is about to change. “Fasting prepares our bodies for the changing weather. Fruits and raw food consumed during fasting is easily digestible and readily accepted by the body.” He adds that Mahatma Gandhi, too, fasted regularly. “He believed that fasting inculcated self-control and discipline.” Another priest, Mr Raghu Yadav, says, “The concept might have been introduced during the historical times because the Brahmins were not physically active. Therefore, to keep them fit, fasting was advised in God’s name to make it more acceptable.” However, Dr G.D. Bakshi, an allopath here, says, “Low calorie intake once in a while helps, but it is not advisable for patients suffering from a disease to fast continuously.” Navratra season also means shopping. Vibrant colours, dazzling costumes and glowing faces mark Navaratras. Also, thanks to the “saas-bahu” serials and media publicity, Dandiya is no longer a stranger to the town. In tune with the festive spirit, everyone wants to look and dance his or her best. Youngsters, like always, lead the way pampering themselves at parlours, putting together unique outfits and learning dandiya steps. Music of the devout Come Navaratras and sale of devotional music send cash registers ringing across stores in Phagwara. Many music companies choose this time of the year to launch new devotional albums. “The demand for spiritual and devotional music has significantly gone up. People want to hear religious music during the Navaratras,” Mr D.V. Duggal, an executive from a cassette company, says. T-Series and Times Music are the market leaders in this arena. “A large number of people are fasting and most give up non-vegetarian food and alcohol. Devotional music adds to the clean and holy environment,” an employees of Sony World adds. Keeping in view the demand, music stores have additional space for displaying devotional music tapes and CDs. Though cassettes of “Gayatri Mantra” and “Hey Ram” sell throughout the year, people are also buying cassettes and CDs of “jagratas”, “Mata ki bhente”, and “aarti”.
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Students of mass communication say ‘Bon Jour’
A two-day annual media fest, “Bon Jour”, organised by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Guru Nanak Dev University Regional Campus,
Ladhewali, concluded here on Tuesday.
The festival began on a lack-lustre note, as on the day one of the festival, the chief guest of the function, Mr Kuldip Nayar, a veteran journalist and a renowned columnist, failed to turn up. This dampened the sprits of the students and the staff. But the spirits were revived during an alumni meet when old students of the department met their former pals after a long time and revived memories of the times spent in the college. A cultural show was also organised that kept the party going on till late in the evening. An inter-college media competition was organised the next day, but the response turned out to be low. While as many as 11 teams were expected to turn up, just seven teams participated in the event. Of these, one was the host college and four were from local colleges. Two teams came from the Kurukshetra University. The staff of the Guru Nanak Dev University Regional Campus said the turnout was low since the students were busy preparing for their examinations. During the festival, contests were held for creative and literary events like debate, news reading, caption writing, report writing, writing film dialogues and radio jockeying. Chief guest for the prize distribution function was Mr Joginder Singh Mann, Chairman of the Punjab Agro Food Grains Corporation. A souvenir, “Crescendo”, brought out by the student council of the department was released on the occasion. Following were the winners in the various events. Debate: Trishu Sharma, Abhishek and Anuradha from Kurukshetra University (first) and
Kartikey, Hitesh Puri and Abha from Guru Nanak Dev University campus (second). News reading: Komal Kalia from Doaba College (first) and Nidhi Sharma from Doaba College (second). Caption writing: Navjeet Kaur from GND University College (first) and Amrinder Singh from Guru Nanak Dev University campus (second). Ad Mad show: Puneet Sharma, Narain Gupta, Pankaj and Gaurav from Guru Nanak Dev University campus (first) and Jyoti, Prabhjot, Ruchika and Suruchi from HMV College (second). Report writing: Ity Jain from HMV College and Jatinder from Guru Nanak Dev University campus (second) Radio jockeying: Navjot from HMV College and Sukhdeep Singh from Guru Nanak Dev University campus (second). Quiz: Kurukshetra University (first) and Guru Nanak Dev University campus (second). Film dialogue writing : Kamal Kalia from Doaba College (first) and Navjeet Kaur from Guru Nanak Dev University campus (second). |
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‘Introduce easy finance schemes for farmers’
The seminar was inaugurated by Mr Mohinder Singh Grewal, the first farmer of Punjab to become a member of Agricultural Costs and Prices Commission, Government of India. The founder president of the Punjab Kisan Club, Mr Grewal, discussed various existing finance schemes available for the farmers through cooperative and public sector banks. He stressed on the need to introduce easy schemes for the farmers with no rate of interest. He said that since the returns to the farmers were uncertain and much on the lower side, they often found it difficult to pay back the amount. Agricultural economist and director of the institute, Dr Gursharan Singh Kainth, delivered a lecture on status and future agenda for flow of institutional credit in agriculture. He said that there was a need to analyse the scenario and future agenda for agricultural financing, keeping in view the agricultural distress witnessed in the country in the form of suicides by farmers. He said that such incidents were a symptom of a deep-rooted malady arising from inadequate public investment and insufficient public action in the yesteryears. Earlier, Mr K.K. Dhir, former Registrar of the NIT, welcomed Mr Grewal. He told those present at the seminar that Mr Grewal was “the darling of the farmers’ community”. Mr Dhir praised him for having received four national and 12 state level awards and penning down four books on agriculture. |
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Different Strokes
A certain kind of style (with a bit of swagger and cultivated attitude thrown in) is often associated with popular singers. In striking contrast to this, an academician usually comes across as a serious, sometimes staid person who wouldn’t mind giving an exposition or two on the frivolity of popular music and dance. So, when Berry Garcha, Principal of Divine Public School, says music is his passion, you are in for a surprise. And when he adds that he is a singer and has already cut three albums, you want to be sure that you have heard it right. “I don’t think I have any role-conflict. If I am into teaching, it does not mean that I become unmusical. I may not fit into the stereotype of a typical principal, but that’s all about it,” he says. It’s important to create harmony in your life, feels Garcha. “Music helps me do so. And as an academician, I can vouch that students are receptive to creative endeavours,” he tells us. What about the props that Punjabi singers usually use? “In my albums, vulgarity is avoided. The numbers ‘pardesi ho gaye maye ni’ and ‘yaad na karin’ have been well-received because the people can relate to these songs,” pat comes the reply. As a singer, he does have his own set of rules that he would be reluctant to bend. “I know I have to live up to my image of a teacher. And otherwise also, I don’t subscribe to the notion that you need props of scantily-clad women to push up the sales of your album,” he avers. His high comes from “compliments and suggestions” he receives from his students. Well, as they say, it’s principally a matter of striking the right chord! |
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From Schools and Colleges
To enliven and freshen up the minds of students after gruelling examinatios, Mayor World School organised fun-filled three-day overnight camps for its students that concluded on Friday. The children had their days jam-packed with educational and adventurous activities ranging from innovative artistic techniques, mountain climbing, shooting, horse riding to yoga and aerobics. The students practised fine dining and tried their hands in formal dancing with Ms Pria Warrick, a former Ms India-America. Children spend the night sleeping along with their teachers, and returned to their homes the next morning.
Annual function
Annual fete and prize distribution function of GDR Convent School and GDR Day Boarding Public School, Phagwara, was organised jointly on the campus of the convent school on Tuesday. Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the MP from Phillaur, was the chief guest. Prizes were distributed to the students, who had stood first, second and third in their respective classes. Sarabjeet Cheema, the famous Punjabi singer, enthralled the audience with his peppy numbers. Principals of the schools, Ms Kiran Binning and Ms Sarita Sood, read out the annual reports.
Funds to schools
Panchayats of 21 government schools falling in the Jalandhar area have received a grant of Rs 37.5 lakh for the construction and repair of classrooms, setting up of sanitary blocks and construction of buildings for developing model anganwadi centres. The funds from Sarv Sikhya Abhiyan Scheme were handed over by Mr Mahinder Singh Kaypee, Transport Minister and MLA from Jalandhar South, during a function organised at Khera village here.
Workshop held
Kanya Maha Vidyalaya, in collaboration with the Consortium for Educational Communication, New Delhi, organised an orientation workshop on “Multi-media Content Development” on Monday. Dr Rita Bawa, Principal, said the programme focussed on the use of technology in higher education.
Prizes given
Navjeet Kaur, an MCA student from Guru Nanak Dev University College, Basti Nau, secured first position in caption writing and second position in dialogue writing in Bon Jour, a media fest organised by the regional campus of Guru Nanak Dev University in Ladhewali on Tuesday. Dr Usha Kapoor, Principal, has congratulated the winner for her achievements. (Compiled by Deepkamal Kaur) |
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Seminars on information security, tourism
The Computer Science and Engineering Department of the Dr B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology (NIT) hosted a two-day seminar on information security that concluded here on Wednesday.
Professor Moin
Uddin, director of the institute inaugurated the seminar highlighting the need to create awareness among skilled workers on meeting challenges to combat threats on information resources. Professor
A.L. Sangal, a coordinator of the project, stressed on biometrics in information security and network security. The participants, who included NIT faculty from Hamirpur, discussed the various clauses of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and its amendments. In another event, the CT Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology organised a seminar on “Tourism in India: Prognosis and Strategies” on Monday. Mr K.V. Simon, vice-president of the Educational Institute of American Hotel and Lodging Association and a certified hospitality administrator, emphasised on the growing demand for experts on tourism and hospitality. He said that India had a lot of potential to become a leader in the tourism and service industry. Mr Simon also signed an MoU with the institute for providing courses under which the students would be getting certificates and diplomas directly from the United States. Mr Manbir Singh, the director of the institute, said that the students would have a wide choice to select courses, ranging from short-term certificate courses to diploma and degree courses, with necessary training in renowned and branded hotel chains. Meanwhile, the MGN College of Education here organised an interactive session of its students and staff with an eminent environmentalist, Mr Sangat Singh. The environmentalist discussed with the students the issue of mismanagement of the waste and exhibited various strategies that could be implemented to create a pollution-free environment. He said that the recovery from waste management could fetch as much as Rs 10 lakh crore per annum. He discussed some plans and policies that, he said, “must be executed by the state”. Later, Dr Amit
Kauts, principal of the college, its staff members and students raised queries related to various environmental issues. |
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Octogenarian twins pledge to donate bodies
These twin brothers here want to pledge their bodies for donation to medical fraternity for research purposes, but strangely they are finding no takers for their idea.
Mr Mohan Lal Dhody, an advocate, said his brother Sohan Lal Dhody and he were born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on August 15, 1919. After Partition, their family migrated to Kapurthala. “My brother joined the army, but had to leave it soon in 1940 due to medical problems,” Mr Mohan Lal Dhody said. “We have decided that after our death, our bodies should be donated for research purposes so that the medical fraternity can benefit from it. It will be a gesture to humanity from our side,” he added. “After my death, my eyes should be given to a poor blind woman, Guro, residing in Mansoorwal, near Kapurthala. Following the demise of her husband, her property was usurped by a person who took advantage of her blindness.” The advocate claimed that he had contacted authorities at the local Civil Hospital and told them about his wish. “But I was told that the hospital did not have any facilities for preserving bodies. The SMO there assured me of arranging the donation of kidneys, but expressed his helplessness regarding the main request.” Mr Mohan Lal Dhody said he and his brother wanted to leave the world on the same day. |
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Babies’ day out
Chawla Nursing Home and Maternity Hospital in Jalandhar organised a “Baby Show” at the Red Cross Bhavan here on Sunday. As many as 160 children took part in the show. In the first category, a photo-contest for children aged up to one was held. The winner was Sachir Singh, followed by Ishita Kapoor and Dhruv. In the second event of the day, a photo-contest for children aged up to one year with their mothers was held. Noor Kanwar stood first, followed by Janvi Verma and Adi Sood at the second and the third positions, respectively. In the next category for children aged between one and one-and-a-half-years, the winner was Gurkanwal Singh. Anandni was placed second, while Hassi Arora stood third. In the category for children aged between one-and-a-half-years and two years, the winners were Mannat, Hetan and Inayat. For children aged between two and two-and-a-half-years, the winner was Bhavya Sharma. Gurnishika stood second, while Fateh Jot Singh bagged the third place. In the photo-contest held for children between two-and-a-half-years and three years, the winner was Aradhya Jai. Saina stood second, while Sanchi Bajaj got the third prize. In the contest for children aged between three and four years, the first position went to Gurashish, followed by Vansh Jain at the second place and Janvi at the third. In the four to five years category, the winner was Sanna Sharma, followed by Anirudh at the second position and Hriday Mehta at the third position.
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Market Buzz
The 2005 Management and Industrial Development Institute (MIDI) Excellence Awards were presented to 20 outstanding entrepreneurs, professionals and bureaucrats, at a function here recently. The event was organised by MIDI, affiliated to the Federation of Asian Business in Europe (UK). The chief guest on the occasion was Ms Gurkanwal Kaur, the Minister of Social Security, Women and Child Development, Punjab, while Chaudhary Santokh Singh, MLA and former Cabinet Minister, Punjab, presided over the function. Discount
Hi Life Furniture, an ISO 9001:2000 international-certified wooden furniture showroom at Cool Road, Bombay Palace, is giving up to 40 per cent discount on all domestic, office, garden and glass furniture. “Hi Life is popular for its teakwood furniture with ethnic designs. Programme
The Jalandhar Satellite Chapter of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India organised an “Investor Awareness Programme on Capital Markets” in Jalandhar recently. The programme was sponsored by the Investor Education and Protection Fund, the Ministry of Company Affairs, Government of India. Mr Sarvjit Singh Samra, Managing Director, Capital Local Area Bank, inaugurated the
programme. — TNS
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Workshop on ‘Technology, Development, Utilisation and Transfer’
The Sports Goods’ Manufacturers and Exporters Association (SGMEA) recently joined hands with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) to organise a workshop on “Technology, Development, Utilisation and Transfer”.
The workshop was aimed at providing a host of opportunities to entrepreneurs in the region, a press release issued here said. Mr Ajay Sharma, ADC (Development), who was the chief guest on the occasion, stressed on the need for supporting the development of indigenous technology, which, he said, could also be used for rural upliftment and creation of new employment opportunities. Mr R.S. Rana, chairman of the SGMEA, informed that the association took this initiative so that the industry could be made aware of the need for research and development facilities within the small scale sector. Mr Kuldeep Rai, Director DSIR, gave an audio-visual presentation about the various government schemes to promote innovation and indigenous technology. |
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Passing Thru India’s chances in 2007 World Cup?
I am hopeful about India’s chances. The team is strong and performing well. Any favourites among the new players? Mahinder Singh Dhoni, Irfan Pathan and Yuvraj Singh. I see great hope in these new crop of match-winning players. Any changes in the game over the years? Test cricket is the true form of the game giving chance to creativity. But that has been overshadowed by the ‘fast-paced one-dayers’. — Anuradha Shukla
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Seasons change, bringing with them a new hope. As flowers bloom and lushness spreads over, sagging spirits are rejuvenated, find
Minna Zutshi,
Deepkamal Kaur
& lensman
Pawan Sharma, while making a recce of Jalandhar Cantonment
Analysing Sikh philanthropy for the last nearly 30 years, Verne A. Dusenbery, Professor of Anthropology at Hamline University, and currently a Fulbright Senior Research Scholar in India, observed that competition among the Sikh NRIs to pay back to their motherland was the driving force behind the huge investments into Punjab.
Cold, barren winters have gone into hibernation. Spring is back, in its full glory. And no one knows this better than residents of Jalandhar Cantonment. Tall trees lush with red bottlebrush flowers are too appealing to be missed.
A two-day NABARD and the Planning Commission sponsored seminar on “Rural Finance in India” began at St Soldier Management and Technical Institute in Jalandhar on
Thursday.
For a change, students are eager to ‘face’ this music. And their principal Berry Garcha, too, is not averse to singing along to his favourite tune, says
Minna Zutshi
