There is an interesting story behind the name of the village.

A young dancer (the word in Punjabi is Kanjri) by the name of Moran, hailing from Lahore, played a key part in the development of the village.

She used to dance at the darbar of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Once on her way to dance at the Maharaja’s “Baradari”, her shoes fell into the water channel on the way. The piqued dancer refused to dance until a ‘pul’ (bridge) was built.

Hence the place became popular as Pul Kanjri, and the village subsequently developed into a large trading centre.

At that time, this place was noted for trade and commerce, and it had a good number of visitors.

Interestingly, in spite of his illustrious position, Maharaja Ranjit Singh was directed by the then Jathedar Akal Takht, Akali Phula Singh, to undergo a religious punishment for having illicit relations with Moran. Akali Phula Singh ordered 50 lashes for Maharaja Ranjit Singh right there.

Ranjit Singh took off his shirt and bowed down to receive his punishment. Later, Jathedar Akal Takht asked the Sikh sangat to forgive the Maharaja. — VW

The historical importance of this place notwithstanding, hardly any VIP visits this site. However, the Railways Minister, Mr Lalu Prasad, is one of the few persons who evinced keen interest in preserving the relics during his recent visit to the village. He was extremely impressed with the immense heritage of this ruined village and suggested that top notch architecture experts be entrusted with the work of restoring the heritage.

He was of the view that the magnificent structures at Pul Kanjri were made of “Lahori bricks” and that the restoration work should start immediately.

Unfortunately, the land mafia is having a field day here. The orders of the SDM prohibiting the “excavation, cutting of trees and any damage to historical buildings” are being violated, as land mafia has already encroached upon the land belonging to the original inhabitants of the village. — VW

Even as the state government has come up with large sops worth several crores for the newly-created district of Tarn Taran, it has failed to implement the (Special Economic Zone) SEZ promise made by the Prime Minister.

The much-in-news SEZ to propel high economic growth of this region continues to be in doldrums. The project announced by the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, during his visit of the Holy City two years ago has been languishing in files, as no serious attempts have been made to give concrete shape to the project.

The Punjab Government had signed an MoU with one of India’s top real estate developers, DLF, during the last visit of the PM in March this year, but the company has yet to formally present the project report to the state for seeking its approval.

Although the DLF had declared its intention to set up the SEZ in its investment profiles issued prior to the proposed IPO. But no initiative has been taken at the ground level to crystallise the project.

The Principal Secretary, Industries, Mr S.C. Agarwal, who had personally taken keen interest for the setting up of the project said that now after the signing of the MoU ,the ball was in the court of the DLF to establish the SEZ within the stipulated time.

However, according to the information collected from reliable sources, the real estate company has yet to identify 250 acres of land, a project which stands truncated from the initial 1250 acres ‘in the periphery’ of the city.

The major hurdle had been the spiraling cost of land, which has sky rocketed and become out of the reach of the developers. 

Shortage of drinking water, falling of tiles from walls and non-functioning toilets. This is what one encounters during a visit to the posh Nehru Shopping Complex on the Lawrence Road here.

Dry Days: Empty water tanks atop the Nehru Shopping Complex in Amritsar. Photo: Rajiv Sharma

The posh complex constructed at a cost of Rs 12 crore in 1996 is fast falling into disrepair. Decay has set in, thanks to the apathy of the improvement trust authorities.

Mr Prem Chopra, owner of one of the shops in the complex, said the four-storey structure presented a rather unpleasant sight. He said the tiles on outer walls of the complex had started falling, which further gave bad look to the reputed complex. He feared that there was danger to the lives of the people visiting the complex. Moreover, the falling tiles could damage the parked vehicles in the complex, he added.

Mr Chopra said that most of the dividing walls were wafer-thin which caused cracks in the walls whenever any repair work was done in the adjoining shops. Due to this, out of the total 380 shops in the entire complex, 50 shops on the top floor have remained unsold since the past ten years.

He further said that the reasons for the early decay of the building included the alleged use of sub-standard materials. He said that the water tanks with missing lids overflow due to blockage and faulty filling system, which causes humidity that, eats away at the structural cohesion.

He further said that the complex was fast earning the sobriquet of the “dirtiest shopping plaza” due to the absence of proper drainage at any of the verandahs of the upper floors.

He further said that it causes accumulation of water even during minor showers or cleansing operations, as water enters shops and offices.

He said despite five or six sweepers being deputed in the building to maintain cleanliness, garbage lied strewn about here. He said that staircases reek of urine and litter in the absence of proper bathrooms and added the bathrooms presented a pathetic sight due to the missing commodes, taps, washbasins, lights, locks and even windows. He said the walls were stained with “paan”.

When contacted, Mr Jugal Kishore Sharma, Chairman Improvement Trust, said that he was too worried about the danger to the lives of the people.

He said the trust had requested the state government for allotment of funds after passing a resolution in this regard. He said all the tiles would have to be removed before carrying out renovation work. He further said that work would be started as soon as the trust received the funds from the state government. 

Annoyed over the laying of foundation stone of the same building for the third time, veteran CPI leader and former MLA, Mr Satyapal Dang, has urged the state government to cancel the proposed ‘Gateway of Amritsar’ on the Amritsar-Wagah GT Road near Chheharta bypass.

Mr Dang, in a missive to the Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, has urged him to cancel the project, whose foundation stone was recently laid for the third time by Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, Local Bodies Minister, as the renaming of the gateway was without any thought to the international ramifications of the proposal. He alleged that the ‘Gateway of India, which was understood as a symbol of India-Pakistan friendship, had been reduced into a mere city-based project by the city Mayor for his vested political interests.

The veteran CPI leader said that his party was not against the installation of the statue of Sikh warrior, Sham Singh Attariwala, at the site, but their main concern was that the project was an international project and it should reflect “India” and not the city or the state alone. He said good relations between India and Pakistan were at an all time high and predicted to be further strengthened in view of the positive public opinion on either sides of the international border.

The project was first conceived and inaugurated by Mr Parkash Singh Badal, the SAD president when Mr Dang was a member of Legislative Assembly. The project was conceived with an aim to project and symbolise the India-Pakistan friendship. Later, former Chief Minsiter, late Beant Singh, had also expressed his desire to re-inaugurate the project during his tenure. But due to the opposition from the CPI leader and other leaders the then government spurned the project. 

Lately, life has been difficult for Aman Kumar. Instead of monetary wages, his employers, who are transporters, assaulted him physically. The assault, on April 27, was so severe that Aman reportedly paid for it with his vision.

Aman, who was treated by doctors of the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, has now been referred to Chandigarh for an operation of right optic nerve contusion, which requires a huge sum of money. To recover his sight, he requires two simultaneous operations, of the brain and the eye. Aman’s family has appealed to the public for the financial help for the treatment of his right eye.

Ms Laxmi Kanta Chawla, state vice-president, Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), has also asked philanthropists to come forward to help the victim, who was not financially well off. Aman’s father is mentally retarded, mother is a housewife and his brother, who is a labourer, is the sole earning member of the family.

Doctors at the Civil Hospital, Amritsar, had initially refused to admit Aman Kumar and later misplaced his file to weaken the case, alleged Ms Chawla. She said civil and police officials of the state government were puppets of the political bosses as they had failed to initiate action against the transporter.

She said she had even written to Mr S.S. Virk, DGP, Punjab, in this regard but there had been no action. She also cast aspersions on the creditability of the police, saying they did not have sufficient courage to summon the transporter to the police station.

Meanwhile, the Aman Kumar’s mother has submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Kirandeep Singh Bhullar, to constitute a board of doctors who had treated her son to seek their opinion for registering cases under the section 326 and other relevant sections of the IPC.

If Punjab has contributed maximum players to the country’s hockey team, then there is no denying the fact that a majority of these players are from Majha comprising Amritsar and Gurdaspur (before Partition, Lahore also fell in this belt).

However, for long there had not been any academy to groom, motivate and push intrepid youngsters from this region in their own belt. Lately, the Holy City got its second hockey school the Majha Youth Hockey Club (MYHC) on June 17. The first academy being Maharaja Ranjit Singh Hockey Academy opened a little over two years ago.

President of the MYHC, Mr Raj Babbar, MP, launched its logo in a ceremony that saw convergence of hockey stars of the past and the present along with aficionados of the game. From yesteryears’ Mukhbain Singh, Varinder Singh, Colonel (Retd) Harcharan Singh, Balbir Singh Randhawa and present reigning heroes of the Indian hockey Prabhjot Singh and Deepak Thakur.

Arjuna awardee Colonel (Retd) Harcharan Singh, who is coordinator of the Club, said that the region had honour of producing Olympians like Balbir Singh, Dharam Singh senior, Bakshish Singh, Manna Singh, Dharam Singh junior, Harcharan Singh, Mukhbain Singh, Surjit Singh, Baldev Singh, Balwinder Singh Shammi, Baljit Singh Dhillon, Prabhjot Singh and Jasjit Singh. Besides many a internationals, including Kapoor Singh, Balbir Singh Randhawa, Baldev Singh Randhawa, Baljit Singh Randhawa, Swinder Singh, Daljit Singh Dhillon, Ajinder Pal Singh, Nirmal Singh, Tejbir Singh and Kanwaljit Singh were also from this region.

Looking at the above mentioned list, one should not construe that it was all male affair, but a number of women also made their way up to the Indian hockey team. Some of them were Parminder Sekhon, Darshan Bajwa, Rajbir Kaur, Rajwinder Kaur, Kuldeep Kaur, Paramjit Kaur, Amandeep Kaur, Manjinder Kaur, Rajwinder Kaur, Pushpinder and Pritpal Kaur.

Colonel Harcharan Singh, himself a distinguished player, who played two Olympics, three World Cups and two Asian Games, said that after a painstaking study of the area they came to know that there were still some pockets in rural areas where hockey continued to be played. He said on this basis six pockets had been identified namely Sarhali, Attari, Khadoor Sahib, Baba Bakala, Pakhar Pura and Batala for identifying talented youngsters. Each pocket has been assigned to two players, whose name surfaced in the aforementioned list, to impart training to players.

Apart from this, hockey lovers are of the view that the flourishing of the game would give a jolt to the rising menace of drug addiction in this border belt, which withstood the invasions with exemplary courage. 

Notwithstanding the hullabaloo created over the Centre’s quota policy for OBCs in medical institutes across the country, the All India Left Handers’ Association (Punjab) also raised voice for securing a pie in reservation.

President of the association, Dr Jagdeepak Singh, Assistant Professor, ENT Department, Medical College here, said that the government must grant special status to left-handers. They be given privileges, including reservations in all government jobs and educational and technical institutions, he further demanded.

Left-handers were 10 to 15 per cent of the total population. He said that contrary to the prevalent belief in the society that a child could be trained in using any of the two hands was wrong. Thus using left hand was but natural in a child and not a habit, he added.

He said “it is related to brain and neurological make-up of the person and can never be changed”. On this basis, left handers were the world’s largest unorganised minority, he added.

Dr Jagdeepak Singh, who is also an official member of the International left-handers Club, said that almost all equipments and machines in the world were designed exclusively for right handers. He urged that managements of various industries to provide specially-designed gadgets and appliances in training and educational institutes for the convenience of left-handers.

He also requested teachers and parents whose children were left-handers not to discourage and forcibly obstruct children from using left hand for writing, eating and other daily activities.

These obstruction commands make a negative impact on psyche and overall development of children, which can hinder natural and healthy growth of a child. 

Ms Shikha Kapoor of the BBK DAV College for Women secured first position in the diploma course in French Examination conducted by the Department of Foreign Languages, Guru Nanak Dev University, here. She secured 245 marks out of 300.

Meanwhile, Swati Talwar (18) of the college stood second in B.D (first semester) exams conducted by Guru Nanak Dev University. She came first in the college and secured 86 per cent marks by getting 936 out of 1100.

New outlets

Godrej Aadhaar, the agricultural services cum retail initiative of Godrej Agrovet Ltd, would set up 1,000 new ‘Aadhars’ (outlets) within a period of five years throughout the country. The company also expects that it would have a turnover of Rs 3,500 to 4,000 crore. Mr R.S. Vijan, Executive Vice-President, stated this after launching the company’s two new retail stores at Ajnala and Tarn Taran, the recently declared 19th district of Punjab. He said that at present 24 Aadhars were running successfully in the northern and western parts of the country. 

Persisting intense heat wave condition in this border district were effecting one and all. Besides, frequent power cuts is making life more difficult for the residents here.

The rain so far has eluded though a little shower hit the region for a brief period last week. However, the condition from the early afternoon till late in the evening remained scorching. It is forcing people from rural as well as urban areas to remain indoor.

Mr Shispal Singh, sarpanch of village Mirakot, said that the extreme hot condition had adversely affected the production of vegetable crops and fodder as well.

He said that their agriculture work entirely depended upon electricity and its erratic supply had an adverse impact.

Mr Surinder Singh from Katra Jaimal Singh, located inside the walled city, said that the number of customers arriving at his shop has considerably lowered with the rising of mercury. He said that hardly any customer dropped in during the day time when sun shines at its peak and this has affected their business. “It was only in the evening that the customers arrived in the market for shopping”, said the shopkeeper with a pensive look.

The problem is grave in the remote villages as they were getting nominal power supply. Mr Narinder Pal Singh from Bhikiwind village said that people did not prefer to go out of houses in the noon and streets wore a deserted look.

Her faith in the Almighty has not waned, despite Sakshi Anand’s disability. She learned to live life with a smile, turning her focus on her creativity as a designer!

Afflicted by polio of legs, she never felt the handicap a challenge to her other abilities. No sooner did she completed her dress designing degree in the NIFD (National Institute of Fashion Designing) in Amritsar, she started her own clothesline with western wear. That her mother Mrs Shashi Anand already had a boutique helped to organise workers for her designs.

Five years down-the-line her boutique holds the choicest of clothes in ethnic wear as well.

A chance comment on her sorry state makes her bristle, as she likes to be known by her creative work. “Branching out into ethnic wear, I try to innovate and experiment with my creations to bring something special to my cuts and designs.”

Her confidence seems a rarity for her kind, but its undisputed presence spotlights her love for life in all circumstances as she turns out in her latest jeans and attractive top, well groomed hair and face that beams with a smile, holding on to her crutches.

She visits a temple daily and likes to observe all fasts and customs. “I am God’s chosen one”. So she is, says her doting father Mr Sunil Anand, who feels she is the apple of his eye. He has taken her to experts in the country and consultations all over the world to ease her pain.

Sakshi, sensing her father’s discomfiture, budges in “He gave me everything and took me everywhere - holidays, restaurants, parties, even to dance/swimming pool parties, discotheques and exposed me to everything to make me gain confidence among normal people. Sakshi’s brother Sachin and his wife Sunita besides her grandfather Mr Chunni Lal dote on her due to her caring nature. Her yoga sessions and readiness for water therapy treatment reflects her positive attitude.

Sakshi further says that she doesn’t fear anything except losing a dear one in life.

Even normal people get taken aback and inspired by turns, with her carefree character. Her family members consider themselves as the lucky ones as she has filled their lives with laughter and also done them proud with a Honors Degree in English and winning the NIFD competition titled “Through the Ages”, where she was presented the prize by model Anne Thomas.