Amritsar, August 31
Jatinder Pal Singh, an MBA aspirant, has been knocking at the doors of Guru Nanak Dev University to get an MBA seat in one of its affiliated colleges for over a month but the faux pas by the university has left him high and dry.

Jatinder says he was allotted a seat in the RIMT Institute, Mandi Gobindgarh, while he had opted only for the Lovely Institute of Management and Technology, Jalandhar.

The university authorities had issued him wrongly-printed admission slip for the Mandi Gobindgarh institute and he learnt about this faux pas only after he had reached the Lovely institute to get admission to the MBA course.

He said he immediately rushed back and contacted the vice-chancellor. He, in turn, sought comments of the MBA admission coordinator asking him to intervene and report back. But to his dismay the authorities failed to correct the printing error and allot a seat at the desired institute, alleges Jatinder.

Vice-chancellor Jai Rup Singh had not only sought a report but also admitted that the university had committed a blunder in the case. Jatinder alleged that instead of providing him an alternate seat, the university authorities kept dilly-dallying. Jatinder alleges he has lost his seat and this has jeopardised his career.

When contacted, the VC said he had marked his application to coordinator Gurnam Singh and was not aware of the outcome. Examination coordinator Gurnam Singh said Jatinder Pal had wasted time in getting the error corrected and in the meantime seats at the Lovely institute had been filled.

Denying this, Jatinder said he had immediately brought the matter to the notice of the authorities but they failed to take timely action which cost him not only the seat but has also ruined his career.

Amritsar, August 31
Giani Mohinder Singh (99) is the oldest surviving Sikh leader. This former SGPC secretary will be celebrating his 100th birthday today. Full of vigour, he reads at least three newspapers and exercises for half an hour every morning. Asked about secrets of longevity, he quips, “Honesty and simplicity.”

Singh was witness to the most significant historical events, including Jallianwala Bagh tragedy, pre-partition Akali morchas and has worked with the legendary Shiromani Akali Dal president like Master Tara Singh. This pure vegetarian leader credits his long and healthy life to clean living, good genes and regular cold showers. He was born on September 1, 1908, at Tarn Taran, in the Gursikh family of Giani Mangal Singh. Before serving as the SGPC secretary from January 1959 to June 16, 1979, Giani Mohinder Singh also had a stint as the secretary of the Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Lahore, from 1933 to 1947, during the most turbulent period.

Earlier, he was appointed secretary, Gurdwara Board, PEPSU, on December 22, 1949. He has been serving as the general secretary of the Guru Singh Sabha since 1967. He has been associated with a number of Sikh organisations, including Nankana Sahib Education Trust, Khalsa College Governing Council and as Chief Khalsa Diwan. He held his fort when gurdwaras were being attacked by frenzied Muslim populace in and around Lahore. “Sardar Patel once suggested to retaliate in a big way, but I refused to accept his suggestion since the situation was virtually out of control in Lahore at that time,” he recounts. He still remembers the “black day”, as he calls it, when the historical gurdwara in Mujang, belonging to Guru Hargobind Sahib, was set ablaze by a frenzied mob. Being secretary of the Lahore Gurdwara Committee, he had urged the then Army’s Major-Gen Rahis to deploy forces to protect the Sikh shrines. However, on August 13, 1947, on the eve of Pakistan’s independence, the Baloch Army bundled Giani Mohinder Singh into a vehicle and took him to Kotwali in Mujang. When he was about to be shot dead, his life was spared on the intervention of a senior Muslim Army officer who was known to him. He has seven daughters (one of whom is no more) and three sons. His daughter Gurbax Kaur, lives in Malaysia, while another is in the USA. Relatives from the USA, Malaysia and far-flung areas of the country have come here to celebrate his 100th birthday tomorrow.

Leading a contended life at his “Shanti Kunj” house in Ranjit Avenue, Giani Mohinder Singh is the most revered religious leader. His residence is frequently visited by Akali stalwarts, including Shiromani Akali Dal supremo Parkash Singh Badal. 

Amritsar, August 31
Located on the posh Lawrence Road, the Nehru Shopping Complex is fast losing its sheen, thanks to poor upkeep by the local authorities. Built by the Amritsar Improvement Trust, the area was a coveted place for setting up showrooms and offices.

The tiled-exterior of the complex is now being replaced with simple plaster and the arches along the corridors are being removed to make them brighter. The renovation has been on for months and leads to unnecessary inconvenience to the customers coming to shop in the complex.

The faults in the architecture of the building go beyond the arches as there is no drainage for rainwater that collects inside the corridors on all two floors of the commercial complex.

Haphazard and ill-managed parking of vehicles often leaves no place to park in the complex and some of the showrooms on the ground floor put up wooden logs to reserve parking space for their own customers.

The vicinity of the building is “going-green” even without the district administration extending the drive to this area. The terrace of the commercial complex has weeds grown all over, including on the water tanks used by the showrooms and offices located in the different blocks.

“The Improvement Trust and the municipal corporation seem to have forgotten the complex after constructing it. Even though it houses some exclusive showrooms of well-known brands, there is no maintenance of the building. This is no reason why, despite being located on the Lawrence, the complex still has many vacant sites,” said the owner of a showroom on the first floor.

“Parking is an issue not only in the Nehru Shopping Complex but on the entire Lawrence Road. Many customers park their vehicles here to go shopping on the main road. Either the district administration should regulate parking in the commercial complex or create more parking lots in the area,” said Dr Rajinder Bhatia, a private practitioner, who regularly visits the complex for shopping.

Amritsar, August 31
The police has launched a special campaign to nab proclaimed offenders (POs) who had been evading arrest or had been absconding for a long period.

Interestingly, several of them were even wanted in cases more than two or three decade old criminal cases, while a number of them had already died.

The police arrested more than 100 POs under this campaign in the past three months.

In one such case, the police nabbed Darshan Singh, a resident of Isapur, under Ajnala police station who was residing at Jujhar Singh Avenue, Gumtala. He was arrested after 35 years and was declared PO in an attempt to murder case, assault case and other cases under various sections of the IPC at Sadar police station here. In another case, Amarjit Singh of Thathi Khara village, who was wanted in a theft case for more than a decade, was arrested.

However, district police chief (urban) Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh said the department was now giving special attention to this problem. The SSP added although the arrest of POs would be done by the PO staff, the SHOs had been assigned the task to verify the details of POs as well as to initiate action against the sureties. He said the department would initiate action to attach the properties of the POs.

At present, about 1,765 POs are wanted in cases of murder, attempt to murder, theft, looting, snatching and excise act, etc. Out of these 1,408 persons were declared PO under section 299, CrPC, and the remaining 357 were under section 82, CrPC.

Singh said the department would identify those POs who had died during this period, but their names still existed in the list. He said after verifying the details, their names would be struck off from the list.

Amritsar, August 31
SMS messages by telecom operators to promote business should be included in the category of unsolicited calls as these were disturbing and causing nuisance. This was advised by Consumer Rights Protection Society general secretary B.R. Preenja.

Preenja said, according to TRAI, the telecom operators should provide a number to the consumers where they can register their requests of not to receive any commercial or unwanted calls. — TNS

Amritsar, August 31
The restoration work of ancient Ramgarhia Bungas and Gurdwara Baba Atal is likely to be given to experts in the forthcoming meeting of the SGPC executive , likely to be held here on 
September 4.

SGPC chief Avtar Singh held a preliminary meeting with heritage experts and the deputy commissioner to work out the details of the proposed restoration work.

Earlier, the kar seva, carried out to repair the age-old murals at Gurdwara Baba Atal, and repair work of historical Ramgarhia Bungas had earned flak from the heritage lovers. Shockingly, during the previous kar seva carried out in 1992, bathroom tiles had replaced the frescos on the walls of the ground floor.

Interior walls of the first floor were adorned with murals depicting Sikh history. Less than 100 panels of murals had been left on the first floor of Gurdwara Baba Atal, while rest of them have been obliterated beyond recognition.

The kar sevawale babas, who are using the “Bungas” as their abode these days, have allegedly damaged certain portions of the building within the precincts of Darbar Sahib itself. They have built walls under the arches on the ground floor and fixed doors to convert verandahs into rooms. The brickwork (Nanakshahi bricks) has been plastered and painted at many places. Due to hindered ventilation, there is seepage in the basement of the “Bunga”, which could render irreparable damage to the building.

While constructing the “bunga”, care was taken to provide natural light and ventilation through ventilators, which open in the path around the holy tank of Harmandar Sahib on one side and in the well dug on the other side.

The basement just below the ground-level accommodates a hall for Maharaja, where he used to hold his court in “Diwan-e-Khas”, accommodating around 300 courtiers and soldiers. Due care was taken to keep the level of the throne (made of marble and decorated with engravings) at a level lower than that of Akal Takht.

There is also a room that was used as jail for political prisoners. Another room on the other side of the wall facing the throne was the treasury where steel chests were installed for rooms of “daffadars” (security in charge of treasury) and security staff. All these are in a dilapidated condition these days.

Amritsar, August 31
Six students of JDS Public School will participate in a table poker championship to be held in Japan and America, Kunwar Karanjit Singh Pannu, director of the school, said in a press note here recently.

Addressing the parents and students during a function organised at the school to honour 12 students who have won medals in the recently concluded All-India Invitational Table Poker Championship held on August 24, Pannu said the students had brought laurels not only to the school or the city but the whole of Punjab.

He said soon these students would participate in the world championship to be organised in Chandigarh.

Pannu said one of the students of the school Gurbachan Singh had already participated in the games organised in Malaysia and won the gold medal.

Amritsar, August 31
With an aim to provide, free legal aid to the poor and downtrodden residing in the border areas, a legal aid clinic was started in the court complex recently.

While inaugurating the clinic, district and sessions judge K.C. Puri said India is a socialist, secular and a democratic republic state. Its unique constitution provides social, economic and political equality to all its citizens. However, we cannot ignore the fact that majority of the people here were illiterate and rustic. Even literate strata of our country are not fully aware of their legal rights and remedies, which is the reason why it is difficult to get rights translated into reality, he added.

Justice Puri said, “The constitutional promises cannot be realised unless the three organs of the state - legislature, executive and judiciary join together and find ways to create awareness especially among poor and illiterate about their legal rights, remedies and equal access to judicial system.”

Describing about the legal help, he said, “Retired additional and district session judge Gurnam Singh, retired DRO H.S. Bal, retired DSP Dr Simarjit Singh have been appointed as counsellors in the clinic to provide legal assistance.” He also requested the counsellors to perform their duties with diligence and dedication. 

Amritsar, August 31
Morari Bapu will arrive in the holy city on November 16 to deliver religious discourse to the city residents from November 17 to 24. Stating this to mediapersons, Dr Harbilas Rai, president, Shri Ram Katha Samithi, Shivala Bagh Bhayian, Amritsar, said chief minister Parkash Singh Badal was likely to welcome Bapuji at 4 pm on November 16.

He said besides delivering discourse on Ram Katha, Bapuji would also enlighten the general public about various life-enriching “banis” from Guru Granth Sahib.— TNS

Amritsar, August 31
“Obesity is taking alarming proportions in the states of Punjab and Gujarat. The menace is giving rise to increased problems of arthritis (joint problems) at a very early age. Cases of arthritis of weight-bearing areas like the hip and knee joints were also on the rise, as the weight of the patient increases.” This was pointed out at a doctor-patient interface, organised by Fortis Hospital and Escorts Heart and Super Specialty Institute, on Thursday.

Orthopaedics, Dr Manju Wadhwa and Dr Mohit Arora, spoke on the occasion. The audience included patients from Gurdaspur, Jammu, Batala and Chandigarh, aged above 40 years, who had undergone these replacements.

The doctors informed that in the 652 surgeries done so far they achieved a success rate of 98 per cent. They emphasised that as compared to the conventional techniques, the latest know-how enabled the doctors to not only reduce the infection but also revive higher mobility and rotation of joints with minimal pain and discomfort to patients.

Taking about erroneous lifestyles, the doctors said in many cases, wrong postures, especially cross-legged sitting, use of Indian-style toilet seats, sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise, junk food also led to muscle weakness, which caused pain and inflammation of the joints.

The experts added that relief from physical pain also helped in improving outlook of the patients towards life. It was suggested that persons with joint transplants must follow a disciplined lifestyle to make sure that the problem is not aggravated. Also present on the occasion were Lt Gen (retd) Dr M.L.Chawla, Dr H.S.Gill, medical director, Fortis and Dr H.P. Singh, medical superintendent, Escorts. Councillor Shavet Malik was the chief guest on the occasion. — TNS

Amritsar, August 31
Around 36 NCC cadets, who participated in the Pre-Thal Sainik Camp-1, were honoured by Punjab Battalion group commander Col G.P.S. Sawhney. The camp was held at Ferozepore for girl cadets and Kapurthala for boy cadets.

During the camp cadets were taught military subjects like shooting, map reading, tent pitching, etc. In various competitions held related to these subjects, the girl cadets emerged as overall champion, whereas the boy cadets won the 
second position.

The various winners included cadet Onkar Singh (second prize in shooting), under officer Honey Sharma (third prize in shooting), under officer Arjun Singh (consolation prize in cultural programme), under officer Sandeep Kumar (consolation prize in cultural programme), cadet Sandhya (gold medal in health and hygiene), Nisha (silver medal), Neelam (silver medal), Sonia (silver medal), Neelam (gold medal in communication) and Babita (gold medal in shooting). — TNS