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AMRITSAR CHANDIGARH FATEHGARH SAHIB PATIALA PATHANKOT Rampura
(Sangrur)
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Cricket trials: Trials to select cricketers for various age groups, including 8 to 12 years, 12 to 16 years and 16 to 19 years for Bharti Vij's Saint Soldier Cricket Academy will be held on May 21 at the school grounds in Sector 28 here at 3.30 pm. Elected: A general body meeting of the Punjab Pensioners’ Association, Chandigarh, was held on Saturday. Jagdev Singh Sandhu was elected the president of the association. Other office-bearers: Senior vice-president - S.K. Khosla, vice-president -Jarnail Singh, general secretary-K.S. Naga, finance secretary-Bodh Raj, joint secretary-Jagmohan Sharda and organising secretary-Shiv Dyal Sharma. PANCHKULA Blood donation camp: A total of 312 units of blood were collected at a blood donation camp organised at Sant Nirankari Satsang Bhawan, Sector 9, on Sunday. The camp was inaugurated by Panchkula deputy commissioner Rajender Kataria. All arrangements were made by Sant Nirankari Sewa Dal. Elected: Sqn Ldr (retd) Rachhpal Singh was elected president of Jal Vayu Vihar Awas Kalyan Samiti at the general body meeting on Sunday. Others who were elected include Lt Cdr (retd) Ramesh Kumar - vice-president; Ram Kumar Saini - secretary; M.S. Alam - treasurer and Ajay Kumar Sharma, Sqn Ldr (retd) R.C. Pathania, Lt Cdr (retd) S.N. Shama, Harphool Singh and Gagan Anand as members.
HISAR ROHTAK SIRSA
Shimla 50 donate blood : A special blood donation camp was organised for the thalassaemic children for the first time in the state here on Sunday. The aim was to motivate people to help such patients who have to undergo blood transfusion at regular intervals. The initiative was taken by the YUVA-Himachal, a newly formed voluntary organisation. The camp was organised in collaboration with the state chapter of the Society for Disability And Rehabilitation Studies (SDRS) and the State AIDS Control Society. Fifty persons, including some tourists, donated blood on the occasion. A poster-making competition was also organised in which some six thalassaemic children also participated.
SRINAGAR 13 shops sealed: The state Drug and Food Control Organisation (DFCO) has launched a week-long drive against unlicensed drugs sale establishments in the Kashmir valley. A spokesman said the DFCO had sealed 13 shops, suspended the licences of seven shops and closed down a shop for three days. The DFCO officials conducted special raids in Srinagar, Baramulla and Kupwara districts to ensure implementation of provisions of Drug and Cosmetic Act, 1940. Bapu’s autobiography : The autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi, “My experiments with Truth”, has been translated into Gojri, the language of the Gurjar community of Jammu and Kashmir. The translation titled ‘Main Azmayoo Sach’, was done by Choudhary Hussan Parawaz. Comprising over 1,005 pages, the translation was done with the active support of the Gojri wing of the state academy, a spokesman of the academy said on Sunday. Courses for rural artisans: The Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB) has launched a number of measures in the state. For regeneration of traditional industries, 10,000 artisans in each cluster had been covered under a common facility centre for skill upgradation courses, an official spokesperson said. He said many rural industries suffered due to lack of skilled labour and availability of trained manpower. He said the government had set Rs 15,000 crore for such trainings in the 5th Five Year Plan. Cantonment board polls: Election to the seven-member cantonment board in Srinagar was held on Sunday after a gap of 23 years due to militancy. A large number of voters residing in areas coming under the cantonment board, included Sonawar, Palapora, Indira Nagar, Shivpora, Batwara, Pandraithan and Athwajan participated in the election with women outnumbering men at some polling booths. A large number of CRPF and state police personnel were deployed around the polling booths. About 400 out of 1,330 voters cast their ballot.
Regional potpourri The 45-year-old Nihang Sikh wears a massive, meticulously tied turban, weighing 34 kg. He weighs less than 60 kg. The turban is 300-metre long and he embellishes it with religious symbols (metallic) like kirpans. One wonders how he manages to support such a heavy turban but he does not appear to feel its weight on his head. To him the turban feels like a rose on the head. He is a devout Sikh who serves the religion and people who visit the gurdwara. Unlike other Sikhs, Nihang Sikhs wear comparatively long turbans. But this Nihang Sikh and a few more are different. Till three years ago, Baba Balwant Singh’s turban used to be 127-metre long. Gradually he started increasing the length of his turban and took it to 300 metres. Baba Major Singh of Jalandhar is known for wearing the heaviest and longest turban. As per Baba Balwant Singh, the Jalandhar Nihang wears a turban, which is 375 metres long (as per information on the Internet, Baba Major’s turban is 400-metre long). This Nihang from Yamunanagar has plans to wear a larger turban and add another 100 metres to his 300 metre long turban. He is a true Sikh and he has been propagating Sikhism. Turban is an article of faith and he just wears his faith. Honour for Jalandhar boy Hailing from Urban Estate, Phase I here, Dr Verma was honoured with the award at a function held at Washington, in USA on April 14. The award carries a trophy and $ 1000 for carrying research on radiography (MRI) Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Dr Verma at present has been working at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Philadelphia, PA in the USA since January 2006. He received the award for his paper ‘Submucosal Fibroids becoming Endocavitary following Uterine Artery Embolization: Risk Assessment by MRI.’ Joy of Dr Verma’s father Surendra Pal Verma, a former chief engineer retired from the Punjab Irrigation department, and his wife Indu Verma knew no bounds after their son got a prestigious award. Surendra Pal Verma said his son had done his schooling from Apeejay School, Jalandhar. Following this, he did his MBBS from Government Medical College, Amritsar, MD in Radiology from KG hospital and post graduation in Medical Instituted Residency, Coimbatore. Subsequently he worked as research scholar at All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi before leaving for Philadelphia. He is expected to return to India in January, 2009 after completing research work. Surendra Pal Verma with pride in his eyes said one of his two daughters Shipra Verma was also a doctor. After doing MBBS at CMC Ludhiana, she has now been working in a hospitalin Australia. Verma’s second daughter Sakshi Verma is B Tech student. Empowering
rural women In 1955, six women started the ‘Women League, Yamunanagar’ with a view to provide opportunities to women to learn skills to enable them to raise income. Fiftythree years down the line, the women league, a unit of the Smt Kamla Puri charitable Foundation, has trained thousands of rural women to stand on their own feet or supplement their income. A large number of them now are working at senior posts in reputed organisations and government organisations, including the governor house. The league, a non-profit-making NGO, was founded by Kamla Puri, Santosh Bhalla, Krishna Bhalla, Iqbal Sawhney, Saroj Rattan and Kulwant Kalre. On all working days between 9 am and 5 pm rural women, including married ones, can be seen learning cutting and tailoring, embroidery, English stenography and computers. With the passage of time the league earned a reputation for itself and it also started drawing girls from the urban areas. After the completion of the courses, ITI awards diplomas. The league recently started a course in fashion technology. “After graduation I wanted to do a teachers training course and joined the league because of its excellent track record and professional environment,” says Anjana, daughter of a local businessman. Like her, Savita Rani, daughter of a railway employee, too chose the league over other institutions. Till a few years ago all the courses used to be free. But now the institute charges Rs 50 per month from students (amount collected from students is given as stipend to poor students). “We started charging a nominal fee so that the students could become more serious,” says P.S. Kohli, administrator of the league, adding, “we are a non-profit-making organisation. Whatever we collect from students is given back to them as stipend.” Kanchan Bhalla, in-charge of the handicraft centre of the league, said there were 150 women associated with the centre. The league provides them with raw material and women make items like pillow covers and bedsheets. “The women are paid for their work and they earn between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000 a month,” informed Bhalla. The goods are sold at a nominal price and the proceeds are re-invested in the institution and students. Preet Pal, Sudesh Sharma, Suchita and Gurpreet, all instructors at the league, claimed their students were doing good in life. Tanu Priya Puri, a trustee of the foundation, said the foundation had started the league to empower rural women and it was moving in the right direction. He informed there was a production house in the centre where the students get employment by stitching uniforms for several organisations. Contributed by Nishikant Dwivedi and Dharminder Joshi
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Baba Balwant Singh of Machhrouli village gurdwara in Yamunanagar district of Haryana is a well- known personality. Curious eyes follow him, whenever he moves around. People turn or stop cars for a look at him. They don’t find it easy to take their eyes off his colourful personality.
Jalandhar boy Dr. Sachit K. Verma, MD has been awarded residency in radiology executive council award 2008. The American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) selected him and two persons from the USA Ethan A. Smith, MD and Joanna N. Tewfik, DO for these awards.