Jalandhar, January 7
Thousands of students of majority of schools affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in various parts of the city are left with no option but to brave bone-chilling weather conditions.

Instead of extending their winter vacations due to severe cold conditions, the majority of CBSE-affiliated schools, including Cambridge International School, APJ School, St Joseph Convent School and Shiv Jyoti School, reopened after winter vacations today.

Tiny tots of various schools are the worst sufferer as even the pre-primary and primary wings of the majority of these schools opened when there was heavy mist coupled with near-freezing (with minimum 0.4 degree Celsius) temperature in the city today.

On the contrary, the primary government schools remained closed today as the Punjab Government has already extending winter vacations in primary government schools, private recognised and aided schools up to January 12 keeping in mind the ongoing cold wave conditions. The middle, secondary and senior secondary government, private recognised and aided schools started at 10 am as per orders.

Meanwhile, during a visit to the localities where various schools are situated, The Tribune team found the students coming to their schools covering themselves with heavy woollen clothes to keep themselves warm. Some of the students were seen shivering due to severe cold, despite properly wearing warm clothes, woollen cap and gloves to keep themselves warm.

Girl students of several schools seemed to be braving the chill more as they had to wear skirts as part of their school uniform in this adverse weather.

The parents were more worried as their wards had to first bear the early morning chill to reach their schools and later sit in the classrooms which do not have any heating equipment.

A woman who came to drop her child to APJ School at New Jawahar Nagar on Mahavir Marg said, "It is very difficult for small children to attend classes in this chill."

Demanding that the CBSE-affiliated schools be closed for some more days till the severe cold wave subsides, she asked this correspondent to raise the matter with the school management for the benefit of the students."

In the meantime, the managements of some CBSE-affiliated schools decided to keep their institutions closed for some more days due to severe cold. The secretary of MGN School Management, Jarnail Singh Paschricha, said, "Both the branches of our school will reopen on January 14 keeping in view the chill."

Children go to CBSE-affiliated private schools in bone-chilling weather conditions as their schools reopen after winter vacations in Jalandhar on Monday. Photos: Sarabjit Singh

Speaking out

We have rescheduled time for starting our school from 8.30 am to 9.30 am from Tuesday. We have started winter vacations a week earlier as compared to majority of other schools. Even then, I am taking up the matter with the management to announce more winter vacations for pre-primary and Class I students of our school.
— Meera Javed, Principal, APJ School

Official speak

Jalandhar, January 7
Craft and a passionate love for nature are his inherent traits. These are the attributes that render his works a rare grace and poise and make him one of the most sought-after artists from the region who have gone on to make it big nationally.

Born in Bangladesh, bred amidst the serene beauty of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and tutored at Shantiniketan, painter and sculptor Basudeb Biswas has never ceased to share the richness of the aesthetic treasures he absorbed, ever since he started teaching in Jalandhar in 1985.

Recently presented the All-India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS) award for his mixed media bust in wood and metal, he has always caught the fancy of the selectors with his unique style statements.

Both his paintings and sculptures have that rare amalgamation of style, sensuality and grace, which many stalwarts have complimented him, and is not easy to find.

Be it a tall earthy maidens in bronze, women etched in multiple nibs (which also fetched him many awards), wood and nail romance or pouted, stylish women of his marble and terracotta sculptures, one trait common to all the works is an inherent passion and respect for the female form.

Born into a family of farmers, Biswas, father was a farmer as well as a carpenter famous for making boats (often customised ones). Craft, thus, came inherently to him.

"I always noticed that crafting things seems very effortless for me. I never feel I am working too hard, it comes to me naturally."

From Bangladesh the family moved to Andaman in 1964, where his love for nature thrived and when he went to pursue his graduation (and master's) degree in fine art at Shantiniketan, Biswas' talent blossomed amidst oodles of art and the peace of his environs.

Even though it was the strife-ridden terrorism time during which he got a job in Punjab, his early lessons in harmony constantly reflected in his works, which they do until now.

The Apeejay Institute of Fine Arts where he began teaching as a professor in sculpture, got its first fine sculpting lessons and terracotta furnace through him. Joining under then Head of the Fine Arts Department Mahinder Singh Kundal, Biswas simultaneously flourished as an artist.

He won merit awards from the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi, Chandigarh, in 1986, 87 and 90 and state awards from the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi, Chandigarh in 1989, 92 and 2004.

His first national award in sculpture under the AIFACS happened in 2007 and subsequent national awards came in 2009 and 2012.

While his academic (and commercial) success has established him as one of the few artists of national repute in Punjab, he has also been noted for his untiring efforts to promote art in the city and among his students.

Speaking about the state of art as a subject in academic institutions in Punjab, he says, "A lot more experimentation and a much more professional environment for art is needed in colleges. While theoretical knowledge is good enough only for the exams, for students to really excel in the field of art, they need to be exposed to be more professional experiences. Presently, requirement of art, as a professional subject, is not being fulfilled."

Talking about the state, he says, "The representation of Punjabi artists in the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi is lesser as compared to Chandigarh. More attention needs to be paid to Punjab. The majority of the members of the governing body of the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi needs to be from Punjab."

Jalandhar, January 7
Former Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira has termed the two-day NRI Sammelan an utter farce, drama and a mock exercise, in view of serious land allegations grabbing against NRI Affairs Minister Bikram Majithia by NRI owner of 'The Hub' property Hardial Hundal.

Khaira alleged, "The so called NRI sammelan is nothing but a farce, drama and an eye wash, keeping in the startling allegations of land grab against the NRI Minister Bikram Majithia, relative of the CM."

Former Bholath MLA questioned, "What is the point of assuring NRIs of protection of their properties, if the NRI minister himself has grabbed prime property of an NRI Hundal at Ludhiana?"

Khaira further said, "As we are aware, post thrashing of AIG SS Mand by Akalis and YAD vice-president Sunny Johar, NRI Hardial Hundal has come out with strong documentary proof alleging grabbing of his property at Majithia's behest. Sunny Johar demolished Hundal's ancestral housel in 2008 to build a posh restaurant with Majithia's support despite stay orders from a civil court. The entire civil and police administration of Ludhiana turned a blind eye not only to the brazen land grabbing but remained a mute spectator, while Sunny Johar raised 'The Hub' restaurant over it."

Former Bholath MLA further stated, "The fact is that NRI Minister Bikram Majithia is a benami partner of Sunny Johar and is continuously shielding and protecting him. The fear of frontmen of Majithia is so dreadful that the thrashed AIG Mand did not have the courage to name Sunny Johar as the main accused in his statement. It is only now a matter of time as Majithia will arrange a compromise between the AIG and Sunny Johar. The criminal case against Sunny Johar and others will fall like a pack of cards courtesy Majithia as Sunny Johar still claims to be the YAD vice-president."

Khaira said, "It is also a matter of great shame that no elected MLA or MP NRI had the audacity to speak up for fellow NRI Hardial Hundal at the meet, whose property has been grabbed by Majithia. It appears the NRIs too are only interested in five star hospitality and not the issues of their brothers."

He said no useful purpose would be served through such NRI Sammelan unless NRIs like Hundal were given justice by restoring property from clutches of the Akalis. He urged the CM to sack Majithia and return the property to the NRI or else all such meets of NRIs were nothing but a farce being enacted at the cost of public exchequer.

Passenger speak

The Railways should make equal arrangements at railway stations for passengers of AC, second class sleeper and general class as cold wave effects everyone in a similar way. The waiting rooms, meant for AC and second-class sleeper ticket holders, should be temporarily opened for the passengers with general tickets. Sufficient number of heaters should also be installed not only at the waiting hall for general ticket holders but also at platforms.
— Diwan Chand

Official speak

Jalandhar, January 7
Scholarships worth Rs 3.5 lakh were distributed among 198 students by Punjab Minister for Local Bodies Bhagat Chuni Lal at a function organised by city-based NGO Nishkam Sewa Bharti Trust.

The trust has been awarding annual scholarships to the poor, needy and intelligent students from various schools and colleges, irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, place or state.

The trust has organised 19 such annual functions to award scholarships to these students so far and has been instrumental in the disbursement of scholarships worth over Rs 60 lakh to more than 4,000 students.

Dr Ravinder Verma, secretary of the trust, informed the gathering that there were as many as 549 applicants for the scholarship. Out of these, 198 students were selected and the scholarships worth Rs 3.5 lakh were handed over to the students by the chief guest.

Bhagat appreciated the efforts of the Nishkam Sewa Bharti Trust in the fields of education, health and sports. He announced a grant of Rs 2 lakh to the trust.

Apart from the scholarships, the trust has been running a charitable dispensary in the New Ashok Nagar area with medical, dental facility, physiotherapy unit, automated clinical laboratory and X-ray facility. Services by specialist doctors are available in the dispensary. Last year 30,000 patients were treated in the unit. Dr Ravinder Verma said last year five medical and eye camps were organised where 1,500 patients were treated.

The trust, he said, also provided financial and material help for the marriages of poor girls.

On the eve of International Deaf Day, every year free deafness detection camp was organised in Verma Hospital. Patients suffering from deafness were examined and hearing aids worth Rs 1.5 lakh given free of cost to the poor and needy.

On the occasion, hockey player Olympian Gagan Ajit Singh, Dr R.L. Bassan, Civil Surgeon, and Rupansh Gupta, writer, were honoured for their dedication and commitment in their respective fields.

Jalandhar, January 7
The traffic wing of the city commissionerate apprised the students of traffic rules and the importance of following them during an awareness seminar at KMV Sanskriti Public School, Tanda road, on Monday. The students enthusiastically took part in the seminar, which was held on the concluding day of the Road Safety Week.

The traffic policemen told the students how accidents could be prevented by adhering to various traffic rules. The traffic wing carried out a number of programmes from January 1 to 7 during a special drive to spread awareness among general public about the traffic rules.

Jalandhar, January 7
Lord Raj Loomba, whose NGO Loomba Foundation inked an MoU with the Punjab Government during the NRI Sammelan on Saturday, has already been working for the benefit of a number of widows for many years, thanks to his mother Pushpawati’s life of struggle during the 38 years of her widowhood. His mother’s struggle inspired him to repay India generously in shape of Rs 2.16 crore per annum as donation to as many as 3,600 fatherless students across the country.

Hailing from Dhilwan in Kapurthala district, Loomba (69) was not only donating Rs 500 per month to each of the 3,600 students for many years but also repaying his country by making other donations from time to time.

Loomba, now settled in England and a member of the House of Lords, had also given Rs 50 lakh for improving infrastructure and providing clean water and sanitation to Dhilwan-based Government Senior Secondary School, where he had studied till class VIII in 1950s.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s wife Cherie Blair had specially come to Dhilwan on January 12 to hand over a cheque of Rs 50 lakh to then Kapurthala DC JM Balamurugan on the behalf of the Loomba Trust.

Talking to The Tribune, Raj Loomba said his mother Pushpawati’s life had become a misery after the death of his father Jagiri Lal Loomba, a successful businessman of Dhilwan, in 1954. His mother followed his path after his death by keeping aside her own comfort and she did whatever she could do to continue his other six siblings’ studies. Raj Loomba was only 11 and studying in class VI when his father died. After completing middle class in Dhilwan School, he studied till class X at Labhu Ram Doaba School in Jalandhar.

Subsequently, he went to the USA for higher studies in 1960. Narrating his rags-to-riches story, he said he went to England in September 1962 and did petty jobs. Then in 1964 he set up his own business of importing clothes and after that he never looked back. Now, he is manufacturing clothes in his factory in India besides setting up office in China. After his mother’s death in 1992, he set up the Loomba Trust in 1997.

The trust has been donating regularly to at least 100 fatherless students of each Indian state, including 500 tsunami victims of Tamil Nadu. The donation is being given to those students whose widow mothers’ income is below a dollar per day (Rs 1,500 per month), a parameter of poverty set by the UNO. In Punjab, 30 students from Dhilwan, 20 from Phillaur and 50 from Ludhiana are getting donations every month.

According to recently signed MoU, the NGO and the Punjab government will contribute one crore each to make 5,000 Indian widows self-employed by providing them stitching machines and imparting training for using them.