EDUCATION

Aspects of justice discussed
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 27 — A two-day national seminar on justice: conceptual and judicial aspects began today at the ICSSR Complex, Panjab University. Organised by the Department of Philosophy, it was inaugurated by eminent lawyer and a former Advocate-General of Haryana, Mr H.L. Sibal. Introducing theme of the seminar, Prof Bhuvan Chandel, Director of the seminar, emphasised the relevance and significance of comparative analysis and critical review of the indigenous and western traditions of thinking about various dimensions of justice.

Delivering the inaugural address, Mr Sibal underlined the wisdom of founding fathers of the Indian Constitution in recognising and emphasising social, economic and political dimensions of justice as distinct from legal justice. He lamented that politicians, bureaucrats and legal professionals failed to live up to the expectations of the founding fathers.

Prof Rajendra Prasad, formerly senior professor of Philosophy and National Fellow, Indian Council of Philosophical Research, New Delhi, in his keynote address, underlined the criteriological, universalistic and non-partisan aspects of concept of justice. He pointed out that many policies aimed at eradicating injustices sometimes created injustice if the above conditions were violated.

Prof Virendra Kumar and Prof Rama Kant Angiras discussed the relevance and significance of Indian dharam shastra literature for reaching a harmonious and synthesising approach to the demands of judicial and substantive justice.

Dr S.S. Bhatti, a former Principal of the College of Architecture, was of the view that justice was an elusive ideal and rhetoric of justice only legitimised oppression and domination by the powerful over the marginalised sections of society.

In his paper, question of justice: institutional and personal contexts, Dr Satya P Gautam argued that we needed to identify various sources of injustice which obstructed the realisations of well-being of individuals and ideals of good society. He identified exploitation, oppression, marginalisation, powerlessness and cultural imperialism, which must be resisted at institutional and personal level for ensuring that human beings realised their full potential without arbitrary discriminations.

Dr Oinam Bhagat from the Centre for Studies in Civilian, New Delhi, emphasised that moral and legal aspects of human rights deserved due recognition for protection of dignity of human individuals as moral agents. Prof P.S. Verma discussed the contribution of Dr Ambedkar in pursuit of justice for the oppressed sections of Indian society. Dr Veena Kapoor and Dr Asha Maudgil delineated for rational dimensions of human existence in quest for justice. Justice was an ideal which envisaged giving every human being his or her due.

Earlier, Dr Geeta Manaktala, Chairperson of the department, welcomed the chief guest and participants from various universities of the country.

Zira college men’s fast continues
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 27 — The indefinite fast of two representatives of Government College, Zira — Mr Jaspal Singh, Chairman of the Government College Students Union ( Zira), and Mr Manjit Singh Malloke, General Secretary of the union, entered its second day today. They are demanding the re-opening of the examination centre, which was cancelled this year. The centre was created in 1972 when the college had started.

A delegation led by the President of Panjab University Campus Students Council, Mr Dayal Pratap Singh Randhawa, met the Vice-Chancellor today and submitted a representation containing the problems faced by the students. Mr Randhawa has also asked the college Principal, Mr Harkrishan, to meet the Vice-Chancellor regarding a solution to the problem. He has also requested the local MLA to pursue the matter with the Punjab Government so that the centre is re-opened at the earliest.

Students point out that the problem is severe for those appearing simultaneously in BA (II) regular exams as well as BA (I) compartment exams as they are required to appear at two different centres on the same day. Since the two centres are located at a distance of 80 km apart, it becomes difficult to appear for both the papers.

The students have decided to intensify the strike if the university authorities fail to decide the matter till tomorrow evening.

Meanwhile, representatives of the campus unit of the ABVP also assured them support in their struggle. They have urged the Vice-Chancellor to solve the problem at the earliest so that the precious year of the students is not wasted.

School holds spring camp
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, March 27 — The campus of Satluj Public School, Sector 4, came alive as a spring camp got underway on the premises, here today. Registration for the one-week camp also continued at the venue.

The camp is open not only for school students but also for other children and their parents. To be held from 9 am to 12 noon everyday, the camp lays special emphasis on beauty culture, fabric painting, flower arrangement, drawing, painting and dance. Sport enthusiasts have pool, gymnasium and lawn tennis to choose from.

The camp coordinator, Ms Madhurima, said the camp had been organised to engage the children in useful activities. She said this should lead to the development of a new skill in every participant in the ten-day break before the new session commences. Participants will also be awarded certificates and prizes at the end of the camp. Also, an exhibition of the works done at the camp will be put up on the premises on April 3.

The Course Coordinator said while lessons on beauty culture would include face, hair and body care, those fabric painting would include drawing patterns using different fabrics, colour schemes, special effects, painting of suits and bedspreads. The drawing and sketching lessons would include the teaching of still-life and oil painting. An expert will teach special sketching methods to children.

Lessons on flower arrangement will include dry-flower, cut-flower and mixed-flower arrangements. For children, the camp comes as a welcome break after the examination season.

Puja, a student of the school, said, "I am interested in sharpening my painting skills. Each year, I used to join a local art academy for the purpose. However, this year, my school has organised an art workshop and it keeps me busy in the breaks, ensuring that the anxiety regarding the result does not set in.''

COURTS

Days of serials challenged
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 27 — On a civil suit challenging the change of days for broadcasting two serials based on religion, the UT Civil Judge (Junior Division), Mr Mahender Singh today issued notice to the Union of India and Director-General of Doordarshan at Delhi for May 8.

Seeking directions for restraining the defendants from showing Om Namah Shivay and Jai Hanuman on days other than Monday and Tuesday on Doordarshan-I, the plaintiff, Mr Sanjeev Sharma stated that the religious sentiments of Hindus had been hurt.

In his suit, Mr Sharma stated that Om Namah Shivay was being telecast on Monday and Jai Hanuman was being telecast on Tuesday, the days assigned to deities of Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman as per thousands of years old Hindu religion and mythology.

He added that the respondent changed the days without thinking about its duty to preserve religious sentiments of the Hindu community. This had hurt the religious sentiments of crores of Hindus all over the country, including citizens of Chandigarh, and those living abroad, viewing the serials through satellite with deep faith and love, he said.

The counsel for the plaintiff added that Om Namah Shivay was now being telecast on Tuesday instead of Monday and Jai Hanuman was being shown on Saturday instead of Tuesday.

The plaintiff, the counsel added, had moved the court in public interest, with the sole aim of safeguarding the religious feelings and sentiments of crores of Hindus in India and abroad.

CULTURE

From Mithila to Chandigarh

As one stepped into the entrance lounge of Tagore Theatre, a small enclosure, displaying Mithila paintings, welcomed him. This exhibition of paintings by Vijay Laxmi Devi, a girl from a small village in Bihar, was organised by Pracheen Kala Kendra as a supplement to their 30th Bhaskar Rao Sammelan.

Mithila paintings, also known as Madhubani paintings, are the domain of rural women belonging to Mithila region of Bihar. They have been practising this folk art for the last 3,000 years. They have gained national and international recognition and acclaim due to some very good painters living in villages in Madhubani district of Bihar.

Handed down by mother to daughter, over generations, this art was started by rural women to give vent to their creative instincts. With no facilities at their disposal, they used to gather whatever pieces of paper they could lay their hands on and pasted them on some piece of waste cloth, thereby making their canvas. Feather of a crow or some other bird formed the koochi (the brush) and using home-made indigenous colours, they transformed their free-flowing ideas into creations that placed those illiterate and little-known women among the top folk artists of the world.

Talking about colours, Vijaya Laxmi says, “We use readymade colours, manufactured commercially by famous companies, like Camlin, to paint on cloth. However, on papers, traditional colours are used even today. Mahasundri Devi of Rathi village introduced painting on cloth in 1978. Prior to that, women used to do Madhubani style painting on paper only.

About the different styles of Madhubani paintings, her teacher, Uttam Roy, himself a very good artist, says, “The women of this region follow the style of painting of their guru. However, the paintings can be divided into Brahmin shaili (style), Harijan shaili and kachni”.

“Changing lifestyle and events also affect this folk art,” adds Vijaya Laxmi. “For example, the latest topics include depiction of Kargil war and population,” she says.

The rural women of the area also decorate the walls of their mud-plastered huts with this kind of paintings in white colour. The wall paintings serve the dual purpose of embellishing the hut and telling cultural and mythological stories to children. For underprivileged children, these serve as open air picture books.

— Thakur Paramjit

Bheem's works are soothing
By Monica Sharma

CHANDIGARH, March 27 — The colour combinations in Bheem Malhotra's paintings are vibrant and the strokes have a mingling touch.

The exhibition of these paintings at the Sector 8 IndusInd Art Gallery was inaugurated by eminent art historian Padmashri Prof B.N. Goswamy on March 24.

The paintings have a lot of variety and in some works, he has brought alive the splendour of Rajasthani havelis of Jaiselmer, besides the isolated area of Agra, the Taj Ganj. In this painting, the neglected rear area of the beautiful monument has been depicted.

Some of his eye-catching compositions are the new oil-colour paintings. A painting titled The Yellow Landscape gives a bold and contemporary look. The Misty Landscape and The Seascape, in blue and black, respectively, are full of energy and freshness.

Watercolour paintings like Sukhna Lake, Under Rain and From The Manali Resort gives a sombre look. These paintings have a flowing touch. The stone composition from Buddha Jayanti Park is an exceptional piece which has depth and a silent halo. It seems as if rocks and flowers are talking to each other. The light colours used in the piece — green, yellow and white — give the work a soothing look.

Paintings like Road Under Construction and Stone Crusher In Action are themes not tackled by many artists. These paintings are realistic and show the agony of the workers and the dusty environment. The artist has tried to show the working of the crushers near Zirakpur. Unusual subjects like The Making of a Road in Chandigarh have also been aesthetically presented.

Bheem Malhotra said, ''I get the ability to bring innovation in colours from the young generation and the imaginative ideas from nature.''

His paintings can also be seen at Hotel Mountview, Government Museum and Art Gallery, DAV College, besides in art galleries of West Germany, the USA and France in addition to many other private collections in India and abroad.

He has won the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi Award 95, the AIFACS Award 1997, the Amrita Shergil Award by PLUA Chandigarh, a merit certificate in the All-India Exhibition of Drawing in 1995 in Chandigarh. He was also honoured by the Chandigarh Administration on Republic Day. He has also been awarded by the Sahitya Kala Parishad of New Delhi and the Shobha Singh Art Society on Chandigarh.

He is a lecturer in art in the Chandigarh College of Architecture.

Promising flutist captivates

CHANDIGARH: The 30th Bhaskar Rao Festival concluded on a sombre note when recognising the contribution of late Pt Pawan Kumar Verma, the Pracheen Kala Kendra felicitated him by the title of Tall Mritang posthumously. The award was received by his widow.The concluding day’s programme began with flute recital by Rupak Kulkarni, a disciple of Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia. Rupak selected a melodious raga of the evening Yaman, which is commonly played and appreciated for its simplicity and beauty. He displayed good breath control and combinations of different breath control techniques to create improvisations. Particularly noteworthy was his dexterous finger play on the flute. The drut khayal in Teentall was equally impressive for his perfect laykari. There was a small piece of jugalbandi where the tabla accompanist recreated musical notes of the flute in the language of rhythm.

The audience response was very encouraging to the artiste appreciating each finer nuance of his technique. What mesmerised them into a world of pure melody was folk tune in Mishra Pahadi. The tune played on the flute was melody at its best, evoking memories of green meadows, springs and rivulets. The gentle melody of the flute was perfectly blended with rhythm on the tabla, played by Subhash Dhunoohchand from Mauritius.

The second item was a Kathak recital by famous danseuse Shovana Narayan. Petite and “fragile” yet bursting with energy, Shovana presented a well-choreographed and well-rehearsed performance with hundreds of fast pirouettes. Showing different improvisations on Pakhawaj bols, she performed amad, paran, tode and tukde. There was a short sawal-jawab between the pakhawaj and the tabla and herself. Presenting a strong abhinay paksh of this dance form was an item ‘moon’, a beautiful combination of poetry, music and dance incorporating poetic pieces of surdas, H.R. Bachan and Jaysi, all describing moon in different moods. The well-choreographed piece was given a loud applause. She was accompanied by Tej Prakash Tulsi on pakhawaj, Shakil Ali Khan on tabla, Vijay Sharma on sitar, and the vocal support was given by Pt Jawala Prasad

— Vandana Shukla