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| Thursday, July 27, 2000, Chandigarh, India |
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Kapil to lose award
if found guilty LUDHIANA In 1995 when Kapil Dev broke the world record of taking the highest number of wickets beating the earlier record of Sir Richards Headlee and claimed his 432nd wicket, the Ludhiana Citizens Council had organised a glittering function at Ludhiana involving 500 top families of the city and honoured Kapil Dev by awarding him Rs 4.32 lakh in cash. Noted ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas was the special invitee and he enthralled the audience with his beautiful ghazals. Mr Darshan Arora, Chairman, and Mr Agyapaul Singh, President of the council, said in a joint statement here today that if Kapil Dev was found guilty, he should have no moral right to keep the cash award as this was public money collected through donations for the cause of honouring a sportsman who did the country proud by creating a new world record and not for a sportsman who disgraced the country by involving himself in the dirty match-fixing scandals. "If he is found guilty, the Ludhiana Citizens Council will ask for the cash award to be returned and the same amount will be used for charitable purposes," they said. "The Ludhiana Citizens Council may even move a court of law in public interest if Kapil Dev does not respond to its notice," they said. |
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Moment of grief and pride for martyrs' kin LUDHIANA, July 26 — Their heads were held high but the eyes were moist. And when they reached the podium to receive a token of honour from the district administration and the Army authorities at Maharaja Ranjit Singh War Museum here today on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Kargil conflict, relatives of 10 martyrs hailing from this district could not held the tears back, and they broke down inconsolably. It was surely a moment of grief and pride for these kith and kin of the martyrs. Seated together in one side of the hall, the relatives evoked a picture of sympathy. Though serious and gloomy the honour of being related to someone who sacrificed his life for saving the motherland was also distinct on their faces. ''Sadi tan duniya muk gayee,'' said Mandeep kaur, widow of Nk Kuldip Singh, who laid down his life on
July 13 this year in Kargil. Though feeling honoured at her husband's sacrifice, she was sobbing inconsolably. "Why do they have to fight a war?'' she asked. "Money will meet our economic needs, but who will return the father to my small children," she asked. Having overcome the initial grief, the relatives are now struggling hard to fill such a void left by the martyrdom. Though most of them have either got financial compensation or are in the process of getting it, the procedural delay or completing the formalities for receiving the compensation had its toll on them. Problems other than the compensation are also galore for these families. If on one side feuds have emerged in families over the payment of compensation money to either the martyr's parents or his widow, on the other hand, social problems of the adjustment of the widows also looms large. According to an estimate, 30 per cent of the martyrs' widows have been adjusted with their brother-in-laws. They cannot openly marry, for they will lose a major chunk of the monetary benefits. And if they don't accept this support, a lonely life replete with acrimony with the in-laws and other social problems stare at their face. The administration has too its own share of tension. Giving reasons for the non-payment of compensation to some of the martyrs' families, the deputy commissioner, Mr S.S. Sandhu, said it was because of the cause of death pronounced by the death certificate of a soldier issued by the Army authorities. Citing an example, he said one soldier died after suffering injuries in a bomb blast, but the immediate cause of death was cardiac arrest and, according to rules, compensation could not be made in such a case. There were several cases like these, he said. Brig A.K. Verma, Station Commander, 715 Independence AD Brigade, said the Army authorities were facing another grave problem.That was of convincing the widows and parents of the martyrs to arrange between themselves the sharing of the compensation money. According to him, several cases had reached him where the widow of a martyr feared some insecurity in staying with her in-laws and share the compensation, the parents demanded whole amount as they had lost their only son. Earlier while speaking at the ceremony, Mr Sandhu said: ''we people are safe and alive just because of the sacrifices of our soldiers. We can hail their sacrifice only by taking care of their families.'' He assured that top priority would be accorded to the relatives of the martyrs and they could approach him at any time for redress of their grievances. Paying his tributes to the martyrs, Brigadier Verma said the brave feats performed by the soldiers had confirmed that the Indian Army was second to none in the world. He said it was the duty of the Army and the civil authorities to take due care of the families of the martyrs. Though well-intentioned and properly organised, the Kargil martyrs' honouring function at Maharaja Ranjit Singh War Museum, near here, left a bitter taste. The reason being that the organisers had organised a tea party in the honour of the relatives of the martyrs, but had arranged separate rooms for the Army officers as well as the civic guests, while the other hall was specifically marked for the martyrs' relatives. The grief-stricken relatives, wishing not to be quoted, aired their grievances to Ludhiana Tribune. "I know my son was not an officer and the Army has separate parties for separate ranks, but today the rule should have been given a go-by," said the father of a martyr. A widow quipped what kind of honour they had been given if they were not fit to have tea or snacks with other guests. She said such gestures prove more supporting than the huge amount of compensation or assurance and sympathetic speeches. Brigadier Verma, when asked for comments, said this arrangement had been made because there was not sufficient space for all the guests in one room. He said he and the Deputy Commissioner had visited the relatives of the martyrs in the room and, thus, he did not see any discrimination on their part. |
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Cop, prostitute
caught defrauding people LUDHIANA It is alleged that constable Amrik Singh with number 2636, at present posted in Subhash Nagar Police Post and sex worker Kashmiri, a resident of Simlapuri, were blackmailing people after defrauding them. It is learnt that in a typical Bollywood movie style, the duo would station themselves at a sufficient distance from each other on any of the city's busy roads and wait for the 'fish'. The woman would seek a lift from a passer-by and as soon as she would move on with the 'victim', the police constable would make his appearance, identify himself as a constable from the CIA staff and put on special duty by the SP (Detective) to check flesh trade and threaten the victim with a case under Prevention of Immoral Trafficking. To lend more weight to the story, the accused constable would identify the woman as a known prostitute and tell her to leave the scene and report at the police station later. The victim, sensing trouble would get panicky and fearing social stigma, agree to pay up to hush up the case. It is also learnt that the accused police constable was using a fake name and would identity himself as constable Kashmir Singh. The DSP City 2, Mr Harmanbir Singh Gill, informed that the two had been in touch with each other for the past more than two years. "Our investigations have shown that Kashmiri had once been caught by accused Amrik Singh when he was posted in Simlapuri. Since then, the two hob-nobbed with each other and are learnt to be in this business." It may be noted that the case became known when the two planned to defraud Amarnath, a resident of Sarabha Nagar, on July 23. As usual, the two accused had stationed themselves on the Ferozepore road near PAU Gate No.1. Mr Amarnath, who was passing by on his scooter, was approached by Kashmiri for a lift till the temple in Sarabha Nagar. The man, without sensing any trouble, gave her a lift and as planned, constable Amrik Singh followed them and asked them to stop. The victim was asked to pay Rs 25,000 to hush up the case. He, however, had only Rs 1,300 in his pocket and he gave the same to the accused, after the former promised to a pay back through cheques. He also bargained with the constable and the deal was later struck at Rs 10,000. He then gave three self-addressed cheques for Rs 4000, Rs 1000 and Rs 3700, respectively, payable at the State Bank Of India, PAU Campus. In the meantime, the victim approached the Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr Kuldeep Singh, and narrated the entire incident. The SSP then deputed the DSP, City 2, to investigate the case. Mr Amarnath also withdrew all but Rs 450 from his bank account and so when the accused, Amrik Singh went to the bank to get a cheque for Rs 3700 encashed, the police nabbed him. A case under Sections 383, 384, 420, 461, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC has been registered against the two accused. While constable Amrik Singh has been arrested, Kashmiri is at large. |
Phula Singh award LUDHIANA Mr Aliwal said here yesterday that it was for the first
time that cordial relations between the state government and the
Centre had been established. This, he said, had irked anti-Punjab
forces. He reiterated that the Youth Akali Dal's commitment to bring
about a public awakening for which the dal was organising mohalla-level
meetings. |
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Homage paid to Army martyr LUDHIANA, July 26 — Cutting across political and social barriers, people from all walks of life thronged the bhog ceremony of Army martyr Nk. Kuldeep Singh, who had laid down his life during exchange of fire near the LoC on Jammu and Kashmir border on July 13. The shardhanjli samaroh organised at his native village, Nathowal, about 56 km from here, yesterday was attended, among others, by the Deputy Commissioner. Mr S.K. Sandhu, SAD (B) leader Jagdev Singh Talwandi, Mal Singh Ghuman, and Jagjit Singh Talwandi, Bahujan Samaj Party activist Harbhajan Singh Lakha, Mr Nirmal Singh Mahant, Chairman of the Market Committee, Mr Amarjit Singh, Mr Tarlok Singh Dalla of the Akali Dal (Mann), CPI leader Mewa Singh and Wg. Cdr. M.S. Randhawa, Deputy Director of Sainik Welfare. Paying tributes to the martyr, Mr Talwandi said it was because of the sacrifices made by the martyrs that the people were enjoying the fruit of independence. He described the families of the martyrs as an ‘asset of the nation’ and added that it was our duty to ensure the welfare of the families and dependents of the martyrs. Mr Talwandi announced that Government High School in Nathowal village would be named after Nk. Kuldeep Singh and that the village, from where six Army personnel had sacrificed their lives, would be developed as a model village. He presented cheques for Rs 1 lakh each to the Mrs Mandeep Kaur and Mr Ranjit Singh, widow and the father, respectively, of the martyr. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.K. Sandhu, assured that the administration would take steps to provide incentives to the families of the martyrs, as directed by the state government. These include government job to one member of the family and a plot of land or Rs 5 lakh in cash. |
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Operation
Vijay remembered LUDHIANA Mr Ravi Soi, Vice-President, Block-5, DCC, lighted the Jawala jyoti. Different kinds of items were displayed about patriotism by school children. |
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Punjab pensioners plan dharnas, rallies LUDHIANA Though the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, had publicly announced in May that the decision on the demands of the pensioners would be made by June 30, it was to the utter disappointment of the pensioners that nothing tangible had so far been done, thus causing unrest and resentment among them, forcing them to chalk out a programme of organising dharnas and rallies at the district and state headquarters in the immediate future. The state executive meeting deplored that it was on February 20, 1998, that the Punjab Fourth Pay Commission had submitted part (iii) of its report in respect of pensioners to the Punjab Government, recommending grant of an increase in the rate of old-age pension, additional pension on additional service over 33 years, merger of dearness allowance with the pay for calculation of the DCRG, outdoor hospitalisation expenses, fixed medical allowance of Rs 500 per month, house rent/maintenance allowance at 5 per cent of the basic pension, parity between pre-January 1996, pensioners with post-January 1996 pensioners on the Central Government pattern by revising their pension up to 5 per cent of the grades of the post last held on retirement, travel concession to both husband and wife pensioners, including family pensioners, but it was unfortunate that the government was not accepting the pensioners' genuine demands, Mr Kaushal added. |
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PAU Rock Garden cries for care LUDHIANA The late Dr M.S. Randhawa was the man who borrowed the services of Mr Nek Chand during his tenure as Vice-Chancellor of the PAU. It was only after the fame of the Rock Garden spread beyond the confines of Chandigarh, that the PAU decided to replicate the beauty in rocks in the campus. It was designed and built under the supervision of Mr Nek Chand. However,Rock Garden now presents a picture of neglect and apathy. Although it is surrounded by the huge modern buildings of the university, very few people visit this spot. But it has its own usefulness as a meeting spot for students of the PAU. There is a plenty of space around the garden for its further expansion but these seems to be the farthest from the mind of the authorities right now. According to some sources, there is a definite plan to expand it towards roadside but lack of funds seems to have held it up.As a matter of fact, there is no money even for maintenance of the garden. Ruchi, a second year student, believes that such creations impart an imaginative touch to the otherwise modern and sophisticated surroundings. "This beautiful creation should be looked after", she adds. It is for this generation and the next ones to learn that beautiful creations like Rock Garden must be maintained as creation is in itself an aesthetic exercise. "The creator is the blessed one, whereas the destroyer is the cursed creature", opines Rahul and Anuj,both fellow students. |
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Laughter is the best medicine July 26 — “Laughter is the best medicine” is an oft-repeated phrase, but no one, simply no one, can deny the profound truth behind this short and powerful statement. Laughter can drive your blues away. If you are feeling a bit under the weather, laugh and see the difference it makes to your mood and your temperament. Mr S.K. Kapoor, a businessman says, “I work single handedly in my factory. I have 20 employees under me. I have a family, my old parents, my wife, and my three children. There is always tension at my work place and at home. Unfortunately, my mother and my wife do not get along well. So I am always sandwiched between them. Sometimes, I feel like committing suicide. I am able to cope up with this stress (You will laugh) by reading comics. Surprised, are not you? Comics make me laugh and I forget my tensions. My batteries are recharged.” What an easy and simple way of getting out of such a difficult situation. “Cartoon channel is my favourite. Thank God! It works for 24 hours. Cartoons show such absurd things that I laugh my guts out”, says Amrish, a caterer. “I have so many problems with my workers, with my clients. All the time the clients are complaining of one or another thing. I am fed up most of the times. Cartoons are my life savers.” Charanjit Singh, a teacher, who takes a lot of tuitions, is overworked and pressurised by his teaching load. He says he has found a formula for staying cheerful. He has collected a lot of joke books. He learns jokes and cracks them during his tuition class. “The children laugh heartily and also tell me a joke or two in return. We all laugh and this helps me in my job. The hours pass by without any stress.” These are fortunate people for they have found a way to keep themselves in control of their own lives. But for most of the people laughter has vanished from their lives or laughter clubs would not have sprung all over the country. The fact that they enjoy immense popularity is a pointer to this harsh truth that laughter has gone away from our lives. People make special efforts to get up in the mornings to go to these ‘laughter clubs’. There would have been no need of such clubs if laughter was present in our lives. When one laughs, one’s lungs expand taking in more oxygen. Blood circulates freely and there is a feeling of well-being. Even in the comedy shows presented on television, the witty line has a recorded laughter of the audience . Do you know the reason why the laughter is recorded ? The producer and the director are not very sure whether the audience will laugh or not. Man is the only animal that can laugh, but these days pressures of making the two ends meet have become so taxing that man does not know whether he is coming or going. Moreover, they are so preoccupied with problems at workplace, of family and social obligations that he fails to see humour in any situation. Even when someone tries to take a pot shot at him, instead of taking in a lighter vein, the person gets offended. Even though work has become mechanised and physical labour has been reduced, life has become more and more stressful. Working hours have increased to almost 12 hours a day. If there are any get-togethers, these fall only on the week-ends and last for a couple of hours. The menfolk are busy drinking and women, after they have finished their gossip session, look tired. The men, on the other hand, relaxed after a couple of drinks, laugh their guts out at lewd jokes cracked by someone in the company. For those few moments, they feel light-hearted and maybe, that is why drinking is becoming so very necessary. Witty people are hard to come by. People who can break out into peals of laughter at their own shortcomings are a rare breed. Just look at the children. They gurgle with laughter at very minor things. There is nothing more beautiful than the innocent laughter of the children. As we grow up, we are gripped with problems real and imaginary, and we think we are too busy to laugh. |
Gang of car thieves busted LUDHIANA, July 26 — The police appears to have opened a Pandora’s box with the revelations regarding the involvement of a brother of Kunwar Sena chief, Surinder Singh, in an inter-state gang of car thieves. The involvement of Bhutani Singh, brother of Surinder Singh, also a ministerial aspirant in the Rabri Devi Cabinet in Bihar, became known with the arrest of two car thieves, Gagandeep Singh and Sukhwinder Singh, both residents of Jaiton here today. Interestingly, the duo were arrested by the police from Dugri Road around 12 noon today, while they were attempting to steal a Maruti Zen. The interrogation of the two accused has revealed that they have stolen around 14 cars from different districts of Punjab and Harayana during the past five years and sold these off to Bhutani Singh in district Aara, Bihar and to one Ajay, hailing from Nagaland. With these confessions, the police is also likely to obtain the arrest warrants of the other accused soon — Bhutani Singh and Ajay. While talking to TNS here today, the accused, Gagandeep Singh and Sukhwinder Singh, said that they had been stealing cars for the past five years in order to have extra money to ‘live it up’. They said that around five years ago, they met a youth from Hisar, Karan, who had come to Jaiton to spend time with his girlfriend. “He said that it was a good way to earn money and one could also freak out in the car till it was disposed off. Initially we started this work in partnership with Karan and sold two cars to Bhutani Singh in Aara with Karan acting as the commission agent. All three of us would go to Aara together in the stolen car and would sell it off to Bhutani,” informed Gagandeep Singh. It was later that the two parted ways with Karan and began their dealings directly with Bhutani Singh. Later, the two were also introduced to Ajay by Bhutani Singh himself and they also began supplying stolen cars to him in Nagaland. Informed Sukhwinder Singh: “We were paid Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 for a Maruti 800 car and Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 for a Zen.” He also said that they were stealing only the above mentioned models of cars. Informed DSP City 2, Mr Harmanbir Singh Gill: “The two would steal cars in the night and then park them at some public parking for a few days till the police had slowed down its search for the car. Later, they would pick up the car and drive down to Delhi after it was dark, so that there was almost minimal checking on the way. Once out of Delhi, there was little fear of checking and they would safely reach their destination in either Bihar or Nagaland.” The two accused also told TNS that they would steal the cars by opening the car locks with the help of a bunch of keys that they had got made from a shop outside Jama Masjid in Delhi. It is learnt that till date they had stolen five cars from Bathinda, four from Faridkot, four from Ludhiana and one from Hisar. Meanwhile, it is learnt that DSP Harmanbir Singh had received secret information about the two youths travelling in a car stolen from Bathinda. He, then, informed the SHO Model Town, Mr Jaswinder Singh and while on patrolling the police party spotted the car with registration number, DL-ICD-4193 parked near another car on Dugri Road. It was then that the police realised that the duo were trying to open the lock of the other car. The police caught them and now a case under Sections 379 and 411 of the IPC has been registered against the two. The SSP, Mr Kuldeep Singh, when contacted, informed that the police parties would now be dispatched to Bihar and Nagaland to recover the stolen cars sold there. |
Punjab ready for IT revolution LUDHIANA, July 26 — Punjab with a dynamic population and a large reservoir of NRIs is yet to make a significant stride in the field of information technology (IT). Lack of technical and engineering colleges, over-emphasis by the state government on the agricultural sector and lack of a proper telecom infrastructure are some of the reasons as to why Punjab has not reached any significant heights. Punjab can take the lead in a high-potential IT area like IT-enabled services for which engineering-level personnel are not required in large numbers. The IT-enabled services consist of work that is sourced out from developed countries as it is done as efficiently but more economically in countries like India. Medical and legal transcription, call centres, web-enabled support centres, low-end GIS work and back-office operations like accounting are some of the IT-enabled services. Even graduates or undergraduates with computer skills can be employed in this sector. It can be of great benefit to Punjab which has a large number of unemployed educated youth. Considering these facts, the government should focus on encouraging IT-enabled service enterprises to come up all over the state. The Association of Computer Entrepreneurs (ACE), a computer-industry body set up in Ludhiana five years ago and now also having a chapter in Amritsar, has taken up the task of spreading IT enterprise in the state. Say Mr Vinod Loomba and Mr N.S. Dhami, President and Vice-President of ACE, respectively, "ACE will be conducting seminars for industrialists and businessmen who are interested in entering the IT exports sector. ACE is also planning to continue the series of IT exhibitions started last year to spread IT awareness." The treasurer of ACE, Mr Kuljeet Singh, and a former President, Mr D. P. Singh, are leaving for the USA shortly to study opportunities and bring business for the 100-plus ACE members. An all-member trip to explore software opportunities in South-East Asia is also being planned for later this year. Several software export firms have already come up in Ludhiana and other cities. It is also well-known that the IT industry in India has grown largely without government support and is proof of the so-far latent entrepreneurial spirit of Indians. The Indian IT sector is both robust and innovative, and an army of Indian engineers and entrepreneurs is powering the growth and spread of this industry in the USA, the leading IT power as well as in their native India. But at the same time, it is also true that for the Indian IT sector to reach world-challenging heights, the governments (both central and state) have an important role to play in terms of providing proper infrastructure, encouraging IT education, amending archaic laws, providing a legal framework for e-commerce, and educating law-makers and enforcers in the IT. And happily, both the central government and the states are waking up to this reality and the potential of the IT to transform our country is being recognised by both politicians and bureaucrats. The states at the forefront of this paradigm shift are Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and to a certain extent Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. The Punjab government now seems to be waking up to reality and has started projecting SAS Nagar as an excellence centre for the IT in the state. SAS Nagar also has a software technology park. Unlike states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, where there is little business and industrial activity outside the capitals (Bangalore and Hyderabad, respectively), Punjab has cities with vibrant business communities in the districts of Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Patiala. Punjab also has a large number of NRIs who can invest in the IT sector once it gathers momentum in their native state. So the Punjab government's decision to follow the Karnataka and Andhra models of focusing on one city for the IT is misplaced as the demographic and urban landscape of Punjab is vastly different. In other words, Punjabi enterprise is surging ahead in the IT industry. There is little doubt that as in agriculture Punjab will soon be at the forefront of IT revolution too. |
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Credit
cards gaining popularity LUDHIANA What are these cards and what is the benefit of possessing such cards? What kind of people are entitled to have such cards? The first condition for procuring a card is that one should be paying income tax. Then you have to fill in the forms and give three years of income tax returns. These are scrutinised by the company issuing cards. Only you can use the card. There are two addon cards which you can give to your family members. This concept came from the West where people use credit cards extensively. In India, they have became very popular with executives and business people who travel very frequently. Talking to people from different walks of life, quite a lot of contrary statements regarding these cards were discovered. For example, Pradeep Satija, who buys and sells shares in the local stock market, has this to say: One needs a card if one is travelling. Then one need not carry too much money. But as I do not travel, I feel I do not require it. Moreover, one has to pay interest and I wish to avoid it. In Bangalore, touch computers are very friendly. In these computers, one has to feed the credit card and one can pay electricity, telephone and house tax sitting at home. Only in that case I would go in for a credit card. They are not of much use in Ludhiana, as very few shops accept it. Moreover, the shopkeepers are not very familiar with preparing the bills with credit cards and take up to 10-15 minutes to complete the job. Gurwinder, a housewife, says, “One can do a lot of shopping as one does not have to pay hard cash.” The credit cards tempt people to buy. They get attracted to new objects on display and find them irresistible and succumb to their weakness. Neelam, an executive, says, “I always carry my credit cards. Sometimes one has to entertain, one can do so without any tension with them. I find them quite handy.” The President of Stock Exchange, Ludhiana, maintains, “There are two very good advantages of credit cards: a) one does not have to carry a lot of cash, b) it offers a lot of security. If one gets short of cash, one can withdraw from the A.T.M. On every card, the limit of cash and credit varies. One can spend around Rs 20,000. Mr Dhiri has to travel a lot. Earlier he had to carry a lot of money which made him tense about the safety of money. Now he just has to carry the bare minimum cash for his needs. All the money is accounted for and he can claimed the expenses from the firm”. Credit card companies give you some points after you have spent a certain amount of money. You may get free tickets and other expensive gifts. They induce you to spend more and more. Credit cards help reduce your premium on ‘medi-claim’ and accidental policy. Harcharanjit, a restaurant owner, says, “credit cards are popular abroad as there is no dual economy there. In India, we have parallel economy of black money running very strong; the businessmen do not want to pay by credit cards as that will be in white money and white money is to be accounted for.” A couple who has recently shifted to Ludhiana from a metropolitan city finds it very amazing that they cannot use the cards here as there are very few outlets that accept them. But in big cities, it has become a way of life. Affluent people do their shopping by credit cards. Petrol, clothes, grocery, air and train tickets are all paid through the cards. The children and the wives go on a shopping binge without bothering about the mounting bills. |
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Pindi Street , a hub of chemists LUDHIANA With more than 250 wholesalers and retailers who deal in all kinds of medicines for humans and
animals, both allopathic and ayurvedic, this street in the heart of the city is the second biggest medicine trading centre in Northern India after Bhagirath Place in Delhi. Pindi Street has come a long way from the early 70's when the number of pharmaceutical companies were limited to only a handful of reputed multinationals. There has been a phenomenal increase in the number of indigenous pharmaceutical manufacturers over the past two decades. A number of complexes have come up in the street to accommodate the corresponding increase in the number of shops as well. Now dealers are looking forward to an increase in business following restoration of parity in the sales tax structure. Earlier, the wholesale customers preferred to buy from Delhi having a lower S.T. rate. Presently transactions worth nearly one crore rupees take place everyday. According to a wholesale dealer, the street is now likely to attract customers from other places like Patiala, who have been going to Delhi so far. Apart from medicines, the street houses three surgical material shops as well. The medicine wholesalers can be roughly divided into two categories. One dealing in reputed multinational brands and the other dealing in general medicines manufactured by little known pharmaceutical companies spread all over the country. Mr Surjit Singh, a former general secretary of the Ludhiana District Chemists Association, feels that if the government slashes excise duty on scheduled drugs, which include life-saving drugs, it will benefit the common man to a great extent. The sad aspect of Pindi Street, however, is that some unscrupulous traders are engaged in the business of spurious and duplicate drugs. This number-two trade has been going on for years now but strangely nobody has been looked so far in this connection. The narrow street suffers from a perennial congestion due to the large number of scooters belonging to shopkeepers and customers. The parking in the nearby books market is not preferred by the shopkeepers . They say it takes half an hour to get a vehicle out of the parking lot. And time is something which Ludhianvis cannot afford to waste. |
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Protesting
mazdoor workers seek bonus LUDHIANA The protesters, led by Mr Kartar Singh and Mr Ramesh Palta, General Secretary and Secretary of the state unit, respectively, Mr Vir Abhimanyu and Mr Khelar Chand Gupta, President and Secretary, respectively of the district unit of BMS, later submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, demanding payment of bonus and abolition of ceiling on wages for bonus, among other things. Trade union activists demanded minimum wages of Rs 3500 per month for unskilled workers and rejected the amount of Rs 1950 fixed by the state government. They called for payment of bonus at the rate of 12.5 per cent before Divali, as well as abolition of wages' ceiling for bonus and amendment in the bonus Act, 1965. The BMS further asked the government to implement strict enforcement of labour laws, provide residential accommodation to workers on easy
installments in specially set-up colonies, curb police excesses and maltreatment of migrant workers at the local railway station, provide ration cards to workers so that they could avail themselves of the facility of PDS foodgrains and essential items and make provisions for free water supply and sewerage connections to civic employees. Activists of the Municipal Workers Union, Municipal Safai Mazdoor Union, Vardhman Spinning Mill Employees Union, Central State Seed Farm Mazdoor Sabha, Textile Mazdoor Sangh, Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union, Hosiery Mazdoor Sangh, Cycle Mazdoor Sangh, Metal Workers Union and Cinema Workers Union took part in the rally.
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Fighting against odds, but silently LUDHIANA When Dipika was barely one year and a half, her parents realised that she was not responding to any sound. Her parents tried to get the best treatment for her but all their efforts were futile. However, Dipika's parents were never disheartened. They made it a point to ensure that their daughter should get a suitable training so that when she grows up she is not dependent on anybody. Dipika matriculated from School for the Deaf Children. In her school she was always good in sports and dance. After schooling, Dipika took four and a half year training from Ms Indra Aluwalia of Grace Beauty Clinic and Institute. As soon as she finished her training, she opened her own beauty parlour at her residence. In her parlour, Dipika offers all sorts of beauty treatments even though speciality is bridal mehndi and make up. Booking for mehndi has to be done at least three months in advance. This proves how much in demand she is. Now she has customers from all corners of the city. On the day of Karvachauth, she has to work till late hours of the night as her customers insist on getting mehndi applied only from her. On the demands of her customers, she has also started body painting and tattooing. She is also earning by having distributorship of a cosmetic company. From her busy schedule in her parlour, Dipika spares some time for her painting, which is her second love. She specialises in Chinese painting. "I enjoy working in my parlour. I hate sitting idle," explained Dipika by sign language. Says her father, Mr Vishav Bandhu Agarwal, and her mother, Nirmal Agarwal, "We are proud of our daughter as she has come up to our expectations." Dipika has fought against all odds and has proved her mettle. She is a symbol of courage and strength for all of us. |
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