EDUCATION

Result delay irks students
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, July 28 — Hundreds of students who had vocational subjects in 10+2, have been left high and dry as the Punjab School Education Board has still not declared their results. Due to delay, students are not able to get admission in any college and fear wastage of an academic year.

The students say that they have send several reminders to the Board through respective school authorities, but nothing has borne any fruit.

One such harassed father Mr. S.K.Gupta said that he went to many colleges for admission of his son Saurabh, but to no avail.

According to him, he also went to Chandigarh, but in vain. He further said, the Punjab Government introduced vocational courses, so that job opportunities could be availed. But due to the delayed results, the proposed plan is not coming upto the expectations.

He also feared that if students got admission after delayed results there will be a problem of lectures and classes.

PAU honours eminent personalities
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA ,July 28 — In a function at the Farmers’ Reception Centre of the PAU, on Wednesday evening, the university honoured Dr Surjit Patar, Associate Professor of Punjabi, Dr P.P. Gupta, Additional Director Research (Veterinary) and a progressive farmer, Mr Darshan Singh Tabiba

They have brought laurels to the state and to the university by winning national award in their respective fields. While Dr Surjit Patar and Dr P.P. Gupta are university teachers. Mr Darshan Singh Tabiba has been actively associated with the university since 1974. The Vice-Chancellor, Dr G.S. Kalkat, honoured them by presenting them a memento and a shawl

Highlighting their achievements Dr S.S. Gill, Additional Director Extension Education, said Dr Surjit Patar, National Sahit Academy Award winner, has recently got the Panch Naad Award of Rs 51,000 while Dr P.P. Gupta was chosen for the Best Teacher Award by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi. Mr Darshan Singh Tabiba has won Sh Jagjiwan Ram Progressive Farmers Prize of Rs 1 lakh from the ICAR.

Speaking on this occasion the Vice-Chancellor, Dr G.S. Kalkat said, it was a matter of great pride for the university to have eminent scholars and poets like Dr P.P. Gupta and Dr Surjit Patar, whose contribution has been acknowledged at national level. He also praised Mr Tabiba for his innovative ways and contribution towards sustainable agriculture. His concern for higher agricultural production with minimum use of fertilisers, pesticides and other inputs should be an example for others to follow, remarked Dr Kalkat.

Speaking to the audience after receiving the honour, Dr Patar said, he was grateful to the university for providing him the needed congenial atmosphere which greatly contributed towards his literary creations. On this occasion he also recited his latest poem

“ Mein rahan te nahin turda, Mein turda ha to rah bande,

yugan tak kafle aunde mere piche gawah banke”.

Science journal launched
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, July 28 — The Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University, Dr G.S. Kalkat, released the inaugural issue of the Journal of Punjab Academy of Sciences at a function in Wheat Auditorium of the university yesterday.

Addressing scientists at the function, Dr Kalkat said sharing of knowledge was the key to development. He said scientific research had been the basis of the Green Revolution, White Revolution, Blue Revolution and, now, the Sweet Revolution. Dr Kalkat appreciated the role of the academy and hoped that the journal would promote scientific temper among masses.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the PAU, Dr K.S. Aulakh, said research in pure sciences was the basis of research in applied sciences.

Dr Harjit Singh, Professor Emeritus of Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar and President of the Punjab Academy of Sciences, said the academy was making efforts to propagate the scientific culture among masses to make their life better and comfortable. He said the academy would hold the Science Congress in the state every year for scientists to share the knowledge.

The Chief Editor of the journal, Dr B.S. Gill, said although the idea to bring out the journal had been fairly old, practical problems had delayed its publication. He said with the cooperation of scientists, the academy would be able to maintain the quality of the journal. Many international scientists, including Dr S.S. Prihar, Dr S.S. Guraya and Dr Harjit Singh, attended the function.

HEALTH

Adulterated oils causing illnesses
From Surbhi Bhalla

LUDHIANA, July 28 — Oil industries in India due to their poor infrastructure facilities and lack of technologies are facing a very pitiable situation. Just to compete with the multinational companies, in terms of price, they are using adulterants to minimise the cost as much as possible. They are not bothered about the health factor of the humans. The exposed case of dropsy act as the burning example of this. But, still adulteration is on, though the adulterants have been changed.

Interestingly, the very popular brands are also indulged in this practice. But due to corruption samples get clearance from the well established laboratories, even having adulteration. So there is no fear in the minds of oil industry owners and they feel that it is easier to break the rule rather than abide by them.

The agony is that the adulterants are of aromatic nature and of industrial use that causes an unusual growth of cells and damage liver, pancreas, nervous system and brain capillaries after consumption. The increasing cases of cancer, hepatitis can be correlated with the consumption of such adulterated oils.

According to Mrs Rajinder Kaur, Civil Surgeon, adulteration in oils can lead to very serious diseases like paralysis, cancer and others. While some other doctors believe that the adulteration can cause haemorrhage leading to swelling of legs, blindness and damage to the liver, the heart and the kidney. Eventually a person might suffer cardiac failure or even renal failure.

According to Mr S.Tyagi,a scientist, it is mandatory that the hydrogenated vanaspati ghee be incorporated with sesame oil that can prevent the adulteration of pure desi ghee by such vanaspati and can be checked by the customer itself by using simple acid test which shows reddish brown colour.

According to Dr Rajesh Vishwakarma,another scientist, adulteration of groundnut and coconut oil with castor oil is a common problem, while in the case of mustard oil, linseed oil is the most used adulterant which is used for making paints and varnish. It is water white and easily blendable. Mustard oil is adulterated with argemone seeds. Argemone seeds cause dropsy, chester oil could damage the kidney, rancid oil cause vitamin deficiency and so on.

Now a days the manufacturers are in the search of finding a suitable, cheaper adulterant. The answer to which can be rice bran oil because the rice bran oil is not dangerous for humans and is cheap. Also the reason lies in its balanced fatty acid and oxidant and presence of micro nutrients gives an edge for more consumption with better health. It reduces the coronary heart disease due to reduction in blood cholesterol.

Subsequently, it reduces the low density cholesterol and increase high- density cholesterol which is better for health.

But the problem before the Indian industry is in the filtration and quick processing after storage. Because during edging the proportion of FFA (free fatty acid) increases and the presence of high wax adversely affect the filtration due to choking of filter press. So the adulteration of rice bran oil cannot be done as easily as other oils.

Health talk
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, July 28 — The district branch of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics will organise a health talk on breast feeding during the World Breast Feeding Week which will be from August 1 to 7.

According to Dr Rajinder Gulati, Secretary of the organisation, “The inaugural talk will be held at the ESI Hospital on August 1 and the concluding talk will be at the main hall of the Government College for Women. A similar talk will also be held at the GTB Hospital, Punjab Agricultural University, Extension Library and Vardhman Spinning and General Mills.” 

CULTURE

Expressions of the earth

In the sphere of modern Punjabi poetry, Kulwant Jagraon is widely recognised as a bard singing of progress. But study of his verse established his multifacetedness. In a majority of his poetic outpouring, he has expressed the concept of metaphysics in a most striking manner. His views on the philosophy and essence of things have two vital basis—the existence of the “First Cause” (or Creator age Controller of the universe), and of man as an “immortal being”, for whose well-being, he pleads and argues. It would be appropriate to say that for Kulwant, ‘ontology is the realisation of the attributes of optimism, friendship and the welfare of all as manifest in nature, individuals, and God’. He expresses similar sentiments in the following verse:

Phullan vangun khirna sikhiye, vaang panchhian guana dhup chanani sabh di sanghi, Sanghian mehkan pauna aao rusean veeran nu hun, la ke galey miliye.

In his verses, Kulwant expresses his keen desire to understand not only the elements but the elementary cause for such elements to exist at all. He often says that the basis of metaphysics is one’s eagerness to explore things invisible, whose hidden reasons are eventually understood by understanding God-the First Cause.

He frankly confesses that for such an ideology he owes much to the literature of St. Thomas Aquinas.

The deep analytical study of Kulwant regarding the human facets of nature has tremendously influenced the litterateurs of today, especially those belonging to the class of conservationists and regional planners. His ideas, scientifically expressed in his verses, have had a pervasive impact. They seem to be live examples of moral heroism and a continued search for a spiritual and friendly society-free from anarchy, violence and parochialism. He sings thus:

Aman ekta di khushnoi, manvata de shayar Nanak

Meri hai iko arjoi, iss dharti te kidhre zulm-zabar na hove, masooma te nirdoshan di rut na dohle ethe koi.

Kulwant depicts the most difficult issues, which embody realism behind the truths of nature. It is his firm belief that a human being can obtain true knowledge by spiritual means alone, which in his words are “doubtlessly higher than those of the intellect”. That’s why, in his verses, the reader discovers that his temporal and spiritual emotions are complementary to each other. The following lines of Kulwant in this respect are noteworthy.

Tere apne rishte nu, main ki naan devan iss rishte da na naan koi eh rishta tan bin boley ehsas jeha hai aunde jande swas jeha hai.

Kulwant firmly believes in the dictum that ‘pride hath a fall,’ and man should never give way to it. Instead, he should try to be the humblest of the humble as advised by our saints, sages and gurus. His suggestion is:

Suche moti je chahunda hain, man de gehre sagar leh ja ambar dharti gaunda phirdain, kujh pal apne sang vi reh ja parbat ban ke tun ki laina, chashma ban darya ban veh ja.

This poet has penned verses in a variety of forms. A unique specimen of his blank verse confirms his multifacetedness:

Tere akhar kise bagh vich, sarghi vele, rang-birange mehkan vand de phullan varge, jaan amban de, jhundan vichon mitthi-mitthi, dard ‘ch bhiji, birhon kutthi, kise koel di koo-koo vergi’

During a course of discussion on various trends in the Punjabi poetry of today, Kulwant often says that it has had been his endeavour to transmit the ideals of communal amity, equality of man, humanitarianism as propounded by Sri Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism. He eulogises:

Meri sochan di dunia vich, na zatan na mazhaban da na uche na neeven da, na gore na kale da koi antar nahin kidhre.

Kulwant has authored four books on poetry titled, Adhure bol, Kaun dilan dian jane, Sulagde pal and Samey de bol. He is the recipient of many literary awards and honours, besides holding a large number of prestigious literary and cultural portfolios in Ludhiana.

It is his eminence in the world of Punjabi poetry that makes it a privilege to meet him at his residence in Shaheed Karnail Singh Nagar, Ludhiana.

Born at Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Sri Guru Nanak Devji, Kulwant has been staying at Ludhiana for the past many years, after spending a couple of years at Jagraon. On meeting him one feels as if he were Kulvant Ludhianvi instead of Kulwant Jagraon. ‘It makes no difference at all as Jagraon falls in the Ludhiana district’, says Kulwant. ‘There is absolutely nothing in a name’, he confides.

— By J.S. Bedi