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| Saturday, August 19, 2000, Chandigarh, India |
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Close contests likely in Senate poll CHANDIGARH,
Among those who have been in the Senate for long include Mr Gopal Krishan Chatrath who has been here for 32 years, Dr Deepak Monmohan who has been here for 25 years, Dr R.D. Anand who has been here for 16 years and Prof Charanjit Chawla. The contest for the arts faculty will be between Prof V.K. Mahajan and Dr S.P. Gautam. Prof Mahajan is a sitting member of the Senate, while Dr Gautam is a former president of the Panjab University Teachers Association. The contest for the science faculty seats features Prof R.D. Anand, a sitting member and Prof Nirmal Singh. In the contest for the languages faculty seats, Dr Anirudh Joshi, a former Dean Student Welfare, is pitted against Dr Deepak Manmohan, Dean College Development Council. Another battle is between Mr Anmol Rattan Sidhu and Mr Rajinder Deepa for the combined faculty seats. Both are sitting members of the Senate and represent the frontline of the opposing groups. Mr Gian Chand Dhuriwala, this time, has been pitted against Mr Gopal Krishan Chatrath, a senior member of the law faculty. Mr Chatrath had led a powerful group in the Senate politics, but there are rumours that Mr Dhuriwala will make an impact this time. The battle for the medical sciences faculty seats will be a triangular one. Dr Ram Prakash, Mr S.S. Virdi and Dr H.S. Chawla are in the fray. Dr Ramprakash, in a letter to the PU Registrar, had objected to the nomination of the other two candidates. However, sources say that the university has rejected the objection. Hectic campaigning is also on in the other constituencies. It is not unusual to see old candidates travel all over the state for it. A major shift in loyalties is foreseen. The Senate has 84 members, excluding the VC. The Senate has 15 senators from the graduates constituency; eight college principals, eight college lecturers, two lecturers or readers and two professors of the university, principals and lecturers of technical colleges (three in each case), two professors and two lecturers or readers from the campus staff. Besides the six seats for the faculty members, there are two ex-officio member MLAs of Punjab. The house will have six ex-officio members. The remaining members will be nominated. For the eight seats of college lecturers, there are 19 contestants. Chandigarh has a vote bank of 630, while there are about 1,850 other voters in this constituency. The university Vice-Chancellor has passed an order, saying that Dr Ajaib Singh, a member of the house, is ineligible to contest the elections. It was said that according the the university calendar, Dr Ajaib Singh did not qualify for the post. The university Registrar, in an letter to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, has said that Dr Ajaib Singh is not a teacher. “How could Dr Ajaib Singh continue for 12 years without being qualified?” a member said.
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PCOs, ISPs, banks worst hit CHANDIGARH, People in business spheres are crying foul as they have to bear the brunt of the situation as also the common man. The PCO owners, bankers, Internet Service Providers and various other companies based on the communication system are at the receiving end due to the failure of departments concerned. The PCO owners are the worst hit as their business depends entirely on the functioning of the telephones. Their business is reduced to one-eighth of that on the normal days. An owner said, "During normal days, my clients used to make more than 200 calls per day. Now the average does not go more than that of 25 to 30 calls. I fail to understand what should I do. This PCO is the only source of my livelihood. I think the PCO owners are the worst hit due to the fault." Mr Manraj Singh, Managing Director of Sapient Infotech, a company dealing in computers, website designing and Internet services said, "We have been suffering a lot due to the disruption in STD lines. We were not able to get in touch with our clients all over the country and abroad. We had to deliver the orders to our clients In India and abroad but there was no mode of communication. We have incurred losses of nearly $ 20,000." "We were totally isolated from the world. No mobile, no STD, no Internet and no system was working that could come to our rescue. How can they boast of their new plan of laying optical fibre cables, when they cannot do something about the existing problems?" he rued. "There will be a long-term effect on our business as our clients abroad will not understand that there was a snag in the telecom lines. They will think that we delayed the deliveries online and will shift to other companies," he added. Many businessmen said that if they were not able to contact their clients because of no fault of theirs what kind of a business it was. He also said that if the department failed to rectify the snag in time it could have provided the people with some alternatives. Similar problems were echoed by Mr Atul Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director, Pugmarks Interweb Private Limited. He said that telecommunications was the backbone of such companies where the clients were spread all over the globe. "We were practically out of touch with our clients and we will have to pay for it as it is impossible to convince them with explanations. You can imagine the loss in terms of revenue by having a look at our telephone bills that come out to be nearly Rs 2 lakh," he said. Residents of various cities, including Shimla, Ambala, Nalagarh, Parwanoo, Solan, Rajpura and Ropar also had to suffer as they were not able to access the Internet. The clients of Satyam Online Internet services in these cities who were connected to the internet through NDOT could not get connected due to the snag. Mr Umesh Pahwa, Managing Director of Satyam Online said, "Thank God, Internet was relatively operational, otherwise we were cut off from the world. I got many messages from my clients through e-mail who wanted me to get back to them through telephone as they were not able to contact us. But I was not able to approach them through the phone." Banking services were another area that was affected due to this. A manager of a nationalised bank said, "There is a tremendous problem and we really have been suffering a lot. The work in the bank had virtually come to a standstill. We could not get in touch with our other branches as we could not send a fax, could not ring them up. E-mails are not cent per cent communicative. The worst part of it was that a lot of manpower was being wasted. The employees were trying for hours together to get connected. I must say that the banking services had crumpled in the absence of STD facility." |
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Petrol price highest in
UT CHANDIGARH, "This increase could have been avoided by the administration which needs to consider the issue from the common man's point of view also," opines Amarjeet Singh Sethi, advocate and General Secretary of the Chandigarh Nagrik Sabha. The major grouse of the residents is that the administration did not abolish the Motor Spirit Tax (MST) even when in August, 1999, 5% sales tax was levied and later in March, 2000, when the sales tax was increased to 12%. "We are suffering due to the policy where not only do we pay 4% CST, but also MST along with 10% surcharge on sales tax," says Mr Amanpreet Singh, General Secretary of Chandigarh Petroleum Dealers Association. "The additional burden makes us pay around 7% more than the others," he adds. Reportedly, the petrol price in UT was increased from Rs 20.58 per litre to Rs 21.83 in September, 1997, and to Rs 22.75 in April, 1999. In July, 1999, the price was further increased to Rs 23.72 and then to Rs 23.87 in the same month. In March, the price went up further to Rs 25.61 and now, UT residents will have to bear another high and pay Rs 27.60. The demand for petroleum in UT has, of course suffered, though, it is only a temporary phase, feel that the dealers. "How long can the residents afford to spend additional time as well as money going to other places to get petrol?" says a dealer. Amarjeet Singh suggests that the petroleum companies bring petrol to the city from their respective depots in different states by goods transfer on F-form, which does not attract CST. "The petroleum companies can avoid paying CST this way, and thus bring immediate relief to the residents," says he
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Ignoring injury can cost sportsman his
career CHANDIGARH, According to Dr Dhillon, a majority of orthopaedic injuries in sports are reported from persons who participate in contact sports such as football, hockey, rugby, kho-kho and kabaddi. The other common sports injuries are the overuse injuries which affect the wrist, elbow and shoulder in case of golfers and tennis players. He maintains that injury in sports can be classified into two categories: One, the acute injury, which occurs after a sudden burst of activity is like any other traumatic episode and is usually specific to the type of sport. For instance, a pace baller, who suddenly plays more than his regular, tends to strain his back or pull a hamstring muscle. If serious enough, most sportspeople will see a doctor, and ultimately get into rehabilitation programme after healing. But the more common injury is the second type which is not so severe in the initial stages. The player ignores it or gets back to support after inadequate treatment. Repeated episodes of lesser injuries have a devastating effect, elaborates Dr Dhillon. The problem with sports achievers is that they belong to a group of potential overachievers. Many times their livelihood depends upon the sport they are involved in, and these people either take the injury too lightly and continue the sport, or try to hide it from their colleagues and coaches. This only worsens the injury, which may require surgical intervention. Dr Dhillon is of the view that the players should not ignore their injuries and should stop playing for some time and consult a specialist who will differentiate between a major and a minor injury. Generally, it is seen that most of the youngsters go back to the sport in a partially healed state and the pressure on small injury tears the ligament again, thereby causing permanent disabilities in some cases, who may have to eventually give up sports. For instance, a basketball player who sustains an ankle ligament sprain following an ankle twist should ideally put a plaster for 3 to 4 weeks for proper healing. But since most of the players do not want to put the plaster, ligament heals in an elongated or a lax position and does not serve the original function it was meant to. If he continues to practice, he is liable to dislocate the same more frequently. Professional sportsmen impose very high demands on their muscles, bones and cardio-respiratory systems. They are highly motivated individuals who after getting a significant injury, want to return to sports at the earliest. Dr Dhillon emphasises that a player should be properly conditioned from the point of view of strengthening his muscles and bones for the game. Further, they should be properly rehabilitated before they get back to sports and it may vary from two weeks to eight weeks, depending upon the injury. They should be subjected to training programmes and exercises, which specifically address the injured area. The services of trained sports physicians should be made available to monitor the physical and mental well-being of the player as there are no short-cuts in their recovery. "They should not immediately get back to sports, but strengthen their muscles and physical condition. For if they are not fit, there is a tendency to relapse,'' asserts Dr Dhillon. The amateur weekend player, on the other hand, is an improperly conditioned individual, used to sporadic bursts of intense activity. He may not have the same urgency for rehabilitation. But, even this requires urgent diagnosis and treatment to prevent the injury from being converted into a chronic one. Emphasis should be laid on proper warming up and stretching of the muscle concerned, such as back, shoulder and thigh. According to Dr Dhillon, ignorance of the basic warm-up routine and sudden activity can lead to pulling a muscle. It needs more warming up and stretching to prevent injuries which are provoked by minor trauma. The job of a doctor becomes very difficult in treating patients who come after sustaining injuries repeatedly. Dr Dhillon laments that in many cases, coaches themselves are not fully conversant with the injuries and even today, state-level athletes go to local massagers or quacks. He cautions that the injured should consult an expert in the field. He maintains that doctors dealing with such injuries should have a proper understanding of the management of acute injuries, recognition of chronic injuries, besides knowledge about their preventive and rehabilitative aspects. The treatment of an acute injury at the site is usually limited to a thorough examination, cryotherapy, compression bandaging and elevation. Cooling of body tissues minimises bleeding, provides local pain relief and prevents swelling. However, it is important to recognise when the sportsperson should be allowed to continue with the game to prevent further damage.
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Artist on goodwill mission CHANDIGARH, Aug 18 — He is a master at graphic work, a print-maker par excellence. Apart from having the best of education in art from the Bristol Polytechnic and Slade School of Art in the UK, Paul Coldwell has also served in different teaching capacities at the various institutions in the UK. Currently the head of print-making at the Camberwell College of Arts and Chealsea College of Art and Design at the London Institute, Coldwell is in India these days as the only foreign artist to have been called upon to participate in the prestigious exhibition currently going on at the Queen’s Gallery of the British Council in New Delhi. The exhibition is being held as part of the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Indian Print-makers Guild. The senior British artist and print-maker, who is visiting India for the first time on special invitation from the British Council, was in town today to deliver a lecture on ‘Contemporary Print-making — a personal view’ at the British Council Library, Sector 8. The lecture, which was organised in collaboration with the Art Folio, focused on the specific works by British artists as also on the art of print-making. Before the lecture today, The Tribune talked to the artist who is also due to hold a three day workshop on print-making at the local Government College of Art from tomorrow. Also present on the occasion was Mrs Sushma K Bahl, who heads Arts and Culture, India, for the British Council. She informed that Paul had been called for a specific reason. “Out of the 12 artists who are members of the Guild and who are exhibiting their works, about eight have been tutored by Coldwell in London. All we wanted was a healthy interaction between the students and the teacher. The purpose of his visit is purely interactive.” As conversation with Coldwell progressed, an interesting fact about him came to light. As a beginner he used to help his father in furniture making. He began as a sculptor and graduated to become a print-maker. Talking about the shift, he said: “I never restricted myself as far as art goes. I just kept learning as a child learns to stand after every fall. Also when I teach, I make it a point not to impose my notions on the students. I never teach techniques. I only guide.” Seemingly, quite satisfied by his stint in India Coldwell said that the interaction with members of the guild at Delhi proved to be very fruitful. “I saw in their works glimpses of what they had learnt while in London. I am also quite appreciative of the experimental techniques in print-making being employed by the Indian artists.” Coldwell, who has been visiting the personal studios of artists in New Delhi, said that his visit would go a long way in fostering goodwill between artists of the two nations.” Paul Coldwell has been in India since August 14 and he is very excited about his schedule which also includes, apart from conducting the workshop at Government College of Art at Chandigarh, a visit to Shantiniketan, Calcutta and also a visit to Chennai. Mrs Sushma Bahl informed that he would also be delivering lectures in the two cities. As far as the artist’s talent is concerned, it is almost unlimited, for he is a man of various talents. He is also a writer, and a publisher. In fact, he owns a high quality art etching press where selective art printing is done, something of the like which is now being done in Calcutta, but on a very insignificant scale. Apart from that, Coldwell is also curating a major exhibition for the Victoria Museum, London. He is also writing criticism and lecturing on a big scale. Comparing the art scenes in the two countries, he said the Indian print-making did not have a distinct style of its own. “Abroad we have something very different,” he said. Reacting on how important are awards for a London-based artist, he said the artists in London kept falling in and out of fashion. “Awards are important but not so much,” he said. |
Nagar
kirtan on August 28 CHANDIGARH,
According to a press note issued today by Mr Sardool Singh
Vilkhu, Chairman, Nagar Kirtan Talmel Committee, Chandigarh, it will start at 2 pm from Gurdwara Gurmet Seva
Sambhal, Sector 45D, and pass through Sector 44, 43, 35, 22, 23 and 21 and terminate at Gurdwara Kalgidhar Sahib, Sector 20 at about 7.30 pm.
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H.S. Josh is ICWA
president CHANDIGARH, Aug 18 — Mr Harcharan Singh Josh and Mr K.C. Aggarwal have been elected president and treasurer, respectively, of the Indian Council of World Affairs
(ICWA) for a period of three years. According to a press note issued by Mr S.C.
Parasher, secretary-general of the ICWA, Mr R.L. Bhatia, a former Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr P.M. Sayeed, Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Mr Balbir Singh, MP, and Ms Veena Verma, a former MP, have been elected as vice-presidents. Mr
K.L. Dalal, a former IFS officer, Mr R.C. Hingorani, a member of the Law Commission, Mr Gian Chand Garg
Dhuriwala, a former president of the Bar Association of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and Mr
M.L. Khattar were the other persons elected as vice-presidents. Mr Mohinder Kumar Bajaj, Mr Dharam
Dutt, Mr Naresh Bakshi, Mr Harbhajan Singh Padda, Mr Maherdra Singh, Ms Suvarsha Paul, Prof Madhuri Sondhi and Dr Virendra Kumar Dubey have been elected executive members of the council, founded by eminent leaders like Jawahar Lal Nehru and Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru. |
No arrests yet in
double murder case CHANDIGARH,
According to senior police officials, Mr Parag Jain, is heading a special team constituted to track down the culprits, Ram Sahay and Lakshman, both residents of Uttar Pradesh. Some persons were questioned in this context yesterday evening and parties have also been despatched to their native places. While Ram Sahay was dismissed from the service a couple of months ago on account of certain irregularities, Lakshman had taken leave a day before on the plea that he had to get his driving license renewed from Patiala. He is yet to reach the city and report back for work. The police is also on the lookout for wards of currency in circulation which reportedly bore the stamp of the liquor vend and the signatures of the employees. Another angle is that professional killers could have been hired by the accused in view of the brutality evident in the killings. After the incident the police has sent parties to the Delhi and Ambala railway stations, besides the local ISBTs and the railway station. Meanwhile, the cops are hopeful for an early breakthrough in the case. Unidentified persons had struck at the vend and hacked to death two employees sleeping inside and decamped with nearly Rs 40 lakh. The deceased are 34 year old Roop Lal and 28 year old Nand Kishore, who were working as salesmen at the liquor shop owned by the Lada Liquors a prominent group, of the city. The godown of the group is also located in the same building. |
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CTU bus mows down one
man CHANDIGARH,
According to police sources, Sector 47 resident Nirmal Singh was injured when a CTU bus (CHOIG 5121) which had reportedly gone out of control crushed him near the Sector 19-20 dividing road. He was rushed to the hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead on arrival. After the incident, the same bus rammed into another bus (DL1B 9019) on the other side of the road. Mr Gian Singh, the driver was rushed to the hospital with a fractured leg. In the second incident, a scooterist Onkar Singh, was killed when a truck (PB 10 J 9769) ran over him near the Sector 20-30 traffic lights. The truck driver fled from the scene of the crime. Cases under Section 279, 304 - A of the IPC have been registered. Apple cases recovered:
Eve teaser arrested:
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