The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

Songs of innocence floor everybody
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 5 — A music show without rehearsals and back-breaking practice does not sound realistic. But this is exactly what parents of tiny-tots studying in Strawberry Fields School were witness to on the opening day of ‘Come September’, a four-day programme of songs and poems. The ambience at the Durga Das Foundation’s library created an intimate bonding between the little performers and the audience.

The music programme was a celebration of all things innocent, fresh and exciting in the growing pre-schoolers’ life. Children of LKG and UKG sang delightful songs relating to their environment, relationships and things about their daily life. It was an extension of their regular music sessions. The lively backdrop painted by their teachers added colour to the programme.

The four-to-six-year-olds were confident, happy and articulate as they spoke of fingers and toes, flowers and many such innocent and wonderful facets of their life. They were quick to take their cues, announce their songs and synchronise completely with the piano notes. Their happiness and natural expression confirmed that music has the power to brighten the dullest of days and the gloomiest of spirits. Mrs Sheila Bhasin on the piano added to the warmth of the moment. She insists that hers is a joint effort where teachers too pitch in their bit before they can really make music with children.

As the parents sat with nostalgia, one could see that the children of Strawberry Fields had sung their way into the hearts of the parents. The songs included an acknowledgement to the God for creating a beautiful world; ‘My Mummy”, a tribute to busy, hazard-working mothers; an interesting song about an octopus and its amazing change of colours. And, last, but not the least, the programme ended with ‘Everybody says’, a fast, catchy song to set one’s feet tapping.

Mr Harold Carver, Principal of St Stephen’s School, and Mr Parag Jain, Senior Superintendent of Police, Chandigarh, were special invitees on the occasion. Brother C. D’Abreu, Principal, St John’s School, Dr Harish Dhillon, Principal, YPS, Mohali, Mr D.S. Saroya, DPI Schools, UT, Sister Gloria, Principal, Sacred Heart School, Mrs P. K. Singh, Principal, Vivek High School, and Sister Oleen, Principal, Carmel Convent are special invitees on subsequent days.

PU working for timely declaration of CAT results
By Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 5 — Panjab University time is making concentrated efforts to clear the procedural requirements related to timely declaration of results of the Central Admission Test (CAT) for the MBA course conducted by the university.

The varsity had joined the list of institutes conducting the entrance examination to the MBA course through CAT , a premier academic body. The university, however, is not quick in timely payment of fees. This led to an embarrassing situation where the PU results were not declared in time due to non-payment of the CAT fees. This led to delay in admissions, which meant loss of the cream of the merit holders who naturally joined available seats in other regularised departments and institutes.

The university is conducting the CAT for the second time this year. CAT conducts entrance examination to seats in the premier institutes, including the Indian Institute of Managements, besides others.

Prof R.P. Gupta, Chairman of the Panjab University Business School, said Rs 75,000 had already been paid to the IIM, Lucknow as a part of the memorandum of understanding signed for the conduct of the examinations. Besides, each student is expected to pay Rs 100 each in the institute where he wishes to seek admission.

A portion of this fee is sent to the conducting agency. The university failed to deposit this amount in time which led to delay in announcement of eligibility results for admissions. The process expected to begin in January could only start in March this year.

The admission process for the new batch last session carried on till May 29 . Nearly 800-900 students featured in the group discussion. For the forthcoming examinations for the new session, students can deposit the fee for a chance in the PU department till December 8. The entrance examination is scheduled for December 10.

It is widely accepted that CAT as the entrance examination conducting agency lent added colours to the university department. Till 1997 the entrance examination was conducted in Delhi and Chandigarh. Later, the university added Mumbai and Kanpur. Next year Bangalore and Calcutta were added. The CAT examination has as many as 32 centres.

The last year’s delay is indicated to laxity on part of the branch concerned in the administration block. The examination branch has clearly washed its hands off from the conduct or declaration of the results.

A senior student said the university should be keenly following up the case with the CAT authorities for timely declaration of results.

4 polytechnics to get award
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 5 — Thapar Polytechnic, Patiala, Government, Polytechnic, Nilokheri, Government Polytechnic College, Jodhpur and Government Girls Polytechnic, Lucknow, have been adjudged as the outstanding polytechnics for 1999-2000.

The principals of these polytechnics will be given awards which include a merit certificate and a shield on September 7 by Prof Ashok Chandra, Special Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.

To recognise the good work done by the polytechnics of the Northern region, board of governors of Technical Teachers Training Institute, Chandigarh, approved that up to five polytechnics in the region will be awarded every year on an annual day of the institute.

The awards will be based on number of courses being offered and strength of students in polytechnics, pass percentage and merit positions in the final examinations and distinctions bagged by the polytechnic in curricular and co-curricular activities. Other criteria include industry-institute and community interaction and employment of students through campus interviews and promotion of entrepreneurship.

Besides, infrastructure in terms of new labs and facilities created and internal resource generation by offering consultancy programmes and offering consultancy to industry and community will be other important factors.

“Implement community polytechnic schemes”
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 5 — A three-day seminar on “Promoting community development activities” commenced at Technical Teachers Training Institute, here today. Dr S. Krishnamurthy , Principal, TTTI, while speaking at the seminar stressed on the need for application of science and technology in rural areas to transform socio-economic and ecological conditions of the community.

He stated that various agencies working in the rural areas and community polytechnics needed to be involved in community activities for effective implementation of community polytechnic scheme.

Prof S.K. Chopra, coordinator of the seminar, gave brief account of the community polytechnic activities. He said at present 600 polytechnics in the country were implementing community polytechnics schemes.

Mr N.S. Kalsi, Director of the Technical Education, Punjab, talked about IT education policy for the state and issues of community polytechnics. He briefly explained the mission of the technical education of Punjab to produce engineers and technicians of international standards and steps required to be taken for achieving this mission.

Dr Vidhu Mohan of Panjab University deliberated on contribution of women in society and breeding corruption in political, socio-cultural and spiritual ideas. She was of the view that the women could contribute significantly in these areas, including health, environment, forestry, social defence and child development.

Mr Rakesh Aggarwal, a local industrialist, talked about failures of some of the technologies and projects. He said that the principles of engineering, science, management and economics needed to be incorporated in carrying out all commercial and developmental projects.

Yajna held for purifying working
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Sept 5 — On the occasion of Teachers Day, the Sanskrit Adyapak Parishad today performed a sadbudhi yajna for the purification of the working of the Education Department, Chandigarh. The yajna was performed by Mr Syambhar Dutt Shastri and Mr Gobind Bulabh Bhatt.

All Sanskrit teachers and representatives of the parishad as well as the members of the Government Teachers Union, Chandigarh, participated in the yajna. The yajna continued from 3 pm to 5 pm. After performing this yajna, the teachers discussed the long pending demands of the Sanskrit Adyapak Parishad and appealed the Chandigarh Administration to resolve the long pending demands.

They should make a decisive policy regarding Sanskrit as a subject and recruitment of teachers. The main demands include release of seniority list pending for the past eight years, formation of policy for the promotion of Sanskrit language and recruitment of one Sanskrit teacher in every middle and high school and lecturer in every senior secondary school etc.

After the yajna, in a joint statement, Dr Vinod Sharma, Mr Ram Dev Shastri, Dr Vishnu Pandey and Mr Dharminder Shastri appealed the Administration to give priority to the demands of the teaching community. Mr Kushali Ram Sharma and Mr Harbir Singh promised full support to the parishad on behalf of the Government Teaching Union.

Deva Bhasha won’t lose its glory
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 5 — Deliberating with insight and foresight, the luminous national faculty of Sanskrit declared today that Dev Vani was immortal.

It had knowledge, cultural wealth and joy for all. Sanskrit was a global language, the participants in the conference organised by the Department of Sanskrit, Panjab University, asserted on the second day.

On Monday Vice-Chancellor K.N. Pathak’s inspiring message was read. By a quirk of circumstances it was mentioned in the press as his “inaugural address”. In fact, Professor A.K. Prasad, the former DUJ, inaugurated the proceedings. Dr Pratap Bandyopadhyaya’s name was misspelt. Another goof up was the scant reference to Dr Shankarji Jha, the department’s chairman, and some other luminaries.

Tomorrow’s hallowed occasion will conclude and those attending it will include jurists, multilingual scholars and those who adore Sanskrit.

COURTS

Pre-arrest bail for IT official
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 5 — Staying the arrest of badminton captain of Income Tax Department’s north-western region Narinder Singh Thind in a cheating and a forgery case, Mr Justice S.S. Nijjar of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion to the CBI for September 12.

Thind, working as a lower division clerk, was apprehending arrest in a case registered by the investigating agency at Delhi under Sections 468, 471, 420 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, besides the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to the prosecution, the accused and several others had obtained appointment letters in 1992 on the basis of fake nomination letters purported to have been issued by the Staff Selection Commission at Delhi.

The first information report, the prosecution had added, was registered against four LDCs and three inspectors, along with certain unknown officials of IT department’s north-western region and those of the selection commission on the basis of secret information.

Pronouncing the orders, Mr Justice Nijjar ruled that the arrest was being stayed subject to him joining the investigation, as and when required, by the applicant.

Notice to ministry on ACC plea for flyash

Our Legal Correspondent adds: On a petition filed by ACC seeking directions for the supply of flyash for manufacturing cement, a Division Bench today issued notice to the Ministry of Environment and Forest at Delhi.

The Bench, comprising Mr Justice R.S. Mongia and Mr Justice K.C. Gupta, also issued notice to the Pollution Control Board, Ropar’s Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police, besides Chief Engineer of the Guru Gobind Singh Thermal Power Plant.

It was submitted by the petitioner that the Punjab State Electricity Board and Chief Engineer of GGST plant had agreed to give dry and wet flyash to ACC, Gagal, for manufacturing cement.

The petitioner had added that because of the infighting between certain truck unions, the transportation of flyash from the thermal plant to the cement manufacturing unit had been immobilised.

Counsel for the petitioner had added on the company’s behalf that flyash had not been transported for the past 11 days resulting in pollution around the thermal plant.

CULTURE

Simple goals, simpler methods
By Chitleen K Sethi
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sep 5 — Madhu Kishwar and Manushi could be synonyms but then not many words can describe Madhu Kishwar, a person so obsessed with life and trying to make this world a better place to live in that her simple goals and even simpler methods of achieving these surprise you.

Question: Tell us a little about your bringing up.
Answer: I come from a rather simple middle class family. My schooling was at different places in north India and I did my MA in English from Miranda House and then another one in History from JNU. I was disgruntled as a college student and the more I expected of it the less it was. I was bored. Then I decided to do something about it and joined the students’ union. And from there my fight started. Today too as a teacher, I can tell you I view myself through the eyes of my student and if I see that they are getting bored I think that the problem is with me not them. From the students union I went ahead, basically with a single minded purpose of changing things around me for the better, specially women. I am India obsessed.

Question: What does Manushi mean to you?
A: People think that Manushi is a journal but it is much more. We are an organization which is involved in a large number of activities in the rural areas. But yes when I had started Manushi 21 years back I had not imagined that it will reach these proportions. We started at a very small level and as you probably know we decided not to expect any grants funds and advertisements. It was totally a self-supporting venture. Whatever employees we have work on a voluntary basis. We have many workers from India and abroad, mainly NRI children. But now we have decided to raise a corpus fund not grants. And I believe Indians will pay, I do not want to run to foreign agencies for grants. It is a mentality that makes me very sad. We want to listen to the woes of our own country men, we need money from Sweden?

Q: But why do you think that this tendency is there?
A: Loss of sense of social responsibility is the main reason for this. I am doing this work out of my call of conscience and no price tag is attached to it. And my conscience awakens only when some one pays me Rs 50000, then it is not my conscience but I am a paid worker, a professional.

Q: What does the country give back to you?
A: Lots of love. I feel it all the time. I live a love soaked life. The only place I did not get that kind of nurturing was the feminist movement. I found crazy people there who had too many resentments, I don’t understand the logic with which they work. I am bewildered by them. My society has given me so much freedom. People keep flagellating India for its repressive culture but here I have lived the freest life possible. All over India I have so many homes which I call my own.

Q: After Manushi there was a time when you had to disown the feminist movement. How did that happen?
A: I have learnt from my mistakes. I was a naive person and have changed with time. I am not the voice of the feminist movement but the voice of the women of this country.

Q: How do you go about doing the work you do?
A: The first step is that I have to listen to the women. I have to be absolutely accurate in understanding what they are trying to say and then instead of imposing what I thing is true I try to assist them, to act as a catalyst for them to fight their aspirations. To keep repeating endlessly that women in India are to be a wakened is a futile exercise. I fail to understand the world of the feminist movement and the NGOs.

Q: Who has influenced you the most in Life?
A: I am a Gandhian but not a bhakt of anyone. When you find Gandhi you are gone for life. Your standards for yourself are so high that there is no way you can like yourself a lot. I am never impressed by myself, the standard of public morality is so high that one is always falling short of it. I have never found role models but I can think of many examples where I have seen people closely like whom I don’t want to become. On the positive side are small people like my houseworker, who I think is one of the most generous persons I have met. She inspires me with her lack of greed and her trust in me.

Q: Will you join politics?
A: This is all politics. But as far as electoral politics is considered the rules of the game have to be changed. Now it is people getting into an office and using it for loot. When politics becomes a way of solving this country’s problems I will join it but not without a team which shares a vision with me.