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| Saturday,
November 18, 2000, Chandigarh, India |
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Ban on bullock-cart races revoked LUDHIANA, Nov 17 — Bullock-cart races that are main events of any rural sport meet in the state, especially the Kila Raipur annual Rural Olympics, will not be discontinued now. The district administration and the People For Animals today agreed to remove the “ban” on the organisation of such races. The local unit of the PFA was opposing the holding of the event on the plea that it encouraged cruelty to animals. The PFA had launched a campaign against the event after some animals had died during certain events at the Kila Raipur meet early this year. Early this week, activists of the PFA, armed with an order issued by the previous Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Goel, and a team of the Jagraon police stopped the conduct of the bullock-cart race and the other events involving animals at the 53rd Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Rural Sport Meet at Sarabha village. The move to ban such sport had been opposed by farmers who had come to participate in the race. The move also sparked off a row between the district administration and the PFA. This happened after the administration denied that it had issued orders to ban the sport. According to the sources, The DC, Mr S.K. Sandhu, talked to Ms Maneka Gandhi on the telephone here yesterday. They agreed to allow the holding of the bullock-cart race, but only after proper inspections to check incidents of cruelty to animals. The DC was not available for comments. The Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.R. Kaler, confirmed that the ban had been revoked. He said, after this agreement, bullock-cart races could be organised anywhere in the state. The orders are significant because the Kila Raipur meet is to be held in February. Mr Kaler said a committee of organisers, police and activists of the PFA would check the incidence of cruelty to animals during the races. The PFA had alleged that the animals were beaten with sticks, pierced with needles and even made to consume liquor during the races. Chili powder was also sprayed on private parts of animals. Mr Kaler said, if such an incident happened, the event would be stopped immediately. He said, after this, organisers would not be allowed to hold the event again. Persons indulging in such acts can also be punished under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. |
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Telecom Department told
to pay compensation LUDHIANA, Nov 17 — The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the General Manager, Telephone, Ludhiana Circle, to pay a compensation of Rs 1,000 along with the costs of Rs 500 to a resident of Sector 39, Urban Estate, here for not repairing his dead phone for about 28 days. The complainant, Mr S.K.Verma, had demanded compensation for the deficiency of services from the Telecom Department and also sought a reduction in the monthly rent during the period in which the phone remained dead. In his application, the complainant said that his telephone no. 609057 remained out of order for about 28 days. Though he complained immediately yet the department took time in repairing the fault. In spite of the repairing a couple of times, the phone again went out of order thus causing immense inconvenience to the subscriber. The Telecom Department in its reply admitted that the phone was giving problems but claimed that the fault was rectified in a day. The department also questioned the claim of the complainant that the phone remained dead on certain dates mentioned by him. The forum found that the entries in the fault card were not conversant with the claims of the department. Deciding the case in the favour of the complainant, the forum, however, did not upheld the demand of rent reduction as the department had already adjusted the phone rent. The demand of compensation for deficiency of service was accepted due to the delay in rectifying the fault. Accordingly, the department was told to pay the compensation along with the costs with in a month of the receipt of the forum order. |
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Cop accused of
shielding thieves LUDHIANA, Nov 17 — A businessman has accused a local police official of shielding a gang of thieves. In a statement issued to the press here today, Mr Bhushan Kumar, proprietor of Preeti Steel Ball Industries has alleged that goods worth Rs 1.75 lakh were stolen from his factory on October 6, but the head of the police post concerned, ASI Bupinder Singh, refused to register a case. He has alleged that an FIR was registered only after he approached the SSP on October 17. He said he had also told the SSP that the ASI was shielding the thieves who had bribed him. The SSP had assigned the case to the SP (City II), Mr Pramod Ban. He has also alleged that, on November 9, there was another theft in his factory, but the police again refused to register an FIR. “Even after the stolen good were found in the shop of a junk dealer, the police did not include that person’s name in the FIR,” he alleged. |
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ISDN arrives
in city LUDHIANA, Nov 17 — Today, Mr Pritpal Singh, Director (Operations) of the BSNL, inaugurated the Integrated Subscribers Digital Network (ISDN) service in the city. He also announced the introduction of the weekend telephone-bill-collection centres from the next week. At a press conference held here today, Mr Pritpal Singh said the new facility would help subscribers use two telephone lines on single connections. Subscribers can also have eight equipment like fax and computer attached to telephone lines. Subscribers can also have video conferences through this connection. The facility will be good for the Internet users as the connectivity will increase from the existing 12 kbs per second to 120 kbs per second. The quality of the Internet service will also be better than before. Mr S.C. Chowdhry, Chief General Manager of the Punjab Telecom Circle, said, the weekend bill-collection service had been introduced to end the woes of the public. The department had collaborated with 25 branches of Syndicate Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank and UCO Bank for this purpose. |
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‘Expedite work on Sutlej Action Plan’ LUDHIANA, Nov 17 — The Chairman of the Punjab Pollution Control Board, Mr A.K. Mahajan, has emphasised the need for expediting the work on Sutlej Action Plan in order to check and control pollution. Speaking at a seminar on Canadian Environmental Solutions orgnaised here by some India- based
Canadian industries and the Ludhiana Muncipal Corporation, Mr Mahajan said that Ludhiana needed to speed up the implementation of the plan as major exercise in this regard was to be done in Ludhiana district. The action plan involve three districts with most of the work to be done in
Ludhiana at an estimated cost of Rs 164 crore. The PCB chairman sought to downplay the impact of industrial pollution in Ludhiana and instead said that the major factors for pollution in Ludhiana were the vehicular and muncipal wastage. Substantiating his claims, he said while the population growth of Ludhiana district was 35 per cent during the last decade, the growth in city was 65 per cent. He disclosed that the vehicular pollution in Ludhiana during the last decade had increased by 74 per cent. Coming to the aid of industry he said, while about 2000 polluting units had been identified in Ludhiana, most of them had introduced corrective measures. Later in their presentation the industrialists, who were mainly dealing with environmental equipments, gave various details regarding using environmental equipment to check the pollution from electroplating and dyeing units. These are believed to be major causes for the pollution in Ludhiana. Earlier, the seminar was inaugurated by the city Mayor Mr Opinder Singh Grewal. In his inaugural address he assured all possible steps to check the pollution in the city and disclosed that several measures had already been initiated in this regard. Those who presented their papers included Mr Viney Gupta on the Canadian Environment Capabilities on behalf of Canadian High Commission. Papers on other topics like pollution abatement via chemical recovery/recycling, fixer reduction Environment Friendly Systems and other subjects were presented. This was also followed by a question answer session. |
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Bovine milk bad for infants:
study LUDHIANA, Nov 17 — The Newborn Week is being observed across the country by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics and National Neonatology Forum. The stress is on creating awareness regarding the importance of mother’s milk for infants. A study in this regard has been conducted by Dr Daljit Singh, Professor and Head of the Department of Paediatrics in the local Dayanand Medical College and Hospital. It says that bovine milk is not only unnecessary for infants, but also hazardous for them. The study says that milk is specie specific. Bovine milk is not for human babies. It has a high protein content, which not good for the baby. The ratio of calcium and phosphorus is also not proper in it for humans. Diluted animal milk is even worse for a child. Dr Daljit says that many elements in animal milk get destroyed during its boiling. On the other hand, breast feed saves the baby from infections. It includes phagocyte cells, antibodies and some anti-infection chemical agents. Infants who are given bovine milk do not get these elements in their diet. An infant needs about 120 mg of sodium per day. Cow’s milk gives the infant about eight times more sodium. This can even cause dehydration in babies. Dr Daljit says that infants who are given bovine milk in the first few months after birth develop iron deficiency. This is because bovine milk is deficient in iron. Infants fed on bovine milk have a high incidence of allergic symptoms, diarrhoea, vomiting, persistent colic and eczema. Recurrent abdominal pain in childhood is often associated with the consumption of bovine milk. Allergies of the respiratory system like recurrent rhinorrhoea, bronchitis and asthma are also common among infants who are fed on cow’s milk. The roots of coronary heart disease in adults are traced to infancy. The entry of pesticides into the child’s body through bovine milk that has contaminated food and fodder in it causes many illnesses. Oxytocin is often used by milkmen to enhance milk secretion in milch animals. This is harmful for eyes and can lead to precocious puberty. Some milkmen contaminate milk or produce synthetic milk by using caustic soda, water, refined oil, common salt, sugar and urea. There have been many cases of infection caused by milk-borne diseases. The study also says that the toxicity of milk-derived peptides can lead to schizophrenia. |
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Woman alleges torture DORAHA, Nov 17 — The Payal police has registered a case of dowry harassment against the in-laws of a woman. Ms Jasvir Kaur alleged that her husband and in-laws tortured her for bringing insufficient dowry and turned her out of the house. She was forced to stay with her parents and her son was kept in her in-laws’ custody. A case has been registered against the husband, Bhupinder Singh, mother-in-law, Jaswant Kaur, brother-in-law, Harmesh Singh, sisters-in-law, Baljinder Kaur and Harpreet Kaur. |
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Ancient coin found at
Jamalpur LUDHIANA, Nov 17— In what may prove to be a significant development for archaeologists, labourers working for a tubewell boring company have found an ancient coin in the Jamalpur area in the suburbs of the city. According to Mr Gagan Kumar, who was getting boring done in the area, the coin was discovered from the pebbles that came out after digging. The coin has inscriptions in Sanskrit and bears the figures of Rama, Laxmana, Sita, Bharata, Shaturghana and Hanumana on one side. On the other side is marked Ram, Laxman, Janak, Jawalhan, Manak in Sanskrit. There are some numerical figures inscribed on it in Devnagri script. One figure is 557 while the other is 40. While no archaeological expert was available for comments, it appears that '557' may be the date of the coin. The era may either be Vikrami or Shaka, while '40' may be the value of the coin. The coin is yellow in colour. It may contain some proportion of gold, however it was not possible to identify the exact composition of the metal. Local jewellers, to whom the coin was shown, said it was not a known alloy. Mr Gagan Kumar revealed that the coin was covered with rust and earth and it took a lot of effort to get it cleaned. It was washed with acid. He said, the coin was discovered a few months ago. Since the digging for the hand pump is done in a limited space, there can be a possibility of more coins lying there. However, he said, no attempt had been made to dig more area, because nobody was sure at what level had the coin been lying beneath the ground. Mr Gagan said, he had spoken to a history professor, who had suggested further digging. He pointed out that if more coins were found from the spot, only then some archaeological significance could be attached to the area. In all probability, the coin might have been carried by some person from another place. Only an expert archaeologist could decipher the exact writings, the date and the worth of the coin. While Ludhiana is said to have been founded in the seventeenth century by the Lodhis, the date in the coin goes back at least one thousand earlier than that period. It may lead to some more significant and important facts about
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Mill a health hazard SAHNEWAL, Nov 17 — Raj Agro Mill, near Pawa Khagat village, nearly 2 km from here, has become a major health hazard not only for the villagers of Pawa but also for the surrounding villages. More than a month ago, the mill started emitting a foul smelling gas. According to residents of Pawa village and the surrounding areas, the gas was generated during the morning and the evening and it caused uneasiness among the people. According to the sarpanch of Pawa Khagat village, children studying in the school situated near the mill found it difficult to breathe. The villagers complained that the water had also been polluted by the industrial discharge of the mill. The sarpanch and the villagers have demanded immediate solution to the problem as it was a health hazard. Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bulara, former MP, residing in the area, has organised the people of the area and they have planned to stage a dharna in front of the DC’s office in this regard. |
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Family pensions to be revised LUDHIANA, Nov 17 — The Punjab Government has decided to revise family pensions of pensioners, who retired before January 1, 1996, and in whose case family pension had not yet been released. According to a press release, the association had received a copy of notification to the effect. The notification says that the pensioners need to apply on the prescribed performa to the Accountant General, Punjab, through the head of office from where they retired. The cases will be submitted within six months from the date of issue of the notification. |
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Shop till you drop The shopping scenario for women’s wear at Ludhiana has a distinct flavour. Big showrooms conveniently rub shoulders with tiny shack-shops. For every genuine designer label, there exist a dozen fake designer ones. Designer labels matter, yet the designer name is not half as important as the exclusivity tag. A woman who calls herself a connoisseur in the matter of clothes admitted that women had a hang up on the ‘uniqueness’ of their dress. Women’s wear is clearly not only about sartorial elegance. It is more about psychological satisfaction and the need for power. For a bored housewife, flirting with her time, buying clothes is a wonderful past time. Choosing from a wide array of designs and colours gives her a sense of control; it fulfills her desire to ‘pick and choose’. A showroom owner said that women frequently asked him if there was anything new. He added that it took a seasoned businessman just a couple of minutes to feel the pulse of women buyers. Display mattered a lot to most women. The well-heeled women of neo-rich families, who are starved of stimulation find shopping to be an intoxicating experience. One of the women said that shopping for her was an elaborate ritual. Right from deciding the type of dress to choosing the appropriate shop, she invested a considerable portion of her time and energy in buying clothes for her self. When people inquired about her dress with appreciative glances, she felt that the cost of her dress had been recovered. For the not-so-well off women, the second hand market is a boon. A man selling second hand garments near Ghanta Ghar informed that the second hand market catered mainly to women from the lower socio-economic strata. One of the woman buyers remarked that she visited these shops frequently, as buying dresses from the second hand market gave her a chance to wear what the rich women wore, without burning a hole into her pocket. Her sentiments were echoed by another woman who said that many times, beautiful dresses were available for a steal there. For most of the women, the process of shopping is as important as the end product. A shop-keeper remarked that women were in their element when they shopped for their clothes. The relish with which women bought their clothes was deliciously contagious. Most of the shop-keepers were of the opinion that selling men’s wear was a staid job. A local psychologist had her own interpretation to describe the Ludhianvi women’s shopping sprees. She explained that the buying frenzy was fed consistently by the media. Every day, images of elegantly dressed successful women were churned out with clock-work like precision. In fact, the tantalizing images, where a woman’s worth was judged by her externals, kept flashing on the television screen repeatedly. When one was consistently bombarded with such messages, it was but natural to be swayed by them. Add to this, the availability of money and time and sprinkle a whiff of boredom — the psychographic sketch of a clothes buff who swears by shopping is ready! |
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Memorandum submitted
to DC LUDHIANA, Nov 17 — The Bhagwan Parshuram Brahman Sabha, Ludhiana, has submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, seeking a ban on the cassette ‘Brahimini Glass Vargi’, which it said, was derogatory for Brahimin women. The Sabha also staged a demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office. They were accompanied by the Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker, Mr Satpal Gosain. The Sabha leaders regretted that despite widespread protests by the community members, the company had not withdrawn the cassette. They said, it was being sold in thousands and the government had not taken any action. The Sabha warned of a statewide agitation in case the cassette was not banned. |
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In the early part of the last week, Guru Nanak Dev’s birth anniversary was celebrated. Guru ka langar was partaken by lakhs of people. It was beautiful to watch the spirit of communal harmony. Irrespective of colour, caste and creed, people sat in rows and took prasad with reverence. The women behind the scenes have to be appreciated, those who were up the whole night — peeling, cutting, cooking vegetables and stirring big pots of dals. In the morning, too, they were making chapatis on gargantuan tawas with amazing speed. Hope this kind of spirit prevails throughout the year. The celebrations of Children’s Day were organised in all the big and small schools. Some children were enterprising enough to arrange a DJ. They danced to the music. They cut cakes and generally had a good time. Most of the children pestered their parents to buy them new dresses. Children’s clothes are ex-orbitantly priced. Children from rich families spent as much as Rs. 1700 to Rs 2500. Contrast this with a family whose total income may not exceed Rs 2,500 a month! The word pyar seems to be a favourite with film-makers. These days you find the word pyar in the middle, the beginning or at the end of a movie’s name. This week’s new release is ‘Kahin Pyar Na Ho Jaye’ . As the name suggests, it glorifies love and its theme is “Marriages are made in heaven”. Really! Judging by the matrimonial advertisements, one would think marriages were made through the newspapers. Salmaan Khan, Rani Mukherjee and Raveena Tondon are the protagonists of the movie. For people who love triangular love stories, it is a must-see. Luscious guavas can be seen in abundance on rehris. They can be had as chaat. One can also make jelly out of them. The best way to eat a guava is to munch it. Prices of vegetables are going up, though vegetable markets are at their colourful best with deep purple brinjals, and white ghobis. One should eat a lot of salad these days as vegetables like cabbage, radish, turnip, carrots can be eaten raw. Salad should be arranged attractively so that even children feel tempted to eat it. One can enjoy yummy gajar ka halwas, rewris, gazaks and peanuts. It is amasing to see how disciplined nature is when it brings forth its creations as if controlled by some supreme power. One only wishes one could take a page out of the life of nature, imitate it and be disciplined , beautiful and bountiful. — AA |
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AT THE CROSS ROADS Sufi poets of Punjab strengthened humanistic tradition and helped in bringing about emotional integration. Sheikh Farid, Shah Hussain, Bulhe Shah and Sultan Bahu decried caste, colour and creed and glorified the spirit of man. In Punjabi Kissa-Kav, the spirit of secularism reigns supreme. Waris Shah’s Heer Ranjha stirs the hearts of Punjabis all the world over as does Damodar’s Heer. No one cares to know about the religious faiths of these great poets. Qadar Yaar composed Kissa Puran Bhagat in the early 19th Century. Interestingly, our contemporary Surjit Singh Sehti has written a play entitled ‘Qadar Yaar’ based on the life of this great story teller in verse. The symbolism that Punjabi literature has imbibed during the past few centuries signifies the evolution of the concept of unity in diversity. Amrita Pritam remembered Waris Shah in her famous poem Ajj aakhan Waris Shah nun which expressed her agony at the time of Partition. She asks him: “You wrote too feelingly about Heer, a daughter of Punjab, but now when countless daughters of this land are in tears, how could you enjoy sound sleep in your grave?” Prof Puran Singh has employed symbols of Heer and Ranjha in a different context. He says : As veer Ranjhea, aa bhain Heere, Sanu chhor na jawo, bin tusan asin sakhne. This is indeed a unique example of the oneness of Punjabi culture. Diverse symbols play an important role in the formation of the ethos of a society. Dhani Ram Chatrik’s Maarda damame Jat mele aa gya is as popular a poem in this part of India as Iqbal’s : Saare Jahan se achchha Hindustan hamara is in the whole of India. Sharaf Din Sharaf, Mohan Singh, Vidhata Singh Teer, Kartar Singh Ballaggan and a number of other poets made Punjabi poetry popular among the people of all shades of opinion. Punjabi drama has also not lagged behind. Lala Kirpa Sagar (1881-1939) eulogised a true secular monarch in his play Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Sant Singh Sekhon has presented Lenin as the protagonist of his play Mitter Piara. Harcharan Singh aims at inculcating the importance of history in the minds of Punjabis, which is necessary for bringing about emotional integration. Balwant Gargi’s works reflect composite Punjabi culture. Kapur Singh Ghumman’s cosmopolitan outlook is reflected in his play Manas Ki Ek Jaat. In the field of fiction too the approach is not at all sectarian. Characters come from different sections of society. There is no attempt to set any particular community on a pedestal. Take Nanak Singh. His emphasis is on the virtues and vices of Hindus, Sikh or Muslim. His characters do not belong to one particular community. Sarat Chandra and Prem Chand have greatly influenced him. He has made Punjabi fiction an effective vehicle of social reform. Novelists like Surinder Singh Narula, Kartar Singh Duggal, Narenderpal Singh and Jaswant Singh Kanwal are firm believers in the doctrine of the brotherhood of man. Most of the heroes in the novels of Duggal are Muslims. In his novels like Hall Mureedan Da and Maan Peo Jae, Duggal presents an “integrated social design”. Surinder Singh Narula in his novel Neeli Bar depicts the aspirations and travails of Muslim aborigines who had been driven out of their homes by the British rulers at the time of the settlement of Canal Colonies in West Punjab. Narenderpal Singh projects not only Indian culture but also European culture in his works. His novel Ba Mulahaza Hoshiar emphasises the point that in the years to come the people all over the world will try to understand each other in a better way. Jaswant Singh Kanwal views Punjabi culture from the Marxist point of view. He does not describe the present-day struggles in terms of “good and bad” but in terms of “haves and have-nots”. The approach is , undoubtedly, humanistic and not sectarian. Punjabi short story writers are strikingly above petty considerations of caste, colour and creed. Sant Singh Sekhon, Sujan Singh, Santokh Singh Dheer, Gurmukh Singh Musafir and Kulwant Singh Virk have introduced new concepts of humanistic values. Their writings have promoted cultural integration. They eulogise the efforts of the working people who are trying to lay the foundations of a just social order. Folklore has been another important factor in bringing about unification. The popular fables, known as Bataan, have played a significant role in evolving a secular psyche. Similarly, folk poetry has played a catalystic role. Surinder Kaur, Reshma, Asa Singh and Alam Lohar easily come to mind. The Punjabi language itself is a symbol of unity in diversity. It has absorbed words of such diverse languages as Turkish, Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit and English. It has also given a new dimension to the secular ethos. |
Chinese TVs invade market LUDHIANA, Nov 17 — After bicycles and toys it now seems to be the turn of television market to be invaded by price competitive Chinese brands. While earlier Chinese goods were smuggled, now they are available in the open market. The Chinese made television, TCL, is competing with the top brands like Sony, Samsung, BPL, Videocon and Philips. Although qualitative competitiveness of the brand is yet to be established, it appears to have already scored over the rivals in the price war. According to market sources, during the past one year, the Chinese televisions particularly the TCL has made deep inroads into the Indian market. On the other hand, a leading dealer of the Philips, without naming TCL or other low priced products ,claimed that the euphoria will prove short lived. He pointed out that low price was their only competitive advantage. However, Mr Yogesh Bansal, distributor of TCL and Aiwa in Ludhiana, claimed that the consumers were now opting for the TCL and Aiwa as they were fully satisfied with the quality of the product. Other than the low price, some companies have introduced simple and interest free finance schemes for televisions. According to Mr Bansal, Aiwa is the only company which has introduced a scheme of 24 interest free installments for the consumers. The Aiwa like TCL is also relatively available at low costs than other popular TV brands. The 14 inch TCL television is available for about Rs 6,500 only, while other TV sets of the same size are sold for over Rs 8,000. The ultimate flat TV of a popular brand is available for around Rs 22,000, the Chinese brand is available for Rs 16,000 only. |
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