EDUCATION

Music contests at youth fest
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 21 — Contests for shabads, ghazals, geets, Indian classical singing, ghazals, vaar, and folk songs marked the third day of the Panjab University youth festival of Zone-A at Khalsa College for Women here today.

The function began with the shabad, Deh Shiva bar mohe ehai, recited by students of the host college. This was followed by a shabad recitation competition in which students from eight colleges participated. Ramgarhia Girls’ College clinched the first prize. Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women was declared second and the third prize went to the students of Sanatan Dharam Pracharak College.

There was little response for the classical singing competition as students of only four out of the total nine colleges participated. Hema Sharma of SDP College, Namrata of Government College for Women and Ramanpreet of Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women, Gujarkhan Campus, were declared first, second and third, respectively.

In the group singing competition, the team of Master Tara Singh Memorial College was disqualified because their team comprised of seven participants, although the specified number was six. The team from Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women sang the song Tum samay ki ret par chodd ke chale nishan, followed by a folk song Ud da ve jawin kaan.

In the quiz contest, students from all the nine colleges participated. A written test was conducted to screen four teams in which students were asked to answer 30 questions in 30 minutes. Later several rounds were conducted for the four teams in which questions pertaining to science, geography, history, economics and music were asked.

The team of Ramgarhia Girls’ College was declared first, followed by the team of Government College for Women. Teams of the host college and Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women shared the third prize.

In the evening session, contests for vaar, ghazals, geets and folk songs were held. The chief guest of the day was Mr S.K. Sandhu, Deputy Commissioner.

It was also noted that today’s items did not receive much applause from the students of the host college. Talking to Ludhiana Tribune, a group of students revealed that they were not fond of shabads, geets or classical songs, therefore, it was very difficult for them to stay back. After the gates of the college were opened, more than half of the seats of the pandal, where the function was being organised, could be seen lying vacant.

A modern day kanya gurukul?
By D.B. Chopra

LUDHIANA, Nov 21 — Would like to know what a modern-day gurukul is all about ? Then perhaps a visit to the Arya Kanya Gurukul in Shastri Nagar, which is the only one of its kind in the city, will surely enlighten you. And if you happen to be a devout Arya Samaji or to have a Vedic bent of mind, you may even get tempted to get your little daughter admitted in there.

In the gurukul, I met a class V student Vedvati Arya who hails from Navada near Patna. Her father, a well- to- do businessman, thought her daughter could have better education here than she could possibly have at Sri Ganesh Vidya Mandir in her home town.

And the whole gurukul is proud of Neha, a student of class VII, for her all round brilliant performance in studies and various inter-school competitions.

Dr Chandra Prabha, who looks after the gurukul, is a kind and dedicated lady who takes good care of the girls from early morning till night.

The girls, 48 to be precise, follow a rigorous daily routine, getting up at 5 after which they do some exercises, say their prayers and perform havan before they attend their classes beginning at 8.

The girls are given a good diet comprising fruit and cow’s milk and live in clean, spacious rooms. All free of cost. The Hero group of companies bears all expenses which are roughly Rs 1 lakh a month.

The gurukul, being affiliated to the Panjab School Education Board, teaches all subjects that are taught in other schools. The only difference is that stress is also laid on Vedic education and the study of Sanskrit. All very well. But the little girls have no exposure to the outside world. They are not permitted access to what lies beyond the gurukul gates. Sounds very retrograde indeed.

Even a TV has not been provided inside the gurukul whereby the girls can watch the news or other interesting programmes with some educational value. When asked about it, Dr Chandra Prabha said it was more important to inculcate Vedic “sanskars” in the girls. However, there was a proposal for bringing in the TV too.

It was only last year that the gurukul was started. Its strength is expected to go up in the times to come. Mr Satya Nand Munjal visits the gurukul everyday provided he is in town.

For him, it is more or less like a temple. Though there are classes only from V to VIII at present, class IX and X are likely to be introduced in the near future.

Fill posts on regular basis, say teachers
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 21 — The Government School Teachers Union, Punjab, has demanded that all the vacant posts of teachers be filled on regular basis. They also said they would not tolerate teachers’ appointments on contract basis or on fixed salary of Rs 2000.

Stating this in a press note, Mr Charan Singh Sarabha, general secretary of the union, said to stress upon their demands, the members of the union would hold dharnas and conventions on all district headquarters from December 18 to 22. He added that a state-level dharna would be held on January 11 in Chandigarh and a flag march would be taken out in the constituency of the Education Minister.

Striking students meet management
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 21 — To diffuse tense atmosphere created in the college following three days of strike, the Principal and the members of the management held a meeting with the students of Arya College for Boys here today.

The students are demanding that the ‘‘political activities’’ of Mr Satish Joshi, teacher of Punjabi and president of the local unit of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad be retricted on the campus. They had alleged that the teacher used to threaten the students who did not join his group.

Mr Joshi had, however, refuted all allegations made against him. The Principal had told the students that he would look into the matter and take necessary measures.

After today’s meeting with the Principal and members of the management, the students informed in a press note that Mr Joshi had been told to refrain from all political activities on the campus. They also informed that the charge of NSS president in the college was taken away from him.

PCCTU objects to PU Senate nominations
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 21 — In a letter addressed to the Chancellor of Panjab University, Mr Krishan Kant, the Punjab and Chandigarh Teachers’ Union (PCCTU) has demanded renewal of nominations made to the university Senate.

In the letter, the PCCTU has stated that the nominations had caused much resentment among the minorities, Dalits and ruralites as they were not adequately represented. He said that while in the last session 18 nominations were made from Punjab, this year only six members were nominated.

The PCCTU also pointed out that the representation given to the DAV institutions was on the higher side this time and that the claims of other institutions had been ignored.