The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

EDUCATION

Students participate in academic festival
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Jan 16 — An inter-college quiz contest marked the opening of a two-day academic festival organised for the under-graduate students of commerce and management from 18 colleges of Punjab by the Commerce Association in SD Government College here today.

Each team consisted of three participants. There were 12 rounds on topics like business aptitude, political science, current affairs, films, media and information technology. Seven teams that qualified the preliminary session included the host college, Government College, Kapurthala, Government College, Sector 11, Chandigarh, Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana, Gujranwala Guru Nanak College, Ludhiana, Punjab College of Technical Education, Ludhiana, and Bearing Union Christians’ College, Batala. The team of Government College, Kapurthala, was declared first, followed by the teams of Government College, Sector 11, Chandigarh, and SD Government College, Ludhiana.

A debate contest on the topics ‘Liberalisation is the only solution to India’s survival’ and ‘Excessive advertisement leads to consumer’s exploitation’ will be held tomorrow. A declamation contest will also be held on the topics ‘Industrial development in Punjab’, ‘Business and information technology’ and ‘Higher education in the 21st century’.

Lawyers forum demands law college
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Jan 16 — The Young Lawyers Forum, Punjab, has called for setting up a law college in the city on the pattern of Bangalore Law College. A general body meeting of the forum held here yesterday observed that the industrial capital of Punjab was close to becoming a metropolitan city. It had two medical colleges, one dental college, an agricultural university and many other vocational and professional institutions, but no law college.

The forum decided to plead with the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court so that the matter could be taken up with the state government and the Bar Council of India and necessary steps initiated for setting up the college.

Mr Ashok Bhakri, Chairman, and Mr Pradeep K. Sharma, president, of the forum, informed that the meeting unanimously adopted another resolution pleading for a change in the selection procedure for appointment of High Court Judges from the advocates’ quota. Under the existing system, the sole criteria is the duration of practice in the high court. The forum has urged the Chief Justice to also take into consideration the names of lawyers practicing in district courts.

The meeting hailed the proposal of the Union Law Minister for setting up five ‘Fast Track Courts’ in each district. The move would strengthen the subordinate judiciary and with separate courts to try particular type of cases, the period of litigation would be curtailed and pending cases would be expeditiously settled. The lawyers were of the opinion that the government and the judicial administration should appoint judges to the proposed new courts from amongst the respective district bar associations since the local lawyers had better understanding of the Bar, Bench and procedure.

CULTURE

Regaling audience for three decades
By Asha Ahuja

LUDHIANA, Jan 16 — A music graduate from Panjab University, who has performed before local and foreign audiences, Neelam, sang her first ghazal at the age of eight. She got training from her father, Mr Satpal Sharma, who was an Urdu poet and lyricist, and had been a constant source of inspiration in the face of stiff opposition from her conservative mother.

Neelam Sharma started as an orchestra singer way back in 1974. In those days, there were not many channels open for women singers to make a mark. Gurdas Maan, too, at that time was a struggling singer. Armed with determination, her dream was to feature on the cover of a cassette, which was realised when she came in contact with Mr Gurcharan Virk, a famous Punjabi writer, whose lyrics have been sung by Asha Bhosle, Gurdas Maan, Sukhwinder, Kumar Shahnu, Udit Narayan. He gave her the first break and helped her to record her first cassette ‘Dil da jaani’, which earned her a name. She is now sought after by many producers.

She says, “I have been brought up with heavy dose of moral values and I never wanted to compromise. After the initial success of my cassette, I got offers from the film world as well as other producers. Most people wanted to exploit me, but I did not give in to their demands and therefore success eluded me. But as I am religious and have great faith in God, I knew that if I remained persistent, I would succeed. And I did. I will be eternally grateful to my mentor, Mr Gurcharan Virk. After the release of my first cassette, I recorded cassettes based on religious songs and gidha cassettes with Jagmohan Kaur, Parminder Sandhu and Sucheta Bala, who are well-known Punjabi singers.”

Soon, she got a chance to do playback singing for Preeti Sapru in a film and has rendered solos for half-a-dozen telefilms, prominent among those are ‘Mulzim kaun’ and ‘Ali jaan’. In ‘Sidh Jogi Baba Balak Nath’, a video film picturised on her, Neelam sang with great feeling for millions of Baba’s devotees. Another solo cassette ‘Dil da jaani’ was released from America, Canada and England.

She had a chance to sing duets with Preet Mahinder Tiwari and Sirdool Sikander. She has rendered duets for as many as eight Punjabi films, including the big budget ‘Tabahi’, ‘Tera mera pyar da sapna’, ‘Sir dhar di baazi’, ‘Kaihar’. In Mirza jatt and in Ucha pind she delightfully paired with Sarvpreet, a well-known name in Punjabi film circle. She is a polyglot and can sing in 15-16 languages. She has recorded 26 audio cassettes so far, which include a cassette each in Haryanvi and Himachali dialects.

She has sung with almost all prominent singers of Punjabi folk music and has now become popular after her cassettes Ladies sangeet, Mere veer da viyah, Shagna de gaane, Gidha kanjaka da, Gidha pao bathera, Vangan kach dian. She is in great demand to sing sitthinia and other suhag songs at marriage functions.

Neelam is also a great mimic. She can copy voices of Shamshad Begum, Noorjahan, Reshma, Surraiya, Surinder Kaur and Farida Khanum. She has had a chequered career in singing, spanning over three decades. She says, “I am blessed, for I get appreciation and adulation from my audience. They call me ‘Lata of Punjab’. My singing in the orchestra has helped me, for I can gauge the feelings of the audience. When I feel the audience is getting bored, I switch over to other kinds of songs. I feel, I am close to my goals.”

Talking about the new Punjabi pop singers and videos showing scantily clad young women, she says, “I strongly disapprove of these kind of physical exhibitions of young bodies, as these are against our culture. Our repertoire is full of beautiful folk songs, which have been with us for so long. Even NRIs appreciate our songs, so why should we become strangers to our own culture, when it is so rich?”

At present, eleven of her songs are being telecast on ETC channel and two on Lashkara channel.

Ballet dancers enthral Ludhianvis
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Jan 16 — It was a ‘magical nite’ in the lawns of the Sutlej Club when ballet dancers from Paris held Ludhianvis spellbound for more than two-and-a-half hour yesterday.

For the first time in the history of the club, the world renowned troupe performed the ballet which was sponsored by Seagram’s Blenders Pride. The programme started with the honouring of troupe members by Mrs Bubble Sandhu, wife of the Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.K. Sandhu. The troupe comprised one male and 11 female dancers, who were amongst the world’s finest dancers.

Elen, a French crooner, in her melodious voice sang the famous Titanic number which was followed by yet another all-times favourite By the rivers of Babylon. She has performed all over the world with the latest Western numbers. It was amazing to see the presence of Ludhiana people in such a ‘chilling cold night’. Surprisingly mothers were carrying their little ones in the sleeping bags.

The dancers were dressed in bright coloured shimmery costumes for every dance. Their dance performance was a combination of various kind of dance forms like Salsa, Labanda, Flamenco, Belly and Tap apart from performing on various kinds of pop numbers.

A fabulous stage was set up with good sound, colourful lighting and special effects such as pyro techniques and confetti blasts which complemented the entire show. The stage was compared by famous model Shefali Talwar, who was looking gorgeous in a designer black evening gown with silver work on it.

Earlier during the day, talking to Ludhiana Tribune, the troupe leader Taras, who felt very difficult to converse in English, said, “I like India and Indians because they are traditional. They have preserved their old culture”. He said the entire troupe aimed to make the people rock-n-roll with their songs and dance performances. Elen, a Paris-based singer, said she had a dream to visit India since childhood. The only thing which she did not like was that Indians eat very spicy food.

ADMINISTRATION

PSIEC transfers Focal Point area to MC
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Jan 16 — The industrialists having units at Focal Point in Phase 4, 6 and 7 can expect some improvement in the condition of roads and other infrastructure facilities as after almost 17 years than the proposed time period the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC) has succeeded to convince the local Municipal Corporation to take over the maintenance of the infrastructure in the industrial area falling under in these phases.

Ms Surjeet Kaur Sandhu, Managing Director, PSIEC, who was in the city to participate at a meeting with industrialists, told TNS that earlier officials of the MC were reluctant to take the responsibility. She disclosed that Rs 75 lakh had been paid to the MC as the charges for necessary repair work. She pointed out that the area falling under Phase VIII would be also handed over to MC soon.