The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

Bid to end ayurvedic students’ strike
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh , April 23
While the students of the Shri Dhanwantry Ayurvedic College, Sector 46, remained on strike for the second day today, the management continues to maintain that their demands are totally “unjustified and uncalled for”.

The students, besides demanding representation in the Dhanwantry Educational Society, are also alleging that the institute is shifting its focus from ayurvedic principles, turning hospital rooms into luxury resorts and misusing the funds meant for the welfare. For this they are blaming a particular member, Dr Naresh Mittal, and are demanding his removal from the membership of the society.

When contacted, Mr D.K. Gupta, president of society, said that though the management was negotiating with the students, their strike was illegal and baseless. “The students have gone on strike without any prior notice,” he said and added that most of the issues raised by them did not even concern the academics. “Their demand for removal of Dr Mittal from the society is outrageous. However, we are trying to negotiate for an amicable conclusion,” said Mr Gupta.

Mrs Nirmal Bhatia, Vice-President and Administrator of the college, who held a meeting with the students today, maintained that the strike had been motivated by internal politics and certain unscrupulous elements.

13 schools to be upgraded
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 23
All the 13 middle schools in the city are to be upgraded to the level of high school. Six of these schools are model middle schools where education is carried out in English medium, while seven of the schools on the list are those where the teaching medium is Hindi or Punjabi. With this there will be no middle level schools in the city.

Sources in the Education Department said upgradation is being carried out as a long drawn process to augment teaching facilities in the city. The middle level schools are being phased out. At the moment UT Administration is facing a problem of scarcity of teachers. Just the augmentation of these 13 schools will require a minimum of 50 teachers. The Education Department has no posts of teachers as the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has cited austerity measures while rejecting a demand of the Chandigarh Administration to have 313 more teachers.

Sources say the augmentation will also mean construction of additional rooms and setting up of laboratories, besides setting up of other facilities. After the MHRD rejection the UT Administrator, Lieut Gen J.F. R. Jacob (retd), has written to the HRD Minister, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, telling him why the posts are required. The number of 313 posts is actually the shortfall of 1999 and as on date the Education Department requires 550 posts.

COURTS

HIGH COURT
Suitable complexes for courts ordered
Tribune news Service

Chandigarh, April 23
Coming down heavily upon the state of Punjab for its failure to provide suitable court complexes at Nakodar and Phillaur, Mr Justice V.K. Jhanji of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed it to make alternative arrangements for providing proper accommodation for the courts till setting up of the complexes.

Pronouncing the directions, Mr Justice Jhanji also directed that the report of the Jalandhar District Judge regarding the construction of a judicial complex at Nakodar, and the correspondence pending with the State Government for setting up of a complex at Phillaur, be treated as a writ petition for issuing directions to the state for “making available appropriate funds for immediate construction of court complexes at both the stations”.

Taking judicial notice of the matter, the Judge observed that no effective steps had been taken by the State Government for providing suitable complexes at both places while tehsil complexes had been constructed for the executive officers.

The Judge added that the State Government was apparently reluctant in providing funds for the construction of judicial complexes and as such judicial notice of the matter was required to be taken. Mr Justice Jhangi also asserted that lack of proper accommodation was adversely affecting the working of the courts.

In his detailed order, Mr Justice Jhanji observed: “On April 4, I inspected the civil courts at Nakodar falling in Jalandhar Sessions Division. The courts are situated in a 100-year-old dilapidated building. There is a pond just behind the complex which is full of dirty water and gives foul smell. As a result, the complex is full of flies and mosquitoes. Even the chambers provided to the Presiding Officers were not founds to be fit for proper and smooth working”.

Regarding the court complex at Phillaur, the Judge observed: “One of the court is situated in a 100-year-old building which is in bad condition whereas the other court is situated in the tehsil complex. It is very small and there is no retiring room attached to it. The matter regarding the construction is lingering with the State Government since long but no effective steps have been taken so far”.

Bail application

Mr Justice Amar Dutt of the High Court on Monday directed the trial court to dispose of the bail applications filed by Sanjay and Manoj — allegedly implicated in a murder case due to political rivalry of their father Om Parkash alias Hitler with the Haryana Chief Minister — if they surrendered before the court on or before April 27.

Pronouncing the orders, Mr Justice Dutt observed: “I am of the view that the extension of anticipatory bail to the petitioners in these cases is not warranted because of their failure to cooperate with the investigating agency”.

The Judge added: “If the petitioners surrender before the trial court on or before April 27 at 10 am, the court will dispose of the bail application that may be filed by them after taking into consideration the request for remand that may be made by the investigating agency as expeditiously as possible”.

Notice issued to Chautala

On a petition filed by Haryana’s former Minister Anand Singh Dangi seeking the clubbing all the five FIRs registered against him, Mr Justice S.S. Nijjar of the High Court on Monday issued notice of motion for April 30 to Chief Minister O.P. Chautala and other respondents.

In his petition, Dangi had also sought directions for holding the trial of cases registered against him by the Sessions Judge at Chandigarh or Rohtak. Counsel V.S. Rathore had stated that the courts at Chandigarh were competent to hear the cases against him as the offences were alleged to have been committed by him in the city in his official capacity of Haryana’s Revenue Minister.

Highest bidder takes school: court
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 23
In the case of the Sector 9 Vivek Nursery and Preparatory School, Mr Justice V.K. Jhanji of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered that, “The goodwill of the partnership concern and the tenancy rights of the building in possession of the school can be sold by holding a bid among the partners.”

Mr Justice Jhanji said, “The exercise of holding the bid will be undertaken after submission of the report of the local commissioner in the court. The amount received on account of sale of goodwill and tenancy rights of the school building shall be distributed among the partners in proportion of their respective shares.” The Judge also said, “The question of the payment of the salary to Principal of the school, Ms Sunaiyna Dass, shall be decided after considering the report submitted by the Local Commissioner. The case will now come up for further hearing on July 12.”

“The dispute between the parties is about the settlement of accounts of the partnership firm running the school. It is no more disputed that the partnership firm has been dissolved with effect from June 12, 2000. It is also not disputed that, after that date, the school is being run by Ms Sunaiyna Dass and Ms Sharda Dutt.”

CULTURE

A musical evening of Sahir songs
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh
In the era of pop singing and dancing the lyrics of Sahir Ludhianvi received an overwhelming response at Tagore Theatre this Saturday evening. The programme of scheduled two hours got extended to four hours as the appetite of audience was refusing to be satiated. The musical evening of Sahir’s lyrics was organised by the Majlis Journalists’ and Artists’ Association.

The legendary poet Sahir, born at Ludhiana, rose to fame in literary circles with the publication of his “Dewan — Talhian”. Close on heels came his book, “Parchhayian”. But the fame from grassroots to elite circles came to him via Hindi film industry. For four decades from the 50s, Sahir Ludhianvi penned 70 per cent of the songs recorded for Hindi films. Great directors like V. Shanta Ram, Guru Dutt, and Bimal Roy etc immortalized his poetry through their creative films.

Majlis paid tributes to Sahir by weaving a number of his famous songs into the musical evening wherein most talented singers of the region sang them with appropriate emotions and passion. Brajesh Ahuja and Ranjana simply won the hearts of the audience with their renderings of “Jo vada kiya voh nibhana parega,” Abhi na jao chhor kar,” Phir na kije meri gustakh nighai ka gila”, Voh subha kabhi to ayegi” and solos like “Jurme ulfat ki hamein log saza dete hain”, “Zindagi bhar nahin bhulegi”, Raat bhi hai kuchh bheegi, bheegi”, “Pyar par bas to nahin” etc.

Interestingly, Majlis had also invited all those budding singers, who had won first prize in their annual competitions of Rafi Award, Lata Award and Kishore Award. So singers like Meenu Palta, R.L. Anand, Richa Sharma, Hardeep Bani, Rajiv Menon, Navprabhat and Amarjit Singh also sang both light and classical compositions. Audience listened to their renderings with rapt attention, admiration and responding with thunderous applause when numbers like “Kahe tarsai jiya ra”, Ayeri, jaane na doongi”, “Na mooh chhupa ke jiyo”, Chhoo lene do nazuk honthon ko”, “Mujhe mil gaya bahana teri deed ka” etc.

It was so touching to find that people had travelled from far off places like Una, Pune, Mumbai, Karnal, Ludhiana, Patiala to listen to Sahir’s numbers. Satish Sekhri of Pune and Narendra Bhaskar Ludhianvi of Karnal even requested the organisers to allow them to pay tributes to Sahir personally and both stole the hearts of audience when they spoke of their reverence for the great poet. Both quoted extempore from Sahir at length inviting deafening applause as they reminisced with nostalgia their love for Sahir.

Lyrics’ renderings were woven with thrillers enacted by theatre artistes of Majlis. Actors like Sanjay Sharma were simply superb in the role of Banta Singh. However, a small enactment by Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 47, students displayed tremendous talent polished by Majlis. The programme was directed and compered by Reeta Sharma.

The Chief Guest of the evening, Mr L.M. Goyal, Chief Secretary of Haryana, complimented all the singers and the instrumentalists for their excellent performance and actors and actresses for their hold on the audience. He honoured music director of the evening, Sanjiv Kapoor, Santosh Kataria and Raman Kumar. Besides Brajesh Ahuja, Ranjana, Sanjay Sharma, the chief guest also honoured Ravinder Singh and Neelam Sharma.