The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

CAMPUS ROUND-UP
New SC students’ body
Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Chandigarh
A non-political organisation, the Ambedkar Students’ Association, has taken birth at Panjab University to act as a watchdog for the interests of students belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other economically weaker sections.

Chand Singh Madaan is the chairman of the new front. He is also the founder chairman of the Haryana Students Association but in a ‘changed role’ he has decided to concentrate on the new front.

The ASA has demanded that reservation norms in the teaching and non-teaching departments should be followed strictly in accordance with the UGC recommendations. A proper ‘roster system’ should be maintained. In case no candidate from the reserved category is found fit for a reserved post, the post should be re-advertised and filled with a candidate from the reserved category, according to Supreme Court guidelines, Madaan said.

Dr Ram Mehr, a founding member, said that this university was not giving 50 per cent fee concession to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes students which was unfair.

The university was not giving proper account of the funds collected for the welfare of SC and ST students. It had also not followed the book-bank scheme in its spirit, Madaan added.

Other office bearers of the ASA include: vice-chairman- Sanjeev Kumar; president- Sarbjit Kumar Jhamat; vice-president- Geeta; secretary- Gurnam Singh; joint secretaries: Jagsir Jagga and Surinder Kumar Dadra; and finance secretary: Gautam Thapar.

It is felt that there is ‘no proper notification of scholarship related schemes on behalf of the university. There is a Central Government sponsored scheme for ‘Free coaching for students belonging to these categories’ but there is no signs of any activity in this direction by PU”.

The ASA has registered its opposition against the proposal to increase the retirement age of university teachers from 60 to 62. The practice of re-employing retired persons has also come under criticism. The ASA has also demanded that the law department be named after Dr B.R. Ambedkar.

PU colleges show ‘lack of seriousness’
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 29
The 'lack of seriousness' among colleges about conducting practical examinations for the annual university examination in science faculties, particularly at the undergraduate level, was highlighted at a meeting of the science faculty of Panjab University here today.

According to reliable sources, despite an existing provision for calling external examiners for the practical examinations, colleges had sent reports of their internal examiners.

The faculty cleared the BSc (general) syllabi till 2005. The syllabi of BSc (honours), Home Science and MSc was cleared for only one year.

The university expected certain changes to be recommended by the UGC for the syllabi.

The syllabi would then have to be altered.

A meeting was also held for the faculties of languages and arts.

Art-and-craft exhibition by school students
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 29
The annual art and craft exhibition and science fair put up by students of Woodlands House School, Sector 8, here today, proved to be big draw with parents of the students flocking the premises since morning.

The exhibition displayed the art and craft work, in addition to science projects prepared by students as a part of classwork since the beginning of the session.

Displays in the art and craft category comprised paintings, decorative candles, shopping bags, soft toys and pencil holders made by students.

Aged between two-and-a-half and 12 years, science projects on display included means of transport, communication, germination of seeds and different types of houses among others.

The Principal of the school, Ms Vijya Baksh, said that the students were made to work on projects all through the session, a separate slot allotted for the purpose every week.

“The idea is to emphasise on all-round development instead of focussing on the academics in school,” she added.

Declamation contest on dowry issue
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, September 29
About 25 students of classes VIII and IX participated in a declamation contest on the evils of the dowry system prevailing in the country. The contest was organised by the Lions Club at DAV Model School in Sector 15 here today. The speakers delivered effective speeches to make other students aware about the “evils of the dowry system”. They highlighted the rising level of bride burning in India.

Some of them asserted that dowry system was a stigma on the society. They added that even female foeticide had increased due to the same. After the declamation contest, students also presented cultural items to entertain the spectators.

The Principal of the School, Ms Rakesh Sachdeva, stressed that the students should come forward and take pledge to never believe in giving or receiving dowry. The results of declamation contest :first- Aanchal; second- Daman and third- Hema.

College block dedicated to martyrs
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 29
The staff of DAV College, Sector, 10 here today gave farewell party to Principal, Mr R.C. Jeewan, on his last working day in the college. The occasion coincided with the dedication of the newly constructed administrative block, named Shaurya Bhavan, in memory of those students of the college who had laid down their lives for the country.

The administrative block was inaugurated by the president of the DAV College Managing Committee, New Delhi, Padama Shri G.P. Chopra.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Jeevan talked about the great sacrifice of the four students — Capt Vikram Batra, Major Sandeep Sagar, Lt Vijayant Thapar and Lt Rajeev Sandhu — who had done the country and the institution proud. He paid glowing tributes to the martyrs.

Mr G.P. Chopra, lauded the role the DAV institutions in bringing education to the masses in the country.

COURTS

DISTRICT COURT
Bail in illegal immigration case
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, September 29
A local court today granted bail to Manjit Singh in a case under the Immigration Act. A case against the accused, and others had been registered under Sections 419, 420 of the IPC and 25 of the Immigration Act at police station in Sector 34 here.

The police had arrested five members of this gang at Gulati Bhavan in Sector 33 on July 3 for allegedly duping hundreds of people by luring them with jobs in western Europe.

The police also recovered 186 blood samples, 42 urine samples and 17 passports of the aspirants for jobs from them. A sum of Rs 5,02,000 , given to the accused by the interviewees for the said jobs, as also recovered.

Judicial remand for two

An employee of the Haryana Architecture Office was sent to judicial remand in a case of cheating and under corruption acts till October 12 by a local court here on Saturday. It was alleged that the accused had been involved in official corruption of about Rs 19 lakh. Meanwhile, a proclaimed offender, Malkit Singh, arrested by the city police, has also been sent to judicial remand till October 12. The accused was declared proclaimed offender on November 29, 1999.

It was alleged that he had stolen some articles from ISBT Sector 17. The case against the accused was registered under Sections 120/94, 379, 442 of the IPC.

Bail plea dismissed

A local court on Saturday dismissed an anticipatory bail plea filed by 57 persons in a case of power theft. The case against the accused, Rajinder Singh, and others, residents of Kudha Ali Sher, had been registered for stealing power through kundi connection.

Arrest warrants

A local court on Friday issued arrest warrants against brother of Member of Parliament from Haryana, Mr Devider Singh, in four different cases where cheques had bounced.

The complainant, Ms Surinder Chowdhary, had alleged that the accused had issued her 10 cheques worth Rs 50,000 each. But the cheques had bounced. The complainant had filed four different cases of cheque bounce against the accused in 1999.

After hearing the arguments, the magistrate had fixed the date for order. But the accused had failed to appear before the court. Therefore, the court issued arrest warrants.

Notice on bail plea

A local court on Friday issued a notice on the anticipatory bail plea filed by former Test cricketer and film actor Yog Raj Singh, accused of selling adulterated petrol for October 1.

The case against the accused was registered on June 30 under Sections 420, 286 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code on June 30. The police while submitting the challan before the court added Section 7 of the Essential Commodity Act in the case. Therefore, the accused had filed anticipatory bail before the court.

Bail granted

Ramesh Chander Mahajan allegedly involved in the selling of Indira Vikas Patras was granted bail by a local court. The accused was granted bail on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 10,000. The accused had been arrested by the city police from Sector 22.

Three persons accused in a case of robbery were granted bail by a local court here on Friday. The three — Manat Ram, Harjit Singh, and Ranjit Singh — were granted bail on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 30,000.

The complainant, Shiv Parshad, had alleged that the accused had beaten him near the PTRC workshop and snatched an amount worth Rs 1500.

CULTURE

Kathakali’s journey from Vyas to Bard
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 29
No matter what the stream of dance is, a good piece of choreography always fuses eyes, ears and mind. A host of perfectly-structured dance pieces which fused all three senses came into evidence at the IMTECH auditorium today, where one of the oldest known classical dances of India, kathakali, was showcased in all its majesty.

Bringing home the complicated Hindu mythological themes through scientifically ordained gestures (mudras) was one of the greatest living exponents of the dance form from Kerala, Sadanam Balakrishnan and his disciples from the International Centre for Kathakali based in Delhi. Amazing to see was the way in which colourful symbols were used to depict characters of the text. The guru made the dance-drama form easy for the audience by beginning with the basic elaboration of the mudras, which are critical to kathakali. So he demonstrated how a kathakali expert would exhibit the navrasas of dance: right from romance, pathos, anger to disgust and peace, which is the penultimate rasa.

On tabla were Kalamandalam Unnikrishnan and Sadanand Muruga Geori, while the vachika (voice) was taken care of by Sadanand Radhakrishnan. The most striking feature of this dance form, which traces its roots to the 17th century, is the elaborate make up, which is done with the help of various organic colours. The white on the dancer’s face is acquired from the rice flour; the red comes from vermillion and the black is the soot gathered from the light of the traditional lamp.

The overwhelming part of the entire performance was that each sequence staged for the audience was highly relevant. The guru enacted plain episodes, some which we encounter in every day life: like, he used mudras and abhinaya to show the disgust someone experienced when visited by an unwanted guest in the morning; then he enacted a sequence where a character was trying to call a charming child inside his living place...and many more. The sequence from Mahabharata which had Kalamandalam Atamjit (as Draupadi) and Sadanand Srinathan (as Krishna), was enacted later.

Earlier when the guru was getting ready for the presentation, the Tribune shared his many concerns about the dance form with him. The conversation had to essentially begin with make up, which is the highlight of kathakali. Rooted in Hindu mythology, the dance form has a unique combination of literature, music, painting, acting and dancing. Said the guru, “We have been imparting training in kathakali to an increasing number of aspirants. Also, we have performed extensively in foreign countries.” The most important productions in the repertoire of guruji’s International Centre for Kathakali in Delhi are the plays of Shakespeare, which he had translated and then adapted into kathakali. The plays include Othello and Macbeth.

The guru also talked about the 2000-year-old dance theatre from Kerala Kutiyattam which actually engendered kathakali and then itself vanished. He said, “The problem was in limited presentation of Kutiyattam which can only be enacted in temple premises. Kathakali has a wider audience because it could even be enacted in fields.” About the themes of kathakali, he said, “We strive to keep the form relevant. So we take the audience with us by explaining them what we are going to enact.” Literally meaning a story play, kathakali always denotes the victory of truth over evil. The stories for the presentations called attakathas (verse text for kathakali pieces) are selected from epics and mythology and written in a highly Sanskritised verse form.

With the passing time, however, more themes have been experimented with. As the guru said, “That is very important to keep the form fresh.” He was trained in kathakali by three great gurus K.V. Narayan Nayar, T. Ramani Nayar and K.R. Kumar Nayar. Discussing the form further, he talked about the traditional lamp which keeps the performing space sacred. Interestingly, the lamp lighted during kathakali performance has two wicks, signifying the sun and the moon.

Today’s presentation was held under the SPIC MACAY’s Virasat series and was sponsored by the Tribune.

CEVA’s theatre fest for kids
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 29
With the Centre for Education and Voluntary Action (CEVA)’s eight-day community theatre festival beginning at Sukhna Lake today, the children can get ready to experience complete joy during the coming few days.

The festival, which marks the culmination of CEVA’s yearly theatre activities with children, aims at bringing out children’s thoughts and feelings. The right platform to voice the concerns of kids, the festival will be unique in the sense that each play being featured therein would have been conceived, evolved, written and played by children themselves. So there will be no external factors in play. The entire festival will be about personalised experiences of children shared through the powerful medium of community theatre. The first play of the session will be Theatre of Joy’s recent production ‘Daantte Raho’ to be staged tomorrow at Sukhna Lake at 5.15 pm.

Taking the lead will be G.S. Chani and Harleen Kohli, the couple dedicated to supplementing academic education with practical learning processes through theatre. Enactment by children will further be assisted by an ambience at the Sukhna Lake, which is the venue, for all eight days of presentation. There will also be a Friends of Children corner on all eight days. As told by Harleen Kohli, “This is a space where volunteers, artistes, teachers and parents will get together and spend time with children free of charge. There will be a special puzzle corner where the families will be invited to unravel mysteries of mathematics through play. “

Among the plays to be featured during the festival are: Daante Raho, Somnath Crorepati, Raja Kithe So Gaya, Aqal Di Gal, Hip hip hurray and Shaadi Singh Wala. The first play of the festival will be the recent production of Theatre of Joy titled Daante Raho.