Lecture on Hamlet
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 11
A lecture on the interpretation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet was held at Divine Public School here yesterday.

Addressing senior section students, Principal Bhupinder Singh Garcha said William Shakespeare was a uniquely gifted person and had a better understanding of other person’s mental behaviour.

He said, “It must have been a stupendous task for a playwright of even Shakespeare’s calibre to portray a character who delays to avenge his father’s most foul murder and whose delay should not appear unjustified. He was a court in himself, a one-man bench which did not believe in the dictum justice delayed is justice denied.” The Principal further stated, “Many theories have been put forward to explain the delay. Some call him neurotic but I think Hamlet was possessed and there could be no better explanation of his behaviour.” On the occasion, Principal Garcha read his poem ‘Man today’ which is a sarcasm on changing moral attitude of human beings.

Brilliant show on Sher-e-Punjab 
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 11
A light and sound show about Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s reign, spanning four decades, titled Sher-e-Punjab was presented at G.G.N. Public School ground yesterday.

The two-hour spectacle was organised by Bank of Punjab. The presentation transported the audience to the era of the Maharaja.

Harbax Latta put up the show by using film and theatre devices. The presentation has been scripted by Latta’s father eminent playwright Dr Harcharan Singh. It took the director one year to ready the show. The search for the artiste to play Hari Singh Nalwa was difficult. At last a 6 ft 5 inches tall man from Sirsa was cast in the role.

Latta has also directed Ekas Ki Hum Barik, a serial telecast on DD-I. His another production Bole Sonehal was also a great success.

An Amritdhari Sikh artiste acted as Maharaja Ranjit Singh, his pock marked face and squint one made him look like the Maharaja’s image well known.

Latta has a diploma in films from New York University.

Tribute to grandparents
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 11
Teachers and students of First Steps organised Grandparent’s Day to pay tribute to their elders.

The grandparents were visibly flattered at the attention they received from their grandchildren. They also participated in games organised for them. In spite of ill health, some made it to the show as they did not want to miss the unique opportunity. One of the grandparents said: “We had a great time. The event was like a breath of fresh air in our life.”

The idea was the brainchild of the Principal, Mrs Poonam Mahajan. She has been laying emphasis on family values as these play an important role in the development of the child. Grandparents needed love and support of the younger members of the family.

Forum penalises BSNL
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 11
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to pay Rs 3,000 as compensation on account of issuing wrong bills to Mr Naresh Kumar Saggar, a local resident. The Forum further directed the BSNL to adjust Rs 600 and the amount paid against the disputed bills. It also directed to pay Rs 500 as a cost of litigation to the consumer.

According to the complaint, the consumer had received a bill of Rs 600 on account of shifting charges on November 8, 2000. The consumer stated that he was issued bills of Rs 2,436, Rs 3,458, Rs 3,574 and Rs 5,614 on September 18, 2000, November 18, 2000, January 8, 2001, and March 18, 2001, respectively, for local calls.

The consumer stated that the shifting charges were illegally claimed and he had even written a letter to the BSNL in this regard on September 13, 2000. He stated that he had never applied for shifting. He said when he inquired, he was told that the amount had been charged because of shifting of telephone No. 545288 in the name of Mr Maninder Singh. But the consumer was a subscriber of telephone No. 454288, he pointed out.

The BSNL pleaded that the disputed bills were sent to the complainant. The respondent stated that the calls given in the bill were calls made by the complainant as per the reading recorded by the telephone exchange. It said shifting of the telephone (545288) was inadvertently shown against the telephone of the complainant. It maintained that the mistake occurred in a computer and it was rectified by ordering refund of Rs 600 in September, 2001. It was denied that there was any mistake in sending the bills or there was any excessive bills issued to the consumer. The respondent prayed for dismissal of the complaint. The Forum observed that it was an admitted fact that the respondent charged Rs 600 as shifting of telephone from the consumer for shifting the telephone of some other consumer. The Forum observed that the demand of Rs 600 was wrongly raised.

The Forum stated that the bills issued to the consumer from July 1, 2000, to October 31, 2000, were in the name Mr Maninder Singh. It said even after reading the record it was not clear as to whether the bills were actually issued. There was clear deficiency on the part of the BSNL for issuing wrong bills to the consumer.

Struggling artist waits for clients
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, March 11
He has an enormous talent and can make pencil sketches. He is adept in fabric painting and the designs and colour schemes draw much appreciation from all the viewers, but it ends there. When it comes to brass tracks to recognise his talent and help him financially, it comes to a naught.

Rampal Sehota is an extremely talented, self-taught artist who started making pencil sketches a decade ago. Though he loved sketching with pencils, it was more out of economic necessity that he was confined to this medium alone. Pencils and papers were the only things he could afford.

The economic paucity has been chasing him like a shadow and despite his excellent portraits on T-shirts, he is still groping to find means to sustain himself. He loves painting tigers not because of its majestic appearance but also as he wants to send a message to people to protect this beautiful, graceful animal from extinction.

Rampal took his work of arts to Dilli Haat, Delhi, a very popular place that houses arts and crafts of various states, and exhibited his work, for three days. To get the samples ready and to pay Rs 500 as rent was all he could sustain. All the viewers highly appreciated his work specially the foreigners. He got a lot of inquiries from business and export houses. Rampal was happy that a business house commissioned him to paint on 15 suits. He used the colours from his own pocket and laboured to make his designs outstanding. But he found it to be love’s labour lost as the owner to avoid payment told him that he would only pay as and when the suits got sold. With the result he came back crest-fallen and disheartened.

Not to be bogged down by adverse circumstances, he applied for a loan of Rs 50,000 from a bank under Nehru Rozgar Yojna last year. But in spite of all his efforts he failed to get a loan. Later he learnt that for getting the loan, he would have to grease the palm of the clerk. He was astounded at this as every unemployed graduate is entitled for this loan. With the money available from the bank, Rampal living in Sudhar, a small town near Ludhiana could have readied the samples and would have organised his exhibition. But no such luck.

He sought assistance from the Hoshiarpur office of the Ministry of Textile that helps in keeping handicrafts alive and assists struggling artists. He went armed with his brushes and paints to show them that he had the skill, but he was told that he would be called. But that call never came. Rampal says. “I have the art to paint portraits on T-shirts and jackets. I am willing to labour hard but shortage of funds always comes in the way of my progress. Is there no way, a struggling artist can make his two ends meet? There are no Fine Arts Colleges in Ludhiana. Had the colleges been there, at least, I would have received education in the subject of my choice and perhaps got a job as an art teacher.”