EDUCATION

Seminar on public health tomorrow
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 11
The Department of Mass Communication Panjab University is organising a workshop on the "Role of Communication in Public Health" in collaboration with the Regional Institute of Public Health Chandigarh on April 13, 2002 at the ICSSR Complex PU.

Representatives from all prominent local newspapers, news agencies, TV channels, including Doordarshan, and All India Radio are likely to participate in the workshop.

Other participants will include senior officials connected with public health from the Governments of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttaranchal and UT Administration, Chandigarh, and also representatives of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, World Health Organisation's office in India and eminent doctors of the PGI.

A report on the deliberations of the workshop will also be compiled.

‘Maharaja was a thoughtful leader’
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 11
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a thoughtful leader who used his army in various campaigns with careful consideration, said Major-Gen Rajinder Nath (retd) in his paper at a seminar which concluded at Panjab University here today.

The Maharaja was the first Indian after 1008 AD to have marched to Peshawar, he said. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the main hand behind modernisation of the army.

Mr Satyavir Singh, a budding scholar at the CNSS, said good leadership, technological advancement and effective control were the three main causes which led to Indian defeats in the past.

Prof Indu Banga in her paper on “Gender relations” brought out the differences between Brahmanical and Sikh social systems. On the whole the Sikh women had a more meaningful role.

Dr S.K. Pachauri said that the British contained Maharaja Ranjit Singh by diplomacy without indulging in military engagements. Dr Sukhdev Singh discussed the “diplomacy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh” in Sindh and concluded that Ranjit Singh had used his diplomatic skills by influencing different parties and pressuring “amirs of Sindh” to accept his sovereignty.

The others who spoke on the occasion included Dr Mahesh Sharma, Dr Veena Sachdev, Prof Radha Sharma, Dr S.S. Bhatti, Dr Shiv Kumar and Prof Balraj Puri.

COURTS

HIGH COURT
‘Widow’ of General claims dues
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 11
Nearly 22 years after the death of a highly decorated army officer, Major-Gen Gurbax Singh, Mr Justice Amar Dutt of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today reserved orders on a petition filed by his "widow" — Sudesh Gurbax B. Singh — seeking grant of family pension.

In her petition, Ms Sudesh Gurbax B. Singh claimed that pensionary benefits were being denied to her even though there was no legal or valid reason for it. Giving details, she asserted that a letter she received from the office of the Adjutant General at New Delhi, had stated that Balwant Kaur, wife of the late Major-General, "had filed some case in the court of a Sub Judge at Sangrur in 1963 and in its judgement pronounced on April 22, 1969, it was held that Sudesh Kumari was not his legally wedded wife".

Denying the contention, Ms Sudesh G.B. Singh, a former Miss Simla, submitted that her status as the Major-General's wife was not disputed. In the late General's will, she had been described as his wife, she had maintained. The main question of law involved in the petition, her counsel explained, was "whether pensionary benefits could be denied to an army officer's widow simply on the ground that there was some ex-parte judgement by a court pronounced during the life time of the now deceased officer without either serving him or his wife".

Going into the background, counsel stated that the petitioner had married the General in 1952. The officer, he added, died at his residence in Chandigarh on December 11, 1979. She initially applied for family pension on January 17, 1980, and after protracted correspondence, a letter was sent to the petitioner on January 15, 1996, "which amounted to the final rejection of her claim for grant of family pension and other benefits".

In their written statement, the Union of India and another respondent had, meanwhile, contended that there was no record with Army Headquarters to show that the petitioner had married to Gen Gurbax Singh in 1952. "Otherwise also, the alleged second marriage, during the lifetime of the first spouse was a nullity and by no stretch of imagination could the petitioner claim pensionary benefits," the respondents had concluded.

VC contends deal offered to him

Claiming that the Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, was "deeply interested in ousting him", Punjabi University Vice-Chancellor Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia today claimed that a deal was offered to him, according to which criminal cases against him were to be dropped if he submitted his resignation.

In an additional affidavit filed before a Division Bench of the High Court, the VC stated that, as per the deal, the Punjab Advocate-General was to make a statement before the court claiming that the state had no objection in quashing the two first information reports registered against him. The deal, he added, was offered during a meeting held on March 28 between him, the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary.

The affidavit was today directed to be placed on record by the Bench, comprising Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Mr Justice N.K. Sud. The case will now come up for hearing on May 9.

The VC, meanwhile, added that the Chief Minister had been issuing numerous statements maligning him. Personal attacks were made against him by Capt Amarinder Singh even before the Vidhan Sabha elections, his counsel claimed. Going into the background of the controversy, counsel asserted that the VC, after retiring from IAS officer's post in 1993, was supporting Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal). Moreover, there was conflict between the CM and the VC regarding the affairs of Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, he concluded.

Pay Rs 10,000 to detainee, SHO told

In an alleged illegal detention case, Mr Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel of the High Court today ordered the Station House Officer of Budhlada police station in Mansa district to pay interim compensation of Rs 10,000 to the petitioner from his pocket.

Delivering the verdict, the Judge also directed Mansa's Senior Superintendent of Police to look into the allegations of illegal detention. In his habeas corpus petition filed against the state of Punjab and other respondents, Mandi Gobindgarh resident Surinder Kumar had earlier sought directions for releasing his son Gaggan Kumar and two others after they were allegedly picked up by the police.

Subsequently, warrant officer S. C. Nassa, appointed by the High Court, had in his report stated that that two of the illegal detainees were present in the police station and there was no entry in the register. After going through the documents, Mr Justice Goel ruled: "In view of the report of the warrant officer, the SHO will pay Rs 10,000 to the petitioner as interim compensation from his pocket".

DISTRICT COURTS
6-month RI in theft case
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 11
Two residents of Sector 26 have been sentenced to six months’ rigorous imprisonment by a local court in a case of theft.

The duo — Ram Chander and Dinesh — was sentenced by the UT Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Ashok Kumar, and also fined Rs 1000. The police had registered a case against them under Sections 380, 323, 454 and 511 of the IPC on January 23, 2001.

It was alleged by the complainant, Pinky, a resident of Sector 26, Bapu Dham, that on January 23 the accused were inside her house when she came back. After that she raised an alarm, and caught hold of one of accused, Ram Chander, while the other ran away. Ram Chander, pushed and assaulted her. It was alleged that the duo had stolen some articles from the complainant’s house. The police had caught Ram Chander on the same day, and was identified by the complainant.

Acquitted
The UT Additional and Sessions Judge, Mr R.C. Godara, today acquitted an accused, Darshan Singh, in a case under Section 20 of the NDPS registered against him. The accused was acquitted as the prosecution failed to prove the charges levelled against him.

It was alleged that on November 14, 1998, the police had recovered 600 gm charas from the accused, and that he was not holding a valid licence. In another case, a local court acquitted an accused, Surinder Pal Singh, for rash and negligent driving. The police had registered a case against the accused under Sections 279, 337 of the IPC. It was alleged that the accused, who was driving a Maruti car, had injured a cyclist at the Sector 27, Sector 28 light points.

CULTURE

Stress on constructive criticism of art
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 11
“Art criticism is a thankless job and if you have any other job at hand grab it,” said Ashish Chatterjee in a humorous voice that belied the seriousness and vast experience of the person who has been working as a music critic for the last four decades in leading newspapers of West Bengal. “But if you have decided to stick to it, then try to do it seriously,” he added with a measure of passion that spoke volumes about his personality.

Criticism for him is an important way to bring improvement to the world of art. “A critic can kill an artist within a minute, so do not always use your pen as a sword,” he said, adding that with constructive criticism one can give impetus to young artists to bring improvement in their works.

The trait of music critic was a legacy Ashish Chatterjee inherited from his father Chandi Charan Chattopadhayay who was the Sports Editor and music critic for Amrita Bazar Patrika. Popular as “Sura Rasik”, the famous art critic not only in Bengal but all over the country, Ashish has been serving the Anand Bazar Patrika for about four decades.

For Ashish who has a background of Indian classical music, reviewing classical concerts had never been a problem. “Even as a child I used to tag along my father to the musical concerts and thus got acquainted with the finer points of music,” he said. It was through his father, Ashish came into the close quarters of stalwarts as Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pt. Nikhil Banerjee, Pt. Jhan Prakash Ghosh to name a few.

Though a background in music is important to do reviews, it is more important to be unbiased and keen observer to justify the intricacies of raga irrespective to the singer’s gharana, he added.

Art criticism according to him has been showing a downward slide since the last four decades. “Most of the newspaper that carries reviews on musical programme are not actual reviews but only cataloguing of the event,” he said. “The reason is mainly that now most of the newspapers carry it like just another ‘spot’ for which a reporter do not get the time to get into the depth of the event,” he added.

“Art reviewing is not like the instant coffee. One needs time to get the pulse of the event to write a good critical review,” he said. It is best done when carried in some weekly column where the piece gets adequate space and proper display, he added.

Talking reality through art
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 11
It is the reality of life which finds expression in Sangeeta Gupta’s works on display at IndusInd Art Gallery. Known for her skillful handling of emotions and paints, Sangeeta has once again underlined her own growth as an artist. The series titled Mutation grows in space as also in sight. The works, all oil on canvas, reach out on a universal plane and make a visually-strong statement.

Water features in her collection like the essential life force. Taking a lead from all that creation breeds, the artist builds blocks depicting growth. There are stems, branches, and final forms, embodying the process of life which springs back into action after braving its share of light and dark.

A celebrated artist, Sangeeta’s 11 solo shows come across as her own journey towards the discovery of self. Passing through phases which mark the path of progress, the artist keeps defining her own mutation which leads her inner self towards realisation of reality.

Each work converses at a highly universal plane and enters the heart effortlessly. The techniques employed are varied, but the scheme of thought remains constant: inner reality of self.

The works will be displayed till April 9.

New releases

SOUTH Indian filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is ready to take centrestage again with ‘Company’ after giving ‘Shiva’, ‘Rangeela’, ‘Satya’ and ‘Jungle’. This film will mark the debut of Vivek Oberoi, Suresh Oberoi’s son. A Boney Kapoor presentation it opens today at Jagat of Chandigarh and KC of Panchkula.

Nana Patekar plays the challenging role of a psychiatrist. The film also features Puru Raj Kumar, model-turned actress Anupama Varma, Meghna Kothari who made her debut in Feroz Khan’s ‘Prem Agan’ opposite Fardeen Khan. It also marks the debut of Nakhul Vaid, along with Raju Mavani in a negative role. The film has music by Vishal Shekhar to the lyrics of Nida Fazli. DP