EDUCATION

Study centre of Alagappa University
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 18
The Punjab Education Minister, Mr Khushal Bahl, yesterday formally inaugurated the regional study centre of Alagappa University, Tamil Nadu, in the city.

The Minister of State for Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Mr Ashwani Sekhri and the MLA, Mr Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, also attended the function held here. Mr K.Prashant is the coordinator in charge for Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and J and K, while Ms Neelam Saini is the Public Relations Officer.

The Regional Study Centre will conduct all entrance examinations, seminars, classes, campus programmes and yearly examinations. Alagappa University, formed in 1985, recognised under Sec 12-(b) of the UGC. It offers postgraduate diplomas, undergraduate, postgraduate and M.Phil courses through the regular and distance mode. To cater to the needs of the citizens the university has established 27 study centres in different states of India and a few centres in the Gulf countries also.

Inter-school contests organised
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, April 18
The 138th birth anniversary of Mahatma Hansraj was celebrated at Hansraj Public School, Sector 6, here today with great enthusiasm.

Various inter-school competitions were also organised. The participating teams included schools from Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali. The panel of judges were Mr Suresh Mehta, Mrs Usha Gupta and Mrs Jagdamba Gupta. The results are: Declamation Contest: Group A: Neha Gupta of DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, Panchkula, (first); Kanika Barbala of DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, Panchkula, (second); Savia Sachdeva of Mahatma Hansraj Public School, Sector 6, Panchkula, (third). Group B: Munish Vashisht of DAV Model School, Sector 15, Chandigarh, (first); Prashant of DAV Model School, Sector 15, Chandigarh, (second); and Nishant of DAV Senior Secondary School, Surajpur, (third). Group C: Mahatma Hansraj Public School, (first); Sakshi Sharma of DAV Senior Secondary School, Surajpur, (second); and Kanika Sharma, DAV Senior Secondary School, (third).

Ved mantra path: Group A: Anurag Verma of Mahatma Hansraj Public School, (first); Pranav of DAV Senior Public School, Surajpur, (second); Ishani Arya of Mahatma Hansraj Public School, (third). Group B: Urvashi Goel of Mahatma Hansraj Public School, (first); Sulekha of DAV Senior Public School, Surajpur, (second); and Kanya Vashisht of Mahatma Hansraj Public School, (third). Group C: Shiva Gupta of DAV Senior Public School, Surajpur, (first); Munish Gandhi of Mahatma Hansraj Public School, (second); and Yukti Sharma of Mahatma Hansraj Public School, (third).

PU don invited
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 18
Prof D.N. Jauhar has been invited by Etovos Lorand University, Budapest (Hungary), under the Indo-Hungarian cultural exchange programme, a press note of Panjab University stated here today.

A communication with regards to the invitation for the programme has been sent by deputy secretary of the University Grants Commission.

A member of the law faculty since 1970, Professor Jauhar has worked on human rights, landlord-tenant problems, property laws and legal education. He will be working on contemporary legal systems and legal education in Hungary.

Non-govt colleges seek pending grants
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 18
The Federation of Associations of Principals of Non-Government Affiliated Colleges of Punjab and Chandigarh has urged the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amrinder Singh (retd), to immediately release the pending grants of their colleges, in a statement issued here today.

The General Secretary, Principal P.S. Sangha, said that the previous government had withheld grants worth Rs 90 crore, claims for which had been admitted for 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01.

COURTS

HIGH COURT
States, UT told not to deface walls
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 18
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the states of Punjab and Haryana, besides the Union Territory of Chandigarh, not to display or paint advertisements on the walls of public toilets, guide maps, kiosks and dumping sheds.

Issuing the directions in the traffic management and pollution control case, Mr Justice Swatanter Kumar of the High Court ruled that the two states, besides the union territory, may construct public toilets and other structures but shall not paint or display in any manner advertisements on the walls. In his detailed one page order, the Judge also directed that the authorities shall also not display advertisements on the main roads or on the roads leading to the bus stand and the railway station.

The High Court, in its order on July 9, 1998, had made helmets compulsory for both men and women drivers as well as those on the pillion. Persons wearing turbans had, however, been granted exemption. The use of black films had also been banned. Exemption was provided only for security reasons.

The High Court Bench, comprising Mr Justice Sat Pal and Mr Justice Swatanter Kumar, had also directed the punching of licence for each traffic offence. Licences were also made compulsory for conductors. The administration was also told to demarcate parking areas in each sector for vehicles within a month.

Order against HFC stayed

Issuing notice of motion for July 25 on an appeal filed by the Haryana Financial Corporation, Mr Justice K.C. Gupta of the High Court has stayed the operation of a judgement passed by the lower appellant court in favour of a Jind-based industry.

The possession of the unit, according to the appellant, was initially taken over by the HFC in August 1997. At the time of takeover, the unit owned over Rs 43 lakh to the corporation. Subsequently, the offer made by one buyer for Rs 15. 50 lakhs was confirmed.

Counsel for the appellants had added that the trial court, after considering all facts and circumstances in detail, came to the conclusion that the suit filed by the unit deserved to be dismissed. The appellate court, however, erred in coming to the conclusion that the appeal filed by the unit deserved to be allowed.

DISTRICT COURTS
Man sentenced to 5-year RI
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 18
An accused, Lakhwinder Singh, a resident of SAS Nagar, was today sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment by the UT Additional and Sessions Judge, Mr R.C. Godara, in a case under the NDPS Act. The accused was also fined Rs 10,000 by the judge and in a case of default he was ordered to undergo two months more rigorous imprisonment. The police had registered a case against the accused under Section 18 of the NDPS Act on December 4, 1999.

As per the prosecution, on a tip-off a police team held a naka near Sector-11 market and seized 1.5 kg of opium from the accused. It was alleged that the accused had kept the opium in his scooter.

CULTURE

Poet’s affair with hues of love
Parbina Rashid

Chandigarh, April 18
For Kidar Nath Kidar — the poet, love still moves the world. It has been almost six decades since he has been writing poetry in Urdu and Punjabi, but the theme of his poems still remains the same — beauty of love.

For a person who did not even complete his graduation, Kidar Nath shows command over both Urdu and Punjabi languages. For the 76-year-old poet who started writing in 1945, the journey continues.

Already with four poetry books to his credit, Kidar Nath is on his way to publish two more volumes — “Do Bol Pyar Ke” and an untitled collections of poems in Punjabi.

“The love that inspired me to write has taken a more mature hue in my recent creations,” says Kidar Nath. So the poems enlisted in his upcoming book “Do Bol Pyar Ke” are not just about ecstacy and pain of young lovers, but greater love of humanity and patriotism are reflected.

And this new philosophy of life has contributed a lot in shaping his personality that makes him stand up not only as a good poet but also as a social reformer.

The poet has recently set up a trust called Kidar Adabi Trust to promote youngsters to write in their own mother tongue as well as in Urdu.

“After returning from Kuwait and England, where I had spend more then 30 years of my life, it was disheartening to see the effect of pop culture on our youngsters which was deviating them from the richness of our own traditional culture,” he says. This led to the setting up of the trust which is not only meant for young writers but for young scholars as well.

Kidar Nath is also the founder Adabi Sangat, a cultural forum that gives impetus to the Punjabi folk culture and literature.

“The Adabi Sangat is an extension of the Punjabi Adabi Sangat which had started in Kuwait,” says Kidar Nath.

To keep the Punjabi culture alive in a foreign place, Kidar Nath had also started two other organisations called “Bhartiya Kala Sangat” and “Kuwait Bazmi Adab” during his long stay there.

A businessman by profession, Kidar Nath always harboured a passion for writing. “Though due to domestic problems I had to discontinue my studies midway, being forced to take up business for day-to-day survival, but my love for writing never faded during the days of struggle”, time,” he says.

So later in life to make himself better equipped with Punjabi writing, he did a crash course in Punjabi Literature.

His love for Urdu poetry was initiated by Ustad Arshi from Lahore. His first poetry collection “Yaadan De Maruthat” — both the Urdu and Punjabi versions came out in 1986.

His second book “Suman Yaadaan” was a tragic one which was based on the sad demise of his daughter.

However, the book which is closest to his heart is “Kidarnama” a collection of poems written by different Indian poets of Birmingham dedicated to him, besides his own collections.

Capturing gypsy spirit on canvas
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 18
Katarzyna Pollok is quite in love with Asian charms. Her fascination for the multi-cultural land finds a reflection in the works, displayed at the basement of the Pracheen Kala Kendra. Interestingly, the Kendra, dedicated largely to the promotion of performing arts in the region, has forayed into the world of art on canvas with the exhibition by Katarzyna, a Roma gypsy with strong ties with India.

A mention of moorings and the gypsy girl is led down the memory lane. Married to a German and based in Germany for long, Katarzyna loves to flaunt her connection with Sindh, as also with India. The fondness for Indian art and culture is reflected to a certain extent in her works wherein she focuses on Lord Krishna’s images. Explored and executed with honesty, Karatzyna’s art works are about a reflection of her own pursuits as a gypsy vis-a-vis her cultural inheritance.

Among the works on display are diverse themes. Interesting is the string of titles which suggest the spirit embodied by the work. The art works are thus called “Jewish arabesque”, “turquoise arabesque”, “What the Egyptians liked”, “Details of the wall in the Alhambra” and many more.

Executed in a rather interesting medium blending colour with texture, Katarzyna paints her own impressions of the world. The ensemble thus features a maat waiting for justice, a pink maat, black and white angels and many other curious images. As a Sinti (Sindhi) gypsy painter, Katarzyna has clear targets in life. Tracing her moorings is important to her, just as it is to any other Roma gypsy. Creative arts is a simply a medium for realisation of dreams.

Only about four months back the girl was here with her collection, which was rather thin. This time the show has been organised on a larger scale, with the India Inter-Continental Cultural Association collaborating with the Pracheen Kala Kendra to present the exhibition. The exhibition was inaugurated by Mr Ashwani Sekhri, Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Punjab. It will later be taken to Patiala and Delhi.

NEW RELEASES
Amisha, Hrithik together again

ONE-TIME actor Rohit Kumar, son of veteran filmmaker Mohan Kumar, produces “Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage” for young director Vikram Bhatt. A Gautam Kumar production and Mohan Kumar presentation, the film features Hrithik Roshan and Amisha Patel again after “Kaho Naa Pyar Hai”.

“Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage” has story and screenplay by Robin Bhatt and Sanjeev Duggal. Cinematography by Pravin Bhatt, dialogue by Girish Dhamija, art by Gappa Chakraborty and R. Verman, choreography by Ganesh Acharya, Raju Khan, Ganesh Hegde, action by Abbas Ali Mughal, lyrics by Dev Kohli and Ibrahim Ashq are major credits of the film. Music director Rajesh Roshan is a major asset with his foot-tapping compositions.

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T.P. Aggarwal presentation “Bharat Bhagya Vidhata” also opens today at KC, Chandigarh.

The film stars Shatrughan Sinha, Jaya Prada, Chandrachud Singh, Puru Raj Kumar and Shadab Khan in key roles. It is based on aspirations of modern generation.

Osho Raja is the director and Hriju Roy has composed the music. DP