20 posts of Principal vacant
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 3
As many as 20 government colleges in the state are functioning without Principals. The departmental promotion committee (DPC), which was to meet on May 31, has been postponed. The Principal Secretary, Higher Education, had given assurance to a delegation of the Punjab GCTA on May 17 that all eligible lecturers shall be promoted by the DPC on May 31 so that no college remains headless.

Prof Jaipal Singh has condemned the government attitude as three big colleges in Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda became headless on May 31. The recent postponement of the DPC has created distrust among the teaching community. Mr Singh said that more than 600 posts of lecturer are lying vacant, while the GCTA appreciates the efforts of the Punjab Government to eradicate corruption, it condemns the government’s decision to impose a blanket ban on recruitment. 

Youth parliament session at PAU
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 3
A team of 45 graduate and postgraduate students from Punjab Agricultural University participated in the national-level Youth Parliament contest held in the Pal Auditorium here today.

During the session, Gursimranpal Singh acted as the Prime Minister, Jyotsana Atri as the speaker and Harmandeep posed as the leader of the opposition party. Besides, other students acted as ministers and members of Parliament. The entire show was a mimickry of the real Parliament session and bills on different issues were passed by them during the session.

Ms Rewa Rani and Mr Bhoj Raj, both undersecretaries, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Ms Rajinder Kaur Bulara, former Member of Parliament, and Prof S.S. Khurana, former head of the Department of Chemistry, S.D. Government College, formed the panel of judges. Harmandeep received the first individual prize during the contest, which lasted for an hour.

Mr M.S. Grewal, secretary, University Speakers’ Forum, said that the team had earlier won the first prize in the north zone contest. He said that winners of each zone were now being assessed in their respective colleges for the final national level contest, the results of which would be declared later. 

Workshops at BVM school
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, June 3
As many as 220 students, including 164 boys and 56 girls, have been taking part in the fourth annual sports camp and different workshops being organised at the Bhartiya Vidya Mandir, Kitchlu Nagar, Ludhiana.

According to a press note of the school management, these students have been imparted extensive training in different disciplines and workshops for dance, music, art and craft, soft toy-making, cooking, art of elocution, computer science and model-making have also been held.

Earlier, Mr Ashok Setia, Director, BVM, declared the camp open. Mr Baljeet Singh Gill, in charge sports, introduced six players of the school who represented the Punjab State at national-level meets. Mr Manoj Gupta, manager, Mr Goutam Gupta, principal, BVM, Kitchlu Nagar, Ms Ahok Verma, headmistress, Mr Rajesh Prashar, officiating principal, Udham Singh branch and Ms Sudesh Verma, basketball coach with the Punjab Sports Department were also present on this occasion.

CULTURE

‘Films on Bhagat Singh deviate from truth’
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, June 3
While patriotic fervour in Bollywood has motivated five film- makers to capture the life,times and supreme sacrifice of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh on celluloid, the effort has not gone down well with the kith and kin of the martyr who allege that the films deviate from the truth in the guise of poetic licence. The major grudge is that his story of life has been distorted keeping in mind the box-office.

The first movie of the series Shaheed-e-Azam was released in a local theatre, recently. Shri Bhagat Singh Manch had invited who’s who of the city to watch the movie including Bhagat Singh’s Ludhiana-based nephew, Dr Jagmohan Singh. Talking to Ludhiana Tribune he said ,”It has fallen short of my expectations. The movie, no doubt, has shown some real facts. The scene of how the Central Assembly reacted after the bomb was thrown was the plus point of the movie. The youngsters would know that Bhagat Singh had greater love for books than picking arms. He had to take to arms as a last resort. Some new facts of life of Bhagat Singh, particularly the circumstances that forced him to throw the bomb in Central Assembly, have been revealed. The scene will endear him to people’s hearts.”

However, Dr Jagmohan Singh was disappointed that thinking side of Bhagat Singh was not touched upon. He said,” Unless and until the serious thought process that was responsible for his actions is shown, which makes him a legendry hero, the movie is not complete. At the time when Bhagat Singh jumped into action, there was political vacuum. The three major issues on which he differed from national leaders were not included. The question of untouchability after 1920 communal award which caused polarisation among the leaders on communal lines made Bhagat Singh disagree with Lala Lajpat Rai. He had the courage of conviction and always voiced his thoughts in public. The second point that pained Bhagat Singh was division of untouchables by exercising force of money. He resented it as he wanted every one to stand on their own. The third issue was that the Congress was in a dilemma as they were not sure of their aim. They did not know whether they wanted a dominion status or national status. At this point entry of a 20-year-old Bhagat Singh and his actions was the decisive force. These should have been included in the movie.”

Ms Paramjit Kaur and other nieces have challenged the screening of films on the legendry hero, Bhagat Singh. The nieces claim that the movies contain distorted version of the real story of Bhagat Singh. The petitioners have moved court, and a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court comprising Justice J.L. Gupta and Justice N.K. Sud has issued notice to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and also to Iqbal Singh Dhillon (whose movie Sheed- e- Azam was also released recently), Raj Kumar Santoshi, director of the film, for June 12 on a petition filed by Paramjit Kaur and other nieces of Bhagat Singh.

Some promos on the television of one of the films on Bhagat Singh have shocked the petitioners. They say that in real life, Bhagat Singh had not ever given his consent for marriage. Even when he was engaged, he had never seen his fiancee, but in the movie they are seen singing a duet. They further said that no film-maker had ever taken their permission. Moreover, no one had actually visited the real places of happenings.

Ludhiana girl storms the world of fashion
M.S. Cheema

Ludhiana, June 3
A daughter of India, Ritu Beri, hailing from Ludhiana, stands atop the pinnacle of the fashion world today in Paris, the capital of the fashion world. We can compare her achievement to another daughter of Punjab. Karnal-born Kalpana Chawla, NASA-trained astronaut who was the first Indian who boarded the space shuttle. Ritu Beri established herself in the national capital as well as Bollywood and other cities. Madhuri Dixit and scores of beauties have hoisted Ritu’s flag of success.

Though reticent by nature, she has shared her ideas through the media, especially fashion journals. Undoubtedly, she carved a niche for herself, despite the odds of natural competition and challenges of commercial calculations.

She is currently working for the world-famous Jean Louis Scherrer. Paris-based fashion house. She is not only the first Indian to have had the honour of joining this House, but also the first Asian. A repeat of Kalpana Chawla, indeed. Chawla and Beri unite the best of science and arts in the western world as daughters of India.

Ritu Beri’s ancestry is linked to Jassowal village. She is the daughter of Col Balbir Singh Beri. Her grand father, Dr Dharam Pal Beri, was a noted physician and surgeon. He worked with the World Health Organisation in East African countries.

Master P.L. Gupta (Arya School/P.L. Printers) fondly remembers L. Bhagwan Dass, Dr Dharma Pal and Col. Balbir. He affectionately talks about Ritu as his own grand daughter.