The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

IIAS to break new ground
Preparing dictionary of Indian culture
Chitleen K. Sethi
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 20
“We are going to have our own character, a stamp of our institute that shows on every one of those who are associated with us for research or otherwise. A character not so much in belief in any pre-established set of ideas or philosophy but in terms of a standard of research, a complete thoroughness of knowledge and in undertaking path breaking ventures.”

This is the mantra with which the Director, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, Prof V.C. Srivastava, is working with an aim to give to India an institute that bears its own culture, its own ideology and compiles, as a beginning, all the information that is available on Indian culture, literature and society in its originals.

“We are also trying to get out of the mould which is generally associated with us of trying to revive ancient Indian tradition, which we are not doing. We are focusing on the study of original documents available on ancient India, medieval and modern India”.

The institute has taken upon itself a mammoth project on “Study in Indian Civilization’’. The project has three main objects which include preparation of a dictionary of Indian culture; translation from Indian classics in Hindi, English and other regional languages and preparation of standard monograph on development of Indian civilization. “Most of the work associated with the preparation of the dictionary is over and is ready for publication. This work is important in the sense of not just being a ready reckoner for all those working on other aspects of Indian civilization but also clearing a large number of misconceptions that had set in the understanding and meaning of some concepts. The work also traces the history of words and how their meaning changed over years an what they mean now”, points out Dr Srivastava.

“Majors classics like the Gaha saptashati and Samba purana and two others have already been translated and are being published and many are being worked upon. monograph on Buddhism in Afghanistan, philosophy, religion and science in the puranas are under way. In five years we should have completed this unique project.”

Is the institute also thinking of shedding its Delhi centric image it has had for some years now? “We have fellows from all over the country and I am proud of the fact that we have been able to spark off research in the various colleges in the country through our inter-university college researchers programme. Considering that the IIAS is one of the top institutes in the country that is given to not merely providing an academic environment to researchers for work but also actively involved in dissemination and cross examination of latest researchers in various fields, we are making a concerted effort to be a secular cosmopolitan centre of high quality research and not fall in the trap of being New Delhi centric or JNU Centric or leftist or rightist. The institute is available to entire India for making use for as far as research is concerned.”

Glad that the uncertainly over the housing of the IIAS in the Viceregal’s Lodge in Shimla is now over with the cabinet having taken a decision in their favour, Dr Srivastava is all set to ensure that the grand building proves to be a living monument. ‘‘The endeavour is to move forward into the future with a through knowledge of what went on before us.

Troubled waters of Indian Ocean

Chandigarh, November 20
One of the most troubling international trends during recent times has been what is being called the “second nuclear age.” This process entailing the proliferation of nuclear weapons with particular reference to Asia, has been especially evident during recent years in the troubled zone lying between the Middle East and East Asia which is characterised as the Indian Ocean region.

This was said by Prof Donald L.Berlin of the Asia-Pacific Centre ‘s College of Security Studies, Honolulu, USA, while delivering his address on “Nuclear weapons in the Indian Ocean” here today. He was speaking on the third day of the ongoing conference of the Indian Ocean Research Group at Panjab University.

“The Indian and Pakistan nuclear blasts of 1998 were a key milestone in this process. However, most observers have overlooked certain critical developments in this area. These occurings form an arc from Atlantic Sea to the Bay of Bengal and involve the United States, Israel, Iran, India, China and Pakistan which in the process connects Middle East with South Asia and South Asia with east Asia,” Professor Berlin said.

Professor Berlin added that the growing nuclearisation of the Indian Ocean region is the latest in a series of strategic developments that reflect the numerous strategic rivalries that are finding focus. Nuclear arms, for better or worse, will play a key role in evolving political rivalries of the 21st centuries.

Prof Timothy Doyle of Adelaide University, Australia, in his paper on” An Agenda for Environmental Security in the Indian Ocean region” said: “Depending on the disciplinary paradigm critical geo-politics, military security or environmental politics are as numerous as definition of what constitutes ‘environment’ itself. Environmental security is reliant on shared understandings of ecological conditions leading to potential and real conflicts as well as developing a more sustained, peaceful and resource-secure regional future.”

Dr Kishore Kumar, joint editor of the Society for Indian Ocean Studies, said about 80 per cent of the world’s bio-diversity are found in the oceans and a large part of it is available around the coastlines and islands. They have high fecundity and faster growth rate in the tropical seas of the Indian Ocean region. On the other hand, the growth of major cities among the coast is result of major industries which find oceans an easy ground for waste disposal. This disturbs the eco-system which needs care.

Lt-Cdr Atul Bharadwaj, a research fellow at IDSA, New Delhi, presented his paper on the “Maritime Law of Neutrality in the Age of Terrorism. The paper dealt with the changes brought about in the global maritime security environment by transnational terrorism as well as by “war on terrorism”

300 participate in painting contest
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, November 20
As many as 300 students studying in urban and rural schools of the city participated in a painting and slogan-writing competition as part of the ongoing Sher-e-Punjab Lala Lajpat Rai Martyrdom Fortnight being organised by the Servants of the People Society.

The topics for the competitions were drug abuse, AIDS awareness and reproductive child health. Former Principal of College of the Architecture Aditya Prakash said participation was more important than winning a prize. This led to a better society and commitment to serve people.

The chairman of the Servants of the People Society, Chandigarh branch, Mr Onkar Chand, highlighted the importance of Lala Lajpat Rai as a role model for the youth of India and urged upon them to carry forward the traditions set by him.

The results of the competitions are:

Rural category: Isha of the GMHS, Sector 25 (1); Amrish of the GHS,Sector 24-A (2) and Azad Kumar of the GHS,Sector 24-A (3). Urban category: Khushdeep Kaur of the GMSSS,Sector 38-D (1); Puneet Arora of the GMSSS, Sector 33 (2) and Anshul of Mount Carmel School (3). The consolation prize went to Munish of Sanjay Public School.

Mass leave by PU dons today
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 20
The Panjab University Teachers Association in a press note here today has announced that teachers will go on a mass casual leave on Thursday.

The call for mass casual leave has been given in protest against the rejection of pension scheme by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development “and its callous attitude towards various other demands”.

COURTS

Petition against restoration of petrol station dealership
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 20
In a petition filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, a Ludhiana resident has sought directions to the Union of India, besides the Union Territory of Chandigarh and others, against restoring the dealership of a Sector 35 petrol station in favour of a respondent.

Taking up the petition, a Division Bench of the High Court, comprising Mr Justice N.K. Sodhi and Mr Justice S.S. Grewal, has issued a notice of motion to the respondents for February 18.

In his petition, Pawan Kumar Garg had earlier claimed that the respondents had revoked the termination of dealership in a highly arbitrary manner. Going into the background of the case, the petitioner had contended that the retail outlet dealership was awarded to the respondent in February, 1994. The respondent, the petitioner added, entered into a partnership with him for carrying on the business in spite of an undertaking given by her and as such violated the terms and conditions contained in the letter of intent. The condition of not entering into a partnership, he added, was kept a secret from him.

A notice was subsequently issued in March, 1999, requesting the authorities concerned not to extend the lease of land allotted to the respondent because of the clause violation. Later, the petitioner claimed, it was directed that the lease in favour of the respondent should be treated as terminated on the expiry of five-year period.

Counsel for the petitioner added that the respondent was, however, active in getting the letter of termination revoked. It appeared that political influence was exercised, counsel submitted. Referring to a letter, he further submitted that the then Union Minister of Labour wrote a letter to his counterpart in the matter.

He further added that the revocation of the termination letter was clearly an act of favouritism. Under political influence, the Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister got the case dropped.

HIGH COURT
List of cases
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 20
The Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered that a list should be furnished of all the cases in which judgements have been reserved by the Judges sitting in single and Division Benches.

In a circular, the Chief Justice, Mr B.K. Roy, has also asked that the list should include the dates on which the judgements were reserved. The decision is significant as the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association members, in an earlier resolution, had decided that a list of all the cases, in which judgement was reserved over six months back, should be prepared.

DISTRICT COURTS
Cooperative bank scam: incriminating papers seized
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, November 20
The Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) has seized various incriminating documents related to 11 crore State Co-operative Bank scam from Delhi. This was disclosed by CBI officials while seeking police custody of the former General Manager of the State Co-operative Bank Chandigarh, Vinod Sharma, in a local court here today.

The accused, Vinod Sharma, was produced in the court of the UT Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr C.L Mohal, this evening. The CBI counsel, Mr Rajan Malhotra, argued this after getting some information from the accused during his custodial interrogation that some of the documents related to the case had been kept in Delhi. A team of CBI officials had raided his house in Delhi and laid hands on various incriminating documents. The counsel further argued that the police remand of the accused, Vinod Sharma, was necessary to verify the documents seized in the case. The CJM remanded the accused in police custody till November 22.

Case adjourned

A local court today adjourned the hearing of a case against the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) Chairman, Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu, under the Arms Act and the Excise Act. The court has fixed the hearing of the case under the Arms Act for December 12 and the Excise Act for December 3.

The case against the accused was registered under the Excise Act after the seizure of 14 bottles of foreign liquor and the Arms Act after the seizure of 250 rounds of .12 bore gun and 225 rounds of Springfield rifle from his house in Sector 39. The accused was arrested by the Vigilance Department, Punjab, on March 26 while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh.

Beant Singh trial

The statement of one more witness, Jagdish Singh, was today recorded in the Beant Singh assassination case before the UT District and Sessions Judge, Mr H.S. Bhalla, in a special court room in Model Burail Jail. The witness, a relative of one of the accused in the Beant Singh assassination trial, Paramjit Singh, today stated that the accused, Paramjit Singh, had visited his house in Mohali in 1995. He denied that two other accused had also visited his house during that period. He however denied that an other accused in the case had stayed in his house.

Judicial remand in flesh trade racket
Our Correspondent

Panchkula, November 20
The Panchkula Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Kamal Kant, today remanded in one-day police custody three pimps including, Amandeep, and in 14-day judicial custody three call girls for their involvement in a flesh trade racket in the town.

The CJM has also remanded Siddharth, a brother of Amandeep, who had offered a bribe of Rs 50,000 to Mr Phool Chand, SHO, in judicial custody for 14 days. Taking up the applications moved by defence counsel seeking bail, the CJM issued a notice for tomorrow.

It may be recalled that the Panchkula police busted a flesh trade racket operating from Sector 4 yesterday. During an operation carried out by the police, three call girls and their four touts were arrested.

On a tip-off, the police sent a decoy customer and a raiding party led by the DSP (Headquarters), Mr Desh Bandhu, succeeded in nabbing them.

After all suspects were brought to the Sector 21 police post, Siddharth allegedly offered a bribe of Rs 50,000 to Mr Phool Chand for letting his brother go scot- free. He was then arrested by the DSP for offering bribe to the SHO.