EDUCATION

Students’ creative skills appreciated
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 29
Tagore Public School was spruced up with rangolis and lighted lamps as the students displayed their creativity with articles of art and craft and others demonstrated glass painting techniques at the annual exhibition ‘Sanskar-2002’ here today.

The students also displayed their skills in science, social sciences and information technology. A book exhibition was also organised.

The gathering appreciated the models on artificial snowfall and production of electricity from cow dung and urine.

The models on evolution of life, intriguing puzzles of mathematics, the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids had been well made.

The judges for the exhibition appreciated the efforts of the students and teachers. They added that such exhibitions developed self-confidence among the students.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Chief Commissioner of Income Tax Sudhakar Verma. He emphasised the need to promote innovative skills. Members of the school management committee and parents of students were present.

Mr Amrit Lal Aggarwal, a member of the committee, said the school had been declared best cyber school among CBSE schools in Ludhiana.

He added that the management had built the Tagore Campus over 13 acres along the Sidhwan canal near South City, where a school and a college were being established.

Sobha Singh birth anniversary celebrations
Our Correspondent

Participants in the painting competition held to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sobha Singh at Gupta Model School. — Tribune photo

School celebrates annual day
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 29
In the annual function of Star Public School, New Hargovind Nagar, the star attraction was the cultural show put up by the students of the school. The programme comprised of music, plays, patriotic songs and religious items. The kids walked on the ramp for a modelling show. Ms Poonam Malhotra of Class IX set the ramp on fire and was awarded the title of Miss Star.

Principal Inderjit Sachdeva said that education was the ‘third eye’ of the man. Without education, man is incomplete. The chief guest, Mr B.L. Bhatia, also echoed the similar views.

Competitions organised
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 29
Declamation, quiz, poem recitation and painting competitions were held at Government High School, Kamran Road, this morning. Dr Ram Sharan Dass Chhabra was the chief guest and Principal Joginder Kaur the judge.

The results are:

Declamation contest — Suraj Kumar of Government High School Shahpur Road (1), Kavita Rani (2) and Manju Bala of Girls Government High School, Kamran Road (3).

Poetry recitation — Karan Sharma of Government High School, Shahpur Road (1), Jasbir Kaur (2) and Kanchan of Girls Government High School, Kamran Road (3).

Painting competition — Baljit Singh of Government High School Shahpur Road (1) and Jyoti of Girls Government High School, Kamran Road(2).

Student brings laurels
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 29
Abhijit Singh Pandher, a student of Class VII of the Green Land Senior Secondary Public School, will represent the state in the National Table Tennis Tournament to be held at Sirsa from December 1 to 10. An excellent achiever in academics and other co-curricular activities, Abhijit took up table tennis as a hobby, but soon picked up the game within a year and started bringing home prizes by defeating players senior to him in age. He won the district championship and got selected for the state in the table tennis tournament held at Jalandhar this month.

Abhijit attributes his success to his school which provided him with excellent infrastructure, facilities and encouragement and to his coach Suresh Sharma. There is no looking back for Abhijit who devotes three hours to his game daily.

COURTS

Gurdev Badal’s police remand extended 
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 29
The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Arunvir Vashisht, today extended the police remand of former Agricultural Minister Gurdev Singh Badal till December 2. He was booked for allegedly amassing property worth Rs 1.7 crore disproportionate to his known sources of income by the Vigilance Bureau.

The CJM directed the investigating officer to get the accused medically examined afresh from the Senior Medical Officer, on the request of counsel of the accused. Earlier the court had also given the same direction on November 25 while remanding the accused in police custody for four days.

He was produced in the court around 2 o’clock amidst tight security. A large number of supporters of Gurdev Badal from his native village, local Akali leaders and workers were present outside the courtroom. They were raising anti-government and pro-Badal slogans.

The prosecution sought seven days further police remand on the plea that it wanted to probe the promotions given to some deputy directors and joint directors by passing the channel of committee constituted for the purpose, suspecting foul play by the accused.

Labour Lok Adalat settles 275 cases
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 29
As many as 275 cases were amicably settled in a Labour Lok Adalat held under the supervision of the Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-Presiding Officer of Labour Court, Mr S.K. Aggarwal. A sum of 6 lakh was disbursed among the employees as they agreed to settle their cases.

The in charge Sessions Judge, Mr S.M.S. Mahal, and the Additional Sessions Judge, Mr Inderjit Kaushik, were also present. Mr O.P. Mehta and Papu Avinash Singh, members of the Lok Adalat, assisted the Presiding Officer in the proceedings. A number of cases pending for years were settled today.

Today’s Lok Adalat brought smiles on the face of Munni Devi, who was struggling to get her wages in lieu for overtime work done by her during her service and wages in lieu of the earned leave and bonus. Apart from challenging termination of service, she filed a claim of Rs 13,650.

She got Rs 30,000 through the Lok Adalat and got rid of unending and expensive litigation.

Nishan Singh and Harvinder Singh, former employees for the Gowrakshni Sabha, got justice after about seven years of litigation. They had challenged the termination of their services by the employer.

Through Lok Adalat, they got 20,000 each and their litigation ended. Hundreds of workers and representatives of employers and employees participated in the Lok Adalat.

This tradition may become history
‘Chhau’ dancers treat students to visual feast
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, November 29
The traditional ‘chhau’ dance of Purulia district may not survive for long. The West Bengal Government is hardly doing anything for the dancers. These were the views expressed by Satish Chander Mahoto, leader of the Sitapur Ganesh Chhau Party. The group is here to perform at Bhartiya Vidya Mandir, Kitchlu Nagar, under the aegis of SPIC MACAY.

‘Chhau’ is performed wearing gorgeous and colourful masks. The masks are in consonance with mythical characters as the themes are from mythology. It has martial music on the ‘dhol’, the ‘nagada’ and the ‘shehnai’. The main feature of the dance is quick movements of dancers.

In the first dance today, the dancers presented the story of Mahishasura. After getting a boon, he makes life miserable for the gods as well as the people. Since he can be killed by a female, the gods create Goddess Mahamaya. The lions, the vehicle of Mahamaya, endeared themselves to the students. The fight between the crocodile of the demon and the lions intrigued the students, The demon is finally killed. The students enjoyed the performance.

In the next dance, the dancers presented the story of Abhimanyu ‘vadh’. The Pandavas come out in full force along with Guru Dronacharya. They march to the battlefield, leaving Abhimanyu to fight the Kauravas. Since he is unaware of how to get past the last door of the ‘chakravyuha’, he is killed. The students were told the stories in advance so that they could enjoy the dances.

A student asked the dancers whether an element of spiritualism was involved in their dances. They replied that it was just the practice. The dance form is being passed from generation to generation.

The 22 dancers, who have small land holdings, are facing economic hardship and almost all of them are illiterate. Mahoto said though the ICCR had sent them abroad, nothing concrete had been done to promote their dance form. He said the intricate masks were prepared by people who were into mask-making for years, but they needed government support.