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March 8, 2003, Chandigarh, India
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SPECIAL REPORT Chandigarh, March 7 As we get ready to celebrate the International Women’s Day, an increasing number of women in the city are facing abandonment at the hands of their children or spouses, who feel that a woman’s worth ends where her productive contribution ends. Managers of Old Age Homes confirm that more women than men are standing in line with requests for accommodation. Social psychologists point towards a grave trend which shows women more vulnerable to the danger of abandonment than men. The reason they cite is “easy riddance of women because they continue to be soft targets, irrespective of tall claims about liberation”. The problem is deeper than it appears on the surface. Clinical psychologists, when contacted, informed that more and more women are feeling alienated in the new scheme of things where consumption rules the roost. They added that due to the heightening trauma that results from emotional and physical infidelity of men, women are falling a prey to panic attacks, a disorder that was little heard of earlier. Said a psychologist, “Men have better options now. They
are increasingly entering relationships outside marriage. The problem is that they see nothing wrong with this.” Experts even say that 80 per cent of women who come to them for counselling have been spurned in love and are emotionally scarred, not empowered. As the debate rages, social psychologists contribute another facet to it. They say that children are now conveniently turning their backs on parents. In most cases, mothers are the sufferers. Old Age Homes serve as pointers to this trend which confirms that more women incumbents are queuing up for rooms. City’s gurdwaras and temples abound in abandoned women. More women are seen begging alms at public places than men. On the eve of Women’s Day, the Tribune tracked down some women who have been subjected to unlimited trauma by their own family. The listings may not help much but they will at least bare some hard truth. * Tara Devi, a resident of Naya Gaon, was forced out of her house by her only son Arjun who, she alleges, forged signatures to usurp her property. The old woman who can hardly make both ends meet, has no help forthcoming, despite the fact that her husband Jagannath Sharma was the driver of Subhash Chandra Bose and was a freedom fighter himself. Tara Devi knows nothing about the Women’s Day. All she wants a decent living. In December last year, she forwarded a representation to the UT Administrator Lt.-Gen. J.F.R. Jacob (retd) who marked it to the SSP. The case was handed over for investigation to the SHO of Sector 11 police station, but nothing has so far been resolved. * Maya Rani (68) comes from a decent family in Chandigarh. Two of her sons earn handsome salaries, but she is found begging alms in the markets of Sectors 34 and 35. With tears in her eyes, she beckons you to help her. “My sons refuse to recognise me. They say I am worthless. I am tired of hiding my face because I have to beg in front of people who knew me as a respectable woman.” * Pushpa (61) has nothing to say. Ever since she left her son’s house to find a new meaning of life, she has hardly looked back. “You cannot live with people who despise you. I wonder if these are my own kids!” |
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Councillors take oath Panchkula, March 7 The municipal council office in Sector 4 here was abuzz with activity since morning as the councillors, including 12 women, gathered here along with their supporters to participate in the oath-taking ceremony. However, because of space constraints in the committee room of the MC office, the council staff asked the councillors to come alone for taking the oath. This ruffled several feathers and the councillors
expressed resentment against their supporters and family members not being allowed in the ceremony. At this, the Executive
Officer, Mr O.P. Sihag, clarified that it was a meeting of the councillors and not a ceremony. He, however, expressed regrets at the inconvenience caused to the
councillors. The oath of allegiance was administered by the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.K. Goyal, and all councillors pledged to work in unison for the development of the township and to maintain the decorum of the House. However, immediately after the oath was administered, a few councillors, led by Mr V.K. Kapoor of Ward N0. 6, curtly thanked the Executive Officer for the ceremony, asking him to at least ensure proper seating
arrangements for the councillors. Following this, a few councillors left the venue. Later, the remaining councillors held discussions on current problems pertaining to sanitation, street lighting, rise in cable tariffs, repair of roads, etc. The Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.K. Goyal, asked the councillors to discharge their duties positively. |
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Head Constable commits suicide Chandigarh, March 7 The victim, Mohinder, hailing from Mahendragarh in Haryana, was on security duty along with three other CISF personnel at the high-Security Secretariat complex. The police has found a note from the possession of the victim. A senior police official said though the cause of suicide had not been mentioned, the victim in the note, addressed to his wife, had mentioned about some amount he had lended to different persons. After the autopsy conducted at the Sector 16 General Hospital here, the body was handed over to family members of the victim. The police has initiated inquest proceedings under Section
174 of the CrPC. The viscera of the deceased has been sent for chemical
examination to Patiala. In another incident, an 18-year-old girl was kidnapped from the Kajehri market on March 5. According to information, a resident of Kajehri village complained to the police that Madhu and her brother, Chandhan, kidnapped his daughter. A case under Section 366 of the IPC has been registered at the Sector 36 police station. Meanwhile, two separate incidents of theft have been reported from the city during the past 48 hours. Mr Prem Chand Verma, a resident of Sector 46, complained to the police that his car (CH 03 E 0656) was stolen from outside his residence last night. In another case, Ms Shushma Sagar, a resident of Sector 44, complained that two scooter-borne unidentified persons snatched her purse containing Rs 250, two CDs, an ATM card from near her residence. |
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Spring festival results Panchkula, March 7 The judgement for the best individual gardens in the town were announced yesterday. As many as 41 entries were received for this competition, said Superintending Engineer, Horticulture, Mr Jogi Ram. The results: Best Garden in cantonment area (Chandi Mandir) Garden in two kanal houses and above: Lieut-Gen S.S. Mehta, Ist; Major-Gen K.S. Rao, 2nd; Lieut-Gen S.S. Chahal, 2nd. Garden in one kanal houses: Brig Kuldip Singh, Ist. Garden in 14 marla houses: Lieut-Col J.P.S. Mahla, Ist; Lieutement B. Mahajan Ist; Lieut-Col J.S. Randhawa, 2nd. Garden in less than 14 marla houses: N/Sub S.P. Singh, Ist; Sub S.N.S. Yadav, 2nd. Garden in institutions: W.C. Signal Regiment, Ist; Station Head Quarters, 2nd; Officers Mess, 2nd. Best garden in Panchkula Garden in two kanal house and above: Mr Algu Ram, Ist; Mr Bhagat Ram, Ist; Mr Shalig Ram, 2nd. Garden in one kanal houses: Mr Mohinder Singh Puri, Ist; Mr Anu Goel, 2nd; Mr B.S. Thakur, 2nd. Garden in 14 marla houses: Col B.C. Katoch, Ist; Dr Sanjay Kalra, Ist; Mr Sudershan Jindal, 2nd. Garden in less than 14 marla houses: Dr V.P. Sood, Ist; Ms Madhu
Jain, 2nd. |
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Street vendors to have it easy Chandigarh, March 7 The draft policy had been forwarded by the Union Ministry of Urban Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to the states for their comments a few days ago, the convener of the National Alliance of Street Vendors India, Mr Arvind Singh, said here today at a workshop of street vendors of Himachal, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. The policy stipulates that if the states do not send their suggestions on the draft policy by March 31, it will be considered accepted by them. The Government of India is likely to table a Bill before Parliament in the Budget session itself to give it a legal shape. Mr Arvind Singh said according to the policy, the planning of an urban area would involve street vendors. Referring to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s letter to the Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi, Mr Vijai Kapoor, asking him to start registration of street vendors instead of issuing them licences, he said the policy also incorporated this suggestion. The policy suggests a committee at the ward level involving street vendors, the residents welfare association, traders associations and other business bodies to plan street vending in their areas. It suggests amendments in Section 34 of the Police Act and Sections 431 and 238 of the IPC to exclude street vendors from the ambit of these laws. It also suggests extending to street vendors small credits through banks. Quoting a study, Mr Arvind Singh said only 40 of the 5,690 street vendors in Patna could get loans from banks. The policy suggests insurance cover for street vendors and their assets and
pension. Toilets and other civic amenities for the street vendors have also been suggested. It also suggests removal of street vendors only for creating public facilities and rejects the grounds of beautification and encroachment for their removal. In case a street vendor is removed from the place of his business, the government will have to arrange for his rehabilitation and pay him compensation. If the business of a rehabilitated street vendor fails to pick up, the policy suggests extending support to such a person. |
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US institute keen on tie-up with CRRID Chandigarh, March 7 The institute is sending its representive, Prof Arthur Waldron, Director of Asian Studies, to Chandigarh, for an interactive session to maximise attention to research output and contributions to public policy discourse and to develop a framework for cooperation between India and the USA in various areas. These areas, according to Mr Rashpal Malhotra, Director, CRRID, are economic policy studies, economy and markets of India and the USA, US and Indian business sectors with a special reference to Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, labour issues, foreign and defence policy studies, social and political studies with a special reference to legal and constitutional parameters, public opinion and demographics, and culture and society with a special reference to democracy, education and other related issues. Professor Waldron and his colleagues have expressed appreciation of the work done by the CRRID to identify and evaluate specific measures to strengthe institutions and organisations and to restore conditions of good governance, accountability and effective reach of development projects and programmes. They have identified Chandigarh as an ideal location for professional analysis of issues on the national agends of India and the USA. While outlining the order of priorities, professor Waldron has suggested that strong impetus to policy action both in New Delhi and Washington can be provided to the institutional network by bringing like-minded friends together and to focus on “high-level knowledge transfer situations”. Both India and the USA have to be viewed as centres of innovation. The immediate requirement is networking with entrepreneurs, professionals, scholars and functionaries in and outside the system from both countries. An interactive session will be held at CRRID tomorrow at 11.30 a.m. |
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Tribune lensman
manhandled Chandigarh, March 7 When The Tribune received information of the incident, lensman Parvesh Chauhan rushed to the spot . However, the photojournalist was allegedly manhandled by security personnel of the bureaucrat as he tried to take photos of the happenings in the hotel. As The Tribune team reached there, they found that the bureaucrat was being carried out of the lift by his gunman, as he was himself unable to walk. As The Tribune lensman tried to take pictures, he was stopped from doing so by the security staff. As the bureaucrat was being ‘helped’ by his guards to reach the car parked at the entrance and avoid the photographer, a person came out of the car threatening the photographer not to click the pictures. The bureaucrat, too, rushed out of the car towards the photographer and tried to snatch his camera. The photographer was manhandled by his two gunmen and the driver. However, he managed to free himself from their stranglehold and ran towards the hotel lobby. However, the IAS officer and his men kept a watch outside the hotel for a while and created a lot of noise outside the hotel. A few occupants of the hotel too came out and asked the bureaucrat and his men to leave. They left the hotel after issuing threats to the photographer. |
Darshani Bagh area not to be acquired: BJP Chandigarh, March 7 Mr Jain and the local unit of the BJP today thanked Union Home Minister L.K. Advani and General Jacob for taking a decision that the houses in the area would not be demolished and the land on which these stood would not be acquired. The residents organised the rally to thank Mr Advani, General Jacob and the local unit of the BJP and garlanded Mr Jain and the local BJP president, Mr Yashpal Mahajan. The Administrator is believed to have taken the decision after Mr Mahajan and the local BJP general secretary, Mr B.K. Kapoor, last evening urged him to spare the populated areas from acquisition. The BJP leaders said the Administrator instructed the officers concerned not to demolish the houses. Addressing the rally, Mr Mahajan assured the people that the BJP would not allow the demolition of houses. He said the BJP was getting these houses regularised one by one. Mr Jain said the policy of the BJP-led Central Government had been to “provide the people with houses instead of demolishing them.” He said the local Administration had already taken decisions of saving houses of the people in Kishangarh and Hallomajra. Mr Jain said the BJP was now taking up the issue of regularisation of houses in the city and surrounding villages by giving them water, electricity and sewer connections. Mr Jain lashed out at the local Congress MP Mr Pawan Bansal and the Congress-ruled municipal corporation for allegedly ignoring the poor and also for following “anti-people” policies. Mr Purushottam Mahajan, local BJP general secretary, Secretary Ram Veer Bhatti, Leader of the Opposition in the municipal corporation Kamla Sharma, in charge of BJP councillors in the corporation Raghubir Lal Arora, Sulekh Chand Jain and Manimajra unit president Jagtar Singh were present at the rally.  |
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Women’s Week celebrated Chandigarh, March 7 The main feature of the programme was a puppet show through which four puppeteers — Pushpa, Rekha, Narinder and Subhash — depicted the sad story of female foeticide. Making a humantarian appeal to the gathering to think deeply before they sacrifice a girl child, the group also warned the audience against the alarming rate at which the women population was going downward. A medical camp for physically challenged children was also organised. Around 20 children will be treated at Prayas free of cost according to Mr T.C. Chopra, organising secretary of the programme. As part of the celebrations, an income generating programme was also organised at Manimajra through which the women were taught about the technics of ‘tie and dye’. |
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Electronics shop gutted Chandigarh, March 7 According to information, the fire broke out in Paras Enterprises around 9 p.m. Passers-by saw smoke coming out from the closed shop and informed the fire brigade. Four fire-tenders reached the spot and controlled the fire in one hour. The owner of the showroom, Mr Anil Kumar Sharma, said TVs, refrigerators and washing machines were destroyed. However, the flames had not reached the basement where a large number of TVs and refrigerators were stored. Though the exact cause of the fire was not immediately known, fire officials believed that it could have been caused by a short-circuit. |
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Workshop on Dalits begins Chandigarh, March 7 He said though the Scheduled Castes had got political power, it was yet to be translated into economic empowerment. The minister added that there was still a lot of resistance to the implementation of the 85th Constitutional Amendment, which aimed at the welfare of the
Dalits. |
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MC BRIEFS Chandigarh, March 7 She also met Mayor Subash Chawla, and apprised him of the problems of these sectors. The Mayor said the re-carpeting of V-6 roads would start from April. Computerised parking The MC has decided to demonstrate computerised parking area management at Bank Square in Sector 17. Disclosing this, the Mayor said the experiment would be conducted for one month. He said the MC had allowed a multinational company, “Introxymetres Incorporation”, through its Indian franchises”, ‘Larys Marketing Services’, to demonstrate computerised paid parking for one month subject to the condition that the firm will be allowed to collect parking fee and retain the same towards cost of demonstration. “However, there will be no commitment from the MC for taking over the system after a period of one month”, said the Mayor. He further revealed that the company had demanded Rs 10 lakh per month for computerising all parking sites of Sector 17. Langar at MC Employees of the MC have decided to organise a langar on March 14, on the MC premises. Disclosing this here, today, a spokesman for the employees union said all employees were contributing money to organise the langar. Enforcement wing The MC has decided to purchase two trucks for its enforcement wing in the next financial year. Disclosing this, a senior officer of the MC said an amount of Rs 10 lakh had been reserved for this . |
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‘Raids’ on nursing homes denied Chandigarh, March 7 Dr Caplash said full co-operation was given to the team, led by Civil Surgeon, Patiala, and all relevant records were placed at their disposal for scrutiny. She said the only dispute which arose on the occasion was that the authorities were demanding a photo-copy of the doctor's slip prescribing an ultra-sound test. She added that it was not practical to demand a photo-copy of the prescription from the patient nor is it possible to retain the prescription because it contains the doctor's advice for the patient as well as the names of the medicines prescribed. She also pointed out that the health team had "visited" only three clinics and nursing homes while there are a number of other such centres located in the area. |
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City lad wins free trip to South Africa Chandigarh, March 7 Enjoying his 'hall of fame' with renowned Punjabi singer Jasbir Jassi and Mr Kewal Dhillon, CEO of Dhillon Kool Drinks and Beverages Limited, at Hot Millions II, here today, Lovepreet was all excited about the trip. “I am too dazed to say anything, but I will go to South Africa to watch World Cup matches,” said Lovepreet as he hugged Jasbir Jassi who had conducted the draw. For this undergraduate student of Manipal Academy, Karnataka, this will be his second international trip. “When I was very young, I had been to Pakistan once, but this is something different altogether,” he said. All expenses for the three-day-and-two-night stay in South Africa would be paid by Pepsi, he said. |
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Yatra by Tibetans Chandigarh, March 7 The rally, which began from Dharamshala, arrived in Chandigarh today after passing through Kangra, Palampur, Mandi, Kulu, Sundernagar, Hamirpur, Una, Nangal, Anandpur Sahib and Ropar. Other such rallies will be organised in different regions of the countries and will terminate at Bangalore and Siliguri. A memorandum will also be submitted to the Indian Government along with an appeal to reconsider its policy towards Tibet. |
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Women’s Day celebrated Chandigarh, March 7 Inaugurating the function, Dr I.P.S.
Bajwa, Branch Manager of the Family Planning Association of India,
delivered a talk on AIDS. While welcoming the chief guest, president
of the association Col. (Dr) R K Dutta emphasised on the pre-natal and
general health care.
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Blood donation camp today Chandigarh, March 7 The camp will start at 10 a.m. A team of doctors from the Department of Haemotology and Transfusion Medicine of Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh, will conduct the camp. |
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Rotary teams call on Jacob Chandigarh, March 7 |
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Seven infants
handed over to mothers Chandigarh, March 7 According to the information available, the mothers of the infants had matrimonial disputes with their
inlaws. |
Chamber seeks deferment of VAT Chandigarh, March 7 The chamber expressed the fear in a memorandum to the Administrator, Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd), that as the details of the procedures and provisions were not available nor had they been published for the business and industry to properly understand them, the business activity in the city was likely to come to a standstill from April 1 if VAT was imposed. It said the relevant notification in this regard had not yet been issued by the Chandigarh Administration to give the trade and industry an opportunity to understand it. It urged the Administration to issue instructions for deferring the imposition of VAT for a year. The chamber said the complexities of different rates and procedures had not yet been understood by the business community in the city. It said it had approached the Administration twice earlier for holding workshops and seminars to make the traders understand the new taxation system to no avail. It said the business community had been left in the lurch with the Administration failing to respond to their demand of holding seminar and workshops. |
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Kagazkriti begins Chandigarh, March 7 This adds much more information on the significance of handmade paper is available at an interactive exhibition called
Kagazkriti, that opened in hotel Shivalik View this morning. An exclusive range of products — from bags and lamp shades to stationery — is available here. Being organised jointly by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission
(KVIC), the Government of India and the United Nations Development Project
(UNDP), Kagazkriti showcases the growth of handmade paper into a productive industry. Mr Ramji Asthana from the UNDP told Chandigarh Tribune, “This paper is made from the residue of tailor cutting and waste generated by hosiery industrial units.”. The exhibition will be on till March 9. |
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