The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

SCHOOL BUZZ
Spectacular shows mark Shemrock’s annual day
Smriti Kak

The Shemrock group of schools celebrated their annual day. In the New Rohtak branch, the students put up a cultural extravaganza. The function began with the lighting of the traditional lamp by the chairperson of the school. India’s cultural diversity was showcased by the tiny-tots as the presented the welcome song, Swagatham.

Children also participated in song and dance numbers. Enthusiasm was written large over their faces as they performed some difficult dance steps.

Meanwhile, the Founder Director of the school, Ms B. Arora, has been conferred the SANSA awards by Friendz Events and Promotions and Federation of Indian Women Entrepreneurs. The award has been given to her for her contribution to the field of pre-school education.

Orientation programme

DPS society chairman Narendra Kumar inaugurating Teachers' Orientation Programme.

Children participating in the carnival, organised by Tinkabells Preparatory School, Vivek Vihar.

DPS International hosted its first Teachers’ Orientation Programme. The programme was conducted by the Principal, Ms R. Williams. Dr Shyama Chona, Principal, DPS, R K Puram and Mr Narendra Kumar, Chairman of the DPS society were the chief guests.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Williams said the school is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education. Prakriti Khandekar, a student of the school performed on the occasion and the teachers also presented a programme on the essence of teaching and learning.

Rebate for students

For the students who have performed well in their exams, incentives in the form of discounts are an added bonanza. From free ice creams to joy rides, corporates have their own way of rewarding the star performers.

Appu Ghar has announced a discount to students visiting Oysters. For students who have obtained 50 per cent marks the tickets cost Rs 75, for those who have scored between 51 and 60 per cent the ticket has been priced at Rs 60 and for those who have scored between 81 to 90 per cent, the tickets are priced at Rs 40. The offer is valid for a limited time and students have to bring in their report cards for proof.

Baby show

Tinkabells Preparatory School, Vivek Vihar, organised a carnival for children. More than 500 children participated in the carnival. With events like fancy dress, baby show and a fashion show lined up children were given a chance to prove their talent.

A panel of paediatricians also did a health check-up of babies. Member of Parliament Lal Bihari Tiwari was also present on the occasion. The Principal, Ms Vandana Kathuria, gave away the prizes.

PRINCIPALSPEAK
Friendships also have a tremendous healing power

No one can get along in life without a friend. Camus wrote, “Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me, just be my friend”. Without a friend one is adrift – without direction, alone, without an anchor to provide the firm footing that one needs in life.

Why are friends so special? Because, friends are there not only to lighten your mood on a dark day; they are there to share in fun and laughter; to acknowledge the sameness and also the unique difference between us. Friends make an extra effort to walk that extra mile with you.

Most importantly, friends listen to you, not just appear to listen or listen selectively, but listen as if they were hearing the voice of their own heart. We all know of those troublesome moments in our life, when without a second thought, we seek a friend to share our deepest thoughts.

True friends always help each other, not as a favour, but because the other means so much to them in their life. These are relationships that just don’t happen. They take time to build and have their foundation in kindness, understanding, self-sacrifice and not in jealousy, selfishness and falsehood. They are based on mutual respect and admiration. Friendship should never be taken for granted. It should be nurtured and treasured.

I recollect a dark moment in my life, when I had performed very poorly in my exams. I felt wretched as I had failed to fulfil the expectations of my parents, my teachers as well as of my own. I could not turn to anyone for I felt ashamed and my self-esteem plummeted. And then, from the window of room, I saw my friend, she came in quietly, embraced me warmly, smiled at me assuring and told me that all was well. Suddenly, her magical presence lifted my spirit, reinstated my faith in myself and put a smile on my face. Without saying anything, she had drawn a pariah back into the fold. I was no longer alone. I had a friend when I needed most - one who could rise above her self-centred interests to respond to my aching need. The greatest of human potentials is the potential of each of us to empower each other especially during difficult times. The shape and meaning of our life depends on the intensity and extent of our relationship with others.

“When two people are at one in their innermost hearts, they shatter even the strengths of iron and bronze. And when two people understand each other in their innermost hearts, their words are sweet and strong like the fragrance of orchids,” said I Ching. True friendship takes sacrifice, loyalty and maturity and thus, when friendship is put to test, it endures, it grows stronger. Remember that true friendship gives more than it gets.

Good friends are crucial for a happy, healthy, and productive life. They provide a support system, vital for the well-being of their friends. Friendships also have a tremendous healing power.

As you grow older, friends assume a new significance and friendship becomes a valuable possession. When you are young, you take friends for granted, “A suit of clothes that be unthinkingly discarded for a fresh one”. But friends are like your well-worn favourite clothes that have adjusted to the angularities and idiosyncrasies of the body, a weathered fabric that one is so comfortable in.

So, walk along in togetherness to enrich the quality of your life. Never part with your friends. There is sanctity in this relationship, which needs to be revered.

Madhu Chandra, Principal, Birla Vidya Niketan

COURTS

Man acquitted in wife suicide case
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 30
A city court giving the benefit of the doubt has acquitted a person and six of his family members charged with abetting suicide of his wife four years ago. The court refused to take the argument of the prosecution side. “Merely because the accused had given some beatings to the deceased did not mean that they had abetted her to commit suicide,” Additional Sessions Judge S L Bhayana said while acquitting the seven members of the family from the charges of abetment to suicide and cruelty towards woman.

Rejecting the police contention, the court said, “The prosecution relied only on vague allegations of beating and harassment made by witnesses which were not able to give any specific date, month or year of demand of dowry and torture meted out to the deceased.”

The police had alleged that the deceased, Mithilesh, was subjected to cruelty by her husband Ishwar Singh and his relatives and she committed suicide because of the torture nine years after the marriage on March 22, 1999.

Holding that the case of abetment to suicide could not be made out, the court referred to several High Court judgements and observed, “abetment can be expressed, implied, direct or indirect but there must be a close proximity between alleged abetment and its effect”.

Besides husband Ishwar Singh, the court acquitted the deceased’s father-in-law and mother-in-law, her two brothers-in-law and two sisters-in-law. Defence counsel B S Rana submitted that the incident took place after nine years of marriage and there was no complaint against the accused by the deceased for about six months prior to her death.

Company ordered to compensate fridge buyer
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 30
Holding a private refrigerating company responsible for a defect in the refrigerator and the subsequent inconvenience caused to the buyer, a consumer court has ordered Electrolux Kelvinator Limited and its distributor to pay Rs 5,000 to the buyer.

The court said that it was a compensation for the defect in the refrigerator and refusing to reimburse the losses suffered by him after it had caught fire. The North District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum also directed them to reimburse Rs 24,319 with interest on account of the losses suffered due to the fire and the cost of the refrigerator. They will have to pay an additional amount of Rs 1,000 as cost of litigation.

The forum took serious note of the fact that the refrigerator, which was manufactured by an international refrigeration company, was still under the warranty period on the intervening night of December 28-29, 2001, when it caught fire.

Mrs Madhu Jain, a resident of Roop Nagar in North Delhi, had bought the 310-litre Kelvinator refrigerator for Rs 12,000, only eight months before the incident.

The complainant had kept the refrigerator in her shop at Roop Nagar where it caught fire. The flames destroyed the goods stored there, besides damaging the room and the electrical fittings.

Besides the cost of the refrigerator, the forum directed the respondents to pay Rs 4,959 as cost of electrical fitting and Rs 7,307 for repairing the room. On a complaint, the dealer Hari Om Electronics sent a surveyor to assess the loss suffered by Mrs Jain due to the defect. However despite verbal assurances, they did not reimburse the losses even after several reminders.

The forum turned down the contention of the respondents that the refrigerator was given for domestic use but it was being used for commercial purposes in the shop of the complainant. It said, “There is no stipulation that the refrigerator was to be put in domestic use and not in the shop.”

Life imprisonment for murder
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, March 30
The Additional Sessions Judge of the Fast Track court Mr B S Rawat has sentenced Anil Kumar, a resident of Kilorad village to life imprisonment with a fine of Rs 5,000 on the charge of murdering one Dinesh of the same village on February 15 last year.

According to the prosecution story, Mr Dinesh was shot dead by the accused Anil Kumar and the police had arrested him later on and sent the challan to the court.

According to another report, Mr R K Bishnoi, Additiona Session Judge has accepted the bail application of Vijay of Garhi Ujale Khan village who was arrested by the police under Section 457 and 380 IPC.