The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

6300 under-15 kids run AIDS risk
Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 18
As many as 6,300 working children in the city below the age of 15 years stand the risk of contracting AIDS, a disturbing fact that has come to light during the mapping done to assess high-risk behaviour groups.

The mapping has been undertaken by the PGI’s Community Medicine Department for the UT AIDS Control Society. These children, mostly from migrants’ colonies, are employed at dhabas, factories and shops while a major chunk out of them are rag-pickers.

“With the city virtually dependent on migrant population for every single job, the number of child workers is rising, putting them at high risk to AIDS,” explains Dr Rajesh Kumar, Head of the Community Medicine Department at the PGI. Being major contributors to family income, these children stand the risk of being exploited by the employers and others for a number of reasons.

The exhaustive mapping process has been completed after some personal interviews with various high-risk groups during the last four months. Out of the total 80 AIDS deaths that have taken place in the city during the last four years, three have been children.

The total number of fully blown AIDS and HIV positive cases registered with the UT AIDS Control Society, including the deaths, are from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

“The worst is that these working children, for whom sexual activity starts at an early age, are not much aware about the threat and mode of transmission of AIDS, putting them at high risk to the disease,” points out a project coordinator. Though the number of working girls is less than working boys, they face a higher risk of sexual exploitation.

“I was amazed to see an eight-year-old boy, working in a factory, taking intravenous drugs, not knowing about the harmful effect it could have on his body,” discloses a field worker, associated with a project being run for commercial sex workers and drug addicts.

Though the UT AIDS Control Society is running a project for rag-pickers in one of the colonies, seeing the increase in their number some more projects can be started.

“We have approached the National AIDS Control Organisation for sanctioning eight new projects so that all vulnerable sections and sites in the city can be brought under the cover of education and information activities to generate awareness about AIDS,” informs Dr N.M. Sharma, project director, UT AIDS Control Society.

Apart from this section of working children, it is the fast-emerging group of over 3,000 persons associated with the entertainment business in the city who are vulnerable to AIDS. “This is a new trend in the city, on the pattern of metros, where waiters, hotel employees, members of musical and dance parties and those with the hospitality services can be at high risk,” says a doctor associated with the mapping process.

21-member karate team for world meet
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, June 18
A 21-member karate team, including five officials, will take part in the Fourth World Karate Championship to be held in St Petersburg (Russia) from June 21.

Stating this, Mr Ravinder Talwar, President of the Sports Karate Federation of India, said the team was confident of a good performance.

He said Mohitbali Saiyad of Gujarat and Sheetal Hansari of Madhya Pradesh were the best bets for medals. He said players from Australia, Spain, France and Nepal were also taking part in the meet. He said he would also attend a meeting of the world body at the same venue on June 20.

In preparation for the world meet, players attended a training camp at DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, Chandigarh. The camp began on June 10.

The team is: Smit Kiran Shah, Akib Sacha, Manish, Mihir, Ravi, Mohibali, Sahedi, Shabina Patel (all from Gujarat), Nandu Rajput, Sriram Dangi, Amit Mishra, Sheetal Chauske and Sheetal Hansari (all from Madhya Pradesh), Chander Bagga (from Haryana), Manmohan Ram and Navneet Bhandari (both from Punjab).

Noor in 2nd round

Noor Paul in the girls section, while Lakshit Sood of Delhi in the boys section moved to the second round in the under-14 section of the Fort St Soldier’s Total Tennis AITA Championship, which is being played here at St Soldier’s Divine Public School, Sector 16, Panchkula. Despite heavy overnight rain, the matches began on time and the meet was inaugurated by Ms Neera Singh, Principal of the school. Top seed Vijayant Malik outplayed Tushar Sharma in straight sets.

Results: Under-14: boys: Vijayant Malik b Tushar Sharma 6-0, 6-1; Bharat Bhardwaj b Akshat Joshi 6-4, 6-3; Lakshay Tanwar b Abhairaj Singh 6-3, 6-2; Vidhan Vyas b Sohail Goel 6-0, 6-1; Rahul Jain b Dhruv Gurwara 6-0, 6-2; Shikhar Kapur b Arwinder Singh 6-0, 6-0; Lakshit Sood b Sidharth Singh 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Girls: Noor Paul b Arushi Sharma 6-0, 6-2; Garima Raj Sonkar b Eqroop Kaur 6-0, 6-0; Qudrat Paul b Anchal Rai 6-2, 6-2; Roop Rihal b Surbhi Verma 6-0, 6-0.

Selection trials

The Chandigarh Fencing Association will hold talent hunt-cum-selection trials for the selection of UT probables for the forthcoming junior and senior National Fencing Championship. The trials will be held at St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, on June 21 at 7.30 am. The selected players will attend a coaching camp under the supervision of Mr Gaurav Sharma and Mr Ramesh Rajput, both fencing coaches.

Cricket meet

All Blacks and Kamal-XI defeated their respective rivals, Ricky-XI and Ajay XI, in the Jai Mata Di Trust Day and Night Cricket Tournament played here at Sector 46 grounds. In another match played, Rawal Club beat RK Club by four wickets.

Deol memorial meet

The First Lieut-Col I.S. Deol Memorial Cricket Tournament, in which 16 teams will take part, will begin on June 25 at Cricket Stadium, Sector 16.

The meet will be organised by Minerva Academy. Giving details of this meet, Mr Ranjit Bajaj, grandson of the late Lieut-Col I.S. Deol, said the matches would be of 25 overs a side. He said the tournament would be annual affair with a running trophy and cash prizes for the winner and runners-up teams.

He said the prizes for best batsman, best bowler, best fielder, best all rounder, man-of-the-match in the final and the man-of-the-tournament would also be given. He said the closing function will be held on July 13, where prizes to be given by Ms Rupan Deol Bajaj, Financial Commissioner, Punjab.

Office-bearers

Mr Arun Grover was elected president of the Panchkula District Cricket Association here on Tuesday. Mr Sandeep Moudgil was re-elected honorary secretary.

Other office-bearers are: senior vice-president — Mr Satish Gandhi; vice-presidents — Dr Ms Rajni Thareja, Mr Ashwani Sharma and Mr Aman Chaudhary; treasurer — Mr Vipin Bhanot; and joint secretaries — Mr Jaswinder Singh and Mr Anil Kapoor.

Navtej Johar to conduct yoga classes
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 18
Bharatnatyam dancer Navtej Singh Johar, who took the world of classical dance by storm by entering the female bastion in style, is finally preparing to give form to yet another dream of his.

He is now getting ready to base his yoga and dance studio, Abhyaas, in the city as well. Already being run successfully for many years in Delhi, the studio will be soon opened in the city also. Apart from lending instruction in bharatnatyam, the studio will also have something for those into yoga, especially meditation.

Since setting up the studio will take some time, Navtej is coming to the city with his set of yoga instructions. Beginning from the coming week, he will hold classes in yoga at Punjab Kala Bhavan, in association with the Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademi, and at Planet Fitness, Sector 8.

“As a preliminary to yoga classes which will be held every weekend, I am starting with a workshop to be held at Planet Fitness from this week. It will start from June 21.

Later, the classes will be held every weekend — on Saturday evening at Planet Fitness and on Sunday evening both at Planet Fitness and then at Punjab Kala Bhavan, Sector 16,” he says.

Navtej, who has learnt yoga for as many years as he has learnt dance, talks of discipline as a way of life. “I will conduct comprehensive sessions featuring asanas, pranayam and meditation techniques,” he adds.