The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

EDUCATION

SCHOOL BUZZ
Students celebrate I-Day with elan and panache
Smriti Kak

Students of Sant Nirankari Public School presenting a colourful programme.

Like every Independence Day celebration, schools across the NCR hoisted the national flag and amidst singing patriotic songs, they pledged to serve the nation.

In CRPF School, Rohini, the chief guest, Ms Kanchan Chaube, inaugurated the annual exhibition and urged the students to follow the footprints of those patriots and freedom fighters who helped us achieve independence.

A fancy dress competition was organised by Step By Step, Preparatory School, Pitampura. The children paid tributes to national heroes by dressing up like them.

In Bal Bhavan Public School, Laxmi Nagar, the students celebrated Independence Day by singing songs and reciting poems with renowned poet and columnist, Dr K. L. Nandan. A Bal Kavi Sammelan was also organised on the occasion. A fancy dress competition where children came dressed as the leader they idolised was also organised.

Students of Sant Nirankari Public School, presented a colourful programme on the occasion. Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha, Mr Subhash Chopra addressed the students and asked them to work selflessly for the society and the country. He said we should endeavour to retain the freedom, which we got after years of toil and sacrifice.

Independence Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm at Masoom, a school for children with special needs. The flag was hoisted by Mr Sanjay Dalmia, the president of Organisation of Understanding and Fraternity. Addressing the parents and guests, Mr Sanjay Dalmia said: “The children of Masoom should not feel inferior to anybody. The children have lot of potential which they have proved today to everybody present here”. He praised the efforts of teachers in helping the children learn the skills.

Followed by flag hoisting was the National Anthem and rendition of patriotic songs. Mr Uday Pratap Singh, MP, praised the efforts put by the parents and staff of Masoom in making the special children excel in music, art and craft.

Students tie rakhis on Deputy PM

Raksha Bandhan, the festival signifying the bond between a brother and a sister, was also celebrated in schools with gaiety. A group of students from Sapphire Nursery School, tied rakhis to the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L. K. Advani, at his residence.

The children were offered sweets along with words of wisdom form Mr Advani. Talking to the children, Mr Advani said, “It is a very special day because we learn to protect our loved ones and share a feeling of love and affection with everyone. Students are the basis of a solid foundation for the future. We need to nurture them with care and affection, tying up rakhis today means that we are bound forever with each other to protect and care”.

Handmade Rakhis hanging all over the school was how children at Mother’s Pride decided to celebrate the occasion. Dressed in traditional clothes the children had a gala time tying rakhis and feasting on sweets.

Inter-school dance competition

Biral Vidya Niketan Junior School hosted its annual inter-school cultural bonanza of dance, music and art competitions. More then 21 schools participated in the event spread over three days.

The fest began with the dance competition, ‘Nritya Pratibha’, the host school along with Vishwa Bharti Public School won the first prize in the solo dance category.

The first prize in ‘Swar Sangam’, a music contest went to St. George’s School. In the solo category, the prize was bagged by Arushi Khanna of the host school.

In ‘Rangalap’, the students of St. George’s walked away with the first prize in the group category followed by the group from the host school and Harkirat Kalsi of St. George’s got the first prize in the individual category.

Vishwa Bharti shine

Vishwa Bharti Public School won the overall trophy for the best school in music and dance category for seniors at a competition held in Birla Vidya Niketan. Shovik Chakraborty came third in clay modelling and the group came third in Bhajan category.

In ‘Reverberations 2003’, Disha Nayar and Tulika Gupta won the first prize for illustration and presentation of poem while Raji Murthi won the second prize in essay-writing.

In Hindi literature and grammar quiz Soumya Dureja and Ayush Tomar stood second and Mayank Jain stood third in Hindi debate.

In Expressions 2003, an inter-school competition organised by Bal Bharati, Brij Vihar Arpana Chakraborty and Anshul jain won the first prize in computer programming, Tulika Gupta, Anirudh, Yamini and Disha Nayar stood first in creative writing.

The senior and the junior teams won the second place in the quiz contest. Aishwin Arya and Tulika Gupta stood third in solo singing and book jacket competition respectively. The school also bagged the ‘Best School Trophy’.

(Parminder Singh)

Principalspeak
Forgive and forget: Ensure your peace of mind

An eye for an eye sounds good, but it leaves everybody blind! Is it worth it? Revenge is like biting a dog because the dog bit you. It is common sense that you should not forget being bitten but that is only to ensure your are not bitten again. Instead of biting back, we need to learn from this experience. A desire for revenge will harm you more than the person you bear a grudge against. Thus, as Ingrid Bergman says, “Happiness lies in good health and a bad memory. A bad memory helps us to forgive and forget”. The decision to forgive and forget is not simple. But the choice is yours. You can take it in a split second or go through years of agony and heartburn.

For months, nightmares invaded Rajan’s sleep and he would wake up with his fists pounding on the bed. He was hammering a cousin, who had stuck an awful blow by snatching away his lucrative business deal that had led to a loss of face, financial setback and a feeling of betrayal.

Angry and revengeful thoughts gripped Rajan’s mind, and driven by his frustration, he began plotting and planning revenge. He isolated himself from his friend, who tried to show him sense and advised him to move on. He clung to his pain and tied himself in so many knots that he was soon hospitalised with several ailments.

Some months later, when his cousin wrote seeking forgiveness, after hours of introspection, he realised that if he didn’t forgive, he would continue to be the loser. He was letting all happiness and opportunities slip out of his life. Thus, he realised he needed to forgive to take back his life.

Forgiveness, is not denying you are angry or pretending that the injury didn’t hurt. It is not an act of reconciling - indeed you can forgive the offender but choose not to resume the relationship. Forgiveness is to experience more moments of peace and to rethink how you feel about being hurt.

‘It is moving from continually replaying your personal grievance story to revisiting it, so that you are no longer a victim of the past’. An oft-repeated question is, “If others do not forgive you, why should you forgive others?” This is for you to decide. If you wish to boil in your juices, very good. Go ahead! But, if you wish to restore your peace of mind, you have to learn to come out of it.

A statement like, “I can forgive, but I can’t forget” reflects a closed mind. It needs doors, windows and ventilators to get the negative thoughts out. Do not become a garbage collector and clutter your minds with old grudges. “Forgive and forget” is the simplest solution. It spring cleans the mind and brings in a positive mindset.

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude”. So, develop it. We all make mistakes and thus to forgive others reflects emotional maturity. It is not a sign of “weakness” or that you consider the others person’s act just, it simply means that you have the ability to rise above negative emotions. “Anger, resentment and unforgiveness breed diseases of the soul as well as the body”. Believe me, forgiveness is a good medicine, which restores physical, moral and spiritual health. Try it.

Madhu Chandra
Principal
Birla Vidya Niketan

COURTS

CBI appeals to court to close graft case against DMS officials
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 17
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has appealed to the Special Judge to close the case against the senior Delhi Milk Scheme (DMS) officials allegedly involved in the fire extinguisher purchase scam of November 2002.

According to the complaint filed in the Special CBI court on November 7, 2002, Akash Laxman, DMS Officiating General Manager, Virender Singh Joon, Store Officer and Om Prakash Sangwan of Cascade Counsel Tech Pvt Ltd of New Delhi and others had conspired to purchase 149 fire extinguishers worth Rs 42.65 lakh for pecuniary benefits without floating tenders.

The purchase was beyond the financial powers of Laxman, who was only officiating as the general manager of the organisation. Purchase beyond Rs 25 lakh required the approval of the Management Committee of the DMS.

The DMS, an organ of the Department of Animal Husbandry of the Union Ministry of Agriculture, is engaged in the process and sale of milk and its products in the Capital.

It was alleged that Laxman had pressurised the then Store Officer V K Narula and Deputy Security Officer Jagdish Chander to put up the proposal for purchase of the equipment without calling the tenders.

Even, when Mr Narula refused to obey, he was shifted and Joon was posted as the Store Officer, the complaint alleged. Laxman had also allegedly pressurised Accounts Officer Jasvinder Kaur to make immediate payment to the supplier. Laxman and others had conspired to purchase the equipment through Kendriya Bhandar from Cascade Counsel Tech. Pvt Ltd even though its name was not suggested by the Director General of Supply and Disposal (DGSD), New Delhi.

The DGSD had suggested the names of Sumit Industrial Corporation, Kolkata, A K Industries, New Delhi, Ashoka Engineering Co, New Delhi, Bharat Engineering Works, Mumbai, Hitesh Industries, Mumbai, Jangra Engineering, New Delhi and Krunal Engineering Works, Thane for the supply of ISI mark equipment. On July 19, 2002, a committee had recommended for the purchase of the fire extinguishers for the plant and office of the DMS and the deal was through within a month, the complaint had stated.

The supply order was signed by Virender Singh Joon on July 29, 2002 and the letter reached the Kendriya Bhandar the same day. The Cascade Counsel Tech. Pvt Ltd had installed the equipment within five days, which was even inspected by a team of DMS officers on August 3, 2002. Such a huge sum of Rs 42,65,044 was paid on August 13, 2002 by the DMS to the Kendriya Bhandar.

The supplier was given the payment of Rs 37,84,340 by the Bhandar on August 19, 2002 after deducting its five per cent commission, said the report filed in the court of Special Judge.

All the accused were booked under sections 120-B, 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 13, 13 (1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act for alleged conspiracy, cheating, bribery, misuse of official position and loss to the public exchequer.