EDUCATION

After DU, poll fever grips JNU 
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 18
After the Delhi University, the election fever has shifted its base to the Jawaharlal Nehru University. Though the dates for the elections are yet to be announced, the tempo for the elections is steadily building.

The SFI-led students union in the university today announced September 29 as the date for formally handing over charge to the election committee. The outgoing students union hands over the charge to the election committee following which the dates for the elections will be decided and announced.

The dates for the GBMs in each school have also been announced. Starting Monday, September 22, students in each of the eight schools will vote and participate in the GBMs. The School of Social Sciences will lead with the rest of the schools following with their GBM and debates.

Based on the report of the outgoing union’s performance, which is prepared by the convenor of each school, the students cast their vote in favour or against the union.

The election committee, which comprises students, will set the ball rolling for the elections after the handing over of the charge later this month. Students backed by the SFI, the ABVP and the NSUI are in the fray.

Provide electricity to Hastasal within four months: HC
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 18
The Delhi High Court has issued orders to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the BSES to take steps to provide electricity to the residents of the resettlement colony, Hastasal.

The court has asked the DDA to provide the land for setting up substations in Hastasal within a month from the date of order and asked the BSES to provide electricity within four months to the residents who had been living without it for the last four years.

In its order, the Bench comprising Chief Justice B C Patel and Justice AK Sikri said that the BSES must try and provide at least temporary electricity connections to the people till the time proper and permanent connections are made available.

The Bench was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a lawyer of Social Jurists, seeking the court’s directions in taking immediate and adequate steps to provide streetlights and permanent electricity connection to the people of Hastsaal Resettlement Colony.

The PIL pointed out that the colony, housing close to 20,000 people, has not been provided with electricity and streetlights. Lawyer Ashok Agarwal of the Social Jurists said that in the absence of streetlights, the crime rate in the area has increased.

He added that as there was no electricity connections, the school students suffered most.

The Bench ruled that it is duty of the licensee under Section 42 (BSES, in this case) to take appropriate steps for developing and maintaining electricity.

Under Section 43 of the Electricity Act, 2003, every licensee shall on application by the owner or occupier to any premises, give supply of electricity to such premises, within one months after receipt of the application requiring such supply. Therefore, it is duty of BSES to supply electricity to the residents of the resettlement colony, it was pointed out.

The court also ruled that it would not give a verdict on the dispute raised by the BSES and the DDA on the issue of bearing the costs. It said that the internal dispute would be decided by the appropriate forum.

HC notice to NCT Govt, head of blind students’ hostel
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 18
The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the NCT Government and the superintendent of the hostel for college-going blind students here on a petition alleging irregularities in admission procedure.

While issuing the notices, Justice Vikramjit Sen asked hostel superintendent Krishan Kumar to appear in person before the court along with all relevant records after a week.

In their petition filed through advocate S K Rungta, the National Federation of the Blind and one Jitendra Singh, a blind student, accused superintendent Krishan Kumar of withdrawing various facilities like Braille pens, stick and cassettes recorders, which were available to the blind students ever since the hostel was set up. The petitioners also alleged that Singh was denied re-admission in the hostel by Kumar without assigning any reason. Many students, whose parental income exceeded Rs 1,000 a month, were being charged hostel fees. The petitioners asked the court to direct restoration of all the facilities allegedly taken back by the hostel management and re-admit Jitendra Singh.

Police remand for two murder accused
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, September 18
Two suspects who allegedly murdered a youth of Mirjapur Kheri village, were remanded in police custody till September 24 by a local court today. The duo were arrested by the Sampla police last evening.

Those arrested have been identified as Rakesh of Ismaila village and Satte of Kabulpur village who allegedly murdered Jawahar Singh of Mirjapur Kheri village on September 13.

Accused Rakesh reportedly told the police during interrogation that his aunt (father’s sister) Ms Ramrati got registered a piece of land in the name of one Jai Singh in place of his father. He doubted that she did so at the behest of Jawahar. He said he had summoned his aunt along with Jawahar to Sampla in connection with the land deal.

He said he along with his accomplice, Satte offered drink to Jawahar and went for a stroll at the bank of a canal. There they battered Jawahar to death with wooden sticks and threw his body in the canal, he admitted.

CULTURE

ARTSCAPE
A mega complex for contemporary art lovers
Ravi Bhatia

The four-storeyed Dhoomimal Gallery mega art complex, situated in the heart of the city at Connaught Place, which opened for visitors on Tuesday, promises to be a haven for art lovers in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Spread over 500 square feet, it will hold regular shows of contemporary art.

The inauguration of the artplex coincided with the opening of an exhibition of over 120 contemporary artists titled, ‘’Contemporary Indian Art: A journey to the past, through the present, unto the future’’. The show features eminent painters like Jatin Das, Satish Gujral, Arpana Caur, Niren Sengupta, Jagdish Dey, Shamshad Hussain and will continue till October 15 in the ground floor gallery called the Ravi Jain Centre for International Arts.

An art museum, dedicated to old masters like F N Souza, Gade, Jamini Roy, Sailoz Mukherjea, M F Hussein, Raza and Ara, is on the first and second floor. The second floor also houses the cultural exchange section for both visual and performing arts. A special library, with reference sections for both Indian and foreign artists and having a collection of 1000 books, guarantees to be a goldmine of art and culture.

A sculpture garden for displaying works of young Indian sculptors has been laid outside the complex. Eminent jurist and former Union Minister Ram Jethmalani inaugurated the artplex while veteran artist Anjolie Ela Menon was the guest of honour.

Thematic display of handicrafts at Asia Pacific Week

A creation of Anju Kumar, who is all set for her solo exhibition.

For the first time an exclusive display of Indian handcraft is being showcased during the Asia Pacific Week from September 13 to 21. The Indian pavilion is being organized jointly by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts and the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Govt of India.

The thematic display will focus on social and environmental sustainability and the achievement in providing service to the communities. The Asia Pacific Week is a biennial platform for political, economic, cultural and scientific exchange between Asia and Europe in Berlin and was initiated by the Governing Mayor of Berlin in 1997. At every APW, there is a focus country. This year India is the focus country and handicrafts are being projected as the special theme.

The display highlights the richness, exquisiteness and intricacy of Indian arts & crafts and its usage in the modern time. And will also be available for sourcing by Germany and Europeans. Twenty seven Indian manufacturers of handicrafts will be present to showcase the best products. The highlights of the event will be live demonstration by Indian artisans and crafts persons on the crafts of wood carving, stone carving, miniature painting, carpet weaving and cane weaving.

A perfect blend of traditional and contemporary will be showcased through art, metal ware, wood ware, hand printed textiles, scarves, brocade & brocade goods, embroidered and crocheted goods, carvings, imitation jewellery, costume jewellery, giftware, decorative and accessories, carpets and jute products etc.

In order to create hype to the Indian Folk art festival, cultural performances will also be held through the organisation of Indian Council for cultural Relations. These will include a classical dance, classical music and a folklore performance.

The crafts from Kashmir and the North Eastern states will be the focus. Kashmir is well known for carving on walnut wood, embroidery on woollens, carpets and hand painted wooden boxes for utility and decoration. North Eastern states are known for producing very fine hand made cane and bamboo products for daily use and variety of eco-friendly crafts. 

Police officer bares his sensitivities

Somesh Goyal with one of his many photographs.

Under the tough outer crust of this police officer, there is a sensitive and artistic soul, which has refused to be subsumed in the world of crime and criminals. On the contrary, he continues to burn with passion. This is evident from the exhibition of 55 selected photographs of Mr. Somesh Goyal at the India Habitat centre here.

An Indian Police Service officer of the 1984 batch and belonging to the Himachal Pradesh cadre, Mr. Goyal is at present posted as a Deputy Inspector General of Police with the National Security Guard (NSG). The photographs were clicked when he was posted in the remote areas of Lauhaul, Spiti Chamba and Mandi.

Goyal started taking photographs right from the time when he was in college. The love continued during his stint as an intern with the Tribune in Chandigarh. But then destiny had other things in store for him. He qualified for the tough Indian Police Service. During his postings in the mountainous state, he was overwhelmed with the raw, natural beauty. With the camera perpetually out, he was clicking away at every given opportunity. People and landscape are his favourite subjects as the photographs reveal.

The senior IPS officer, who is fond of playing golf, has also written five books on travel and tourism. It is obvious that he does not want his initial training in journalism to fade away. There is always time to pursue what interests you, is his motto.

Terracotta dreams of Anju Kumar

Playing with the earth to create pieces of beauty is a passion with Anju Kumar. Dabbling in pottery has earned her not just a name, but also a dedicated clientele. Anju is ready with her solo exhibition, “Terracotta Dreams: Garden Of Eden,” scheduled to he held at the Blind Relief Association from September 27 to October 4. A self-taught pottery expert, the exhibition is Anju’s 61st and takes her into the 13th year of her career. Anju sells under the brand name Anmol Creations and has to her credit pieces that have found a place in hotels and homes in India as well as abroad.

A painter to boot, Anju creates textures that feel like leather, wood, matte and metal. A special theme in this year’s collection is pots with three-dimensional flowers creating a dramatic design entrée.

Abstract art and graphic design are the other influences as Anju borrows from Tantric art and Zen in her oil on canvas and wood-based panels with ceramic relief work.

Besides pots, Anju also lends her unique touch to lampshades, table bases, decorative pillars, settees and flower vases. Input by Smriti Kak

Art therapy for jail birds

The Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Mr Nagmani, inaugurated a month-long workshop on Kathak and other classical dances in Jail No.5, Central Jail, Tihar, earlier this week.

This is the latest foray of NGO Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan, which has been working in Central Jail, Tihar, in the area of spiritual and social renaissance since 1995. Thousands of prisoners have been reformed, it is claimed.

They have shunned crime after their release from the jail, and developed positive qualities of head and heart.

Mr Nagmani was all praise for the yoga, meditation, music and de-addiction programmes being conducted by the sansthan.

He visited the Herbal Garden being developed in ward No. 9 in Jail No. 3 and appreciated the admirable work done by the inmates.

Navratra special

Delhi Pradesh BJP president Madan Lal Khurana releasing the latest album of Amarjeet Singh Bijli, who has made a name singing songs in praise of the Goddess Durga. Aptly titled, `Bhawan Par Chhaina Bajey’, the album consists of eight devotional songs and has been produced by `T’ series.