The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

School restrained from striking off name of student
Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, April 26
A local court has restrained the Modern Vidya Niketan, a public school in the Aravalli hills here, from striking off the name of a student from the rolls of the school and directed the school not to withdraw any facility pertinent thereto till the final disposal of the case.

The order has come in the wake of a suit filed against the decision of the school to issue Transfer Certificate (TC) to the student ‘arbitrarily’ recently.

Mr Dev Raj Anand, a resident of Sector- 16 A here had filed the case in the local court on behalf of his son to seek permanent injunction and relief against the decision of the school authorities to issue a TC to his son, Vinay Anand, a minor studying in sixth standard.

The petitioner had alleged that that the TC was being issued ‘forcibly’ and he had never applied for it.

It is claimed that an incident in which father of the student had lodged an objection with the school authorities over some shortcomings in the teaching by certain teachers in the Parents-Teachers meeting, had perhaps not gone down well with the school authorities. Since then, they had been recording adverse remarks in the diary of the student and also finding an excuse to get rid of him.

The plaintiff claimed that that since the student had been above average in his studies and depositing the fees and also doing his work on time, there was no ground to strike his name from the rolls of the school.

It was stated that the cause of the action to file the suit occurred on April 3 when the defendant forced the plaintiff to apply for the TC.

The court of Mr A D Dewan, Civil Judge (junior division) after hearing both sides ordered that the school was restrained to strike off the name of the student as well as from withdrawing the facilities till the final disposal of the suit on merits.

Welcoming the decision, the ‘Abhibhawak Ekta Manch’, Faridabad, has claimed that due to the awareness campaign launched by it, parents have started raising their voice against the ‘irregular’ and ‘arbitrary’ moves of the schools.

PROFILE
Anita hoping to make it two in a row
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 26
The 1998 Lok Sabha election would have completed the INC’s whitewash in NCT of Delhi but for its win in the Karol Bagh (Reserved) parliamentary constituency. The BJP bagged six seats and INC one. Meira Kumar carried the day for the INC.

A year later, in the 1999 parliamentary election, even Karol Bagh (Reserved) deserted the INC. The BJP won all seven Lok Sabha seats. Meira Kumar lost to Anita Arya of the BJP by a margin of 12,454 votes. Anita is hoping to make it two in a row in this election.

As per the Election Commission’s (EC’s) figures, Anita Arya of the BJP had secured 1,28,956 votes and 49.93 per cent of the votes cast in the 1999 parliamentary election. Meira Kumar of INC won 1,16,502 votes and 45.1 per cent of the votes.

A PhD from Agra University, Anita faces Krishna Tirath of INC. Krishna was a minister during Sheila Dikshit’s first tenure as chief minister. She is today Deputy Speaker of Delhi Legislative Assembly. She is contesting for the first time.

Anita’s campaign revolves around the achievements of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government. She also refers to her contribution to the development of this constituency. “The pace of development works has quickened under the NDA Government’s tenure,” she asserts.

She does not forget to remind the electorate of her opponent’s track record. “She was removed from the Council of Ministers because of her involvement in the misutilisation of funds, meant for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.”

In her public meetings, she also refers to the probe by the Lokayukta into the episode. “Not only this,” Anita continues, “she could not get the problems of water, electricity and sewer solved in her own Assembly constituency.”

Unlike the other parliamentary constituencies in NCT of Delhi, the issues of immediate concern to women find a play in the Karol Bagh (Reserved) constituency. Safety and security of women and public distribution system are some of the issues. Another issue that figures in the election campaign in this constituency is the opening of liquor shops by the Sheila Dikshit Government. More than 250 licences have been issued in the past couple of years to open liquor shops in Karol Bagh and elsewhere. The dismal situation of the public distribution system is a key issue. Pilferage and inadequate supply of ration to the families living below the poverty line is being used by both the BJP and the INC to seek the votes of the womenfolk.

Meanwhile, BJP Delhi Pradesh president Dr Harsh Vardhan said that the party national president M Venkaiah Naidu would address public meetings tomorrow in Kanjhawla Chowk at 3.30 pm, Furniture Market, Gandhi Nagar at 5 pm, Multani Dhandha, Paharganj at 7 pm and Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk at 8 pm. National general secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi will be the chief guest in all the four meetings.

Congress, BJP appeal to EC against violation of election code of conduct
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 26
The Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress has filed a petition before the Election Commission (EC) demanding the cancellation of the nomination of the BJP candidate from South Delhi, Mr Vijay Kumar Malhotra, for using the Parliament as the background in his hoardings.

Citing a parallel to the school bag scandal during the tenure of Mr Ajit Jogi in Chhattisgarh, the BJP also urged the EC to take an equally tough stand on its complaint of distribution of school bags carrying the name of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in the Outer Delhi constituency.

Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress president Rajesh Lilothia and Youth Congress Campaign Committee Convenor Sunil Kumar jointly filed a petition yesterday against Mr Malhotra, alleging that the election code of conduct had been flouted.

The petitioners claimed that the hoardings put up in several parts of the Capital had the photo of the Parliament displayed between the faces of Mr Malhotra and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. The BJP election symbol, the lotus, was also displayed on both sides of the photo of the Parliament, which was a clear misuse, they held.

They said Mr Malhotra was taking undue advantage in influencing the area voters by showing that he was a sitting Lok Sabha member.

They further alleged in their petition that if such gross misuse was overlooked by the Election Commission, then even the national flag and other national symbols would be used by others to their advantage.

Meanwhile, the BJP candidate from the Outer Delhi parliamentary constituency, Mr Sahib Singh Verma, today said that the Election Commission had sought a report from the authorities concerned on his complaint. “I met Deputy Election Commissioner Noor Mohammad in the absence of the Chief Election Commissioner today and he assured me of appropriate action if the allegations were found true,” Mr Verma told mediapersons after coming out of Nirvachan Sadan.

“Mr Mohammad told me that he had asked the authorities for a report in this regard and the Commission would discuss it if received today,” he said.

Since the Chief Minister was also a senior Congress figure, distribution of the school bags carrying her name was a clear violation of the model code of conduct as it was aimed at influencing the voter in favour of the party candidate from the constituency, said Mr Verma.

Delhi Pradesh BJP chief Dr Harshvardhan, who accompanied Mr Verma to the Election Commission, said that in a separate letter to the Commission, he had urged the EC to take immediate and similar action in the case as it was done in the case of the then Chhattisgarh Chief Minister at the time of the Assembly election in the state.

Mr Verma, who is facing senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the Outer Delhi constituency, said in reply to a question that thousands of school bags were distributed in the Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Madipur village of the constituency.

DOC MURDER
Dwarka killing: Suspects rounded up
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 26
The Delhi Police are still clueless in the murder case of an MBBS graduate, Dr Sumit Chikra, whose burnt body was recovered from Dwarka on last Saturday.

The sources said that a few suspects had been rounded up and were being questioned. However, the police are refusing to divulge anything.

Some of the friends of the deceased have been questioned as well some of the other suspects but nothing significant has come out from this, said Additional DCP (South-West) D C Srivastava.

“We are trying to ascertain the facts gathered till now, but nothing worth mentioning has been found,’’ he said.

The post-mortem report has yet not been submitted. Once it is submitted, it will be confirmed how he was killed and it will help in investigations.

The DNA tests will also be conducted after the post-mortem report. The body of the doctor was so badly burnt that it was difficult to identify it, the police added.

Meanwhile, the parents of Sumit have arrived from the United States, for which country the Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) graduate was to leave yesterday.

Sumit had returned home on Friday, the day of his alleged murder, at around 9 P.M. and left almost immediately after receiving a call on his mobile.

While leaving he told his sister Eshani Chikara, a student of Physiotherapy at Jamia Hamdard Medical College here, that he would be back within five minutes. But when he didn’t return till the wee hours, a complaint was lodged.

On Saturday morning Eshani received a call from the police that a charred body and a burnt car had been found in Dwarka’s Sector 23.

City scan
No leave for DJB staff in summer
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 26
As the mercury soars and the shortage of water is reported from all parts of the city, the Delhi Jal Board has decided not to grant leave to any of its employees in order to tackle the situation properly.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit reviewed the water situation just after its shortage came to her notice last week in one of the South Delhi colonies.

An official spokesman of the Delhi Jal Board said that in summer when many families went on holiday, no leave was being granted to the DJB employees, not even to the drivers. Officers as well as other employees of the DJB are working round the clock to ensure adequate supply in the city.

He said the city had to make do with only the existing supplies and the Board’s efforts are towards better management of the given water resources.

Pipelines are being repaired, leakages plugged, tankers arranged and senior personnel deployed in critical areas, he added. Things are expected to improve in the coming days as four pipelines, where leakages were reported, have been repaired.

Delhi to observe holiday on May 3

In view of the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday (Eid Milad-un-Nabi) falling on May 3, a holiday will be observed by the Central government offices in Delhi on that day instead of May 2 as announced earlier, an official spokesman said today.

For the offices outside Delhi, a decision on when to observe the holiday depended upon state governments, he said.

Bomb hoax at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan

Panic prevailed at the Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan this morning when a call was received that a bomb had been planted on the premises. The Bhawan which houses the Civil Aviation Ministry, was immediately evacuated and a complete search was done for more than an hour. However, it was later turned out to be a hoax.

The police said that a PCR call was received at around 10.28 am about the presence of bomb in the building located in the Safdarjaung Airport area. Following this, the police with the bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs rushed to the spot and thoroughly searched the area.

Eco watch
The kiss of death in South City
Ravi S. Singh
Tribune News Service

Gurgaon, April 26
The shock caused to the residents of South City-I on account of felling of about 200 trees in a public park by the promoter and builder of South City, UNITECH Ltd, a few days ago, appears to have also affected various species of birds in the area.

Lovers of birds feel that that the damage to the flora has ruined the area’s fauna, too.

It is a nesting season and the birds had set up their abodes on trees. They were felled about a fortnight ago. The action has allegedly damaged birds’ eggs, besides shooing away the sensitive creatures from the park, which spans on about 10 acres. The trees were 10 to 20 years old. The thick foliage, with about 400 well-grown trees in the park, and hundreds of other plants and saplings provided natural home to the birds, including the endangered species.

The people of the area are sorely missing a flight of about 40 peacocks and peahens along with their babes. They grew so accustomed to the nearby houses and their inhabitants that they would virtually stand at a handshaking distance from them. Their songs and calls would reverberate around the area and provided a soothing effect on the populace, every morning and evening.

A resident of the area lamented that his child was more fond of the peacocks than his toys. Now, he often makes pining gestures where the peacocks used to come and park themselves, the resident said.

Another resident said that the chirping of the birds at dawn used to act as an alarmclock for his entire family.

Not many know what fate has befallen the peacocks. With the kind of labour force involved in felling of the trees, they might have perished.

Besides, species like Parrot, Indian Robin, Bulbul, Indian Roller, Hoopoe, white-breasted Kingfisher, little green bee eater, Babbler, Magpie Robin, Coucal (Crow Pheasant), Falcon, Green Pigeon (Hariyal), Indian Mayna and Cuckoo and legion of sparrows were a common sight in the park and its vicinity. A resident of the area said that the South City Residents Welfare Association had recently taken up the issue of development of the park with the UNITECH management. He said that the management does not appear to be responsive to such representations. Its sledgehammer blow to the ecology of the area is an ample testimony to it.

HVP supporters demand transfer of
DC for ‘partiality’
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, April 26
Large number of supporters of the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) held a demonstration in front of the office of the Election Commission in New Delhi today to protest against the decision of the District Returning Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner of Sonepat, Mr M R Anand, declaring the HVP candidate Jagbir Singh Malik an independent candidate from the Sonepat Lok Sabha seat.

According to reports, the workers also sat on a dharna and demanded the immediate transfer of the Returning Officer to ensure free and fair elections in the constituency. The general-secretary of the HVP Mr Rajiv Jain has claimed that Mr Malik had submitted the party documents to the Returning Officer on the day of the filing of the nomination papers.

However, these were found missing on the day of the scrutiny. He alleged that this was a conspiracy between the Chief Minister, Mr Om Parkash Chautala, and the Returning Officer, Mr M. R. Anand.

He declared that if Mr Malik was not allotted the party symbol, he would contest the elections and face the challenge posed by the ruling INLD.

Meanwhile, representatives of various political parties have questioned the impartiality of the Central observers appointed by the CEC for overseeing the Lok Sabha elections in the Sonepat constituency. Talking to mediapersons here today, they alleged that the Central observers, camping in the PWD (B and R) rest house, had failed to take action against the officials who were violating the model code of conduct. They urged the CEC to order a high-level probe into their complaints.

Chautala govt will fall after elections: Sangwan

Predicting that the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) government headed by Mr Om Parkash Chautala would fall after the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP candidate from Sonepat, Mr Kishan Singh Sangwan, said that the two sons of Mr Chautala would forfeit their security deposits, as the people were fed up with the “dictatorial functioning” of Mr Chautala.

He was addressing a series of public meetings in his constituency yesterday.

He said that the electorate in the state would punish Mr Chautala for his ‘anti-people’, ‘anti-farmer’, ‘anti-worker’ and ‘anti-employee’ policies pursued by him in the last four years.

This realisation had forced Mr Chautala to apologise to the electorates everywhere for his wrong doings. Mr Sangwan also stated that the legislators of the INLD were “angry” with the functioning of the Mr Chautala. He said if Mr Bhajan Lal had not “rescued” him, the Chautala government would have fallen after Mr Kartar Singh Badhana had revolted against the Chief Minister.

Politics takes centrestage in Haryana countryside
Deepender

Jhajjar, April 26
With the countdown beginning for polling on May 10 for ten Lok Sabha seats in Haryana electioneering has been in full swing. The atmosphere all around has virtually assumed political colours, engulfing towns and the countryside in its ambience.

Political parties have fanned out their workers among the electorate in a bid to win over voters while elections material can be seen splashed over the town streets, buildings and roadside constructions, throwing the Election Commission regulations out of the window. The BJP candidate from Rohtak is much ahead in campaigning through posters, banners and hoardings. The INLD workers yesterday complained of violation of the model code of conduct by the BJP as the party erected hoardings showing the Prime Minister along with Mr Abhimanyu, party nominee, on the spots where various boards, departments and corporations had displayed their hoardings. These had been subsequently withdrawn by the district administration following the Election Commission directives.

Election fever has also gripped the common masses, especially aged persons, who take keen interest in the intricacies of the political situation emerging in the state during the Lok Sabha poll which would be followed by the Assembly elections less than a year ahead.

“Mannai to kal saari raat machine ka battan dabaya sai”, (I have pressed the button of the electronic voting machine innumerable times in my sleep last night) says an 80-year-old person leaning against the pillar at the chaupal in Baharana village when a Congress leader stresses the importance of every vote while urging them not to forget casting their vote. The obsession of the septuagenarian with the elections caused laughter among the gathering in the sabha apart from the assurance to the netaji.

The villagers, who were busy so far in the harvesting of their rabi crops, have started showing up in great numbers during the public meetings and nukkad sabhas called by the politicians. “As the reaping of crops is complete and garnering of grain is in the last stage we can take time out from the busy schedule by pressing our womenfolk and children to attend the political meets”, maintained a villages. He said despite the hectic schedule of agriculture activities, reaping of ripe crops, garnering and storage of fodder and grain etc. the prospects of various parties are the favourite topic of discussion while travelling in the public transport or maxi cabs.

On the frequent trips of the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to the town, a youngster traveling from Bahadurgarh to Jhajjar in a maxi cab, said, “Chautala to dhingtate vote lena chahve hai. (Chautala is trying to get the votes with force). Everyone from unemployed youths plying maxi cabs on roads to the big businessman are unhappy with him. Look how frequently incidents of murder and kidnapping are occurring in cities like Rohtak, Panipat , Sonepat and Bahadurgarh.” His remarks did not go down well with a green pagari wearing old man, who asked the youngster to hold his tongue. He countered the youngster’s remarks with, “Aaj ke tem main aik parivar kabu main nahi rehta, Chautala to poore pradesh nai sambhal rahaya sai. (It is impossible to control a family these days while Chautala is taking care of the entire state).” Another old lady also supported him while reprimanding the youngster for his diatribe against Chautala.

A battle royal expected in Mahendragarh parliamentary constituency
Our Correspondent

Rewari, April 26
With the filing of nomination papers by Congress candidate Rao Inderjit Singh, a battle royal is expected in the Mahendragarh parliamentary constituency. It is noteworthy that apprehensions ventilated by the Congress candidate showed that it was going to be a fierce fight between Rao Inderjit Singh and Raghu Yadav of the Samajwadi Party in the Mahendergarh parliamentary constituency.

On the day of the filing of his nomination papers, the Congress candidate Rao Inderjit Singh was accompanied by the leader of the Haryana Congress Legislature Party, Mr Bhupender Singh Hooda, Congress legislators Rao Dan Singh (Mahendergarh) and Ms Anita Yadav (Salhawas), former minister Mr Dharambir Gauba, former HPCC chief Rao Nihal Singh and a host of other party leaders.

However, three prominent Congress legislators of Ahirwal—Capt. Ajay Singh Yadav (Rewari), Rao Narender Singh (Ateli) and Rao Dharam Pal (Sohna) and former minister and HPCC vice president Ms Shakuntala Bhagwaria were conspicuous by their absence.

Besides thousands of Inderjit Singh’s supporters, who had come from various parts of Ahirwal, were also present on this occasion.

Addressing the workers, Mr Bhupender Singh Hooda said that the presence of such a mammoth gathering signalled that victory would be theirs. He went on to say that the Congress would sweep the Lok Sabha polls in Haryana. Simultaneously, he predicted the fall of the Chautala government three months after the Lok Sabha elections and exhorted party activists to be prepared for the Assembly elections.

Reiterating his commitment to secure a fair deal for Ahirwal, Rao Inderjit Singh asserted that his fight for equitable distribution of the available canal water and for obtaining its rightful share for the parched fields of Ahirwal will continue till it is achieved.

Earlier, a massive rally was also held on the grounds of the old Ahir Senior Secondary School, which was prominently addressed by Rao Birender Singh, former Union Minister and father of Rao Inderjit Singh. Veteran Ahir champion Rao Birender Singh made a scathing attack on the Samajwadi Party chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had fielded Mr Raghu Yadav from Mahendergarh from where his elder son Rao Inderjit Singh was also contesting the polls.

Unemployed youths stage dharna

New Delhi: The Association of Unemployed Youths yesterday demonstrated at the Jantar Mantar to protest against not getting permission to take out a procession. The national president of the association, Mr Rajiv Kumar, said that their association had been pleading with the central government for the past four years to give monthly stipend to all unemployed youths but nothing had come of it.

He said, “There are a number of unemployed youths who are either dragging themselves towards crime or committing suicide. To stop them from indulging in criminal activity it is necessary that the government set up a fund for all unemployed youths.

Mr Pranshu Gupta, state president of the association, said, “The association always takes out a procession in a sophisticated manner even then Delhi Police did not allow us to take out the procession and it seems that the police were under political pressure. He further said, “Every year the Prime Minister assures the nation of providing employment for one crore youths every year but nothing towards that end has happened.” TNS

FACE TO FACE
Her triangular journey

An Odissi danseuse, poetess and social worker, Anubhuti Chaturvedi, has shown mastery in all these fields. She is also the chairman of three prominent social and cultural organisations - Anubhuti International, The Society for e–Shaktipeeth and Pallavi Arts. In a conversation with Nalini Ranjan, she talks about many topics ranging from dance to her dreams.

The Society for e–Shaktipeeth is progressing towards a people’s movement. Could you elaborate in this regard?

Our freedom struggle is an epic saga of unparalleled martyrdom and a relentless battle of truth and non-violence fought under the leadership of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. The another freedom struggle to be waged today by each one of us, individually and also collectively is an important and perhaps more difficult than the freedom struggle.

To be a master in one field may be common but attaining mastery in many diverse fields is indeed a rarity. But, Hauz Khas-based 43-year-old Anubhuti Chaturvedi takes it all in her strides modestly dismissing the achievements as nothing but the will of God. During the last few years, she has repeatedly proven her mastery in Odissi dance, poetry and believe it or not social work.

Even her critics, mercifully she does not have many, admit that the any discussion on Odissi would be incomplete without the name of Anubhuti and it is also difficult to ignore her name while counting those who have made a mark in the field of poetry from India internationally. And in the field of social work, her name is recalled with much regard and affection.

Right now, she is the chairman of three prominent social and cultural organisations - Anubhuti International, The Society for e–Shaktipeeth and Pallavi Arts. Apart from these assignments, she is playing a pivotal role in the field of water preservation and water harvesting. Union Minister Suresh Prabhu is supporting her all the way in this ambitious project.

Born on August 18, 1959 at Vidisha in Madhaya Pradesh, Anubhuti was lucky to have an artistic and cultural family background, where her father Jagdish Chaturvedi has been an indisputable scholar of modern Hindi literature for more than four decades. Being from a family of scholars, Anubhuti took to creative writing virtually as fish takes to water and her voyage as a poetess began at a very tender age. She has been Proyogwadi (experimental), be it life or deeds, from the very beginning. Her first collection of poems came in 1981, and the second in 1989. Poems of both these collections “Umar Ke Sath Sath” and “Tumhe Sabd Doon” have been translated into many other Indian and foreign languages and her own English poem “Peela Shahar” bagged poetry award from the International Poets Academy of America, USA. As a poetess, she has bagged many National and International awards for her contribution to Hindi literature. She was twice awarded the Sahitya Kala Parishad’s awards for her one-act play and short story in the year 1977 and 1978, respectively. In 1987, she was honoured with the prestigious Dinkar Samman.

However, she has not only grown as a individual with poetry, her other love, dancing keeps her equally occupied and has brought her international acclaim, specially in Odissi. She is a leading name in the Indian classical dance style of Odissi and Anubhuti is a senior disciple of internationally famed Guru Mayadhar Raut, since the last fifteen years.

Anubhuti has performed in most of the major art and culture centres in India and abroad including India International Centre, Parliament Annexe, Russian Centre, Kamani Auditorium, Gandhi Hall (Patna), Tata Memorial NCPC (Mumbai), Gorky Sadan (Calcutta), Bharat Bhavan (Bhopal), Azad Bhavan (Allahabad), World Research Centre. Recently, she gave her solo performance at Babul Theatre in Babylon (Iraq) as an Indian delegate to the sixth International Culture Festival. Anubhuti also performed last year at Nehru Centre, London. She was awarded with the Punjab Academy Award in 1986. This Odissi exponent has also been honoured with the Smita Smriti Award in 1989. Bharat Nirman Award was given to her for excellence in Odissi in 1991.

Excerpts:

Could you tell us something about Odissi?

It is one of the earliest classical dance forms, which flourished in the country and it belongs for the state of Orissa. Appealing, devotional and lyrical, Odissi possesses brilliance of technique and rhythm. Aesthetic, sensuousness, flowering movements and rare lyrical grace within a classical framework. Odissi has a large number of admirers in India and abroad.

What are the main areas of activities of Anubhuti International?

It is a society of outstanding achievers aims to provide a platform to lead various missions for solving socio–cultural problems, creating awareness for the national integration, population and pollution control, helping others for the better lifestyle and linkage between Indian art, culture and ongoing IT revolution. It is a unique forum of creative people to provide an avenue for continuous interaction envisaging cooperation, collaboration and sharing of expenses and involve optimum and innovative solutions of various issues.

The organisation is dared to take innovative steps to prevent brain drain and exploitation of talented persons due to vested interest of organisations and people. It is a consortium of various homogenous organisations and personalities, which reflects unity in diversity. The entire efforts are targeting the little ones, future of India through inculcating ancient spiritual knowledge. We are undertaking different projects to synchronise ancient Indian wisdom along with ongoing IT revolution. Unfolding the mysteries of mystique ancient wisdom, it is an umbrella organisation to face the challenges of the new millennium.

The Society for e–Shaktipeeth is progressing towards a people’s movement. Could you elaborate in this regard?

The Society for e–Shaktipeeth is a people’s movement for reconstruction and revitalisation of the entire society. Socially through the judicious use of the cyber power and internally through spiritual realisation. It is aimed at helping one of us internalise the time tested values of sacrifice, hard work, diligence, discipline, honesty, self respect and the quest of the excellence. It is synonymous of e–governance, based on a combination of science and sensibility.

Being a first of its kind forum for IT savvy managers and spiritual leaders, it aims to emerge as a forefront driving force providing means for uplift of the underprivileged section of the society. This is a unique convergence of the vedic spiritual knowledge and latest cyber corporate wisdom, the society is undertaking all necessary inputs to build a strong chain of cyber savvy managers along with spiritual leaders to channelise and utilise the untapped human potential so that India can become a world power. Aiming to protect and preserve ancient vedic science, art, culture, Indian heritage, tradition, wisdom of spiritual integration along with eco-friendly lifestyle. The society intends to establish an abode of spiritual strength e–Vishwa Shaktipeeth and to spread the message of Vashishtika, a unique symbol for generating spiritual power and its logo right consciousness, which will help to mobilise the entire physical, economic and spiritual resources in the service of the common good for all. This society is people-centred movement aimed at establishing an ideal society, which embodies and cherishes the principles of people’s participation, equality, transparency and accountability leading to sustained economic development and excellence in all walks of life.

How things are going in Pallavi Arts?

This Vasant Kunj-based centre running very well, specially for the promotion of Indian Art and Culture. We are trying to give a platform to budding artistes in this field.

Could you recall your most favourite poem here?

Here are some lines of the poem ‘With Years as Friends’ - “My age crawls by wordless I see, I feel the agony of each passing year taking its toll of departed friends/ signs giving away/ I have grown up and men talk of me as an adult calf sniffing my own senses / each year starts with a bang of zeal only to waste itself away in a sequence of beaded failures/ I want to fold the years in my arms / but let them drift away beyond the rim of horizon in quest of romance ending in remorse.”

Ncr briefs
Workers Memorial Day
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 26
In memory of the dead and injured workers, the International Trade Union will commemorate April 28 as Workers Memorial Day.

The Workers Memorial Day is one of the events leading to WWH 2005. The fourth International Congress on Women and Work and Health will be held in November 2005. The main agenda of this Congress is to look into the safety aspects of the workers. The Congress aims to publicly renew its commitment to “fight for the living,” as well as “mourn for the dead.” It also seeks to draw attention to the problems faced by workers worldwide. In addition, it also aims to prevent further deaths and injuries to the workers at their workplace.

Man arrested for murdering wife

Sonepat: The Ganaur police have arrested a youth, identified as Balraj, in connection with the alleged murder of his wife, Santosh, at Dabarpur village in this district on April 22. According to a report, the police have also recovered the `kulhari’ and a `lathi’ used in the murder. According to a report, the youth had murdered his wife after finding her in the company of her paramour. Her paramour, however, managed to escape immediately after the arrival of Balraj. Balraj had assaulted his wife with ‘Kulhari’ and lathi, resulting in her death. Balraj also escaped after committing the murder.

Three persons injured in group clash

Three persons, including two women, were injured in a clash between rival groups at Lalehri village, about 15 km from here last evening. According to a report, the injured persons were identified as Mr Balbir, his sister, Santosh, and his mother, Hukami Devi. The injured persons were hospitalised and were stated to be out of danger. The police are investigating into the case.

Body found

The body of a youth, identified as Rajesh, was found from the park of the Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation (HSIDC) near Rai village, about 13 km from here yesterday. The body was sent for the postmortem examination.

According to a report, the youth belonged to Narela (Delhi) and was to be married on April 22. However, he disappeared one day before his marriage in mysterious circumstances.

It is stated that the victim had left his house for Khampur village (Delhi) to distribute invitation cards for his marriage. His parents failed to get any clue about his whereabouts and informed the Narela police in this connection.

It is stated that seven years back his brother, Dinesh, had also disappeared from his house one month before his marriage. His body was found in the Hyderpur area of Delhi. However, the Narela police have failed to achieve any breakthrough in this case so far.

Ghaziabad
Robber lynched by villagers
Our Correspondent

Ghaziabad, April 26
A robber was beaten to death in Kadarabad village on the G T Road. The villagers rushed to the house with lathis and sticks after hearing an alarm from the house.

Two other robbers, who were part of the gang, managed to escape by scaling the boundary wall of the house. The body of the criminal, who could not be identified, was sent for the postmortem examination by the police.

The robbers had intruded into the house of Mahaveer Prajapati in Kardabad village. One of the thieves had entered the room of Mahaveer’s son, Dr Sunil Singh, and started removing the jewellery of the doctor’s wife. However, the woman woke up and raised an alarm.

As a result, the villagers rushed to the house with lathis and other weapons and managed to nab one of the robbers.

He was given a beaten to death by the villagers while his two companions managed to escape.

The number of theft cases in the area had increased lately. About a dozen buffalos have been stolen in the past month.

Two brothers stabbed to death

Two brothers were stabbed to death by assailants in Sahibabad area. Even though they were rushed to a hospital in critically condition, they succumbed to their wounds.

The victims had come to take part in a marriage slated in the neighbourhood. The assailants were reportedly the residents of the same locality.

According to police, the incident was a fall out of an abduction of a girl.

However, the assailants have not been arrested so far.

A clash had taken place among two groups in the Balmiki Basti in Farkhnagar colony under the Sahibabad police station area.

The assailants reportedly stabbed both the brothers.

They were rushed to a nearby clinic where they succumbed to their injuries. The police have sent the bodies for the postmortem examination. Both the parties had clashed sometime back.