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Lifestyle of the rich in the city
Rich. And ready to flaunt. Shamelessly. Unabashedly. This may be true 65 km beyond Jalandhar, in the metropolis of Ludhiana, but here in this city, it's stylish to play down your pelf. And play up your cultural heritage. Not that everything Western is anathema to them. They would easily slip into a Western wear or spout the Queen's language, but there's something distinctly conventional (unlike the moneyed class in other cities) about their lifestyle. "Though I may be widely travelled, yet it's my country that fascinates me no end. The warmth here is missing abroad. Foreigners may have their strong points, but their smiles shrivel just at the corners of their mouths and the eyes remain unsmiling," says Ms Vandana Sondhi, whose husband, Mr Vivek Sondhi, is into hire, purchase and leasing business. Travel, of course, is high on the itinerary of this class. Perhaps, there's nothing like travel to rejuvenate your tired, overworked nerves! No wonder, travel is well-planned and the details are chalked out to the last tee. Alaska, Greece, Italy, London and even Far East - the idea is to combine novelty with a bit of adventure. Miles of sea that seemed to be stretching endlessly, whales and sharks lurking dangerously - it was a grand spectacle at Alaska, gushes Mr Sondhi. "We went on a shooting spree, with our camera, of course. Another place that held us in thrall was Dhulikhet in Nepal. Rainbow-hued clouds floated precariously close to us. It was memorable." Big, fat albums filled with pictures of different places testify this family's penchant for visiting far away lands. "I usually travel with my family, though with children, it's no easy job to travel extensively. Our favourite spot has been islands off the coast of Greece, though London is a shopper's delight. India, too, has nice places to holiday," says Mr Sharad Aggarwal, who is into hand tools business. His mom, Ms Manju Aggarwal, chips in, "Indonesia has amazing things to offer. I was surprised to watch a play based on Ramayana at the island of Bali."
India, it seems, wins hands down when it comes to the destination-of-choice. "We are planning a holiday to Puri. The architectural marvel, the beaches - it would be a complete holiday package for us," says Ms Seema Handa, who has recently started a school in the city. Her husband, who is into the dealership of vehicles, agrees wholeheartedly with her. For self-confessed workaholic Purnimaa Beri, a businesswoman, travel is a luxury that she would wish rather often. However, it's the longish walks in the hills of her very own country that is her dream holiday. "I have been travelling to many places, including foreign lands. But, of late, I am more into my work and I find it rather difficult to take time off," she sallies. However, she does manage to find time for some gardening and pet-cuddling, she adds. No less than 11 dogs that find a home in her place bear this out! "If I am busy it does not mean that I would give a go by to my hobbies. I love reading and I try to squeeze it into my schedule. Even during my trips, I like to buy books on varied subjects. Sometimes, I pick up some ethnic outfits and traditional curios also," says Ms Handa. Well, it's not always dazzling diamonds and jewel-studded watches that catch the fancy, as Ms Sondhi tells us. Her object-of-desire is not a solitaire with sparkling brilliance. She would rather buy some stuff for her paintings. "Painting is my hobby and whenever I can, I try collecting raw material for my paintings. Recently, I managed to get some beautiful stones," she says, adding, "No, you won't find any M.F. Hussiens at my place. I would like my paintings to adorn my room." Sometimes, "dark, rich" chocolates score over flashy Armanis, we learn. "Chocolates are a must-buy. I am a choco-fan," says Mr Aggarwal. His wife adds that they often vie with their kids in this choco-munching business! Hmm…sounds deliciously charming. As we said earlier, the style here is different and, perhaps, delectably different!
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A teacher whose heart beats for slum children
She
makes Jalandhar proud, as she has been felicitated with a national award for her "dedicated teaching and administrative skills and excellent work in a national project on imparting education to slum children". Having joined teaching profession more than 33 years ago at the age of 18 years, she was finally rewarded for her hard work during a function held at Vigyan Bhavan on Teachers' Day recently. Ms Kailash Dua, Headmistress, Government Secondary School, Nijjran village, received a medal, a certificate and a cash award of Rs 25,000 from President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. "I had never thought in my wildest dreams that such an honour would ever be bestowed upon me. I have never worked for getting awards. It's my passion to work honestly," Ms Dua says, humility resonating in her voice. She started her career as an ad hoc physical training instructor (PTI) with Government Girls' High School, Bilga village, near Jalandhar, on July 30, 1971. Ms Dua, who originally belongs to a poor family, got her service acknowledged in the year 1993, when she was awarded state award for "the best teacher". As the coordinator of a project on educating slum children here, she supervises the functioning of two schools, where more than 100 students from slums are being provided education. She visits parents of girls to persuade the former to send their wards to schools. "Only a literate woman can help combat the ills prevalent in society," she remarks. During her one-year stint as Headmistress of Nijjran school, she spared no efforts in setting up three additional rooms and school playgrounds, arranging sports kits and holding seminars to create awareness among students about AIDS. Besides, she was instrumental in the donation of 80-kanal land to school. Known as "vakeelani" (lawyer's wife) among her relatives and friends, she joined and successfully completed a bachelor's course in law to "rise to her name", she says.
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Hands-on approach encouraged at The
aim is to produce successful technocrats who can be instrumental in bringing about the transformation of society, particularly in the countryside. And, the Lovely Institute of Technology here has made a mark for itself in the field of technical education by motivating budding technocrats to adopt developmental projects. The institute, spread over 75 acres of land near the Jalandhar-Phagwara Road, has been a dream venture of Mr Ashok Mittal, Director of the Lovely International Trust. The institute lays maximum emphasis on providing requisite practical training to its budding technocrats to make them capable and competitive in the national as well as international industrial scenario. The multidisciplinary institute has six departments -- engineering, pharmacy, architecture, paramedical sciences, management and diploma engineering. The institute offers a variety of degree courses, including those in electronics and communication engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, information technology, electrical and electronics engineering, pharmacy, architecture, planning, interior design, medical lab technology and management. Besides, it offers diploma courses in pharmacy, electronics and communication engineering, electrical and electronics, mechanical engineering and computer science. According to the institute's authorities, it has the distinction of having a sustained record of excellence in academics. "Our students have been doing consistently well in the university examinations. We bagged four first positions, three second positions and nine third positions in the January 2004 university examination. Besides, we have 10 merit positions and 56 students have been placed in the first division," says Mr Mittal, who believes in motivating students to work for rural development. Five hi-tech computer labs, an air-conditioned auditorium, well-catalogued library, audio-visual teaching aids - all are used to facilitate effective learning among the students, Mr Mittal maintains, adding that they are in the process of setting up an integrated e-system to keep the students as well as their parents informed about attendance, internal assessment and results through either SMS or dedicated telephone lines. A career counselling and placement cell has been set up to train final-year students to prepare their resumes and improve their communication skills in an effective manner. "The cell primarily coordinates with national as well as multinational companies for campus recruitment of bright students. Besides, it maintains a complete record of the students and informs them regularly about the available job opportunities," reveals Dr Sanjay Modi, Director of the institute. Most of the activities of the institute are primarily managed by the students themselves through self-managed students' clubs. These clubs, which include Electro GenX, SOME (Society of Mechanical Engineers), Computer Science and IT Club, Cultural Club, Sports Club and NSS Club, regularly organise workshops, seminars, group discussions and sports activities. The institute, according to its authorities, has adopted Chehru and Hardaspur villages. The students interact with villagers to impart information about the latest methods to save fuel, effective use of thresher and availability of the latest agricultural implements to save energy. "We want our students to have a practical approach. They frequently interact with industrial houses and farming community to work on cost-effective solutions. Our pharmacy students have recently launched an awareness campaign in the adopted villages to promote cultivation of medicinal plants there," Mr Mittal maintains.
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Recreating the swinging 70s on stage Carefree, flamboyant style of the swinging 1970s reverberated in the hall. It was no time-walk. It was just an attempt to recreate a bit of the 70s in the more-automated, more-abbreviated world of 2004. What better way to give a touch of the 70s to the year of 2004 than to resurrect the Bollywood of the 70s on the stage! Today, the buxom Mumtaz may have given way to the sensuous Bipasha and the stately Parveen Babi may have long been replaced by the bubbly Priety Zinta or the vivacious Rani, but the charm of the bygone era endures. And the NIFD students here attempted to depict precisely this during their "70s Show" organised at a local hotel here. Girls with elaborately-coiffured hair and sequined sarees sashayed on the stage. Their footwear, too, was a throwback to the 70s. "We wanted to showcase the 70s through our programme. This was not merely an entertainment programme, it was also an opportunity for the students to give a free rein to their creativity. Most of them designed their outfits themselves. The challenge was to create the 70s look," explained Ms Shipla from the NIFD. To make the 70s come alive on the stage, the students performed riveting dances on old numbers. An old-timer may have caught a glimpse of an aspiring "dream girl" in the eager-to-perform students. Of course, the year 2004 could not help making its presence felt. Some of the students jived to the tunes of the latest remixes. Ms Nagma, whose portrayal of Mumtaz drew appreciation, said it was rather interesting to think so many decades back. "I tried my best not only to have the 70s look but also to get the expressions right. My red outfit was designed by me. I worked quite hard on it," she said. However, this "recreating 70s show" was restricted to the girl students only. The boys preferred the modern-day look, it seems!
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Sodhal Mela a big draw among people A
sea of humanity converges on the place. Annually. People come here all-suffused with devotion. The Sodhal Mela organised in the city draws thousands (some would say lakhs) of devotees every year. This year promises just the same. "The mela has carved a niche for itself in the collective psyche of the people here. They throng to the Sodhal Temple during the mela," says Mr Kundan Singh, an octogenarian. He adds that according to the myth, there used to be a wide lake here. A young boy who was supposedly drowned in the lake, came in his mother's dream to tell her that he was residing in the deep. Another octogenarian, who again is a regular visitor to the temple, has a slightly different version of the myth. "There are various myths surrounding the place. But for the devotees what counts is the granting of their wishes," says Ms Seema, a young homemaker. Her friend, Ms Harpreet, chips in that she has been a regular visitor to the mela. "I have seen so many people congregating here during the three or four days of mela." She hastens to add that her friend had asked for a boon during the mela and her wish had been granted. Another devotee, Mr Rakesh, says that he visits the temple almost every month. During the mela, the roads leading to the temple are not only lined with devotees but also hawkers and sellers selling their wares make it in droves to the mela. "With hardly a couple of days left for the mela to begin, preparations for it are in full swing. It's not only the people from the Doaba region that visit the mela but also the people from far off places come here. All through the mela, there is one thing that is clear is devotion," sums up Mr Bilas Ram, another devotee.
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From the schools Kendriya
Vidyalaya (KV) No.1, Jalandhar Cantonment, emerged as the overall winner of the Regional Hockey Championship of Jammu region by beating the opponent team of Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2, Jalandhar Cantonment, by 3-0 and 2-0 at the finals held on Monday. The tournament was inaugurated on Friday in the hockey grounds of Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 1. As many as seven teams of Jammu region participated in the championship. These included KV Damana, KV Nangalbhur, KVs No 1 and 2 of Pathankot, KVs No. 1, 2 and 3 of Jalandhar Cantonment. The Principal of the host school, Mr G.S. Gill, congratulated the participants of the seven teams for their sportsmanship and hard work and encouraged them to continue their efforts for further improvement. Mr Gill presented bronze medal to the boys' team from Nangalbhur, silver medal to the boys of KV No.2 of Jalandhar Cantonment and gold medal to the winners from KV No. 1, also from cantonment.
Teachers' Workshop The Shriram Group, promoters of education at Delhi, conducted a workshop for teaching staff of Ambika Modern School on Friday. Ms Sarika Verma and Ms Amrinder Kaur, resource persons, were welcomed by Mr V.K. Mehta, Principal of the school. The resource persons discussed the concepts of circle, time and associated activities. Many games associated with listening, speaking, thinking and concentrating were also played and practised. New ideas and creativity in terms of display of students' work, craft work and bulletin boards were also highlighted. Ms Verma said the entire curriculum of pre-primary and primary education was being revised each year. The method of teaching should also be revolutionised accordingly. Ms Amrinder said the workshop had received a good response from the teachers.
Orientation programme Army Public School, Beas, organised a two-day academic orientation programme on Saturday and Sunday to refine the skills of teachers, to offer some tips to students on methods of studying effectively and to help parents tackle problems of their wards. Brig D.S. Kullar, Chairman of the school, inaugurated the orientation programme and welcomed the resource person, Prof A.K. Sahni. In the first phase, as many as 250 students from IX to XII classes attended the workshop and received suggestions for making learning process effective. They were also told about various career options. About 500 students attended the programme. The resource person urged the students to join hands in discovering hidden talents of children and guiding them accordingly. The principals and staff of army schools at Jalandhar Cantonment, Tibri, Kapurthala and Amritsar and Double Victory School, Beas, also attended the programme.
Training session Students of Government Girls' Senior Secondary School, Nehru Garden, attended a week-long training session of hockey at Sports School here. The session concluded on Thursday. Ms Daljit Kaur, hockey coach, Sports Authority of India (SAI), trained the students. The girls took training for five hours a day in two sessions held in morning and afternoon. The coach said that the girls were prepared for an inter-district match to be held at Faridkot on September 29, in which they would represent as a team from the SAI Academy.
State-level contest The 50th state-level school annual sports events being organised by the State Education Department began at Sports School, Kapurthala Road, on Thursday. The contest was inaugurated by Mr Amarjit Singh Samra, Minister for Rehabilitation and NRIs. Participants from all districts displayed their skills in judo-gymnastics and karate. In karate, only boys under 19 years of age were eligible for participation. In judo and gymnastics, boys and girls participated in three categories - under-14, under-17 and under-19 years.
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China chalo, say city
industrialists China
has become
the most favourite country among industrialists and businessmen of the
Doaba region, not only from the tourism point of view, but also from
the business point of view. The abundance of business opportunities,
flawless infrastructure, cheaper production costs and absence of power
and labour problems make China a favourite among the businessmen
here. Trade sources maintain that what has prompted Jalandhar-based
businessmen and industrialists to start shifting their business to
China in a gradual manner is the "stubborn" system here
governed by bureaucrats. The crumbling infrastructure back home,
particularly in Punjab, where industry has faced an unprecedented
crisis this year on account of power cuts and compulsory industrial
shut offs, has made China more attractive. Mr Sheetal Vij, a leading
industrialist of Jalandhar, who has been one of the first businessmen
from Jalandhar to have found China a business-friendly country, says,
"China is a hassle-free country. Their infrastructure is so
futuristic that you don't find any problem there. Second, the labour
is so dedicated that they work and simply work during their duty time.
A fine example of the revolution is the setting up of a five-storey
business centre in Shanghai. Shanghai is as modern as Tokyo or
Paris." Punjabi traders and for that matter most of the Indian
traders follow a golden rule while shifting their base to China —
not to change the brand name of their established product in China.
They would get it manufactured in China with lesser production costs
and try their luck in Western markets. "What has pushed people
from here to China is the unpredictable nature of governmental
policies. This you can feel in case of recent hike in steel prices.
What is happening nowadays is that while politicians have started
acknowledging the problems faced by business and industry houses,
bureaucrats still refuse to change themselves with the changing world.
For example, the current export policy favours those who make products
for India and not those who make products here to sell them in other
countries. They cannot claim MODVAT which leads to a straight loss of
eight or nine per cent of profit. The policies here are so haphazardly
formulated that they make the entire business non-viable,"
maintains Mr Gautam Kapoor, a leading exporter and hotelier of the
city.
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