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China Calling Taxes, red tape responsible for relocation, say businessmen Varinder Singh Tribune News Service
Depressed by the rather gloomy local industrial scene, a number of exporters, manufacturers and traders have started not only trading from China, but also setting up their base at Chinese cities. Many of them have established small offices to operate from Shanghai. While seven or eight of the more-affluent businessmen from the city have already set up their offices in Shanghai and Beijing, others, to start with, are doing trading from these cities. The business atmosphere is alluring at China, say these businessmen. Apart from cheap power, it's the absence of labour problems and the uniform tax structure that have made China a hot favourite. China has replaced Hong Kong as the business hub. "Many big Indian business houses, including Jalandhari industrialists and businessmen, have either already tapped the opportunities offered by China or are planning to do so. They are exporting their goods from China to the US and the Latin American countries. The reason is the positive interference in the industrial and the business fields by the Chinese government and the availability of better infrastructure like vehicle-worthy roads and large ports to handle mother ships," says Mr Sharad Aggarwal, Chairman of the All India Hand Tools Panel of the Engineering Export Promotion Council. According to him, the major areas of interest for Jalandhar-based businessmen running their establishments in China are sports goods, hand tools and agricultural implements. "The major buyers, all over the world, have opened up their 'buying-offices' in China," he adds. Industry sources reveal another interesting aspect of the game. Some businessmen have even got stationed in China and they not only export goods from China, but also import goods for other industrialists and businessmen back home. Sources say they get orders in bulk from here and supply goods of almost all brands desired by Indian buyers. The branded goods are manufactured in China and hence are cheaper. In this game, end-buyers don't gain anything; the benefit goes to importers. Talking about sports industry's Chinese-connection, Mr Navnit Bhasin, owner of Bhasin Sports and sports goods exporter, maintains that the finish of China-made sports goods, both exported and imported by the Indians, is much better as compared to the goods manufactured here. "Though the cost of these goods is same, the seller of these goods back here has an advantage, as the finish of the sports goods made in China is impeccable," he says, adding that Jalandharis doing business from China deal mainly in badminton and table tennis equipments like balls and racquets. According to Mr Gautam Kapoor, a hotelier and industrialist, Punjabi businessmen take up small offices in Shanghai or other Chinese cities on rent and employ Chinese people to run their import and export businesses. "Still, it is not so easy to open an office in China. But lower production costs and no-nonsense approach of the Chinese government is very encouraging. These opportunities are being increasingly grabbed by our people," he says. If the worries of Mr Ravinder Dhir, a sports goods manufacturer in Jalandhar, are to be believed, a large number of sports goods manufacturers and exporters here are planning to immigrate to China. "Actually, the industry is so competitive in China that in Shanghai alone there are thousands of manufacturers, who not only sell goods at competitive prices, but also manufacture them at comparatively lower prices. This suits the Indian businessmen, who are tired of the increasing problems back home," he observes. "I think another threat is looming large over the Indian, or for that matter, the Jalandhar-based industry. I have heard that trade with Pakistan is opening up from April next year. In that case, Jalandhar sports industry will face more competition. There would be no alternative but to go to China and explore a new and better world vis-ŕ-vis business," he adds.
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About truth, social reality and poetry…
Literature has been the raison d'ętre of Ms Kirti Kesar's life. But it has never been 'art for art's sake' for this winner of Giani Sant Singh Puruskar, 2003, given to her by the Bhasha Vibhag, Punjab, for her anthology of poems "Mujhe Awaaz Dena". "A poet has a social responsibility. But at the same time, it's not that a writer or a poet has necessarily to pen down the bitter, harsh realities of life," she says.
Writers and poets may mirror social actualities, but the writings should not become a cause of strife and hurt. So, those on the "truthful-writing mission" may well think twice, cautions this sixty-something poet and critic, who has found inspiration in the writings of Sharat Chandra and Tagore. "Truth can be garnished to make it more palatable, at least it can be rendered less painful. I am a believer in the dictum of 'Satyam, Shivam, Sundram'. And it works, for me, at least," she tells us. She feels that television will cease to be a "mesmerising medium" in the coming years. The business of churning out a whole gamut of emotions, ranging from horrid fright to overflowing happiness, will come to an end eventually. "I think all this tension-whipping business takes viewers on an emotional roller coaster ride, leaving them exhausted and, by no means, better-informed or richer in experience," she remarks. However, she is candid enough to admit that literature these days lacks the spunk of classics. "Writers are reluctant to take up people-centric issues. What gets published has more to do with the popularity quotient and less with the abiding value that a literary work is expected to have." Ms Kesar has already authored 10 books, including two poetical anthologies and two critical appreciation works. These days, she is busy writing a travelogue-cum-social-compendium about South India and parts of the United States. "Travel affords you wonderful opportunities to get in touch with different social milieus. In a way, it is also a journey into your own inner self. When you visit a new place, your perspective on life changes. You begin to see the familiar in a different light. And you start searching for some familiarity in new things. Therein lies the charm of a journey," she sums it up rather succinctly.
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National Highway project remains non-starter
Nearly three years have passed since the project of making the Jalandhar-Amritsar-Wagah Road on the National Highway 1 a four-lane road was first announced. However, till today, the project continues to remain on paper only. It was November 18, 2001. The place was Amritsar and the occasion bicentenary coronation celebrations of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced the sanctioning of Rs 450 crore for the dream project of making the Jalandhar-Amritsar-Wagah Road a four-lane road. Thousands of people gathered there applauded the gesture. They thought that commuters, mainly pilgrims from different parts of the country, would shortly be able to cover their journey to Amritsar in a safer way on a well-metalled four-lane road.
After more than two years of the then-PM's announcement of the project, Minister for Road Transport and Highways formally inaugurated the first phase of the project by laying the foundation stone after "bhumi pujan" near Bidhipur village on the outskirts of Jalandhar on February 17, 2004. Punjab PWD (B&R) Minister Partap Singh Bajwa also accompanied the minister. Strangely, till date not a single brick has been laid. The foundation stone is gathering dust on the side of the road, thanks to the lack of political will on the part of those who are at the helm of affairs in the state and the indifference of the authorities concerned, who failed to get the requisite funds released from the Central Government. The then-PM's announcement to provide money from dedicated funds meant for the Golden Quadrangular Scheme to connect North and South India has virtually proved to be just another political assurance to the people of the state. Even as the project is running into rough weather, commuters are facing problems due to heavy traffic on this road. The gravity of the situation can be gauged from fact that 32 persons were killed, while more than 150 injured in 35 accidents, which occurred during the past one year between Sarai Khas village and the PSEB Centre at Kartarpur on this road. Most of the ill-fated vehicles met with accident when the drivers lost control over their vehicles on the slippery road. "There is no hope that the project would be completed in near future. The officials concerned have told us that there are no funds to start the work," says Mr Kartar Singh, a resident of Bidhipur village. Though the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) officials refused to comment on the delay in the start of the project, sources in the PWD (B&R) Department confirmed that a sum of Rs 140 crore had been sanctioned by the Central Government. However, the funds were still to be released, sources added.
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People’s Concern
The failure of the local Municipal Corporation authorities to properly monitor the working of the private contractors engaged in the maintenance of street lights in the city coupled with the "departmental shortage" of electrical goods has been a major cause of inconvenience for residents of several localities here.
Ironically, in most of the localities, the Municipal Corporation had replaced tube lights with sodium lamp fittings to provide better lighting on the inner as well as the main roads. The condition of street lights in posh localities like Model Town, New Jawahar Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, Guru Teg Bhadur Nagar, Civil Lines and Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar is relatively better, as the complaints, if any, according to the residents, are promptly attended to by the civic body officials. The worst-affected areas include Ladhewali, Beant Nagar, Professors' Colony, Model House, Tilak Nagar, some part of New Model House, Basti Sheikh and localities situated on the Jalandhar-Amritsar bypass. The residents alleged that though they submitted promptly complaints regarding the non-functional streetlights to the authorities concerned, it usually took more than a week to get the street lights in order. This was mainly due to the lack of interest on the part of the authorities, they added. Mr Pal Singh, a resident of Professors' Colony alleged that the street light fittings had not been cleaned even once during the past several years. "The lights are covered with dust. Moreover, it seems that the MC is yet to fix a timeframe for private contractor to rectify the faults, as despite having filed numerous complaints to get the street light functional in my locality during the past 10 days, the authorities concerned are yet to take any action. Besides, MC staff is not punctual about the timing of the street lights," he explained. Mr Joginder Singh, a resident of New Model House, said that he had been told by the officials concerned that there was a shortage of electrical goods like tube lights, chokes and sodium lamps in the store and that this was the major hindrance in proper upkeep of the street lights. During the last meeting of the MC House, Mr Pawan Gupta, a Congress councillor, had levelled allegations of irregularities in the street lights department. "It has been found that private contractors in some areas of the city have replaced original sodium lamps with sub-standard lamps. There should be a high-level probe into the matter," Mr Gupta alleged. While the Commissioner of the MC, Mr Satwant Singh Johl, was not available for comments, a senior MC official, on the condition of anonymity, admitted that there was a shortage of electrical goods due to delay in placing orders with authorised companies. "We are trying hard to provide better facilities to the residents," the official added.
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Kapurthala district administrative complex building on brink of collapse
It is a threat looming large. The century-old dilapidated building that houses the district administrative and judicial complex can collapse any day.
Declared unsafe by the PWD almost a decade back, the building has developed many cracks in its roofs due to unwanted vegetation atop. Several alterations in form of partitions and corridors have made it even more vulnerable. Extensive mesh of electricity wires hanging low in the entire building compounds the danger. The royal building, as it used to be, was built some 150 years ago by the then-Maharaja of Kapurthala, who listened to public grievances in an open durbar. But the Department of Archaeology has been apathetic by not bothering to declare it as a protected monument. It is not just the administrative wing, even the offices of District Attorney, District and Sessions Judge, Senior Superintendent of Police and Postal Department are situated in the same complex. A warning indicating the area as unsafe has been put up on the front wall of the complex, but the offices continue to function in the building. Even the offices of the Vigilance Department and the CIA Staff situated exactly opposite the administrative building are in an unsafe structure that used to be the Maharaja's "buggey khaana". It is very difficult to climb up the staircase leading to the offices on the first floor. The employees walk softly on the floor atop, as they say that a "heavy step" may lead to its collapse. Surprisingly, no safety measures have been taken, despite the fact that the front portion of the administrative block, including a porch and a roof of a verandah, had collapsed nearly four years back. Since the incident occurred in the wee hours, there was no casualty. Following this, some renovation was done and the functioning started again in the same old building. Unwanted vegetation between the walls of the building had led to the seeping in of rainwater at several points a few years back. The problem had become so serious that the functioning of the office had become almost impossible. The administration had then done some repair work. Mr Rakesh Verma, Deputy Commissioner, said that efforts were being made to raise funds for large-scale renovation of the building. In the meantime, he said, he was also trying to arrange for some sort of shifting.
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Browse, borrow, buy at ‘The Browser’
The city is going the Chandigarh way! Well, almost. With The Browser opening its "bookstore-cum-library" here, book lovers would not have to look towards the capital city of Chandigarh to read or buy the latest books authored by Indian and foreign writers.
"The idea is to give readers a wide base of books to choose from. And they do not necessarily have to buy a book to read it. Some books are quickies that discerning buyers prefer not to buy, yet the 'bestseller' tag does arouse curiosity about these books. Moreover, some people are voracious readers and buying books every time is simply not feasible for them. They can avail of the library facility at our bookstore. We keep updating this library with the latest books," explains Mr Pankaj P. Singh, CEO of The Browser, adding, "As of now, the library is not physically located here. The readers can access our website to get a list of the books available at our library. Those not-so-net-savvy can opt for a printed list from the bookstore. The books would be delivered to the members without any postal charges. For the return of the books, the members have a choice either to drop the books at our bookstore here or to send them to us through courier. However, when we have a base of about 500-1000 members here, the library may be located in the city itself." Interestingly, The Browser's CEO feels that the visual media, particularly television, can never supplant books. The fluid medium of television may have its own audience, but that does not take the readers away from books. "Books will never be out of fashion. We decided to open the bookstore here, as many city residents were already members of our library at Chandigarh. These readers had, time and again, evinced keen interest in books at our store and they were quite vocal about it." Well, the readers seemingly have something to look forward to. Doorstep delivery, on-demand procurement and a nice variety of books, The Browser is all set to make buying, borrowing and browsing a bibliophile's delight!
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Achievers
Strong determination and regular, sustained practice are the ingredients of success for them. They get up at the crack of the dawn and start the practice of Yoga, breathing exercises, meditation et al. Their aim is to excel in the field of competitive Yoga. Recently, these girls - Sonia and Mamta - both students of HMV College here, along with another girl from their college, bagged prizes in the World Cup Yoga Championship held in Portugal.
"Yoga is a wonderful fitness regime; it keeps the mind fresh and the spirits soaring," says Ms Mamta, whose list of awards includes a silver medal (Olympic Yoga, Individual) in the World Cup Yoga Championship, two golds (Artistic Individual) and a bronze (Artistic Pair) in 2003 Nationals held at Delhi, a gold and a bronze at Yoga competition organised at Kolapur, Maharashtra. Ms Sonia feels that Yoga, as a game, is very different from other games. "It's not just about competition, it's more about the right kind of focusing and concentration," she says. She won a bronze medal in Artistic Individual Yoga Competition held in Portugal. She also bagged a bronze (Artistic Pair) at Kolapur and a gold and a silver at 2003 Delhi Nationals. Now, these sportswomen are looking forward to their Spain visit, where they would compete in various Yoga events. In fact, earlier also, they had been selected to represent India at a Yoga championship held in Argentina. But lack of funds forced them to forgo this chance to play at an international level. Ruing the absence of sponsors, they say that had it been any other game, there would have been a host of sponsors coming forth with their sponsorships. "We work so hard. But what is the use? We have to spend from our own pocket; we have to bear the expenses of participation in national and international events. Of course, our college pitches in to help us. Still, it's a bleak scenario for us," says Ms Sonia, adding that sponsors elude them, as the game is not recognised at the national level. However, these girls are not dejected (though they have their moments of disappointment). "We hope a day would dawn when our efforts would be recognised and we would get our due," remarks Ms Mamta, who like Ms Sonia, aspires to be a Yoga expert. Both are thankful to their coach, Mr Chander Mohan Saini, for his active support and encouragement.
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Kartarpur furniture units in dire straits
Decades-old furniture business at
Kartarpur is in dire straits. It has lost its lucrative edge and already
those in this business are complaining about losses and masked
unemployment. Even those with generations of experience in the business,
are talking in terms of "other options". "There is no
point in sticking to a business that can barely provide you two square
meals a day. You have to look for alternatives," says Mr Swaroop
Rai, whose own manufacturing unit is facing acute financial
problems
However, it's not that the furniture-manufacturing units have
closed down. These units still dot Kartarpur, right from the Vishavkarma
Market to the main road connecting Jalandhar city with this town. Even
the adjoining villages house many of these manufacturing units.
According to observers, this very mushrooming of the units has had a
detrimental effect on the business. "Earlier, villagers would come
to Kartarpur to buy furniture. But now, they prefer to buy it all from
the neighbouring shops," says another manufacturer Jaswant Rai. He
adds, "After all, the proximity factor does play a part."
This industry has remained more or less a cottage industry, say the
observers. It could not even graduate to small-scale industry. The
advent of plastic, and to some extent, wrought-iron furniture, also has
blocked the business here. Add to it the customers' penchant for buying
things from swanky showrooms and the reasons for the dismal scenario
become clearer still. "Dilution of standard" is another
reason frequently cited by beleaguered manufacturers, though not all are
ready to buy the argument. "Some outsiders are trying their hand at
the business. These workers-cum-manufacturers sell the furniture items
at lower prices. This ersatz furniture lacks the traditional
craftsmanship for which Kartarpur is known. In some cases, local
manufacturers employ non-local labour that is not able to match the
skills of the workers who have been traditionally associated with
furniture-manufacturing. This is a double whammy to the business - those
selling quality-controlled furniture are pushed off to the margins and
at the same time, the reputation of the products suffers a setback when
craftsmanship and quality do not measure up to the customers'
expectations," explains a manufacturer, requesting anonymity. Straight from Saharanpur Some craftsmen from Saharanpur have made Kartarpur their home. Though local craftsmen and manufacturers say it's bleak future for furniture-manufacturing units here, these craftsmen have a different story to tell. "Both of us are from Saharanpur. We are making a good living here. We specialise only in carvings. The manufacturers give us furniture items for carving, though sometimes customers come directly to us," says Mr Rashid, while giving final touches to a carved door panel.
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From the schools
Founder's Day celebrated
Apeejay School, Jalandhar, wore a festive look on Monday, as the management held Founder's Day celebrations in the memory of Mr Stya Paul. The brightly-decorated quadrangle and rangoli-studded floors added a festive touch to the occasion. The function commenced with Principal, Ms Ranjana Sood, conducting the lamp lighting ceremony. The head girl, Shilpi Kapoor, shared her thoughts on the occasion. This was followed by a presentation on the life of Mr Paul. A soul-stirring dance performance on the solemn strains of the morning raga and a musical recitation by the school choir delighted the audience. A play on Dr B.R. Ambedkar highlighting his remarkable life-story marked the finale of the programme. The function ended with the distribution of prizes and scholarships.
Inter-school cricket
The 5th Bhai Gobind Singh Pasricha Memorial Inter-School Cricket Tournament was held between Spring Dale Senior Secondary School, Amritsar, and Montgomery Guru Nanak (MGN) School, Kapurthala, on Friday. Spring Dale School won the toss and decided to field. MGN School, Kapurthala, was all-out with180 runs in 25 overs. Ishwinder scored the maximum runs in the team by getting 41 runs in 31 balls, while Saranpreet followed him by 31 runs in 16 balls. Rohan from Spring Dale performed well by taking three wickets. Batting second, Spring Dale team was all-out for 177 runs and lost the match by three runs. Rohan made the maximum score in the team by hitting 35 runs in as many balls. Sahil followed him by scoring 33 runs in just 19 balls. Prabhdeep from MGN School took three wickets, while Manjinder and Amrinder took two wickets each. The Chairman of the school, Mr Jarnail Singh Pasricha, said that 16 schools from Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh would participate in the event. He said he had announced a cash prize of Rs 21,000 and a trophy for the winning team and mementoes for each member of the team. Besides, he said that Rs 2,100 and a memento would also be presented to the "Man of the series". Apart from this, mementoes would be given to the "Man of the Match", "Best Batsman" and "Best Bowler". The matches were inaugurated by Mr Amarjit Singh Samra, Minister for Rehabilitation, Revenue and NRI Affairs, Punjab.
All-India tournament
An eight-day All-India Mahatma Hansraj Aryan Tournament was inaugurated at Dayanand Model School, Model Town, on Wednesday. Students from as many as 51 schools from various states have been invited to participate in different sports events to be held during the tournament. The programme began with the rendition of mantras. The Zonal Secretary of the tournament, Ms B. Manuja, welcomed the guests and the students. Mr R.P. Bansal, Vice President, DAV College Managing Committee, unfurled the flag and declared the sports meet open. He also released a souvenir on the occasion. Mr Bansal was accompanied by Mr Rajpal Seth, Educational Advisor. Mr Surinder Mahey, Mayor, Municipal Corporation, was the guest of honour. Mr M.L. Aeri, Principal, DAV College, Mr C.L. Kochhar, Director and Principal of the DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology, and principals of local DAV schools were also present on the occasion.
Gandhi Jayanti celebrated
Management, staff and students of Delhi Public School held Gandhi Jayanti celebrations on Friday. A special assembly was organised in the morning during which students gave speeches, recited poems and performed short skits. The students highlighted Gandhiji's teachings and his role in the freedom struggle. They talked about his principles of non-violence and his efforts to promote indigenous industries. Ms G. Bindra, Principal, encouraged the students to follow the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi.
Annual day
Students of Swami Sant Dass Public School, Udasin Ashram, J.P. Nagar, received prizes for their outstanding performance in academics, sports and cultural activities during an annual function held on Saturday. A short cultural programme was also held on the occasion. The students performed various dance, drama and musical items. Mr Pramod S. Mehta, Director of Dr B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, was the Chief Guest. Ms H.B. Kaur, Principal, read the annual report of the school.
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"Hindi Chini bhai bhai" (complete with its historic blunder, deception saga et al.) and "the strategic five of the Panchsheel" may long have been relegated to the annals of history but China, of late, has started beckoning our business folks. Known for their enterprising spirit, more and more Jalandharis have started opening up to a new world. This new world, surprisingly, extends right up to China.
