Quiz, plenary session mark DMCH conference
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 18
The annual conference of the Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (north zone) concluded at the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) yesterday. The conference was organised under the aegis of the department of Community Medicine, DMCH, headed by Dr G.P.I. Singh, who is also the president of the association. Over 100 preventive and social medicinal specialists from north India, including the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and the union territory of Chandigarh, participated in the conference.

The theme of the conference was “Environmental Challenges to Health in the New Millennium”. The highlight of the deliberations included a quiz and plenary session on the theme. Six teams of MD Students from PGIMER, Chandigarh, Government Medical Colleges, Amritsar and Patiala, PGIMS Rohtak, Government Medical Colleges Jammu and Chandigarh, participated in the quiz. The team of Dr Tarundeep Singh and Dr Divakar Mohan of the PGIMER, Chandigarh, was declared the winner. Dr Shankar Prinja and Dr Manish Goel of the PGIMS, Rohtak, were adjudged runners-up.

A scientific session was also conducted in which 30 research papers were presented. The papers were presented under the categories of environmental health, assessment of nutritional factors affecting the health of women and children and socio-demographic factor influencing occurrence of serious diseases like tuberculosis, pattern of acceptance of family planning practices, HIV and AIDS.

Dr Tarundeep Singh of the PGIMER, Chandigarh, presented a data on health issues of bed-ridden patients in Chandigarh. Dr Ramnika Aggarwal of the DMCH, Ludhiana, and Dr G.S. Grover of Government Medical College, Patiala, discussed efficiency of the DOTS strategy of National Tuberculosis Control Programme. Dr Daler Singh Multani of Punjab State AIDS Control Society gave a presentation on the activities of the society.

Meanwhile, Dr R.K. Sachar of the DMCH was elected president of the association for 2005. 

Declamation contest
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 18
The Giani Harjit Singh Memorial Declamation Contest was organised at GGN Public School, here yesterday. The function was presided over by Dr Inderpal Singh, former Pro Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University. Fortyfive speakers from 23 CBSE-affiliated schools participated in the contest.

Dr Bhupinder Parihar, lecturer of English in SD Government College for Boys and Ms Sumeet Brar of Khalsa College for Women were the judges. Rishab Marwah of KVM School, Civil Lines, Ludhiana, won the first prize in English while Jaskaran Singh of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Police PDS, Phillaur, won the first prize in Punjabi.

Taranbir Kaur of GGN Public School, Ludhiana, got the second prize in English while Puneet Jain of BCM School, Chandigarh Road, got the second prize in Punjabi.

Parneet Gill of Green Grove Public School, Mohanpur, Khanna, got the third prize in English while Amrita Jawanda of BCM School, Shastri Nagar, Ludhiana, got the third prize in Punjabi.

Overall trophy for the best team was won by Sacred Heart Convent School, Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana. 

KVM celebrates founder’s day
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 18
KVM celebrated founder’s day today with a cultural show. Mr Anurag Verma Deputy Commissioner, who was the chief guest, presided over the function. The Principal, Mr S.C. Saxena, read out the school annual report.

The function began with the lighting of a lamp by the chief guest and other members of the management to pay homage to the founder, late Rai Sahib Kundal Lal.

Children presented a Durga stuti,” kathak, play “Kaun Banega Rakshak” and songs “Itni shakti Humein Dena” and “Latthe di chadar.”

The function ended with bhangra.

The chief guest appreciated the function and congratulated the organisers for putting up an excellent show.

Singing ghazals his next wish
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, October 18
“Becoming a pop singer is just incidental as I was born into a family of musicians, but to become a good human being is the most important thing”, said Shanker Sahney, a popular and talented Punjabi singer, in a very candid talk with this correspondent on Saturday. He was in the city for a performance.

Shanker raid the driving force behind his lyrics was his ardour for God. A firm believer in destiny, Shankar said everything was destined and things would happen but one had the power to stop triggering of negative events. He said,“I am deeply God fearing and I have been writing poems devoted to God and have written around 70 of them. When I am able to complete 100 poems, I will get a book published. I owe my success to His benevolence.”

Shankar said, “If the lyrics are good, and the song is well picturised, then one does not need scantily dressed girls in the video. I have been making those videos that have no vulgarity and the whole family can sit together and watch. Due to these values people of the UK, the USA, Dubai, the UAE and Canada are inviting me. I am happy to receive award of Best Pop Singer from a popular TV channel of Canada in my recent visit there. People like my albums ‘Yaari-Yaari’, ‘O, Tera Kya Kehna’, ‘Kudi Kurmuri’, ‘Jat looteya gaya’ had been filmed on Sunny Deol. Actually I pen my own lyrics. My lyrics generally revolve around patriotism”.

When asked which moments he cherishes , he said during one of the episodes of “Kaun Banega Crorepati”, Amitabh had asked a question about one song of his and in multiple choices given, his name featured too. He said he felt thrilled at that moment that Amitabh was aware of him. Another event he cherished was his night-long performance by sea side in the UAE.

His wish includes singing ghazals. He said he had learnt classical singing and initially wanted to be a ghazal singer only. His favourite ghazal singer was Jagjit Singh and contemporary singer was Gurdass Mann, who was performing with him last night.

He said he would get along with each and every singer as he had no ego hassles. His advised to upcoming singers was that since competition was razor sharp these days than what it was 12 years ago, the singers had to be completely dedicated to music.

He is acting in two movies as hero. The movies are in Punjabi and one is titled Ishq with Ayesha Jhulkha and second film is Nalayak. He feels Punjabi films need a lot of impetus as Punjabi cinema is in doldrums.

Navkiran Ramlila attracts audience
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 18
For the past three years, postgraduate students of drama from Patiala have been staging Ramlila. Ashish Kaushik , leader of the Navkiran Group said they had been staging religious plays only.

Kaushik, a postgraduate in theatre from Patiala says that he formed Navkiran Art Group five years ago along with a few of his classmates. In the past five years his troupe has become 35-member strong . He said this is the only group that has both male and female actors. Ramlila has 95 characters and actors have to perform multiple roles.

“Imagine each character has to do eight to nine roles but every one is every one is versatile. The epic Ramayana has 350 episodes which are presented in nine days. The script has been sourced from both Tulsi and Valmiki Ramayana. The narrative is in Punjabi while the dialogues are in Hindi. In the past three years the audience for our Ramlila has grown”, he added.

Due care is taken about costumes and the set, he said, he said.