EDUCATION

Rural Punjab comes alive at youth fest
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 29
It seemed that marriage festivity usually seen at a Punjab village had come alive on stage. The occasion was the ongoing zonal youth and heritage festival at DAV College here.

In a keenly fought competition traditionally dressed girls of different colleges sung traditional songs. Singing of suhags and ghories, associated with a marriage ceremony were a hit among the audience.

Other items included long heik songs, dholak, kwishri, vaar and Kalli.

Organisers of the event said the festival covered the folklore and traditional culture of composite Punjab, prior to 1947. The event gave an opportunity to the participating teams and the visitors to be exposed to the traditional culture through the display of various art and craft forms.

Tomorrow, the playing of folk instruments, naggals, sang and folk dances would be the main events.

The results are:

Suhag and Sithnis

Suhag: SGGS College, (Sector 26) 1. Sithnis: GGDSD College (Sector 32) 2 and Suhag: GCG (Sector 11) 3.

Individual

Jaideep Kaur 1, Sukhwinder Kaur 2 and Surinder Khan 3

Kavishri

DAV College (Sector 10) 1, Government College (Sector 46) 2 and GGDSD College (Sector 32) 3.

Individual

Harjit Kaur (GCG, Sector 11) 1, Iqbal Singh (PU campus) 2 and Harman and Varinder Singh (Government College, Sector 46) 3.

Vaar

GGSC for Women (Sector 26) 1, DAV College, (Sector 10) 2 and SGGS College (Sector 26) 3.

Individual

Mash Ali and Sandeep Singh (DAV College, Sector 10) 1, Pooja (GCG, Sector 11) 2 and Gurdeep Kaur (Government College, Sector 42) 3.

Kalli

Government College (Sector 46) 1, DAV College (Sector 10) 2 and GCG (Sector 42) 3.

Individual

Gurdial Singh Butter (SGGS College, Sector 26) 1, Rajbir Kaur (GCG, Sector 11) 2 and Harsimranjit Singh (GCM, Sector 11) 3.

YLE students get certificates
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 29
The British Council in association with Chitkara International School today presented certificates to the first batch of the Cambridge Young Learners English (YLE ) programme.

Forty students from top schools in Chandigarh, who attended the course, received certificates from Mr Deep Adhikari, Manager, Examination Services, North India, British Council at a ceremony held at the British Library today. The students who received certificates were between 9 and 14 years.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Adhikari said, “A lot of research and development has gone into designing the tests specifically for children in this age group. They are of the same standards as the Cambridge tests for adult students, but draw on topics and activities, familiar to children. The faculty at Chitkara has done a commendable job.”

Mrs Madhu Chitkara, chairperson, Chitkara International School, said, “Keeping in line with promoting quality education, we were happy to provide the high standards of faculty required by the British Council.” 

Teachers hold meeting
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 29
The Government Teachers’ Union, at a meeting held today, decided to prepare a detailed proposal on the creation of post of Vice-Principal in schools.

The union has demanded that the seniormost teacher in a school should be made the in charge in the absence of the Principal. The Education Department has passed a resolution demanding that cases of pending promotions of UT cadre teachers should be expedited.

Union members had met the UT Home Secretary recently and submitted a charter of demands to him.

The delegation suggested that the promotion quota should be increased in order to avoid further stagnation among UT cadre teachers.

Today’s meeting was attended by Mr K.R. Sharma, Mr Harbir Singh, and Mr Vinod Sharma, chairman, president and general secretary, respectively, of the union.

Science programme
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 29
A two-day science and technology programme opened at Tender Heart School here today. On the opening day, elimination rounds of the quiz contest were held in which nine schools participated. The programme is being held under the aegis of the Department of Science and Technology, Chandigarh Administration, and the Rural Environment Enterprises Development Society.

The host school is coordinating the programme. The main events of the day were the quiz contest and a film show-oriented question-answer session. The schools which qualified and won positions in the quiz contest are St Kabir 1, Tender Heart 2 and Sacred Heart 3.

Writing contest held
Our Correspondent

COURTS

Shop eviction stayed
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 29
Acting on the complaint of Mr Satish Kumar, a local court has stayed the eviction of a shop in Sector 22-D till November 11.

In his application, Mr Satish Kumar, the tenant, alleged that the owners, Mr Husan Lal, Mr Ravi Kumar, Mr Diwan Singh, Mr Prem Singh, Mr Babu Ram and Mr Dalbir Singh, the in charge of the Sector 22 police post, had been trying to take possession of the property forcibly.

The court also appointed an advocate, Ms Asha Sharma, as the local commissioner to report on the present state of affairs of the disputed property.

Meanwhile, in a representation to the SSP, Mr Satish Kumar, has demanded action against the accused if they again tried to evict him.

Gujral ACR case hearing on Nov 8
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 29
The Chandigarh Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal(CAT) today fixed November 8 as the next date of hearing in a case related to the “downgrading” of the annual confidential reports(ACRs) of the UT Home Secretary, Mr RS Gujral.

In his application, Mr Gujral had alleged that the then Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, had “downgraded” his ACRs from “outstanding” to “good”. It may be recalled that Mr Gujral was posted as the Managing Director, Sugarfed, and Special Secretary, Revenue, from 1996 to 1998.

Alleging that the Chief Minister was “inimical” to him, Mr Gujral claimed that the “downgrading” was never communicated to him.

CULTURE

Grandeur of Odissi in Geeta
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Geeta Mahalik

Chandigarh, October 29
Geeta Mahalik’s dance represents the best in Odissi. Soft, subtle and soothing, her act brings alive the sculpturesque grandeur of a form that is endowed with endless charms. Trained in the finer nuances of Odissi by Dabprasad Dash and Mayadhar Raut, Mahalik has added newer dimensions to the style by mastering the expression of “rasa” in both religious and secular aspects.

In her presentation on the opening day of Chandigarh Sangeet Sammelan at Tagore Theatre today, the dancer exemplified grace which is the quintessence of Odissi. Measured in movement, impressive in abhinaya and sensitive in portrayal, she established beyond doubt that Odissi was a form to reckon with. Her edge also lay in the liberty with which she treated traditional pieces of Odissi often considered inflexible.

It was thus not surprising when Geeta presented the “Mangalacharan” in an unexpected mould. “My only interest in dance is merger with the divine. Till the time this objective is being achieved, I will continue to consider my dance as pure, no matter what puritans say,” Mahalik said earlier during the day.

Known for her purposeful choreographies like the fairly abstract “Omkar”and another ballet on Upendra Bhanjas’s famous work “Lavanyavati,” Geeta Mahalik never faced the conflict when it came to choosing the right form for artistic expression. “I never dithered because Odissi brought out the best in me. My origins in Orissa may have something to do with my fascination for the art form, but I kept pursuing it even after I changed my location. For me, dance is not a medium for entertainment. It is essentially a spiritual quest that leads you to heights where mind and matter become insignificant. Soul alone matters.”

Living every bit of Odissi, Mahalik made sense of Surdas’s poetry which she presented in a group composition today. Ashtapadi, abhinaya on an Oriya musical sequence and Mangalacharan followed, much to the delight of the audience, who were treated to a vibrant fare of Odissi dance.

As for her passion for Odissi, Geeta Mahalik explained how it disciplined her mind, body and soul. Recently awarded a fellowship by the Department of Culture, she has researched the less explored world of the “Influence of Mahari and Gotipua styles on Odissi.” Geeta explained, “My research is about how Vaishnavite bhakti has influenced Odissi dance. It took me long to make sense of this realm which is truly inspiring and fascinating.”

A regular in the concert circuit in India, Geeta Mahalik is now working towards the evolution of Odissi which she feels has got its best due in India. “I love the abhinaya part of the dance form because that is where the elements of your soul find expression. Pure dance is as significant, but abhinaya is the most daunting aspect of Odissi as it demands absolute concentration for emoting a piece of poetry. Your expression must match the verse perfectly. Error can spell doom. That’s why we teach simple abhinaya pieces to those who are fresh into the form. Maturity in expression comes with age,” she said.

For her part, Geeta Mahalik is still learning to justify her role as a practitioner of Odissi. Fairly satisfied with her past performance, she is concentrating on abstract themes which are difficult for translation on stage. “Many ideas originate in the depths of my mind. I am proud that each one of those finds its way on to the stage because Odissi helps me structure my thoughts brilliantly and aesthetically. It may be slow but it is incredibly graceful.”