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Don’t sweet-poison
yourself
Special Divali for special
people
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Diyas on decline
IT’S dusty and smoky. Tiny diyas are lined up on the ground. Young boys are pottering around, while girls are busy giving shapes to yet-to-be-made diyas. Their hands are sodden with clay. A woman with wrinkles crisscrossing her face is peering over. Clay has gotten into her hair and clothes.  How to enjoy a safe Divali
Drivers here don’t like helmets; police to take punitive action now
DM’s orders banning
crackers’ sale in narrow lanes
‘Hold over language,
confidence must for public speaking’
From the Schools
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Don’t sweet-poison
yourself
LADOOS for Rs 25 per kg, rasgullas and gulab jamuns for Rs 35 per kg. The prices of sweets have been slashed down, keeping Divali in view. But this good news for consumers may not be all-so-good, as city doctors are cautioning residents about the quality of these sweets. The alleged use of adulterated milk, synthetic colours and acids in the preparation of the sweets by some unscrupulous sweets manufacturers, too, does not augur well for consumers. As per the recent report of the milk samples taken by local health authorities in the past 30 days, as many as 36 out of the 70 samples have failed. The department officials have also taken about a dozen samples of sweets from various shops and sent them to a laboratory in Chandigarh. The results are awaited, as it takes at least 40 days for the report to come. In the meantime, the sales of sweets have already peaked. Though the sweets are irresistible, especially in the festive season, but the doctors have pointed out that these should be avoided as much as possible, as some ingredients used in their preparation could even be carcinogenic. The doctors advise that only the sweets that have been prepared without the use of synthetic colours should be used and those too in small quantities. Dr S.P.S. Grover, a nephrologist, says, "Though no specific case pertaining to any ailment arising out of consumption of sweets has come to my notice, it is an established fact that the colours used to make sweets attractive can harm kidneys and even lead to food pipe cancer or stomach cancer. The best option is to consume mithai in its pure, desi form." Dr Vijay Mahajan, a cardiologist, says that high consumption of all milk products is not good for heart. But, he adds, cheese, particularly that prepared using acid, is very harmful, as it can lead to heart problems and even be carcinogenic. He says that cheap colours used in the sweets are also very harmful and the health authorities should check if the sweets shop owners are using only the recommended colours within the permissible limits. Dr Raman Trehan, District Health Officer, said that the department had taken more than a dozen samples and no action could be taken against the erring halwais till the reports were out and adulteration was proved. He also added that the samples were taken as a routine exercise and no specific drive was on keeping in view the festive season. A prominent sweets shop owner, when contacted, however, denied the use of any sub-standard ingredient in the preparation of the sweets. Denying the use of any acid or adulterated milk in the preparation of mithais, he claimed that only the approved edible colours were being used in the sweets.
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Special Divali for special
people
THERE'S a spring in their uncoordinated movements and some joy in their eyes. It’s another matter that they may not be able to fathom what lights shimmering in the dark of the night are all about. Some of them are smiling, while others have their eyes all lit up with excitement. "I am happy. I eat sweets. I burst crackers," says 18-year-old Priya. She talks in short, broken sentences. She wants to be heard. Gokaran, another teenager, has his mind brimming with "Divali story". And he’s eager to share it with all those who care to listen. "The world of these special children is slightly different from that of ours. They are not able to comprehend difficult concepts. Everything has to be simplified for them. We follow three R’s — routine, repetition and relaxation — to teach them. Music works well for them," Mr Ravindra Kumar Tarang, Principal of Prayas, a special school for mentally disabled children, tells us. Unlike other children, who often prefer packaged entertainment, these special children live in "the moment". There’s hardly any yesterday and tomorrow in their joys. They have been told it’s Divali. They are enjoying the sheer act of making candles, decorating diyas and lighting up phulcharis. A hug, a smile and a word of appreciation, as they perform these tasks, sum up "the moment" for them. And the glow of joy spreads wide across their faces. But for those who are severely retarded, even this may be a luxury that is not within their mental reach. "The severely retarded can only learn about ADL (All Daily Things). They cannot be taught anything else," Mr Tarang says. Simple joys, it seems, cannot always be taken for granted.
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The five odd families of potters settled near Preet Nagar here are all acutely aware of the declining demand for diyas and other pottery items. "The demand has whittled down to one-third in the past few years. When there are so many fancy, unbreakable items available in market, who will want to buy these plain diyas?" says Seema, Ram Chander’s daughter. As an afterthought, she adds, "Why people don’t realise that simple, plain diyas have a beauty of their own. No item can match their earthy beauty." "Our entire day is spent in kneading, moulding and baking the clay, and what comes to us in return is just a pittance," says Rati Ram, another potter. Already, they are now open to the idea of getting diyas from Hoshiarpur. They only have to give final touches to these diyas bought from other potters. In fact, soon they might be bidding adieu to this centuries-old occupation that they had inherited from their forefathers. Well, pottery may have made a comeback as a stress-busting technique and as an ethnic statement, but the potter himself has been edged out of this. Life, as they say, is all about moulding, re-moulding and casting in new shape what loses its relevance! - MJ
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Adult supervision is a must. Don’t let children burst crackers all by themselves. Be with them. After all, Divali is a family festival and can be enjoyed by everyone.
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Drivers here don’t like
helmets; police to take punitive action now
TWO-wheelers are responsible for more than 50 per cent of fatalities during road accidents in the city areas, for the simple reason that they are not very stable vehicles. Wearing helmet for a two-wheeler driver and rider therefore becomes necessary. The fact is known to almost everyone in the city. But no one seems to bother about it. The common excuse is that they do not "feel like wearing that extra burden on their heads". Even the district police seems to be going easy with those flouting the rules as ‘helmetless’ scooter drivers are a common sight in Jalandhar. These drivers are seldom challaned. City residents peg the blame on the "indifferent" attitude of the police. Says Mr Manpreet Uppal, a student, "I do not wear a helmet when I am in Jalandhar, as traffic cops have never stopped or challaned me. But I make it a point to wear a helmet when I am at Chandigarh. The traffic police is very strict there and they do not listen to any excuse." The residents rue that if the police officials, who are expected to be role models, themselves do not obey the traffic rules, how they can force the rules upon others. Mr Gaurav Mahajan, a businessman, said, " It is so common to see police constables driving scooters without a turban or a helmet. Even the senior police officers do not wear a seat belt when they move around in the city in their gypsies or official vehicles." The drive against the ‘helmetless’ two-wheeler drivers, however, is being strengthened somewhat since the past one week, following the association of the NCC cadets from various schools and college with the police personnel at various accident-prone areas here, including roundabouts, traffic lights and level crossings. The cadets have been educating the masses on the traffic rules and signals. Holding various sign cards, the cadets have been voluntarily working from morning to evening at various points, including railway crossing near Lyallpur Khalsa College, BMC Chowk, Guru Nanak Mission Chowk and Kapurthala Chowk. Mr Rajpal Sandhu, SP City, said that the educating part would soon be over and now the police would be very strict with the ‘helmetless’ two-wheeler drivers.
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DM’s orders banning
crackers’ sale in narrow lanes flouted openly
IT seems that the district administration passes orders just to complete the official formalities, without caring the least about a follow-up action to ensure their implementation. The latest orders issued by the District Magistrate, Mr Rakesh Kumar Verma, banning the sale of crackers in narrow lanes of the city areas, are a pointer towards this. In most of the city areas, these orders are being flouted openly. A visit to one of the most congested areas of the city in Kade Shah Chowk, Attari Bazaar, Papri Bazaar, Islama Bazaar and Kot Bakshian revealed that shopkeepers were selling all kinds of crackers openly in the market. The shopkeepers had displayed the crackers in front of the counters. The lanes of the entire stretch of these bazaars are so narrow that two scooters can barely move past one another. A small spark can ignite the whole market, leading to a huge loss of life and property, not only in the market but also in the residential areas behind the shops. Even more startling is the fact that the shopkeepers have not bothered to keep any fire extinguishing material within their reach, as required according to the second clause of the orders passed by the DM recently. None of the shops in the entire market is equipped with fire fighting systems. The shop owners have also not kept sand and water in their vicinity. The residents of the area said that they had been complaining about this every year but to no avail. They said that the only difference this time was that a few shopkeepers were not displaying the crackers. Instead, they had adopted an even more risky practice of piling them up beneath a cover in some corner of the shop. The shopkeepers, when contacted, said they were aware of the orders of the DM. However, they added, this was the only time when the sales of crackers were up and they could earn some profits. They argued that the crackers did not pose any risk to the life and property. Their reasoning was that the crackers could not catch fire on their own. Mr Vivek Kumar, a cracker seller in the market, said, "We have not kept any bombs that can ignite on their own. We only have rockets, chakris, anars and phuljharis that need to be ignited by a flame. So it is not risky at all." Another shopkeeper, Mr Ajay Ghai, said, "How does it matter that I do not have a fire extinguisher in my shop? My house is close by and I can quickly get buckets of water from there in case of any mishap." Most of the shopkeepers of the area said that the sale of the crackers was the highest in that congested area and they believed that they could not survive if they shifted to some other locality. However, Mr Vijay, owner of a cracker shop near Soccer Chowk, said that he had been selling crackers in the area since the past three years and his sales were gradually picking up, for the retailers found it convenient to pick things from his shop because they could easily park vehicles outside his shop. Deputy Commissioner, Mr Verma, however, was not available for comments. His staff said that he was busy with some guests and could not attend to the queries of the media persons. Police crack-down In a crackdown by the district police on shopkeepers selling crackers in the narrow lanes of the city areas, as many as 16 shopkeepers were booked on Wednesday. The city police registered three separate FIRs against the shopkeepers in Attari Bazaar, Mai Hiran Gate and Paprian Bazaar. Mr Rajpal Singh Sandhu, SP City, said that the shopkeepers had been selling all kinds of crackers in the narrow lanes of the bazaars, and they were nabbed red-handed during a joint raid by the police and the SDM. What the orders say Passed under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973, the DM’s orders say: That no person shall store, exhibit or sell any firecrackers or explosive materials normally used in the festival of Divali at Attari Bazaar, Peer Bodian Bazaar, Parian Bazaar, Chowk Kadey Shah, Punj Peer Bazaar, Rainak Bazaar, Sheikhan Bazaar, Imam Nasir Bazaar, Kalan Bazaar, Bhairon Bazaar, Mai Hiran Gate and Saidan Gate. That in the rest of the city sales of firecrackers will be allowed inside the shops. No display of firecrackers outside the shops shall be allowed. That storage, display and sale-purchase of firecrackers will also be allowed inside the shops and temporary structures at following sites as proposed by the Municipal Corporation such as inside Burlton Park, 120-foot-wide road inside Partap Bagh, Dusehra grounds of Model Town and Basti Sheikh, Defence Colony Park on backside of Corporation House, Mohalla Sant Nagar, Industrial Area, New Park in Ladhewali, Adarsh Nagar Park, road leading to Labh Singh Nagar, in park opposite Krishna Engineering Works on Ladowali Road and at parking place of Nehru Garden.
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‘Hold over language,
confidence must for public speaking’
GOOD hold over language, confidence and knowledge about varied topics are a must for anyone who wants to win accolades in public speaking, believes Ms Mansi Sablok, who has won prizes in debates and elocutions at various national level competitions. She is a postgraduate from the Department of Commerce, Lyallpur Khalsa College. As an undergraduate student from the Apeejay College of Fine Arts and postgraduate student from Lyallpur Khalsa College, she participated four times at national level competitions and won prizes thrice. She was declared second in elocution at national level in the year 2002-03, second in debate at national level in the year 2003-04 and first in mime in the year 2002-03. Besides, she has scores of top three prizes to her credit in literary and cultural activities in which she participated during zonal, inter-zonal and inter-university competitions. She has twice been declared the best speaker and the best actress of the Apeejay College of Fine Arts by the virtue of her being the prizewinner in various competitions in the session 2001-02 and again in the subsequent session. She also won the "Award of Appreciation" on the National Youth Day. Besides, she is one of the eight women from the state to have received women’s day awards in appreciation of her public speaking skills.
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Market
Buzz CITY folks will soon be able enjoy the American-style sandwiches, salads and cookies. Subway, an American Fast Food Chain of restaurants, is all set to open its outlet in the Model Town Market soon. Mr Jaswinder Singh, the franchisee, said that the inauguration of the restaurant would be held on Sunday. He said that customers would be able to enjoy sandwiches with fillings of their choice, as these would be prepared on specific orders. SBI launches new project The State Bank of India launched a project for technology upgradation for industrial units of hand tools located in the city. Launching the project, Mr A. Krishna Kumar, General Manager at the local head office of the bank, highlighted the need for technological upgradation and modernisation of the industry. He said that the continuous reduction in cost of production and improvement in quality for better price realisation would go a long way in making the industry competitive. Mr V.K. Sabharwal, DGM, Jalandhar branch, welcomed the participants and told them about the commitment of the bank for meeting the demands of the industry. Representatives of the industry associations from the city thanked the bank for the developmental project. Sonalika tractors’ 1 lakh - mark Claiming a new record of being the fastest growing tractor company in India, Sonalika Tractors crossed the 1-lakh mark on October 31. Stating this, Mr L.D. Mittal, Chairman, said that to meet the growing demands of farmers, the tractors were being transported at the rate of 130 to 204 units by good trains, thus saving a lot of time and money. He said that the Renault technology with which the Sonalika had tied up five years back had started bearing fruits in terms of advanced technology and it ensured the "best value" of investment to the farmers. An array of exhibitions With Divali season on, an array of exhibitions were held in the city this week, giving shoppers a chance to choose novel and designer items to gift to their friends. As a part of the Divali celebrations, students of the National Institute of Fashion Design (NIFD) held an exhibition-cum-sale on Wednesday. Various handicrafts, including diyas, murals, thalis, candles, pottery, oil and water paintings and sketches of Ganesha, made by the students were put on sale. A separate stall of gift-wrapping was also put up from where visitors got their Divali gifts wrapped. The various items ranged from Rs 20 to Rs 200. Ms Shefali Sood, Administrator, said that the exhibition was put up to give a boost to the morale of the budding designers. A three-day exhibition-cum-sale of Divali items was organised by the Department of Commercial Arts of the Apeejay College of Fine Arts from Monday to Wednesday. The exhibition was inaugurated by Dr Sucharita, Principal. The main attractions of the exhibition were earthen lamps, wax candles, gel candles, greeting cards and other gift items. Besides using the usual stuff, a variety of new raw materials such as bamboos and coconut shells were used to manufacture garden candles, rudraksha candles, perfumed candles, dropping candles and floating candles. Meanwhile, a three-day exhibition-cum-sale of photo-framing was held at The Art Gallery, Garha Road, from Monday to Wednesday. Photo frames made out of a variety of materials in different shapes and sizes were exhibited.
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From the Schools
THE students of CT Public School participated in a seminar on "Save environment and say no to crackers" on Wednesday. Voicing their opinions, the students said that in India crores of rupees were being spent on fireworks every Divali and the same money could be spent for providing free education to those who could not afford it. The students said that the crackers caused pollution that led to various health hazards. The students also took an oath that they would not buy crackers for Divali and would instead donate some money for a social welfare activity. Mr Charanjit Singh Channi, Chairman of the school, said that the seminar was held to make the students aware of environmental problems arising out of bursting the crackers. Ms Lakhwinder Kaur, Principal, told the students that by protecting the environment, they were participating in the welfare of the whole society. Divali bash Apeejay School, Rama Mandi, organised a huge Divali bash on Saturday for its pre-primary section. Students, along with their parents, came dressed in colourful attires. The students had decorated the auditorium with candles, diyas and rangoli. The programme began with a welcome song. Tiny tots danced on the stage. Some fun-filled games were also planned even as the parents were made to play musical chairs, memory games and other games. Speaking after the occasion, Mr R.K. Walia, Principal, advised the parents and the students not to use crackers and contribute the money for the welfare of less-privileged persons. He wished everyone "Happy Divali". Divali celebrations Divali celebrations were held at Shri Ram Ambika Modern School, Kapurthala Road, on Wednesday. Students participated in diya-making, thali-decorating, poster- making and card-making competitions. The students put in their best efforts. Posters were designed on the theme "Say no to crackers". Mr V.K. Mehta, Principal, appreciated the work of the students. He stressed on the need to curb the display of firecrackers, as they caused pollution. Whiz kids The students of Shiv Jyoti Public School brought laurels to the school by attaining top three positions in the district in the National Cyber Olympiad held on August 12, the results of which were declared this week. Mukul Joshi got a cash prize of Rs 750 and a gold merit certificate for scoring the first rank in the state and 21st at the national level. Sahil Malhan and Yasil Gupta got second and third positions in the district, respectively, and fourth and seventh in the state, respectively. Inderpreet, Gurveen and Kanchan of class III were awarded silver merit certificates. Inderpreet of class III was also declared the winner of the Whiz Kid Medal. Annual fete St Soldier Group of Schools and Colleges organised first annual fete and raffle draw on Sunday. Mr G.S. Bhullar, SSP, inaugurated the fete. Thousands of students and parents came to the school campus. Various games and stalls of eatables were arranged on the occasion. Various music numbers were played. Mr Raj Kumar Gupta, MLA, took out the draw and gave prizes to the winners. Mr K.K. Sharma, Chairman, Citizens Urban Co-Operative Bank, was also present on the occasion. Overnight camp Aiming to inculcate creativity, teamwork, cooperation, brotherhood and feelings of caring and sharing among students, an overnight camp was organised for the students of class V of the primary section of Apeejay School, Model Town, on Saturday and Sunday. It was an extraordinary experience for as many as 120 students who took part in the camp. An array of activities such as card-making, envelope- making, tie-knot-making and various fun games was arranged during the camp. The most eventful part of the camp was bonfire, as not just the students, even the members of the staff, Headmistress, Ms Usha Malhotra, and Principal, Ms Ranjana Sud, participated in it. Inter-school folk dance Police DAV Public School hosted the Sahodaya inter-school folk dance competition at its multipurpose hall on Wednesday. Students from as many as 12 schools participated in the event. The programme began with the lighting of lamp by Ms Rashmi Vij, Principal of the school. The atmosphere presented a colourful look with glittering colourful clothes, tinkling bangles and cheerful, beaming faces. The auditorium reverberated with the beats of dhol. The participating teams presented folk dances of different states, including those of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Kerala. The host team that presented gidha won the first prize. The second prize was won by the team of Guru Amar Dass Public School that performed Rajasthani dance. MGN Public School got the third prize for performing Holi dance. School inauguration Global Education Management Systems will open The Cambridge International Schools for Girls in the city by next session. An announcement in this regard was made during a press conference held on Wednesday. Mr Shashank Vira, Chief Operating Officer, said that the school would open in April 2005 and it would follow the curriculum of the CBSE for its students from kindergarten to Plus Two. He said that in the initial phase, admissions would be held up to grade VI with a capacity of 970 students and the capacity would be increased to 1630 students at the end of the second phase.
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Dayanand Ayurvedic College
blends tradition THE aim is to produce outstanding physicians to ensure better and cost-effective treatment of various ailments using Ayurveda, a medical science that embraces nature as well as philosophy of life. Dayanand Ayurvedic College and Hospital here has made a mark for itself in the field of Ayurveda education by blending the traditional values of this age-old science with the modern methods of production and standardisation. The college, now situated on Jalandhar-Amritsar Road, was a dream venture of Mahatma Hans Raj, a visionary, who thought about preserving and developing Ayurveda way back in 1898. The college, which was the first to impart institutional study of Ayurveda in undivided India, started functioning from Medical College, Lahore (Pakistan) about 106 years back before being shifted to Amritsar at the time of the Partition. Due to shortage of space, it was again shifted to Jalandhar in 1953. The college, affiliated to the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, witnessed magnificent growth in all spheres, including Charak Samhita (medical text), Sushrut Samhita (surgical text) and Astang Sangrah (compendium on eight branches of Ayurveda). The college offers five-year course of bachelor of Ayurvedic medical science. To ensure better learning of students, the college has 105-bed hospital, well-equipped laboratories, a research centre, a pharmacy and a well-catalogued library. Beginning in a humble way with a handful of products, the pharmacy of this college has consolidated its position in the market by using as many as 200 medicinal plants to produce a range of over 250 health-promoting classical and patent products. The list of products includes asavas, arishtas, churnas, batis, avleh and bhasmas, which are all set to enter the global market after making a mark in the domestic market, college authorities maintain. Holding workshops and seminars on different Ayurvedic treatment procedures is common here. The college recently held a national conference on diabetes and Ayurveda to deliberate upon use of Ayurveda for prevention and management of diabetes mellitus. More than 200 delegates from India and abroad participated in the conference. Besides, it has earned international fame for its consistency in Ayurvedic medical procedures, claim the college authorities. "The college had signed a memorandum of understanding with Holland-based European Institute of Scientific Research in Ayurveda in the year 2001 for imparting training to foreign students, who regularly visit the college every year to know about the latest developments in this sphere of science," Dr Raj Kumar Sharma, Principal of the college, tells us. "The relevance of Ayurveda in the present global context has undoubtedly increased. We impart education to the students to train them to manufacture Ayurvedic medicines on their own using medicinal plants," Dr Sharma says. According to the college authorities, its students were doing consistently well in academics and sports. "Pooja Sabharwal, a student of BAMS III Prof. and Priyanka Bhandari and Seema Garg (both students of BAMS Ist Prof) topped the university examination. Besides, 30 students have bagged first positions in various subjects," the college authorities reveal. During the North Zone Sports and Cultural Meet held at Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Ayurvedic College, Ludhiana, recently, the college bagged gold medals in volleyball, 4 x 100 m (men and women), table tennis (women), discus throw (men) and 800 m (men) race. The alumni of the college include Dr Yagya Dutt Sharma, Governor of Orissa, Dr Surinder Kumar Sharma, Advisor, Ayurveda, Government of India, Pandit Padam dev, former Himachal Pradesh minister and Dr Rajan Sushant, former Revenue Minister of Himachal Pradesh.
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D
Divali, the festival of
lights, hope and joy, has many shades. Beautiful flames flickering on
small diyas, the glow of lights dispelling darkness — it’s time to
bask in the warmth of togetherness. But it is also the time to spare a
thought to what’s good, right and healthy, and share a smile with the
less privileged..
IT’S
dusty and smoky. Tiny diyas are lined up on the ground. Young boys are pottering
around, while girls are busy giving shapes to yet-to-be-made diyas. Their hands
are sodden with clay. A woman with wrinkles crisscrossing her face is peering
over. Clay has gotten into her hair and clothes. Is diya-making an all-women
enterprise? We receive a chuckle. It’s Ram Chander, the head of the family.
"Pottery has been our traditional occupation. Two decades back, our skills
were valued. But today they have become redundant. Our sons had no future in
pottery. So, they shifted to other occupations."
