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South Korean schoolchildren arrive on educational tour Mohali, December 31 Talking to mediapersons the school’s English teacher Ms Jang Won Seon, said they would be staying in Chandigarh while Korean students would be living with their counterparts of Paragon School. The Students would be living in an Indian environment and learn about the living habits of Indians. The group would also visit the Golden Temple at Amritsar, Shimla, Agra and various places in Chandigarh. On January 3, Mr. Harbans Singh Sidhu, Chairman of the Punjab School Education Board will have a luncheon meeting with the delegation. On January 6 the Korean students would present a cultural programme in the school. Paragon Senior Secondary School signed a memorandum of understanding with Mokpo Jeong Myung Girls Middle and High School on February 2004 for an educational exchange programme. Mr Balraj Singh Shergill, school secretary, said a 15-member delegation of the school would pay a reciprocal visit from February 12 to February 20, 2005 to South Korea. School students fancy Shergill, Amrita, Sweety, Poonampreet who would be housing some of the Korean students were excited at the prospect. “Since they do not know English, we would be interacting with them using sign language. We will have to guess what they want to eat and where they want to go. But it is going to be a very interesting learning experience.” said the students of Paragon School.
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Villagers move HC to get a regular teacher Chandigarh, December 31 In a civil writ petition filed in the high court, the panchayat has stated that the teacher at the school, Ms Jaswinder Kaur, was transferred to the Government Elementary School, Ramgarh, in the middle of the session against the transfer policy of the department. After the transfer, no regular teacher was given to the school, which incidentally was a single-teacher school. Repeated representations to the officials did not yield any results. As a stop gap arrangement teachers from other schools, were deputed for a week or ten days. The studies took a back seat even at those in schools from where the teacher was deputed. The petitioners have prayed that due to the makeshift arrangement, the answerbooks of the September test could not be checked. During the December test, the students of the school were not given the date-sheet and the test was not taken along with other schools of the Kharar block. It has been further prayed that as per the transfer policy, there was a complete ban on mid-term transfer. In the writ petition, the Punjab Education Secretary, Director Elementary Education, District Education Officer, Block Elementary Education Officer, Centre Incharge, Government Elementary School, Dherpur, and Ms Jaswinder Kaur have been made respondents. The case is scheduled to be heard on January 4, 2005.
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Schoolchildren enact play on unity Gharuan, December 31 A musical play “Prem se hum ko jeene do” gave the message of “Unity is Strength”. Tiny tots also narrated poems and short stories on animals. Another play “Yellow Elephant” showing God’s all creations were beautiful was a delight to watch. Dr GurIqbal Singh Sandhu, Director, Army Institute of Law, Mohali was the chief guest. School Principal Ms Neelinderjeet Sandhu talked about achievements of the school.
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2004: IN RETROSPECT Chandigarh, December 31 Angered by alleged ridicules from Chief Justice Mr Justice B.K. Roy the majority of Judges went on mass leave on April 19. The black day saw only one judge apart from the Chief Justice holding court. The Judges were forced to end their “strike” in just one day on the direction of senior Supreme Court judges. But, the damage to the prestige of judiciary had been done. By all accounts, the issue is far from resolved. Reports indicate that the transfer of Chief Justice Roy and some other judges is imminent, though not linked to the incidents. The Chief Justice sought comments of two judges for having accepted free membership of the Forest Hill Golf Club and Resort. Interestingly, the club was also later ordered to be demolished by a High Court Bench as it was found to be illegal. The year would also be remembered for another first in the history of judicial set up in the region. The chairman of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, whose main job is to discipline errant lawyers, came under judicial scrutiny for misrepresenting court proceedings. Mr CM Munjal, chairman, Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, informed the police that an accused had been granted bail “verbally” by the High Court. The fact was that the issue had not even been taken up by the court. Notwithstanding the problems of judges and lawyers the High Court decided some important cases. Apart from ordering demolition of the Forest Hill Club, the High Court also set aside the controversial selection of the kin of some high and mighty as DSPs by the Punjab government. Among these was the son of Mr BIS Chahal, Media Adviser to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. The court also settled the controversy over posting of non-cadre (read PPS) officers on cadre posts meant for IPS officers. It ordered that all cadre posts should be manned by IPS officers only. After a lot of dilly-dallying, which also led to issuance of contempt notices to Punjab Chief Secretary Jai Singh Gill, Home Secretary Sanjit Kumar Sinha and DGP A.A. Siddiqui, the government finally removed PPS officers from cadre posts. The court also intervened in a lot of issues during the conduct of SGPC elections. The court, however, is still to deliver its judgement in the case relating to alleged irregularities in the allotment of prime land in Chandigarh to some influential persons, including the sons of a sitting Judge. Towards the end of the year, the High Court again hit front-pages, this time for staying the implementation of the controversial amendments to Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, which allowed the state government to hold elections to the panchayats early.
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Insurance firm told to pay
Rs 90,000 relief Chandigarh, December 31 In its order, the lok adalat directed the insurance firm to pay the amount with an interest at the rate of 7 per cent with effect from January 1,2004. Mr Rafi, an apple trader of the Vegetable and Fruit Market, Sector 26, had despatched a consignment of 661 apple boxes from Chandigarh to Vijayawada through a truck on October 15 last year. The consignment was insured for a sum of Rs 3 lakh through the insurance company. On its way, the truck met with an accident near Ujjain.The complainant had demanded a compensation of Rs 2,53,115 from the firm for the loss. Since Mr Rafi failed to produce certain documents in support of the claim, the insurance firm closed the case as “no claim”.
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Western Film Review Naveen S. Garewal
Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone has based “Alexander” on the true story of history’s most charismatic leader and soldier. The movie, a Warner Brothers Production, takes a bold and honest initiative at portraying the influences on the life and relationships of the man who conquered almost the entire world and died on battlefield. Magnanimity of the flick is astounding and is a testament frozen in time. A movie featuring Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, Val Kilmer, Anthony Hopkins, Jared Leto, Rosario Dawson, Christopher Plummer, and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, it can be best described as a film boldly acted, absorbing and satisfying as a history lesson. But not too kind on those who do not relish true-to-life brutal battle sequences. But since not much is documented about the personal side of Alexander’s personality, Oliver Stone’s experimentation with the great king’s sexual preferences is questionable. Alexander the Great conquered the world not only by virtue of his military genius but perhaps, even more importantly, with the power of his ideas. Although he was the ultimate warrior, Alexander had the soul of an explorer — in his 22,000-mile march, he sought not to destroy but to reinvent each society in the mould of his own vision for a new world, and perhaps a new destiny for the human race. Through his actions, Alexander temporarily united East and West, spreading thought and culture throughout the Eastern world with lasting effect. The movie has attracted sharp reaction from critics in the West for showing Alexander the Great as a “bisexual”, whereas accounts available about his life brand him as a practicing, and recognised, homosexual. Besides, the movie is absorbing throughout barring some prolonged battle sequences. Aged Anthony Hopkins as narrator and friend of Alexander does justice to his roll. As Alexander’s (Colin Farrell) mother, Angelina Jolie looks gorgeous. Farrell incorporates some captivating moments as a dashing but feminine-looking fighter. Stone clearly is trying to hail Alexander the Great as a fascinating military genius who sets his sight on capturing the world, coming so close to doing so. The movie surely succeeds in highlighting that Alexander from childhood is determined to succeed, to do something special in terms of his potential. The director successfully portrays an array of feelings that experiments with all sides of his cinematic sensibilities. Alexander’s wife in the flick, Rosario Dawson, is breathtakingly beautiful but otherwise does not have much of a performance to live up to her acting caliber. Though, she has given a unusual sex scene with Farrell. The movie has been brought to India by E-City Films, a part of E-City Entertainment (I) Pvt. Ltd.
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