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60 members of the Chaudhary family live together under one roof in city, share common kitchen
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Fear stalks city residents after
kidnapping cases
Railway security staff ill-equipped, passengers at receiving end
Puppet show pulls the strings
From the Colleges
From the Schools
Market Buzz
Weekly Round-up
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60 members of the Chaudhary family live together under one roof in city, share common kitchen
In today's increasingly self-centric world of materialism, 60 members of the Chaudhary family live under one roof. They share their happiness and sorrows. They have one common kitchen, where food is cooked under the supervision of the patriarch.
Perhaps, 60-member family of 78- year-old Rajeshwar Kumar Chaudhary in Jalandhar's Central Town area is a rare example of joint family in Punjab, where fragmented and nuclear families are in vogue nowadays. Watching such a "big baraat", as Mr Rajeshwar Kumar Chaudhary fondly calls his family, is a mind-boggling experience. Despite the presence of 20-25 women and 15-20 children under one roof, there have hardly been any major differences. In fact, even trivial differences are sorted out amicably. "I don't even remember names of entire "fauj" of my grandchildren," says the patriarch, Mr Chaudhary. The feeling of unity in the family is perceptible when one sees all three 'Grand Chaudhary" brothers —Rajeshwar, Raj Krishan, (60), and Raj Bhushan (54) — knock at the doors of their 20 odd sons to wake them up for morning tea, which is brought in a huge trolley. During tense moments, when the elder Chaudharys discuss a marriage proposal for a son or a daughter of the family or when they try to iron out small differences, the unity becomes even more apparent. "I try to defuse tense situations just as a goldsmith touches gold with a small hammer. At the same time, no nonsense is tolerated. My family is disciplined," says Mr Rajeshwar Chaudhary. All decisions, whether financial or social, are taken by the Chaudharys jointly, but under the direct guidance of Mr Rajeshwar Chaudhary. "We don't and can't say no to anything said or decided by Rajeshwar uncle," says one of the nephews of Mr Rajeshwar Chaudhary. Interestingly, it is Mr Rajeshwar Chaudhary, who deputes the women to do kitchen work according to a duty chart. "For running the kitchen, we are guided by a duty chart," says a woman member of the family. What keeps them together? The answer comes from Mr Sunil Chaudhary (46). "It is love and nothing else which is the binding factor. We don't worry about anything and leave it to God or to Rajeshwar uncle," says Mr Sunil Chaudhary. "Overlook small things. Don't let any tension touch you. It is the mantra which is followed in our house. If you want to live a 'king-size' life like me, keep your wife happy and tell her daily that she is not less than
'Hema Malini," says Mr Rajeshwar Chaudhary. He adds, "Instead of worrying over worries, try to find a solution. Keep kids happy. Don't interfere in the lives of family members." Mornings are the most important time for the
Chaudharys, as almost all of them come out and sit in the lawn with cups of tea in their hands and discuss various issues. In evenings, whosoever is present in the house heads for the huge drawing room and has the tea there. Women folk of the house are all well educated and have either a bachelor's degree or a master's degree. But none of the women works. The Chaudhary family, which runs a showroom of two-wheelers, a nut-bolt factory and another squash-making factory, equally shares the profit and losses among its members and pools its entire resources. All members of the family get money for their needs from Mr Rajeshwar Chaudhary. "Yes, he is the chief director of the show," reveals Mr Sunil Chaudhary. All members of the family have resolved to keep their "undivided house" away from petty differences, jealousies and anything which has the potential to divide their "paradise".
— Photos by Pawan Sharma |
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Fear stalks city residents after
kidnapping cases
Parents and school authorities have probably never been so alert about their wards. The recent incidents of child kidnapping cases have left almost everyone shell-shocked.
The schools, too, have taken notice of these kidnappings. There have been counselling sessions for parents as well as students in the schools. The school authorities have told the parents to send them the photographs of the persons who take the children home after the school closes. The teachers have even been holding drill exercises with the students so as to be sure that they have practically grasped lessons of self-defence that are being taught in the school. The police officials have held meetings with the school authorities urging them to take precautions. Police personnel have also been regularly patrolling outside all schools at the time of opening and closing of schools. Most of the parents have themselves started dropping their children to school and bringing them back home. "The incidents of child kidnapping in Hoshiarpur and Amritsar have been so scary that I am not even able to trust the rickshaw puller," said Ms Baljeet Kaur, mother of a four-year-old student studying at MGN Public School. "Even my husband does not want him to go by rickshaw. So, he drops him to the school on his way to office. I get him back after the school closes," she explained. Ms Seema Handa, Director of Eklavya School, said, "We have provided a file of photographs of parents to all our bus conductors so that they hand over the child only to them at the bus stops. They have been instructed that if they find any unfamiliar person who comes to receive the child, they should get the child back to the school. In that case, we call up the parents and ask them to come and pick the child themselves from the school." Ms Handa added, "We have also started holding regularly counselling sessions for our students. We advise them not to accept any eatables from unknown persons. Besides, we also tell them that if some stranger tries to nab them, they should not panic and instead they should resort to self-defence techniques like screaming, biting the person's hand or hitting him hard with feet." Mr S.K. Asthana, SSP, said that he had deputed policemen outside all schools in morning and afternoon. They have been told to remain on the vigil till all students leave the school. He said that the whereabouts of all such criminals, who are out on bail or have been released after completing their terms of punishment, were also being verified. He said that a check was also being made in jails where inmates could be masterminding such incidents or training others lodged in the jails.
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Railway security staff ill-equipped, passengers at receiving end
The security arrangements at Jalandhar railway station are far from satisfactory, even as passengers are facing inconvenience due to the alleged indifferent attitude of the authorities concerned.
The Government Railway Police (GRP) authorities and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) authorities, whose role is to deal with the security at the railway station, have been found to be ill-equipped to tackle any emergency, it is learnt. During a survey of Jalandhar railway station, the Tribune team found that the metal detector gates put up at two main entry points - VIP gate and reservation centre entry - were non-functional. It was seen that the metal detectors failed to give the alarm tone even when some VIPs accompanied by armed security guards passed through them. Apart from these two main entry points, the railway station is accessible from several other points, too. Anyone can enter from Bashirpura, Domoria Bridge and Qazi Mandi locality at the backside of the railway station. The passengers, however, face harassment at the hands of the security agencies. It is alleged that sometimes the GRP authorities forcibly open the luggage of the passengers. The security check is conducted allegedly in a haphazard manner, and the passengers have to spend considerable time collecting and arranging their belongings. Some passengers alleged that some of the GRP personnel usually did not wear the uniform and this created confusion. "A man from the GRP ordered me to open the luggage as soon as I descended from the Shatabadi Express. Since he was not wearing his uniform, I asked him to reveal his identity first. He got infuriated and started issuing threats about getting me implicated in a case on security grounds. I was left with no option but to open the luggage. He scattered all my belongings on the platform itself. When nothing objectionable was found, he let me off. It took me more than 25 minutes to collect my belongings. It was sheer harassment," Mr Ramesh Mohan, a city resident, rued. Sources further revealed that the GRP officials failed to make the requisite security checks at the waiting room of the station. In a very recent case, a luggage was recovered from the waiting room under suspicious conditions. The owner of the luggage, who later came to claim the same, said that he had left the luggage two days back and forgotten about it. Last year, the Jammu Mail had to be stranded here for more than three hours following an anonymous call about a bomb in the train. The authorities concerned had to conduct a manual search of each compartment, as they lacked any sophisticated equipment. The dog squad of the local police arrived only after two hours. "In case, the information had been found to be true, it could have proved disastrous for the passengers and the staff of the railway station. The GRP and the RPF should have their own security gadgets to tackle such emergencies," a staff member maintains. The track near Goraya railway station was blown up last year by some Kashmiri militants, even as the preliminary intelligence reports suggested that militants might have entered Jalandhar through this railway station.
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Encroachments galore by shopkeepers in city
The majority of the shopkeepers in the city have encroached upon the major portions of roads in front of their shops.
Reason: To display their wares and the mannequins. This leads to inconvenience to pedestrians and also becomes the major source of traffic chaos. During a survey conducted by the Tribune team, it was found that the shopkeepers of Rainik Bazaar, Bansa Wala Bazaar, Sheikhan Bazaar, Peer Bodla Bazaar, Lyallpur Khalsa School Market, Nakodar Chowk, Bhargo Camp Chowk, Lajpat Nagar Market, Civil Hospital road, Basti Adda, Bhagat Singh Chowk, Phagwara Gate Market, Mai Hiran Gate Market and railway road were encroaching upon the major portions of the road. The encroachments range from five feet to 10 feet in front of their shops. "It's very frustrating to pass through the Civil Lines area, particularly from Nehru Gardens Chowk to Basti Adda, where the major portion of the 100-foot road has been encroached upon by shopkeepers and commuters, who park their vehicles on the road. It's very strange that the municipal corporation authorities have been keeping mum over the issue for the past more than two decades," Mr Raghbir Singh from Bagh Barian locality rued. "The vehicular traffic has increased manifold on the city roads during the past one decade. It is very difficult for us to walk on the roads. The footpaths have turned out to be the extension counters of the shops situated in old parts of the city. The municipal corporation authorities and traffic police must do something to remove such illegal encroachments to restore these roads to their original shape," Ms Gurmeet Kaur, a retired teacher, maintains. While no senior municipal corporation official was available for comments, corporation sources maintained that whenever the civic body officials took action against such shopkeepers, they had to beat a retreat, thanks to "political" interference. "There is so much political interference in day to day functioning of the municipal corporation that we cannot take any action to remove such temporary encroachments," an insider tells us.
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Puppet show pulls the strings
"The toughest part of a puppet show is to get the strings right. Your fingers should be nimble enough to make puppets do their assigned part. Seemingly, the puppets run the show, but you are the sutradhaar. And a puppet is as good as its sutradhaar," says Delhi-based Naurang, who has been running puppet shows in various parts of the country for the past five decades. Special care is taken to give the puppets the "right" look. Bright, dazzling outfits suit well princesses and dancing women. Kings and princes, too, must have a matching royal sartorial elegance. "We make the puppets, in their colourful complexity, ourselves. Only the face is not made by us. After a year or so, we give our puppets a new set of clothes," says Sahil, the 19-year-old son of Naurang. Sahil's four brothers are also puppet players. And already, they have been to Dubai. Soon Sahil himself may get a chance to visit Paris with a cultural group. For Sarbati, Sahil's mother, there's nothing more engrossing than singing Rajasthani songs that tell historical and mythical stories. As she sings, the puppets act out their parts of heroes and heroines. However, she does not mind rendering a catchy song from a Bollywood flick, if the audience demands it. Interestingly, the puppet shows, these days, are in for a makeover. Some puppet players incorporate children's stories and fairy tales into their shows. "People have started calling us to the birthday bashes of their children. Accordingly, we improvise the theme and the content of our shows," says Naurang, adding that he has received invitations from at least four city residents in the last few days. Well, seems puppet-play has found its rightful place. And why not? "There's no addling of senses by passive image-rattling or channel-flicking. Puppet show is live and open to improvisation and interpretation," says a puppet show aficionado.
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NIT aims at excellence in research
It rises to its aim of building a rich intellectual potential embedded with interdisciplinary knowledge, human values and professional ethics. Dr B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology (Deemed University) has turned out to be the pillar of academic excellence throughout the country by imparting quality education to students and achieving the status of one of the main research centres in this part of the region.
Spread over a sprawling 154 acres of land on the Jalandhar-Amritsar Road, the institution was established in the year 1987 as Regional Engineering College (REC). Keeping in view the continuous excellence in the fields of academics and research during a span of 15 years, it was given the autonomous status of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) (Deemed to be University) by the Government of India on October 17, 2002, under the aegis of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). The multidisciplinary institute offers several under-graduate and postgraduate programmes, including chemical and bio-engineering, civil engineering, computer science and engineering, electronics and communication engineering, industrial engineering, instrumentation and control engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, material science and technology, structural and construction engineering and textile engineering and management. Besides, it is the only NIT, which offers leather technology and textile engineering courses. Keeping in view the changing trends in the global job scenario, the institute has set up a training and placement cell to ensure campus recruitment of bright students of final year. "More than 160 students out of a total of 218 final year students of different streams have been selected by various national and multi-national companies recently. The pay package offered to the selected candidates range between Rs 1.20 lakh and Rs 5.50 lakh. The cell also imparts training to students to prepare their resumes and holds mock interviews to infuse sense of confidence in them," says Mr K.K. Dhir, Registrar of the institute. In a unique exercise, the first of its kind in the region, the Board of Governors (BOG) of NIT has approved a proposal to engage students in library, computer centre and other works related to laboratory development. The selected student would have to work either after academic hours or during holidays. "Such students would be paid Rs 50 per hour, with the maximum limit of 60 hours in a month. This would inculcate a sense of responsibility among the students," Mr Dhir tells us. He adds that holding workshops, seminars and conferences on different topics is a regular feature. The World Bank, according to NIT authorities, has recently sanctioned a grant of Rs 10.31 crore under technical education quality improvement programme for achieving academic excellence. The grant is being used to further strengthen laboratories and for human resource development. The institute is going to set up an independent computer centre and an IT park on the campus for which the MHRD has already sanctioned a grant of Rs 5.5 crore. One of the unique features of NIT is complete transparency in examination system. All students are allowed to check their answer sheets after the declaration of results on a prescribed day. The NSS unit of NIT has organised several blood donation and tree plantation camps. According to NIT authorities, the students are also involved in the cleaning of the campus on weekends. NIT is actively involved in collaborative programmes with national and international organisations, including CII, Central Leather Research Institute, Madras, and Central Institute of Hand Tools, Jalandhar.
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The Department of Laws of the regional campus of Guru Nanak Dev University organised a lecture for students on the topic "Value Added Tax : Its background and effects" on Thursday. Delivering his lecture, Mr B.K. Virdi, Excise and Taxation Officer, said that VAT was useful for customers, business community and society at large because it ensured collection of tax at different levels avoiding cascading effect. Interaction session
The Department of Business and Commerce of the Apeejay College of Fine Arts organised a day-long interactive session on 'Professional Excellence-Successful career' on Tuesday. The session was aimed at providing an in-depth account of the course of Company Secretary. Mr G.P. Madaan, Chairman, Northern India Regional Chapter, was the guest of honour. Athletic meet
The 57th annual athletic meet of Doaba College was organised on Tuesday. Mr Avtar Henry, Minister of Food and Civil Supplies, and Public Health, was accorded a warm welcome by Principal, Mr R.P. Bhardwaj. Various events, including 50 mt, 100 mt, 200 mt, 400 mt, 800 mt, 5000 mt races were organised for boys as well as girls. There were races for the teaching as well as the non-teaching staff. Gurpreet Singh was declared the best athlete among the boys, while Harpreet Kaur emerged as the best athlete among the girls. Sports meet
The DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology organised its annual sports meet on Wednesday. Prof Ajmer Singh, former Olympian and Arjuna awardee, was the chief guest. Students took part in 100 mt, 200 mt, 400 mt, 800 mt, 1500 mt races, discus throw, javelin throw, long jump and relay races. The closing ceremony was performed by Mr D.R. Bhatti, ADGP, Armed Battalion. Mr Sajjan Singh Cheema, Arjuna awardee, was the chief guest. Blood donation
The CT Institute of Management and Information Technology held a blood donation camp in collaboration with the Citizens' Welfare and Protection Council on Monday. The camp was organised by Dr Y.C. Markan, Civil Surgeon. Dr J.K. Bajaj, Deputy Medical Commissioner, Punjab Health Systems Corporation, explained to students the significance of blood donation.
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From the Schools
A delegation of 13 educators from Luton and Greenwich, England, visited the admission office of Mayor World School at Model Town on Wednesday.
The delegation met Dr Ian Barker, Director of Mayor World School, and his team who treated their guests to an audio-visual presentation on the school's unique features. Annual day
The annual prize distribution function of the junior wing of MGN Public School, Adarsh Nagar, was celebrated on Saturday. Students organised a cultural bonanza in which they presented classical dance. Nearly 350 students were awarded on the occasion. Annual sports day of the wing was organised on Monday in which students participated in flat race, frog race, obstacle race, lemon race and spoon race. Students also presented their skills in karate, yoga and skating. Mr Jarnail Singh Pasricha, secretary of the school trust, Ms D.K. Sagoo, in charge of the primary wing, and Mr R.S. Mehta, Principal, were also present on the occasion. 'Kindness' week
Darshan Academy held 'act of kindness' week that concluded on Saturday. During the week, students were told to do at least one noble work everyday. Students visited old age homes, where they presented gifts and hand-made greeting cards to old people. The students of the academy presented the life-history and teachings of Sant Kirpal Singh through skits and plays. Ms Harpreet Kaur Sahni, Principal, appreciated the efforts of the students and exhorted them to perform acts of kindness throughout their lives. Havan performed
Dayanand Model School, Model Town, organised a havan yajna on Wednesday for the students of class VIII, X and XII. Vedic chants were recited and the students received good wishes from the principal and teachers. Ms B. Manuja, Principal, urged the students to work hard. Fashion show
'Fashion voyage 2005' — a fashion fiesta showcasing outfits in traditional as well as contemporary styles — was held at Banarasi Das Arya Girls College, Jalandhar Cantonment, on Saturday. The show was divided into five rounds based on different themes, including executive round, Suffian round, jazzy round, hot contour, funky and poornima round.
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Market Buzz
A 10-day exhibition of handicrafts is being organised by the Adarsh Gram Udyog Samiti of Kaithal district at Desh Bhagat Yaadgaar Hall here.
In the crafts bazaar, a variety of dress materials with hand block printing, hand embroidery, phulkari work, tie and dye work and mirror work is on display. Lamps, bells, coffee mugs, side tables and other items made of earthenware are also attracting city residents. Durries, foot mats, handbags and other items made of jute are also a big draw. Wooden partitions, rocking chairs, revolving dining tables and chairs, side boards, TV cabins, kitchenware, show pieces, toys and hangings are also available in a wide variety of carvings and designs. Hand-painted tea sets, coffee mugs, flower stands, soap dishes, brush stands, tissue paper holders and other kitchenware also form a colourful section in the exhibition. Plant hanging baskets made of paper pulp is yet another unique section of the bazaar. The exhibition would conclude on February 21. Bank opens branch
The ICICI Bank inaugurated its new branch at Sayal Chambers, Adarsh Nagar, on Wednesday. The branch was formally inaugurated by Mr Subhashish Acharya, Zonal Head, ICICI Bank. Addressing the gathering, he said that the branch would remain open for customer transactions from 8 am to 8 pm for six days a week. He said the branch would offer the entire range of the ICICI products, including comprehensive range of deposits, home and personal loans, mutual funds to cater to different customer profiles and needs. With the launch of the new branch, he said, the bank now had 18 branches and five extension counters in Punjab. Intel holds seminar
Intel Corporation organised a seminar on the latest technologies available in the field of computers and electronics. The seminar was held at the DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology on Tuesday. On the occasion, the multinational company also announced that it had selected the DAVIET for sharing its latest state-of-art technologies with students under the 'Intel University Programme. Mr Rahul Dev, Channel Executive of the company, was the chief guest. Mr C.L. Kochhar, Director-cum-Principal, and Prof Manoj Mahajan, Head of the Department of Electronics and Communication, were also present on the occasion.
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Lt Col (Retd) Manmohan Singh, Deputy Director, Sainik Welfare, Jalandhar, was awarded the GOC-in-C Commendation Card recently. He said it was rare for a retired officer to be awarded this commendation. Protest march
The All-India Anti-Terrorist Front, Jalandhar unit, held a protest march on Saturday against the allegedly anti-national speeches of Jagjit Singh Chohan. State general secretary, Mr Yogesh Dewan, and district president, Mr Jagjeet Singh Lucky, condemned the alleged anti-national activities of Mr Chohan. Homeo seminar
City-based homeopaths and members of the Hahnemannian Education and Research Forum (HERF) attended the two-day seminar on predictive homeopathy at Delhi. According to Dr Surmeet Singh Mavi, founder-president of HERF, during the seminar a resolution to declare the noted predictive homeopath, Dr Prafulla Vijayakar, as the eighth pillar of homeopathy was passed. He added that Dr Kureishi, Director-General of the National AIDS Control Organisation, offered to homeopaths the facility of conducting research in AIDS Meeting of vets
A meeting of the core group of the Punjab State Veterinary Officers' Association was organised last week. During the meeting, the problems and difficulties being faced by vets in Punjab were discussed. The association president, Dr Ashok Sharma, rued that a large number of veterinary officers in the state had not received their salary for the last three months.
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The play of strings and a small piece of bamboo-wood unfolds fascinating sagas of brave Rajput princes, who risked their lives to uphold their honour. As the fingers twist around the strings pulled by expert hands, the puppets come to life. And it's a travel back to the old times. The pleasantly squeaky sound of the bamboo-wood into which air is blown with measured force, adds to the appeal of the puppet show that is the highlight of the 10-day craft bazaar being organised at Desh Bhagat Yaadgaar Hall here.