Although the recent kidnapping and the subsequent release of Prabir Singh (17), son of a rich rice-sheller owner, hogged the limelight, courtesy the election environment in the region, there are numerous such cases of kidnapping that remain unsolved. Timely action by the police at that time could have solved these kidnapping cases, allege relatives of the victims. Giandeep Singh (6), son of a government doctor, Dr Hardeep Singh, was kidnapped about eight years ago.

Traffic chaos in city as MC buckles under political pressure
The local municipal corporation's declaration of residential areas as "commercial" areas, allegedly under political pressure, coupled with scant regard for building norms, has given the city a perpetual traffic problem.

Beggars make city their chosen destination
The holy city of Amritsar has become a haven for beggars. At least this is what seems when one sees beggars swarming at various road crossings in posh areas and outside almost all famous religious shrines situated in the city.

Booze, money power, novelty gimmicks dominate election scene
Even as hotels and eating joints got some relief, and traffic congestion eased after the Ajnala election, this non-descript township, 25 km from Amritsar city, saw some colourful scenes during the campaigning this time. 

A Nihang supporter campaigns for the Congress in the Ajnala Assembly segment

Tsunami funds cross Rs 75-lakh figure
Residents of the city as well as from the nearby areas are continuing their contribution of funds to the tsunami-affected.

A peep into Kapoor Singh’s hockey trail
Energetic gait and enthusiasm for life belie his 77 years of age. Former international hockey player Kapoor Singh had been an active hockey player in his hey days. Even after retiring from active game, he continued to remain associated with the game. Beginning his hockey career from Khalsa School, Gujjaranwala, where he was captain of the team in 1941, he became the member of the Indian team in 1955.

British teachers visit DAV International School
For Ms Paula Shaw, head of one of the two British groups, which visited DAV International School under the Teachers' International Professional Development Programme this week, visit to India was like a homecoming.

Yoga is a way of life for city folks
The increasing pace of work coupled with awareness to keep fit has convinced people to find refuge in the ancient meditation technique of yoga.

• Weekly Round-up

Turban clinics in city
Varinder Walia and Neeraj Bagga

Ever heard of a turban clinic? Can a computer help in turban-tying? This may sound strange, but it would become a reality in near future. Signboards like “Learn turban tying” would be put up. The computer-savvy Akaal Purkh Ki Fauj (APKF) has developed software to facilitate the youth to select “stylish turbans” which suit their faces.

The Turban Tutor on computer screen reads, “Select a model of turban you like. You can adjust turban’s dimensions according to your head size or your choice. You can also select suitable colours.”

Equipped with ultra-modern computer sets, the proposed Turban Clinic would offer the young generation over a hundred different styles and models, absolutely free of cost. The picture of the Sikh boy asking for style guidance would be superimposed on the computerised turbans. In case a Sikh boy selects a particular style of turban, the person to whom the turban belongs would be called to help him in tying the turban.

Mr Jaswinder Singh, a young SGPC member and Coordinator of APKF, says that the first ever Turban Clinic would be established near the Golden Temple premises. He claims that such clinics would check the trend of Patitpuna (an act of being apostate). The effort would help Sikh boys to look smarter. If the school-going children cannot afford to spare time, volunteers of the APKF would provide the facilities at doorsteps.

The APKF has copied and developed some special designs of turbans which a person could wear on special occasions or weddings. Presently, a few Punjabi pop singers wear multi-colour turbans. Moreover, these turbans are not easily available in markets. The APKF would approach some manufacturers to print particular turbans. It has also roped in experts, who would teach the aspirants how to tie such turbans.

Usually children follow their elders in tying turban. They do not have much choice. But the proposed centre would open myriad options before a young Sikh boy, who could select a particular style of turban, says Mr Jaswinder Singh. At a later stage, the celebrity Sikh personalities with beautiful turbans would be invited to motivate the younger generation, he adds.

The standardisation of turban with the help of computer would play an important role in establishing the separate identity of the Sikhs all over the world. Concerned over the stray acts of violence against Sikhs in the USA (due to mistaken identity, particularly post-9/11 bombing of the twin towers), Mr Jaswinder Singh says there is an urgent need to make the people understand that the Sikhs have a distinct identity.

With this aim, the second International Sikh Turban Day would be celebrated amid much fanfare on Baisakhi Day (April 13). The APKF would appeal to the Sikhs all over the world to wear saffron-colour turban to mark the day. The organisations would be urged to inspire women, too, to wear saffron headgear on that day.

The SGPC, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), and Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) are likely to support this venture, says the APKF chief. A choreography — “The Story of Dastaar (turban)” — would be shown to inspire the Patit Sikh youths to grow hair.

Most of the Sikh boys normally get their hair shorn before entering the glittering world of Bollywood. The effort of the APKF would definitely help in producing turbaned actors who would become role models for the younger generation.

The APKF would organise the second Mr Singh International modelling competition. The slogan on the poster reads, “If for Sikhi, you have Pyar (love), And you are ‘Saabat Soorat Sardar’ (having unshorn hair), then be ready with your Dastaar (turban). An opportunity for you pehli var (for the first time). Ready? Then see www. apkf.org.”

The endeavour would become a stepping-stone for the Sikh youths aspiring to become models and actors. The idea behind the programme is to promote the Sikh actors and models as per the principles of the Sikhism. For the purpose, the contest would be held in various parts of the country and other parts of the world, including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, USA, Canada, London, France, Italy and Germany. The grand finale of the contest would be held in the holy city, Amritsar.

The applicants would have to be Saabat Soorat Sikhs. Experts would be called from Mumbai and Delhi. These experts would shortlist the candidates, who would further be auditioned in their respective zones and the selected few would also be trained in various aspects of modelling and ramp shows.

Crowning glory To a Sikh, the turban is most sacred. For centuries, the Sikhs have been preserving the “pride of Sikhs”. The Sikh community world over rose against the decision of the French Government to ban all types of visible religious symbols in schools. From time immemorial turban was in vogue in numerous ancient civilisations of the world. The turban has long been considered the crown of spirituality. It is the essential part of the Sikh dress. The turban has a special significance in religions like Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, too. Interestingly, in Islam the angels and the prophets are represented as wearing turbans. The name “turban” is found in this form in almost all European languages: In English, German and French, it is turban; while in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, it is turbante; Dutch call it tulbans; Romanians refer to it as tulipan. The word is generally traced to the Persian “sarband”. The word “pugree” or “pug”, commonly used in Punjab and the rest of the country, was perhaps derived from Egyptian word “pjr”. In the ancient Egyptian civilisation, turban was considered an ornamental head dress. The Egyptians removed the turban at the time of mourning, a custom that prevailed in Punjab up to the end of the last century. The noted Sikh apostle, Bhai Gurdas, humorously narrated an incident in his Vars (ballads), that when an elderly Punjabi came to his home with his turban accidentally off, the women folk took it to be a sign of mourning and started weeping and wailing although no one was dead. In the Old Testament, one of the commands of God to Moses was to wear turban as the symbol of prophethood, holiness and divine power. This was a command obeyed by the Jews and the Muslims for centuries and ignored or forgotten by the Christians. The turban was considered as the symbol of royalty and used in place of the crown in ancient time. Throughout the Islamic world, it still continues to be used in place of the crown where monarchy exists.

— Photos by Rajiv Sharma

Kidnapping cases remain unsolved, police clueless
Pawan Kumar

Although the recent kidnapping and the subsequent release of Prabir Singh (17), son of a rich rice-sheller owner, hogged the limelight, courtesy the election environment in the region, there are numerous such cases of kidnapping that remain unsolved.

Timely action by the police at that time could have solved these kidnapping cases, allege relatives of the victims. Giandeep Singh (6), son of a government doctor, Dr Hardeep Singh, was kidnapped about eight years ago.

The agonising wait of the parents still continues. On August 19, 1996, Giandeep was kidnapped by four Maruti van borne unidentified masked persons when he was coming back from school with other children. The rickshaw puller was the only eyewitness to the incident. Although a case was registered, the police failed to find the child. The case was later handed over to the CBI, which also expressed its inability to trace the child and the accused due to alleged lack of evidence.

In yet another case, Vikas Gupta (22), an employee in a hardware company owned by his distant relative, left his house on October 9, 2001, for Rampur Bushahr along with Arjan Singh and Kewal Gupta, other employees of the firm. They left in a car sent by Mr Ramesh Agarwal, owner of the company. While other persons who were with Vikas returned home, the latter has still not returned.

The parents alleged that when they contacted Arjan Singh, Kewal and Ramesh, they did not give any satisfactory answer to them. The parents of Vikas claimed that they had written to various authorities, including the then-home-minister and chief minister, but no action had been taken so far. All efforts to trace their only son, born after 17 years of their marriage, had yielded no results so far.

Involvement of interstate gangs

Although the safe return of Prabir, a local DAV Public School boy, who was kidnapped on February 7, has elated his family, the reported involvement of interstate gang belonging to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar has created fear in business community over this dangerous trend.

As per the preliminary investigations conducted by the police, those behind the kidnapping had links with notorious UP and Bihar gangs of Pappu Yadav, Iz-Ul-Haq and Mukhtiar. They had allegedly kidnapped Prabir for a big ransom, although the family denied any such demands.

Meanwhile, the police has taken precautions like erecting nakas and posting police guards outside educational institutes. It has also cautioned parents to remain vigilant and watchful about the movements of their wards.

Some parents, on the condition of anonymity, said they had taken some preventive measures like advising their children to commute to school by vans. Principals and managements of the schools have also cautioned the parents about the use of cars by their children.

Traffic chaos in city as MC buckles under
political pressure
Rashmi Talwar

The local municipal corporation's declaration of residential areas as "commercial" areas, allegedly under political pressure, coupled with scant regard for building norms, has given the city a perpetual traffic problem.

Traffic chaos is seen in many residential areas that were declared commercial in the last five-six years. The situation is worse near the 'strategic' location of the Circuit House, near Albert Road.

The unauthorised parking near this place poses a serious security threat to VIP and VVIP visitors to the holy city.

There are hundreds of cases in which the building norms have been flouted and encroachments done. Albert Road here is a sight of traffic chaos during afternoon and evening.

As many as five marriage-palaces-cum-hotels, besides some commercial outlets, have mushroomed at this road. Not only daily traffic jams but also total traffic chaos prevails here, particularly during marriage season.

"Residents of the area often report inconvenience owing to the haphazard parking, but so far no action has been taken," says Mr Kochar, a resident of the area. The palaces have encroached upon their own parking areas for other commercial purposes like extension of marriage hall area.

"People park vehicles in front of our main gate. It is frustrating to find that one cannot take out one's vehicle from one's own house," says a resident of the area. Residents also report that many drivers ease themselves on their boundary walls. Sometimes, brawls break out.

The use of loudspeakers in the marriage palaces further compounds the problem. The recent trend of fireworks during marriage celebrations, too, has become a menace with many half-burnt crackers falling on residential or commercial areas.

MC Commissioner, Mr K.S. Kang, when contacted, admitted having received complaints by residents of the area. He said he would plan out a meeting with SSP and DC to chalk out a suitable traffic and parking regulation plan shortly.

Beggars make city their chosen destination
Pawan Kumar

The holy city of Amritsar has become a haven for beggars. At least this is what seems when one sees beggars swarming at various road crossings in posh areas and outside almost all famous religious shrines situated in the city.

With police taking no action due to reasons best known to them, the beggars have become a public menace. "Little boys and girls, with tattered clothes and unkempt hair, beg for money in whining voice. At the road crossings, they run towards cars, start cleaning the windscreen with a dirty rag, and ask for money. They keep tapping at the windowpanes till one, tired of their whining, shells out some money," says a city resident.

"Some of these beggars are handicapped by polio, some are blind. They even keep pestering people in front of cops," adds another resident.

The other aspect of this menace is the involvement of drug addicts, who also sell narcotics. Also, there are begging-rackets, in which beggars take advantage of poverty and migration of people from other states, inducing them to adopt this 'lucrative business'. Residents of illegal slums mushrooming in the city also resort to begging.

About one and a half years back, the police had launched a campaign to nab the beggars, but the beggars were back in business after their release. Besides religious places, the other main places where they can be found include railway bridges, Lawrence Road Chowk, outside Hall Gate, traffic lights, outside cinema halls, posh parking places, bus stand and railway station. The menace has invited severe criticism from city residents time and again. They say it gives an ugly look to the holy city.

About 10 years ago, the then-DIG, Mr P.M. Dass, along with the Rotary Club Midtown, had jointly launched a massive campaign to identify the beggars. The spokesman of the Rotary Club said that they found that the majority of the beggars came from the poor states like Orissa, Bihar, UP and Bengal.

"The unique thing about the city is that the people here provide food cooked in desi ghee, which generally lasts for some days," says a city resident, adding that this gives the beggars another reason to flock to the city.

Mr Das said that they earned Rs 2500 to Rs 3000 per month, which they sent back home.

Booze, money power, novelty gimmicks
dominate election scene
Rashmi Talwar

Even as hotels and eating joints got some relief, and traffic congestion eased after the Ajnala election, this non-descript township, 25 km from Amritsar city, saw some colourful scenes during the campaigning this time.

With the Congress party's Harpatap Singh pitted against the Shiromani Akali Dal's Amarpal Singh Bonny, it was a straight contest for the two dominant parties that were in the fray for the lone MLA seat that became vacant after the sitting MLA Rattan Singh Ajnala became the MP.

Almost the entire civil secretariat had shifted to the township, leaving many departments of the state headless. "The rising crime graph during the time of canvassing was a pointer towards the state of affairs in the entire state, where sensational kidnappings threatened to tip the balance in favour of the Opposition," says an observer.

Liquor flowed freely and the bootleggers allegedly did a booming business supplying the booze to electorate. Money, too, was allegedly distributed to garner votes.

On another front were the agitating unemployed EET teachers using the 'crucial' opportunity to highlight their demands. But barricaded approach routes barred them from reaching Ajnala.

Soothsayers, astrologers and fortune tellers, too, minted money giving 'cosmic' advice on everything - from colours to be worn on the D-day to the auspicious time to start speeches. The support of lucky gems, too, was enlisted.

Unprecedented chaos marked the holy city's already chaotic traffic scene, as bus and truck owners were offered free rides to the poll-township with promises of "goodies". The purpose was to muster sufficient numbers at various election rallies.

The young MP Sachin Pilot and union ministers graced the ruling party rallies. The Congress party also garnered the services of Vikas, an 18-year-old boy standing tallest in the region with a height of more than 8.4 feet. Donning the Congress flag around his neck, he attracted a huge crowd that followed him. Not to leave any stone unturned for victory, the services of the local religious places were undertaken to distribute langar during the rallies of the Opposition candidate.

Tsunami funds cross Rs 75-lakh figure
Neeraj Bagga

Residents of the city as well as from the nearby areas are continuing their contribution of funds to the tsunami-affected.

Mr Kiran Deep Singh Bhullar, Deputy Commissioner, informed that so far Rs 75 lakh had been deposited by the district administration in the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. He said donations were still pouring in and were likely to touch Rs 1 crore mark.

Among the contributors include Sir Arur Singh Charitable Trust (Rs 20,000), Vivek Public School (Rs 21,000), Hasham Shah Public School/College, Jagdev Kalan (Rs 7000), Master's Academy of Roller Skating (Rs 5000), Ladies' Kirtan Mandal (Rs 1100), Mr Manohar Lal Sareen (Rs 1100), Friend's Club (Rs 3100), Ms Shashi Bhatia (Rs 1000), Saraswati College for Girls, Jandiala Guru (Rs 1000), Banati Adarsh Vidyalaya, Jandiala Guru (Rs 500), Rajinder Pal Mohan, Batala (Rs 500).

A peep into Kapoor Singh’s hockey trail
Neeraj Bagga

Energetic gait and enthusiasm for life belie his 77 years of age. Former international hockey player Kapoor Singh had been an active hockey player in his hey days. Even after retiring from active game, he continued to remain associated with the game.

Beginning his hockey career from Khalsa School, Gujjaranwala (Pakistan), where he was captain of the team in 1941, he became the member of the Indian team in 1955.

He captained the Khalsa College, Gujjaranwala, team from 1945 to 1947. His father, Mr Narain Singh, was the principal of the college. However, amidst the communal frenzy of the Partition, his family had to migrate to India.

He recalled that he had played in those times the famous Parader's Hockey Tournament, which used to be held in Lahore. Hockey was a "way of living" in his family, as his two elder brothers and a younger brother and a sister had also been hockey players.

After settling down here, he enrolled in Khalsa College, where he also captained the hockey team of Khalsa College, Amritsar, from 1949 to 1950. During this period he remained the member of the Panjab University team, too.

For the university team, he played in the Bombay Hockey League (1950-51) and the Aga Khan Cup. Later, he played for the Rajasthan Hockey Club in the Calcutta Hockey League (1953). The same year, he scored three hat tricks in the Beighton Cup and was adjudged the top scorer. He also represented India against Malaysia.

The next year, he represented Punjab in the prestigious All-India Abaidullah Gold Cup, Bhopal, (1954). Playing for the state, he participated in the National Hockey Championship, 1955, in Chennai.

He used to play at inside right. He said he cherished the memory of playing at the local Guru Nanak Stadium for the Indian team in a hockey test match in 1955.

He said, "A sea of people had descended to watch the game. Spectators had to buy tickets to see the match."

Even after retiring from the active game, his passion for it did not diminish. He remained the organising secretary of hockey matches held here from 1964 to 1981.

During this period, teams of France, Malaysia, Japan, Germany, Poland and Russia came to play here. He was the joint secretary of the All-India Maharaja Ranjit Singh Gold Cup Hockey Tournament from 1969 to 1990.

British teachers visit DAV International School
Neeraj Bagga

For Ms Paula Shaw, head of one of the two British groups, which visited DAV International School under the Teachers' International Professional Development Programme this week, visit to India was like a homecoming.

Working as an educational authority in London, Ms Paula was born to a British businessman and an Anglo-Indian mother in 1951 in Mumbai. She completed her primary education there. In 1963, her family settled in London.

Talking to the Tribune, she said, "Hazy memories of my childhood are still afresh." She said members of her group were overwhelmed by the Punjabi hospitality and warmth.

The 26-member group of teachers from the Department of Education and Skills, UK, had come to have firsthand knowledge of the teaching methods and new trends, and to understand the information technology. Ms Paula Shaw was leading the 13-member group comprising teachers from all over England. The study theme of the group was "Teaching and Learning Strategies Raising Achievement".

She felt that educational institutions with enough financial resources were imparting computer education at par with British Schools.

However, schools with limited financial resources were not able to provide the same. She said such schools needed support so that students of those schools could avail of the opportunities.

The other group consisted of teachers from Luton and Greenwich areas of the UK. The group was jointly led by Ms Susan Clapinska and Mr David Powell.

Mr Powell said Indian classrooms were populous. This hindered teachers from giving personal attention to students. He added that their stay in India was limited to the northern part only. They had visited Delhi, Chandigarh, Patiala, Jalandhar and Mohali.

The British teachers also visited the Pingalwara Society run school for weaker sections. Prof Rajpal Singh, Director, Heritage Institute for Art and Education, said the Department for Education and Skills, UK, the Commonwealth Council and some County Councils in England, in collaboration with the heritage institute, were arranging the visits of British teachers here for the past four years.

He said that this time the British teachers were visiting Punjab to have firsthand experience of the educational system and the way of life here. He said it helped in providing opportunities to teachers to explore, understand and do creative work.

Ms Neera Sharma, Principal of the school, said it was a good opportunity for the teachers and the students of the school to know about the way of teaching and culture in England.

She said the world was shrinking to a smaller place, and understanding other cultures was vital to international cooperation. She said it helped in developing a tolerant attitude needed for a global society.

Yoga is a way of life for city folks
Maneesha Mahajan

Experts feel that the ancient art’s uses are being recognised by people

The increasing pace of work coupled with awareness to keep fit has convinced people to find refuge in the ancient meditation technique of yoga. Experts feel that the ancient art has re-emerged from oblivion and its uses are being recognised by people from all over the world.

The city residents, too, are learning the art of yoga. According to Mr Uttam Dass, who is yoga instructor at the Yoga Abhyas Kendre here, yoga is an effective way to cure diseases like obesity, diabetes, back pain, hypertension, joint pain, asthma.

On an average, 30 persons in the age group of 16 years to 60 years visit the centre daily, he adds.

Experts say that yoga therapy includes exercises, deep breathing. "The yoga therapy session at our centre begins in morning with the chanting of prayers. It is followed by meditation, pranayama, yoga asans, surya namaskar and various other exercises. There is an evening session, too," explains Mr Dass.

Weekly Round-up

Punjabi comic play Banvas was staged at the auditorium of Thakur Singh Art Gallery on February 16. Written by Prof Davinder Singh and directed by Rajiv Dhingra, the play focused on blind faith and superstition prevalent in the society.

Doctor awarded fellowship

Dr Adarsh Kumar, Professor and Head of Cardiology, Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, has been honoured with a fellowship by the American College of Cardiology for his outstanding work and research in the field of cardiology.

He is the first among the faculty members of all medical colleges of north India to be awarded this fellowship. He would receive the fellowship on March 8 during the 54th Annual Scientific Session in Florida.

Local doctor in American academy

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has decided to induct a local doctor, Dr Rajinder Pal Singh Boparai, as a member of the International Affiliate of the Academy.

He would be inducted on February 24 in Washington. He would also attend the 72nd annual meeting of the academy there.

Poetry book Apuran released

Apuran, written by S.S. Minhas, an advocate, was released by Dr Daljit Singh, a recipient of Padam Shri, last week.

The theme of the poetical anthology ranged from common aspects of life to objects of nature, which inspire poets to pen their feelings. The book was released in the presence of Dr Armani from Karachi, Pakistan, and Dr K. S. Kang, a novelist.

Lecturer presents research paper in Austria

Mr Mandeep Singh Bhatia, lecturer in computer science and information technology, presented his research paper on 'broadcasting protocols' last week in Innsbruck, Austria, at the international conference organised by the Canadian Secretariat on Parallel and Distributed Computing Network.

Seminar on Guru Gobind Singh organised

The Education Committee of the Chief Khalsa Diwan organised a seminar on Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh master, on February 19. Mr Darbari Lal, Deputy Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, was the chief guest. He said that the contribution of Guru Gobind Singh was most invaluable.

He added that the Guru established the Khalsa Panth, which was a historical event and great turning point for the humanity.

He also released the annual magazine of the School. Mr Mahinder Singh Dhillon, Honorary Secretary, welcomed the guests.

Dr Balwant Singh, Head of Department, Guru Nanak Study of Guru Nanak Dev University, spoke on the contribution of the 10th Sikh Guru in religious and social spheres.