R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

• Regional Potpourri

PUNJAB

Abohar
SUMMER CAMP: As many as 357 students participated in a summer creativity camp organised by the Sudershan Chakra Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) which concluded at Army School, Sadhuwali Cantonment, 37 km from here, on Sunday. Major-Gen A. S. Lamba was the chief guest at the valedictory function. Ms Savinder Lamba, chairperson, AWWA, expressed gratitude for experts who provided training to participants in various activities during the 26-day camp.

Ferozepore
COMMISSIONER: Mr Kulbir Singh Sidhu has assumed the charge as Commissioner, Ferozepore Division. He will hold the additional charge of Commissioner, Faridkot Division, also. Mr Sidhu has replaced Mr Bibek Sarkar who has been transferred to Chandigarh as Secretary, Freedom Fighters, Punjab.

Hoshiarpur
KILLED: Sohan Lal of Rajpur Gashi died when a truck (PB-07-0933) hit his moped (PB-07B-5754) at Mor-Ranga village on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway on Friday. The truck driver fled with his vehicle. The Mukerian police has registered a case under Sections 304 A, 279 and 427 of the IPC against the truck driver.

INAUGURATED: Mr Sunder Sham Arora, Chairman of the local Market Committee inaugurated the office of Nagina Telecom, distributor of TATA Indicom, here on Saturday. With the opening of the office TATA Indicom has launched its mobile telephone service in Hoshiarpur.

DOWRY CASE: Ms Suman Kumari of the local Police Lines on Friday got a case registered against her NRI husband, mother-in-law and sister-in-law for torturing her for more dowry. In her complaint, Ms Suman Kumari stated that she was married to Rajinder Sharma of Ghataron village in Nawanshahr district on December 1, 2002. Rajinder Sharma and his mother Binjala Kumari were living in England. She alleged that soon after the marriage Rajinder Sharma, his mother and sister Kamlesh Kumari started demanding more dowry.

Ludhiana
SEMINAR HALL: Mr Rakesh Bharti Mittal, vice-chairman of Bharti Enterprises and managing director of Bharti Health Care on Friday inaugurated the seminar hall of the local SCD Government College. Mrs Indra Bhatia, Principal of the college, introduced Mr Mittal to the staff of the college. Mr Mittal told the college staff that the college had rich traditions and he was proud to be an old student of the college. The college had paid a handsome tribute to Mr Satish Dhawan, an eminent scientist, by naming the seminar hall as Satish Dhawan Seminar Hall.

CHANDIGARH

Panchkula
REPRESENTATION: Several senior citizens who were allotted a house by Housing Board Haryana, have pleaded for the refund of excess amount deposited by them as penal interest. In a representation to the Chief Administrator, Housing Board, the citizens have pleaded that this was waived off by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in December 2004.

Celebrated: The retired Persons Welfare Organisation celebrated its 22nd foundation day on Sunday at Chaman Lal DAV School. Mr Balraj Talwar, retired Chief Town Planner, was the chief guest and Dr V.P. Paul, Principal of the school, was the guest of honour. On this occasion, the councillor from Sector 11, Mr Vikas Chaudhary, donated Rs 5,100 to the association.

HARYANA

Rewari
DISTRIBUTED: Deputy Commissioner Mahender Kumar distributed bicycles among 370 girl students of various schools in the district at a function held at Girls Senior Secondary School here on Saturday. The DC also awarded Rs 1,100 each to two girl students, Monika and Rupesh, for their performance on the occasion. He also announced a financial assistance of Rs 10,000 to boost sports activities in the school.

DIED: Navin Kumar, a resident of Bawal, was crushed to death by a three-wheeler while he was standing at the bus stop of Balawas Ahir village, near here, on Friday. In another incident, Deep Chand (19) of Masani village died when he was hit by a vehicle on the Delhi-Jaipur highway near Dharuhera on Friday. In another incident, a Maruti car was gutted in fire which broke out after its LPG cylinder burst on the Rewari-Narnaul road, 7 km from here, on Saturday. The occupants of the car managed to escape.

Sonepat
SUSPENDED: Superintendent of Police Sukhdev Singh on Sunday placed ASI Baljit Singh under suspension following complaints against him for shielding criminals engaged in sale of contraband charas and opium. A DSP and CIA staff officials had inquired into the allegations and found them correct.

BODY FOUND: A body of a newly-born child was found at Bud Malik village, 13 km from here, on Sunday. According to a report, the body was buried by villagers without informing the police. The Rai police has denied receiving any information about the incident.

ARRESTED: The Sadar police on Sunday claimed to have arrested an accused in connection with the alleged murder of Satpal, an official of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam. The accused was identified as Spater of Zainpur village. However, two other accused are still absconding.

HELD: The Murthal police arrested two men along with two women while they were found in compromising position on the Kurur road near a cold storage, 10 km from here on Saturday. They were identified as Rampal of Kurar village, Sutta of Dewru Road, Meena of Moradabad (UP) and Shakuntala of Alwar (Rajasthan).

POWER SHUT DOWN: The Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) will not supply power to the 33-KV power sub-stations of Kailana, Bega and Larsauli villages on Monday for repair work of the 132-grid power sub-station at the Ganaur-Garhi Jhinjara road. The residents of Ganaur subdivision will thus be denied power supply between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday. 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Solan
BODY FOUND: The unidentified decomposed body of a man in his mid-forties was recovered from a 150-foot deep gorge near Bani village on the Kunihaar-Arki road on Saturday evening. The body bore injury marks on the head, ears, legs, etc., and an empty bottle of liquor was also found near it. Preliminary investigation revealed that the man had died after falling into the gorge.

LOGS SEIZED: Three Nepalese, Dharpa Lama, Dharap Bahadur, both hailing from Anchal Kanili district, and Khayunder Lama hailing from Simikot district, were arrested by the Kandhaghat police on Saturday afternoon for illegally carrying logs of wood in an HRTC bus (HP-07-4635). A case under sections 41 and 42 of the Forest Act and Section 379 of the IPC was registered against them by the police.

Sundernagar
ORGANISED: Sri Satya Sai Seva Organisation held a two-day prasathi seva training and youth conference which concluded at Staff Club, BBMB Colony, here on Sunday. More than 250 delegates from various parts of Mandi district took part. A video show was also organised for the delegates.

URGED: The Himachal Kishan Sangh (HKS) urged the government to exempt power-operated agricultural equipments from VAT on the pattern of the Punjab Government. In a press note, general secretary of the HKS, Mr Amar Chand Verma, said there was resentment among the farmers of the state and the government should abolish the 4 per cent VAT on agricultural equipments. He also urged the government to issue directions to the Horticulture Department for the release of subsidy to the farmers who have purchased power tillers under the horticulture mission.

REGIONAL POTPOURRI

Pilgrim’s progress

Seven wonders: Himachal Pradesh plans to put its top seven shrines on the Net to boost religious tourism in the state.

To start with, Himachal Pradesh’s top seven legendary shrines are proposed to be put on a comprehensive temple website to attract both tourists and investors from across the globe.

The Divisional Commissioner, Mandi, K.J.B.V. Subhramanyam, has proposed a detailed plan in this regard to the Secretary, Tourism. “The cost of the website will be borne by the temple trusts in proportion to their sources of income,” he says.

Initially, the website will feature the major temples of Brijeshwari, Chamunda and Jwalaji in Kangra, Chintpurni in Una, Bhimakali in Shimla, Naina Devi in Bilaspur and Renuka Devi in Sirmaur. “Kangra shrines are already on the website, but they need to be marketed as a brand, highlighting their unique history and significance,” he says.

To rope in investors or donors, particularly the NRIs from Himachal, the website will have provision for online donation to the temple trusts.

“We are tying up with various banks to facilitate online donations,” he says adding that the website and online donations will go a long way in promoting religious tourism in the state.

Strands of tradition

Her wall hangings with hand embroidery, popularly known as the Chamba rumaal, find place in the living rooms of several foreign buyers.

Meet the President’s Award winner Lalita Vakil, who has not just kept the traditional embroidery work alive but also taken it to different countries. She has been awarded the Kala Shree twice at the Surajkund Mela in 2000 and 2002 and was also chosen as the Best Craftswoman of the Year-1995 in Lucknow.

The distinguishing feature of the Chamba rumaal is that it looks the same from both sides. Traditional Basoli miniature paintings are first made on a cloth of the size 3 x 3 feet and then embroidery work is done on it. It can take from one month to eight months to complete one piece, depending on the quality of work.

No wonder, the cost of the Chamba rumaals varies from Rs 500 to Rs 25,000. “In case of a high-quality rumaal, the silken thread is further split into half to make the embroidery finer,” she says.

Vakil exhibited her works in Romania in 2002 and has been holding exhibitions through the Vastra Mantralaya in different cities across the country. She also gives training free of cost to locals to keep the tradition alive. “What started as a mere hobby has been my preoccupation for the last 22 years,” she says.

The irony is that the Chamba rumaal is more popular among foreigners and in other Indian states than in Himachal. But the rumaal is one thing that will always embody the cultural heritage of Chamba.

Law of success

Charanjit Singh Ghai is an ordinary lawyer of Ropar. But it is the grit and determination that he showed in achieving his goal of joining the Bar that is extraordinary.

Coming from a poor family, he did not have enough resources to continue his studies but was determined to find a way out. When he was in Class IV, he began collecting wood from the nearby forests to sell and earn some money. By the time he reached Class VIII, he started selling peanuts outside a cinema hall so that he could fund the rest of his schooling.

In college, a local social worker, the late Hazura Singh, came to his aid and helped him complete his graduation. He pursued his postgraduation while doing a part-time job and finally completed his LLB.

“Education is the key to success and it makes you self-reliant. Owing to the struggle I underwent, I prefer to fight the legal battles of those who are needy and do not have enough resources to pay a lawyer,” says Charanjit.

“If you have a strong will power, you can achieve any goal,” he adds.

Contributed by Kuldeep Chauhan, Vibhor Mohan and Kiran Deep