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'Garden of beautiful girl' in ruins
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Amritsar-Birmingham-Toronto Air-India flight popular among Punjabi NRIs
The new aircraft Boeing 777, with a capacity of 272 passengers and a crew of 12 offering typical Punjabi hospitality, has become the darling of the large Punjabi community living in Doaba belt and NRIs settled in England and Canada.
— Photo by Rajiv Sharma
‘Translated works act as cultural bridges’
SEZ project in limbo, govt fails to notify land
First software on Guru Granth Sahib developed
A treasure trove of rare manuscripts
Fighting for a just cause is Buta Ram’s passion
Medical astrology camp to be organised
Cyclic meditation reduces stress, says varsity study
Music night mesmerises city audience
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'Garden of beautiful girl' in ruins
Most of the invaluable artifacts, associated with the ancient border village, Neshta, the name derived from Nashisht-Gah (meaning garden of beautiful girl), situated near Attari /Wagah border, have virtually disappeared. Residents claim that Neshta is the first village of the state that is older than Amritsar.
Once a hustling-bustling place situated near the Indo-Pak border, it was a big trade centre. Partition brought ruin to this town, now reduced to a tiny village. Maharaja Ranjit Singh had allotted hundred acres of land to the ancient temple of the village. From progressive village to the one hit by indifference, Neshta has become a victim of circumstances. Its location-specific disadvantage is much responsible for its rise and fall. The village is situated at equidistance from Amritsar and Lahore. Over the years, government policies and unforeseen events like Partition and decade-old terrorism influenced the fortunes here and the village faced many ups and downs. Neshta was also the native village of Bawa Balwant, a versatile Punjabi poet and prose writer. Today, the house of Bawa Balwant has become a victim of indifference and there is no trace of the building left. According to Dr Kulbir Singh Kaang, a renowned Punjabi critic, the land of Neshta was allotted to the forefathers of Bawa Balwant by great Sikh warrior, Sardar Sham Singh Attariwala. Vaid Misher Mool Chand, grandfather of Bawa Balwant, was the court physician of Sardar Attariwala who earned a lot of respect in the royal family. The Hindu and Muslim dominated Neshta and houses of both communities had peculiar architectural designs. The rich Khatri and Brahmins used to live inside the big quila-type structure, having separate wells. The four big doors of the quila would be closed after the sunset with a view to protect its occupants from any outside mischief. The majestic building was demolished and only ruins of its portion have been left. Today, cattle are tied where the house of Bawa Balwant once existed and the site presents a pitiable picture. Mr Chander Shekhar Juj, cousin of Bawa Balwant, claims that Raja Nal, of Rajasthan, founded this village. Many people from the drought-hit areas had migrated to the fertile lands of Punjab in those days. To substantiate his point that the village is an ancient one, Mr Juj took the Amritsar Plus team to his house where more than five-century-old Devi Dawara, a small but beautiful temple, made of Nanakshahi bricks, has been preserved with personal efforts. He said he did not flee from the village even at the peak of militancy because he considered it his moral duty to up-keep and preserve the temple. The holy tank of the local Tap Asthan was famous in far-flung areas and many residents of Pakistan used to bring ‘wonder waters’ from here many years after Partition. Mr Gurdev Singh Randhawa, a retired Executive Engineer, says that significance of the village could be judged from the fact that Sunil Dutt and Nargis had staged a play, Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai here in 1962. He said the village had never seen any communal tension even during the heydays of militancy. Even as the invaluable heritage buildings in the countryside could have become a tourist attraction, no efforts have been made to preserve this heritage. The place has witnessed the destruction of many heritage buildings, and there has also been a colossal damage to the residential buildings of historical significance (like the one belonging to the family of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s famous warrior Sham Singh Attariwala in his ancestral town, Attari). Following the annexation of Punjab, the British crushed the near and dear ones of Sham Singh Attariwala, who embraced martyrdom while fighting the last battle with them (British forces) at Mudki (Ferozepore district). The Archeological Survey of India and the state government have failed to tap the tourism potential by preserving such heritage buildings. The historical towns of Attari and Neshta, which are just short of the Pakistan border, could be of great attraction for curious visitors who come in thousands to see the daily Retreat Ceremony at the Wagah Joint Check Post. Ironically, no effort has been made to preserve Punjab’s architectural marvels to engage the tourists for a day or two in the border belt. Legend has it that the sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind, had camped in the area along with his follower, Mata Kaulan, a Muslim lady, during one of his sojourns. Agriculturally fertile village developed into the most populated village, but everything changed for the worse with the passage of time. The SGPC has constructed a big Gurdwara, Mitha-Sar, to commemorate the visit of the fifth Sikh Guru. Two wells of the time of the Guru are still intact.
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Bawa Balwant was born with a wooden spoon in his mouth at his ancestral village Neshta in August 1915 and died due to the scorching heat of June on the melting roads of New Delhi in 1972. He was a true representative of the progressive movement in Punjabi poetry. Greatly influenced by great poet Mohammad Iqbal, he initially started composing poetry in Urdu but later switched over to his mother tongue Punjabi.
Socialism was the guiding principle of Bawa’s poetry. He is at his lyrical best in his love poems. His collections are Maha Nach (Grand Dance), Amar Geet (Immortal Songs), Jawala Mukhi (Volcano), Bandergah (Port) and Sugandh-Sameer (Fragrance and Aroma). After martyrdom of Sardar Sham Singh Attariwala, Bawa’s family was deprived of all feudal glory. They came back to their ancestral village Neshta, having no support except petty medical practice. Bawa had got his schooling from his parents. He learnt ledger of transactions through the medium of Lande (a Mahajni script). Dr Kulbir Singh Kaang, who had remained the companion of the poet, said that Bawa’s father taught him Urdu, Hindi and a little of Persian script at home. Amritsar, the city of nectar, provided him a secular background with lyrical and spiritual poetic tradition. He got the job of muneem at a shop for Rs 7 a month. His father shifted to Amritsar and rented a house for Rs 2 per month. Music became his passion, as great musicians used to live in his neighbourhood at that time. Poverty became an inseparable part of the family. Their rented house in Bazaar Kaserian, with its noisy surroundings, would disturb his poetic mind. This house, too, has now been demolished by the landlord. Except for literary works, nothing belonging to the progressive poet Bawa Balwant is traceable today. They were three brothers. Two of them were chronic bachelors, while Bawa had married once. But his marriage was followed by a quick separation. The whereabouts of Bawa’s two sisters are also unknown. Bawa’s cousin, Chander Shekhar Juj, says he has no idea where the real sisters of Bawa live. Juj said that he had once seen Bawa Balwant when he (Juj) was only five years old. He, however, agreed that not raising a memorial in the poet’s name was a blunder on the part of villagers. Mr Gurdev Singh Randhawa, president of local historical gurdwara, however, said that he would make personal efforts to raise the memorial, if Punjabi literary societies, Guru Nanak Dev University or educational institutions extended help.
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Amritsar-Birmingham-Toronto Air-India flight popular among Punjabi NRIs
The direct Air-India flight between Amritsar-Birmingham-Toronto has seen a heavy rush within a span of fortnight. This flight was launched with fanfare on May 15 from the Rajasansi International Airport.
The Air-India station manager based here, Mr Ashwani Arora, said they had never thought that the majority of Punjabi NRIs would prefer Air-India. He said the inaugural flight was booked to its capacity. The new aircraft Boeing 777, with a capacity of 272 passengers and a crew of 12 offering typical Punjabi hospitality, had become the darling of the large Punjabi community living in Doaba belt and NRIs settled in England and Canada. He said that for the comfort of passengers, the flight provided individual television sets with a range of in-house channels for entertainment. He said the majority of the flights had been overbooked. He attributed the success to numerous factors. Most of the NRIs preferred to travel through the national carrier due to patriotic reasons and the flight provided direct connection from the Punjabi heartland to Birmingham and Toronto, where a large number of Punjabis were settled, he said. Mr Arora said most of the bookings had come from travel agents from Doaba belt for both destinations. Giving details of the bookings, he said during the thrice-a-week flight, they had received 15 to 20 per cent more bookings. He said Air-India planned to make the thrice-a-week flight into a daily flight in view of the excellent response. He said that they served Punjabi cuisine, besides other delicacies, during the flight. He said the passengers profile was of middle and higher class segment.
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‘Translated works act as cultural bridges’
Rabinder Singh Bath is not a new name in the field of Punjabi literature. He has been contributing richly to Punjabi literature by translating famous novels into Punjabi language. The best part is that he has never let monetary matters interfere with his interest in translation work.
He says, "Literature is the necessity of life. It is helpful in understanding the world, societies and human relationships. By translating famous books into Punjabi language, I want to connect Punjabi-speaking people with the literature of other languages. Translated works can act as a cultural bridge." Mr Bath said the most difficult part of the translation was the selection of the right kind of material to be translated. He said it took a lot of time and continuous study for months to look for the right text. He said that he translated only those books which left deep impression on his mind. After selecting a book, he got the formal permission of the writers for translating it in Punjabi language and only then he approached the publishers to get the book published. He said sometimes he had to spend from his own pocket to get the books published. He said translating books was his passion. Even the financial constraints could not stop him from pursuing his intense interest in literature. He rued that the dictionaries translating Hindi or English words in Punjabi were never upgraded, due to which sometimes it became difficult to get the right word and expression. His recently released short story book Nirantar Yudh, which contained eight pieces originally written by Basanti, Jayanti, Vinay Khadpekar, has become the talk of the town. Talking about his translation work, he said his translation of the famous novel Nikka Nimana which is a political satire (a story based on the life of an illegitimate child who rose to become a powerful political leader and almost bid for the post of the prime minister but was later killed), had received tremendous response. His other book was Danga, originally authored by Mehrudin Khan. This book was published in 2001 and it was based on riots. He added that this novel had been serialised for a year in Sher-e-Punjab weekly published in the USA. Mr Bath said he was deeply touched by the novel Lahoo Bhijje Patre written by Indira Goswami, a professor at Delhi University. This book narrated the sufferings of ordinary people during the Operation Bluestar and Delhi riots. He said this book had been published in seven or eight different languages. About his future plans, he said he would continue to pursue his mission rigorously. He said his other book Nishkasan would be published in a couple of months. Another book on the trauma of a migrant Punjabi family displaced from western Punjab (Pakistan) was on the anvil, he added.
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SEZ project in limbo, govt fails to notify land
There was a glimmer of hope for the revival of local industry with the announcement of Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, that special economic zone (SEZ) would be set up. But now this hope is fading.
The acquisition of 1000 acres of land is the main impediment for the government. The government was supposed to provide land as equity for the prestigious Rs 1,100-crore project approved by the prime minister to provide an impetus to the sagging industry in the border district. According to information available, officials have failed to identify the land around Amritsar. A senior government functionary involved in the setting up of SEZ said that the government was already facing a number of cases in the courts regarding the acquisition of land. The government had been slapped with a huge compensation amount of Rs 250 crore, which had put brakes on fresh acquisition. The industry department, meanwhile, has offered to establish an agro-export zone at Goindwal, which was once a nucleus industrial area developed by the state government. However, it failed to meet the aspirations of entrepreneurs and today the industrial area has turned into a ghost town. Industrialists have shot down the proposal of Goindwal and asserted that the place lacked infrastructure and other basic facilities. In a special meeting convened recently by the Principal Secretary, Industry and Commerce, Mr S.C. Aggarwal, to discuss the entire gamut of the highly-prestigious project, the secretary said the government was considering the proposal to set up a smaller SEZ for particular trade and industry in the border district. He said the prohibitive cost of land had made the government to take a second look at developing the composite SEZ on 1000 acres of plot. He, however, added that he was keen that the private-public partnership worked for developing SEZ on their own. He said that with the current warmth in relation with Pakistan, and SAFTA agreement coming into force by the next year, SEZ would be significant in this border region. The project report stated that the total outlay of the project would be around Rs 500 crore, out of which the cost of land was around Rs 200 crore and the infrastructure cost was Rs 215 crore. The project funding is expected to be met through the equity of Rs 21.39 crore, with financing from institution to the extent of Rs 287.81 crore, and the balance would be met through Rs 200 crore. Interestingly, the state government has earmarked Rs 59 crore in the present budget for developing Mohali and Amritsar SEZs as proposed by the Central government.
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First software on Guru Granth Sahib developed
For devout, the first software on Guru Granth Sahib prepared by Bhai Baljinder Singh may come as a boon, powered as it is by a search engine.
Using this software one can familiarise oneself with Gurbani using Isher Micro Media, which is a powerful search tool with utilities, to find a word or a line in Guru Granth Sahib and varaans and kabits (Bhai Gurdass Ji). One can simultaneously read three teekas (meaning) of Guru Granth Sahib. These include first teeka that also includes Punjabi or English translation of Guru Granth Sahib by Manmohan Singh. The second is Faridkot wala teeka that is a classical teeka by scholars of Nirmala sect. The third teeka is of Guru Granth Sahib darpan in gurbani by Sahab Singh. Acrobat PDF files are available in Bhai Daya Singh Ji Library. The software also gives access to Mahankosh by Bhai Kahan Singh, Nabha Sri Nanak Parkash by Bhai Santokh Singh, Sri Gurpartap Suraj Granth with 12 rasses, six ruts and two ayans, in addition to relative index of Sri Gurpartap Suraj Granth edited by Harbans Singh. All files are made easy to read by creating hyperlinks. In line search you can break up the bani from a particular raag or author. All text can be copied, pasted in text editor. A unique option is provided to collect complete information about a particular topic in gurbani or vaar or kabits and copy all this information with a single click. Another option is available to copy the next or previous line or lines while you collect information about a particular topic from gurbani or vaars or kabits. In addition to that, two dictionaries of gurbani — Mahan Kosh by Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha and Sri Guru Granth Kosh by Gurcharan Singh — are also available. Pre-defined list of bookmarks is available in Guru Granth Sahib and varaans of Bhai Gurdass. It is possible to scroll to any vaar or pauri by entering vaar or pauri number in box. The same is available in kabits also. To use this media, one can customise the keystrokes of one’s keyboard. One can listen to English section from Punjabi or English translation of Guru Granth Sahib by Manmohan Singh. Interestingly, the software also includes Karamsar, a typing programme for easier Gurmukhi typing.
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A treasure trove of rare manuscripts
This retired Air Force officer has been taking care of the invaluable treasure of society. Mr x’s mission is to preserve rare books. The treasure trove consists of rare manuscripts, including 275-year-old Guru Granth Sahib, 150-year-old explanation of Japuji Sahib in Sanskrit, a small copy of the Ramayana in Punjabi.
He has painstakingly maintained these books. The 275-year-old Adi Granth is written by hand on manually-prepared paper made of wood. The author’s name has not been mentioned.
At some places, minor corrections have been made. On the last page, important information regarding the year of its completion and methodology of preparing the ink with which it was written, is mentioned. It says that the granth was completed in 1787 Vikrami Samvat and the ink was made from kajal, seeds of belu, gond (gum) of kikkar (a kind of tree), lajvar and foil of gold. This mixture, along with water, was kept in a utensil of copper for 20 days and stirred with wooden stick of neem. The first and last pages of the granth have symbols of Ek Omkar and Swastika. “It symbolises the beginning and the completion of paath (recital),” says Mr Avtar Singh. Another manuscript of Guru Granth Sahib does not mention the time of its completion, but from the way of writing it seems that it was written later than the earlier one. The third biggest granth is Dasam Granth written in 1944 Samvat. This 160- year-old granth has similar symbols. It has 619 pages. The fourth rare book is that on explanation of Japuji Sahib in Sanskrit. Mr Avtar Singh says, “Perhaps it is one of the few books in Sikhism written in Sanskrit.” Its origin dates back to 150 years. He also has a copy of the Ramayana in Punjabi. What makes this book unusual is its beginning. Unlike, other similar books which begin with an invocation to Lord Ganesha, it begins with Ek Omkar. Lord Ganesha has been mentioned immediately thereafter. Besides, he also has some ten small manuscripts about Guru Granth Sahib. One of them is written in Urdu. He has written to experts about the books. He feels that the books would help the experts to know about the trends of printing and writing in those times. He had got these sacred granths from his late father Swami Darshan Das. Swami Darshan Das was brought up in a Dharamshala Budh Prakash at Manochal village of Tarn Taran. Perhaps, these sacred books were given by mahants of that Dharamshala to his father.
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Fighting for a just cause is Buta Ram’s passion
It often happens that real-life heroes do not receive the recognition they deserve. Comrade Buta Ram is one such unsung hero of the black days of terrorism in Punjab. Though his daring feats got commendation when he was awarded Shaurya Chakra by Mr R.
Venkataraman, the then President of India on April 14, 1990, yet these days he is living in oblivion.
The citation of Shaurya
Chakra, awarded on a special investiture ceremony at Rashtarpati Bhavan, read: “President has been pleased to confer on you the award of Shaurya Chakra in recognition of gallantry displayed by you on 5 May, 1987, in chasing the hardcore terrorists and nabbing one of them at grave risk to your life.” He was also honoured with the “Red and White Gallantry Award” by General S.F. Rodrigues on 14 June, 1993, in recognition of his valiant deeds. However, today there is no trace of any recognition of his bravery. This dauntless hero of about 61 years of age manages a small shop on the Sultanwind Road. He recalls how he was asked many a time to leave Amritsar and settle somewhere away from Punjab, but he stuck to his conviction of not leaving his native place. Kale dina di dastan (A saga of black days) is the book in which he has narrated true stories of people of Punjab during the days of terrorism. He says he has much more to share than what he has written in this book. Once he himself grappled with two terrorists. One of them ran away. Buta Ram caught hold of the other, threw him inside the shop and pulled the shutter down. He suffered more than five bullet attacks, but nothing could weaken his resolve to fight for the right cause. His book is regarded as an authentic source of reference on terrorism in Punjab. Even the research committee from Delhi University took this book especially for research purpose. Following the teachings of Gurus and philosophers like Guru Nanak, Swami Vivekananda and Lala
Hardayal, Buta Ram still has the moral courage to go all alone for a right cause. He says that his fight against social evils continues. “People like me may not be accorded any special recognition, but this does not make us less determined to take up the right cause. Today, government officials may not acknowledge what we did for our country, but we choose not to be
demoralised,” he says.
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Medical astrology camp to be organised
Have you ever thought of treatment of chronic diseases through astrology? Medical Astrology is the new field that is being claimed to be helpful in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as asthma, heart disease, arthritis, cancer, infertility and psychiatric disorders.
Physicians, especially those related to Ayurveda, believe that the stars do affect the health of the individuals. A two-day free medical check-up camp in this regard will be held at Ayshkam, Ayurvedic Health Care Centre, Ranjit Avenue. The camp would be organised by Dr Suresh Chauhan of Ayshkam, in collaboration with the International Institute of Vedic Research. A two-member team from the international institute would be coming for the camp which would make horoscopes and provide necessary information to the patients. Dr Chauhan said this was a research-based camp in which data would be collected of various patients participating in the camp. The main idea was predicting various affects on different parts of the body and the chances of chronic diseases in individual lives after observing star positions in the horoscope. He said this would also help in taking precautionary measures for lessening the intensity of the diseases. He said proper medical aid could be provided for the prevention and cure of the diseases by knowing the positions of the stars. He said that the Ayurveda believed in star positions while treating any disease. He said the due to bad eating habits, a large number of cases of piles, fistula and fissures among the Punjabi community, were noticed. He said the camp would provide free check-up of these ailments. He said in other systems of medicines, normally these diseases reoccurred, but in Ayurveda the chances of re-occurrence were nil.
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City students shine in CBSE and varsity exams Bhavan’s S L Public School recorded 100 per cent result, with all 66 students clearing the examination. The chairman of the School, Mr Avinash Mohindru, said Priyanka Batra had topped with 92.8 per cent marks. She had scored 92 per cent in Punjabi. He said that six students had scored more than 90 per cent. These students included Sumit Chopra with 91.2 per cent, Priyanka Sarpal with 90.4 per cent, Nitin Arora with 90.2 per cent, Sneha Mathur with 90.2 per cent and Alisha with 90 per cent. He added that Shilpa and Sumit Chopra had scored cent per cent in Mathematics, while Himanshu Gupta had scored 100 per cent in Science. The school organised a special function to celebrate the achievements of its students. Meanwhile, students of Shri Ram Ashram Public School, according to Principal, Ms Preeti Sharad, had got hundred per cent result. Out of 21 students, 18 had got first division, while 12 had got more than 70 per cent. She said that Rabia Arora had scored 90 per cent. Karan Khanna had got 87 per cent, while Aakrti Sharma had got 82 per cent. Interestingly, a small town girl has stood second in Punjab by getting 97.4 per cent marks in CBSE Class X examination. Ms J. Kackaria, Regional Director, Ferozepore Zone of DAV Public Schools, and Principal of local BBK DAV College for Women, expressed her delight over the excellent performance of Palak Gupta, a student of LIDGDAV Senior Secondary Public School, Jalalabad. The third position was also secured by a girl student, Akriti Bhandari, DAV Public School, Ludhiana. In university examination, Ms Garima Mahajan of DAV College has stood first in BBA Part-I examination conducted by Guru Nanak Dev University. She got 461 marks out of 600. Sania Suneja and Shilpi Mahajan, with 459 and 453 marks, respectively, out of 600, have stood second and third in BBA Part-I. Students of BBK DAV College for Women have done well in exams. Anu Arora stood second in the B.Com (Professional) Part-III examination conducted by the university, while Megha Mittal is third in the district. Chandni Malik from the same college has secured third position in B.Com (Professional) Part-I examination.
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Cyclic meditation reduces stress, says varsity study
A
study conducted by Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, in collaboration with Ayushkam Clinic of Dr Suresh Chauhan, an expert in cyclic meditation and classical Ayurvedic massage, has shown that there is a significant reduction in stress and anxiety levels following one week of cyclic meditation and classical Ayurvedic massage.
The latest techniques of biofeedback using µ-EEG waves, Galvanic Skin Resistance and EMG were used to analyse the reduction in quantitative terms. High stress level cricketers were used as subjects and there was a marked reduction in all values towards positive side. The Comprehensive Anxiety Score (CAT Score) showed a 40 per cent decrease in pre-competitive stress level. There is 234 per cent increase in GSR biofeedback value, 534 per cent increase in EEG biofeedback value and 83 per cent decrease in EMG biofeedback over baseline pre-treatment values following cyclic meditation of one week’s duration. This data was presented as a research paper in the Asian Federation of Sports Medicine Congress. In a recently conducted study, while using the same biofeedback methods, it has been shown that the CAT reduction of 55 per cent level follows a classical Ayurvedic oil massage for one week. This data was presented in the 26th Indian Association of Sports Medicine Congress held in Chennai in January this year. Dr S.P. Singh, Vice-Chancellor, keeping the study in consideration, has started cyclic meditation and Yoga sessions thrice a week for the benefit of the faculty and the students of the university. The vice-chancellor, noting the significance of the study for general public and sportspersons, in particular, hopes to bring a wave of public awareness regarding indigenous procedures.
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Music night mesmerises city audience
The music night Punjabi Beats had the music buffs mesmerised on the night of May 27 at the sprawling grounds of New Amritsar.
The music night was jointly organised by Zee Punjabi in collaboration with ETC Channel Punjabi. However, the organisers and police had a tough time controlling the frenzied fans, who were all-eager to have a glimpse of their favourite stars. Shankar Sahney enthralled the audience with his famous Punjabi numbers. The arrival of Mikka on the stage was greeted with loud cheers. The audience repeatedly asked him to sing his hit numbers, including Dunali and Gabru. Other singers who regaled the audience included Nachattar Gill, Balkar Sidhu, Daljit and Neha. The performance of bhangra by Scorpion Group kept the audience riveted.
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The direct Air-India flight between Amritsar-Birmingham-Toronto has seen a heavy rush within a span of fortnight. This flight was launched with fanfare on May 15 from the Rajasansi International Airport.
