 |
|
|
Rich architecture had earned Kapurthala the sobriquet “Paris of Punjab”
Woman alleges harassment, says domestic violence victims ignored
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Non-operational lift in administrative complex gives tough time to physically
challenged
Villagers demand birth, death registration
facilities at Phagwara
The students of the college bagged 42 merit positions in university examinations last year, and the pass percentage was much higher than the university pass percentage.
Exporters smile as ministry raises turnover limit
Sukhwinder Singh
Doaba emerging as centre of dental tourism
From Schools and Colleges
Weekly Round-up
Market Buzz
|
|
Rich architecture had earned Kapurthala
Kapurthala is a city known for historical buildings. Famous for the French architecture used in the buildings and town planning, this “Paris of Punjab’’ was established by Rana Kapoor from Jaisalmer. Rana Kapoor was the younger son of King Dham of Jaisalmer on whose name a village was established on Kapurthala-Subhanpur road. In eighteenth century, a Bhatti Muslim Ibrahim took the city in his possession and developed it. After Ibrahim, Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia developed it as his capital. Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, a successor in Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia dynasty, developed gardens and got the buildings constructed. These buildings include Jagatjeet Palace, Darbar Hall, Jubilee Hall, Elysee Palace, Gol Kothi, Billa Kothi, Army Headquarter building on the Kanjali Road. Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, who was secular from the core of his heart, established a temple Paanch Mandir and Moorish Mosque, besides a gurdwara in the city. People from European countries used to visit the city to study its town planning and the French architecture used in its buildings. The most beautiful and elegant building of the city — Jagatjit Palace housing the Sainik School — is presently spread over 248 acres. It was constructed in 1908 on the pattern of the Palace of Versailles built by Louis XIV of France. The Darbar Hall was used as the court of the king and the Jubilee Hall housed the offices of ministers from where all orders used to be released. Though both buildings have been declared unsafe, the SSP Office, the District Courts Complex and some other offices are still working in the Darbar Hall. The Jubilee Hall is a part of Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia Government College. The Baradari building situated in the Shalimar Garden was made by Maharaja Fateh Singh of Kapurthala almost four hundred years back. Facing the apathy of the district administration, this historical monument is on the verge of collapse. The Moorish Mosque, another feather in the cap of this city of beautiful buildings, is a model of the Marrakesh architecture and it is believed that there are only two mosques in the world on this pattern. The mosque was built by Maharaja Jagatjit Singh after its foundation stone was laid by Nawab Sadiq Mohammed Khan Bahadur of Bahavpur in October 1926. It took four years to complete it. More than four lakh rupees was spent on it. Experts say that the marvel of the buildings in Kapurthala lies in the fact that they were constructed meticulously, keeping in view the local conditions. For instance, the double ceiling of the Jagatjeet Palace helps in maintaining the temperature. In this palace, there is a museum where artifacts and paintings bought by maharajas from different parts of the world can be seen. While the Elysee Palace housing MGN School at present was built by Maharaja Bikram Singh in 1862, the building of the Jagatjeet Club was built during the times of Maharaja Randhir Singh. Sadly, Kapurthala’s rich heritage has been ignored. “There’s hardly any long-term plan to preserve the old buildings of historical value. The authorities seem indifferent. In some cases, crass commercialisation has taken over. It is only a matter of time and the rich heritage may well vanish,” rues an expert. A pointer towards this is the Nihal Palace, popularly known as the Jalao Khana, which was built by Maharaja Fateh Singh (who also built Kamra Bagh, Shalimar Bagh, Kamra Palace and Baradari in Shalimar Bagh) in 1833 for queens. A shopping complex has replaced the palace after the demolition of the old building.
A glimmer of hope
One monument that is in good condition is that of a martyr of the First World War, Sardar Jhagarh Singh. It is being taken care of by the District Sainik Welfare Board. Sardar Jhagarh Singh was one of the two sons of Sardar Natha Singh of Dhariwal Bet village in Dhilwan. Due to the efforts of Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, the statue of this brave soldier was brought from Paris in 1926 and placed here. Another somewhat relieving news is that some time back, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conducted the repair of the Darbar Hall and the Kamra Palace.
In bad shape
The tomb (makbara) of Mian Mir Nasir Ahmed, a famous singer of dhrupad, on the Pir Choudhary Marg is just about to vanish, as the plaster on most of its walls has been peeled off by the vagaries of weather. There is no sign of floor in the remnants of the building. Mian Mir, along with the Mughal king at whose court he sang, was arrested by the British Government at that time. Kunwar Bikram Singh of Kapurthala used his good offices with the British Government and got Mian Mir Nasir Ahmed released. After that, Mian Mir stayed in Kapurthala only.
|
|
Woman alleges harassment, says
“During the past four months, it has been a very difficult time. I have been trying to make myself heard, but so far it has fallen on deaf ears,” she alleges. Her problems started on the day of the marriage itself, she says in the complaint that has been submitted to the police. “I wish I had had the courage to break free on the very day my in-laws asked for gifts and money from my parents. At that time, I was too cowardly to do that. Social approval stood in my way of taking the right decision. I regret it now,” she adds, while levelling allegations of wife abuse against her husband. “Though initially, my husband was not violent, later he started beating me,” she alleges, adding, “ How can I prove that he used to beat me? Now I know for sure that all talks about the victims of domestic violence getting justice are empty assurances.” Alleging that the police had so far failed to register her complaint, she said she had met with “unsympathetic attitude” of the law keepers, who almost made her “feel guilty” for having dared to complain against her husband and in-laws. “At least, they should tell me why my complaint cannot be registered,” says Nancy, who, along with her son, has been staying with her parents here for the past few months. Meanwhile, SP (City) , Mr Pawan Kumar Rai, when contacted, said the DSP entrusted with the task of checking the facts in the case had found Nancy’s allegations to be false. He added that the enquiry had now been marked to DSP II , who would study the case afresh. Though Nancy’s in-laws could not be contacted, it is learnt that they have dismissed the allegations as “false, baseless, motivated and without any substance”.
|
|
Non-operational lift in administrative complex
Claims of the administration in providing adequate public services notwithstanding, many residents frequenting district administrative complex are facing hardship as the elevator in the quadruple-storey building is not functioning. The elevator has been non-functional for the last nearly a year.
The laxity on the part of the administration to get the elevator repaired is creating a problem for elderly people and physically challenged persons, as they find it hard to climb the stairs up and down to get their work done. The lift is not functional, even though many major departments, including employment exchange, welfare department and labour department, are all situated on the third floor. The second floor has other important offices such as those for getting pictures clicked for making driving licences, office of Additional District Transport Officer, District Consumers’ Redressal Forum, election office and language department. It is tough for many physically challenged employees working in different departments within the administrative complex. They said it was very difficult for them to carry the files up and down. They said they had long been demanding repair of the lift, but no one was paying any heed to their request. Polio-afflicted Rana, working with an advocate, said that he was forced to climb to the third floor at least four times a day to carry the files to District Consumers’ Redressal Forum. He said he found this very difficult. He said at times when his legs pained a lot, he was almost breathless and had to rest for a while on each floor. Mr Harish Dalla, an unemployed youth suffering from muscular dystrophy, said that he, too, was finding it very difficult to climb up on the third floor to complete the necessary formalities pertaining to getting himself registered with the employment exchange. He said if the elevators were not working, the offices on the upper floor that are concerned with public dealing must be brought down on the ground floor for the convenience of the people like him. Mr Mahinder Singh Kainth, ADC, when contacted, admitted that the lift had been out of order for the past sometime. He said there were no funds to get it repaired. He said the AMC of the lift could also not be done, as it had not come under the charge of the PWD (B and R), as PUDA continued to be the owner of the building.
|
|
Villagers demand birth, death registration
It is like the proverbial putting of the cart before the horse! The much hyped “Suvidha Kendra” for providing single window facilities at district headquarters at Kapurthala notwithstanding, the rural residents belonging to 102 village panchayats of Phagwara Block of this district face difficulty in depositing the fee of Rs seven for birth/death certificates at Kapurthala.
Jalandhar Plus learnt that just for seven rupees deposit in cash at Kapurthala office, one has to shell out about fifty rupees on bus fare (add twenty rupees more if one hires a rickshaw from and to bus stand for the office and back), travel about ninety km, both ways (distance from the village concerned not included) and waste at least one day (if one is lucky to get the job done in one go). The reason? There is no provision of either receiving or depositing this fee at BDPO/Block Samiti Phagwara office which issues these certificates. The panchayat secretaries act as local registrars for small clusters of villages for this purpose. A harried Mohinder Singh of Jagpalpur village rued that he had to go to Kapurthala seven times in connection with the late entry of the birth of his son. “I have spent about three hundred rupees on bus and rickshaw fares for depositing just seven rupees fee for the birth certificate,” he bemoaned. “Besides, I lost a week’s work days,” he rued. The information about birth/death has to be given in two weeks. However, the entries are received normally within one month of birth or death. SDM has the powers to authorise the late entries (late information about birth or death). Many villagers allege that they have to cool their heels for hours in the queue to wait for their turn due to the rush at the counter. Mostly, the dealing hands even insisted that the child whose birth was being recorded should be brought along, alleged a villager. “If one greases their palm, then things are done smoothly,” he alleged. Hundreds of rural people face similar problems. Several village elders have demanded that the seven rupees fee be received in the BDPO’s office itself so that the villagers are saved from unnecessary visits to Kapurthala. At least, the receipt book for getting the amount must be made available in local office, demanded village elders. The entire process of getting the fee and issuing the certificates should be done at a single window either in the Tehsil office or the BDPO office, demanded the villagers. They alleged glaring discrimination against rural folks on this count. When the fee for city people was received in the office in the local Town Hall by a specially deputed employee of the Health Department, then why another employee was not posted in the office of the BDPO or the Tehsil Complex for providing the same facility to the villagers, they asked. “Do urban and rural folks die different deaths? Why are there two systems for the registration of deaths?” a villager asked. Mr Manmohan Sharma, Block Congress (Urban) Committee president and veteran municipal councillor, while supporting the villagers’ demand, said that the rural people should be provided the facility at Phagwara. It would save the villagers from the avoidable long distance travel, harassment and wastage of time, he said. Eminent educationist and former sarpanch of historic Palahi village, Mr Jagat Singh Palahi, has urged the new DC, Mr Sameer Kumar, to do the needful for providing this much-needed facility to the villagers at Phagwara. Meanwhile, when contacted, Mr Harbalas Bagla, BDPO, Phagwara, said that he had written about it to the higher authorities. When the issue was brought to the notice of SDM Phagwara, Mr Pritam Singh, he assured that he would look into the matter.
|
|
Hindu Kanya College, Kapurthala, aims
“Our sole mission is to educate the women folk, impart them true education in a congenial atmosphere for their all-round development and to make them the responsible citizens of society ready to face all challenges,” claim authorities of Hindu Kanya College, Kapurthala.
The college, located near Shalimar Bagh near the Amritsar Road, was established in July 1969 and has 70 lecturers to teach more than 1800 students on roll. Catering to more than 300 villages around Kapurthala, this college provides degree courses in Humanities, Commerce, Commerce (Professional), Information Technology and B.Sc (Economics). The college boasts of providing education in 19 subjects, including fashion designing and dress designing, computer and information technology, office management and secretarial practices and journalism and mass communication. On the academic front, the students of the college bagged 42 merit positions in university examinations last year, and the pass percentage was much higher than the university pass per cent; 525 students got first division and 250 students got more than 80 per cent in various subjects. Despite the lack of playgrounds, the college has produced national and international players in various games. Reema, a basketball player of the college, represented the state in the Senior National Basketball Championship and the Federation Cup tournament. Its kabaddi team participated in senior state championship held at Baddowal, Ludhiana, and bagged the first position. In tae kwan do, Rajinder Kaur and Karamjeet Kaur of the college won gold medals in various national and state level championships. The college has a unit of NCC cadets and two units of NSS with a unit of Youth Service Club to explore talent of the students. To face the challenges in the world after completing the college study, the college prepares its students through a career and guidance cell. The college is preparing for NAAC accreditation also. “Due to nominal fee structure, we get students even from Jalandhar city. Moreover, we are always ready to help the students, even at the cost of management funds after granting fee concessions if a student cannot afford the educational expenses,” says Ms Gulshan Yadav, Principal of the college.
|
|
Exporters smile as ministry raises turnover limit
The Ministry of Commerce, in its bid to further boost the export of engineering goods, has decided to raise the annual turnover limit of an export unit to Rs 10 crore from the existing Rs five crore. This would make the exporters entitled for reimbursement of stall and air fare charges for overseas promotional activities under the Market Development Assistance (MDA) scheme.
Besides, it has been decided to waive off the condition with regard to participation in overseas trade fairs and buyers-sellers meets organised only by the Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) and the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO). This decision would benefit around 1375 engineering goods exporters in the state, including 375 such units in Jalandhar alone. “The MDA scheme is now applicable to all those engineering goods exporters who participate in overseas trade promotional activities, which should have not necessarily been organised by the EEPC or ITPO,” reveals Mr Opinder Singh, Assistant Director, EEPC. He further said that during the period of a financial year, an exporter was entitled to be covered under that scheme for his or her participation in four focused areas, including the CIS, Latin America, Africa and a combine zone of Asean, New Zealand and Australia. “One activity is allowed in non-focus area and only stall charges are to be reimbursed,” he said. “In focus areas, 90 per cent of stall charges and air fare each are being reimbursed to the Small Scale Industrial (SSI) units, while the limit is 75 per cent for stall charges and air fare in case of non-SSI units with a maximum limit of Rs 50,000 for stall charges and Rs 60,000 in case of air fare. The limit for air fare reimbursement for Africa and Latin American Countries (LAC) is Rs 90,000. Now exporters can participate in any trade fair.
|
|
‘Indian football team all set for
“It is a challenging job for me,” says Sukhwinder Singh, the national football coach who is training Indian boys for a football match to be held in Pakistan from June 10 to June 18. Sukhwinder was emphatic in stating that he would do his utmost to impart training to Indian boys before the All-India Football Federation appointed him a coach on a full-time basis.
“I will be the coach for the South Asian qualifiers and for the Asian Games in 2006 in Doha,” asserts the newly-appointed coach. Sukhwinder further added that he would be in charge of the senior and the under-23 teams. After the conclusion of the National Football League on May 21, he was at his work immediately when the 29 probables, out of which 21 have been selected for the Pakistan tour, had a camp in Phagwara from May 25 to June 8. The Indian national team will play three-match series in Pakistan on June 12, 16 and 18 at Quetta, Peshawar and Lahore, respectively. The team will leave for Fiji in August to play two-match series. “I have got a positive attitude towards this job. Though the boys have had a very hectic time, I will find ways to stimulate their training programme,” he said. Sukhwinder, better known as Sukhi, was the coach from 1988 to 1990 for under-19 team. The JCT coach has high hopes from players like Mahesh Gawli, Sur Kumar, Sunil Chetri, Surajit Bose and Abdul Hakkim who, he says, have come up with a decent show at the coaching camp.
|
|
Octogenarian recalls his INA days
He’s a man who has seen life in its multi-hued colours. When Karam Singh, now into his eighties, was in his twenties, he got a chance to enroll himself as a soldier in Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army.
“Netaji inspired youngsters. We were ready to lay our lives for him. One word from him and we would have gladly given up our lives to honour it,” he says, his dim eyes shining with enthusiasm. He says it’s not easy to lift the veils of the bygone times. His memory is not at its best. “I saw Netaji in Singapore. There was something unique about the man. He just commanded obedience,” he gushes. A part of the British Indian troops, Karam Singh was imprisoned in Japan for some time. It was then that he had his tryst with the INA. “My life got a new meaning when I joined the INA,” he reminisces, effort visible in his recollection. Post-INA, too, his life was eventful. He was a part of the Indian army during the J&K operation in February, 1948. “I lost my hand in the operation. Initially, I was much feted. I was even taken around Delhi in a special van. But it was all short-lived. Within a year, everything was forgotten and I came back to my village,” he says. “The post we had won in the mountainous tract is still intact. But I guess sometimes rewards do not necessarily follow your karma,” he adds. “Today, youngsters don’t even know about the INA. They are oblivious of their glorious heritage. They just want to freak out and learn more about the Western culture. For them, our culture is dead and uninspiring,” he says, sadness perceptible in his voice. However, if given a choice, this grand old man would like to re-live his life the same way!
|
|
Doaba emerging as centre of dental tourism
After yoga and meditation, it is now designer smiles, fresh crowns and teeth implants, which promise a refashioned “nirvana” for an increasing number of foreigners and NRIs visiting the city.
As dentistry gets a new edge with the state-of-the-art equipment and sophisticated technology, a large number of NRIs, mostly hailing from Doaba region of the state, are thronging the city for specialised dental treatments at affordable costs. The NRIs mostly club their travel with treatment. “There is a great potential of dental tourism in India. Patients from Middle East, Europe, US, Canada and Africa are visiting the city for various dental treatments, even though such procedures are available in the West, but the cost factor plays an important role in this regard,” says Dr Dharmesh Nanda, a dentist here. The NRIs trust Indian doctors, as they are English speaking, widely travelled and also these patients at one time or the other have been exposed to treatment given by Indian doctors in their own countries, adds Dr Nanda. The most sought-after treatments include root canal treatment, crown replacement and even fixing teeth for a better smile, says Dr Munish Kaushal, a cosmetic dentistry expert. “The dental treatment is not covered under insurance in the UK. For example, the root canal treatment in the US, Canada or the UK could cost a patient something around US $ 4000, while the same procedure is being conducted here for a sum ranging from Rs 1000 to Rs 1500. In fact, one can save for one’s expenses for travelling by air from a Western country to India, if one opts for a dental treatment here,” maintains Dr Kaushal. “In countries like the UK, where people have to wait for months to get cosmetic dentistry done under the National Health Scheme (NHS), dental tourism has come as a boon,” says Dr Nanda. Comparing the cost, doctors say it comes to be about US $ 300 to 400 for a dental filling in the USA and Europe as compared to only US $ 20-40 here. A denture can cost US $ 2000 overseas, but the dentists here charge only US $ 200. In the USA and Europe, it is the costly treatment which deters most of the NRIs from getting treatment there. In some countries, the dental treatment is not reimbursed under the national health schemes and is very costly. The “personalised touch” here also makes many NRIs opt for treatment here. “In spite of the vast potential of dental tourism here, there is no visible promotion by the government or any other agency. Only individual efforts by doctors or hospitals are being made to promote this,” says another dentist. “Word-of-mouth publicity counts a lot. Patients, once they go back, can tell about the cost-effective treatment to their friends and relatives. Internet, too, is emerging as a good promotional medium and many queries are being received through mail,” adds the dentist.
|
|
From Schools and Colleges
An overnight camp was
organised at Seth Hukum Chand SD Public Senior Secondary School,
Kapurthala Road, on Tuesday. During the camp, the students
participated in a number of games like musical chairs and dancing
statue. A dance competition was also held and Ms Manju Arora,
Principal, gave away prizes to the winners. She said that the camp
was held to inculcate the values of caring and sharing among the
students. Workshop The students of Bawa-Lalvani Institute,
Kapurthala, are participating in a week-long workshop on time
management being conducted by a team from Joyce Meyer Ministries, a
Hyderabad-based organisation. Ms Mohini Bawa, managing trustee, said
the students of Class IX were attending the workshop aimed at making
them realise the value of time. Literary Week To mark the Literary
Week at Dayanand Model School, Model Town, an inter-house
declamation and poetical recitation was held on Friday. In the
declamation held in English, Komal, Bikram and Tina bagged the
first, the second and the third positions, respectively, in senior
category. Shristi, Priyanka and Hashmita were the winners among the
juniors. In the declamation held in Hindi, Aashima, Komal, Anu and
Suruchi were declared the winners among seniors, while Vibhuti
Sharma, Diksha and Anisha clinched the top ranks among the juniors.
In poetical recitation, Megha Jyoti, Sahil and Archu got the top
three positions. Toppers Anjana Shukla of Doaba College has topped
Guru Nanak Dev University in BSc (biotechnology) first year
examination conducted this year. She has obtained 83 per cent marks.
Akshi Mahajan of the same college has stood fifth in the university
with 78 per cent marks. Kirandeep Kaur Virdi, a student of Hans
Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya, has topped in BSc (biotechnology) part-II
examination of Guru Nanak Dev University by securing 1021 marks out
of 1250. Manpreet Kaur and Navjot, both students of the Apeejay
College of Fine Arts have bagged second position in MA I (music
vocal) examination conducted by Guru Nanak Dev University this year.
They have got 326 marks out of 400. Malvika Dutta and Gagandeep
Singh have got the third and the fourth ranks by getting 626 and 623
marks out of 800, respectively, in MA II (music vocal). Gulshan
Chopra of Lyallpur Khalsa College has stood fourth in Guru Nanak Dev
University by securing 312 out of 400 marks in Diploma of Computer
Applications. Mr S.S. Chatha, Principal, of the college has
congratulated him. Placement Six students of the Apeejay College
of Fine Arts have got jobs with the HCL during interviews conducted
by the IT company this week. While Sangeeta, Amanjot and Abhijot
have been appointed in technical cadre, Nidhi, Sukhmani and Shweta
have been taken as web designers.
|
|
Expressing deep concern over the alleged exploitation of the religious sentiments of the people by Akali Dal (Badal) and Congress Party, the state committee of the Communist Party Marxist held a two-day meeting here on June 3 and 4.
Mr Mangat Ram Pasla, secretary, strongly condemned the SGPC’s move to build a minar in the memory of those who died during the Operation Bluestar. The state committee also criticised Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, for his alleged meddling in religious affairs. The members also criticised the “show of his cordial relation with the separatists and terrorists” during his Canada visit. This, they said, was fraught with dire consequences for the peace in Punjab. Career counselling To guide the children of employees of the Rail Coach Factory about the latest career opportunities, a career counselling programme was held last Wednesday. Experts from different academic and professional fields held discussions with the children and answered their queries. Mr Yashpal Gupta, General Manager, said that the programme was organised to make the children know about their talent and help them become aware of a number of opportunities in store for them. Pensioners flay govt Condemning the UPA Government for showing alleged disregard to demands and grievances of pensioners, the All-India Central Government Pensioners’ Association has said that over 11 crore senior citizens, 33 per cent Central government employees and 35 lakh Central government pensioners were dissatisfied with its performance. Mr V.S. Jolly, editor of Pensioner’s Friends, a monthly journal, said the rate of interest on the deposits of the pensioners in banks and post offices had been brought down. Office-bearers Following have been elected as the office-bearers of general body of the Punjab State Chess Association: Mr Narinder Singh, president; Dr J.S. Cheema, honorary secretary; Mr Rajinder Sharma, senior vice-president; Mr Bikramjit Singh, vice-president; Mr Rajnish Dhussa, treasurer; and Mr Munish Thapar, press secretary. (Compiled by Deepkamal Kaur)
|
|
Market Buzz
Maruti Udyog Limited unveiled its new model Swift at a gala function held on Monday evening. Models Apoorva Jha and Simran Sachdeva from Delhi sashayed down the ramp. A dance troupe performed on the latest numbers to entertain the audience. The highlight of the evening was Punjabi singer Romey Gill, who enthralled the audience with songs from his latest albums.
During the launch, the marketing manager said the Swift was an example of the growing recognition of Indian intellectual and engineering capability, as 25 Indian engineers from Maruti had worked with their Japanese counterparts in Suzuki Motor Corporation for two years to design this world car and prepare it for Indian conditions. Spice offer Spice Telecom, a cellular operator, has introduced a new package that offers unlimited Spice to Spice SMS messages within home network free of cost. Mr Mukul Khanna, DGM, Marketing, said that the SMS messages could be sent through Unstructured Supplementary Services Data Platform that would allow faster delivery of messages. He claimed that no other telecom company had offered such an attractive service in the country till date.
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
The famous Gol Kothi once used to be the residence of mahamantris (prime ministers) of this erstwhile princely state. It is in a dilapidated condition today. The wall of the backside rooms has already caved in and the remaining portion of the building is also in pitiable condition due to lack of any repair work.
She has been running from pillar to post to get justice for herself and her one-year-old son, says Nancy Michael, who got married about two years back. But so far she has encountered only “stiff resistance or plain indifference”. She says her efforts to get a complaint registered against her husband and in-laws, who have allegedly been harassing her, have proved futile.