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I love this city because... Dayanand Ayurvedic College a
favourite with foreign students
Phagwara women vow to continue anti-dowry crusade |
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City scientist attends global
conference in Greece
People’s concern
School children to enjoy NCC air wing activities
Market Buzz
From Schools and Colleges
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I love this city because... ... of the plush green lawns and flowers that I get to see outside the homes of people. ... of the positive attitude of the people here. It is the best part of the city, I think. ... it is so peaceful and quite here. It is a pleasure to live here. I can’t live elsewhere. The city, for all its faults and
blemishes, surely has some charm about it - something that fascinates the
residents here, something that makes it a unique place. Deepkamal Kaur spoke to
a cross-section of the residents to find out what they thought was the best
about the city.
It's all about hope and fulfillment of dreams, says Manjit Kaur, who is just back from South Korea after winning two gold medals in Asian Athletics. She says the city has been auspicious for her. "Though I belong to Gurdaspur, I have done my schooling and graduation from Jalandhar. For me, there can be no place better than my school, Government Senior Secondary School, Nehru Garden, and my college, Hans Raj Mahila Mahavidyalaya, where I have always been encouraged to strive hard to achieve my goal." Recollecting her memories of hostel life, she said that she had got immense love from her school teachers. But at the same time, she had been scolded on a number of occasions, particularly when she was in a "mischievous mode". "I got my coach, Mr R.S. Sidhu, from the city. He has been training me from school time and has always propelled me towards victory. I got my first job as sub-inspector with the Punjab Police in Jalandhar itself, and now my family, too, has shifted here with me at PAP. So, my bonds with the city have been strengthening each day." About her "fascinations" in the city,
Ms Sushma Chawla, a city-based gynaecologist, says, "I hardly get any time
to move out of the four walls of my hospital. But what really charms me are the
plush green lawns and blooming flowers that I get to see outside the homes of
the people and in florist shops. I even like spending some time in gardening. I
tend my own lawn and plant flowers of different colours and varieties
there."
The city surely has its charm for many folks here. After spending over two decades of her life in Hyderabad and finally settling in Jalandhar after her marriage, Ms Pallavi Khanna, a counselling psychologist, feels, "The best thing I like about the city is short distances here, be it hospital I am working in, an amusement park where my children like to be or a shopping complex where I get grocery." She believes that the city has almost all stores of branded items. It is in no way less than a metropolitan city. "But by simply planning the day well here, I can achieve much more in a day here than I could do in Hyderabad." For many like Dr Sanjeev Goel, an
orthopaedician, the Model Town Market here is the most happening place in the
city. "On weekend evenings I am a bit free. I like to take my family out to
the Model Town Market and be there munching steamed corns and relishing a softy.
Otherwise, there is hardly any place in Jalandhar where one can freak out,"
he tells us.
The best part about the city is the positive attitude of the people here, says Mr Neeraj Sood, Director, NIFD. The warmth of the city folks is wonderful, he says. "I think the living conditions here are much better as compared to those in other cities. It is rather a well-planned city," he adds. Mr Jang Bahadur Sangha, popularly known as the "Potato Prince", says it's the countryside that is a place of serenity and calm. "It is so peaceful here in Qaddianwali village. The breeze is also very refreshing, cool and pure. I simply love my village and try to spend most of the time here with my family. Even as access to most of the things is easy in the city, we have never thought of shifting our residence out of the village." But he says he comes to the city just for an outing. "Whenever I bring my family for an outing here, we do make it a point to either have the sandwiches at Subway or pizzas at Dominos. We also love to dine out at Hotel Radisson, though very occasionally." The city's charm does manage to have its sway, it seems.
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Dayanand Ayurvedic College a
favourite with foreign students
The alternative systems of medicine like Ayurveda are fast gaining currency in the Western world. So it becomes a matter of rare opportunity when people from foreign countries visit Ayurvedic institutions, says Mr Eelco Roovers from Holland. He has been on a visit to the city’s premier Ayurvedic institution, Dayanand Ayurvedic College, to gain first-hand knowledge of Ayurvedic principles that would help him complete his two-year course in Ayurveda. "Though Holland has not been much open to
alternative therapies, of late people have started evincing keen interest in
Ayurveda. However, still the Ayurvedic medicines have not been given recognition
by the government," he says. The "big money" that rich
pharmaceutical companies (dealing in the Allopathic system of medicine) pump
into the business leaves very little room for alternative systems and it also
creates bad press for these systems, he feels.
A professional dancer, he says that Ayurveda has fascinated him, as it offers a holistic approach to healthy living. "As an artiste, I strive to keep my body fit. Dance is about the sanctity of the body, and surprisingly, the Ayurvedic system recognises the significance of both physical and mental aspects of a person," he explains, adding that the Ayurvedic concepts of kapha, pitta and vata are amazingly lucid. Panchkarma, with its therapeutic effect, too, is unique to Ayurveda, he remarks. According to Dr Raj Kumar Sharma, Principal, Dayanand Ayurvedic College, many students from foreign countries visit the institute to gain practical insights into Ayurveda. "This institution is the oldest Ayurvedic college. It is India’s first Ayurvedic college and it was established in 1898. It offers hands-on training to students. Our approach is to make the students well-versed in their work. We keep abreast of the latest in the field," he explains.
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Phagwara women vow to continue anti-dowry crusade It’s very true that women have managed to reach the outer space. They have proved their mettle time and again, yet it’s not the end of struggle for them. They still crave for their rightful place in society. These views were expressed by city women, who have taken a vow to eschew dowry, during a talk with Jalandhar Plus. Evils like dowry are responsible for the skewed sex ratio, particularly in Punjab, where it is among the lowest at 780:1000. Dowry problem is rampant in cities like Phagwara, though not all cases are reported. Only eight cases relating to dowry were registered during the first eight months this year. Venus, a college student, says that in this male-dominated society only those women can be easily successful who have the blessings of their husband, while others become victims of character assassination. “But the woman of today is destined to dominate all areas,” she asserted with confidence. Jasmeet, M.Sc (computer science) student, says that education itself is a dowry for her. “Parents do give dowry keeping in view the comforts of their daughter. But I urge parents to shun this practice of giving dowry. They should make their daughters self-reliant instead,” she said. “I don’t believe in this show-off in front of relatives or neighbours. I want to lead a simple life and expect the same from my partner. I have always been against the people who demand dowry,” says Khushboo from the Kamla Nehru College for Women, Phagwara. Ms Kiran Datta of Innerwheel Club, a helping hand at the time of crisis, says that the club motivates every girl against this evil. “Our club gives moral as well as legal support to girl students as and when they require it,” she said. She lamented that the social evil of dowry continued despite the anti-dowry laws. She even advocated capital punishment for those who were blinded with greed and set their daughters-in-law ablaze.
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City scientist attends global
conference in Greece It was a rare opportunity for this young scientist. Dr Ramandeep Singh Johal, a lecturer in postgraduate department of physics at Lyallpur Khalsa College, was recently invited to make a presentation on news, expectations and trends in statistical physics during Next-Sigma Phi-05, a prestigious international conference, held at the Orthodox Academy of Crete, Greece. During the programme, scientists from around the world made over 200 presentations through lectures and posters. Dr Johal spoke on the topic “Non-additivity in systems with long range interactions”, demonstrating the results of his research. But this was not his first stint at the global front. Dr Johal had earlier been selected for the Alexander von Humboldt Post-doctoral Fellowship at the Institute of Theoretical Physics, Technical University, Germany, where he did a research on “Statistical physics of turbulence” for almost one and a half years and found over 2000 applications of the subject. Earlier, Dr Johal had been chosen for a post doctoral fellowship of the Spanish Ministry of Education at the University of Barcelona for a year. In fact, this city-based scientist had earlier been selected for many fellowships, including the Senior Associate Fellowship of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Junior Research Fellowship of the CSIR. The scientist is also a recipient of the Young Scientist Award from the Centre of Promotion of Science, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, an award instituted by the Third World Academy of Sciences, Italy. He also has 21 research papers published in international journals to his credit. Dr Johal believes that taking up a research project abroad gives one an entirely different experience. “The research techniques are very advanced and the equipment is the latest there. Working with a team of scientists of the same caliber, too, gives an entirely different experience,” he said. He added that he could accomplish all he had desired with the support of Principal, Dr Satish Kapoor, who, he said, had promised him to provide all facilities for research on the college campus.
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Friends
Forever Even after the passage of 69 years, for Dadasahib Phalke award winner and veteran producer-director B. R. Chopra, his 93-year-old classmate S.N. Bharadwaj is still a buddy. Despite his busy schedule, Chopra has hardly forgotten to write letters to Bharadwaj with same warmth, which they enjoyed during their college days at Lahore. Principal Shiv Nandan Bharadwaj, a resident of Bahadarpur locality here, has been a close friend of the cine thespian B. R. Chopra from the days when they were classmates at Government College, Lahore, from where both of them did their MA (English) in 1936. After college, “Waqt” flew Chopra to Mumbai, where he flourished as one of the best producer-directors of Bollywood and produced good films like “Waqt”. As Chopra settled in Mumbai and got entrenched in Bollywood affairs, Bharadwaj came back to Hoshiarpur, where he turned out to be one of the most respected teachers of the famed Government College. But the mutual bond of love and affection between Bharadwaj and Chopra only intensified with each passing year. During all these years, B. R. Chopra has not only been writing dozens of letters to Bharadwaj to share his resolve of “having no regrets in life”, but has also been inviting him to Mumbai so that the two old friends could have a walk along the sea and share memories of “golden and youthful days” spent at Lahore. The letters are still lying intact with Principal Bharadwaj, who is known for his low-profile but meticulous approach towards life, and spiritual leanings. He still remembers that three of the friends — Baldev Chopra (B.R. Chopra) and D.M. Bhatia and he himself — had specially gone to Lahore’s Anarkali Bazaar on June 6, 1936, to have a joint photograph clicked after the valedictory function of their MA (Final). “I still remember Baldev’s words on the last day of the college. He had asked what I wanted to be in life. When I replied that I wanted to be a teacher, he instantly said though he knew that teaching was a noble profession, he had resolved to be a film maker as film-making was a more rewarding career. After this we parted,” recalled Bharadwaj, adding that BR was already working as the editor of “Film Star” magazine even while he was doing his MA. “Since BR was a known film critic of Lahore, all of the 16-17 cinemas of that city used to send him free movie passes, which he used to give to me, and in turn, I gave these to hostel cooks,” said Bharadwaj. “I intend to meet Chopra, who had written a letter to me recently and had enquired about my health. I have already sent our joint college days’ photo to Chopra Sahib. Despite numerous invitations, I could not go to Baldev on account of my inbuilt reluctance to undertake long and arduous journeys,” said Bharadwaj. In one of the letters to Bharadwaj, B.R. Chopra writes, “My dear Shiv, a loving voice from the past. A fond remembrance. A journey down the memory lane. A reminder of youth. This is what your letter of 19th June is. It transported me to the days of Govt College and Jain hostel, when we were struggling with our books for our MA. God is really great that we are still able to write to each other and exchange greetings. I have no regrets and no complaints. Life has been more or less kind to me…”
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People’s concern If you ever think of visiting Kapurthala railway station for seat reservation, check out the power cuts schedule in the city.
Otherwise, you may have to either return empty-handed or wait for hours at the station, as no arrangements have been made by the authorities to run the computers in case of electricity failure at the station. Though a generator set has been installed at the station, the fuel supply is used to operate signals only. In fact, this station had to borrow the fuel from the Hussainpur railway station to keep its signals Working, say sources. The reservation of tickets is open for six hours a day at 8 in morning to 2 pm. It is learnt the other shift from 2 pm to 8 pm cannot be started due shortage of staff at the station of this district headquarter which houses a cantonment also and is known as an NRI-dominated area. The lone telephone number 232794, after remaining inoperative for the last five months because of non-payment of bills to the telecom department, has started functioning from this month only, it is learnt. The three-line station is operating with a single platform. Sometimes the passengers have to alight between the tracks when a train is already halted on the platform side of the line and they have to walk through the coaches of the already-parked train to reach the platform, risking their lives as no overbridge has been built on the station. The work started to build more platforms and an overbridge at the station has been left incomplete after the digging work on the sides of the railway lines. This is proving a hurdle for the vehicles reaching here to load and unload goods, it is learnt. “Though the passengers of sixteen trains, in addition to the goods trains’ staff, use this platform daily, the station does not have any waiting hall for general passengers. The civic amenities are at their neglected worst,” alleges a passenger. No official, however, was available for comment.
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‘Teaching is a mission for me’ She has dedicated as many as 31 years of her life to teaching. Except for the last three years since Ms Harjit Kaur Gill was appointed as Principal of Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School, Nehru Garden, she has rendered most of her services in remote areas of Doaba, least preferred by the majority of her counterparts. By virtue of her meritorious services, Ms Gill was honoured with a national award to be conferred upon her on the Teachers’ Day at New Delhi by President of India, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. She was among the two teachers from the city who will receive the award. Mr Partap Chand Saroa, a primary school teacher from Talhan, was also among the national awardees of this year. Ms Gill began her career as a science teacher in the year 1974 on contract basis. In two years’ time, she was regularised as science teacher and posted at Government Senior Secondary School, Shankar. In the year 1978, she was promoted as a lecturer of zoology and she joined Government Senior Secondary School, Kairon. Later in the year 1991, she cleared the examination conducted by the Punjab Public Services Commission (PPSC) and was posted as Principal in Government Senior Secondary School, Mehatpur. Thereafter, she became Principal of a school at Lohian Khas. Later, she was promoted as Deputy District Education Officer (Primary) in Jalandhar. She was again promoted as DEO (Secondary), Jalandhar, and later transferred to Hoshiarpur. “But when all PPSC selections of that time were scrapped, I was reverted to the post of Principal at Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School, Nehru Garden,” she explained. But she believes that she had achieved the real goal of life in her earlier years of career when she was posted as teacher in far-flung areas. “The children in those schools had very limited exposure and were stage-shy. When I helped them discover their potentialities, I found my life’s mission fulfilled,” she recalled, adding, “Teaching is a mission.”
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School
children to enjoy NCC air wing activities The officer in charge of these activities, Flight Lieutenant Sachin Arora, says the activities include drill, technical classes, aero engine, air frame making, leadership classes, aero modelling, wherein children make models and also fly these smaller versions of aircraft. The most attractive feature for the children is by far the para sailing, he says. The NCC activities to be started from September 23 for inculcating social responsibility among the cadets include tree plantation, blood donation, anti-dowry seminars. “These activities would be undertaken with full security measures to ensure safety of the children. The nursing and first-aid kits have been kept handy and the police station has been informed in advance,” says the officer. However, so far there has been no provision of organising these activities for the girls from the city schools.
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A road or a dirt track? It’s a bumpy ride for those heading towards Pathankot via Transport Nagar. The road along a stretch of more than three kilometre has almost vanished till Bulandpur village, making life a hell for commuters. The commuters and residents of the area said that the road was in a bad condition since the last more than four years. They alleged that the authorities had not paid any attention to their problem, even though they had lodged a complaint with the civic authorities a number of times. Several businessmen who have their pipe-fitting factories, coach-building industries and other set-ups on either side of the road are also upset. They said they had approached the Market Committee authorities, MLA and other political leaders from the area, but to no avail. Mr Harmeet Singh, owner of a coach-building factory, said, “I have been requesting the Market Committee officers to get the road repaired, but my pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Every monsoon, the condition of the road worsens. I have myself been hiring labourers to fill up potholes with soil and level the road.” The transporters in the area who take their trucks daily from Transport Nagar to different parts of the city and park these at Transport Nagar are also a harried lot. They said the road had become bad, especially after rains, leaving huge potholes at every short distance. Mr Nihal Singh, a truck driver, said, “It is very difficult for a loaded truck to move past the uneven road, as the goods can get damaged. The authorities must re-lay the entire stretch of the road.” The District Mandi Officer, Mr Ram Avtar Bakshi, was not available for comments, as his office number was not answering and his cell phone remained switched off.
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“The choice is yours.
You can choose to It’s not easy to negotiate your way through the convoluted ways of Bollywood. At every step, you have to give your value system a nudge to see if it is intact. This comes from Ameesha Patel, the Bollywood actor who is known for shooting straight from the lip. “The choice is yours. You can choose to stick to your morals. Of course, this may not be the most convenient way to success. And there are so many who let themselves go with the flow to achieve stardom,” she said, not letting any talk about her seemingly holier-than-thou attitude scotch her homilies on value system. Post-Mangal-Pande flick, was there any change on professional front? Well, the movie had been a reality-check for her, she said. Raving about the “acting prowess” of Amir Khan, she said that working with him was an unforgettable experience. Interestingly, it was a chance foray for Ameesha into Bollywood. But once into movies, there was no looking back. She decided to stay, in spite of her academic inclinations. “I am a bibliophile. A good book fascinates me no end, though self-improvement books are my favourite. Books authored by Indian writers, too, make good reads. I have devoured all R.K. Narayan fiction,” she sallied. Looking forward to her new releases — Humko tum se pyar hai, Tathastu and Akhir — she said she had received appreciation for her no-make-up look in Mangal Pande. “Initially, I was skeptical. The role was totally de-glamorised. But my fears were unfounded,” she said, paying no attention to critics who have ripped apart her performance in the movie. All praises for the much-hyped hospitality and warmth of Punjabis, she said that visiting Punjab was “something very special to her”. “The pull of Punjab is magical. The place has, in some way, some connection with me,” she said, revealing her perfect-guest stance. “My mom is a Sindhi. This, I guess, makes for my liking for Punjabi food and salwar kameez,” she signed off. Ameesha was in the city in connection with the inauguration of the VLCC’s centre here.
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Market Buzz
Spice Telecom has started a quiz-based contest called “Sawaal hamare aur Swift aapki”. Through this contest, subscribers can avail the opportunity of winning a brand new Maruti Suzuki Swift as the bumper prize and also win a prize every week in the form of three days and two nights’ free holiday package for a couple to Goa. The contest is open till October 14, 2005, and will be made available to both pre-paid and post-paid subscribers at a charge of Rs 10 per minute. To participate in this contest, Spice subscribers need to dial 124 and answer questions based on general awareness and on bollywood music, the company spokesperson said. VLCC Centre The VLCC has relocated its centre from BMC Chowk to Model Town. Ms Vandana Luthra, Chairperson, VLCC Healthcare Limited, inaugurated the centre. Speaking on the occasion, she said, “The VLCC has always given importance to client satisfaction and this relocation is yet another step in this direction.” The VLCC spokesperson claimed that the VLCC “new look” centre offered a whole new range of the VLCC’s personal care products, which were made from special blends of botanical extras, nutrients and aromatic oils.
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From
Schools and Colleges The Teachers’ Day was celebrated at the B.Ed College of the CT Educational Society. The function was presided over by the chairman of the society, Mr Charanjit Singh Channi. Rich tributes were paid to Dr Sarvpalli Radhakrishnan by Principal, Mr Surjit Singh Walia. CT Public School organised a cultural function to mark the birth anniversary of Dr Radhakrishnan on the occasion of the Teachers’ Day. Principal Lakhwinder Kaur was the chief guest. A fancy dress competition was organised by the nursery wing of CT Public School. Mehul and Smarth from Pre-Nursery bagged the first position, followed by Jayne and Rishi, who stood second. Dhruv bagged the third position. Talent search The Apeejay College of Fine Arts organised Talent Hunt, 2005, to showcase the talent of the new entrants. The function was presided over by singer Hans Raj Hans. Job fest Sixteen candidates from the College of Engineering and Management have been selected by an MNC at a special job fest held at the institute. As many as eleven MNCs took part in the fest to select prospective employees from the institute, according to Principal, Mr M.L. Ohri. Youth club The Youth Club of the Prem Chand Markanda SD College for Women held a two-day talent hunt programme presided over by Principal, Ms Kiran Arora. Social worker, Ms Suman Sarin, was the chief guest on the occasion. TT championship Dayanand Model School has won the District Table Tennis Championship held at Sai Das Senior Secondary School. Piyush, Aniket, Tushar, Gautam, and Ajay were declared winners in the under-19 category. As many as ten teams took part in the championship, according to Principal B Manjula. Freshers’ party Banarsi Das Arya Girls’ College organised a welcome party for new entrants at a function called “Freshers 2005”. Students took part in games, songs, histrionics, mono-acting, comedy, dance during the programme. Dance competition An inter-house dance competition was organised at Seth Hukum Chand AD Public Senior Secondary School. The Gandhi House was adjudged the best, followed by the Tagore House, while the Laxmi House was adjudged the third. The consolation prize went to the Patel House, according to Principal, Ms Manju Arora. Teachers’ Day DAV Public School celebrated the Teachers’ Day by holding various competitions in art and craft, painting, dry and fresh flower arrangements, snacks, file folder, salad arrangements and poetry competitions. Senior students of Lawrence International School, acting as teachers, at a special function celebrated the Teachers’ Day. The Sant Baba Bhag Singh Institute of Engineering and Technology celebrated the Teachers’ Day at a special function highlighting the importance of teachers in nation-building. Mayor World School celebrated the Teachers’ Day with fanfare. Apeejay School students celebrated the day by staging the play “Eklavya”. Swimming meet CT Public School hosted inter-school championship at the Sahodaya Complex this week. The chairman of the CT Education Society, Mr Charan Jit Channi, inaugurated the meet. Science workshop One-day workshop was organised for science teachers at Saint Soldier Divine Public School, Mithu Basti. The chairman of the school, Mr Anil Chopra, inaugurated the workshop. Roller-skating Dayanand Model School hosted the Jalandhar District Elementary and Senior Schools Wushu and Roller-Skating Championship this week.
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Friends Forever
The decision of the National Cadet Core (NCC) authorities to allow NCC air wing activities for students of local schools has opened up a whole new world for these children. The overwhelming response to the NCC activities is a sign of times to come. Boys from the local schools are enjoying their inclusion into the exciting world of the NCC. They are also taking part in challenging and exciting activities like para sailing and firing.