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Such a long journey from Attari to Wagah
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Cross-border marriages
Gaganmai Thaal Museum: Mecca for heritage lovers
Project to resurrect Sikh history mooted
CD on city’s history released
Man seeks CM’s intervention in refund case
‘Literature reflects social reality’
Remembering the craft of artist
Subhash Chander Bedi
Exhibiting empowerment of women
City not ready for mall culture
Chawla seeks raise
in pension for terrorist victims
‘Hotels, restaurants reeling under
corporation taxes’
School students on cleanliness drive
Bodybuilding is
Kahlon’s passion
BBK DAV College for Women lifts Guru Nanak Varsity trophy
NGO holds seminar on human rights
Dynamic sociologist with a literary flair
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Such a long journey from Attari to Wagah
The distance between Attari in Amritsar and Wagah in Pakistan is only three kilometres, but it is one of the most tiresome journeys. Inadequate facilities and stringent security checks at the Attari railway station give the Samjhauta Express passengers a tough time, reports Varinder Walia.
A few kilometres short of the Zero Line lies Attari, the last railway station on the Indian territory, from where its sister city, Wagah (in Pakistan), is visible.
However, the train Samjhauta Express crawls out of the Attari station and proceeds towards Wagah at a snail’s pace.
It takes at least 30 minutes to cover a distance of three kilometres, even as the mounted BSF jawans run along with the train to keep a vigil during the journey. The Station Superintendent, Attari, Mr S.K. Madan, and the Station Master, Wagah, Mr Aslam, are constantly in touch with each other through Magneto Phone, which is otherwise uncommon in the railway stations of India and Pakistan. Apart from official conversation, the station officials of both countries are free to exchange greetings. While in the rest of India, the trains are moved from one station to the other on the basis of the Token Instrument System, the Samjhauta Express runs on the Paper Line Clear System. The bi-weekly Samjhauta Express has earned the rare distinction of covering a distance of just three kilometres, possibly the shortest route covered by any train in the world. However, the small distance ends up in one of the toughest rail journeys. The tedious wait at Attari and Wagah really tests your patience, says an astute observer. It takes more than 25 hours to reach Lahore from Delhi. Though the Samjhauta Express has been ‘infamous’ on account of the recovery of fake currency, narcotics and firearms from some of its passengers in the past, the overzealous customs and immigration officials make the journey even tougher. The customs and immigration checks, which are a must keeping in view the security reasons, come as a “tough test” of the passengers’ patience. “All this saps your mental and physical energies. The paperwork and the incomprehensible delays involved make the journey a difficult one,” rues a city resident. Though most of the passengers know only Urdu or Hindi, they have to fill an immigration form in English. The Attari station has very few chairs for passengers. The passengers have to make do with a seating arrangement on the floor, even as it takes hours for customs and immigration clearance. The Ministry of Home Affairs, however, is believed to be contemplating the expansion of facilities for the passengers at the Attari railway station. It is also planning to give the station the look of an international railway station, it has been learnt. But the passengers’ problems don’t end here. The scheduled departure and arrival timings of the Attari Special and the Samjhauta Express are by no means convenient for the passengers. The departure time of the Attari Special is 9 pm (every Sunday and Wednesday). It reaches Attari the next morning (4.40 am on Monday and Thursday). That means the passengers who arrive by the Attari Special from Delhi have to wait for seven hours before their journey begins for Wagah. Time is also wasted at the Wagah railway station. The 500-kilometre journey between Delhi and Lahore takes more than 25 hours, though it should not be more than 10 hours in the normal course. The return journey is equally bothersome because the officials want to check every single bag right down to the last handkerchief! Moreover, there is no stop between Delhi and Attari for passengers and this makes the journey of these
passengers a tedious one. The “Special Train” stopped halting at Ambala about a couple of months back, though no reason was assigned for this. The decision has come as a shock to the residents of the Muslim-dominated towns, including Qadian, Malerkotla and Saharanpur. The residents from these areas used to board or alight from the train at Ambala. Imagine the plight of a resident of Qadian (a few kilometres from Amritsar), the international headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslims, who has to cover approximately 500 kilometres to board the train from Delhi. The same passenger has to cover another 500 kilometres during the return journey. Oddly, Punjab continues to be a “Disturbed Area” in the official record. Before the militancy period, the Samjhauta Express used to halt at Amritsar too.
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Cross-border marriages
Notwithstanding the taxing journey, the passengers who have relatives on both sides of the Zero Line pray that the Samjhauta Express continues its journey. It has become a “train of love and emotions” because of the “cross-border” marriages.
The train has been helpful in promoting import and export between the two neighbouring countries. Its discontinuation in the past deprived many from maintaining kinship ties with their relatives
from across the border.
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Gaganmai Thaal Museum: Mecca for heritage lovers
Gaganmai Thaal International Mini Museum at Jandiala Guru, about 16 km from Amritsar, has become the Mecca for the heritage lovers of this holy city.
What various universities and institutions could not do, it has been done by an individual of a small town by establishing a museum to preserve all handwritten documents along with the photographs of various Gurus, eminent writers and freedom fighters, collected till date. Mr Abinashi Singh, conferred upon with Punjab Rattan award by former President of India Late Giani Zail Singh, has set up a museum in the lobby of his small house displaying photographs of 144 writers, including six Sikh Gurus whose verses are in Guru Granth Sahib. Mr Singh said he was inspired by the rich cultural history of Punjab, where the Rig-Veda was compiled and which was considered as the cradle of most advanced civilization of the world having a rich religious, literary and cultured heritage. He felt its his duty to preserve the handwritten manuscripts along with the photographs of various gurus, writers and freedom fighters. So in the absence of any other alternative, he converted a portion of his house into the museum. On his efforts to spread the glory of the state across the world, Mr Singh said that he had organised about 150 exhibitions across the country and the world including many European and Asian nations. He said his first exhibition was held in Mumbai in April 1992 on the advice of Mr Tarlok Singh Komal, a renowned artiste. Recalling an incident, Mr Singh said that Mr B. Satyanand Reddy, the then Governor of Uttar Pradesh, specially came to his exhibition. After going through his works, Mr Reddy asked him to arrange more exhibitions in various cities of UP. The Punjab Rattan awardee said that he had been able to display only 10 per cent of his collections and rest of the works lie packed in other three rooms of his house due to lack of adequate space.
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Project to resurrect Sikh history mooted
The state government is to send a proposal to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for bringing back the throne of Maharaja Ranjit Singh from England.
Mr Partap Singh Bajwa, Public Works Department Minister said this during a seminar held at Khalsa College here recently. The event was organised by the UK-based Maharaja Duleep Singh Centenary Trust in association with Akal Akhara International. The minister also urged the Trust and NRI Punjabis, interested in preserving the Sikh heritage, to form a national museum where artifacts related to Maharaja Ranjit Singh and other Sikh leaders could. He said that the first phase of the Khalsa Heritage Museum, hanging fire for years now due to financial constraints, was likely to be opened by April next year. Mr Yadwinder Singh Sumray, chairman, Anglo Sikh Heritage Trail, said the project has been conceived to uncover the relatively unknown ties between the Sikh and the British nations. “The project is unique and a significant milestone in the preservation of our common heritage. The Trail is arranging to showcase rare and valuable Sikh manuscripts, the throne and sword of Maharaja Ranjit Singh besides cremation sites of Sikh soldiers who laid down their lives for England.” Mr Sumray added that the effort was to rejuvenate the interests in Sikh history in the new generation, which has no clue about their cultural heritage. “It was the long pending demand of the Sikhs settled in England to have a separate regiment of Sikhs in the British Army. Even Prince Charles had recommended the government to accept the demand for the setting up a separate Sikh unit.” He said that the Heritage Trail had been organising a series of lectures by Sikh comrades in the army to tell their experiences about the valour of the Sikh soldiers who fought alongside the British army during both the World Wars. The Trail is also establishing faith schools.
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CD on city’s history released
“Amritsar Sifti Da Ghar,” the CD released recently by the Spring Dale Senior School here, delves into the rich history of the Holy City covering all its religious and cultural aspects.
Working under the guidance of experts of various fields, the students of the school compiled the research in the form of a story, which was later enacted as a light and sound programme in the CD. Ms Manveen Sandhu, school’s Principal, said that it was an exciting journey of discovering our past and expressed hope that the people would also discover new dimensions to the city. He said each and every aspect of the show, including the script, the music, the costumes and the set design, were developed by the school. She thanked Davinder Pal Centre for Creative and Performing Arts for its invaluable support.
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Man seeks CM’s intervention in refund case
A resident of Teshilpura here has urged Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, to direct the local revenue department to refund the “excess” amount allegedly charged from him against the registration of a land deed.
In a letter to the CM, Mr Ajay Gupta said at the time of purchasing of 75-yards land, the stamp duty was 6 per cent. This stamp duty was expected to be increased by 3 per cent as per the government notification dated April 6, 2005, he added. In view of this and to avoid any risk, the then Registrar of the revenue department charged 9 per cent stamp duty instead of 6 per cent against the said land deed. Mr Gupta said he was assured that 3 per cent excess stamp duty charged from him would be refunded in case the notification would not be implemented. Mr Gupta said since the implementation of the notification was yet to be made, he had requested the concerned authorities to refund the excess amount to the tune of Rs 15,000. The complainant added that as the then Tehsildar was transferred from here, he had to make rounds of the Revenue Department and Deputy Commissioner officer a number of times. The authorities, however, failed to refund the amount till date. He urged the Chief Minister in the letter to kindly intervene and ask the authorities to refund the amount.
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‘Literature reflects social reality’
The Amritsar Sarhadi Sahit Sabha (ASSS) has passed a resolution urging the government to enact a law to penalise officials not using Punjabi in official work.
The resolution was passed in the annual seminar of the Sabha held at Bhai Nand Lal Hall, Puttalighar, here last week. A kavi darbar was also organised on the occasion. Prof Avtar Joda, in his presiding address, urged the writers to write on issues concerning masses. Mr Inderjit Singh Baserke, president, District Congress Committee (Rural), was the chief guest. He announced a grant of Rs 25000 for the Sabha. Commenting on the role of litterateurs, he said they were like mirrors to the society. Literature reflected social reality, he added. Poets and writers inform the society about the ills plaguing the social fabric. In the Kavi darbar, Khushwant Kanwal, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, Gian Singh Kanwal, Harbans Singh Nagi, Principal Jagdish Singh, Ajit Singh Nabipuri, Hazari Lal Hazara, Tirlok Singh Diwana, Kuldeep Singh Arsi, Malwinder Singh, Kalyan Amritsari, Bikramjit Singh Basarke regaled the audience with their poems. Kulwant Singh Sufi was the anchor.
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Remembering the craft of artist
Subhash Chander Bedi
The late artist’s wife, Ms Lalita Bedi, along with his son, Mr Yogesh Bedi, made a joint effort to put as many as 300 of his paintings on a CD and also present a collection of his works to the Indian Academy of Fine Arts. The 29 selected works of Subhas Chander Bedi in oil, water and multi-mediums drew admiration not only from the artists but also from the general public.
The exhibition was inaugurated by eminent sculptor Mr Avtar Singh, also president of the Academy of Fine Arts. Bedi had the rare distinction of creating a map of the religious travels (udasis) made by Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism. The work was published by the Punjab government with copyrights to the artist. Bedi’s design of Punjab State Education Board’s art and craft book for class 8th continues to be used till date. In 1990, he also received the National Award for best teacher from Mr R. Venkataraman, President of India during that time. Bedi taught art at the Government Senior Secondary School in Town Hall for 42 long years. The artist had always been sensitive to the needs of his students. On his three visits to the United States, Bedi involved himself in learning the teaching modes used by artists there and bring it to his school. His selected works include “Heer Ranjha,” “Bride,” “Beauty and Wine,” “Wild Abandon” and many on Sikh gurus and the Golden Temple.
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Exhibiting empowerment of women
Providing an opportunity to women entrepreneurs, including prisoners, to earn, an exhibition cum sale showcased their products ranging from clothes and handicrafts works to delicious items, that gave tickling sensations to the taste buds, at the Art Gallery here.
The state-level exhibition was a prelude to the Punjab Women Empowerment Meet inaugurated by Kumari Selja, Union Minister for State Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation. Several self-help groups and voluntary organisation came forward to display their works at the exhibition that received an overwhelming response from all sections of society. It was a surprise for many to see exhibits of ‘India Vision Foundation’ founded by Supercop and Magsaysay award winner Ms Kiran Bedi in the Central Jail here. Ms Nirmaljit Sandhu, foundation incharge, here proudly showcased the three selected items of Croquet lace-trimmed salwar-duppata sets, stuffed toys and embossed work produced by women prisoners. The ‘Craft and Creche Centre’, aimed at involving lady prisoners in creative works, was jointly drafted a year back by the foundation in collaboration with Punjab State Social Welfare Board, chaired by Ms Ratna. Other institutions that took part in the exhibition were Vocational Rehabilitation Training Centre for Blind and Disabled, Ludhiana; Chamkaur Sahib Trust, Ropar; Kalpana Chawla –Self-help group Vill- Tellupura; Banu Women Development and Welfare Society, Rajpura; All India Women’s Conference besides border area projects from KhemKaran Gurdaspur , Jalalabad, Fazilka, Gurdaspur and BBKDAV College, Art and Craft unit, Amritsar. The food items included pickles, jams, sauces, and saviyas by border project of Khemkaran and spices by AIWC. While in non-food items, incense sticks (agarbattis), detergent , durries , embroidered suits, khes, laakh bangles and phulkari works among others were on display.
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City not ready for mall culture
As the economic and social development gains momentum in Amritsar, the concept of luxurious malls, multiplexes and hotels has been introduced to give a multinational look to the Holy City. But experts doubt the feasibility of the concept in the city which lacks the management skills to handle the new features.
The residents of Amritsar, like those of all other smaller cities, desire to have five star hotels, multiplexes, ultra-modern bus stop and railway stations, but all within the radius of 5 to 7 km. The attitude finds its origin during the 19th Century when there were almost negligible modes of conveyance like in the walled city. Besides, poor traffic management also makes the situation more vulnerable for the success of the concept. One does not need any farsightedness to imagine the traffic and parking hazards around five-star hotels on the Mall Road and shopping mall on the Lawrence Road, especially when the people spend their time and energy to break law in every respect than to follow it – specially the traffic laws. A couple of years back, a prudent decision was taken to rebuild the bus stop at its original site by shelving the project of shifting it to new Amritsar. The decision proved disaster for the residents of the area as it lead to regular traffic jams on the road. Some buses are parked on the road while majority of these stop anywhere in the middle of the road to board the passengers. Sometimes the whole road is blocked by buses, which lead to jamming of traffic for up to one kilometer. To add to the chaotic situation, every bus is being followed closely by five to six auto rickshaws, which turn abruptly on either side. Moreover, the drivers of auto rickshaws also ignore the traffic signals while looking for commuters. The traffic police at the squares are only meant to control the traffic when lights are not working. The officials are seen shaking hands with some truck drivers who are normally not allowed in the city without that ‘handshake’. The traffic rules do not permit buses to be parked on the road but as the drivers are not caught or punished so it has become an unsaid rule. Most of the private buses are owned by some politicians, that’s why policemen do not dare to catch them. Big roundabout near bus stand covering most of the space causes inconvenience to the public. Traffic lights must be installed here and the roundabout be removed to give proper space to the heavy traffic flow from four roads.
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Chawla seeks raise
in pension for terrorist victims
Ms Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, state Vice-President, BJP, while pointing out a discrepancy in the distribution of pension to terrorist victims, said that widows were given Rs 2500 per month, whereas children who had lost their parents during militancy were drawing Rs 1000 per month.
Ms Chawla conveyed this discrepancy through a letter to Punjab Governor, Gen (Retd) S.F. Rodrigues, and Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh. She said that for orphans the pension continued either till they attained 18 years of age or till they completed their education or whichever came first. She reasoned that usually an 18-year-old youth was a student of Plus Two and that, in effect, meant that the student would not be able to study after Plus Two. She felt that the government must make a provision of free education for such children as long as the latter could study. She said it was very difficult for orphans to continue their education, as earning livelihood became their first priority. Citing the case of three siblings, she said their parents Charanjit and Naresh Rani, residents of Varpal village, were killed by militants on June 3, 1984. The youngest among the siblings was nine-month-old and the oldest was three-and-a-half-year-old at that time. She said there were about 200 such families in the state. She added that they must be compensated accordingly. She said the pension of widows had been enhanced to Rs 2500 from Rs 1000 per month in 1996, whereas orphans’ pension remained the same. She observed that this discrepancy must be removed.
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‘Hotels, restaurants reeling under
corporation taxes’
Hotels and restaurants in the city are “reeling” under various taxes imposed by the Municipal Corporation even as the authorities concerned have allegedly failed to impart proper knowledge about the norms regarding these taxes.
Mr A. P. S. Chatha, honorary general secretary, Amritsar Hotel and Restaurant Association, said that there was lack of transparency in the employees of the Corporation who came to collect taxes from them. He also explained the problems to District Commissioner, Mr K. S. Kang. Mr Chatha pointed out that as the holy city suffered the most during terrorist activities, industry in Amritsar shifted to other places, leaving restaurants and hotels high and dry. However, with the efforts of the government, he added, the city has been brought on international map. Mr Chatha added that the hotels and restaurants were making lot of investments in renovating their premises to meet the international standards. “But these efforts will go waste if the government does not provide extra facilities to the hotel industry.” He said that information centres need to be established and infrastructure must be improved. “Roads should be brought to international standards and the traffic made disciplined along with the removal of road blockages.” He said the association has resolved to cooperate with the administration in all respects. Mr Chatha proposed that the Corporation should provide a brochure with necessary tourism details so that the exploitation and corruption could be checked.
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School students on cleanliness drive
School children have come forward to wake the district administration out of their slumber in cleaning up the holy city.
A group of 60 students from Ryan Public School under the Ryan Awareness Club have launched a cleanliness drive at the Amritsar Railway Station for spreading environmental awareness. Mr Manjit Singh Bhullar, Assistant Traffic Manager, inaugurated the drive and appreciated the effort taken by the children. The children shouted slogans like “Amritsar Is Yours, Keep It clean,” and “Dream for a clean Amritsar.” They also distributed pamphlets to the public made by the children themselves. Each child is said to have made around 50 pamphlets. The aim of the drive was to make people of Amritsar aware of the fact that it was not the responsibility of one person or the government to keep the city clean but a deliberate move was needed on the part of the general pubic too in this regard. Meanwhile, about 400 children of Brightway Holy Innocent School cleaned and whitewashed the Chheharta Bypass Chowk leading to the international Wagah joint check post and the Atari Railway Station. The site had virtually turned into a junkyard where the nearby police post used to exhibit vehicles damaged in road mishaps. The students dug out the Congress grass manually and then whitewashed the area. Mr Nirmal Singh Bedi, principal, Brightway Holy Innocent School said the school had been cleaning the site for the last five years. Also present on the occasion was Mr Sunil Datti, mayor, who said that the government had sanctioned Rs 12 lakh for beautifying the site and installing lights.
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Bodybuilding is
Kahlon’s passion
Harpal Singh Kahlon of Ranjit Vihar, Lokarka road, has carved out a niche for himself in bodybuilding by clinching the title of Mahabali this year.
Possessing a mediocre height but well built steely physique, Kahlon gives the impression of constant hard-work, dedication and perseverance to his chosen field. This wrestler-turned-body-builder secured fifth place in the Senior Mr. Punjab held this year. A soldier in the army, Kahlon, began his sporting career by enrolling himself in an Akhara where he learnt the basics of developing a sturdy physique and skills of fighting on the muddy ground. Subsequently,
he joined local Kartar Singh Wrestling Stadium, named after famous
wrestler of Punjab and present state Director of Sports. He
participated in various ‘Chinjaas’ (as wrestling bout held during
a fair in the rural areas of the state is called) organised at
Phagwara Gurdaspur and Amritsar. It was in 2000 that he joined army and two years later he switched over to bodybuilding. He competes in 75 kg category and grabbed third position in the Mr. Amritsar Competition in 2004 thus improving upon his earlier ranking by a place.
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BBK DAV College for Women lifts Guru Nanak Varsity trophy
The BBK DAV College for Women here lifted the Guru Nanak Dev University Womens’ Zonal Youth Festival Trophy, while DAV College finished runners-up and RR Bawa DAV Girls College, Batala stood third.
The ‘B’ Division Zonal Trophy went to the Khalsa College for Women while the Shahzadanand College for Women stood second and followed by SN College, Qadian, in the third position. Sukhbir Kaur Mahal, Principal, Khalsa College for Women, received the trophy. Dr Raj Kumar, MLA and Parliamentary Secretary, School Education presided over the valedictory function and distributed the prizes. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Raj Kumar said the youth should be engaged in constructive activities so that they can contribute to the development of the nation. Final results: Painting (Landscape)— BBK DAV College, Amritsar-I, Painting (Still Life)— DAV College, Amritsar-I, Sketching— BBK DAV College, Amritsar-I, Cartooning: DAV College, Amritsar-I, Poster Making: DAV College, Amritsar -I, Collage— BBK DAV College, Amritsar-I, Clay Modelling— RR Bawa DAV, Batala-I, Rangoli— RRMK ,Pathankot, -I, Flower Arrangement (Fresh)— BBK DAV College, Amritsar-I, Flower Arrangement (Dry)— BBK DAV college, Amritsar-I, Phulkari—SN College, Qadian -I, Skit— BBK DAV College, Amritsar-I, Mime— BBK DAV College, Amritsar-I, One Act Play— BBK DAV College, Amritsar-I, Group Song (Indian)— BBK DAV College, Amritsar-I, Folk Orchestra— BBK DAV College-I, Classical Instrumental (Percussion)— BBK DAV College, Amritsar-I, Classical Instrumental (Non-Percussion)— SN College, Amritsar-I, Classical Vocal— Campus-I, Western Vocal— BBK DAV College-I, Western Group Song— BBK DAV for Women College-I, Shabad/Bhajan— BBK DAV College-I, Geet/Gazal— Campus -I, Folk Song— Campus, Amritsar -I, Gidha— Campus-I, Vaar Singing— BBK DAV College-I, Group Shabad/Bhajan— BBK DAV College-I, Classical Dance— DAV College, Amritsar-I, Fancy Dress— BBK DAV Collage, Amritsar-I, Histronics— Khalsa College, Amritsar-I, Mimicry— Campus-I, One Act Play— DAV College-I, Poetical Symposium— BBK DAV College for Women, Amritsar -I, Elocution— BBK DAV College, Amritsar-I, Debate— DAV College, Amritsar-I, Quiz— RR Bawa DAV College, Batala-I.
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NGO holds seminar on human rights
To form a common strategy for starting a movement against social evils, Awaz-e-Awam — an NGO — in collaboration with the Socio-Economic Development Programme (SEDP) of the Diocese of Amritsar organised a discussion on “To live is my right” here. Religious leaders, social activists, political leaders of different parties and journalists participated in the event.
Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, senior Akali minister, while speaking at the function, expressed serious concern over the atrocities committed against the weaker sections, saying that people’s participation in the democratic setup had decreased. “The political scenario, too, has become pathetic with politics becoming a family business. The nexus between political leaders and bureaucrats is responsible for this mess,” he added. Bhai Ranjit Singh, former jathedar of Akal Takht, emphasised on introspection and self-evaluation. “Positive change will not be possible unless we evaluate our own selves. We have to learn to safeguard our rights,” he said. Mr Rakesh Kaushal, Superintendent of Police, said people should know about their duties and responsibilities first and then talk about the Fundamental Rights. “The police department should not be held responsible for anarchy in social set-up. Political interference and lack of resources are to be blamed. The need is to change the thinking of the masses rather than blaming others,” he added.
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Dynamic sociologist with a literary flair Literature as a reflection of social reality, mirroring the transitions and changes that occur within society, has always existed as potent force. In fact, studying in a literary text against its social background offers stimulating food for thought. The literary ventures of Dr Paramjit Judge, a sociologist and Professor in the Department of Social Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University here, are an affirmation of the dynamic relation between the text and the contest.
Dr Judge’s first Punjabi novel ‘Peetu’, published in 2003, delves into the history of a village after independence, tracing the life experiences of a protagonist, named Peetu, who is basically an anti-hero. The novel traces the protagonist’s adventures and involvement in a series of happenings, including marriage, illegal immigration to Germany, becoming a witness to Naxalite movement and Punjab terrorism, making a new group consisting mostly of “Balmiki” boys and a meeting with Bhindrawale, which reflect the transitional phase of rural society in the post independence era. In his second Punjabi Novel “Tarkalan” published in 2005, Dr Judge shifts the focus from an individual to a group. ‘Tarkalan,’ in fact, is an attempt to draw the life of old, elderly men, who lead meaningless lives, caught up in the routine of daily chores, waiting for death. The novel abounds in metaphor and images - the bleakness of old age, which is coloured richly by the meticulous, graphic description of individual lives lived in “Chak Daulat Ram”. Inder, ‘the addict’, emerges as Jamesian “centre of consciousness,” whereas the lives of other characters like Nishan Singh, Giani Harnam Singh, Chem Chand, Surinder Singh and Partap are also drawn with bold and clear strokes. In both his literary ventures, Dr Judge provokes the reader to think—how good is our social structure? Can we motivate social parasites, like Peetu, to raise themselves to a level of dignity and be healthy participants in the social context? And yes, do the lives of the old have to be so desultory and meaningless? Regarding his work, Dr Paramjit Judge says, “My novels describe the harsh social and existential conditions of village life. Contrary to the established canon of Punjabi writing, I have not created a hero, who propounds a specific value system nor do my novels point towards any specific future…. They are left open to the reader’s interpretation.” In fact, Judge’s sensitive understanding of difficult social issues is undoubtedly accentuated by the fact of his being a social scientist and it is this social concern, combined with his literary acumen that makes the reader wait eagerly for this writer’s next writing. —
Pushpinder Walia, Lecturer, BBK DAV College for Women
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Weekly Round-up
UN Day
The Political Science and Public Relations Departments of Khalsa College observed the UN Day here recently. Mr Gurnam Singh, Dean (Academic Affairs), Guru Nanak Dev University shared his views on the problems being faced by the United Nations, especially in context of the Iraq crisis and America’s hegemonic attitude. Coin dispensing machine A coin dispensing machine has been installed at the State Bank of India (Town Hall Branch) here. The machine was inaugurated by SBI’s Deputy General Manager (Inspection). The DGM said that anybody could insert a ten-rupee note of Gandhi series into the machine and get dispense ten coins of one-rupee denomination.
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There could have been no better tribute to the national-level artist, late Subhash Chander Bedi, than an exhibition of his works, which his family organised to commemorate his first death anniversary recently.