J A L A N D H A R

ABVP to file PIL to oppose Lovely University Bill
Jalandhar, December 25
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has decided to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to oppose the passing of the Lovely Professional University Bill 2005.

‘Social satire the most effective way to make a statement’
Jalandhar, December 25
Jaspal Bhatti has done it again. The comedy king, who achieved a breakthrough for the Punjabi cinema by making cinemascope film ‘Mahaul Theek Hai’, has now come out with his new venture, the first film on DVD ‘Jijaji’.

A college with a difference
Tughalwala (Gurdaspur), December 25
Students enter the examination hall, pick up the question papers and answer sheets lying on a table in the hall, go to their seats, take the exam and leave the hall quietly after keeping their answer sheets again on the table.

Students busy making chapattis in the kitchen of the Baba Aya Singh Riarki College for Women in Tughalwala. — Tribune Photo by Pawan Sharma

ABVP to file PIL to oppose Lovely University Bill
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 25
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has decided to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to oppose the passing of the Lovely Professional University Bill 2005. The ABVP has condemned the government for allowing the process of formation of a private university by Lovely Institutes.

Addressing media persons here today, the ABVP declared that the move would be opposed tooth and nail by the ABVP that would hold agitations to protest against the government’s move. The ABVP termed the various provisions of the Bill as having “grave consequences” for the future of education in the state.

The Bill has given a nod to the proposal that the university be handled by the Lovely International Trust, which belongs to a business house running the business of sweets and other items, said the ABVP members during their interaction with the media persons. “The most objectionable provision of the Bill is that it has demeaned the position of the Governor, as the Governor has only been accorded the status of visitor to the university and not the Chancellor of the university,” they alleged.

There was only one government nominee and so there could be no check on the functioning of the university, they claimed.

The ABVP also condemned “blanket approval for courses” that the university has been given. As per the provisions of the Bill, the university has the right to start various courses on its campuses, though as of now there were different universities for running technical, educational, engineering, medical and other specialised courses. In this context, the Bill only exposed the double standards of the government, alleged the ABVP leaders.

Another provision of the Bill that came in for criticism was that it allowed the university to prescribe any fee structure. “This would cater to the profit motive of the Trust heading the university,” they alleged.

The provision of allowing the university to give dual degrees of diploma, degree, or even certificate was “exceptional” in the entire country and had never been followed before, they claimed. The provision allowing the university to establish, operate and manage its campuses anywhere would only lead to opening of numerous “shops” that would further lead to the commercialisation of education, they alleged. Yet another “highly condemnable” provision of the Bill was that it allowed no litigation against the university, they added.

‘Social satire the most effective way to make a statement’
Anuradha Shukla
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 25
Jaspal Bhatti has done it again. The comedy king, who achieved a breakthrough for the Punjabi cinema by making cinemascope film ‘Mahaul Theek Hai’, has now come out with his new venture, the first film on DVD ‘Jijaji’.

The film is a social satire that mocks the political set-up through the portrayal of the relationship of brother-in-law.

Bhatti, who was recently here for the release of the DVD, says his film has nothing to with the ‘jija sali rishta’ but has been based on the relationship of ‘jija’, which haunted him for long and he wanted to capture it in a film.

When asked more about the movie, he admits unabashedly that the film stands for the growing confidence of the Punjabi film industry. Next, he is even ready to make a feature film using all Mumbai artistes, says Bhatti. The artistes and the Punjabi film industry are ready and the DVD movie made is a sign of that growing confidence, he adds.

On working with two other famous comedy artistes in ‘Jijaji’, Bhatti says it is an experiment, which if successful will be done again.

How does he feel when he watches his own work? He laughs for a change, saying he enjoys his films but is very sensitive to how his audiences react. “My mind is all caught up in what would appeal to the audiences,” he says.

“Our artistes have the potential of international level and the industry too is ready. If my film requires a Rajpal Yadav or a Boman Irani, I would call them,” he says.

Others are trying to cash in on the romantic NRI theme only, he says, adding that he is thinking on making a comedy on NRI theme as it offers a lot for a good comedy.

However, speaking for the corruption-ridden establishment and the way people manoeuver around for accomplishing tasks in their lives is his real forte.

“I have acquired a flair for social and political satire. This is the easiest and the most effective way to make a statement. You can say a lot and the message goes clearly where it should go,” he says.

He adds, “In my latest movie too I have experimented with the subject packaging it in the most pampered relationship of ‘jijaji’ and the nuisance value it enjoys.”

The “DVD genre” has given him more room to experiment, as the constraints of a film are not there in making a DVD film, he adds.

Using the technicians from Mumbai has given him much more confidence.

Next he would be looking for a subject to make a good feature film, he says. This, for him, is the sign of his growing confidence and the growing confidence of the film industry, which is ready to take the next big leap.

For him, assistant artistes being given a few thousand rupees by their more established counterparts is not exploitation. He has an interesting view on this.

He says, “This is only a phase in the artiste’s struggle. When the same artiste is well-established, he commands more money. So, there is no question of exploitation.” 

A college with a difference
Arun Sharma
Tribune News Service

Tughalwala (Gurdaspur), December 25
Students enter the examination hall, pick up the question papers and answer sheets lying on a table in the hall, go to their seats, take the exam and leave the hall quietly after keeping their answer sheets again on the table. No teacher or supervisor is present to keep a watch on the examinees. Still there is a pin-drop silence in the examination hall. Sounds strange? But stranger is the presence of such a college and that too in a remote village on the border of Kapurthala district.

The Baba Aya Singh Riarki College for Women in Tughalwal village could be a study in self-sufficiency and an example for various college managements, as students manage this college, that was established in 1976. Clad in white suits, with heads covered, the students also stand guard at the entrance and they also maintain the accounts. They also turn “cooks” in the kitchen. And the teachers are also students.

All affairs of the college are managed by a student council comprising seven members, which in turn forms committees — study committee, funds committee, langar committee, sports committee, milk committee, electricity committee, dharmik committee, attendance committee, discipline committee, sanjam (patience) committee and university committees.

“Each one, teach one” has been the motto of the college. Every student has to adopt one student to teach, while brilliant students of senior classes are assigned the responsibility of teaching junior classes.

The man behind this “self-sufficiency concept” is Mr Swaran Singh Virk, Principal of the college.

He said, “Our students managed to achieve 100 per cent results in BA-II and BA-III, though a few students of BA-I remained unsuccessful because of poor academic records.”

Besides the students, the college has six staff members, including Mr Virk and his two daughters.

Out of the 15 acres of land owned by the institution, nine acres are being used for farming. Each student is exhorted to plant at least 13 mulberry trees during her stay in the college so that silk can generate finances. No prospectus is given to admission seekers.

The annual fee for the day scholars is just Rs 800 per annum, while the boarders have to deposit Rs 5500, including the tuition fees, every year.

When asked how the finances were managed, the principal said the finances were generated locally and they had never asked any organisation for monetary help.

“To inculcate values into the students, the campus is adorned with inspirational thoughts of saints and renowned personalities,” Mr Virk said.

To meet electricity demands, solar energy plants have been put up and the fuel requirements are met by the gas supplied from the nine plants installed on the campus.

“Around four cylinders of gas are produced in these plants daily. This is sufficient to cook the food of the 609 boarders in this college that has a total of 1254 students,” Mr Virk said. “The sewage water is collected in a pond, from where it is used for irrigation through a solar pump.”

Awarded the Siri Ram Washesharan Devi Bhatia Memorial Charitable Trust Award in 2001 for excelling in social cause and the Secular India Harmony Award 2005 by United Children Movement, New Delhi, in 2005, the college students have got over Rs 10 lakh as scholarships in different religious contests held by the SGPC and other organisations last year.

On the demand of the local residents, a boys’ college has also been started on similar lines, Mr Virk said.