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Hobby time
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Insurance company asked to pay Rs 1.29 lakh
Poet with a passion for Urdu
Teaching yoga is his passion
For a noble cause
Market Buzz
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With the summers at their peak and schools closed for the summer
vacation, it’s time for children to learn new skills, says
Deepkamal Kaur
This summer, the city kids have nice opportunities to hone their skills, discover new areas of interest and experience a variety of fun-filled activities so that they can spend their holidays merrily and fruitfully. The kids will also have a wide variety of summer camps to choose from, with activities ranging from adventure sports, yoga, swimming, skating, Taekwondo, photography, sculpturing, origami, web designing, theatre and language proficiency to music, dance and art, personality development and art and craft activities. The duration of the different camps is also variable. While some schools are offering a 10-day camp, others plan to have it for a complete one month. The Cambridge International School for Girls is offering a 10-day course from May 22 to May 31. The main attraction of the camp will be training girls in rope climbing, wall climbing, rappelling and jumping on difficult terrains, for which the students will be trained by experts from the National Institute of Mountaineering, Darjeeling. The school will also offer a theatre workshop in which artistes from Darry John group, New Delhi, will train the students. The school will also offer a course to improve proficiency in English language. The course will be conducted by a team from the British Council, New Delhi. The camp to be conducted for five hours a day. It will also have courses in art and craft, sculpturing, pottery, music and dance. Ms Deepa Dogra, Principal, said that while courses in theatre and language would be taught to school students only, owing to seat limitation, outsiders could opt for the remaining courses. Delhi Public School will have a fortnight-long summer camp starting from May 13. The thrust of the camp would be sports activities, said Mr B.Banerjee, Principal of the school. He said that while easy exercises and yoga will be a mandatory part of the camp, the students could opt for training in skating, swimming, Taekwondo, basketball, table tennis and any other game. The principal said that the school would hold camp for two-and-a-half hours daily whereby students could opt for courses in theatre, photography, pottery, web designing, music and dance. He said that the camp activities would be limited to the students of the school. The authorities of Mayor World School plan to promote classical dances among the children during the summer camp. The classes would be conducted by experts from the Prayas Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad. Ms G. Bindra, Principal, said the students could continue with the course for two to four years, after which they would be awarded a recognised degree in the art. Besides, there would be courses for vocal music and guitar, origami, ceramics and general knowledge. The principal said the camp would start in the last week of May and would be open for students from outside as well. Euro Kids will be offering a one-month or 15-day course from June 1, during which little ones would be trained for two hours daily for various activities like cooking without fire, yoga, art and craft, English speaking, dance and general knowledge. The complete package would be offered for Rs 1500 for one month and Rs 1000 for 15-day time, said Ms Neha Ratti, centre head. Kidzee, too, is coming up with a summer camp from May 29 to June 24. The camp will be conducted in two groups, one for age group two years to five years, and another for older children. The coordinator, Ms Samriti Bhardwaj, said that the students would participate in art, craft, music, dance and personality development activities. The senior group would also be imparted computer education. The course would be offered for Rs 500, excluding conveyance and food. MGN Public School, Urban Estate, will hold a 10-day camp with thrilling activities ranging from rock climbing, rope climbing and clay modelling. Some private dance and music academies are also planning to conduct summer camps. Vivek Aggarwal Dance Academy will have a month-long summer camp starting from June 1 in which kids would be trained daily for three hours in various dance forms, glass, pot painting, art and craft, music. There will be classes for personality development, too, in which children would be taught social etiquettes, table manners and telephone manners. Eklavya School will organise a summer camp for its students as well as outsiders totally free of cost. Various activities such as art and craft, dance, music, computers, karate, splash pool and skating would be organised during this camp, Ms Sapna Bakshi, Principal said. Bus facility would be available for the participants, she added. The camp would be open for the children in the age group of two years to 10 years. The art and craft activities would include block printing, hand printing, fabric painting, pot painting, flower making and spray painting. Trained dance teachers would teach the students both classical and folk dance. Similarly, the music teacher would teach both classical and light music.
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Taking on the sun
When it comes to bearing the wrath of the summer sun, people never hesitate to adopt ways — traditional or modern- to beat the heat. The most common method is covering body parts not covered by clothes. Girls take the lead in this respect— come the heat waves and they can be seen covering almost every limb of theirs with gloves, sunglasses and headscarves. The tanning caused by sunburn is dreaded by every upwardly mobile woman, and the city is no exception. The medical experts have their own safety list for people out in the sun. Dr Sanjiv Sharma, an ENT and skin specialist here, says that during this season, the body becomes vulnerable to sunstroke. “People going in and out of the sun and working in air conditioned offices may be down with sudden fevers.” He says that one must avoid sudden changes in temperature, as the body cannot tolerate more than 5 to 6 degrees of temperature difference. Any difference above this can cause headache, fever and a running nose.” The doctor adds that before going out in the sun, the body must first be acclimatised to that temperature. “The ACs must be switched-off, the head must be covered with a cotton cloth or a helmet, if driving, the limbs exposed to the sun must be covered with the clothing or gloves, and the eyes must also be protected with sunglasses. The inner and outer temperature of the body needs to be guarded, as the extreme change in temperature adversely affects the body.” The problem of exposure to sunlight during summers affects everyone— from a car driver, a rickshaw-puller to a school-going child. The sun can damage the skin and leave it dry and cracking, say doctors. “The skin can be saved by administering sun lotions and body lotions,” Dr Sunita at Kaya Skin Clinic says. “The sunscreens must be seen as medicines, as they play a vital role in protecting the skin. Care must be taken that the sun lotions are used 20 minutes before going out in the sun and applied every two hours.” “Applying sunscreen lotions once is not enough, as the severity of the summer sun requires its reapplication. The sunscreen lotion must be chosen carefully, as the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) may not be as effective as the companies like to advise. Doctors advise is best when it comes to lotions,” the skin expert added. Dr Sharma says the school-going children must also be protected from the sun. “Their heads must be covered with scarves and eyes with sunglasses, as these are not cosmetic but vital means of saving them from summers. The children come back from schools in rickshaws, buses or auto-rickshaws in the blowing heat of summers.” He added that many children suffer from nasal bleeding in the summers. “They should cover the nose with a moist cloth. If the nose starts bleeding, do not lie down. Just pinch the nose and apply Parafin ointment. This comes in handy,” Dr Sharma said. Now for some remedies from the home front. The tips from Dadima like Aam Pana, jal jeera, lime water and sharbat are by far the best advice when it comes to saving oneself from the heat waves, Ms Manju Mishra a housewife, says. “All summers, Aam Pana is a must for every member of the household, as it immediately controls the body temperature and brings it back to normal,” she adds. “Making the drink is simple. The katcha aam or unripe green mango called Amiya should be boiled, in a pressure cooker, then properly mashed, its guthli or seed taken out, and some salt and a bit of sugar added. For taste, grounded pepper can also be added.” “Always step out in the sun with a full stomach, head covered and after having water,” Ms Mishra adds.
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People’s concern It’s a bumpy ride for any commuter passing through Rajindra Nagar near tehsil complex here. The roads in the colony had been in a bad shape for quite sometime, but the condition had worsened ever since the Municipal Corporation officials had begun repair work nearly eight months back, as they later “forgot” to complete it. The roads here were completely washed out and huge potholes had emerged causing inconvenience to the commuters. The long pending demand of the residents seemed to have been nearing fulfillment when the potholes were filled up with stones sometime back. The roads in the colony are lying as it is for the past several months making the ride for the passerbys even more difficult. Most riders avoid passing through the colony through the back-breaking roads for going to tehsil complex or SSP office and prefer following a bit longer route. The residents said that they had approached the MC officials a number of time but to no avail. They said that while the Police Lines Road near their colony, where the repair work had begun at the same time had been carpeted long time back, the work in their area had been left as it is. Shopkeepers and other traders in the colony are also disappointed, as they said that their business was getting affected. A financier whose office is in the colony said that the volume of his trade was being affected as people were trying to avoid the route. Ms Priya Bhasin, a resident, said that a small boutique that she was running from home was not getting much clientele ever since the condition of the road had become worse from bad. Mr Dharam Singh, SE (B&R), said that the work had been stalled as no tenders could be placed for the purpose for a long time. He said that a contractor had now been assigned the job and the work would begin at the site in 10 days. He said that he was aware of the issue, as the residents of the colony had approached him recently.
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Insurance company asked to pay Rs 1.29 lakh
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has asked the New India Assurance Company to pay a Delhi resident an amount of Rs 1,21,760 for damages to his Honda City car that met with an accident on the day it was insured. The forum also asked the officials of the company to pay Rs 5,000 as compensation and Rs 3000 as cost of litigation to the complainant. Mr Virender Mishra, a resident of Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi, had filed the complaint through its special power of attorney with Mr Bhupinder Singh, a resident of Maqsudan. He had stated that he had got the vehicle insured from the company and paid a premium of Rs 23,529 on June 5, 2003. He said that the vehicle met with a road accident the same day, while going towards Delhi near Sirhind Byepass. A case in this regard was also registered under Sections 279 and 304-A of the IPC at Sirhind. The complainant said that he had informed the company officials who had appointed a surveyor, who visited the site, completed all formalities and assured him of reimbursement. He said that he sent his vehicle to the company and paid all expenses of the repair to them amounting to Rs 1,87,773. He alleged that he had visited the office of the company a number of times and issued two legal notices, but to no avail. The complainant asked for the cost of repair at 18 per cent interest and Rs 10,000 as compensation. The company officials said that the claim had been repudiated on October 26, 2004. They said that the vehicle had met with an accident at 11 am before it got insured. They said that the loss to the vehicle was Rs 1,21,760 after deducting an amount of Rs 2,000 as salvage value from the assessed loss of Rs 1,23, 760. The forum of President, Mr M.M. Bhalla, member, Mr Surinder Mittal, decided in favour of the complainant after going through a set of documents. They observed that Mr Bhupinder Singh had got the car insured in the morning of June 5, 2003. They observed that before the date of insurance, he had gone to the office of the company at 4.30 pm to get the vehicle insured. After verification of the record, the company official gave him an estimated premium calculation for insurance of the car. On next day, at 10 am, Bhupinder Singh had visited the office at 10 am and asked for insurance. The forum observed that it was a case of gross negligence, unfair trade practice and deficiency on the part of the opposite party in repudiating the claim on the basis of a vague report of the investigator. The forum said that the report of surveyor was binding on both the parties and the estimated damage must be paid to the car owner. The forum also asked the company to pay Rs 5,000 as compensation and Rs 3000 as cost of litigation.
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He not only has a post graduate degree in horticulture, but also a book of poems to his name. Sanjeev Syal, 29, brought out “Assan Jazbat” recently. He was felicitated by the Hindi Department of Guru Nanak Dev University upon the release of his maiden book. “Though it is in Hindi, the vocabulary is mostly Urdu,” he said. Sanjeev said he was enamoured of Urdu in his early teens. It were Urdu programmes on PTV that attracted him, and he learnt the basics of the language from his late grandfather. Lyrical connotations, grace and delicacy made him opt for Urdu, he added. Poetry found expression in his daily dairies first, which he has been penning since childhood. The book differs from normal poetry compilations. It contains poems written spontaneously, as a reflection on events of daily life. He said he reads contemporary Urdu poets like Javed Akhtar, Gulzar and Bashir Badar. Sanjeev’s father and two brothers also write poetry in Hindi and Punjabi but haven’t published the works. One of his compositions “Kaboolnama” was published in a leading Punjab music magazine in 2003. He also took part in Jalandhar Doordarshan’s programme ‘Navrang’ (Kavi Darbar) on November 12, 2003 and recited his poems in All India Radio’s programme “Kavi Sabha” the same year. Besides poetry, he has a flair for singing. He participated in the “Close-up Antaakshri- The International Challenge” and was adjudged first runners-up. Sanjeev was also selected as the “most talented phone jockey” in the Indiatimes “Voice’s nationwide Phone Jockey Contest” last year. He secured first place in the light vocal singing category in the All India Agri–Uni National Youth Festival held at Assam Agriculture University, Jorhat in 2001. He won first place in the light vocal singing category in the SN Kakkar Memorial Inter College Youth Festival in 2000. In the earlier edition of the same festival, he had secured second position. He participated in the ghazal singing competition organised by the Punjab Arts Council and Sangeet Natak Academy, Chandigarh in 1999. — OC
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Teaching yoga is his passion
This 67-year-old is a pillar of strength to many. Tarsem Lal Verma, a retired teacher, heals people around by teaching them yoga. He has been taking regular classes in villages of Phagwara for many years now and his knowledge of yoga is commendable. After losing his only son, Dipankar Verma, it was yoga, he said, and the family’s support that saw him through trying times. “I had a stroke in 1994 because of which I started doing some Yoga. But after I lost my son, yoga became my support system. It gave me power to fight back and live again,” Mr Verma said. Today, yoga has not only kept him fit but also lent a meaning to his life. He teaches the ancient art to people and takes special classes for children on Sundays. “It’s God’s will that I have been able to help myself and others. I just wanted to share the joy and health that I found in Yoga with people around. I have never believed in making it a source of income, it is service I render to others,” Mr Verma added. His agility and his stamina is a source of inspiration not only to people of his age but also to the younger ones.
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For a noble cause
Blood donation became the mission for Naginder Pal Singh when his father, who was suffering from blood cancer, was administered 26 units of blood in 1980. Naginder was the first one to offer the blood and the rest of the required blood was arranged with the help of hospital authorities and the relatives and friends. Since then, Naginder, who was 26-year-old that time, has donated the blood for 77 times. For his noble gesture, he was awarded by the then Health Minister of Punjab, Dr Baldev Raj Chawla, on the occasion of World Blood Donation Day on October 1, 2000, at Amritsar. Tikka Raja Shatrujit Singh of Kapurthala also honoured him on April 30 last. “I felt indebted to the mankind when my father needed the blood and people volunteered to help me in the hour of grave need,” said Mr Naginder Pal Singh. The humble 52-year-old resident of Ghanta Ghar Chowk in Kapurthala, while sitting at his electronic gadgets repair shop, further said though his father could not survive for long, he made it a mission to serve the mankind in this way. “I decided to observe the birthdays of my family members as blood donation days and started donating blood on February 18, April 25, July 25 every year, as the birthdays of my son, myself and my wife fall on these days, respectively,” informed Mr Naginder Singh. “As the birthday of my daughter falls on August 10, which is just 16 days away from the birthday of my wife, I chose the Blood Donation Day on October 1 for the purpose,” said Mr Naginder Singh.
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Young World Akashdeep Paul, a student of Lyallpur Khalsa College, has topped in B.Com-II examination conducted by Guru Nanak Dev University this year. The results of the examination were declared this Saturday. Akashdeep has scored 78.4 per cent by attaining 549 marks out of 700. Aiming to be a chartered accountant like his elder brother, Akashdeep says that he had achieved this score by much hard work. He had stood second in the college in the first year examination with 72.2 per cent. Earlier, as a Plus Two student of MGN Public School, he had achieved a mark after securing the second position among the commerce stream students in the district at that time. Son of a businessman, Akasheep said that he had joined tuitions this year which helped him in maintaining regularity at home as well. The topper was honoured during a college function on Monday by Mr Balbir Singh, former MP and President of the College Governing Council. B.Com results
Students of the Apeejay College of Fine Arts proved their excellence by attaining top positions in B.Com-I (regular) examination conducted by Guru Nanak Dev University this year. Megha Jain has stood second in the university with 460 marks out of 600. Sakshi Verma has stood third with 454 marks, while Charu Chawla has attained fifth rank with 452 marks. Simranjit Kaur Bains has stood eighth in the university with 448 marks. Dr Sucharita, Principal, has congratulated the merit holders. The students of the college have also received top ranks in B.Com-III (regular) examination conducted by the university. Vidhu Mahendru has got the fourth rank with 1563 marks out of a total of 2050, while Suvercha Trehan has stood eighth in the university with 1537. Mothers’ Day To reciprocate their love and gratitude for their mothers, children of nursery classes from Delhi Public School organised a day out for them at Mc Donald’s. As told, the mothers were dressed in their pink outfits. Games were organised for them in which they all remained involved. The tiny tots entertained their mama’s with a special song in their appreciation. They presented them with cars which they had made especially for the Mother’s Day. They also pinned a badge on their mothers proclaiming them to be the best. A beautiful heart-shaped banner was carried by the children that showed their love for their mothers. Mothers were then taken for a round of the kitchen to see how the food was prepared in Mc Donalds. International Dance Day Pahal, an NGO, organised an inter-school dance competition on the occasion of the International Dance Day on Saturday. Participants performed a variety of dance forms, including classical, Bharat Natyam, Kathak and folk dances. While students of B.B. International School, Datarpur, performed dandiya dance of Gujarat, those from Police DAV Public School performed bhangra. Students from Dayanand Model Senior Secondary School gave a scintillating classical dance performance. Dance contest
Saffron Public School, Phagwara, organised a dance competition for its pre-primary and primary wing students. The children showed strong competitive spirit which was quite visible through their presentations. They were full of zeal and energy, as they shunned their inhibitions and danced with confidence and enthusiasm. Annual prize distribution
The first annual prize distribution function of Sant Baba Bhag Singh Institute of Education, Khaila village, was celebrated on the campus on Saturday. Dr R.S. Bawa, Registrar of Guru Nanak Dev University, was the chief guest of the function. He distributed prizes among the students who had excelled in academics and cultural events. The function began with shabad recitation by B.Ed students. Sukhwant Singh, a student sang a folk song. ‘Trasdi’, a one act play, was directed by Shinder Pal, also a student. The programme concluded with gidha. Dr Dev Ichha, principal, read the annual report on the occasion.
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Market Buzz Cathay Pacific Airways announced the opening of a new office in Jalandhar on the GT Road. The new office is aimed at building a strong local demand for North American and Australian destinations via the company’s four weekly flights from Delhi to Hong Kong and beyond, the company officials said. Mr Tom Wright, regional general manager, Middle East, India and Africa, opened the office along with Mr Rupert Bray, country manager, India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Wright said that this was the first time that the airlines had opened its office in northern India outside Delhi. The regional GM said that the opening of a new office was an important step in the expansion of the service to passengers from Punjab. He said that the region had enormous potential and the company was looking forward to working with local travel partners towards building a presence in the market. Metro Shoes opens store Metro Shoes, a fashion footwear retail chain, opened its exclusive store at Model Town Market on Saturday. This is the fourth store of the company in the region after Ludhiana, Amritsar and Chandigarh. Mr Jairaj Kapoor, regional manager, said that the showroom would also sell matching handbags for ladies. These bags would be chic, glamorous and in different shapes, sizes and finishes. Ms Champa Bharatwaj, marketing manager, said that the showroom would have its own exclusive collections for men and women consisting of Princess range with bridal and evening wear, Da Vinchi range for men, designer wear and Metro Kids wear for young tots of the family.
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