The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Girls from Ladakh and Assam find their new home in the city, reports Deepkamal Kaur

Their home was earlier in the beautiful environs of Assam, but now they are finding their place in the city. — Tribune photo by Pawan Sharma

It has been a complete cultural changeover for 21 girls from Ladakhi tribes staying in the centre run by the Saraswati Sindhu Nayas Trust at the Ladowali Road here. From a slow-paced lifestyle to a strictly regimented lifestyle, the girls have shown a remarkable adaptability in their new home.

Through donations, the trust has been managing the expenses of the girls, including their lodging, food and education. This seems to be what the Ladakhi parents probably found hard to resist and readily sent their daughters far away from the “Land of Lamas”.

In the centre, these Mongoloid-featured girls have to follow a strict routine, beginning their day at 4:30 am. The girls get ready by 5 am and come out of their dormitories for morning exercises. Then they put on their school uniform, have their breakfast and move out to schools.

While a few of these girls are studying in a small school within the centre, most of them are going to Parkashwati Sarvhitkari Vidya Mandir, Keshav Nagar. Three girls are also the students of Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Fantom Ganj. Two older girls have taken admission in PCM Sanatan Dharam College.

After the school, the girls come back, have their lunch, change, take some rest, have light refreshment and then move out to attend “shakhas” organised by the centre, where they do yoga and exercises, have discussions on social issues and say a prayer to “Bharat Mata”. Then it is time to have dinner and go off to sleep.

It has been a long journey for most of these girls. Says Rixin, a Class VII student, “Whenever we have to discuss anything, we have an easy way out. We converse among ourselves in the Ladakhi dialect that Didis here cannot comprehend,” she laughs.

Angmo, a Class IV student, said she was a hosteller at a school in Manali from where her uncle sent her to this place. Daughter of an agricultural officer, this small but active girl has been training all her friends in drum beating, an art, she says, she had learnt at her previous school. Lamo, Padma and Tashi are Class III students, who say that they came here about two years ago.

Durga, Diya, Sangeeta and Ankita are four girls who have recently joined the centre. They are from Assam. The girls have been brought here from an orphanage in Assam by Ms Rekha, who heads the Rashtriya Sewika Samiti in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi. Ms Vijaya, centre in charge, said the trust would ensure that the girls were well cared for.

Mr Naresh Malhotra, the president of the Keshav Nagar school, said that the girls would learn the necessary “sanskars” in the centre. He added that a few girls from Apahij Ashram may also join them soon. He said that the trust was also coming up with a new school near the Pathankot Bypass that would be run on the CBSE pattern.

IT boom in marriage market
By Anil Jerath

With the city teeming with girls who are software professionals, the marriage market is witnessing a shift. Suddenly, there is a heightened demand for girls who are IT (Information Technology) professionals.

Says Ankur, 26, a prospective groom and software professional with a leading IT firm, “I’d prefer to marry an IT girl. It’s because as a software professional, my timings are erratic. Out of 24 hours I could work for 18 hours sometimes. And if my wife is not as busy, she could get bored. This way she’d be as busy, and there would be less problems.”

He adds that money is a factor too, as it means an even more comfortable life. However, that’s not the prime reason for his choice.

Eight out of 19 of his software friends who’ve married over the past two years, had wanted to and have married girls who are software professionals.

Same is the case with the friends of Vishwas. “Four of my friends who are in the IT field have married IT girls.” Vishwas, himself, is in the same profession.

Anu, a software professional who is to marry another software professional soon, says it makes sense.

“When you work long hours at the office and you’re married to a software professional, it’s easier because he’s familiar with the situation. There’s a lot of moral support, especially as this job entails tours abroad. I wouldn’t have liked to marry someone from another profession.”

A sizeable number of her colleagues are getting married to men from the same profession.

Jasbir, 29, a software professional who’s engaged to a techie, says, “Her career prospects are also better than others, because she can get a job easily in the US, where I will be posted soon.”

Nirmal Kaur, whose daughter got married recently had despaired whether her daughter would find a suitable match as she was from a non-IT background. “Though she had studied bio-tech, I was worried because the software guys we approached wanted someone from the same field.”

Of course, monotony is a problem with some of these marriages.

But eventually, this ‘monotony’ factor is won over by other more imperative factors, and the demand for girls who are IT professionals continues to rise.

‘Politicisation of music inevitable’

Kamal Sabri has the distinction of being the youngest Indian classical musician to participate in the World Music Festival. But what really sets him apart is his disarming frankness and complete dedication to music that flows from ‘sarangi’, discovers Minna Zutshi during a tête-à-tête with this sarangi player

How did you foray into music?

I started playing sarangi, a stringed musical instrument that affords a gamut of emotional expressions, for Doordarshan programmes when I was barely nine. My Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan performance came when I was 15. As a child, I would accompany my father to music concerts. My job at that time was to carry his sarangi around. And I did it fairly well!

Music, it’s said, is divinity itself. Do you subscribe to this view?

Absolutely. Music is nothing less than “ibbadat”. You feel very near to the Almighty when you practise music. The feeling of oneness with Him envelopes you, and you experience a kind of unalloyed joy.

But hasn’t music become politicised over the years?

There’s politics in every field. You cannot escape it. And there’s no need to feel trammelled by politics. Rather, you can use it as a creative spur. It’s a magical potion that works!

There’s a feeling that Indian musicians leave their disciples in the lurch as all their energies are focused on teaching their own children. Your comment.

This is rather harsh. All musicians should not be tarred with the same brush. My father, Ustad Sabri Khan, the sixth generation sarangi player of Sania Gharana (school) of Rampur-Moradabad, has never been partial to his son. If his disciples show promise, he is no less than an indulgent father.

Does the Indian audience have an edge over the foreign audience?

The Indian audience is more tuned to the classical Indian music. It’s simply the familiarity factor that’s at play here. But the audience abroad has its own critical barometer. It’s sheer music that captivates them. And they are a disciplined lot.

You have been visiting Jalandhar over the years. Any perceptible changes?

The corporate sector is more visible now. Population, too, has increased visibly over the years. But the city does retain its old charm. It is the same friendly city as it was earlier.

MoU signed to provide Canadian High School diploma

St Soldier Educational Society has tied up with Alberta Distance Learning Centre, Canada, for providing Canadian High School diploma to Indian matriculate students.

An announcement in this regard was made by Mr Jerrold Jones, Educational Consultant, during a press conference here on Wednesday. He said that an MoU had been signed for the one-year three semester programme.

He said the students would study for two semesters in India and the last semester in Canada after which the admission of students to any college or university in Canada could be facilitated.

The cost of the course would vary in each semester, Mr Jones said. “The students will have to pay 2,000 Canadian dollars in first semester, 2005 Canadian dollars in the second semester and 5005 Canadian dollars in the last semester.

He added that the admission to the course could be held at any time of the year, as there were multiple entries for the same. A batch would have nearly 40 to 50 students who would be taught eight courses, including tourism, mathematics, physical education, foreign language, Canadian history and geography. — TNS

Helpline for drug addicts

Aiming at saving the youths from the clutches of drug addiction, a new helpline has been set up called Punjabi Youth Helpline.

The helpline’s chairman, Mr Sarbjit Singh Makkar, and the president, Mr Sahib Singh Dhillon, have said that the helpline was the need of the hour.

Elaborating on the functioning of the helpline, they said to channelise the youths towards progressive thoughts and to enlighten them about the ideal ways of living, the helpline would organise a series of events like sports tournaments.

The youths would also be made aware of the pros and cons of unsafe sexual activities, gambling, indulging in anti-social activities through various campaigns and events. Special campaigns would also be launched by the forum to make the youths aware of the menacing effects of drug addictions, Mr Makkar said.

The youth members would form volunteer groups that would work for the special campaigns to be launched by the forum.

The forum would also organise de-addiction camps, during which the youths caught in the addiction of drugs like smack and medicines inducing intoxication, would be treated free of cost.

The forum would also appeal to the police to launch extensive campaign to rid the region of drug peddling.

Extending a special invitation to the youths to join the forum to help themselves if caught in drug addiction and also to help others who might benefit from their experiences, Mr Makkar said the healthy activities would assist in creating a constructive environment to encourage the youths to get involved in more meaningful activities.

The general secretary of the Helpline, Mr Sanjiv Pandit, secretary Mr Rakesh Kumar Dhagga, district vice-president, Mr Jatinder Arora, were also present at the launching of the Helpline. — TNS

Anurag Verma president of Surjit Hockey Society

Anurag Verma, who recently joined as the Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar, has been nominated as the president of the Surjit Hockey Society.

The decision was taken at the general body meeting of the society on May 10, which was held under the chairmanship of the Commissioner, Income Tax, Bathinda, Mr L.R. Nayyar.

The nomination has been made under the rules laid down in the constitution of the society.

On his plans that he would carry out after assuming the post, Mr Verma said that he would make best efforts for the betterment of the game as well as the society.

He also assured that the 23rd Indian Oil Surjit Tournament to be played in November this year would have a new look. “The floodlights at the Surjit Hockey Stadium will be duly installed so that the spectators and the players can enjoy the game during this edition of the tournament”, he said.

At the general body meeting, the director sports Mr Paargat Singh, secretary of the society, Mr Iqbal Singh Sandhu, and the society’s senior vice-president, Colonel Manmohan Singh, were also present. — TNS

Young World
Talent Hunt Week organised
By Deepkamal Kaur

Dayanand Model School, Model Town, organised an inter-house talent hunt week. Various competitions were held during which the students presented different items.

In declamation contest for juniors, Priyanka and Pallavi stood first, followed by Anjali and Puja. In the senior group, Archu and Karishma stood first, while Ashima and Anu were second. Vasudha and Deeksha stood third.

In dance contest, Meenakshi, Pranati and Anjali bagged the first positions among juniors. Among seniors, Arushi was first, followed by Tanvi and Madhav.

In poetry recitation, Kritika stood first, Mohit and Sakshi were second, while Tania stood third among juniors. In senior section, Kashma bagged the first prize, followed by Ashima, Sahil and Jyotsana. For acting skills, Rishab, Ashima and Hemant bagged the first three positions among juniors. Among seniors, Madhav stood first, Sahil and Ayushi were declared second and Usheshwar was third.

In painting contest, Parminder Kaur stood first, Shubneet was second and Divya Gupta came third. Among senior participants, Abhinav was first, Sakshi and Guarav Nagpal came at second position, while Amanjot was third.

In singing competition, Twinkle, Tanvi and Puru were declared winners. Among seniors, Manisha, Gurjinder, Amanjot and Yashika won prizes.

For mehndi, Tarandeep, Eshu and Riya won prizes among juniors, while Pooja, Khushu and Sonakshi were declared winners among seniors.

In rangoli-making contest, Ritika and Twinkle were first, Tushar and Anmol were second, while Divya and Shivani were third For seniors, Amanjot was first, Kavya and Shivani were second and Garima and Manmeet were third.

Principal, Ms B. Manuja, congratulated the winners and appreciated their performance.

Cultural contests

Competitions for music, dance and Hindi poetry recitation were organised at MGN Public School, Urban Estate, Phase-I, this week. Students of KG-II participated in the singing contest in which Gursneh bagged the first prize. Sirjan was declared second and Kunwardeep stood third among ‘daffodils’ group. Among ‘roses’, Gurjeev, Gursimar and Aprajita were declared winners. From ‘sunflowers’ group, Sahiba, Jasraj and Jhanvi won prizes.

In dance competition, students from Classes V to VIII participated. Among girls, Anmol of Class VII, Gurusha of Class V and Gagandeep Kaur of Class VII won the first, second and third prizes, respectively. Among boys, Gunraj Singh of Class VI, Gurkirat Singh of Class VII and Harinder Palof Class VIII won prizes.

In Hindi poetry recitation contest, Jujhar team won the first prize, followed by Fateh House and Zorawar House. Ms Jaspal Gill, principal, distributed prizes among winners.

Training camp

Eight students from Hans Raj Mahila Mahavi- dyalaya attended a youth leadership training camp organised by the student welfare department of Guru Nanak Dev University in Dalhousie that concluded on Monday. Kangan Sharma, Harpreet Malhi, Swati, Shefali Chopra, Surbhi Jyoti, Esha Thukral, Preeti Munjal and Venika Jain attended the camp and won prizes. The team clinched the first prize in skit, debate, declamation, solo dance and mono-acting competitions.

Aqua Week

St Joseph Convent School, Cantonment Road, organised an “Aqua Week” for the tiny tots of the LKG and the UKG classes. Kids came dressed in colourful swim suits and caps. Little ones from every class were taken to the swimming pool turn by turn where they enjoyed playing inside water.

Farewell

BSF Senior Secondary School bid farewell to Mr R.S. Dalal, IG, Punjab Frontier, Border Security Force, on Wednesday. The principal thanked him for his guidance and wished him good luck for achieving heights in all fields. Mr Dalal said that he was impressed with the coaching given to the candidates of the National Defence Academy and budding sportstars.

Making matchsticks special
By Anil Jerath

An unusual medium, a simple tool and a special artiste.

Art on matchsticks is 22-year-old Pradeep’s forte.

Born with speech and hearing disabilities, Pradeep from Nawanshahr carves matchsticks with an ordinary blade and makes these works of art.

Without any formal training or schooling in fine arts, Pradeep started on chalk but has now honed his skills and switched to dainty carvings on matchsticks. Pradeep claims that his pieces are on exhibited in the Cavin Morris Art Gallery in New York.

Pradeep can draw just about any object after taking a cursory look at it.

He attended a school for the mentally-challenged where the supervisors noticed his flair for art.

His family brought him back home, took good care of him and the rest as they say is history.

Pradeep’s father, Mr B.K. Swami, told the Jallandhar Plus that the Delhi government had recommended his name for a national award.

Market Buzz
V Mart opens outlet

Mr Hemant Aggarwal, Director, V Mart Chain of Stores, inaugurated a new outlet near Jyoti Chowk in Jalandhar on Saturday. The new store has four levels, one each for women, men, kids and household products.

As an inaugural offer, the store has launched a “buy one get one free” scheme on select garments, Mr Aggarwal said. He said that now he was planning to expand the company’s retail network in Ludhiana and Amritsar. He said that V Mart now had 12 outlets in India that were basically catering to middle class families.

Seminar held

Sampoorna Poultry Feeds and American Soyabean Association organised a technical seminar for profitable broiler production. More than 150 persons related with poultry industry, including poultry farmers, poultry pathologists, consultants, practitioners, hatchery owners and government officials attended the seminar.

The participants asked a number of questions related to the diet of the birds and discussed the aftermaths of bird flu infection. — TNS