The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

PU Notes
Canvassing picks up for PUTA poll
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 9
Canvassing is in full swing for Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA) elections on the campus and candidates from the two contending groups are making last-ditch efforts to woo voters.

The elections are slated for August 11 and over 600 university teachers will elect their leaders.

Releasing their manifesto here at a press conference today, the group of Prof A.S. Ahluwalia and Manjit Singh demanded a Central university status for the university and enhancement of retirement age of teachers to 65 years.

They also demanded the inclusion of employees who joined after January 1, 2004 with past pensionable service in the recently launched pension scheme of Panjab University and expedition of CAS interviews and inviting applications three months in advance from the date of eligibility.

The manifesto further demanded better working conditions for faculty, which includes construction and maintenance of separate toilets for faculty in each department, streamlining of parking in front of different buildings, maintenance of campus houses, general cleanliness and security, Wi-Fi for the entire campus (including hostels and residential area), and intercom to all, better road and drainage conditions and landscaping in Sector 25 and speedy construction of more houses, and streamlining of house-allotment.

Interestingly, the manifesto also asks for harmonious relationship among faculty and biennial increments for the “stagnated” teachers.

While manifesto of both groups are now out, none of the groups has talked about what they intend to do to improve the standard of teaching and research in the university.

Course in Computer Hardware

The Centre for Adult, Continuing Education and Extension in the university has introduced a six-month Certificate Course in Computer Hardware for unemployed youth.

The training will help them learn useful skills in computer hardware and enable them to get employment through assembling, sales, installation and maintenance of computers.

The training includes PC organisation, computer peripherals and interfacing, PC assembling, installation and trouble-shooting.

The enrollment of candidates has begun and the programme will start from September 1.

For practical training, a special workshop is being set up to catering to a group of 20 learners.

According to Dr Sween, Centre Director, the programme is partly funded by the University Grants Commission and students will have to pay a nominal fee during the course of their training.

Research journal

Panjab University Research Journal (Science) touched a new high last month by recording a total revenue of Rs 1,22,600 and enrolling 33 life fellows in the current financial year.

The journal has circulation in North America, Europe and Asia wherein PU Library receives their publications on reciprocal basis from 130 universities.

According to its Chief Editor, Prof I.S. Dua, Chairman, Department of Botany, a special volume with the abstracts of all published papers in journals from 1953 onwards is in the pipeline.

The first volume of this special abstract volume having summaries of all published papers up to 1970 will be out in September, 2006.

The abstracts of these papers will also be available online and the full text of the papers can be referred back by looking at the old volumes available either in the Central Library of Panjab University or PU Research Journal (Science) Office, Room No. 28-29, Old Correspondence Building, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Unemployed teachers to intensify stir
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 9
The unemployed teachers union, has decided to intensify its stir.

Despite suffering injuries during the lathicharge at Matka Chowk and their arrest on Monday seems to have only strengthened their resolve to fight for their cause.

So much so, 50 persons lodged in Burail Jail have gone on hunger strike. According to members of the union, they have refused to come out on bail unless their demands are met. Meanwhile, attempts are being made to get bail of eight women protesters. Unemployed agriculture sub-inspectors, unemployed PTI teachers and unemployed veterinary pharmacists under the banner of unemployed action committee, Punjab, have been protesting in this regard in front of the office of the DPI (Secondary) in Sector 17.

The protesters have been braving the vagaries of the weather in Sector 17 for more than two weeks. The protesters have full support of their families and villagers. According to Mr Sunil Attri, media spokesperson of the union they have called upon all unemployed youths, including computer’ and B Ed teachers; of Punjab, to come and join their stir.

Meanwhile, the hunger strike by Sukhjinder Singh entered its 12th day today, while that of Mandeep Kaur Singh entered eighth day. They were both picked up by the police and taken for a medical checkup yesterday. They, however, came back without taking any treatment.

CULTURE

Keeping a tradition of excellence
S.D. Sharma

“ Even though the history of human culture has taken many twists and turns, the theatre of our dreams must be loyal to its language, people, social realities invariably indebted to the rich cultural heritage of the region and in worthy and consistent communication with the present,” so maintains Balwant Thakur , the master thespian winner of prestigious National Sangeet Akademy Award, Ford Foundation Award and UNESCO honour and sponsorship for works.

Born and raised in a hilly sleepy village , Bakkal in Jammu, a post graduate in law and mass communication , Balwant had the distinction of representing India at the global festivals in Thailand, Dubai, Sharjah, Germany, Malaysia besides presenting papers at Oxford, London, Brighton, Copenhagen and Moscow. He maintains that Indian culture had given us richest cultural treatise to hold on to. Why to go to the west, they would emulate our aesthetic virtuosity. A proponent of potent themes weaved in earthy essence for theatrics, he feels only a creative confrontation between text and performance that generates human energy will keep the audience bringing to the theatre .

‘Terrorism is global challenge and not restricted to Kashmir alone and my series of plays on childhood problems and social evils had been highly appreciated in India. ‘Ham hain naa’ with a mammoth cast of 325 artistes ran to full house. The challenging fight between the mediocrity and intellectualism is the major crisis which society faces and forms the subject of my plays. ‘Theatre must intervene and participate in the socio-economic, cultural and political dialogue. It should act as a parliament of sorts where issues are debated and resolved’, he reiterates.

Balwant Thakur is in city for a festival of his plays titled ‘ Theatre days with Balwant Thakur’ under which four of his classic plays will be staged under the aegis of the Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademy at the Tagore Theatre from tomorrow. All the four plays exude an altogether diverse theme which include ‘Aap Hmare hain kaun, Bawa Jitto, Mhabhoj and Ghumayee to be staged from tomorrow onwards in that sequence.

Call him an epitome of traditional theatre or a living legend, the Jammu-based virtuous Balwant Thakur had crafted new dimensions for the regional and national theatre. He even sacrificed the lucrative government post of Secretary of J & K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages to revolutionise the theatre movement in the strife torn state.

Raaz takes roles in his stride
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 9
The guard has changed on the sets of “Jane Bhi Do Yaro”, the set has also moved venues. From MCM DAV in Sector 36 to North Park in Panchkula, it has been an interesting journey for the crew, which were busy fashioning new sets for new scenes all this day.

At the heart of the new scene was Vijay Raaz, who has gained a peculiar reputation for his peculiar roles. Be it P.K. Dubey of “Monsoon Wedding” or Raghu of “Raghu Romeo”, Raaz has always managed an exclusive impression - one that stays with the viewer long after the act has passed.

But no role has been better than the one that came his way in Mira Nair’s “Monsoon Wedding” It is another matter that Raaz places every role on a pedestal, saying, “No role is a challenge for me. I take them as they come and I just flow with my character. In any case, there is an actor in every one of us.”

Philosophical on and off screen, Raaz gives away no straight answers. One has to hunt for them in the maze of words he weaves to perfection. When you ask him how easy or tough it is to don a comic character, he says: “Humour comes from life. It has a kind of madness to it. But everyone cannot visualise humour in their day-to-day lives”.

The actor loves complicated stuff over simple, by his admission. “Unless a thing has some complexity, it does not attract me,” he says.

He discusses his future plans queerly. Actually he does not have any. “I never plan my future. Anyone who does is a fool. Even when I began acting, I was not sure where my skill would lead to. One fine day, I was in Bollywood.”

Now Raaz has a wish - one of being known as an actor, not a hero. “I have slogged it for roles. Money and fame has been a bonus,” he says.

In the current film, Raaz is playing twin characters - that of a boy and a girl. “I become a girl to woo another one who is in possession of priceless diamonds,” says Raaz, giving meagre details about his role. His future projects include “Welcome”, “Fool”, Final”, “Benaam” and “He”, among others.

Accompanying Raaz on the sets, Marathi actor Dilip Joshi, is playing a cop in the movie. Earlier seen in ‘Ye Tera Ghar, Ye Mera Ghar”, ‘Khakee’ and ‘Jis Desh Mein Ganga Rehta Hai”, he has had a long association with Marathi theatre and is still associated with a theatre group called “Kala Vaibhav” in Mumbai.

He believes that theatre hones the skills of an actor. Ask him which medium will he prefer and he says, “Both films and theatre have their own charms. Theatre, with its tedious rehearsal sessions and other demands, is challenging. Films entice with their pace.”

As regards roles, he feels that there is no small or big role. “There are small and big actors,” he says. Joshi will soon be seen in a suspense thriller and another film by Priyadarshan.