New engineering institute by Doaba group
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 18
The management of Doaba Group of Colleges today announced opening of new institute, Doaba Institute of Engineering and Technology (DIET), on the Kharar-Kurali highway.

Mr S.S. Sangha, managing director and Mr Manjit Singh, executive director of the college, at a press conference held here today, said the college offers B.Tech course in Computer Science Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Information Technology and Mechanical Engineering.

The Management also announced cash awards for its toppers: Rs 31000 for 1st position in a semester in PTU and Rs 1 lakh for maintaining it throughout; Rs 21000 for 2nd position in a semester in PTU and Rs 71000 for maintaining it throughout; Rs 11000 for 3rd position in a semester in PTU and Rs 51000 for maintaining it throughout and Rs 5100 for 4th position in a semester in PTU and Rs 31000 for maintaining it throughout.

The college also proposes to start Sarvdharm Meditation Centre for the students. Apart from DIET, the group is running Doaba College of Pharmacy (Degree and Diploma) and Doaba College of Education at Kharar.

Three sessions of one hour each were held. The students and parents were taught how to enhance their memory, retain it and how to coordinate ones memory and brains.

Sadbhavana Divas observed

Chandigarh, August 18
The Government College for Girls, Sector 42, observed Sadbhavana Divas on the college campus here today.

The college Principal, Ms Inderjit Kaur, sensitised students about the need of unity and integrity.

Government College, Sector 11, also observed Sadbhavana Divas. Dr A.N. Garg, Principal, spoke about the significance of the day that commemorates the birth anniversary of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

NSS volunteers of Government College, Sector 46, also observed Sadbhavana Divas. The college Principal, Ms Usha Jindal, appealed to the volunteers to convey the message of communal harmony to the masses. — TNS

Scholarships
Our Correspondent

Mohali, August 18
Sree Ayyappa Seva Samiti, Phase I, has invited applications for scholarships from Malayalee students living in Mohali, Chandigarh and Panchkula.

In a press note issued here, Mr C. Unnikrishnan, president, said Kartiyani Amma Memorial scholarship sponsored by Mr K. Vidyadharan, consisting of cash award and merit certificate, would be given to two top winners of Class X examination held this year.

Similarly, SMT Harbaksh Kaur Mejie Memorial Scholarship sponsored by Meharbaba Charitable Trust, Sector 2, Chandigarh, consisting of a cash award and merit certificate would be given to two students who secured two positions in the Class XII examination.

The application forms may be forwarded to the general secretary along with attested copies of marksheets before September 2.

Mathematics Congress
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 18
Four teachers of the Mathematics Department — Prof R.J. Hans-Gill, Prof Madhu Raka, Prof A. K. Bhandari and Dr Gurmeet Kaur — and research student Anuradha Sharma have been nominated and sponsored by NBHM to participate in the International Congress of Mathematics (ICM) to be held at Madrid, Spain, from August 22-30.

Two of the five participants will present their research work on ‘Algebraic Coding Theory’ at the Congress.

The ICM is held every four years in which Field Medal (Nobel Prize in Mathematics) is given. The next ICM in 2010 will be held at Hyderabad, the first time in India.

BEd aspirants warned
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 18
Candidates seeking admission to BEd colleges in Punjab have been warned not to take admission in management seats being offered by the colleges without confirming with Panjab University.

According to Dr S. Dhillon, co-ordinator, Joint B.Ed. Counselling, admission to management quota seats shall be made in colleges of education only if the name of that particular college figures in the list of colleges to be supplied by Panjab University.

Victim refuses to identify accused
Another twist to Nayagaon rape case
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 18
In yet another twist in the Nayagaon rape case, the victim has stated before the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr S.K. Aggarwal, that she never gave any statement before Chandigarh Sub-Inspector Gurjeet Kaur, in charge of the PGI police post.

When the case came up before the ADSJ on August 14, the victim stated that the SI had got her signatures on blank paper and she never gave any subsequent statement before any police official of Punjab and Chandigarh.

The victim in her statement before the judge refused to identify the accused in the alleged rape case. Retracting from her statement during cross- examination, the victim said: “ I was not raped, nor did I ever make any statements before the police”.

The police maintains that five accused had taken the victim, a resident of Khuda Ali sher, to a house in Sector 37-C, and raped her. The court had framed charges against them in July this year. The case came to light when a 15-year-old daughter of Punjab Police driver delivered a child in the PGI on March 5, 2003. The girl in her statement given to the police had alleged that she had been raped by a group of five.

After the girl named the accused, the police registered a case in Nayagaon against Ramkesh alias Kesha of Nadha village, Gurdhian Singh, Kesar Singh, Rinku and Tari on March 7, 2003, under Section 376 and 34 of the IPC.

The victim, testifying before the court, said: “I had never given any statement to the Chandigarh Police or any other officer of Punjab Police . I had not made any complaint or representation or any statement before any authority in relation to the allegation of rape against the accused”.

She claimed that the father of her child was her boyfriend, Monu. She also denied having received money for retracting her statement. 

CULTURE

“Sammy” — an ode to freedom
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 18
Lilette Dubey does things in style. So when her theatre company’s much-celebrated production “Sammy” struck the right chord yesterday, it came as no surprise.

The play, presented under the aegis of The Indian Express at GVK Taj last night, wove myriad patterns of the Indian freedom struggle into a wonderful tapestry that inspired as much pleasure as it inspired pain. The project was challenging by its very nature, not only because it dealt with something as abstract as freedom but also because it involved theatrical interpretations of Mahatma Gandhi’s “inner voice”, eloquently held on stage by actor Ravi Dubey.

But the director, aided by a team of brilliant actors, managed to depict with class the finer nuances of Gandhi’s life – from his early days at Durban and his verbal duels with Kasturba to his decision on celibacy and his still-blooming relationship with his wife.

Joy Sengupta as a young Gandhi who later evolves into a firm satyagrahi was impressive as was Neha Dubey in the role of Gandhi’s Kasturba. The rest of the cast including Annu (as Sarojini Naidu) and Zaffar Karachiwala (in different roles), equally evoked admiration.

The dialogues were well rehearsed from a series of earlier shows the team has mounted. Written by Pratap Sharma, the play was staged in two acts – the first one set in South Africa where a volatile political scene shapes the non-violent ideology of Mahatma Gandhi and the second one enacted in India, where that ideology is put into practice in pursuit of freedom.

In between the acts, the performers live a series of episodes from the life of Gandhi, building his larger-than-life image with care.

The play’s title “Sammy” is also justified in the way South Africans perceive Indians whose last names almost always ended as “Swami”. It takes Gandhi’s charisma to change the perception. He finally manages to tell South Africans what “Swami” really means – a master of self.

With its generous dose of historicity, the play could well have qualified as a documentary, especially so when Gandhi’s struggle is shown to shift to India. The act, set in India, is loaded and flows like a tide sweeping across the events that make freedom possible – the Civil Disobedience movement, the Dandi March, the Jallianwala massacre, the Simon Commission, the Quit India movement, the Nehru-Jinnah divide, the inevitable Partition, the treasured freedom and finally, the end of an era.

Play highlights tribal women’s plight
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, August 18
A concise theatrical statement, ‘Dayaan’, staged yesterday at the Tagore Theatre, brought in sharp focus the tragedy and pathos of the dark life of some of the tribal women and sought their resurgence from the patriarchal hypocrisy, social ostracism and parity in the society.

The play was a maiden venture by a model group of accomplished actors, mostly the alumnus of the Department of Indian Theatre, under the direction of P Chandershekhar, with the support of the Public Relations department of Chandigarh Administration. Based on a classic novel by Mahashweta Devi, with certain aberrations, the play commenced with a mundane start only to gather momentum after the protagonist Chandi was blessed with a son.

Sans glamour and other acoustics the play juxtaposed the sociological and theological aspects, especially the tragic stance that only ‘woman’ has to be subjugated in the society where the affluent male chauvinism decides their destiny.

Linking up the sequences, narrator Sanjay Bhatt established an instant rapport with the inquisitive audience as the play shared the tormented psyche of an honest woman, condemned to hellish living of a ‘daayan’ as a denizen of hell.

Aesthetically innovative acting spells, visually impressive sets and well measured stage movements the play brought alive the tribal life withy their fatalistic belief in illogical rituals, the superstitious approach to all ailments or controversies.

Musical renditions by Kumar Vijay and acting spells by Ruchika, Krishan, Amit Chauhan, Rajesh Goel, Kundan, Veni and chiaroscuro effects were appealing.

However, slow-paced production, abrupt ending could be avoided if play was extended to its full form. Thespian Gursharan Singh lauded the bold attempt of the artists for revolutionising the social message.

Top models to display creations of INIFD students
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 18
The stage is all set and the models are here to set the ramp on fire, the D-day for the final-year students of the International Institute of Fashion Design (INIFD) has finally arrived.

Lined up for tomorrow is “Fashion Kaleidoscope” in which a series of 16 fashion collections will be presented by the students. Super models like Anchal Kumar, Dipti Gujral and Palak Verma will sashay down the ramp wearing the ensembles.

The fashion show will be complemented with glittering performances by Mohini Singh and her troupe of dancers from Mumbai.

Replying to queries of scribes on the INIFD campus today was Anchal Kumar, Gladrags Super Model-2000. Accompanying her was Dipti Gujral, another Gladrags Super Model-2003. When asked if she would ever be seen in TV serials, Dipti said, “I am not against any medium but I don’t think I am cut out for TV serials.” Belonging to a Punjabi family based in Amritsar and born in Allahabad, this is her maiden show in Chandigarh after walking down the ramp for NIFD-Kolkata and NIFD-Delhi.

Gracing the event with the models was Mohini Singh whose music and dance performances are sure to captivate everyone present there. For Mohini Singh, it is her album scheduled to be released in November that is occupying her attention the most these days. Amongst the super models, one could spot upcoming model and actor (which she wants to be known as) Palak Verma, a Chandigarh girl. She is enjoying every bit of the glamour world. She already has to her credit Mani Ratnam’s due to be released “Miss Bachelor” opposite Sidharth of “Rang De Basanti” fame and another film titled “Hot n Sour”, opposite Randeep Hooda.

It might be another cakewalk for these models but it is the testing times for the students who have been preparing for the final show and working day and night for the past six months for it to be a success. Until the kaleidoscope spreads its colours, all one can do is just wait and watch.