Ayurvedic Clothing is used by practitioners for treatment of a variety of diseases such as diabetes, skin infections, eczema, psoriasis, hypertension and high blood pressure, asthma, arthritis, rheumatism, and even some forms of cancer. It is believed to help restore balance within the body’s systems and strengthen the immune system. It is completely free of synthetic chemicals and toxic irritants and is totally organic, sustainable, biodegradable and thus environm entally friendly.

However, like any other branch of medical science it is also scientifically guided as every step in the preparation of the clothing needs to be carefully and precisely controlled. It begins with cultivation of 100% organic cotton through use of biological methods and control (no chemical fertilizers, pesticides); that has been hand loomed (no machine processing), without use of chemical additives to prepare the cotton fibers for spinning and weaving, (and no chemical finishes). The organic cotton yarn or fabric is then dyed in a carefully controlled mixture of herbal dyes depending upon the disease or ailment being treated.

Dyes for Ayurvastra cloth typically contain between 40 and 60 specifically blended and carefully prepared medicinal herbs, plants, flowers, roots and barks. The temperatures of the dyes, the duration and number of the dye soaks, the blend of herbs, and even the equipment used are carefully controlled.

The new initiative of Ayurvastra has also received a lot of support by the Directorate of Handloom, Department of Industries and Commerce and the Department of Dravyaguna Vijnan, Government Ayurveda College. Further the Handloom Weavers' Development Society in India is exporting Ayurvastra cloth and clothing into the US, Italy, Germany, UK, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. National government ministries and state governments within India see Ayurvedic Clothing as a way to revitalize and increase the market for their handloom industries and to create a niche for their eco-friendly handloom fabrics.

The latest being bed sheets and mattresses dyed with Ayurvedic herbs to heal skin diseases, arthritis, diabetes, and rheumatism.

Though, it is at clinical stages for certain kind of products, it has another positive side effect, it can bring back work to the many unemployed weavers.

Globally, as many countries have been enforcing a ban on textiles that have been colored using chemical dyes, this had been a body blow to the handloom industry.

At the same time, textiles dyed using natural vegetable dyes, especially medicinal plants, have been commanding a huge market due to their obvious advantages.

The advantages of the dyes extracted from the medicinal plants o: origin from renewable resources, limited chemical reactions involved in their preparation, Biodegradable properties, health curing properties, and harmony with nature.

Thus, Ayurvedic Clothing is the new way to live a natural and healthy life!

Although they are orphans, abandoned by their families or victims of some heinous crimes but they haven’t given up hope. Giving them a helping hand is the Association for Social Health of India (ASHI).

ASHI, a semi-government centre, in Jalandhar has provided support to nearly 35 girls and young women from across the region.

Every girl being rehabilitated has a story to tell.

Preeti was not even 10 when she lost her parents during a MiG crash at Basti Adda in Jalandhar four years back. Though Preeti had to part from her two brothers, ASHI helped her overcome the pain and live her life with new enthusiasm. She is studying at Government Senior Secondary School, Model Town, taking lessons in self-defence and undertaking vocational courses.

Seema (name changed), after losing her mother, fell victim of physical abuse by none other than her father. “When she was brought here by the police, she was in a state of shock. She kept on saying that she did not want to live. She was counseled for quite some time. Now years after the incident, she is back to her normal self,” said a centre staff. There are girls at the centre who have lost their mother and were abandoned after their father got re-married. They were brought here when relatives refused to adopt them.

Girls are studying at Model Town Government School. And three of them have taken up graduation courses at BD Arya Girls’ College. Among these girls, few have also joined courses in nursing, cosmetology, stitching and embroidery.

And the best news is that the girls have started getting stitching orders from sports industry providing them with a handsome pocket money and lots of pride.

Parminder Beri, general secretary, ASHI, said that every girl has a bank account. “The money will help them meet their personal needs when they will step out of this place.”

In fact, many girls have been married off. The staff members visit them at their in-laws at the time of festivals to offer them gifts as parents. The girls, on the other hand, keep on visiting ASHI which they consider as their parental home. Many girls have chosen to live independently, said Beri. The centre is also running Sanjeevni, a make shift home, to shelter women who enter into a marital discord with their in-laws. These women are counseled and advised to go back home.

The SAD-BJP combine MLA from Phagwara Swarna Ram has become the cabinet Minister for Techincal Education and Industrial Training, Social Security and Development of Women and Children.

All eyes are on him to fulfill the elections promises on the construction of Satnampura railway overbridge, general bus stand or Mehtan-Mehli bypass. Besides these, sanitation, sewerage, water supply, drainage system need immediate attention.

Both the Congress and the SAD-BJP combine during their election campaigns had promised to solve these problems.

A hoarding at the flyover site shows March 2007 as the completion time, but according to sources, the construction cannot be completed by March-end as more than 25 per cent of work is still pending.

The situation regarding the construction of new bus stand and much-awaited Satnampura railway overbridge is somewhat similar. Though the construction work of overbridge resumed few months back after the instructions from the Supreme Court but going by the sources, the construction cannot be completed earlier than October this year.

The case of bus stand has grabbed headlines due to a dispute between the authorities and dozen shopkeepers. Even though the Phagwara Nagar Council had offered an alternative site to the shopkeepers, but the controversy is still going on.

When contacted Phagwara SDM Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal told The Tribune that the construction of flyover would be completed by the middle of May and the construction of bus stand could be completed within three months after resolving the dispute with the shopkeepers.

Satnampura railway over bridge could be ready by the end of October this year, he added.

Phagwara MLA Swarna Ram said that he would fulfill all poll promises well in time and initiate process to solve civic problems of the town.

It was a common conception that a woman worries about her future till her marriage. But that concept is diminishing with the progressing time. For some it is better off without a man in their life sans the bonds of marriage.

Winds of change have started blowing and on the International Women’s Day some intrepid women have taken a decision to stay single and not enter into marital relationships.

One common factor is that these women, who are in their thirties, feel they have seen and experienced enough and have made the decision with sound knowledge that they can live by themselves.

These women are mainly lecturers and teachers or are gainfully employed, single, free, happy to be on their own and feel that man is not necessary in their life.

They can perform all household chores and find men redundant. The common refrain these women have to face is that they would regret their decision later on when they would retire. The loneliness may send them into depression.

Amanjeet, a lecturer in a local college, says, “I do not really see the need of a man in my life. I feel happy with my job, my parents and myself. Playing with children of my brothers and sisters satisfies my maternal instinct. Men, I think, are extra baggage, with their air of superiority, roving eyes, drinking habits and I do not want to carry it. I will adopt kids when I want too.” 
They all are religious and they have chosen to remain single not because they did not find any one but they all unanimously say “none was appealing that we could tie the wedding knot.”

Bhavna Brar, a college teacher, says, “I am happy with my job. The best thing is that we are moving with society. We interact with other members at all social levels. I feel blessed that I can take care of my parents as a son. Thank God the society has more or less accepted us. Only at times there is pressure on our parents and us to get married but now that they know our minds are made up they have accepted our single status.”

Both Amanpreet and Bhavna are beauticians and spend their spare time in their beauty parlours. What about their biological needs? The duo answered it is a matter of channelising your energies in meaningful ways. They have their circle of friends, all economically independent, single, and without any burden of bearing tantrums of their spouses.

Asha Pahwa, a college teacher, says,

“I have a strong determination which has helped me to face society, relatives who find it unnerving for a woman to remain single.”

All preparations for the pulse polio immunisation campaign to be carried out on March 11 have been completed by the health authorities here.

According to Dr Avtar Singh Jarewal, Kapurthala ,civil surgeon, nearly 14,000 children in the age group 0-5 years in the subdivision will be covered during the drive, Giving more details, Dr Adarsh Sood, senior medical officer, Phagwara, said 52 polio booths would be set up in the city limits. Some 208 volunteers, drawn from various government offices, medical, dental and nursing colleges, as well as NGOs would be trained and deployed on the polio booths.

In addition, the departmewnt had established 2 transit camps on the local bus stand and the railway station to cover the travelling children while one mobile van will also be pressed into service. 

Remember the infamous robbery of Rs 1 crore that took place at the Jalandhar residence of liquor baron Ponty Chadda wherein his household servant decamped with the money after giving tea laced with intoxicants to the security guards.

But unlike this case, number of such cases wherein the servants decamp with the cash or other stuff from houses of their masters, who had trusted them, go unreported.

Every time such an incident takes place, the police lay stress on the importance of enquiring the background of the servants before keeping them.

According to the data provided by the district police, as compared to mere 12 thefts cases registered against the servants in 2005, the same increased to 30 in 2006.

Apart from the registered many cases go unreported.
Servants have become a regular feature in every household be it the middle class or the high class.

Though with the various awareness drives launched by the district police with the help of the area presidents and the village sarpanches, people have started registering their servants but still a large strata remains untouched by the same and thereby becoming more prone to thefts.

One major reason for this dilly dallying attitude of the public is the belief that the process of the registration of the servants is lengthy and cumbersome.

Other reason being the frequent changing of the servants.

Gayatri Sachdeva, a resident of the Mota Singh Nagar locality of the city, says, “In case some servant doesn’t suit us we change him/her. One cannot expect to register the new servant every time they are kept.”

In a significant judgement, District Conusmer Disputes Redressal Forum, Kapurthala has directed The Kapurthala Central Co-operative Bank Limited to pay damages to a consumer for a lost cheque by the bank.

The president of the forum AK Sharma and its members Sushma Handoo and Sudha Sharma directed the bank to pay the consumer Rs 1,000 for deficiency in service and harassment caused to the complainant and further award Rs. 300 as costs of the complaint.

In a six-page judgement, the forum has directed the Bank to pay the damages and costs within a month of the receipt of the copy of the order.

In his complaint the consumer Pardeep Kumar, a resident of mohalla Kasaba in Kapurthala alleged that he had presented a cheque of Rs 6,000 with the Sarafa Bazar Kapurthala branch of the bank on February 18, 2006 for crediting the amount in his account.

The cheque was drawn on The Kangra Central Co-operative Bank Limited Mehtapur in Himachal Pradesh. The officials of the Kapurthala Co-operative Bank had assured the consumer at the time of depositing the cheque that the cheque amount would be credited in his account within the maximum period of 15 days.

However, till the filing of the complaint on July 20, 2006, the consumer was not aware about the fate of the cheque despite the fact that he had served upon the bank a legal notice dated June 12, 2006 sent through post. The counsel of the Kapurthala bank argued that the cheque in question was deposited with them for clearance from The Kangra Central Co-operative Bank and the Kapurthala bank had sent the cheque for clearance through postal department.

The counsel said that the postal department lost the cheque and the liability of misplacing the cheque was of the postal department. 

To commemorate the 55th anniversary of the Employees’ State Insurance Scheme (ESIC), a fortnight- long programme is being organised .The programme would include health checkup camps, adalats for redressal of grievances, meetings and seminars with employers and employee representatives. Surjan Lal, a branch manager of the ESIC, Focal Point, said that the programme would continue till March 10. He pointed out that the scheme which was started for 1.2 lakhs employees at two centres was now covering 91.48 lakh insured workers in 728 centres.