Amritsar, October 5
With the appointment of new principal in city’s government medical college, some fresh orders and decisions have come to the fore. As per new orders, medical officers have been barred from taking classes of undergraduate and postgraduate students. The college authorities have also decided that professors would be taking more classes and no teacher below the rank of assistant professor would take classes.

Principal Dr Jagdish Gargi, who recently convened a meeting of the members of the medical and administrative officers of the college, said these initiatives would help raise education standard and functioning of the college.

The meeting also took note of the differences among the senior and junior doctors. There are several complaints against the seniors that they do not allow the treatment prescribed by the juniors. So in a piece of advice, senior doctors were told to encourage the juniors.

Taking precautionary measures to prevent ragging in the college campus and hostels, the authorities decided that senior teachers of various classes would take rounds of the different hostels in odd hours for checking the students who were indulging in ragging, drugs or any other illegal activities. The doctors at the psychiatry department would treat the students found to be taking drugs and help in coming out of the drug menace by giving proper treatment.

The facilities provided by the hospital in its emergency wards need to be updated in order to cope up with mass disasters. The doctors of every unit of the medical and surgery wing of the hospital would attend to the patients of natural disaster, the authorities added.

Amritsar, October 5
Certain members of the prestigious Service Club are up in arms against the decision of the club management to convert it into a “civilian club” by adding more than 400 new members.

This, allege the protesting members, has been done without getting the proposal passed from the general house of the club. The new membership drive is also in violation of the official-civilian ratio prescribed in the bylaws of the club.

Besides, it is being alleged that up to Rs 35,000 were charged from each of the new members, even though other clubs enjoying the same popularity were making new members shell out as much as Rs 1.5 lakh. “This will lead to a big loss to the club, especially at a time when the club will have to look for an alternate site outside Ram Bagh,” said a disgruntled member on condition of anonymity.

In a complaint to the deputy commissioner, it was pointed out that the Service Club was set up by the British in 1918 for the officers of the empire. The other two clubs located in Ram Bagh, Amritsar Club and Lumsden Club, were for civilians. However, a fixed percentage of civilians, in the ratio 2/3:1/3 (67 officers:33 civilians) was allowed in the Service Club.

“The Service Club is the only officers’ club in Amritsar. But now an attempt is being made to make amendments in the bylaws of 1982,” says the complaint. Another issue is the delay in holding of elections of the club, which were due to be held in October, 2006. The tenure of the management was of one year, which has elapsed last year, said a member.

“They are illegally holding the club with the help of some undesirable elements of society and not conducting the elections,” read the complaint, which was marked by the deputy commissioner to the SDM-I. When contacted, club president Dr A.L. Adlakha said the elections would be held shortly and the delay was because of the orders to shift the club outside Ram Bagh.

An executive member, S.S.Chinna, said the memberships had been given as per rules and the issue was being blown out of proportion for vested interests. “The allegations are baseless. It is the discretion of the executive to decide the amount of membership fee,” he said.

The Service Club earlier witnessed bitterly fought elections for the management has again sprung to life with the new governing council taking over the reins after a gap of more than 10 years.

It was on May 25 this year that the then sub-divisional magistrate-cum-collector, Vimal Setia, had ordered eviction of all three clubs from the historic Ram Bagh, the summer palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, by June 20, which were opened by British after the annexation of Punjab . The lease of Amritsar Club, Service Club and Lumbsdon Club had expired about 15 years ago.

The order reads, “I am of the considered view that the clubs are in unauthorised occupation of the public premises.” The eviction orders clearly mentioned that having failed to vacate the clubs by June, 2007, the municipal corporation would be at liberty to get the area vacated under section 5(2) of the Land Eviction and Land Recovery Act, 1973.

In a unanimous resolution, the local municipal corporation vide resolution of July 1, 1994, had decided that excess land in possession of the clubs may be got vacated immediately. It had also identified encroachments by the clubs.

Adlakha said Ram Bagh used to be in a very bad shape and known as “Jungle gardens” during the British era. As per the municipal corporation map of 1849, the garden was square in shape and much smaller than its present size. The area of the garden was extended by the British government so that the garden could be maintained properly.

Amritsar, October 5
Union government’s department of biotechnology has sanctioned a major research project of Rs 1.08 crore to the department of microbiology, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU).

Dr BS Chadha of microbiology has been appointed principal investigator of the project, ‘Screening for bio-molecules from microbial diversity collected from different ecological niches’, for a period of three years.

Giving project details, Dr Chadha, while talking to the mediapersons, said micro-organism responsible for producing bio-molecules with anti-cancerous, anti- inflammatory, anti-infective and anti-diabetic properties would be isolated from the wetlands, industrial effluents and insects in the North West regions of India.

He said nine more national level institutes have been identified under the program to study the widespread microbial diversity of India. Chadha further said the bio-molecules of pharmaceutical interest would be identified by Nicholas Piramal (Mumbai), one of the leading pharmaceutical industries in India.

The project is a result of consistent efforts of department of biotechnology which facilitated interactions between academia and industry. The project provides a common platform where the laboratory expertise, developed through various national-level programs in microbial diversity, would be extended to microbial prospecting, he added.

Amritsar, October 5
Trucks, it seems, are more than mere means of transport in Pakistan. Decorated with coloured calligraphy these trucks appear to be real pieces of art.

The moment the first lot comprising of three trucks crossed over into the Indian territory at the Attari check post on October 3, the mammoth vehicles cast an instant spell on those present at the reception party.

Salah-ud-din, a driver of one of the trucks, preferred to be modest about the decorations on his truck. “This is nothing. Trucks in Pakistan can be real head turners. One common feature is the name of the truck agency written across both sides in Urdu. It is a pleasure to drive these beauties,” he said.

The front of the Pakistani trucks has a protuberance on the top, mostly made of wood with leaves and flowers engraved on it. The shape of the actual body of the trucks is also different from that of their Indian counterparts. “My hometown is on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and it took me four days to drive down to Wagah. On the way, I saw all kinds of well-decorated trucks. Some of them carried pictures of our valiant army commanders. The day I have more money, I too would like to do up my truck,” he added.

“Trucks in Pakistan also have detailed lighting on them which gives them a completely different look in the night. From a distance, the trucks appear like a celebration party. The whole culture of decorating trucks is aimed at giving a fell good feeling,” he said. 

Amritsar, October 5
A three-day zonal youth festival for men (A-Zone) of the Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) opened with great enthusiasm with the competition in Bhangra at the Dasmesh auditorium of the university here today.

Popular Punjabi comedian and third position holder in the television show ‘Laughter Challenge’, Sudesh Lehri, inaugurated the festival by lighting candles. More than 1000 students from different affiliated colleges of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran, are taking part in various items of music, dance, fine arts and theatre.

Lehri, while addressing young artistes said the stage is the only platform for artistes to rehearse and get appreciated from the audiences. Motivating the students, he said such youth festivals not only provide a chance to highlight and promote their talent but also play a prominent role in the development of their personality. Therefore, he advised the students to participate wholeheartedly in cultural activities, to achieve their desired goals. He was also honored by Prof. Sarup Singh, dean students’ welfare.Earlier, Baljit Singh Sekhon, director youth welfare, while welcoming Lehri, college principals and participating teams said the university had been winning the national championship trophy in cultural activities for the past seven years. 

The achievement was the result of hard work put in by students and the patronage of college principals. Sekhon said the varsity has also decide to invite celebrities who have made a mark in the field of art and culture in the youth festivals. Students will be encouraged and motivated from their lives and achievements of such personalities, he added. 

Competitions in bhangra, shabad/bhajan, group shabad/bhajan, vaar singing, group song, western song and western group song, rangoli, flower arrangement (fresh), flower arrangement (dry), phulkari, painting (landscape), painting (still life), sketching, cartooning, poster making, collage, clay modelling and installation were conducted today.

Amritsar, October 5
Amritsar was the centre stage for the centenary birth anniversary celebrations of Bhagat Singh last week. 

The fortnight-long cultural extravaganza in Amritsar, planned by the state government, kickstarted with a kavi darbar. Since the event did not prove to be a big draw, it gave rise to doubts whether the tall claims of memorable celebrations will pass the litmus test or not.

It was followed by seminars organised on the topics, “Life and ideology of Bhagat Singh” as well as the “Relevance of Bhagat Singh’s ideology in present time.” Here in, Bhagat Singh’s saga of sacrifice was well presented. On a united platform Indo-Pak delegates shared their views on the ideology of the great martyrs.
This congregation of academicians jolted the city dwellers out of their slumbers. So, an active participation from various institutions and NGOs ensued. Day by day, the patriotic fervour gained momentum.

The patriotic run by the youth clad in attire similar to Bhagat Singh’s dress added the basanti hue to the atmosphere. Exhibition of paintings on the life of martyrs was also put up. It had ample material for the onlookers to ponder.

A motorcycle rally from Jallianwala Bagh to Shaheedi Samarak at Hussainiwala was organised and a play on Bhagat Singh was staged in the city. During the week-long celebrations ending September 28, drawing, painting, declamation and other contests were held.

The highlight of the programme was the programme at Jallianwala Bagh on September 27 as thousands of youth from Punjab and Haryana, holding torches in their hands pledged to work for the realisation of the great martyr’s dream.

Various organisations and the government worked toward preserving, promoting and channelising the spirit and enthusiasm of youth in this direction.

However, the lathi-charge and stone-throwing between the agitating farmers and police marred the celebrations on the main function on September 28 in Ranjit Avenue.

A star-studded tribute was paid to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev at Khalsa College. Excerpts from the life of Bhagat Singh were shown. A lively musical evening by Jaspinder Narula, Master Salim and Hans Raj Hans mesmerised a large crowd.
For the first time, four channels - Zee Punjabi, PTC, ETC Music and Doordarshan together beamed the show live. Fireworks and attractive illumination of the majestic building of Khalsa College was a treat for the eyes.

However, barring a few government buildings, public in general restrained from illuminating their houses. 

On the final day of the celebrations, they washed away this blot. A large number of people gathered from far and wide at the venue of the function. The political stage did not present a mud-slinging contest between different parties or the verbal onslaughts.

Baring a few, the leaders, in general, did not use this day for their own publicity. Freedom fighters from all over Punjab gathered there. Members of the family of Bhagat Singh were also present. The release of Bhagat Singh’s “Jail Dairy,” a book which contains the handwritten notes of Shaheed Bhagat Singh during his jail days, was a commendable effort by the Punjab government to preserve and promote Bhagat Singh’s message.

Amritsar, October 5
The four-day CBSE north zone-II judo championship 2007-08 began at Spring Dale Senior School here today.

The championship was inaugurated by Kamaljeet Singh, Director Sports of Guru Nanak Dev University.

Om Dutta was the CBSE observer. Dev Singh Dhaliwal was appointed tournament director along with a team of 20 qualified officials who have been appointed for judgement and technical conduct of the championship.

A total of 20 schools from different parts of Punjab and Haryana, including Charkhi Dadri, Sirsa, Hisar, Bathinda, Amritsar, Mandi Gobindgarh, Faridabad, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala and Gurgaon, participated in the championship with approximately 
250 participants.

Judo is a fun sport, an art, a discipline, a recreational or social activity, a fitness programme, a means of self-defence or combat and a way of life. Founded by Jigoro Kano in 1882, judo is a refinement of ancient martial art of Jugutsu.

Amritsar, October 5
The Amritsar unit of the National Cadet Core brought laurels to the city by securing over all first position in the combined annual training camp (CATC) and inter group competition organised at Dhuri near Sangrur recently.

To welcome the unit, a function was organised near group headquarters at Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar on Friday, where Colonel G.P.S. Sawhney, Group Commander all Officer, ANO’s, PIs and GCIs were present. This was unit’s fifth achievement in the current year.

Giving details, Col Sawhney said the 12-day camp was organised from September 24 to October 5 to select cadets for the Republic Day Parade - 2008. The cadets from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh directorate participated in the camp, he added.

Col Sawhney said among eight groups of three states and one union territory, cadets of Amritsar unit secured over all first position by winning 70 gold and silver medals, besides eight trophies. The events included drill competition boys (SD), drill competition girls (SW), drill competition boys and girls (JD and JW), best cadet competition, NIA presentation, cultural competitions and line and flag area competition.

Lauding the role of local unit, Col Sawhney said dedication and discipline among cadets and staff members was the reason behind the success of Amritsar unit.

Amritsar, October 5
The local Amandeep Hospital organised a seminar on the latest treatment of fracture management under the leadership of Dr Avtar Singh, chief orthopaedic surgeon. A delegation of seven senior orthopaedic surgeons from different hospitals of Germany attended the seminar. The delegation was headed by Dr Josten (Germany).

During the seminar, Dr Avtar Singh gave a lecture on the latest treatment of fractures, especially the fracture of long bones, spine and hip bones. In his lecture, he presented the record of his surgeries performed during the past 10 years.

The latest treatment of fracture of leg and thigh bones is done with the help of interlocking nails called sirus nail which had been developed in Germany and this technique is being used in Amandeep Hospital for the past 10 years.

In this technique a rod or nail is inserted into the broken bone without any incision over the fracture site, a small cut requiring about 3 stitches is required to treat these major fractures of long bones. Dr Avtar Singh said he had 4,000 such operations to his credit over the past 10 years. After this operation, the patient can walk within two days and there is no blood loss. Dr Josten said it was surprising to see such a large number of operations done for difficult fracture at private hospitals in Amritsar.

Amritsar, October 5
“Great leaders seek to build nations by invoking common history, shared beliefs and same destiny in future dispensations for the fellow countrymen,” said Kuldip Singh of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, on his return from Ashgabad after attending an international conference on “Sacred ruhnama”.

While presenting his paper on “Sacred ruhnama: a project in nation-building”, Kuldip Singh argued that Turkmenistan, having emerged from the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, under the leadership of president Sapramurat, was trying to build a national identity through “ruhnama” which depicted moral values of Turks through history and called for their continuation for building modern Turkmenistan.

“Sacred Ruhnama: Philosophy of New Millennium”, the book by founder president of Turkmenistan, was revered as much as the Koran by the people of Turkmenistan.

Kuldip Singh delineated that the project of nation building initiated by Turkmenistan through the sacred book has many lessons for Third World countries engaged in the formidable task of building nations while being faced with the challenges emanating from diversity. Unity through diversity remains a cardinal concern even for countries like India.