NEIGHBOURHOOD

Many a skid on sorghum juice
Villagers stage dharna in front of distillery
Tribune News Service

Banur, January 23
Several persons sustained injuries as a large quantity of sorghum juice meant for producing alcohol at Banur distillery spilled over a large area on the road this morning. Some school children had a miraculous escape as the bus in which they were travelling skid when the wheels rolled on to the sorghum juice spilled on the road.

The commuters from a number of villages coming towards Banur had a tough time crossing the road.

They alleged that no efforts were made either by the local administration or the authorities of the distillery to clear the road. A number of villagers from adjoining areas gathered on the road and raised slogans against the authorities of the distillery. Later, they formed a procession and went up to the main gate of the distillery where they staged a dharna against the management.

The villagers stated that a large number of people had sustained injuries as their vehicles skid on the road because of the spilled juice. Though, no one was seriously injured. It is to be mentioned that the villagers of the areas had been protesting against the distillery stating that it was posing an environmental hazard to the area. The villagers had even stated that the distillery discharged huge qualities of toxic waste into the adjoining rivulet, the water of which was used for irrigation purposes by a number of cultivators.

Besides, the distillery also emits foul smell that makes life difficult for the locals, the residents said. The villagers demanded that the distillery should be shifted from its present location as it was creating a lot of problems.

ITBP jawans rehearse for the Republic Day function; and (right) girls rehearse for the function in Patiala on Wednesday. Tribune photographs

Banur, January 23
Defending the government’s decision to elect village sarpanches indirectly through the panches, Punjab minister for co-operation Capt Kanwaljit Singh said on Monday that the move aimed at bringing down the costs incurred on direct election of sarpanches.

Speaking to mediapersons after holding a Jan Suvidha camp in the constituency, Capt Singh said the decision would soon be put into practice.

He said elections for municipal bodies across the state were likely to be held in the month of March or early April.

He added that the SAD-BJP alliance would jointly field its candidates for the same and issue of party symbol would be decided jointly.

Capt Singh said the process of formation of wards in Banur township would be complete within this month. Besides, work for setting up of a modern stadium and Shaheed Udham Singh Computer Institute would also be initiated soon.

The Minister also agreed to the demand of setting up a Press Club and directed the EO of municipal council to allocate land for the project.

He added that adequate funds would be made available for the club. Capt Kanwaljit added that more doctors would be deputed in the local civil hospital and their round the clock presence would be ensured. He said the post of veterinary doctor lying vacant would be filled soon.

On the occasion he also disbursed cheques for developmental works in the constituency, including Rs three lakh for Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society of Chandimajra village and Rs 40 thousand for Kaloli Jattan village. 

Samrala, January 23
After a three-hour dharna and road blockade by local residents on the Chandigarh-Ludhiana highway today, the police was forced to register a case of murder against inmates of a dera. Earlier, the suspects were booked for causing death of a Dalit youth due to negligence.

The protesters, including activists of unions of several civic bodies and trade unions, staged a dharna, demanding that a murder case be registered against the dera chief.

The accused allegedly beat up Kulwant Singh of Kullewal to death after dragging him into the dera. All accused have been arrested.

Raising slogans against the police, the activists alleged that the police, in an effort to shield the accused, had registered the case under Section 304 of the IPC and not 302.

"The police is bent upon shielding the killers," alleged union leaders.The blockade was lifted on the intervention of DSP Daljit Singh Rana, who announced that the case had now been registered under Section 302 of the IPC.

Sinder Kaur of Kullewal reported to the police that her husband had died after being beaten up by Amardass, chief of the Udasi dera on the outskirts of the town.As no visible injury mark was found on the body of the deceased and Sinder Kaur was unable to explain the motive behind the assault, the police registered the case under Section 304.

"Now that Sinder Kaur says that Amardass had enmity with her husband, we have included the murder Section in the case," said DSP Rana, claiming that all three suspects had since been arrested.

Chandigarh, January 23
The stage is set for another battle on the greens when 96 golfers converge on the greens of the Chandigarh Golf Club for seven titles at stake in the Tata Safari Chandigarh Golf Championship to be held on the par-72 course of the Chandigarh Golf Club here on January 24 and 25.

Fifty golfers will be competing in the open category (0 to 9 handicap) of the men's section. With a number of ladies having turned pro, the competition in the Ladies Open Category (0 to 24 handicap) will see 11 ladies battling it out for the championship trophy.

Giving this information, the general secretary of the Chandigarh Golf Association, J.S. Cheema, said 17 golfers in the A and B categories in the age-groups of 15 to 17 and 13 to 14 will also be eligible for the championship trophy in the men's section.

Ten children in the 11 to 12 and under-10 age group will also play 18 holes on the first day along with five girls in the under-15 age group.

The overall championship will be played over 36 holes. There will be first, second and third prizes in each category.

The championship will be teed off by Sukhjit Singh Lehal, Course Captain of the Chandigarh Golf Golf Club, at 8 am tomorrow. The prize distribution will be held at the CGA Golf Range on January 27 at 7 pm. 

Chandigarh, January 23
Impressed by Bollywood machos Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan, he took to gymming as a teenager. But immediately after that, the hobby converted into a passion and now he has started making waves in body building.

Meet 24-year-old Rakesh Kumar Sharma, who recently brought laurels to the city, winning bronze in the Mr North India (Junior and Senior) 2008 in 80-85 kg category held at Bikaner on January 6.

Talking to The Tribune, Rakesh said he was in twelfth standard when he started going to a gym to build biceps and triceps like his favourite actors Sanjay and Salman.

“Soon I realised that I could go long in the field so I started taking my exercise seriously under the supervision of my coach Sunil Walia. The efforts bore fruits as I won overall championship in my maiden body building competition Mr Inter-Club Chandigarh in 2003. After that there was no looking back”, said Rakesh, who won Mr Chandigarh (junior) title in above 75 kg category in 2004.

In 2005, he again clinched Mr Chandigarh-2005 (80-85 kg) and Mr Panjab University. But the biggest moment came when he got selected among top 10 in Mr India competition held at Tamil Nadu the same year. For Rakesh, who also have bagged Mr Mohali and Mr Panjab University last year, becoming Mr India is his immediate target.

“To get my aim, I am trying hard to increase my weight category because in the upper weight category (95-100 kg), I will stand a good chance. For this purpose, proper diet and hard exercise is the only way”, said Rakesh.

“Body building is a good way to fight drug addiction as well as other vices among the youth”, said the body builder.

Chandigarh, January 23
Along with five city-based tennis players, Pankaj Kumar got direct entry into the main draw 32 boys’ singles (under-14) in the AITA championship series, starting from January 28 at the Lake Sports Complex, here.

The 82nd ranked Pankaj is also the highest ranked player with 61 AITA points. Digvijay Singh Naruka of Chandigarh (73rd ranked, 63 pts), Kamal Kishore Maderana of Rajasthan (68th ranked, 71.5 AITA points) and Nischay Rawal of Chandigarh (85th, 50.25 pts) are the other top four players in the boys’ under-14 singles.

In the main draw of 32 in the boys’ under-16 singles, Chandigarh’s Garry Singh Amor (86th, 59 pts) and Raghav Singhal (87th, 56.5 pts) along with Navneet Kumar of Uttar Pradesh (34th, 172 pts) and Gurinder Singh of Punjab (79th, 68 pts) will be the top four contenders.

In the girls’ under-14 singles category, four local girls along with other 16 players got direct entry in the main draw. Arzoo Malik of Delhi (24th, 293.5 pts), Parminder Kaur of Chandigarh (31st, 247.75 pts), Sabatini Ankaraju of Andhra Pradesh (55th, 116pts) and Eetee Mehta of Gujarat (56th, 108.5 pts) are the top four players in the section.

While in the girls’ Under-16 singles, Pooja A. Narayana of Delhi (49th with 144.75 AITA points) is the highest ranked player. Apart from her, the other top class players in the category are Baljinder Kaur of UP (54th, 115.5 pts), Shilpa Naruka of Chandigarh (68th, 94pts) and Ikttesh Chahal of Chandigarh (69th, 93.75 pts).

A total of 176 entries have been received and the qualifying matches will be played on January 25 and 26. Eight players in each category will move into the main draw from qualifying draw. The organising committee will also give four wild cards in each category of the main draw, according to Chandigarh Sports director I.S. Sandhu.

Qualifying sign-in will be on January 25 from 12 to 2 pm. Main draw sign-in will be on January 27 from 12:00 noon to 2 pm.

Chandigarh, January 23
The Grewal Sports Association will hold the 73rd Kila Raipur Sports Games and Bhagwant Memorial Gold Cup Hockey Tournament for seniors and juniors (men and women) from February 7 to 10 at Grewal Sports Stadium here.

During the games, bullock cart races, horse show, tent pegging, paragliding, dog race, track and field events will be held. The organisers have announced Rs 5,000, Rs 3,000 and Rs 2,000 for athletes securing the first three positions.

The association will honour prominent sports personalities, including hockey Olympians Balbir Singh (Railways) and Chand Singh (hockey), Bahadur Singh (shot put), Mohinder Singh Dhillon, national coach athletics), Gurdev Singh Shahpuria (kabaddi), Jhanda Singh along with Kuldeep Manak (folk singer) and S. Jagdev Singh Jassowal. 

Chandigarh, January 23
More than 3,000 delegates, including renowned dermatologists from abroad, are expected to attend a three-day DERMACON-2008, the 36th national conference of the Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venerologists and Leprologists (IADVL) here tomorrow. The conference is being organised by the department of dermatology, venerology and leprosy of the PGI.

The IADVL, with a membership touching nearly 5,000, is one of the largest dermatology associations in the world.

Professor and head of dermatolgy, PGI, A.J. Kanwar, said dermatological problems constituted at least 30 per cent of all outpatient visits to a paediatrician and 30 per cent reaching hospitals comprised children.

The prevalence of skin diseases among children in various parts of India ranged from 8.7 per cent to 35 per cent in school-based surveys, he said.

The conference would help in promoting high standards in clinical practice, education and research through professional fellowship, cooperation and exchange of views among members and upholding their interests, he said, adding that it would also help in creating a public opinion and consciousness regarding this.

There will be 45 speakers from abroad.

Mohali, January 23
Tara Singh, a 50-year-old resident of Fatehgarh Sahib, was found dead in a house in phase V here this morning. According to the police the victim had come to visit someone in Phase VII yesterday and stayed back. The victim was a property dealer.

The owner of the house Jagdish Kaur told the police that the victim was his uncle and had come to visit her. However, when she opened the door of his room this morning he was lying dead on the bed. She called the police. The police has started inquest proceedings under section 174, IPC. The body has been sent for post mortem.

Chandigarh, January 23
A police constable had a close brush with death when a chase to nab a car without a number plate yesterday left him injured.

Joginder Singh, posted at the Mani Majra police station, was on naka duty at around 5.40 am when a Maruti Zen car without a number plate zipped past paying no heed to the signal to stop.

The constable chased the car for some distance before the driver suddenly reversed the car, and tried to hit him. The constable, however, managed to save himself.

Chandigarh, January 23
Banking operations in the tricity will be hit over the next week, thanks to a “strategically planned” strike by the United Forum of Bank Unions on January 25. Transactions worth Rs 500 crore are estimated to be affected during the strike.

The strike has been planned for January 25, a day before the Republic Day which is a scheduled holiday. Banks will also remain close on January 27 as it is a Sunday.

Anyone depositing a cheque for clearance tomorrow, would see the cheque credited on January 30. The strike could also affect cash withdrawals from ATMs as these will be loaded tomorrow and then on Sunday.

The strike has been called by various unions of banks in protest against the government’s move on the merger of banks and outsourcing of banking activities.

The employees are also demanding that the option of pension should be granted to them and recruitment on compassionate grounds be resumed.

The All-India State Bank of India Staff Federation and All-India State Bank Officers Federation have given a joint strike notice to the management of the SBI, conveying their decision to observe a token strike on January 25, Amar Pal and O.N. Bindroo, general secretaries of the associations, said.

Chandigarh, January 23
“India’s classical arts, especially dances, have developed many internal tensions and external stresses due to conflicts between the old and the new purity or fusion,” opined the legendary Bharatnatyam guru N.S. Jayalaksmi, a pupil, teacher and a guru from Kalakshetra, a pioneering multi-dimensional institute of Bharatnatyam and classical arts. She was in the city on the invitation of Pracheen Kala Kendra along with her grand disciple Calroline Gebert Khan who runs an Institute of Indian Classical Dances in Stuttgart since 22 years.

N.S. Jayalakshmi maintained that the most honourable award was my tutelage under the legendary Guru Rukmini Devi.

Presently, chairperson of various boards of seven universities, she had taught and performed extensively in India and abroad.

Talking to The Tribune, Jayalakshmi, who had

spent fifty years at Kalakshetra, feels that a substantial change had taken place in all spheres of life and eventually on the cultural context also. The revival and regeneration of old cultural traditions without compromising on the modern influence is not possible but the pristine values can be felt, imbibed and relished.

She said the advent of TV and electronic media had the contradictory attributes as it had propagated our classical arts the world over as well as damaged the sacred spirit of our cultural arts.

Relying on the technical aids, lot many dance aspirants opt to learn copying recorded CD's, she added. They can evaluate the aesthetic feel which is beyond their conceptual grasp but the process is harming the Guru -Shishya parampara and the patience, discipline and dedication, which is almost obsolete.

For imparting dance training to foreign disciples, it is not the language but the knowledge of our mythological cultural background as all the themes of our compositions are enmeshed with lives of our deities, she opined.

Caroline Gebert Khan, the German-Indian dancer grew up in Stuttgart, studied traditional Indian

Dance and Indian Philosophy in India and Sri Lanka.

She runs an institute ‘The Dance School Lotos’ for

Indian classical dances and now affiliated with Pracheen Kala Kendra for cultural exchange programmes in Bharatnatyam, Mohiniattam and Yoga in Germany. “I am also an examiner for Oriental Examination Board, London,” she says with pride.