Ludhiana, March 3
High tension remained in Habib Gunj all the day today with two different communities clashing twice and pelting stones at each other allegedly to settle an old enmity as well as to take revenge of last night clash between certain members of the groups.

Heavy police force, rushed from all police stations and the Lines, remained deployed there throughout the day with cops armed with batons, sticks, tear gas cannons, besides the anti-riot vans, to supress the violence.

The police termed the situation highly tense and sensitive but under control by the evening. The cops were trying to effect a compromise between both parties.

About 50 cops on 25 PCR motorcycles kept on patrolling the narrow lanes of the thickly populated area.

The market remained closed. Broken windowpanes, bottles and stones were seen all strewn around. A large number of plastic water tanks, placed on roof tops, were also seen broken due to stone pelting.

Eight persons, including a head constable Balkar Singh, was injured during stone-pelting incident last nightand this morning clash. Balkar required 12 stitches. Besides him, two others, Banarasi Dass and Ashok Kumar, requried hospitalisation, while remaining injured required first-aid only.

Sources reveal the trouble had its roots in the allegedly illegal liquor and lottery trade run by two different groups in the area. The group members had a clash with each other at about midnight last night.

The clash took a violent turn when some stones they were pelting at each other fell in a temple of Rishi Valmiki.

This infuriated Valmiki community members who beat up the other group members. These two groups came armed with sticks and stones on the issue.

The police said the situation was quite volatile largely owing to rumours floating around about regrouping of the opposite group. He said the police was able to control the frayed tempers and efforts were on to bring both parties for settlement across the table.

Ludhiana, March 3
Customer verification drive by mobile phone companies is turning out to be a customer harassment exercise for hundreds of residents.

Complaints of phone subscribers facing problems like disconnection without any intimation are on the rise as cellular service providers insist on completing documentation to verify credentials of their customers.

Subscribers are also complaining of undue harassment as in several cases they are being asked to submit their verification details time and again. While officials of these companies attribute the problems to "inefficiency of dealers", it is the customers who are at the receiving end.

"Thrice I was asked to submit documents like address proof, which I did. Much to my horror, I found one morning that my outgoing calls were barred. Soon after, the incoming call service too was withdrawn. When I contacted the company I was told that the connection was withdrawn as documentary proofs were not submitted which is totally false. I am left to suffer as I held that phone number of over 5 years now and my business is suffering," complained Amit Behl, unit manager with a leading private sector bank.

Behl, who submitted his documents to the dealer, has been running from pillar to post to get the connection. He rued that he even had unused balance in his pre-paid connection that was disconnected by the company.

Customers are also facing harassment as even the existing ones are being asked to submit their documents more than once. "I submitted my documents but after a few days got a call from the dealer who wanted me to submit my details again. I am their customer for more than six years now and I wonder why should we be harassed in this manner," questioned Ravinder Singh, another mobile phone subscriber.

Customer harassment is on the rise these days as mobile phone companies are in a rush to adhere to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) guideline pertaining to the same. "We have been asked to do the task within 72 hours. Some errors are bound to take place but it is mostly due to negligence of dealers, who fail to submit us the documents in time that customers face such problems," an official of a company said.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, March 3
At least, three persons were killed and two injured in separate vehicular accidents that occurred in the area during past 24 hours.

Amrinder Singh of Fatehpur village was crushed to death by a milk tanker at Jalajan village on Malerkotla-Khanna road last night. The deceased was standing near his motorcycle at the village bus stop when the tanker, coming from the Malerkotla side, hit him. The Khanna sadar police has registered a case against unknown driver.

Jagtar Singh, commission agent of Bhoodan village, and his cousin Balwinder Singh of Madevi village were hit by a car when they were going from Malerkotla to Ludhiana. Balwinder was injured seriously while Jagtar Singh died on the spot.

Sukirdeen of Gopla village of West Bengal, a brick kiln worker, succumbed to his injuries caused after being hurt by a speeding car near Latte Dane village in Ludhiana district yesterday.

Balwant Singh, a milkman of Dalla village, was injured seriously when his scooter was hit by some vehicle near Canal Bridge yesterday. He was shifted to a private hospital at Ludhiana in unconscious condition.

Ludhiana, March 3
Expressing strong resentment at the mob attack on Shri Krishna Charitable Hospital by relatives of a patient in which a doctor and supporting staff were manhandled and hospital property was damaged, the local branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has given a call to all medical professionals and institutions to observe a half day bandh on March 4.

Led by activists of the IMA, several prominent doctors of the city today held a protest demonstration in the Model Town locality against mob taking law in their own hands after the death of a patient, who had reportedly suffered a a heart attack while under treatment.

IMA functionaries, speaking at the protest rally, further condemned the registration of a criminal case against the doctor, who in fact was the victim of mob attack in this case. They said in the wake of frequent attacks on hospitals and nursing homes, the doctors were finding it difficult to carry out their professional duty. "The doctors are working under constant threat and it is not possible to continue clinical work in complicated cases where outcome of treatment is always uncertain," they remarked.

IMA leaders alleged that in this particular case, the police was acting under political pressure and the doctor had been booked without a proper inquiry having been conducted by medical experts about the cause of death and the allegation of wrong medication having been established.

The association will take up the matter at different levels to make the government come out with an effective mechanism to curb the tendency of violence against medical professionals and a delegation will soon meet the Chief Minister, the health minister and the top officials of law and order enforcement machinery, the speakers at the rally said.

Among others, Dr Subhash Batta, senior vice-president, Dr Narotam Dewan, Dr Manoj Sobti, vice-presidents, Dr Rajeev Gupta, secretary, Dr D.P. Singh, joint secretary and Dr Karamvir Goyal were present at the occasion.

Ludhiana, March 3
Obscene posters of films can be seen in every nook and cranny of the city that hurt the sensibilities of residents. All this is happening as the district administration refuses to even acknowledge the problem and issue warning to the cinema owners.

The owners are having a field day to entice their clients, especially the migrants, who can be seen ogling at the posters on the roadside. The cinema owners are not even sparing the educational institutions.

Residents claim that they feel embarrassed whenever they move on the roads, especially with their families.

A former deputy commissioner, Anurag Verma, had done a lot to get the posters banned in the city. But soon after he was transferred elsewhere, the cinema owners were back at it.

“You go to any area of the city, these posters are there. Is there nobody to put a check on this?’’ asked Gurteg Singh, a resident.

He called on the NGOs to wake up to the menace and stage a protest against the cinema owners. Earlier, activists of the Shiv Sena had threatened to launch an agitation. They had submitted a memorandum to the administration also.

Another resident Kulbhushan Sharma said some of the cinema owners were pasting indecent and obscene posters, ignoring their social responsibility and this was spoiling the atmosphere in the city. Even the enforcement agencies were not doing anything.

Sharma said the cinema owners could be sentenced up to six-month imprisonment under the Defacement of Public Property Act. Action can also be taken under Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code that prohibits circulation of pamphlets etc, which tend to deprave and corrupt persons who are likely to read them. 

Ludhiana, March 3
The Marxist Communist Party of India (MCPI) has expressed its dissatisfaction over the union Budget, terming it much below the expectations of the people of the country.

In a joint statement here today, Jagjit Singh Lyallpuri, national general secretary, and Kuldeep Singh, state secretary of the party, said although much hullabaloo was raised prior to the Budget for granting relief and giving package to the farmers and the agriculture sector, but very little had been done towards waiving loans of the farmers. Out of more than Rs 2 lakh crore of debt, only Rs 50,000 crore had been proposed to be waived. Moreover, the mechanism for this process had not been suggested.

"Similarly, interest on the crop loan has been kept at 7 per cent as against the demand of the agitating farmers to reduce it to 4 per cent so as to bring it on a par with the industrial sector. Implementation of the Budget announcement remains seriously doubtful as shown by the past experience," said MCPI leaders.

They maintained that the finance minister had not been able to go to root of the causes of the indebtedness, which were costly implements and pesticides along with inadequate agriculture infrastructure. There were no proposals and steps to bring down the prices of implements, seeds and pesticides, nor any provision had been suggested for augmenting the agrarian income.

Lyallpuri and Singh lamented that the Budget was totally silent regarding the skyrocketing prices of all essential commodities of daily use and lacked in measures to contain inflation and bring down ever-rising prices of the basic necessities of life. Although excise duty on auto mobiles and certain other items had been reduced, yet no relief had been provided for the common man.

The MCPI functionaries commented that the Indian economy was already under the shadow of slow down, rather recessionary trends were already visible. Global recession and slow down in the US economy was bound to further create negative trends and affect badly.

This fact seemed to have been completely ignored by the finance minister while formulating the Budget, they added.

Ludhiana, March 3
The SAD-BJP government in Punjab is alive to the problems being faced by the trade and industry and necessary measures are being taken at several levels to put the industrial economy back on the rails. 

This was stated by state BJP president Rajinder Bhandari while addressing the first economic meet organised by the economic cell of the party here last evening. He said the government had already initiated a comprehensive plan to promote industrial growth and simplify the tax structure.

"Work is in progress on several schemes to provide incentives to industries so as to stop them from migrating to other states which are offering huge concessions. The government is also aware of the existing power shortage which is affecting the industrial production and very soon adequate power will be made available," the BJP chief claimed.

Convener of the economic cell Suraj Jyoti, while highlighting the problems of industry, expressed his concern over stagnation and migration of industrial units to other neighbouring states. He said facilities like cheap power, subsidies on land, building and capital investment, tax holidays and better infrastructure were making the industrialists shift away from Punjab. These were serious issues which needed to be dealt with on a war-footing to save the industrial economy from annihilation.

He further said the burden of taxation and complex tax structure was another major factor impeding the economic growth. Acute shortage of power and prolonged cuts had further aggravated the situation. To make the matters worse, no long-term planning had been carried out for additional power generation to meet the growing demand of power.

Jyoti made a fervent appeal to the government to address the problems of trade and industry on priority basis while also speeding up the process of infrastructure development which was a pre-requisite for rapid industrialisation and economic growth.

Among others present were O.P. Bhardwaj, Rajiv Katna, president and general secretary, respectively, of the district unit of the party.

Ludhiana, March 3
Journalist and story writer from the city Manoj Dhiman read out a chapter from his forthcoming novel “Shoonya Ki Aur” at a meeting of Sahitya Sangam, Zirakpur, held last evening.

The writer presented a dialogue between a mother and her son, in which he pointed out that celebrations were held only at the birth of a male child. "The chapter is very thought-provoking," remarked those present at the meeting. Dr Anil Guglani, Phull Chand Manav, Gian Chand Sharma and Vijayinder, all authors, were present on the occasion.

Ludhiana, March 3
At least 200 senior citizens, who are members of the local Sutlej Club, will now be avail the facilities of this club without paying any monthly fee from April 1 onwards. Earlier, the senior citizens had to shell out anything between Rs 300 to Rs 500 per month as its membership fee.

This decision was taken during the club’s annual general body meeting held yesterday evening. Deputy commissioner Sumer Singh Gurjar also announced that the elections for the new executive would be held on March 30. At least 250 members attended the meeting.

However, a large number of club members, including a few office-bearers wanted the present executive to get a year’s extension. “Holding elections of this club is not that easy. A large number of local politicians, leading businessmen and councillors give outside support to their candidates. The campaigning to woo the members has already,” a member said.

Ludhiana, March 3
Renowned artist Navtej Johar will be in the city to perform perform ‘Fana’a: Ranjha Revisited’. This is his first performance in Ludhiana.

A production of Abhyas Dance Ensemble, media artists are bringing Fana’a to Punjab as part of twin cities tour arranged by the Sangeet Natak Akademi.

The performance will be staged at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan here on March 7 and at Arts Gallery in Amritsar on March 8.

The dance-theatre piece seamlessly fuses two archetypical narratives from North and South India, the predominant Sufi love legend from the Punjab, ‘Heer Ranjha’ interspersed with ‘Kutrala Kuravanji’, a genre of dance-drama from Tamil Nadu.

Inspired by the open-as-the-sky abandon of Sufi poetry and, on the other hand, the crystallised structures which inform the Tamil poetic expression, Fana’a attempts to diffuse the high and low-art polarities through a male-duet, freely intermixing and juxtaposing the two texts without a fixed flow of narrative or fixed characterizations.

Each identity willingly immerses itself in the other. Shedding its skin to discover another. Drawing on plural dance vocabularies -Bharatanatyam, Chhau, Yoga, modern dance and physical theatre, the choreographic treatment remains contemporary.

Operatic in nature, the work centers on Ranjha - a harbinger of continuity - who is continuously changing through his response to the land, the sound and the sensuous core of life. Fascinated by his own impermanence, Ranjha thus becomes the bard of a million masquerades, crossing cultural, spiritual and existential spaces with ease, acquiring both impermanence and omnipresence.

Navtej Johar is a Bharatanatyam exponent and a choreographer, whose work is unique in that it freely traverses between the traditional and the avant-garde. Trained in Bharatanatyam at Rukmini Arundale’s, Kalakshetra, at Chennai, and with Leela Samson at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, New Delhi, he later studied at the department of performance studies, New York University.

Johar has performed at prestigious venues all over the world and has done extensive work with several prominent international companies and choreographers. 

It is a matter of indignity for 46-year-old Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) which is reeling under financial crunch as most of its retirees are not able to get their pensions, dues etc for the past many months. Other universities in Punjab are also facing the same crisis.

In such a scenario, it is difficult to provide research infrastructure for these universities. Being the only agricultural university in Punjab, the ICAR must think over the issue of making the PAU one of the best research and job-oriented agricultural universities in India.

The ICAR should approach the centre and state governments for releasing necessary funds without any delay, otherwise the morale of the vice-chancellors, doctors etc will go down.

Ludhiana, March 3
Finding engineering exporters from this state more competitive than European nations and China in terms of cost, quality and flexibility, industrial delegates from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) today said transactions to the tune of over $100 million were likely to materialise from this place as a result of this visit.

"Transactions to the tune of atleast $100 million would materialise in this visit," said Zlilove, leader of the 14-member delegation, that visited engineering factories and interacted with industrialists here today.

It is the first time that exporters, hit by dollar crisis, from this state took an initiative and invited industrialists from CIS countries. The initiative by the Engineering Export Promotion Council of India aims to tap the market that CIS countries have to offer. "The market potential is even larger than Europe which is why we are concentrating on it," said S.C. Ralhan, regional chairman of the council.

The delegates who came from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan probed opportunities in units manufacturing garden tools, textile mill machinery, food processing machines and several other items.

"Our dealing in these fields so far has been focussed on Europe and China. We have found that India is far cheaper than European nations and though a little expensive than China, but far better in quality. Besides, Indian companies are also offering flexibility in terms of changing designs as per client requirement which is a major criterion for selecting a supplier," the delegates said.

Exporters here are now expecting export contracts and also looking forward to forging joint ventures with them.

Ludhiana, March 3
To commemorate the birth centenary of former Punjab Agricultural University vice-chancellor Dr M.S.Randhawa, the alumni association of the college of home science and the centre for communication and international linkages of the university organised a two-day Phulkari festival here today.

On the first day of the festival, Phulkari bags of diverse hues were displayed inside the museum of rural life. The bride draped in a Phulkari sat inside a chariot. Various depictions, including a Bhathiwali (parching lady), washerwomen, and kitchen maid depicted a scene of rural Punjab.

A group of girls could be seen singing songs while working at charkas. Girls in their conventional Punjabi attires welcomed the guests by distributing jaggery pieces in traditional style. Floral tributes were paid on the portrait of Dr Randhawa after lighting the ceremonial lamp.

PAU vice-chancellor Dr Manjit Singh Kang said Punjab was known for its rich cultural heritage. He appreciated the role of those organizing the festival for projecting the richness of Punjab. .

Dr Kang also inaugurated a music system on the occasion. Dr Neelam Grewal, dean, College of Home Science, PAU, said a competition on Phulkari articles and embroidery would be organised at 10 a.m. tomorrow. The function will conclude at 2.30 pm. 

Ludhiana, March 3
Nine improved varieties of six crops were discussed in a meeting of the state variety approval committee organised at Punjab Agricultural University recently. The meeting was chaired by director of agriculture, Punjab, Dr B.S.Sidhu.

The improved varieties are Pusa-1121 of rice, Punjab Basmati-2 of basmati rice, LH-2076 of cotton, RCH-308 Bt and RCH-314 Bt of cotton, Punjab Sweet Corn-1 of maize, CoH-119 of sugarcane, PSH-569 of sunflower and mash-114 of kharif mash. According to PAU director of extension education, Dr N.S.Malhi, the attributes of these varieties were discussed and due to their superiority these varieties were approved. With the release of these varieties, the total number of varieties released by the university since its inception, is 554, Dr Malhi added. 

Ludhiana, March 3
"In acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), if the patient reports within six-eight hours, PTCA or angioplasty can save the myocardium from further damage. After eight hours, neither thrombolytic treatment nor any intervention can help the patient."

This was stated by Dr G.S. Wander, chief cardiologist at Hero DMC Heart Institute, while speaking on "Role of Interventions in Heart Diseases" at a seminar on cardiology, organised by the local branch of National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA) here on Saturday evening.

He said the advent of medicated stents had brought long-term benefit to the patient, as the chances of re-stenosis were minimised with their use. Heart patients, however, should understand the importance of following prescribed medicines, interventions, yoga, meditation, lifestyle modification in the form of low-fat high-fibre diet, increased physical activity and regular exercise. All these measures were complimentary to each other. So one ought to holistically integrate all these medications, including use of household herbs like garlic.

Dr Rohit Tandon, consultant cardiologist at HDHI, spoke on echocardiography. He discussed various interesting cases with the delegates, where timely detection by this non-invasive technique had saved many a precious life.

Dr Ramanbir Singh, endocrinologist at SPS Apollo Hospital, and Dr K.S. Soin chaired the panel of the scientific session.

NIMA secretary Dr Surendra Gupta highlighted the importance of learning and updating knowledge through seminars and CMEs which enabled the medical professionals to perform their duties in a better and more satisfying way. Dr Rajesh Thaper, president of NIMA, welcomed the guest speakers and delegates. 

Mandi Ahmedgarh, March 3
Mohit Dhand, a powerlifter of the local Galla Mandi area, bagged another gold medal at the National Bench Press Championship (senior wing) organised by the National Powerlifting Federation at Navi Mumbai. A few social and educational organisations of the town felicitated him at a function organised at Hind Hospital yesterday.

He will be representing India in the World Bench Press Championship, which is scheduled to commence in Germany on June 25 and the Asian Bench Press Championship to be organised in Hong Kong in December.

Earlier, he was declared winner in the National Junior Power Lifting Championship held in Assam and the Punjab State Bench Press Championship organised at Samrala.