Amritsar, June 24
About a dozen non-government organisations (NGOs) have joined hands to raise various environment and ecological issues with the authorities concerned by forming a joint action committee (JAC). The organisations include the Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti, Mission Aagaaz, SAATHI, the Amritsar Vikas Manch, the Pollution Control Committee, the Rotary Club Central, the Consumer Welfare Forum, the Lok Kalyan Samiti, the Scientific Awareness Group, the International Welfare Forum, the People Welfare Society and the Tarksheel Society.

More organisations are also likely to join hands with them, said Mission Aagaaz general secretary and spokesman of the committee Gurbhej Singh.

He said the JAC would observe various environment and ecological issues concerning society, besides launching efforts to make people aware of their dangerous impacts on humanity.

He said the committee would try to bring the government, the administration and the public on a single platform to take emergency steps to check the degradation of the environment. He said the JAC was serious to alert the administration and general public over wastage of water at commercial and domestic level.

Deepak Babbar of Aagaaz said all the NGOs committed to the welfare of the city and its people would jointly make a “pressure group” to keep the administration on its toes which would not only monitor the working of government but would act as a catalyst for the environment development of the city.

Meanwhile, the committee at its meeting decided to start helplines to facilitate the residents of the city on easy access to environment-related issues and to procure help.

The helplines would be on plumber, plantation, environment, health awareness, rainwater harvesting, vermicompost and biogas unit and disaster management.

Besides, it was decided to start ecology awareness programmes and health camps for the public, he said and added that the committee would hold monthly meetings with the administration.

The meeting was attended by Deepak Babbar, Dr Harjit Singh and Anil Khanna (Mission Aagaaz), Sham Sunder Deepti, Parshotan Lal (SAATHI), Kuldeep Singh Mohawa (JPMO), Davinder Singh (PSSF), Surjit Sharma, D.S. Kohli (Amritsar Vikas Manch), Gurpinder Singh Mahal (Tarksheel Society), Vijay Mehra and Harinder Mohan Singh (Amritsar Consumer Welfare Forum).

Amritsar, June 24
Raising a serious objection to the proposed sale of the Dr Vidya Sagar Institute of Mental Health and Research for constructing a five-star hotel, city-based NGO Mission Aagaaz has shot a letter to the Punjab secretary and the managing director of the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB).

Spokesman for the NGO Deepak Babbar and Gurbhej Singh said construction of the hotel would not only disturb mentally ill patients but would also destroy the green cover which had been built after hard work of so many years.

Besides, the land belongs to the mental hospital and it had been commercialised by the government without any notification or approval from the state assembly, they added.

They said, “This is the only institute in the northern region catering to the needs of mentally ill patients. Where would these innocent victims of mental illness go if their shelter is taken away from them?”

They said the green belt on the land consisted of 425 trees as old as 200 years and was providing a healing environment to the patients.

In fact no public opinion or objection was solicited before axing these trees, the duo added.

Quoting excerpts from the advertisement released for the site auction, they said Amritsar had already seen massive development and a large number of real estate developers were coming forward to invest in the city. “Then what is the need to destroy a green belt which houses many bird species,” they added.

Urging the government to withdraw the advertisement, the NGO has asked the government to plan an eco-friendly project which allows the survival of, failing which they would file a PIL in the Punjab and Haryana high court.

Amritsar, June 24
Harkanwal Sohi has made the city proud by securing the 31st position in the IPS and has become the third woman from the city to be selected for the police services after Kiran Bedi and Kanchan Choudhry.

Oozing confidence, Harkanwal Sohi, who cleared the examination in her second attempt, attributed her success to disciplined studies, God and her parents who, she said, were a big moral and inspirational support for her.

She said her parents provided her with everything and never doubted her capability.

Talking to The Tribune, Sohi, who idolises Kiran Bedi, said she wanted to join the police force as it would provide her the opportunity and power to change things for the better.

Quoting the recent incident of a woman committing suicide after her pleas for bringing the rape accused to book fell to deaf ears, she said she would try to make the police more gender sensitive and lay special emphasis on the welfare of women and children.

Sohi, who has also cleared the UGC examination, when asked about her other objectives, said she would look to strengthen the justice delivery system by continuous checks and counter-checks.

She said even in the police force various programmes were launched for women and children but they died a slow death due to lack of proper implementation, a phenomenon that she would try to rid the force of.

Harkanwal’s father Col S. Sohi (retd) said his daughter was a gold medalist during her postgraduation and he knew she would clear the test. He said she got the 31st position among 135 selected out of over four lakh candidates. “There was a stiff competition and my daughter has made the family proud,” he added.

DAV Public School principal Neera Sharma (where Sohi had studied) said Harkanwal had become a role model for the schoolchildren.

Amritsar, June 24
During a theatre workshop organised by Manch Rangmanch in collaboration with the National School of Drama and Punarjyot at Spring Dale Senior School here, young theatre artistes from Pakistan strongly advocated the building up of lasting cultural ties between India and Pakistan as they enjoyed the same traditional ethos.

They lamented the blockage of Pakistani channels in India as there was complete freedom to Indian channels in Pakistan.

Kasif Abbas, young theatre artiste from the Pak Pattan area (in Pakistan) who, along with seven other colleagues, was in Amritsar to participate in the month-long theatre workshop, said the people in Pakistan were very fond of Indian music, soap operas and Bollywood films and knew the name of almost every TV or film artiste.

However, he added that India should allow its people to watch Pakistani shows, especially the drama serials. He said in the 60s and 70s people in the border region of Punjab were hooked on to Pakistani television which produced some of the classic dramas like Andhera-Ujala, Tanhaiya, Guest House, Dhuan, Neelam Ghar, etc., which were still popular among the masses.

“Theatre can help people understand situations and emotional status of both the countries and can bring them closer,” he added.

The artistes said bilateral ties between India and Pakistan would have no meaning if cultural ties were not established among the respective youth, which has not seen the old traditional ties between the people of both the countries. Telecasting Pakistani channels would help the young generation understand the culture of both the countries better.

Sharing the experience of the workshop, Adib said, “This is the first time that the young artistes have joined together from areas as far as Queta, Multan, Kasur and Baluchistan, besides Lahore.” He said working with young Indian artistes would help them improve their talents and language.

Talking about the difference of the theatre experience of both the countries, another participant, Zaheer from Lahore, said Pakistani theatre was based on real themes while Indian theatre was more abstract and experimental.

Coordinator of the workshop and renowned theatre director Kewal Dhaliwal said during the workshop the artistes were taught about all the aspects of theatre, including body movements, acting, martial arts, light design, set design, costume and production process. He said young budding theatre artistes had the keen sense of learning and added that they would definitely go back to their native country gaining a lot of experience.

He said young artistes of both countries would also perform two plays “Main Punjab Bolda Haan” based on the evolution of Punjab and its current situation and “Moran Sarkar” based on the character of Moran, the nautch girl of Maharaja Ranjit Singh period, and the story of Pull Kanjari.

Amritsar, June 24
They have no grudge against their parents who abandoned them at the time of their birth or the nature which made them special. These conjoined twins in the Pingalwara orphanage are happy with what destiny has in store for them. Sohna and Mohna have common vital organs and lower limbs which cannot be separated surgically. This five-year-old duo has kept the Pingalwara officials on their toes from the day they entered the orphanage. They love to play and chirp making their presence important for the place.

Their morning starts with a ride in pram to their school and day ends with a bedtime story from their caretaker Kanwaljit Kaur. She said, “They have tried to overcome their disability by devising their own methods. If one is quiet the other keeps talking. The problem comes when they fight. Since they are joined from shoulder it is then they realise what is wrong with them.”

She said their favourite festival was Divali and lights bring a different kind of sparkle in their eyes. They enjoy crackers but could not fire them, so they prefer to watch them from a distance.

Pingalwara Charitable Society president Dr Inderjeet Kaur said these courageous kids celebrated their birthday on June 14. “They were born to Surjeet and Kamini of Delhi and their parents expressed their inability to bring them up.

So we brought them here,” she said, adding that their parents never approached the society again.

She said, “Sohna and Mohna were examined by the doctors of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences and they said surgery was not possible.

They also promised to conduct regular medical check-ups of the siamese twins, but visited only once.” She said the society was planning to send their medical history to the doctors around the world who had handled similar cases.

These special kids get special care at the orphanage. They have a rocking bed and perambulator according to their need. Dr Inderjeet said many people had offered donations for them, adding that recently the twins got Rs 3 lakh from a citizen of Kuwait.

Amritsar, June 24
Trying to allure city residents for voting in their favour, the three finalist families of the musical reality show “Waar Parriwar” performed in Amritsar recently.

The finalists, Ali Gani family from Jaipur, Punjabi Mausere Bhai from Chandigarh and Chaturvedi family from Amritsar, were accompanied by their mentor music director Jatin Pandit of Jatin-Lalit fame. According to the show organisers, the three families were part of the seven finalists participating in the show.

Talking to The Tribune, the local family of Chaturvedi’s said the show had changed their lives. They were singing at Mohan International Hotel for the past one decade and selection for the show proved to be a boon for them as they got recognition from it.

The family expressed its gratitude to the Sony channel for bringing them into the light where they were competing among the best.

Later Jatin Pandit said there was no dearth of talent in India. Indians love music and the television channels were giving them opportunity to show their abilities, he added.

Amritsar, June 24
Guru Nanak Dev University has decided to introduce postgraduate courses in M.Tech (textile chemistry), MBA (hons) financial services, MBA (hons) marketing and retail management, MCA (software systems), master of planning (infrastructure), master of sports physiotherapy (hons) and B.Tech (electronic communication systems).

Prof Raghbir Singh, dean, academic affairs, said the admission to all these courses would be made on the basis of merit in the entrance tests/group discussion interview, wherever, applicable.

The entrance test would be conducted on all-India basis, he added. He said the last date for submission of application forms for these course is July 7 except for the master of sports physiotherapy (hons) for which last date has been fixed as June 25.

Amritsar, June 24
BIG 92.7 FM organised a “King of the DJs” competition to celebrate World Music Day. The best DJs of the region came together to a common platform and played techno, trance, Punjabi hip-hop and Hindi numbers to enthral the audience. 

The evening saw a great show full of music and fun as a huge number of youngsters assembled in the auditorium of the Swami Satyanand College of Management and Technology. Institute principal Dr Suresh Seth inaugurated the event.

DJ Mohit was adjudged the winner.