Ludhiana, August 16
After product and services promoting telephonic calls, it is promotional text messages that have started giving a headache to residents.

From retailers offering discounts on purchases to health clubs, coaching centres, marriage bureaus and various other service providers text messages are being aggressively used as a promotional tool these days. For receivers it had become a trouble as multiple numbers of messages are virtually flooding inboxes.

“Earlier it was only tele-callers. Now, they have started sending messages for promoting their products.

Had it been an occasional thing, one could tolerate. On Independence Day itself I must have got 20 such messages which is quiet irritating,” rued Suruchi Sharma, a student.

The recipients feel helpless, as they don’t even get the caller’s number with the message.

“There should be some control by mobile phone companies. We don’t even have the option of getting such a service stopped but messages are as disturbing as calls used to be,” said Varun Kumar, a businessman. “After the restriction that was put on tele-calling, we hoped of getting some relief from such disturbances, but they have invented a new way to promote their products now,” Kumar added.

However, those using text messages for promoting their products and services feel it is a more effective and quite an economical option.

They feel it also saves them from the ‘fury’ of receivers in case of those who don’t wish to receive such phone calls.

“It doesn’t cost much and I feel it is more effective way to communicate details of your products to potential consumer as they read the entire message.

In case of calls, people have to be convinced, it takes longer and many disconnect. I have recently started sending SMSes to people,” revealed an owner of a coaching centre.

Ludhiana, August 16
The CPI (ML) plans to hold district-level protest demonstrations all over the state to mount pressure on both state as well as the Central governments to check inflation and bring down prices of essential commodities.

The district unit of the party will hold a rally at Chattar Singh Park here on August 19. Later on, it will take out a protest march on city roads to focus on inflationary trends, which had made the life of workers, farmers and the common people miserable.

In a statement issued here today, Hardev Singh Sandhu, president, All-India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha said the parties like the Congress, SAD, BJP and other right wingers were least bothered about the unprecedented price rise. The ruling parties in the Centre and in states were blaming each other rather than owning the responsibility for inflation and taking corrective steps.

Sandhu said the scenario in Punjab was no different with the ruling SAD-BJP combine shirking its own responsibility and blaming the Congress-led UPA government for all problems, including rising prices. “The public distribution system in the state has virtually collapsed and the fair price shops have failed to provide food grain to the masses, who have been left to fend for themselves.”

Ludhiana, August 16
The Congress has taken a serious note of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s statement wherein he had accused the Central government of step motherly treatment towards the states being ruled by the Opposition.

In a rebuttal to charges leveled by Badal, AICC secretary and spokesperson Manish Tewari stated here today that it was during the rule of then NDA government, led by Atal Behari Vajpayee and Sukhbir Singh Badal as a union minister, that no help, whatsoever, was ever given to Punjab from the Centre just because the government in state was that of the Congress. “Rather obstructions were created by the Vajpayee government to ensure that Punjab did not get anything”, he alleged.

He claimed that the UPA government had never adopted discriminatory approach towards the states being ruled by parties other than the Congress. Supporting his claims, Tewari pointed out that had the RBI not been liberal enough, the Punjab government would not have been able to disburse the salaries of its employees on monthly basis. “The education in state is being funded through the Sarv Sikhisha Abhaiyan. And furthermore, the funds in JNNURM are available but the Punjab government has failed to avail its benefit due to the non-submission of requisite project schemes, as mandatory in the mission”.

The AICC spokesman further lashed at Badal saying that the railway corridor project from Ludhiana to Kolkata and Ludhiana to Mumbai would help Punjab. “Likewise, during the annual Budget, the finance minister has announced substantial grant to Punjab Agricultural University, because the institution acts as a nodal 
institution for agricultural- related research and other works”, he claimed.

Tewari fervently stated that the Akali leadership do self-introspection about their conduct, for the sake of unity and integrity of the country, after Independence. He also said rather than criticising the Centre for any delay in installation of the statue of martyr Bhagat Singh in the Parliament House Complex, Badal should follow suit and ensure that the martyr’s statue was installed in the Punjab assembly as well. 

Ludhiana, August 16
Sample this: Cool dudes and girls! Welcome to this community of people from the biggest city in the richest state. It is always rocking! You will simply freak out here.

We have malls, we have education, and industry and we have the maximum number of Mercedes! If you are settled in USA or any other place on the earth, and have fond memories of your hometown, you too are welcome.

This online invite is followed by thought provoking issues, ranging from safety of girls in this city to ideas on dealing with corruption in the country, whether the government is doing what it promised and even your personal problems. Dating of course, finds a mention.

This cosmopolitan invite, it may surprise you, comes from our very own Ludhianavi youth. This side of their “global face” is there for all to witness. Being online is a passé; they are now making their presence felt via global forums on the World Wide Web. Not just one or two, click of a mouse would take one to thousands and thousands of such forums formed by youngsters from this industrial town.

“Not only because it’s the in thing, I find it quite cool to express my opinion via communities online. One has the advantage to remain discrete and at the same time be frank. We don’t really need to bother what others may think of us,” feels Sirjana, a regular on a leading community site.

Gripping their attention are topics that range from the local to country and even global issues.

“We are not just talking of dating, though it is an important part of our life. Web is the easiest mode to bridge distances that are geographical, cultural or, in many cases, even language-based,” opines Ankit, who is not just member of a few communities but also has a blog to his credit.

On the web, one can find nearly everything connected to Ludhiana-the local Kipps market, to the university, almost every school and college, markets of Ghumar Mandi and even Chaura Bazaar, the malls, cars, mobikes, hotels, industry. The list continues.

Talk of reported misuse of the sites, and youngsters are quick to respond. “Anything and everything can be misused. We are mature enough to know how to handle things safely,” snaps Vikram. Good going, for sure.

Ludhiana, August 16
The Independence Day function took its toll on students, as many of them suffered from cold and fever after the celebrations.

The message of peace and brotherhood cost a lot to the students who were made to stand in rain for hours during I-Day function organised at various schools of the city.

The worst hit were the tiny-tots of the primary wing who participated in patriotic rally organised by many schools.

The rally marched through many colonies and streets. The students of primary wing found it difficult to keep pace with the teachers.

The students, who performed at the state level I-Day function held at Guru Nanak Stadium also complained against the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities.

These students were made to wait and stand in rain for more than two hours before the Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, arrived at the venue. This is not all. The students were not provided food after their performance.

The parents complained against the irresponsible attitude of the school authorities.

Sanjiv Sharma, whose son complained of cold, said the authorities should act responsibly, adding, “How can you let a child walk for miles in rain. What kind of celebration is this which makes a child fall sick?”

Similar was the story of many other parents, who complained that I-Day celebrations came down heavily on their children.

“My son was sneezing and complained of cold soon after he returned from school. It was at 6:30 am that the students were made to assemble in school. They stood in rain and were later taken for a march amidst the rain due to which my son fell sick,” said Amit Kumar.

Ludhiana, August 16
Independence Day celebrations at Ryan International School concluded today.

The Montessori students made lovely pigeons, lotus and balloons by thumb painting and pasting papers.

The tiny-tots gave emphatic speech on Independence Day. A special slide show was prepared for the students of classes I to V, in which they were shown the days pre and post Independence. A talk show was conducted in which the students discussed India's achievements. The day was celebrated with patriotic fervour at Sat Pal Mittal School. The Satyans invoked the blessings of the motherland through the National Song. The speeches in English, Hindi and Punjabi by the students reminded the supreme sacrifice of the freedom fighters.

Independence Day was also celebrated at Bal Bhalai School, Ambedkar Nagar. Harish Rai Dhanda, chief parliamentary secretary, was the chief guest on this occasion.

He announced a grant of Rs. 2 lakh for the development of the school. He also distributed books and sweets.

Guru Gobind Singh Public School, Daad, Pakhowal road also celebrated the day with lots of enthusiasm. Principal of the school, Manjit Kaur, hoisted the Tricolour. The function started with the National Song 'Vande Matram', then students presented patriotic songs like “Desh mera rangila”, “Ae mere vatan ke logo”.

A skit by the students of class X based on the social ill of female foeticide was also presented on this occasion.

Ludhiana, August 16
Defying the maxim “practice what you preach” government hospitals have failed to ensure cleanliness in and around their institutes thereby adding to the patients’ misery. With its share of potholes and wild growth of plants, the sanitation condition at the civil hospital puts a question mark on the working of the state health department at large.

Accumulated water in potholes, open manholes has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. A hospital employee said, “The hospital is full of mosquitoes during the rainy season and I wouldn’t be wrong in saying that the health department has failed to prevent their own institutions fro the threat of malaria and dengue.”

This week’s incessant rains have supplemented to the poor sanitation conditions thereby increasing the number of diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, jaundice and dengue cases. The low-lying localities on Tajpur road, Gill road, Transport Nagar, Sherpur Chowk and various other areas have large number of people suffering from seasonal diseases that has increased the influx of patients in hospitals, primary health centres and dispensaries that don’t even have clean surroundings.

The municipal corporation has even failed to evolve a proper system for disposal of waste. The students and staff at Lord Mahavira Homeopathic College, Haibowal, have to bear the stink as people dump the garbage next to the college wall. Dr Ravinder Kochar while talking to The Tribune said, “Despite repeated reminders to the corporation nothing has been done and the dump is growing in size with every passing day.”

According to Dr Arvind Goyal, assistant professor of Urology, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital here, who visited Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, New York, USA, robotic surgery is becoming popular day by day and proving to be of immense help to surgeons worldwide. He was impressed by the results of operations performed on cancer prostate with the help of robots. He said, “In developed countries like the USA, prostate cancer is being diagnosed at an early stage due to aggressive screening. Resultantly, the patient gets completely cured.” Explaining the concept of robotic surgery, he said it was a computer-enhanced minimally invasive surgical system. The robotic arms translated the natural hand and wrist movements of the surgeon into corresponding, precise and scaled movements. Instruments could only move when commanded by the surgeon. The extensive range of motion allowed precision that would not be available in standard minimally invasive procedures. — OC