Amritsar, March 10
Holi, the festival of colour, was celebrated with traditional style and élan in the holy city today. A large number of residents of the holy city visit Anandpur Sahib to participate in the colourful Hola Mohalla. 

Streets wore a vibrant look as a number of people celebrated the festival with extreme enthusiasm using gulal and colours. The young and old, put colours on each other but the Holi celebrations at the famous Durgiana Temple, with people splashing colours on each other, were a rare feast for the eyes.

BJP leaders including Navjot Singh Sidhu, Shavet Malik, mayor municipal corporation, Dr Baldev Raj Chawla, chairman Punjab sewerage and water supply and Anil Joshi, an MLA mingled with the devotees to share greetings on this auspicious occasion.

Amritsar, March 10
Day markets are proving to be “malls on streets” for economically weaker customers. Of late, the phenomenon of day market has caught the fancy of people who find a range of items, including kitchenware, huge assortment of plastic items, readymade garments, footwear, assorted cosmetic items like bangles, clips, etc, at a given place to choose from at cheaper rates.

Day markets are mushrooming in the city to lure customers from lower end of the society. Known as common man’s roadside markets, they sprung up on various streets of the city, especially on Sundays and Mondays, when main markets remain shut. Apart from these days, vendors also install their counters at religious places where fairs are held.

The new phenomenon has caught the fancy of people to meet their requirements for household needs.

Wholesale cloth and shawl markets at Tahli Sahib, Shastri Bazar, Cash Dhara Bazaar and Katra Ahluwalia remain closed on Monday. It gives ample space to vendors to install their counters on secluded roads to lure customers. Here counters are also installed by employees of wholesale shops to make benefit of the holiday.

On Sunday, market is held inside Hall Gate and at Sant Singh Sukh Singh School intersection, known as Four S Chowk. They make most of these spacious roads, which are less used by vehicles on the holiday.

On every Masya, a holy occasion, they open their counters near historic Gurdwara Goindwal Sahib, Tarn Taran. On another holy occasion of Chandani Panchami, they install their sale counters at Gurdwara Chheharta and on Sangrant at Gurdwara Baba Budha on the Chabal road.

Sonu, a young vendor who sells cosmetics, says most of the vendors at all these venues are same. “We do not have resources to invest heavily to open a shop so we are left only with an option to install counters.” He said most of their items come cheap and are easily affordable.

Some of the markets, especially at Tahli Sahib, have become famous with the middle class family for cheaper women suits, sofa covers, towels and bedsheets.

A resident of Katra Moti Ram, Savita Arora, a housewife, said she was able to spot sofa covers at a cheaper rate. She says they prefer to have a glimpse of items at the Monday market before going for shopping in the main markets.

Amritsar, March 10
Following a complaint by local businessman Om Prakash Taneja, the Central Vigilance Commission has directed a probe into the allegations of inferior supply of blankets to the security forces.

He had taken the help of RTI Act to find that the commission directed a probe.

Taneja in his complaint had alleged that a local mill obtained a contract from a central government agency based at New Delhi to supply material to the BSF, Railways and paramilitary forces.

According to the businessman, the mill supplied inferior quality of blankets worth Rs 2.82 crore.

He alleged that proprietors of the mill in connivance with officials of various departments caused losses to the exchequer by supplying inferior material against the payment for high quality one.

Furnishing documents, he claimed that the central vigilance officer informed that the joint secretary, CVC, Delhi, would look into the allegations.

Taneja said various other departments were also involved in the fraudulent activity.

He claimed there was misrepresentation of facts regarding the premises used for manufacturing purposes and quality of material by a family run manufacturing house.

Meanwhile, the mill owners have refuted the claims saying Taneja levelled the allegations due to business rivalry.

Amritsar, March 10
Every new day sees the city traffic situation slipping out of the hands of the officials. As the traffic jams get longer and deadlier with each passing day, the Amritsar municipal corporation has finally come up with a solution to end the traffic menace. The officials are going about cutting city roundabouts to deal with the problem.

Earlier, residents saw the traffic islands and roundabouts at Kitchlu Chowk being shortened.

This time the target is the old roundabout outside Hall Gate.

Earlier, the civic authorities shortened the Dharam Singh Market Chowk in the vicinity of the Golden Temple, Sheranwala Gate, Hussainpura Chowk and one near bus stand.

The experimentation of shortening of roundabouts to smoothen the flow of traffic failed miserably which has evoked severe criticism from all quarters.

Looking for shortcuts to deal with the traffic problem, the authorities have recklessly passed on the responsibility, to re-do the roundabouts, to private business houses.

This has further compounded to the problems of not only the commuters but also the car owners. Owing to the faulty way in which the roundabouts have been redesigned, the sites have become accident-prone often resulting in brawls, becoming scenes for road rage witnessed.

A glaring example of this faulty exercise is at the Kitchlu Chowk where eight roads converge from a single chowk. The previous bigger roundabout helped to regulate the traffic as vehicles used to approach the chowk at slower speed.

The corporation, while handing over the maintenance work of the roundabouts, had directed a private corporate house to install traffic lights but the business house failed to fulfill its commitment.

Mayor Shwet Malik said now the corporation has decided to erect modern traffic signals for the regulation of the traffic on the busiest intersection of the city.

Meanwhile, Charanjit Singh Gumtala, patron Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM), lamented that the experiment of redesigning the roundabouts has created more hurdles and proved to be a big nuisance in the regulation of traffic.

Brij Bedi, a social activist and honorary chief traffic warden who has been crying hoarse for last several years to work out a comprehensive traffic management plan for the city said Kitchlu Chowk should have been made a model intersection.

A senior officer of the corporation, preferring anonymity, said in view of the model code of conduct enforced in the state due to elections, this is an ongoing process and work is being done step by step. He said lights would be installed at these chowks. He said the corporation was seeking the services of traffic management experts to devise a foolproof plan for its implementation. 

Amritsar, March 10
Leaders of the Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM) have appealed to Navjot Singh Sidhu, MP, to get the charge of the entire Ram Bagh Complex transferred to the ASI along with the project of restoration, which would save the municipal corporation, Amritsar, unnecessary expense and labour and also ensure quality restoration by ASI experts.

Taking up the issue of the state of disrepair and total mismanagement of the restoration work going on in the local historic Ram Bagh, the Amritsar Vikas Manch today held the Punjab government and the local municipal corporation responsible for the sorry state of affairs at the historic garden.

A delegation of the manch, consisting of patrons Prof. Mohan Singh and Dr. Charanjit Singh Gumtala, led by president Manmohan Singh Brar today met SN Kesarwani, the superintending archaeologist at the site who informed them that the 678 kanal, 12 marla, national monument was put on the list of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on October 15, 2004.

However, he said till date it was still under the municipal corporation, Amritsar, and it was the corporation and the state 
government, which was carrying out the projects of roads in the bagh, although the situation demands that this specialised task be carried out by experts of the ASI, he added.

“Unfortunately, in spite of reminders by the central government, the charge of the historic bagh has not been handed over to the ASI, which at present is entrusted with only six structures viz The Gate, The Royal Palace, The Royal Bath, Chhoti Baradari, Machhi Ghar and the Watch Towers,” Kesarwani said.

He said the restoration work of the Royal Bath would be taken up next year. 

Tarn Taran, March 10
The Mandir Bachao Sangharsh Committee (MBSC), comprising about 30 Hindu organisations of the town, has started an agitation demanding to restore the elected body to manage the old mandirs of the town.

The committee, in its memorandum submitted to the deputy commissioner, has said the mandirs here are being managed by a self-styled managing committee which is not elected. 

In the memo, the MBSC said the group controlling the mandirs has allegedly been committing certain irregularities since long. The local mandirs (Madan Mohan Mandir, Shivala Mandir and Chintpurni Mandir) have property worth crores of rupees which is being misused by the group managing the mandirs.

The MBSC demanded that elections should be conducted to elect the body which will control the local mandirs. — OC

Amritsar, March 10
Local resident Guninderjit Singh alleged that a private insurance company has declined to pay him claim despite having paid the premium a week ago. 

Guninderjit said his wife Satbir Kaur took an insurance policy from Bajaj Allianz covering health risks of both of them and their daughter Payal on January 21 and deposited a cheque for Rs 11,000 as premium on January 23.

He said Payal along with her friend Tamanna was injured in a road accident on March 2. Payal had two fractures in the jaw.

He admitted her daughter in a private hospital where a notice displayed announced that the Bajaj Allianz cashless insurance policy was admissible.

However, he said when he approached the insurance company yesterday, its officials said his policy was yet to be made operational. Hence, he was not entitled to the claim, he added.

When he contacted branch manager Arvinder Pal, he said even on the receipt issued against the payment mentioned that “insurance cover commenced only from the date of acceptance of risk, based on the proposal papers submitted and other requirements called for.”

He said as per the rules laid down by the IRDA, the company had to send his papers for reinsurance, assessment of health risk and other paper works.

Amritsar, March 10
Standing apart from her ilk, Vaneet Randhawa is a courageous woman who has opened her house for ailing and suffering dogs. She treats, cures and feeds them so that they can once again stand up to fight their natural battle.

She brings stray dogs to her house, who are hit by speedy vehicles. She calls veterinary doctors to cure them besides treating them herself.

She is aghast at fad of rearing foreign pedigree overlooking the Indian breeds. She says ignoring of Indian breeds has caused a lot of harm to dogs who are their with us from the time immemorial.

She quips, “Numerous problems could be solved by nurturing Indian breeds”. The problem of overcrowding of street dogs in some parts of the city would end automatically. They are not so expensive to be nurtured in comparison to foreign breeds, she adds.

Besides, pedigrees do not jell well with the Indian conditions and are also very expensive to be reared. She believed Indian dogs are good watch dogs.

“Government carries out sterilisation of dogs from time to time but it misses post sterilisation care,” she rues and comments that it has been noticed that once sterilisation is done, dogs were left unattended and in case of complication there is nobody to look after the speechless animal.

She has prepared three separate enclosures for the street dogs in her house at the circular road opposite Government Medical College.

She does not mind in bringing ailing and suffering dogs to her house and giving them required medical attention.

Number of dogs at her house kept fluctuating, releasing healthy ones and admitting ailing ones for the treatment. Smiling Vaneet gestures towards some dogs who refuse to leave the place even after getting treatment and eventually they are made permanent inmates of the residence.

She has a word of advice for the people who resort to beating and pelting street dogs with stones as they turn them hostile towards people.

Among her pets, includes a blind one and another with fractured front legs. Currently, she has 10 dogs.

According to her, young politicians entering politics is a welcome sign but they must also come out with policies ensuring well being of animals besides human beings and forests.

Her mother Gurmat Kaur is in league in providing succour to stray dogs. 

Amritsar, March 10
To mark International Glaucoma Day to be observed on March 12, Dr Om Parkash Eye Institute held free glaucoma check-up camp today at Ram Bagh garden in which about 238 morning walkers all above 40-years of age were checked.

Out of the 238, about six persons were detected with glaucoma. Dr Rohit Om Parkash, director of the institute, speaking on the occasion announced that concessions would be provided to poor patients suffering from “kala motia.”

Meanwhile, in his inaugural address during the awareness seminar, Dr Rohit said the vast majority of glaucoma cases remain undiagnosed, which is a cause of concern as it is the second major reason of preventable blindness in India.

It is also the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the country, he added. About this dreaded eye disease, he said, “Glaucoma is dangerous and caused by high pressure inside the eye caused by a build-up of excess fluid. Left untreated, this pressure can impair vision by causing irreversible damage to the optic nerve causing blindness that is incurable.”

He said with the rapidly growing ageing population, this figure is likely to increase with approximately 12 million Indians affected by 2010 and 16 million by 2020. He stressed that periodic check-up after the age of 40 could result in early detection and treatment.

“These high rates of undiagnosed glaucoma translate into significant rates of glaucoma blindness,” he said, adding that “there was no cure for glaucoma, although it can be treated. Still, early detection, appropriate treatment and the availability of specialised low vision and vision rehabilitation services can help people with glaucoma live productive and satisfying lives.”

Amritsar, March 10
A two-day national seminar on “Concerns and significance of studies and research in Punjabi” was inaugurated in Guru Nanak Dev University here yesterday.

The seminar was organised by School of Punjabi Studies of the university under the special assistance programme by UGC.

The scholar of Punjabi from Delhi Dr Satinder Singh Noor said Punjabi research should be specific in its approach and it must take into account the perspective of the Indian literary tradition.

Therefore, subject selection for the research should be made carefully. He said globalisation, development of the technology and the effects of westernisation on languages has effected the social research.

He said all efforts should be made to simplify the language. He expressed his concern over the declining standard of today’s research.

Dr Kapil Kapoor, former pro vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, said the social utility of the research and knowledge should go together.

Dr Kapoor said the Indian culture was knowledge oriented, while the western culture was materialistic. He emphasised that instead of borrowing the ideas from the west, we should do our own basic research.

Punjabi University former vice-chancellor Prof Joginder Singh Puar advised the present generation of scholars to take lesson from the drawbacks of the previous work done in various fields and concentrate on multilingual competence.

He said the knowledge of Indian classical languages and the Persian and Arabic tradition would enable researches to understand the grammar of Punjabi literary and linguistic material.

Dr Puar said there was an urgent need to make some strategies for research. He said the necessary tools for the research were also missing.

He said the use of popular technology must be encouraged. Self-introspection and responsibility towards society was also needed for the quality research.

Research director Dr S.S. Chahal said the research should be objective and relevant to the social needs. He said the research should also be disseminated among the common people in simple language. He said the textbooks only act as reference but the research mentality was necessary to create novelty in education.

Tarn Taran, March 10
Dr Gurnam Kaur Bedi, principal of the Sri Guru Arjun Dev Government College, has called upon the students in the rural areas to learn English speaking and computer education to compete in the globalised world.

Dr Bedi while addressing the girl students of the Mata Sahib Kaur Girl College, Bharowal, 16 km from here, on the occasion of starting English speaking course and computer course in the college.

Speaking about the importance of the mother language she said that the thing can be easily understood in the mother language and it can be well elaborated in any of the other language. She advised the students to learn the language by its grammar. College Principal Sukhwinder Singh and college managing committee president Baba Inderjit Singh too addressed the occasion.

Amritsar, March 10
The tragic events of 26/11 has cast a shadow on the Indian human psyche and various forms of art were no exception to this.The artists of various parts of the country have set a tone of patrotism by producing large canvases of national leaders, eminent personalities, heroes from the Army and police, sportsmen and highlighting the horrific Mumbai terrorist attack.

Interestingly, the artists have created these pieces through the rangoli art form using different colours mixed with sand. It was a visual delight as large number of onlookers were applauding the efforts of these artists who have generated tremendous patriotic fervour. 

Among the pictures include the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, first woman police officer Dr Kiren Bedi, Navjot Singh Sidhu, and scenes of Mumbai massacre.

The credit for organising such a wonderful show and setting a platform for the artists to perform, goes to Maneesha Dhanuka of Stalwarts School. 

She said the purpose to bring the artists to the city was to generate nationalist feelings among the people so that they could appreciate and understand that India is a country which one should be proud of. 

Amritsar, March 10
The Punjabi Department of the Khalsa College for Women, in collaboration with the Punjabi Academy, Delhi, organised a seminar on “Ambiguity and ambivalance in the writing of Punjabi poetry after 1990”.

Seminar coordinator Ravinder Kaur, in her report, focused on the necessity of changes in poetry.

Dr Satinder Singh Noor from Delhi University, in his keynote address, viewed the Punjabi language on the path of progress and referred to the ambivalence and ambiguities in the past and contemporary literature. 

Convener Dr Vaneeta from Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur College, Delhi, in her paper covered the birth and expansion of a variety of themes in poetry after 1990. She familiarised the audience with the variety of poems written after 1990.

Dr Deepak Manmohan Singh, director, World Punjabi Centre, Patiala, Dr Davinder Singh, former professor, Punjabi Department, Jammu University, Dr Gurmeet Singh and Principal Sukhbir Kaur Mahal also spoke on the occasion.