Jalandhar, July 16
Tears welled up in the eyes of the parents of Kargil martyr Major Kanwar Gulzar Singh as they talked about their valiant son. It was on July 14 that the family had observed the rasam kirya of the officer. “We felt very uneasy remembering our beloved son,” said Major Kartar Singh, father of the martyr.

An officer of the 32 Rashtriya Rifles, Kanwar was killed on July 4, 1999, during an encounter at Kupwara, the day when the Army was recapturing the Tiger Hill. The family had spoken to him on July 3. “I never knew that would be his last conversation with us. And I had advised him to take care of himself as Kupwara was a highly sensitive area, but destiny snatched him from us forever,” maintained the old man.

The elderly couple broke down as they recalled the fateful day. “It was a phone call from his commanding officer early in the morning on July 4 which shattered our life. Though it has been 10 years now but the memories of that day still make us go numb,” said Simar Kaur, mother of the martyr.

However, the family maintained that they were content with the fact that the widow of their son, Harjeet Kaur, was given a job by the state government.

“Our daughter-in-law is working as District Food and Supplies officer at Mohali. Even our grandchildren have settled well. But we feel neglected when the government fails to remember the sacrifices of our son on martyrdom day,” added the elderly man.

The couple lambasted the then Central government for not assisting the family. “It was the wrong policy of the BJP government that led to a war. And the nation lost many young sons,” said Major Kartar Singh.

He went up to say that had Dr Manmohan Singh been the Prime minister at that time, a war-like situation would never have erupted. “The BJP government at that time was off the people, buy the people and far away from the people. While the soldiers were fighting at the border, these crooks were busy setting deals of the coffins of the martyrs,” he added.

Major KG, as Kanwar Gulzar Singh was popularly known among his fellow officers and friends, joined the Officers Training Academy, Chennai, in 1982. He was inducted into the Army through the Short Service Commission (SSC) and got the regular commission later.

He graduated from Staff College, Wellington. The officer did his schooling from Khalsa High School, Begowal. He completed his BSc from the local Lyallpur Khalsa College.

The elderly couple boasted of the glorious tradition of their defence background. Major KG was the third-generation officer from his family. His elder brother too retired as Colonel and is presently settled in Mumbai. “Though the legacy went on, yet the void left by the death of a young son is hard to fill,” he added. 

Jalandhar, July 16
The ongoing controversy on MGN fee hike today came to an end with the school management accepting the demands of the parents. It was finally decided that the parents would accept the fee hike of Rs 200 per month per child in this academic session and the management would not increase any annual charges and tuition fee for the next academic session of 2010-11.

An 11-member joint action committee of the parents of the children of MGN School and members of the management met ADC G.S. Khaira here today. President of the committee Parminder Singh Jolly said the management as well as the parents accepted the terms of each other. “The demands were accepted on the terms that the management would not force the parents to accept any hike in school fee till the academic session of 2010-11 is over,” he added.

On the other hand, the staff secretary of MGN Public School, K.S. Randhawa, said the issue was sorted out amicably with both parties accepting the demands.

It might be noted that the school fee was increased in the wake of the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission, which led to protests by the parents.

Jalandhar, July 16
All is not well with the DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology here. There seems to be some rift developing between the staff and the administration with voices of dissent being raised against college Principal-cum-Director C.L. Kochher.

Nearly 35 teachers and non-teaching staff members sat outside the gates on a dharna for almost an hour this afternoon. The issue began with the orders of relieving of chemistry lecturer Rakesh Verma. Verma had reportedly resigned some time back but had later written for withdrawal of resignation within the notice period.

Jalandhar, July 16
It is a school where the crème-de-la-crème, not just from the city, but also from the outskirts, including Nakodar and Phagwara, come to study.

But the hotel-like façade of Cambridge International School, Chhoti Baradari, Phase-II, is reduced to an illusion when you consider the fact that the top floor and rear portion of the main building and another block are still under construction, forcing the wards of the affluent to partly face the risk on their head, pass through the muddy paths and bear the dust emanating from construction activity.

Even the interiors of the building such as the room of the chairperson, right in front of the nursery block on the ground floor, are still being done.

Some re-construction work of the library is also pending.

While the school management claims that there are more than 750 students, the only recreational option available to the students is to play in an indoor sports room, for there are no open playgrounds usable for them as of now.

Jalandhar Development Authority Chief Administrator Parveen Kumar, when apprised of the fact, said he was alarmed at the situation and would get it checked tomorrow. School chairperson Deepak Bhatia, however, claimed that the construction was being carried out ensuring complete safety of the students.

“Since the school construction requires a huge investment, we could only carry it out in phases. We have tried to barricade all those portions where construction is on. We take care that the children do not pass beneath the under-construction front portion of the school,” he said.

Jalandhar, July 16
City residents took out a procession to highlight the irregularities committed by a former chief of the Model Town Gurdwara Management Committee here today. Led by Gursher Singh, the protesters started from the gurdwara and marched through various parts of the city and submitted a memorandum for the Chief Secretary to Rajinder Pal Singh, SDM-1. 

The agitators alleged that former chief Dr Mandeep Singh Sethi had indulged in fraudulent means and he had been helped by certain officials and cops. Sethi had also embezzled donation money, they alleged.

Jalandhar, July 16
Shri Guru Ravidass Dharam Yudh Morcha urged the United Nations to initiate an inquiry into the Vienna firing incident on May 24 in which Dera Sachkhand Ballan chief Sant Nirajan Dass was wounded and his deputy Sant Ramanand was killed.

In a letter to the United Nations Secretary-General, morcha convener Satish Bharti requested him to appoint a UN team for conducting a probe into the incident for bringing the truth behind the attack to the fore and ensuring severe punishment to the attackers.

Bharti said the Ravidass community wanted to know which organisation was behind the firing incident and what its motive was behind the attack.

The recovery of a huge cache of arms and ammunition from a suspect in Vienna indicated a deep-rooted conspiracy behind the attack on the sants.

It was clear from the recovery of arms that some forces had deliberately created the law and order problem in Punjab by attacking the sants.

Earlier, in a letter written to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Bharti urged him to use his office to put pressure on Austria to ensure exemplary punishment for the Vienna attackers to avoid recurrence of any such incident.

It is pertinent to mention here that Punjab in general and the Doaba region in particular witnessed violent protests by some members of the Ravidass community after the attack on the sants in Vienna

Jalandhar, July 16
Pooja Papneja of BA-III of Hans Raj Maha Vidyalaya brought laurels to her family and institution by bagging the first position in Guru Nanak Dev University. She secured 82 per cent marks.

Pooja preferred to follow an unconventional way and opted for home science, music (vocal) and Sanskrit during her graduation. She has secured 1,966 marks out of 2,400.

Talking to The Tribune, she said, “I was sure of an excellent result this time as my examination went off very well. And, I managed to bag the first position in the university.” These days, she is looking forward to appear for the entrance examination of BEd. “I would love to pursue a career in teaching which is considered to be one of the most respected and noble professions. Besides, I would like to pursue a master’s degree in English or music (vocal),” she said.

The topper has other achievements to her credit too. She has been a university topper in BA-I. She secured the fourth position in the university in her second year. Apart from this, she is good at cooking. “I enjoy cooking and pursue home science during my graduation which made me adept at cooking,” she said.

And her success mantra? Prompt came the reply, “Never leave your work pending for the next day. Follow a time table which would not only help you in becoming disciplined but successful.”

Amidst this, she did not forget to mention her faith on God and the constant support from her family whom she considers pillars of her success. “My parents are my guide who have shaped me as a successful student,” quipped the girl.

Jalandhar, July 16
It was a hat trick for Aastha Saini when she bagged the first position in the B.A (English) Honours-III exam conducted by Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. A student of Kanya Maha Vidyalaya, Jalandhar, she has been a topper throughout her graduation.

Aastha Saini secured 75.2 per cent marks. Fondly passionate of English literature, Aastha has already got admission to MA (English) at Punjab University, Chandigarh. She plans to join the field of academics later on. At the same time she is also interested in appearing for Civil Services examination as well.

“Ever since my childhood, I was fascinated with English poetry, novels, literature and drama. It was due to my interest in this subject that I finally decided to pursue English (Honours) at the graduation level. And now I would be joining MA (English) at PU, Chandigarh,” she added.

Further sharing her success tips, she said it requires planned time management for being successful in life. The topper instead of spending longer hours in study preferred to concentrate thoroughly on the concepts for a few hours. “As a student we should clear our doubts and make notes as well. Besides this, constant guidance from the teachers also help us in clearing doubts,” she added.

The topper has penned down some poems as well. And she intends to publish them in the form of a book in future. She is waiting for the day when she would pen down her 100th poem. “It would be a dream come true situation when I will publish my poems in the form of a book,” she said. — TNS 

Jalandhar, July 16
Six students from the Department of Electronics of Mehr Chand Polytechnic College secured placements with A2Z Maintenance and Engineering Limited, Gurgaon, at an annual package of Rs 1 lakh each plus accommodation and food.

Traffic awareness

Class IX to XII students of Police DAV Public School were shown a presentation on traffic awareness. Students were told about do’s and don’ts while driving.

Varsity toppers

Sumit Ahuja of B.Com (Professional)-I of Lyallpur Khalsa College bagged the 15th position in Guru Nanak Dev University examination and first in the college.

Two students of BA-III of BD Arya Girls College, Jalandhar cantonment, got places in the merit list of Guru Nanak Dev University. Shitika stood second by scoring 1,927 marks out of 2,400 followed by Sarabjit who got the third position.

Students of the Prem Chand Markanda SD College for Women were placed in the merit list of the university. Ranjeet Kaur of BA-III bagged the eighth position, while Shalu Puri secured the 10th position.

St Soldier College, Basti Danishmandan, student Vaishali of BA-III got 74.3 per cent marks and got the 27th position in the university. Jaspreet and Sonia of BA/BSc-III got 71 and 72 per cent marks, respectively, and got university positions. These merit holders were awarded by the management. Chairman Anil Chopra announced that these students could take free admission in different courses of their choice.

LPU signs MoU

A delegation from Central Queensland University, Australia, came here to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Lovely Professional University. The MoU aims at building a strong cooperation between the two universities.

Jalandhar, July 16
Naran vichon naar Punjaban

Dil wali dildar Punjaban

Nau lakha hai haar Punjaban

Tarke uth ke dudh rirkadi naale parhdi bani

Oh kudi Punjaban bai hai giddheyan di rani….

Pammi Bai

Sweet are his songs, for they belong to the soil he grew up loving. His presence sets the stage on fire. Nicknamed Pammi at home and suffixed Bai (meaning brother) by the charmed masses of Punjab, Pammi Bai has always stood for Punjabiyat and it is writ large in the contrasts that he balances so well in life.

A Michael Jackson fan, on stage he is an epitome of culture, a ball of fire, a kaintha, kurta, chadra-clad character straight out of a folktale, but off stage he is the speed-crazy (he has a thing for driving anything from a “khacchar rehra” to a hawai jahaj) “shauqeen Jatt”.

Born Paramjit Singh Sidhu at Jakhepal village in Sangrur, he remembers one of his first encounters with music as those of the Saturday get-togethers in his village school where he used to sing to the class on the request of his teacher.

After the village school he shifted to Saunam school. It was here that he was introduced to bhangra. Watching bhangra legends like late Manohar Deepak and late Ustad Bhana Ram Saunami perform, he was glued to the folk dance.

He started learning bhangra in class V and never looked back. “I never thought I would pursue it professionally. Even the amount of hard work I was putting in would last until I choose some other profession was what I thought at that time.”

But destiny had something else in store for him. Performing for the college bhangra group as a student of Shaheed Udham Singh Government College, Sunam, he was a favourite among the Youth Festival circles.

After college he joined Punjabi University, Patiala, as a student where represented the bhangra team at the inter-university level and was also a gold medallist in folk dance.

During college days he got offers to perform elsewhere (as a professional) too and his name was getting synonymous with Punjab’s folk culture and bhangra.

After college he started practising as an advocate but his contribution to the field of art got him the job of the Programming Director of the Zonal Cultural Centre of the Government of India.

Working at this post for seven years, the performer in him took a toll on the administrator and he resigned from the post in 1994 to go back to performing as full-time artiste.

His first tape “Majhe, Malwe, Doabe Diyan Boliyan” came in 1995.

Its been a roller coaster ride so far with him being the most sought-after Punjabi folk performer worldwide and there’s reason to it. He believes Punjabi art is meant as much for non-Punjabis as for Punjabis. A pioneer of sorts, he has had many firsts to his credit performing even at places (other than the regular US, Canada shows) like Paris, China, Belgium, Hungary, Denmark, Germany and Russia (where none of the members in his audience was Punjabi).

Pammi has also acted in serials like “Vichora” (Zee Punjabi) and films like “Bagaawat” and “Dhee Jatt Di”.

What makes you stand out from the hordes of bhangra performers?

Commitment and a willingness to learn.

What do you think of the present scenario in the industry?

Artistes with money and without talent attempt to make it big. This field requires patience and commitment.

What are your upcoming projects?

An untitled album dedicated to Mirza and a workshop on the folk dances of Punjab with Punjabi University.

Message to the audience.

Ignore vulgarity. Buy original cassettes and CDs.

Punjab has announced the facility of online registration of FIRs at police stations and the Police Department has given a list of e-mail IDs on its website of almost all the police stations and senior officers. But the facility is practically being denied by not responding to the online complaints made to the police stations or senior officials.

I made an online complaint to the SHO of Police Division 4, Jalandhar, regarding a cyber crime relating to a fraud, in which I had lost a handsome amount, for investigation and registration of an FIR on July 5, 2009, with a copy to the SSP, Jalandhar, followed by e-mail reminders on July 6, 7 and 8, 2009. I also sent an e-mail to the IGP (Crime) on July 11 with a copy to the SP, Investigation (Crime). But neither any one of them has cared to acknowledge the receipt of the complaint nor has any FIR been recorded so far.

The Police Department should have an automatic system of acknowledging the receipt of the complaints online like other public utility organisations.

— K.L. Kohli, Flat 404, Block A, Chadha Complex, Lajpat Nagar, Jalandhar City.

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