Jalandhar, July 28
The hall reverberated with a loud applause and rousing sign of confidence. It was the cheering smiles of the audience which helped them decipher what was being said about them. Waiving to everybody they responded back with signs that they would fly to Singapore.

It was a triumphant moment for the 20 members of the Punjab Deaf Cricketers Federation, who would be going to Singapore for a 10-day T20 cricket tournament. The tournament will be held from September 23 to October 2.

A special grant of Rs 1 lakh was forwarded by Rajpura MLA Jasbir Singh Khangura for the cricket tour, which was handed over by Harbans Lal, former Mayor of England.

The tournament will be conducted by the host team, Lanka Lions Cricket Club, including Bengal Association of Singapore and Deaf Cricketers Federation, Malaysia. This is the maiden visit of the cricketers abroad, ever since the federation was formed on July 26, 2007. The federation conducted a function this Sunday to encourage the deaf cricketers for the tournament.

Expressing his excitement through the sign language, Gurdeep Singh, a left-handed batsman and a computer literate, said, “Usually people think that we are not worth anything, but we will prove our mettle one day. We are at par with any other normal cricketer across the country,” he added.

At present the cricketers are busy doing rigorous practice sessions at their respective districts in Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Kapurthala.

Ish Jain, another cricketer, who learnt the basic cricket from watching matches on the TV, said, “My obsession with the game grew more when I met off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. He had come to meet us at Khosla School for Deaf,” he added. Jaspreet Singh, an ambitious 20-year-old cricketer, said he would love to participate in the upcoming third Deaf Cricket World Cup to be held in New Zealand from December 27, 2009, to January 7, 2010. “I never knew that my passion for cricket would bring to me to this stage,” he added.

Even earlier too, the deaf cricketers have registered impressive victories in various cricket matches. The deaf cricketers participated in the Dosti Cup held between India and Pakistan from July 1 to 7 last year.

They represented Punjab in the fourth National Cricket Tournament of Deaf held in Lucknow in 2008. Punjab ended third in the tournament.

Happy Passi, interpreter for the deaf cricketers, said though the players had made a name in the game, but arranging adequate finances remained a major problem. “We hardly get any good sponsors and as a result we face problems. Even during the Dosti Cup, the cricketers were given a cash award of Rs 11,000, which was distributed among all. All that these players got was Rs 700 each,” he added.

It might be noted that the players have emerged within a short span of two years under the coaching of Padam Passi, who is also the general secretary of the federation. The cricketers have been getting free of cost cricket kits from Push Kohli, owner of Jalandhar-based Beat All Sports.

Ritu Gupta, mother of another cricketer Abhinav Gupta, said despite all odds his son remained a front-runner in life. “This is a great achievement for my son and I am sure that he would emerge as a good cricketer at the international level. Recently completing his multimedia and 3D animation course from the GNA-IMT, Phagwara, these days he is working as a trainee with a private firm and trying to lead a normal life,” she maintained.

Jalandhar, July 28
In a major achievement of its kind, students of BSc (Biotech)-I of Hans Raj Mahila Vidyalaya emerged with flying colours by bagging the first three positions in merit list of Guru Nanak Dev University. The college registered an impressive place in the university merit list this year.

Gurchetan Kaur bagged the first position by securing 533 marks out of 625 followed by Tanya Mehta and Palak Khanna who secured 514 marks out of 625. The third position was achieved by Poonam Chaudhary who bagged the third position in the merit list by scoring 513 marks out of 625.

Talking to The Tribune, Gurchetan said she was sure of a merit position but had no idea that she would top in the varsity. “It was my friend who informed me about the result. Meanwhile, I received a call from the college and was told that I have topped in the university,” she added.

She is planning to pursue MBA and join the industrial sector after her graduation. A merit holder throughout, she owes her success to her teachers. “We are getting the best of the academic ambience in the college. Especially the senior lecturer in organic chemistry, Rupinder Kaur has been a great support throughout. It was due to the dedicated approach of the teachers that we emerged with flying colours,” she said.

Apart from this, regular self study sessions were a major booster for me. “I always looked forward to my father who taught me to work hard and emerge a winner. Infact he has been a great source of motivation for me,” she said.

She added that the stiff competition in the class brought out the best in them. “There was a close competition among students and it was virtually difficult to make out that who would be the topper till the end of the academic session,” she said.

Kanika Chopra, a student of BCom (Professional)-II of HMV, topped in Guru Nanak Dev University. Kanika secured 83 per cent marks in the examination and brought laurels to her family and the institution.

An MBA aspirant, she has already set her goals. Kanika has started preparing for the CAT entrance examination. She said she would not leave any stone unturned in fulfilling her dream. “I have planned to pursue MBA through a reputed institution and join the competitive corporate world,” she added.

An ardent admirer of former President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, she said she felt motivated with the never say die attitude of Dr Kalam. “Despite his stature, he remained a humble man of masses. And I aspire to follow his footprints.”

Sharing her success tips, she emphasised on the need to understand the concepts instead of cramming them for the sake of securing good marks. Moreover, timely help by the teachers and faith on the almighty was a big booster for me. 

Jalandhar, July 28
Classical dance recitals witnessed at the Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi drove her towards the dance form which was going to decide the course of her life.

Belonging to a family of non-dancers the dance recitals had V Anuradha Singh craving for Kathak lessons, leading her to take to a hectic schedule dividing time between Kathak and studies, a feat that she mastered early on in her life.

Already having learnt Kathak for about six years, in 1986 she was chosen for the scholarship and fellowship under the Ustad Alauddin Khan Sangeet Academy of the Cultural department of the Madhya Pradesh Government.

“You have already been selected for PMT, would you pursue this scholarship even if you are selected?”

She answered in the affirmative for the question put to her by none other than Pt. Birju Maharaj, one of the interviewers on panel for the scholarship.

She made it through and kept her promise. What followed was four years of rigorous training from kathak gurus late Pt. Durgalal, Pt. Kartikram and Pt. Ramlal, involving as many as eight hours of practice every day.

She is also a gold medalist in MA, kathak, from Indira Kala University, Kairagarh.

In 1987 she debuted at the Festival of India in USSR, becoming a hit with the audience with her very first performance.

She wasn’t just satisfied with the performances and devoted a lot of her time researching the practical aspects of the dance form.

More than a decade on, she is one of the most celebrated maestros of the dance form in India. She ahs been a part of the most eminent dance festivals of the country like the Khajuraho Dance Festival, Classical dance Festival (Goa), Ellora-Ajanta Festival, Golconda Music and Dance Festival (Hyderabad), etc.

Coming up with the Ghungroo Vadan her fresh new experiment with kathak, just in January this year, wherein the performer makes minimal movements with the hands and just replicates what is being played on the tabla with her feet and ghungroo in different gats, parans and styles of ghranas, has enlarged her arena opening up a plethora of new opportunities for her.

What made you come up with ghungroo vadan?

Dancers are never allowed to perform at music festivals. I was looking for a way to do away with this taboo. I found one.

What were the odds you faced?

I researched a lot. You almost have to be a digital machine in your head being deft at the taal and playing it repeatedly in ekgun, dugun or faster for hours with your feet. You falter for once and the performance is labelled as betali (out of beat). Plus I specially researched and made sure I place the feet differently according to different pressure points to replicate the sounds of dha, dhin, na, tin, tirkit etc. according to the taal.

Best compliment?

Tabla maestro Kishan Maharaj called me up after watching one of my performance CDs. He had a heartening conversation with me congratulating me immensely for the performance.

A changing trend which bothers you?

Earlier festivals used to span for entire nights, now some of them have adopted an immensely time bound approach. Time is important but binding art suffocates it I guess.

Do you teach?

Yes. I run an institute called Vrinda Kathak Kendra in Bhopal. At present I have about 50-60 students there.

Message to aspiring dancers?

Kathak is as much about the brain s about the heart. A good guru and practice for at least 6-8 hours are needed if you want to make it big. 

Jalandhar, July 28
Just as the parched summer-tired-land heaved a sigh of relief with the first drops of rain hitting the region in the delayed but delightful monsoon, the Harballabh Committee also broke its hiatus and celebrated the Malhar Utsav on July 25 at the Saigal Memorial Hall, its monsoon treat for music afficianados in the city.

The festival began with sweet, serene strains of the Taar Shehnai. Devinder Singh began the recital of the instrument, a first to the credit of the Malhar Utsav, with Raag Malhar going on to play two other compositions in Raag Pahari.

Second to perform was vocalist Karan Rana who has even performed at the Baba Harballabh Snageet Sammelan competitions.

An engineer by profession, Karan who is also the lead vocalist of the official band - Infusion - of Infosys Pune, is a pioneer of sorts as he has takers both in the contemporary music world (having performed at Channel V Launch Pad) and the conventional classical lovers.

Karan started off with Raag Baageshwari. Moving on to performances in Raag Dulia Malhaar and Miyan Malahhar, he ended the recital with a bhajan leaving the audience mesmerised.

The last performance of the day again was both a first on the Malhar Utsav and a huge shocker. Ghungroo Vadan by Anuradha Singh took the show to its peak as the energy levels of the just-out-of-hospital danseuse (owing to a kidney infection) enthralled a goosebumpy audience.

Presenting a ghungroo recital (with the drip syringe used to feed her injectants still pasted on her hand), she made her feet play the exact replica of the beats and taal worked upon on the tabla by Salim Allahwale.

Beginning with Laykaari, she presented a rendition of Paanch Taal to the tune of Raag Shivranjini on the Violin. She went on to perform a jugalbandi with the violin (Manoj Kumar) to the tune of Raag Hansdhwani and Qaidas from the Delhi, Banaras, Ajrada and Punjab Gharana.

She then presented Chand in taalmala and ended the recital with the depiction of 5 taals in Teen Taal.

Talking to The Tribune on the occasion, Purnima Beri, general secretary of the Harballabh Committee said, “We always want to bring something new for the people of the city. That explains the first in Taar Shehnai and Ghungroo Vadan. We are also planning to introduce Bela Bahaar later this year.”

Talking about the sammelan in December, she said, “Performance by Vishwa Mohan Bhatt accompanied by folk performers - Langas and Manganiars - at the Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan, would also be the first of its kind for the sammelan.” 

Jalandhar, July 28
Swarlata, a local budding star, brought name to the city by winning the Magic Voice of Punjab, a talent hunt contest organised by Dabur India Ltd., a leading natural healthcare and personal care company in Chandigarh.

The talent hunt - Dabur Amla Flower Magic Hair Oil ‘Magical Hair, Magical Music’ - was organised by the company to identify the most melodious and magical voice of Punjab.

Jaspreet Kaur and Garima Jain, both from Chandigarh, bagged the second and third places in the mega event. The winners were selected from over 1000 participants from Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar.

Held at Baba Makhan Shah Lubana Auditorium in Chandigarh, the contest was judged by a panel of judges comprising Varinder Bachan and Madhuri. Famous Punjabi pop and folksinger, Preet Harpal was the special guest of the grand finale of the talent hunt show.

The winners of the talent hunt were awarded cash prizes and were assured of a chance to cut a music album and feature in a music video.

Anirudh Pandharkar, Dabur India Limited Senior Product Manager, said, “The company has launched the talent hunt to identify the naturally melodious voice of Punjab.” 

Jalandhar, July 28
In this motley world of living beings nothing is as universal as ‘truth’. It is the power of truth, which keeps a man loyal to his life and soul. At the same time, the truthful existence becomes the irony of life too. Illustrating these paradoxical sentiments, city-based theatre group YUVAA staged the play ‘Charandas Chor’at the local Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall on Sunday. The play was held as a tribute to legendary icon of the Indian theatre Habib Tanvir and the last living activist of the Ghadar Movement Baba Bhagat Singh Bilga.

A hard-hitting satire on ‘truthful human existence’, the play brought to the fore the tumultuous life of a small-time thief ‘Charandas Chor’ who never compromised with the principle of his life ‘truth’.

As a thief, Charandas lived up to the spirit of his life and scoffed at the corrupt political and social system of the society.

It was the four vows of the protagonist to his guru, which charts his perplexed life. Charandas never knew that an accidental visit to a guru would change his life forever. He vowed to never eat in a gold plate, never lead a procession that is in his honour, never become a king, never marry a princess and above all the golden promise to his guru - never to tell a lie. Circumstances bring him face to face with his vows and he is left with no other option but to run away from promises.

Though he took these vows thinking them to be distant dreams but destiny played its role and his vows came to haunt him one by one, leaving him in a state of shock.

Despite being a naïve attempt, Govind as Charandas Chor did a fair job in personifying the thief.

The thin audience too got involved with the characters and motivated the attempt with intermittent applause.

At some places the dialogues seemed more of casual talk, lacking the intensity of expressions required for a stage play.

Lack of resources showed through in poor lighting and sound arrangements but the commendable efforts of the actors kept the momentum alive.

Abhishek, in the role of the shrewd village ‘Munim’, who enjoyed monopoly due to black money was worth appreciating. The play also unfurled the blossoming romance of the Rani of the province, who falls in love with Charandas. Her one-sided attempt at convincing the protagonist fails. In retaliation with her deceitful character, symbolic of corrupt human existence with pride she brought an end to the ‘truthful human existence’ and ‘Charandas Chor’- who died speaking the truth.

The hour-long play was directed by Professor Ankur Sharma from the local Doaba College. Chief guest of the play eminent journalist, Satnam Manak appreciated the spirit of the group and highlighted the underlying theme of the play and said, “The play is a satire on the political system. At least the protagonist of the play, despite being a notorious thief never, compromised on the principles of his life-Truth and lived upto his promise”, he added. 

New session in colleges is on full swing. Freshers are trying to adjust themselves in a totally different environment which allures as well as intimidates them sometimes.

The thrill of ushering into a new atmosphere gets washed away by some senseless seniors who try to torment the juniors for their sadistic pleasure. Every time with the commencement of new session innocent students get poisoned by this vicious snake of ragging. Ragging is more infamous for its ubiquitous presence in the educational institutes. In spite of all the rules and regulations devised from time to time, seniors hunt for freshers to satisfy their instincts. Some students cross all limits and harm their juniors physically, psychologically and economically. Sometimes freshers become victims to the obscene remarks of their seniors. The Raghwan Committee and UGC have instructed all the universities and institutes to take every incident regarding ragging seriously. If a student is found guilty, he will be prosecuted under the criminal law and may be charged a fine of Rs 2,50,000.