Jalandhar, August 13
Taking a harsh action against its students who had ransacked the campus protesting against the proposed hike in fee and hostel charges on May 2 night, Lovely Professional University (LPU) has reportedly expelled 57 students. As many as 153 other students are facing less severe punishment, including suspension from their classes for a year or so.

All 210 students have been dispatched a specific detailed copy of the Board of Discipline of the LPU. The copies have been sent through registered post at the postal addresses of the students. Showing the copies of the complaint, the students and their parents have said the copies were so strongly worded that they were finding it too hard to accept.

Since all affected students and their parents have been given an opportunity to file an appeal against the order by August, many of them have sought a meeting with the Discipline Appellate Board of the university.

The students also rue that the fee for the next semester had already been taken from them before passing the order. Chancellor Ashok Mittal, however, said the fee would be refunded to the students depending on their case. He admitted that the action had been taken but he justified it saying that the university had to face a huge loss of property owing to their misbehaviour.

On May 2 night, the agitating students had sat on a dharna against hike in fee and hostel charges, installation of separate meters in their rooms and enhanced bills that they had received. The agitators had turned riotous and smashed the reception area, canteen, Dean office, various department buildings, computers and even LCD screens in classrooms.

The campus had then remained closed for about a fortnight after the episode. Insiders revealed that the students had been identified from video tapes of the incident and photos used in the media and on account of statements of staff, wardens and other employees recorded thereafter.

Jalandhar, August 13
The prices of seasonal vegetables witnessed an upward trend this week. Right from tomato to lady’s finger almost every vegetable has witnessed a hike of Rs 10 in its prices. Sugar, which remained at Rs 30 per kg for the past three months, witnessed a hike of Rs 2 in its prices. At present sugar is available Rs 32 per kg.

Tomato which remained at a sky-high price of Rs 30 per kg was available at Rs 40 per kg this week. Traders maintain that the prices are expected to soar even more owing to the monsoon season.

Even lemon saw a steep hike of Rs 40 in its prices and is now available at Rs 100 per kg.

Bottleguard witnessed a hike of Rs 10 in its prices and was available at Rs 40 per kg as compared to Rs 30 last week.

Brinjal was Rs 32 per kg. Last week it was at Rs 30. Meanwhile, the prices of potato and onion saw no change in the prices and continued to remain at Rs 15 per kg.

Among fruits banana saw a hike of Rs 10 in its prices and was available at Rs 40 a dozen. Last week banana was available at Rs 30.

The prices of mango varied from Rs 50 to Rs 55 this week. 

Jalandhar, August 13
MC councillor Joginder Singh Tony today staged a dharna right in front of the door of the office of an SE of the Municipal Corporation here.

Tony went to the office of Kulwinder Singh, SE (B&R), and asked for an inquiry report on Rangla Vehra, an outlet at Jyoti Chowk. When the SE reportedly told him that the file would be available to him in the office of the commissioner in five minutes, an argument ensued between the two. Refusing to budge, Tony sat on a dharna in front of his office.

SE Kulwinder Singh said the case pertaining to the outlet was in the court and he did not want to discuss anything regarding it. Meanwhile, the Association of Engineers, MC Jalandhar, got together and decided to give a representation to the MC commissioner and mayor not to allow councilors to take to any pressure tactics of the sort. 

Jalandhar, August 13
The members of the Internationalist Democratic Party (IDP), who have set out on a motorcycle march gathered here today at Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall to celebrate the Independence Day in a different way.

This is the fourth motorcycle march being taken out by the IDP ever since it started in the year 2005. The march would culminate at Wagah-Attari border, Amritsar.

There were 125 persons on 65 motorcycles. Party President Karnail Singh Jakhepal in a press note issued here today said the month of August holds importance for the world in general and India in particular because of the historical incidents which took place in this month.

“Atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Even the Partition also took place in this month leading to the killings of approximately 12 lakh innocent people,” he added. The march is being taken to strengthen public opinion on issues including demand for safe environment, social security and social justice. 

Jalandhar, August 13
Indian Overseas Bank, in an attempt to boost eco-friendly cultivation, yesterday launched financial assistance for a horticulture scheme for urbanites. The property owners can avail themselves of a loan of Rs 10,000 for every 1,000 sq ft of garden space.

Aimed at reducing pollution, the scheme is an attempt to popularise horticulture among the salaried class, especially professionals and businessmen.

Chief Regional Manager of the bank V.K. Gupta said there were many independent houses, guest houses, offices and private institutions in urban areas which had enough open space for the purpose. He added that the open spaces inside the compounds could be easily utilised for horticultural purposes like raising kitchen garden, flower garden, small orchid or terrace garden.

He also advocated the use of farmyard manure, bio-fertilisers, bio-pesticides and vermicompost under the scheme. “The objective is to avoid the usage of inorganic chemicals as part of eco-friendly cultivation,” he maintained.

The bank was looking forward to rope in NGOs, voluntary organisations and eco-friendly organisations to market the product which would help in increasing the green cover. 

Jalandhar, August 13
A child prodigy, at a very young age he had earned the honour of a taiyaar tabla player from veterans.

Enchanted elders often bestowed their blessings on him by pressing and massaging his skillful and gifted hands during the mystic musical evenings.

Anchors at Harballabh gatherings literally left things at “And do we have to tell you who’s at the tabla...” and the audience understood because Pt Ramakant’s tabla has always spoken for itself.

Even biggies like Pt L. Subramanium and Pt Debu Chaudhary have expressed a desire for him to play with them more often but loved by, and in love with Jalandhar, he refuses to part with the city.

Born in 1942 at Noormahal, he started training under his father Pt Kunj Lal. Brought up in a musical environment at home, Ramakant was the only one of the nine siblings who pursued tabla. Taking to a rigorous practice schedule, the siblings took to riyaaz three times a day.

At the age of eight he played at the Harballabh for the first time and mesmerised the audience.

Soon he started taking tabla lessons from Ustad Bahadur Singh at Jalandhar.

From the very beginning he was instructed to concentrate on the finer nuances of tabla according to the style he was accompanying it for (vocal, instrumental or dance).

As Pt Ramakant grew as an artiste, he was greatly influenced by the legendary artistes of the city Ustad Lachman Singh Seen, Surinder Kumar Dutt (a disciple of Pt Ravi Shankar), Sardar Sohan Singh and Pt Shankar Lal Mishra.

Once as he accompanied Dr Arun Mishra (sitar), greatly impressed by his tabla, Lakshmi Shankar decided to be accompanied by Ramakant during her own performance. Pt Gopal Krishna (vichitra veena) was in turn impressed by his performance with Shankar and took him as an accompanist at his performance, the chain ended at the performance of Parveen Sulatana (her first at the Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan) that very night.

His first tryst with bigwigs at the sammelan brought him acclaim and left both the artistes and the audience drooling. His father was flooded with compliments and the day marked the beginning of his new journey in the tabla, which would see him perform with the biggest names of the Hindustani Classical music.

He went on to deliver performances with the likes of Pt Jasraj, Munawwar Ali Khan, Ustad Sabri Khan, Prabha Atre, Pt Bhimsemn Joshi, Vasav Rajguru, Pt Brij Narayan, Pt Debu Chaudhary, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Dr L. Subramanium, Pt Narayan Rao Vyas, Pt Vinayak Rao Patwardhan, Pt Premvallabh, L.K. Pandit and the list goes on.

In 1964 he took to performing at Akashvani, Jalandhar, and soon Doordarshan followed.

Pt Ramakant has also been serving at Kanya Maha Vidyalaya since 1965.

Pt Ramakant has performed worldwide earning accolades at places like Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Uzbekistan, etc.

He has about 200 disciples presently. He has been having students from Khalsa Academy, Anandpur Sahib, Javadhi Taksal, Ludhiana.

Didn’t you ever think of leaving Jalandhar for tabla?

Jalandhar, August 13
Tiny tots of CT Kindergarten celebrated Independence Day. The students all dressed up in Tricolour costumes delivered speeches on “Independence” and presented sang Vande Matram. The national flag was hoisted by Principal Lakhvinder Kaur.

Similarly, the students of St Soldier Divine Public School celebrated Independence Day on the theme of “Save earth, save country.” Vice Chairperson of the school Sangeeta Chopra honoured sarpanches and panches of nearby villages. She urged the students and panchayat members of the villages to plant trees on the eve of Independence Day and make the environment pollution free.The Home Science Department of Kanya Maha Vidyalaya organised a Tricolour rangoli competition on the college premises on August 12. Students made rangolis on the theme of Independence Day. Kamalpreet of BA-I won the first prize. Inderpreet, Megha and Ruchi, all students of PG diploma in nutrition and dietetics, jointly bagged the second prize.

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