Amritsar, December 28
Even after a marathon meeting, lasting nearly five hours, the five Sikh high priests could not arrive at a mutually agreed decision on the Nanakshahi calendar and announced to meet again on December 30.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh. Other Jathedars who attended the meeting were Giani Iqbal Singh (Patna Sahib), Giani Balwant Singh Nandgarh (Damdama Sahib), Giani Tarlochan Singh (Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib), and Jyotinder Singh (deputy Jathedar, Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib).

It is learnt that a section of the participants favoured tabling of the issue in the executive of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), while others favoured to call Pal Singh Purewal, who prepared the calendar, to discuss changes in it.

However, various Sikh organisations, including radicals, have already opposed any kind of amendment especially restructuring it on the pattern of the Valmiki calendar. 

Jalndhar, December 28
All the rehtoric that classical music has got no takers in India was busted as a sea of humanity flooded the pandals of the Shree Baba Harivallabh Sammelan on Day 4.

The vocals of Shruti Kumar (Thumri-Dadra-Tappa) and Kamaljit Kaur (Thumri-Dadra-Tappa) along with the tabla prowess of Jatinder Singh (all winners of last year's music competition) marked the beginning of the evening.

Nevedita Singh then stepped in with her sonorous voice, rendering magnificent compositions in Raag Puriya Kalyan and Raag Khokhar. She ended her performance with a Shabad, Gurbani also being her field of choice.

Nayan Ghosh then performed the teen taal. A rich and much sought after artist, the tonal brilliance of his tabla was the perfect precursor for the genius of Banaras.

After him followed the queen of thumri, the voice of the people, the epitome of grace - Girija Devi.

The evening lit up with the endearing, folk wisdom of the 81-year-old Banaras-born artist.

Don't show us her face and we wouldn't know her age. Her voice still brims over with the excitement and energy of the one keen to share with the world the beauty of the thumri and the folk forms she's spent her life preserving, upholding and bestowing on the aficionados of music.

She introduced the Punjabi audience to the rustic glory of her thumri (Raag Kalyan), Tappa (Kafi), Hori and a Jhoola chanting, "Deewana kiyo sham ne kya jadoo dara..."

It was then time to walk into a world of valleys and flowing rivers with Pt Tarun Bhattacharya's santoor. Accompanying him on the tabla was Pt Abhijit Ghosh. The maestro started with Raag Baageshwari and then the Harivallabh audience had a glimpse of the amazing and well-loved river strains of the environs of Bengal, Bhatiali, on the santoor. With this well-loved composition of his, the audience travelled into the world of the noiya, the thatched-hut village and the heart of a teary-eyed bride of Bengal.

Sangeet Nahar, who came up next, presented three compositions in Raag Arana. His voice had a distinct Indianness and intensity which seemd to compliment his rare, devotional and energetic bandishes perfectly.

He set the stage on fire with his aroused vocals and ended with a Tap Khayal in Raag Bahar.

Next came the Pt Debu Chaudhuri and Pt Sandip Das duo. The Senia Gharana exponent's tranquil, traditional style took the audience to the zenith slowly and gradually with a perfect mood build-up with Raag Kausi Kanhada and when Sandeep Das joined in, the double delight of the tabla and sitar left the audience craving for more.

The tabla and sitar played, teased and competed with each other for the perfect classical music experience. The performance ended with the presentation of Raag Shahan Bahar.

As the clock struck 5 am the sammelan ended with a recital in the full, bold voice of one of the most celebrated disciples of Pt Jasraj, Pt Sanjeev Abhyankar, who presented the Bhopal Tori, Raag Durga Bahaar, Raag Bairagi and Raag Bahar.

Chandigarh, December 28
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee may have dithered over allowing women to do seva, including kirtan, at the Golden Temple, but a gurdwara in Halifax, Canada, has scored a first in implementing the concept of gender equality by returning an all-women team to run its affairs.

Elections to the managing committee of the Halifax gurdwara were held last weekend where all members reposed their faith in an all- women team.

Though the gurdwara had set the trend in 1993 when it elected a woman president, Gurdip Kaur Toor. Subsequently in 1994, another woman, Surjit Kaur Sidhu, was elected as the president followed by Gurinder Kaur Dhillon in 1998. 
In fact, last year was all devoted to recognise and promote women’s seva to the gurdwara and a woman-administered oath of office to all members of the managing committee. And before the elections of new office-bearers were held, only woman sevadars - Kuldip Kaur Chahl, Satpal Kaur Sodhi and Gurdip Kaur Toor - were felicitated with presentation of siropas by another senior woman member of the gurdwara, Pritam Kaur. It was in recognition of their meritorious service to the Maritime Sikh Society since the society was founded 40 years ago.

Professor Harbans Lal, Emeritus professor and Chair, Pharmacology and Neuroscience at University of North Texas, told The Tribune that besides being practical in following and implementation of the basic tenets of the Sikhism, the gurdwara also felicitated two girls - Sonia Singh and Sargam Paul - with the Bhai Ghanaya award in recognition of their seva at the gurdwara.

“We associate women in all activities of the society. Besides running langar (community kitchen), women members mostly lead the congregation in reciting ardas. A woman always does mini ardas before putting Guru Granth Sahib -‘sukhahsan’- - to rest at the end of the day. Even at the time of Akhand paths - women members mostly do continuous recitation of Guru Granth Sahib. Majority of the devotees who recite kirtan are women and girls. On the Baisakhi day, Amandeep Kaur was the only guest speaker. “Only girls are taking music lessons from renowned musician Pandit Vijay,” says Prof Harbans Lal.

Ropar, December 28
The New Year seems to be a rewarding year for Ropar district with major works like the Khalsa Heritage Project at Anandpur Sahib nearing its stage of completion and being opened for the public.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is expected to dedicate the project to the people of the state on the Baisakhi, making the city more important from the tourism point of view.

The completion of a bridge over the Sirhind Canal here is also on the cards. With the old bridge having outlived its life and being closed for heavy vehicles, the new bridge could solve traffic problem to a larger extent. PWD officials claim that work on the project will be completed within the given time frame.

Similarly, the four-laning of the Kurali-Kiratpur Sahib Road would bring much-needed relief, but at the same time add to the toll tax charges making a ride from Chandigarh to Naina Devi costlier.

This year, Ropar became house to Punjab’s prestigious IIT. The present transit campus is running from a polytechnic college, which has been tailored to suit to the temporary needs of the IIT. However, the staff and college are yet to come to terms with the city, which is poorly connected with airports and have a few trains to Delhi than needed. The opening of an IIT is expected to bring change in the lifestyle and markets of Ropar.

Peeved at frequent power cuts and poor road connectivity, the director of the IIT had even met Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. The director not only demanded the early completion of the four-laning of the Ropar-Kurali Road and a flyover on the Nangal Road, but he also impressed upon the CM to direct the PWD (B&R) for the construction of roads around the upcoming IIT campus to enable movement of trucks and heavy machinery involved in the construction activity.

Besides the ongoing construction works, the political scene in the district may hot up. Both Anandpur Sahib and Nangal Municipal Councils are working sans president. The political tug of war between various SAD-BJP and Congress factions could also intensify further.

However, in the New Year, not much is expected from area MP and Punjab Youth Congress chief Raveent Singh Bittu, who has been seen in his constituency only during senior Congress leaders’ visit and has hardly raised any issue from his constituency at the Lok Sabha.

At the administration level, the state government has launched two pilot projects in the district, including computerised land records at Morinda tehsil and farm tourism in the entire district.

While the record of Morinda has almost been computerised, that of Ropar is under process.

Ludhiana, December 28
Disillusioned with the handling of his stripping and assault case by the police, Tehsildar G.S. Benipal today knocked at the door of the High Court stating he wanted to take his case to a logical conclusion and the judiciary was his last hope.

After waiting for six months, hoping the police would act fairly, Benipal said he had realised that “he was banging his head against a wall” and he did not want to waste time by allowing the Ludhiana police to do what it wanted with his case.

Questioning the second Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the police, Benipal alleged the SIT was working at the behest of a lobby that was all out to save the accused.

“The police is hell bent upon saving prime accused and SAD councillor Simarjit Singh Bains and his aides, Kamaljit Singh Karwal and Pardeep Kapoor. The designs of the police are quite clear to me. I am a fighter and I will fight it out. If that door is closed, the High Court door is open for me,” he said while talking to The Tribune after filing his writ petition in the HC in Chandigarh today. He said he was satisfied with the findings of the earlier SIT but probably the police was not. Since the team had held the FIR right in the case, it did not suit the police. "That is why another SIT was constituted. This was after the challan was presented in the court. Does it not make the designs of the police clear?” he asked.

Anticipating a threat to his life, Benipal said he might be eliminated for not remaining silent. “I may be implicated in some cases also. My message is very clear. I may be killed. They may try to harm my family also. But no matter what they do, I will fight for justice as long as I am alive. I do not even care for this job. I will quit if need be,” he said.

Benipal was stripped and assaulted on June 19 in his office this year. The assailants had gone a step further and did not allow a vehicle to take him to hospital. The administrative authorities had then intervened and managed to take him to hospital. He suffered multiple injuries and a fracture in his leg.

After that Bains and Karwal were arrested. Since then they are lodged in the Central Jail here. 

Ludhiana, December 28
Hoping to tide over the financial crisis, the fund-starved Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) that helped the country usher in the Green Revolution, now aims to bring about a biotechnological revolution while sensitising the farmers about environment conservation.

Besides, it will also concentrate on evolving cost-effective technologies for natural resource management; bio-control of crop pests and pathogens; protective cultivation technologies for vegetables; integrated pest management in different crops; and farm machinery for water-use efficiency.

‘‘We hope that the financial difficulties will alleviate in 2010 and we will have enough funds to pay salaries and pensions that will help us concentrate on research, teaching and extension programmes,’’ says the Vice- Chancellor, Dr MS Kang.

Stating that the agricultural biotechnology will require a need-based focus, Dr Kang said he was confident that the wheat genomics project with the School of Agricultural Biotechnology at the PAU will generate a world-class research output that the country would be proud of.

It would also help in developing biofuel and bio-energy technologies; empowering women; planning market-oriented approaches; functional project monitoring; assessment; and linkage with industry and market. Promotion of speedy technology transfer would also be on the priority list.

The farm university also plans to concentrate on human resource development in the needed areas. The faculty of different departments would be asked to go to the select farmers’ fields, have interactions, receive first-hand feedback to make their efforts as per need and problem-solving under the 'retreat programmes’.

Besides it would organise international meets on “Climate Change and Agriculture” and an “Asian Peace Seminar” in the near future by bringing in international stalwarts to discuss strategies.

In order to give a new lease of life to the courses loosing sheen, a programme of BSc (Agri) and BSc (H.Sc) would be started to enhance the influx of rural students in the university. Efforts to make the course curriculum need-based and relevant to the emerging scenario will continue.

It has been decided to organise annual meets of the international alumni of the PAU settled in different parts of the world to foster international linkages.

During the last year, streamlining the administration and bringing efficiency through IT-enabled services remained a priority and examination results were computerised and made available online. PAU portals at the School of Information Technology (SIT) were set up on the university campus to achieve the mission of agricultural informatics, information technology (IT), education and e-governance. PAU portals for internal communication and online examinations for enhancing efficiency, governance were launched.

PAU remained abuzz with activities during 2009. It sustained its programmes of teaching, technology generation and dissemination with vigour and established new joint ventures in its effort to keep pace with the emerging global needs, strive for national food security, conserve natural resources, and care for farmers' economic interests.

During the year, 15 improved high-yielding, stress-tolerant and better quality crop varieties were released including one each of wheat ( PBW-590), barley (PL-807), pearl millet ( PBDH-102), lentil (LL-931), Sesame (RT-346) , grapefruit (Star Ruby), guava (Punjab Pink), peach (Florda guard rootstock , resistant to nematodes), bittergourd (Punjab Kareli-1), and Arvi ( Punjab Arvi-1) two of rice ( PR-120, Punjab Mehak-1), three of tomato (Punjab Ratta, Punjab Barkha Bahar-1, Punjab Barkha Bahar-2).

Bathinda, December 28
In an attempt to prop up its wobbly financial condition, the Punjab Government is now eyeing land lying with the state police.

According to a freshly drawn up plan, the state government will commercially use the police land to the best possible extent.

As per an official list (enclosed with letter number 4829/ building-4), the office of the Director-General of Police , Punjab, has sent details of 69 sites which are within its jurisdiction to the Principal Secretary (Home Affairs) for the purpose.

The list has been further sent to the PUDA authorities and the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board to determine the feasibility of exploiting such land for commercial purposes.

The Police Department has not only proposed but also recommended the “best” utilisation of such land. In accordance with the measurements, the department has recommended that the property could be used for the purposes of shops/shopping complexes, petrol stations, ATM cabins, cell phone towers, banks, PCOs, motels and the installation of hoardings, etc.

Eight sites have been identified in Barnala, six each in Amritsar (city) and Batala, five each in Faridkot and Ropar, four each in Amritsar (rural), Tarn Taran, Ludhiana (city), Ludhiana (rural) and Muktsar, three in Gurdaspur and 2nd Commando Battalion, two in Khanna, Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur, one each in Ferozepur, Mansa, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and ADGP/Armed Battalion, Jalandhar.

Patiala, Mohali, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur and Moga districts have been shown to have zero availability of such land.

Seeking anonymity, a highly placed official in PUDA said that in the list of 69 sites, the Police Department has smartly avoided mentioning valuable property. It has listed only such property which is “ill-located” and would hardly bring any benefit to the state exchequer. 

Chandigarh, December 28
Just how much alcohol do you imagine is consumed in Punjab in a day? Nothing that you guess can be close to the figure. In 2008-2009, over 5.2 lakh bottles of liquor and 1.5 lakh bottles of beer were consumed in the state every day!

What should, however, be sending alarm bells ringing for the state health authorities is the trend that the consumption of alcohol has shown a marked increase in the past three years.

According to information gathered under the RTI Act, Kamal Anand, a Sangrur-based social activist campaigning against underage drinking, the average number of alcohol bottles consumed by a Punjabi male every year has gone up from one bottle a month to almost two a month. In 2005-06, the total number of bottles sold in Punjab was 13.51 crore. Out of this, only 3.48 crore bottles were of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and the rest of countrymade liquor.

In 2006-2007, the total number increased to 17.55 crore. The consumption of the IMFL increased by about two crore and the countrymade liquor consumption increased by another two crore. Interestingly, in 2007-08, the total annual consumption decreased to 16. 39 crore bottles. The sale of both IMFL and countrymade liquor dropped.

However, the last financial year saw the state jumping back to liquor consumption in a big way. Over 19.2 crore bottles were sold in 2008-2009. While the sale of both IMFL and countrymade liquor increased, the increase in the sale of countrymade liquor was significantly higher than the increase in number of IMFL bottles.

This could be good news for the Excise and Taxation Department in terms of raking in taxes, but anti-drinking activists are aghast and have squarely blamed the department for having failed in implementing several provisions of the Punjab Liquor License Act that keeps a check on the unhealthy practices of attracting customers.

“Punjab Liquor License Rules clearly state that liquor selling shop would not have decorative lights. But it seems excise department officials cannot see how almost at every shop these rules are violated with impunity,” said Anand.

“The vendor is also supposed to display the warning -use of alcohol is injurious to health in Hindi, Gurmukhi, English and Urdu. Instead there are hoardings like -pio aur ji- written on liquor shops,” he added.

Dr AS Mann, who is also part of the campaign- stop underage drinking- initiated by NGO People for Transparency, said the sale of alcohol to the person below the age of 25 was prohibited but majority of habitual drinkers began drinking much before they were 25. He added that only 17 venders have been proceeded against in the past several years for violating the rules.

Patiala, December 28
To improve the standard of government schools and bring them on par with convents, the focus now would be on the Parent-Teacher Association’s meetings.

Krishan Kumar, the Director General School Education, has directed the teachers to take the meetings seriously and make sure they use sophisticated language while interacting with parents

and students. It was informed that the teachers used words like

‘dafar’, ‘dangar’, ‘nalayak’, etc. while talking to parents about

their wards and would insult students in front of their parents.

Kumar opined that these meetings, which are held on the last Saturday of every month, were very important for both parents and students as they were made aware of the month’s progress of their child.

Usage of foul language by teachers would not only embarrass the parents but spoil the relation between teachers and students as well.

The DGSE has asked the teachers to pre-plan these meetings. They have to now keep a written record of what they would ask parents and what they would tell them, he added. The principals can anytime check their record. Also, teachers must maintain a progress record of every child at the time of meeting so that everything could be discussed in detail.

The teachers will also be required to record each and every instance of indiscipline by students date wise in their diaries and show them to their parents in meetings. They will work in tandem with parents on certain problems faced by their wards to find proper solutions. As per directions, teachers are also required to not instigate parents to beat their wards or insult them. 

Chandigarh,December 28
There is light at the end of tunnel for the unemployed visually challenged persons in Punjab. Following a relentless struggle by the National Federation of the Blind (NFD) in support of their long-pending demands, the Punjab government has decided to fill 348 posts reserved for the visually challenged persons in a bid to clear the backlog of the vancanies for this category.

This was decided at a meeting the NFB delegation, led by its national general secretary SK Rungta, had with Chief Secretary of Punjab SC Aggarwal here last week.

At the meeting it was decided that the state government would issued advertisement for the recruitment of visually challenged persons within week. The earlier deadline for the completion of the recruitment process was December 18, 2009.

Rungta claimed that the government had assured the delegation that the records of 40 departments, which did not bring their back-log or showed nil backlog, would be check for any violation of the reservation rules for the blind.

During the meeting it was reportedly decided to call a meeting of the vice-chancellors of the universities of the Punjab to ascertain the backlog in their respective universities. It was also decided to review the conversion of posts reserved for visually handicapped persons into quota for other handicapped persons. Besides, the NFB urged the government to convert the JBT/ ETT posts into the post of hobby teacher.

Rungta claimed that the Chief Secretary instructed the officials concerned to issue the advertisement in a time-bound manner and start the process of the selection of candidates for different posts immediately so that the progress could be reviewed in the next meeting.

Meanwhile, general secretary of the Punjab unit of the NFB Rajesh Mohan appealed to the Punjab Government to implement the decision in a speedy manner in letter and spirit."We will judge the credibility of the state government on the implementation of its decision," Rajesh Mohan added.

The members of the NFB have been on warpath against the Punjab Government demanding the implementation of 1 per cent job quota in the government departments. In fact, the NFB had organised one of the longest dharnas in Chandigarh’s history outside the Office of the Social Security Department in Sector 34 here to press for its demands. 

Patiala, December 28
Nearly 200-year-old religious monument, comprising gurdwara and Kausalaya-Ram Mandir, situated at Ramgarh fort in ancient Vedic town Ghuram near Pehowa, faces imminent and serious threat of demolition at the hands of the state goverment, as per a notice issued to conservator Dr Manjit Singh Randhawa, Convener Culture and Heritage Conservation Initiative.

Dr Randhawa said here today that the heritage monument was got built by Maharaja Karam Singh (1813-1845) of erstwhile princely state of Patiala in memory of Lord Rama of Ayodhya, as per the official state gazetteer of Phulkian states 1904.

Dr Randhawa in a notice to sub-collector, Patiala, has threatened to remove the gurdwara and mandir if the same are not removed by December 28. The notice has triggered public outrage against and devotees resorted to agitation by holding black flag protests to press the government to withdraw the notice which they described as unjust and provocative that may cause serious consequence for which responsibility will squarely rest with the state government.

The long-neglected religious monument is a protected heritage structure under the State Archives Department. It was reduced to ruins due to apathy of successive state governments till a decade back, when in December 1998, a representative delegation of nearly 80 pachayats of nearby villages of Punjab and Haryana led by Dr MS Randhawa called upon then Chief Minister of Punjab Parkash Singh Badal at his residence at Chandigarh and submitted a memorandum to conserve the neglected priceless heritage and to grant the place a holy city status.

Finding the state machinery and concerned department non responsive, consensus was reached to conserve the monument on our own by exercising our constitutional duty as duty to save national heritage, claimed Ganda Singh, an elder of Ghuram and Dr Randhawa, convener of Heritage Body.