The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Docs accused of sharing profit with lab Cases of doctors referring patients to particular labs/chemists a normal feature Balwant Garg Tribune News Service Faridkot, February 20 Some days back, after his son suffered a head injury, Mohinder Singh, a resident of Golewala village of Faridkot went to a chemist shop, situated in front of Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital Faridkot to purchase the medicines. On his inquiry about the cost of prescribed medicines, the first chemist quoted Rs 28,000, total prices for the medicines. A marginal farmer, Mohinder Singh went to second, third and fourth shop, inquiring about the estimated price of the prescribed medicines. In the last, he paid just Rs 7,800 for these medicines to the fourth chemist. But still he is doubtful about the actual prices of the purchased medicines. In another instance, last month, after his niece Sheena suffered a grievous mandible injury, Surinder Pal, a resident of Balbir Basti Faridkot went to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital for treatment. A doctor examined Sheena and asked Surinder to purchase four plates, to be inserted in mandible, from a particular chemist shop. That chemist demanded Rs 9,000 for four plates but Surinder purchased these plates from another chemist for just Rs 2000. But the dental surgeon declined to operate Sheena for not purchasing the surgical plates from the particular chemist. Many requests to the doctor to operate his niece, yielded no results, so a week later Surinder shifted his niece to a private clinic for operation. But harassed at the hands of the doctor, he filed a complaint against the doctor with the higher authorities in the medical college, disclosing the doctor's cut practice/fee splitting with the chemist and calling it a totally unethical practice. Now, the Superintendent and Principal of Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital have started an inquiry against the dental surgeon. Expressing concern over the tendency, JC Sanadhya, superintendent of the medical college hospital, said action would be taken against the doctor if he was found guilty. However, these are not stray cases. There are many similar occurrences when some doctors in private and government hospitals referred the patients to particular laboratories and medicine shops for a battery of investigations even for trivial symptoms and commonly available drugs. The cut practice and cost recovery of hospital equipment play a prime role in decision-making. Unnecessary tests are a loathsome burden on patients and, at times, result in false positive results leading to unscientific treatment, said a senior doctor, Harbhag Singh, DM Neurology. Most of the hospitals are now commercialised, they are business to make money not hospitals to treat patients, said Dr Amar Singh Azad, a senior paediatrician and expert in social and preventive medicine. “I see large hoardings of hospitals beckoning patients and some of them even display the photos of physicians,” said Dr Azad. Though MCI prohibits such practices and advertising is permitted only for notifying change of address or temporary absence of the doctor from duty, but like all other business, the hospitals are also putting up big hoardings and banners. The prime object of the medical profession is to render service to humanity. Reward or financial gain is a subordinate consideration. “We need to restore a man to his health, his purse lies open to us,” said Dr Azad.
	Scholar refuses award over ‘denigration’ of Punjabi, relents Panditrao C Dharennavar objects to Makhan Brar’s lyrics ‘Ghar Di Sharab Hove’ for Gurdas Mann song Nikhila Pant Dhawan Tribune News Service Bathinda, February 20 It is not unusual for a scholar to be honoured at a ceremony but it is certainly unusual for the scholar to refuse the award. This is what Panditrao C Dharennavar, assistant professor in sociology at Post Graduate College, Chandigarh, did at an awards ceremony organised in Bathinda on Monday. Panditrao, originally from Karnataka, has been teaching in Chandigarh for eight years and during this period, he has learnt not only how to speak Punjabi, but also how to read and write the language. In fact, he has translated seven books from Kannada, his mother tongue, to Punjabi, mother tongue of the place he is living in. Panditrao was to be honoured on the occasion of World Mother Tongue Day in Bathinda but he politely turned down the award. "Sharing the stage with me was the Punjabi lyricist Makhan Brar who has written songs like 'Ghar Di Sharab Hovey' which was sung by Gurdas Maan and became a huge hit. I objected to the word 'sharab' that he used in the song. His song creates the perception that drinking home-made liquor is bliss. I wanted him to feel and say sorry for making such a statement in his song. After I refused to accept the award, the house erupted and bowing to the common sentiment, I accepted it later, but only after voicing my feelings," he says. "My issue with the song is that it may make a person think that it is good to drink liquor and if he will not get ghar di sharab, he will go to the liquor vends and this is how alcoholism increases. The state is anyway grappling with the menace of liquor and drugs. Singers and lyricists should also take it upon themselves to show the right path to their listeners. The kind of songs that singers like Diljit Dosanjh are singing these days, full of expletives, objectify women. They sing in Punjabi, which originated from Gurmukhi. I wonder when the language that these singers use is the Guru ki vaani, how do they use such denigrating lyrics in their songs? There was protest outside his home in Chandigarh and a similar protest was held in Barnala as well. Women of Punjab should raise their voice against the way they are referred to in the songs," he says. Talking about his books, he says, "My first book, 'Mai Ta Mai Haan', is about the close relationship between the Kannada and Punjabi literatures. Look at Sufism which talks about 'Guru Bin Gyaan Nahin'. Similar ideology was also propagated by the 12th century saints of Karanataka. I have written prose and poems. After this book, I started translating works of the 12th century saints of Karnataka like Basavanna, Akka Mahadevi, Allam Prabhu, among others. I have translated as many as seven books from Kannada to Punjabi. Right now, I am translating Sri Guru Granth Sahib into Kannada." One may wonder about the kind of market that Panditrao's works have, but the writer says he is least concerned about finding a huge market for his books. "It is not a matter of finding a market to sell my books. It is about brining the two states together. If I bring the ideologies of the south and the north together, in a way I'm bringing the people from two Indias closer. Those in Punjab who have read my books tell me that they are amazed to know about the similarities between the two cultures. They wonder how Akka Mahadevi, a 12th century Karnataka poetess, spoke about emancipation of women," he says. He also says the transition from being a sociology professor to a writer was quite a smooth one. "I teach sociology and the subject talks about the social fabric. The literature of a region says a lot about its people, its thought processes and its ideology. When I read Sri Guru Grant Sahib, I get to know about the teachings that the Guru imparted and makes the whole Punjabi society look holy to me," he adds.
	Tributes paid to Sadhu Singh Takhtupura Kulwinder Sandhu/TNS Moga, February 20 Hundreds of farmers led by more than 20 farmer and labour organisations paid floral tributes to Sadhu Singh Takhtupura, a former leader of the BKU (Ekta) on his second death anniversary in his native village at Takhtupura in Moga district on Monday. Sadhu Singh was murdered on February 16, 2010, at village Bhindi Saidan in Amritsar district, a day before he was to lead a protest against the custodial death of a farmer and protect the rights of the tillers and raise voice against the forcible acquisition of farmers' land in the state. Sadhu was 68 years old when he was killed by the land mafia. He retired as a teacher in 2000 after which he became a full-time activist of the farm organization and led many protests. The president of BKU Joginder Singh Ugrahan and secretary general Sukhdev Singh Kokri along with the leaders of other farmer and labour organisations called upon the farmers and landless labourers to unite against the alleged repressive policies of the union and state governments. Adding that the martyrdom of Sadhu Singh Takhtupura for the rights of the poor peasants has given a new path to their struggle for protecting the rights of the tillers, Kokri alleged that Takhtupura was killed by the land mafia under the shelter of politicians and the police. Both the leaders demanded free power to water pumps used for irrigation purposes. The general secretary of the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union Lakshman Singh, president of the Noujwan Bharat Sabha Pawel Singh Kussa, convener of the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti Kanwalpreet Singh Pannu, general secretary of the BKU (Krantikari) Dalwinder Singh and activists of many other organizations also paid their floral tributes to Takhtupura vowing to remain united to protect their rights.
	Agro juice plant becomes functional Raj Sadosh Abohar, February 20 The agro juice plant located near village Alamgarh on Abohar-Sriganganagar road has become functional. The Hindustan Unilever Ltd has signed a contract with Abohar-based PM Enterprises to supply two thousand tonnes of kinnow juice. “We need 5,000 tonnes of kinnow fruit for processing,” Mahesh Bhalotia of an indenting trading house said, adding that on the spot payment will be made against purchase of C and D grade of fruit. The processing might be continued if farmers provide good quantity of fruit. Elaborate arrangements to wash and brush the fruit before processing have been made, MD of Agro Juices SK Rana said. Pepsi, Mother Dairy and Dabur too have shown interest in processing, sources added. Buoyed over the development, Punjab Citrus Council member Tejwinder Singh Aulakh from the village Kallarkhera and former Fruit Federation MD Ranbir Jyani of village Katehra said non-functioning of the plant had figured prominently during the state sitrus show here last week. Punjab Agricultural University vice-chancellor Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon and Director, Horticulture, Lajwinder Singh Brar had shared concern with the fruit growers over poor functioning of the citrus estate here besides the agro fruit and vegetable processing plant. The citrus estate is also expected to function well with some recent reshuffling, Tejwinder Singh Aulakh said, adding that growers should come forward to supply duly cleaned kinnow fruit for processing. Notably, the farmers have normally been throwing out D grade fruit outside their orchards but it now fetches Rs 3 for each kg when used for processing. Some confectionery manufacturing companies run by Ludhiana woman entrepreneur had last year availed of the services of the plant for processing of tomato paste taking advantage of the glut in the yield. The confectionary manufacturers had purchased 150 tonnes of tomatoes at Rs 3.65 per kg. This had helped the Agro Juices (Punjab) pay emoluments to its staff here for about two months. Captain Amarinder Singh, then Chief Minister, had inaugurated the first phase of the high-tech Agro Juices plant here on December 19, 2006. Union Minister for Food Processing Subodh Kan Sahay and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal formally inaugurated it on October 1, 2007.
	Counting of votes, school exam coincide Praful Chander Nagpal Fazilka, February 20 The students and the staff of DAV Centenary Senior Secondary School and others are likely to face a piquant situation as the date of counting of votes and the school examination has coincided. The EVMs have been kept in the hall of the school where the counting will take place. On the other hand, CBSE has set up an examination centre on the school premises. On March 6, the date of counting, students shall appear in matriculation examination in the school at Malout road. On the one hand, the students will appear in the test and on the other, counting of votes for Fazilka Assembly constituency will take place at the same time and at the same venue which could disturb the students, said some parents. There is apprehension of a difficult situation arising as hundreds of supporters of different candidates would gather at the counting venue. Besides, the police would cordon off the school area under security measures which could create problems for the students. Principal of the school Madan Sharma said a separate approach near the railway track along the right boundary wall of the school would be provided to the officials, counting agents and others to avoid any problems for the students. SDM-cum-Election officer Charandev Singh Maan ruled out any disturbance to the students by maintaining that the site of counting would be separated by raising a temporary partition between the hall and the school premises. Parents of the students have demanded that the authorities should ensure a smooth examination on March 6.