Jalandhar, November 7
It was almost a stampede-like situation at Doaba College today. Many (mainly college girls) were left crying as they could not gain entry to the venue where India's one of the biggest stars descended.

Shah Rukh Khan came calling to the city and set hearts racing by his mere presence. Those who got the glimpse of the superstar relished their 'luckiest' day of their life. He was welcomed by the MLAs and VIPs.

In Jalandhar to pay tributes to his mentor and legendry cine-director Yash Chopra and at the same time to promote his forthcoming film 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan', he visited Club Cabana at Phagwara, where he interacted with the media, and Doaba College in Jalandhar along with his co-stars and young heartthrobs --- Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma.

At Club Cabana, Shah Rukh Khan showed pure love for Punjab and Punjabi culture. Claiming Punjabi to be his mother tongue, he said, "Punjab and Punjabi culture flows in my veins. Though, I am a Delhi-walah and my family originally hails from Peshaur (Peshawar in Pakistan), and I am a true Punjabi at heart. I feel I am emotionally linked to Punjab."

"Yash Chopra ji and I represented Punjab together all these years through our films, which were studded with Punjabi music and culture. Punjab is so beautiful. Punjabis are so charismatic and energetic by nature. It is all 'balle balle' in my heart and soul. Though, I am not fluent, but I can speak Punjabi owing to my Delhi background," he added.

He tried to give Punjabi touch to the atmosphere by greeting people with 'Sat Sri Akal', and by humming 'Oh Kudiye Maar Suttiya' in Punjabi style.

Speaking about Yash Chopra, he said, "I remain indebted to Chopras. Legendary Yash ji spent last 20 years of his life 'reinventing' me. He had guided me to take up love stories, saying I won't get popular without romantic films. It was he who told me how to act. It has been a wonderful journey from being a journalist to TV serial 'Fauji' and to the stardom which I enjoy today. I wish everyone should get same success in life. Even a day before going to the hospital on October 9, he was busy giving finishing touches to the music of our film, 'Jab Tak Hain Jaan'."

In a brief visit to Doaba College, the alma-mater of Yash Chopra, he paid tributes to him saying it was a matter of pride for everyone that the college had produced such a great filmmaker.

At the college, Shah Rukh, Katrina and Anushka were accorded a warm welcome by the management committee president Chander Mohan, MLA Manoranjan Kalia, Chief Parliamentary Secretary KD Bhandari and comedians Gurpreet Ghuggi and Balwinder Vicky. He also met family members of Yash Chopra at the college as he had already made it clear that it would not be possible for him to go to Chopra's home in Gobindgarh Mohalla.

Talking about the theme of 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan', Shah Rukh, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma said it was a pure love story in pure Yash Chopra style. "If you talk about Punjabi connections of the film, we have a 'Heer' in the flick 'Challa Ki Labhda Phire'."

Asked about the tussle with producers of 'Son of Sardar', which is also scheduled for a Divali release, and a ban on 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' in Pakistan, Shah Rukh said, "The film not being allowed to screen in Pakistan is not verified. As far as 'Son of Sardar' is concerned, there is nothing between the actors. The issue is between the producers."

Jalandhar, November 7
With just six days left for Divali and shoppers frequenting to the market to buy household items and gifts, encroachments in all city bazaars have proliferated.

Be it the old market areas including Rainak Bazaar, Atari Bazaar, Peer Bodla Bazaar, Phagwara Gate or the newer areas including Model Town, Urban Estate or New Jawahar Nagar, the shopkeepers have extended their counters near the road to display their stuff and attract more customers.

There has been a festive atmosphere in Model Town market ever since Navratras have begun. The encroachments by mehndi walas, sweet shop owners, confectioners, gift shop owners and confectioners increased around Karvachauth.

Now that Divali is around, even those selling electrical or electronic items, kitchenware, handlooms and dress material have come out towards road increasing the problem for commuters. Since the rush in markets too has increased, it has become a problem visiting these areas especially in the evening.

The problem has aggravated for markets in various colonies including Mota Singh Nagar, Preet Nagar on Ladowali Road and Garha Road. Further vendors selling earthen ware, lamps, soft toys, fruits and dry fruits have also added to the problem.

Ravi Malhotra, a resident of Urban Estate, said that most vendors around bus stand had set up temporary sheds as encroachments. “Now they are further putting up their stuff towards road. The width of the road has further got reduced while the volume of traffic has multiplied”, he said.

Municipal Corporation officials, however, seem to be taking a soft stand on the matter.

Jalandhar, November 7
Well known for his Urdu poetry, Ludhiana DIG MF Farooqui will recite his “shers” during a mushaira to be held for strengthening communal harmony in Jalandhar on Sunday.

As many as 25 poets of different languages will recite their poems in the multilingual mushaira to be held under the aegis of the Muslim National Front, Punjab, on November 10 at Baba Qadri Dargah as part of Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) and Diwali celebrations.

Syed Yaqub Husain Naqvi, president of the Front, said apart from Farooqui, renowned poets of the country Raja Sirsavi, Sardar Panchi Saba Jamali, Dr Khushbir Singh Shad, Dr Veena Naqvi, Dr Naseem-ul-Zafar, Darshan Darvesh Parvaz, Aayaj Rasool Nahki, Kashish Hoshiarpuri, Shamsheer Ghaji, Sayyad Jhanjhat and GS Aulakh would also participate in the mushaira.

The president of the Front, who shifted to Jalandhar from Moradabad in UP a few decades ago, has been holding the mushaira for the past nine years.

Saying that he has received immense affection from Punjabis since he had shifted to Jalandhar from UP, Naqvi accompanied by PPCC secretary Virendra Sharma Yogi and founder chairman of NGO Dishadeep SM Singh, said he wanted to reciprocate in the same manner and that was why he decided to hold the mushaira for strengthening the communal harmony.

The mushaira would start at 8.30 pm on Sunday and would continue till dawn on Monday.

Punjab Local Bodies Minister Bhagat Chunni Lal, Jail Minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur, environmentalist Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, LIC, Jalandhar, senior divisional manager, Gurmel Singh Parmar, and DD Jalandhar director Dr OM Gauri Dutt Sharma would specially attend the function, he added.

Jalandhar, November 7
The Punjab Students Union has strongly condemned the move of a Nakodar school, whereby it expelled some Dalit students from the school who couldn’t pay their fee.

Demanding the complete fee waiver for the students of the said school, activists of the union today announced that they would gherao the house of Cabinet Minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur in Jalandhar on November 9.

Talking to mediapersons here at the local Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall, Mangaljit Singh, an activist of the Punjab Students Union, said Dalit students Shammi, Bobby, Sukhjinder Singh and Jaspreet Singh, studying at a Nakodar-based school, were expelled on Monday due to non-payment of fees.

“These students belong to poor families. Their parents work as labourers, yet they were expelled from the school,” the activist said.

He said on one hand, the government had announced that the fee of Dalit students would be waived off, and on the other, students were being expelled due to non-payment of fees.

Citing letters and memos issued by the Indian Government and the Welfare Department, activists said students (pursuing research and medical, arts and higher education) belonging to the SC families having an income of less than Rs 2 lakh, had been exempted totally from paying tuition fee and non-refundable compulsory fee. But the same was not being implemented anywhere.

The union said its demands to the minister would be the waiving off the fee not just of these students, but of all Dalit students pursing higher education with a family income of less than Rs 2 lakh.

Jalandhar, November 7
DAV College under the aegis of the Department of Extra-Mural Activities organised the 11th National Youth Parliament. It was sponsored by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India, under the Scheme of National Youth Parliament Competition in universities/colleges throughout the country.

Dr Dinesh Arora, coordinator of the programme, said this was the group-level competition. All over the country, 35 universities and colleges were participating in the 11th Youth Parliament. These institutions had been divided into five groups. DAV College, Jalandhar, is in Group D.

In this event, 70 students participated and they successfully tried to create the look of the real Parliament. The seating arrangement was made as per the provisions of the Parliament. The members of the 11th National Youth Parliament wore the dresses of different states and items like ‘Oath by New Members’, ‘Introduction to New Ministers by PM’, ‘Breach of Privilege’, ‘Question Hour’, ‘Papers to be Laid’, ‘zero Hour’, ‘Vote of No Confidence’ etc were presented in this Youth Parliament.

Important issues like quality education, food reserves, Railway accidents, position of migrants of Jammu and Kashmir, defence modernisation, etc., were raised on the occasion.

The event was evaluated by a jury of three judges - Dr B. Moomin, MLS University, Udaipur, Pawan Tinu, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Government of Punjab, Professor DK Sud, Kamla Nehru College, Department of Political Science, Phagwara.

The jury selected eight students as the best members of the Youth Parliament namely Shikha, Shaina, Rashmi Sharma, Nitika, Gursimrat, Aastha, Rajat and Balkrishan.

These students and judges were honoured by principal BB Sharma, Prof Sharad Manocha, Dean EMA, Dr Ashwani Sharma, Dr BB Sharma and other members of the EMA.