AGRICULTURE

‘Need to cut down cost of farm production’
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 9
‘‘We should prepare ourselves to meet global challenges by reducing input costs and enhancing the quality of the farm produce’’. This was emphasised by Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, Agriculture Minister, Punjab, while inaugurating a District- Level Farmers’ Training Camp, organised by the Department of Agriculture, Punjab, at Hambran Focal Point here today.

The camp was aimed at acquainting the farmers with the challenges posed by trade globalisation agreements and apprising them of advantages of sowing Rabi crops.

The minister advised the farmers to adopt new agricultural technologies so that they could compete in the world markets. He said the farmers should keep in mind the future requirements and diversify accordingly in order to prepare themselves for emerging global opportunities.

In his welcome speech, Dr Gurcharan Singh Rajajung, Chief Agriculture Officer, told the farmers that agriculture department had launched a campaign — "Second Push in Agriculture", to enable the farmers to live up to the standards and expectations of international market. The agriculture department would provide good quality inputs to raise the standard of production to international levels. ‘‘To deal with the problem of the present glut of food grains, the farmers must divert their attention towards the sowing of cash crops such as vegetables, mushrooms, turmeric, fruits, oilseed, pulses, maize, sugarcane, agro-forestry.’’

He further suggested that the farmers should take up bee keeping , poultry and dairy farming which would help them earn substantial income. He asked the farming community to work hard to survive in the globalisation era.

Recommending the adoption of eco-friendly value-added crops, along with speedy reversion to organic culture, which would help in the recovery of soil health, he further said the problems of depletion of underground water and de-generation of soil health needed to be given priority in order to sustain the present level of production and productivity.

Dr Rajajung cautioned the farmers that more than 80 per cent area in the state was under threat due to decline in water table and if corrective steps were not taken in time, the present centrifugal pumps would have to be replaced with submersible pumps which would have high installation and working cost.

In his presidential remarks, Dr Sarwan Singh Bains, Director Agriculture, Punjab, stressed the need to bring down the area under rice cultivation by at least 33 per cent by shifting to other crops.

He further said the problems of depletion of underground water and degeneration of soil health ought to be addressed urgently in order to sustain the present level of farm production. Dr Bains also suggested that region-specific cropping plans should be formulated in order to diversify the agriculture in the rice-wheat predominant areas.

During technical session, Dr R.P.S. Aulakh dwelt on global agreements. Dr Lal Singh Brar focussed on the control of weeds and Dr Gurdip Singh apprised the farmers of ways to control insects, pests. Dr A.S. Bedi spoke about plant disease while Dr J.L. Sharma and Mr Kulwinder Singh shared their experiences about soil health and agriculture implements, respectively.

12 colleges take part in debate
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 9
The Industrial Pollution Control Committee, a wing of the Ludhiana Citizens’ Health Council, organised an inter-college debate on ‘Slums: The product of modernisation’ at the Devki Devi Jan College of Education for Women, Kidwai Nagar, here today.

About 12 colleges of the city, each represented by a team of two students, participated in the contest. The team of the host college clinched the overall trophy. Dilip Kaur from Guru Nanak Dev Homeopathic College bagged the first prize, followed by Tinu Mehra from the host college and Rajan Saini from the College of Agriculture, Punjab Agricultural University. Consolation prizes were given to Geetanjali (Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women) and Manmeet Singh (Kamla Lohtia Sanatan Dharam College).

An exhibition was also organised on the same topic in which students from the SDP College for Women bagged all prizes.

CULTURE

Bad presentation mars good effort
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 9
The staging of Dr S.N. Sewak’s Punjabi play ‘Kuknus Marda Nahin’ by the Ludhiana Kala Manch at the auditorium of the Government College for Women here last evening was an attempt to revive theatre, but poor organisation and lack of good sound and light effects marred the play. It started an hour and a half late.

The play revolves round a legendary hero Dulla Bhatti, an irresponsible youth in a mediaeval Punjab village, who enjoys breaking earthen pots of the village belles. His mother keeps him in the dark about the killing of his father and grandfather by Mughal rulers. Village belles make fun of him for breaking their pitchers and not the heads of the Mughals.

This remark ignites in him a sense of honour and he revolts against the Mughals. He is killed in a skirmish with prince Salim. His son is born and the mother says “Kuknus marda nahin”. The message conveyed is that a man fighting for social justice never dies and continues to live on in the hearts of the masses.

The performers did well and the costumes were good, but there were lapses in stagecraft and production. The actors kept on walking up and down the stage instead of going through the green room. Swapan played emperor Akbar well and Amrita Sewak did well as Laddi, Dulla Bhatti’s mother.

Mazhar, Jawaad give musical treat
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, October 9
The students of Bharatiya Vidya Mandir had a unique chance of listening to the classical rendition of raag Bhairav and raag Des this morning by the talented young grandsons of Padma Bhushan Ustaad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, doyen of the Patiala gharana and one of this century’s greatest vocalists. They performed today under Virasat-2001 organised by SPIC-MACAY.

The two young singers — Mazhar Ali Khan and Jawaad Ali Khan — carried a great tradition of their grandfather forward and sang with feeling and displayed their own unique style. They told the students that raag Bhairav is the raag of dawn when prayer songs are recited and Namaz is offered. But they are going to render this raag for it is one of the six basic raags and it is the first raag of the morning. The duo sang Prabh naam karle bande tu. They explained to the students that one can sing the notes of the sargam in many ways.

The two singers told the students, “Classical music acts like a balm and soothes the ruffled nerves of people. This kind of music relaxes and the popularity of the Indian classical music is on the increase in western countries.”

They demonstrated to the students that one can go up the musical scale and come down the notes and at the same time have a number of variations while rendering these notes. They rendered a very famous thumri of their grandfather Ghulam Ali Khan Aayee na balam, kya karoon sajna. On request, they rendered raag Des. They rendered Dhol balochan, mod moharan, a variation of raag Des in Sindhi and its different version in Punjabi.

It was sad to note that the artists were kept waiting for one hour before the children assembled in the auditorium. Unlike last year, there were hardly any teaches or members of SPIC-MACAY present to enjoy the singing of these two brothers.

Talking to the press, the brothers said: “Generally, we are compared to our illustrious grandfather Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. But every individual has his own place and one should not be compared to anyone. He was a legend that gets born once in a life time. “

Explaining the difference between other ‘gayaki’ and Patiala gharana, the singers of Patiala gharana sing in a full-throated voice, moreover, the ‘alaap’ is not long and one slowly and systematically comes to the ‘taan’ and ‘sargam’. “We have been appreciated abroad and we are glad that even foreigners and Indians settled abroad are learning the ancient form of singing .”

They both appreciated the efforts of SPIC-MACAY who through their Virasat programmes are bringing the traditional performing arts of India close to the students. They said that without ‘riaz’ one can never reach the peak and destination. ‘Riaz’ helps to maintain the purity of the raag.

225 participate in contests
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 9
Nearly 225 girls participated in glass and fabric painting contests organised at the Param Institute of Art and Craft, Ranjit Nagar, here last evening.

The contestants were given topics on the spot and allotted 45 minutes to complete their paintings. In fabric painting contest, Gurmeet Kaur stood first, Harpreet Kaur was declared second and Manjit Kaur got the third prize. In glass painting contest, Avneet Jassal clinched the first prize, Harpreet was declared second and Dilpreet stood third.

Mr Amarjit Singh, chairman of the institute, said a week-long training camp was organised in which students participated enthusiastically.

He said the contest marked the closing of the camp. Besides, Rupinder Kaur, Pinki, Sarabjit Kaur, Gurpreet Kaur, Shikha, Ruchika and Sonika were awarded certificates for their outstanding performance during the camp.