NCP for action against PAU teacher
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 9
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has demanded immediate dismissal of a teacher of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), who has been under suspension for more than a month, on the charge of sexual harassment of a postgraduate student of the Department of Soils.

Mr Swarn Singh and Dr Balwant Singh, state president and convener, respectively, of the Kisan Cell of the NCP, in a joint statement here yesterday, demanded registration of a criminal case against the teacher concerned.

Earlier, the PAU Vice-Chancellor had constituted a six-member committee headed by Dr (Ms) S.K. Mann, Dean, College of Home Science, to investigate into the allegations levelled by the student against her adviser, Dr Harmit Singh Thind. The NCP regretted that the university authorities had failed to take any further action against the guilty teacher, allegedly under pressure from the PAU Teachers Association (PAUTA).

Expressing its dismay, the party observed that the PAUTA president, Dr Hari Singh Brar, instead of raising his voice for the early dispensation of justice to the harassed student, had been trying to malign the convener of the Kisan Cell of the party. Dr Hari Singh had gone on record to say that Dr Balwant Singh, the convener of the NCP Kisan Cell, had fomented trouble with a view to bring a bad name to his group of supporters in PAUTA. The accused teacher had also blamed Dr Balwant Singh for concocting the molestation story. The NCP was of the view that attempts were being made to save the guilty from punishment.

The NCP further remarked that even an outside agency, namely, the International Human Rights Organisation (IHRO), had, through independent investigations, substantiated the allegations of sexual harassment, levelled by the student against Dr Thind. The party was, therefore, surprised as to why the PAU administration was hesitating to penalise the guilty teacher.

The party warned the authorities concerned that in case suitable action was not taken against the teacher, it would file a criminal case and take necessary steps to seek justice for the student and bring the guilty to book.

PAU employee union poll
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 9
Election for various posts of the Employees Union of the Punjab Agricultural University took place peacefully on the campus here today.

The venue for the voting was abuzz with activity as both the groups were trying to woo the employees till today. The voting finished at around 4 p.m. and the results will be declared tomorrow.

The battlelines are drawn between the Maur-Amrit group and Deol group who have been canvassing for the past many days. The presidential candidate from the PAU Employees Forum is Mr D.P. Maur while that from the PAU Employees United Front is Mr A.S. Deol.

The number of the voters has declined from 2,309 to 2,242 this time, due to the retiring of certain employees. As many as 90 to 92 per cent votes were cast this time by the employees.

Students, teachers hold exhibition
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 9
Students and teachers of BCM Arya Model Senior Secondary School, Shastri Nagar, organised an exhibition of candles and lamps here today.

Of the total 1,400 candles displayed on the occasion, 200 had been made by the teachers while the rest were readymade candles decorated by students of the primary section. The teachers had made candles by frosting wax in used talcum powder containers, shampoo bottles, coffee mugs, campa cola cans and rubber toys.

The candles were painted in different patterns including landscapes, flowers, cartoons and twigs using enamel of different colours. They were then decorated with glitters, artificial flowers and ribbons and fixed on bases which were also made of frosted wax in different shapes. Besides, there were lamps fixed on small wooden swings .

In the students’ section, the kids exhibited their creativity by decorating candles with mirrors, pulses, rice, pearls, ribbons, bells, beads, artificial flowers and even dolls. Some of them even painted the candles in the form of tricolours and pasted clippings from greeting cards.

The exhibition was open to parents and outsiders and candles were available in the range of Rs 20 to Rs 1,100. Ms Paramjit Kaur, principal, said that the funds collected would be used for helping students from economically-weaker sections. Ms Amarjit K. Bajaj, teacher in charge, said that a 15-day workshop was organised in the school, during which the students and teachers prepared the candles.

Unemployed teachers hold meeting
Our Correspondent

Khamano, November 9
A meeting of the Unemployed Art and Craft Teachers’ Union, Punjab, was held here in which unemployed teachers from different districts took part. Addressing the meeting, Rajdeep Singh Lali Vice-President of the Punjab Youth Clubs Organisation said the policy for recruitment of art and craft teachers was totally wrong and anti-teachers in nature. He said about 70 per cent teachers have not received interview letters. He said the government should have made a policy to fix merit for applicants so that teachers having less marks should not have applied. But, now after taking application fees the government has not sent interview letters to them.

He warned that the teachers would go to the courts to get justice. He said to finalise the next course of action, a meeting of the union has been called on November 10 at Chatar Singh Park in Ludhiana. He appealed to the teachers to take part in the meeting in large numbers. The meeting was attended among others by Kuldip Singh Malhi, Naveen Kaushal, Amritpal Singh, Amardeep Singh, Randip Singh Tung, Jagatjeet Singh and Manish Garg. 

Fancy dress contest
Our Correspondent

Kids of Small Wonders Nursery School participate in a fancy dress contest held in connection with Children’s Day in Ludhiana on Friday. —Photo Inderjit Verma

Legal Services Day observed
Tribune Reporters

Ludhiana, November 9
The Legal Services Authority, Ludhiana, today observed Legal Services Day and organised a seminar on the Sessions Court complex to highlight to the masses various beneficial schemes run by the authority. The seminar was presided over by the Acting District and Sessions Judge, Ludhiana, Mr A.K. Sharma.

Mr Sharma admitted lack of publicity for creating awareness among the masses regarding the free legal services provided under the Act. But he said a time would come when it would be a people’s movement. He said the concepts of free legal services and lok adalats had gained momentum.

Fatehgarh Sahib
It is the need of the hour to launch a massive campaign to popularise the concept of free legal services for legal proceedings among the women, children needy and weaker sections of the society and it should be made a mass movement, said Mr M.L. Malhotra, former District and Sessions Judge, while presiding over a seminar.

He said the basic concept was to provide free legal aid as it was a constitutional obligation to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities and that legal system promotes justice on the basis of equal opportunity. He said the second aim was to lessen the workload on the courts by way of constituting lok adalats.