School holds competitions
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, February 4
Hansraj Public School today organised a series of competitions during “Sparkles”, a function held at the school, which included both indoor and outdoor activities.

There was excitement writ large on the faces of the students as they entered the school with no books in their hands, all eager for a day full of fun and joy and no studies.

The school resounded with the sound of laughter as the students danced and sang, displayed their artistic skills, participated in declamation and creative writing competitions and gave fine acting performances.

Results: declamation: Class III:- Angad Singh Bhandari, Palak Mahajan (1st), Jishnu Banerjee, Kriti Nandwani (2nd), Class IV & V:- Tadbir Dhillon, Aman Shukla (1st), Medhaj, Bharat (2nd), Class VI to IX:- Shreshtha (1st), Devyani (2nd).

Poetry recitation: Class III to V:- Vidhit Sharma (1st), Gurkaran Singh (2nd); extempore: Class VI to IX:- Anurag (1st), Anshul Sharma (2nd); bhajan singing: Class III to V:- Ankit Gupta (1st), Apurva (2nd); Class VI to IX Himani (1st), Aditya Sagar (2nd).

Folk song: Class VI to IX:- Komal Sood (1st), Virat Palta & Ishan Goel (2nd); classical song: Class III to V:- Rujuta A. Hajarnis (1st), Mahima Sharma (2nd); ghazal: Class III to V:- Varsha (1st), Shreya (2nd).

Best of waste: Class III to V:-Sunandan (1st), Tushika (2nd), Class VI to IX:- Shreya (1st), Arzoo (2nd); poster making: Class III to V:- Kartik (1st), Sahil (2nd), Class VI to IX:- Apurva (1st), Kshitij (2nd).

Fresh salad: Class III to V:- Lavu (1st), Simran (2nd); sprouts salad: Class III to V:- Malvika (1st), Ashish & Akshat (2nd).

Fruit chat: Class III to V:- Aakash (1st), Divya (2nd); sandwich-making: Class III to V:- Sidharth Gupta (1st), Tushar (2nd).

Mono-acting: Class III to V Saksham (1st), Rahul Chhada (2nd), Class VI to IXKeshav Uppal (1st), Nishchay (2nd); flower arrangement: Class III to V:-Paridhi & Naman (1st), Mukul & Dhriti (2nd), Class VI to IX:- Ridhima (1st), Nilopher & Ishani (2nd); dry flowers:- Class III to V:- Shobhit (1st) Class VI to IX:- Saurabh (1st), Pulkit (2nd).

Rangoli: Class III to V:- Rohan & Shailee (1st), Ashriya & Monisha (2nd), Class VI to IX Prachi & Tanika (1st), Swati (2nd); story writing: Class III to V:- Aditya (1st), Anchit (2nd); poetry writing: Class III to V:- Zoya (1st), Class VI to IX:- Siddharth & Mehak Sapra (1st), Sanchit & Satwik (2nd).

A day of contests at Lakshya 2006
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 4
The two-day annual technical-cum-cultural extravaganza- Lakshya 2006 — organised by the DAV College, Sector 10, here, wended with a big bang. A battle of bands, a dance competition and street play competitions along with the painting competitions, all were held today.

Today’s events were inaugurated by Mr Singhi Ram, Food and Agriculture Minister Himachal Pradesh.

Students of DAV won the dance competition while students of GGDSD College, Sector 32, came second. Anupama, Sarit, Surmandeep, Uma Patiyal, Poonam Rajput, Jaswinder Singh and Sandeep Brar won various prizes in folk songs competitions. Himshikha Bhutani of DAVC won the first prize in debate while Harneet of Government College for Women, Ludhiana came second.

Varinderpal Kaur, Beni, Jasmeet Kaur, Janamejay Aggarwal, Gaganpreet, Puneet Singh, Gurpreet Kaur, Aanchal, Akashdeep Kaur, Jasraj Bhatti, Meenakshi, Dipika Chhetri, Sawan, Robin, Balwinder Kaur, Ravi Kumar, Shilpa, Navjeet Kaur, Divya Bansal, Manish K Zoor, Parminder, Aspaan Kaur, Deepti, Shweta, Jyoti Khanna, Anand Sharma and Sumeet Kaur won various in painting competitions.

“Wasted Souls” a music band of Chandigarh College of Architecture, won the battle of bands while the second prize went to “Seraphim Band” of DAVC.

Workshop on personality development
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 4
The SD College, Sector 32, Chandigarh, will hold its fifth annual week-long workshop on “Personality and Soft Skill Development” for final-year students of various streams of the college.

The programme will commence on February 6 and will be conducted by a team of faculty members under the guidance of Dr A.C. Vaid, Principal. Being provided free-of-cost, the facility will comprise various talks, chats and presentations along with training and practice sessions for the students.

Workshop on puppet-making
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 4
Chandigarh-based Puppetry group PUTUL NACHER ASHOR (PNA) today conducted its fourth workshop at the Government College, Sector 46, for students of fine arts.

The workshop was designed to give fine arts students a new perspective to create animate objects from inanimate material. The workshop included demonstration of different types of puppets exploration of puppet design, and construction and movement of different types of puppets like rod puppets and giant puppets.

“This is a very new and interesting learning experience”, said one of the participants.

According to Anupama Neogi, a troupe member, every educational institute should have a puppetry cell and puppetry should be made an integral part of the education system.

Seminar on problems of youth on Feb 7
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 4
A one-day state-level seminar on “Problems of 21st century youth: Amelioration and Empowerment Through Awareness of Rights and Duties” is being organised by the Guru Gobind Singh College for Women, Sector 26, in collaboration with the Dean, Panjab University, Chandigarh on February 7.

According to a release, the aim of the seminar is to study various problems of the youth and discuss ways to create awareness regarding their rights and duties in relation to these problems.

Dr Gurpreet Singh, Chairman, Continent Device India Ltd, New Delhi, will be the chief guest, while Major Mohinder Singh (retd), joint secretary, Sikh Educational Society, will deliver the presidential remarks.

Inter-college competition
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 4
Top Careers and You today organised the final round of its inter-college competition, ‘Student Entrepreneur of the Year’ at MCM DAV College, Sector 36. It had been conducted over three months in various stages across various colleges in the region.

The aim of the competition was to gauge the hidden entrepreneurial spark in the students and bring the same to the forefront. The event had been conducted in almost 30 colleges in four stages.

Notice on Panchkula MC chief’s plea
High Court Correspondent

Chandigarh, February 4
The High Court on Thursday issued notice of motion for February 14 on the petition filed by Mr Tarun Bhandari, President of Municipal Council, Panchkula, challenging the legality of holding a meeting by the Members on February 15 to decide a no-confidence motion against him.

In his petition, Mr Bhandari has stated that a similar motion had been brought sometime back also but the Congress Councillors, who had moved the no-confidence motion against him, had withdrawn the motion. In his petition, Mr Bhandari has claimed that the Councillors could not have withdrawn the motion, as the meeting had already begun when they gave their application for withdrawal.

Mr Bhandari has submitted that the Director, Urban Development, has no authority to declare a meeting called to discuss a no-confidence motion as null and void.

On January 25, 23 of the 31 Municipal Councillors, including the Vice President, Ms Kuljit Waraich, again gave a notice for no-confidence motion against the MC President.

Deputy Commissioner Brijendra Singh has appointed SDM, Panchkula, Virender Dahiya as the Administrator. He has convened a meeting of the MC House on February 15.

However, Mr Bhandari has stated that a fresh no-confidence motion could not have been brought within six months of the last motion.

The Division Bench, comprising Mr Justice H.S. Bedi and Mr Justice A.K. Mittal has issued the notice of motion for February 14.

High drama in Beant case trial
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 4
High drama was witnessed at the high-security Burail Jail here today during the Beant Singh assassination case trial when the CBI counsel and the counsel for Jagtar Singh Hawara entered into a heated argument during cross examination.

The CBI counsel was objecting to volley of questions being posed to the Superintendent of Police, CBI, Mr S.N. Saxena, who was the chief investigating officer in the Beant Singh assassination case. The counsel for Hawara, Mr A.S. Chahal and Mr Arvind Thakur, were cross-examining the SP over raids conducted by him in the case.

The Special CBI Judge, Mr M.M. Sharma, felt unwell during the course of hearing. The trial resumed after the Judge took medication.

After the trial, the counsel for Hawara told mediapersons that he had asked them to file a case of contempt of court against Mr M.S. Bitta, Chairman of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front, for making statements during the pendency of the trial being held in Burial Jail.

“It is his constitutional right to get counsel for pleading his case. The State Legal Services Authority also provides counsel to undertrials”, said Mr Thakur.

Artistes can help restore peace with Pak: Reshma
S.D. Sharma

Chandigarh, February 4
My music is not only a matter of the stage, films or audience but a nourishment for soul. And its link with the divine, maintains Reshma, the living legend of Punjabi folklore from Pakistan. An epitome of simplicity and sublime, the celebrity was in her usual self, while talking to Chandigarh Tribune, in her amusing yet authoritarian style (at the residence of art promoter host Dr S.K. Punia).

She reiterated that art and artists could play a pivotal role in the restoration of amicable relation between the two nations, which shared a common cultural synthesis. “Unlike politics, art is a genuine unifying force and all artistic creations are the celebration of love and humanism since the inception of life on earth. I loved to be a part of the amity process as I travelled in very first ‘Panj-Aab’ bus from Lahore,” exclaimed Reshma.

Credited with recording over 2,000 songs and performances at all top venues the world over, Reshma expressed gratitude to her fans in India, especially for complementing her “Lambi Judaii”. However, she seems to have nursed a grouse somewhere in her subconscious mind for a veritable recognition through any award. Her latest albums, yet untitled, produced and promoted by London-based company of Izzat Muzzid will be an amalgam of Sufiana and Rajasthani folk under the music direction of Wazir Afzal and Qadar Baksh.

The pristine purity of Punjabi folk music had suffered a lot, in both Punjabs in the din of pop culture, lamented Reshma. With a few Punjabi albums and latest concerts in London and Norway, her daughter Sazia Reshma (25) is all set to carry forward the rich melodic legacy of Reshma.

Musical evening at Sector 17 piazza
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 4
The centre for Carnival Arts and Chandigarh Tourism today presented an entertainment programme at the Plaza Carnival, Sector 17. The cultural extravaganza included qawalis and sufiana kalam by Javed Irshad Rehmat Qawal and group from Malerkotla. Some of the qawalis were ‘Je Tu Rab nu Manana’, ‘Akhian Udik Dian’, ‘Tujhe Kaun Janta’ and many others.

The evening show began with a musical medley of songs by 'The Elements’ music group with Gandhary, Vivek, Alex, Vaibhav and Rick. Popular Hindi and English numbers were sung by the group.

At the artists corner, Rakesh Bani demonstrated techniques in print making while Prof Ravinder Sharma painted in pastels. Portraits of the people were made by the students of the local Government College of Art. The evening show was sponsored by The Tribune.

Art and craft exhibition
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 4
An art and craft exhibition was today organised at Mount Carmel School, Sector 47. Creative work done by students of Classes I to X was displayed.

Ceramic paintings, mural art, folders, key rings, artificial jewellery, wall hangings, shopping bags, decorative pots, matty work, glass painting and best out of waste items were put up in the art room.

A large number of parents and other guests visited the exhibition.