The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

PU fest begins with a bang
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 16
The Panjab University diamond jubilee zonal youth and heritage festival kick started at SGGS College, Sector 26, here today. Mayor Harjinder Kaur, inaugurated the event.

The day began with a shabad and a bhajan. Colourful programmes, including rangoli-making, on-the-spot painting and collage-making marked the inaugural day activities.

Dr S.M. Kant, director youth welfare, shared his views on the importance of youth festivals.

Dramatist Jaswant Daman, professor Harnam Singh Shaan and artist Shiv Singh chaired the first session. In the bhajan competition, PU stood first, followed by Government College-11. GGDSD College came third.

In group singing, DAV College-10 bagged the first place, followed by Government College-11 and GGDSD College-32 at the second and third places, respectively.

In the fine arts and rangoli-making events, SSGS-26 bagged the first place, followed by DAV College-10 and Government College of Arts-10 at the second and third positions, respectively.

The on-the-spot painting competition was won by Government College of Arts-10. Ayurvedic College and Hospital-46 stood second, followed by Government College-46.

In the still-life drawing competition, Government College of Arts emerged winner. GGDSD College-32 and Government College-46 clinched the second and third positions, respectively.

The collage-making competition was won by Government College of Arts, followed by GGDSD College-32 and Government College-46 at the second and third positions, respectively.

In the clay modelling competition, the students of Government College-46 stood first, while the students of Government College of Arts stood second. DAV College-10 came third.

The poster-making competition was won by GGDSD College-32, followed by Government College of Arts. The Government College of Arts team won the first place in cartooning, followed by Ayurvedic College and Hospital-46 and GGDSD-32 at the second and third places respectively.

More than 2,500 participants are expected to participate in the Panjab University diamond jubilee youth and heritage festival of Zone B to be held from October 18-21 at Dev Samaj College for Women, Sector 45. This was announced today at a press conference organised at the host college.

COURTS

Tributes paid to Justice Sarkaria
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 16
Two-minute silence was observed at the Punjab and Haryana High Court here today as a mark of respect to former Supreme Court’s Judge Justice Ranjit Singh Sarkaria during a full court reference held to mourn his demise.

Kirtan and ardas, for the departed soul is scheduled to take place at the Sector 8 gurdwara from 12.30 to 1.30 pm on Wednesday.

Paying rich tributes to Justice Sarkaria, High Court Chief Justice Vijender Jain described him as an outstanding judge. He added Justice Sarkaria had rendered landmark decisions in his illustrious career and also headed the Press Council of India for two terms.

Remembering his great contribution as the Chairman of the Centre-State Relations Committee, Chief Justice said his recommendations provide a testimony of wisdom, sagacity and fortitude. His report was, in fact, considered a 'Magna Carta ' for the Centre-state relations and has earned him a unique distinction. "In the untimely death of Justice Sarkaria, we have not only lost a legal luminary, but a person who dedicated his entire life to the cause of administration of Justice.

Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Advocate-General H.S Mattewal said throughout his judicial career, Justice Sarkaria was known for his integrity and unbiased approach. His judgements were a model of judicial rectitude. Justice Sarkaria belonged to a generation that was steeped in idealism.

Haryana Advocate-General H.S Hooda recalled Justice Sarkaria’s interest in literature, besides his unmatched qualities as a legal luminary. Justice Sarkaria, he said, had written a book, "Ek Lap Husan Di" which contained the translations of English poems by Keats, Shakespeare, Milton and T.S Eliot.

Former chairman-cum-Bar Council member C.M Munjal and president of High Court Bar Association Dr Anmol Rattan Sidhu, also paid tributes.

Former judges, former Chief Justices, senior advocates and Justice Sarkaria's family members were also present on the occasion.

CULTURE

Art is ‘unprogressive’, says philosopher
Gayatri Rajwade
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 16
Just as there are no degrees of beauty, similarly there is no progress in art, believes art teacher and philosopher Ajit Singh. While this may sound like a pessimistic adage, it actually means quite the opposite, adds Singh, a venerable authority on the region’s art. He defines art as ‘changing’, but not progressing. “The word denotes a movement towards a fixed point in a stipulated time. That is not what art is. It is the ebb and flow of time in an eternal present,” says Singh.

Singh said this before a lecture delivered by him at the Gandhi Bhawan, Panjab University, on ‘Time Factor in Modern Art’ as part of the ongoing ‘Crossing Currents’ art exhibition organised by ‘Art Drops’ at the Museum of Fine Arts.

Quoting the great poet Mohammad Iqbal’s views on time, Singh said, “In reality, there is no rest and permanence. To real time or pure duration, the distinction of past, present and future does not apply. In this flow, the past rolls into the present.”

According to the philosopher, innovations in shapes and forms of art, produced at different times, surface at various places. As an example, he talks of Chinese artist Mi Fie (Sung Dynasty 10th century AD), who painted landscapes with dots of complementary colours. He is believed to have followed a tradition that was no less than 1,200-years old. Interestingly, 19th century French artist Georges Seurat too painted landscapes in a similar style, which he termed as pointillism, points out Singh.

Making a distinction between quantitative and qualitative time, Singh said the former was about measuring time while the latter “is the inspiring moment which can transform us into a poet, an artist or a scientist”.

While the constants in art are line, space, colour and distortion, the variables are vision and imagination, themes, material and social conditions like patrons and art markets, amongst others.

Although Singh’s paper, accompanied by slides, was first presented at the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademy in September 1996, the teacher believes that it continues to be relevant even today.

A fusion of man, music and nature
S.D. Sharma

Chandigarh, October 16
Eulogising her admiration for nature, Panchkula-based artist Neeru Verma put up her first solo painting exhibition at Government Museum Art gallery, here today. Punjab Lady Governor Jean Rodrigues inaugurated the show, which is titled ‘Fusion’. It comprises of 25 works, which eloquently bring alive the splendour of nature and its virtues in varied manifestations.

A self-taught artist, Neeru got her aesthetic sensibilities sharpened at the Bama Akademy of Fine Arts, where she was groomed by Bharti and Ram Kumar Sharma.

Explaining her concept, Neeru says her works are an attempt to relate man and music with nature. ‘Fusion’ includes three themes - Prakriti ke sang, Tarang and Goshthi.

Music is a dominant medium through which Neeru expresses her creative instinct. The effervescent ‘Tarang’ sends a man to a state of trance and contemplation. The perceived thematic essence of some of the works gets eclipsed by the richer tone and sparkling colours, which, however, adds fragrance to her works. All the displayed works are in oil, expect for two in acrylic. The exhibits will be on display till October 21.