Mohali, November 14
Children’s Day was celebrated with fervour at Golden Bells Public School, Sector 77, here. The outgoing Class X celebrated the day in a different way by planting roses and mushanda plants. Kindergarten kids attired as Nehruji recited rhymes, poems and group songs. Junior wing of the school participated in various fun races like frog race, toffee race, balloon race, numbering race and tail picking. Gurjit Bawa, principal of the school, spoke about the life of Pandit Nehru.

Mohali Public School: As a part of Children's Day celebrations, Mohali Public School, Phase X, organised a function on its premises here today. Children of junior classes participated in a fancy dress show and poem recitation.

Students of Saint Soldier School, Mohali, in joyous mood after the sports meet organised on Children’s Day on the school campus. — A Tribune Photograph

Shemrock School: At Shemrock School the day was marked with a number of activities. All students took part in cross-country races. Medals were awarded to the winners.

ZIRAKPUR

Saint Joan’s Public School: Students of Saint Joan’s Public School, Zirakpur, celebrated this day with zeal. The students came to school attired in fancy dresses like snake charmer, adivasi girl, fairies etc. A dance competition was also held.

Chandigarh, November 14
Children’s Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm by students and staff of Government College, Sector 11, at the Sector 15 old-age home today. Various cultural activities such as songs, dances and a street play ‘Mai Jeena Chahti Hun’ underscoring the theme of female foeticide marked the celebrations. The students also distributed blankets and various eatables among orphan kids of the juvenile home, who had come to attend the function.

COMPETITION: A slogan-writing and poster-making competition on corporal punishment was held at Government College of Education, Sector 20, here today. Around 300 students took part in the competition. Rekha Punia stood first while Gurwinder Kaur and Sheenu were second and third, respectively. They were given cash prizes of Rs 700, 500 and 400, respectively, while the consolation prize winners got Rs 300 each.

OATH-TAKING: Newly elected president of the students’ council at DAV College, Sector 10, Mohit Gupta and vice-president Sahiba Khosla took the oath to serve the college and work for the welfare of the students today.

Talk delivered: To increase health awareness among students, the departments of biotechnology and zoology of Government College, Sector 11, organised an interaction on ‘Health Education for Youth’ in the college auditorium yesterday. Dr Bhavneet Bharti, assistant professor (paediatrics), PGI, delivered a stimulating talk on the topic through a power-point presentation. Common health problems related to adolescents was the focal point of the talk. She also deliberated upon the concepts of good physical and mental health. After the presentation, she interacted with the students and responded to their queries.

Chandigarh, November 14
Expressing solidarity with the people of Nandigram in Kolkata, five organisations held a protest here against the West Bengal government on the completion of eight months of the Nandigram killings today.

The organisations included Critique, a students’ discussion forum, CPI (ML), Initiative for Democratic Rights (IFDR), Chandigarh, SUCI, Chandigarh, and Sampooram Kranti Manch, Haryana.

They said the government was acquiring 25,000 acres of prime farmland under its SEZ policy for a foreign corporate firm, Salim Groups of Indonesia, whose support to the military coup in that country was well established.

Lalen Baghel of the IFDR said the act of the state government was a violation of rights and every one should stand in support of the poor villagers who were fighting oppression.

The state government was also not allowing people to hold protests, they alleged. 

Chandigarh, November 14
The District Consumer Court Redressal Forum-I has directed Northern Financial Services to pay complainant Manjit Singh a sum of Rs 3.35 lakh wrongly retained by them, from the day of receiving the amount till the documents of the car was released, with an interest of 11 per cent per annum.

The forum further asked the company to pay Rs 14,260 as charges for insurance while the ICICI Bank was told to give a compensation of Rs 65,000 for deficiency in service.

The complainant had approached Northern Financial Services through an agent to take a loan of Rs 2.5 lakh to purchase a car for plying it as taxi. He alleged that the company employees portrayed themselves as direct marketing agents of the ICICI Bank to procure loan from him.

Manjit averred that he received a call from the bank on May 26, 2005, which informed him that the loan to him had been sanctioned. He was told to collect the car from Hind Motors (Indian) Limited. On May 27, 2005 a delivery order was issued in the name of Hind Motors after getting approval from the bank.

Manjit alleged that the sale letter and other documents of the car and for the purpose of getting a taxi permit for the car were kept by Hind Motors till the final payment of Rs 2.5 lakh.

Manjit said he paid three instalments of Rs 22,725 each to Northern Financial Services and 10 to the ICICI Bank. Meanwhile, the temporary number of the car expired and he could not get the car registered without the sale letter.

The Northern Financial Services were served notice but they didn’t appear before the court.

Chandigarh, November 14
In custody for over two months, SI Narinder Singh, accused of custodial death, was refused bail by a local court today.

A challan for offences under Sections 304-A and 218 of the IPC was produced before the court of judicial magistrate-first class R.K. Singla on November 12. Counsel for the SI argued that as the challan had been presented for a bailable offence, his client should be granted bail.

The court, however, held: “The conclusion of the magisterial inquiry is that there was negligence with gross dereliction of duty on the part of SI Narinder Singh. The post- mortem report mentions haemerrhage consequent to injuries. Further, the investigation report of the police is self-explanatory to the extent that Anil Kumar was in police custody of SI Narinder Singh and he died in police custody. In such circumstances, though the prosecution has presented a report under Section 173 of the CrPC for challaning Narinder Singh under Section 304A and 218 of the IPC, in view of the facts and circumstances at this stage, it is unwarranted to enlarge him on bail.”

The case has been adjourned to November 26 for scrutiny of documents.Charges are yet to be framed.

Defence lawyer Rabindra Pandit said: “His detention in judicial custody in such circumstances shall amount to impingement of the right of freedom as envisaged under Article 14.”

Chandigarh, November 14
Sarghi Kala Kendra, Mohali, staged Punjabi play ‘Iss Garb te Chalieh Bahoot Vikaara’ during the ongoing the Chandigarh Theatre Festival being organised by the Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi in association with the Punjab Arts council here today.

Playwright Harkanwaljit Sahil brought into sharp focus the double standards practised by an intellectual writer, Joga Singh, whom people admire as an idealist and a social reformer.

The play progressed under the direction of Sanjeevan only to expose his ego when his wife supports her daughter for her marriage to a brilliant boy belonging to a lower caste. Upholding his ego, the protagonist even connives to get her daughter eliminated.

Rich lyrics by Jaswinder and soulful rendition by Unis Gill were the principal merits of the play. Acclaimed thespian and director Umesh Kant, who was the chief guest, honoured the artistes.