Young, old pitch in with patriotic zeal
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 4 — With the patriotic fervour high in the country today, Indians belonging to various regions, religions and age groups are getting together to lend a helping hand for the heroes and the victims of Kargil in any way that they can. The Tribune, which is also receiving contributions for the Army Central Welfare Fund, from its readers, is a witness to how the people of our country are not only sparing a thought for all those who have sacrificed their lives in the Kargil sector but are also willing to contribute their mite for those fighting at the borders to save us and our motherland.

A lot of kids, with boxes in their hands, collecting money "for the soldiers" can be seen in the neighbourhoods. Shilpi Gupta of Sector 16, Panchkula, contributed Rs 1,000 for the welfare fund from the money she had collected on her birthday celebrated on July 2.

A toli of children in Sector 10, which had hired a photographer to shoot them while they were collecting money for the fund, had an interesting incident to relate. Not only were the neighbours more than willing to pool in money for the soldiers, but even the hired photographer refused to charge a penny from the kids. "The photographs are for a good cause", he is reported to have said.

And it is not only the young who are showing zest and will to do their bit for the Indian soldier at the time of a crisis. Even those leading a retired life are spirited enough to come forward and offer their services.

A retired officer of Yamunanagar, Mr Chuni Lal, donated his pension for the month of July — a sum of Rs 4,913 — for "this noble cause". Mr O.P. Bhopal, another senior citizen, from Chandigarh has donated Rs 1,100 from his pension and has added, "I promise to send a similar cheque every month for the Kargil heroes from my pension".

Mr Mehar Chand Rana, a retired DSP of Punjab, has not only donated Rs 1,000 for the fund but has also said, "I am ready to join the brothers in the battle field of Kargil for supreme service towards the motherland".

An 84-year-old ex-serviceman, Subedar Premnath Sharma (retd), from Naraingarh, whose son is serving in the Indian armed forces and is deployed at the border, has also expressed his desire to serve the nation at this time of crisis. Not only has he contributed Rs 500 for this cause but has also written, "I am ready to serve my country in any capacity without any compensation".

Mr Lalit Kumar Dang from Yamunanagar has not only contributed Rs 1,000 for the fund but also inquired about the requirements of blood since he is a regular blood donor.

A Professor of Punjabi University, Mr Darshan Singh Maini (retd), who has been almost bed-ridden for the past six years has contributed an amount of Rs 3,000 for the fund.

Even as more and more donations pour in for the Kargil heroes and their families, children of the city have also been contributing their mite for the Army Central Welfare Fund.

Today was the turn of children of Sector 33 to solicit donations for the fund. Several children, led by Ravi, Sahil and Amesh, went from door to door with the donation box and urged the residents to donate generously for the Kargil heroes.

The children said they would forward the amount they collected, Rs 3,175, to The Tribune.

'Allow Army to cross LoC'

The Panchkula Beopar Mandal has in a letter to the President of India urged him to allow the armed forces to cross the Line of Control in the Kargil-Dras sector so that Pakistan does not succeed in its designs.

A spokesman of the mandal said crossing the LoC would help the Army to succeed in its goal soon with lesser number of casualties. The mandal felt that the Kashmir problem should be solved once and for all.

Meanwhile, the Shopkeepers Association of Sector 7 burnt the effigy of the Pakistan Premier, Mr Nawab Sharif, in the market today. On the occasion the shopkeepers collected over Rs 2 lakh for Chief Minister's War Heroes Fund.

The Panchkula Residents Welfare Federation in a statement urged the Prime Minister and the Punjab Chief Minister to return the gifts given to them by the Pakistan Premier during their Lahore bus visit.

TV set presented to Command Hospital

Members of the Lions Clubs of Chandigarh, SAS Nagar and Kharar visited Western Command Hospital to express their solidarity with the wounded soldiers. They presented a 29-inch colour TV set to Major-Gen Virendra Singh, Commandant of the hospital, for entertainment of soldiers convalescing here.

They also offered to provide two artificial limbs and two corneas for grafting on the basis of the recommendations of the Commandant of the hospital.

The clubs will also organise a blood donation camp in Sector 17 on July 14 for the benefit of the wounded soldiers.

PO in dilapidated building
From Our Correspondent

DERA BASSI, July 4 — The local post office has been functioning from a dilapidated private building for the past 15 years. The condition of the building is so poor that even a light shower is enough to make the roof leaking. The water leakage from the roof reportedly has damaged the important documents.

The dripping water creates many problems for the employees of the post office. They have to shift their tables, chairs and documents to safer places. They also have to place buckets and trays to collect the dripping water when it rains. The plaster on the walls and ceiling has peeled off at many places.

Mr Ranjit Singh, sub- postmaster, complains that water accumulates even in the cupboards and damages official documents every year. The employees have been facing the problem for the past three years. The leaking water has made one of the walls of the room so weak that it may collapse any time. The higher authorities concerned have been informed about the problem, he adds.

Another employ complains that the leakage has posed a threat to their lives as the soaked walls have power points. The fungus on the walls and in the cupboards emits foul smell in the rainy season.

Mr Ranjit Singh says that though the department is paying Rs 800 monthly as rent to the landlord, Mr Tarsem Lal, he has never thought of repairing the building.

Meanwhile, Mr Tarsem Lal has alleged that the department had made the condition of his building deplorable. "I have to get the building vacated," he adds.

Waking to yoga's power
By Arvind Katyal
Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, July 4 — 'Past fortnight, I had high blood pressure. After four days of attending these yoga classes, my mental tension which was severe before that, no longer exists and it has made me relax,' said Ms Neelam Kapoor, a housewife. Six-week long yoga classes have been organised by the Sood Sabha at Sood Bhavan, Sector 44-A.

Nearly 70 persons, both young and old, men and women, serving and non-serving, are attending these classes which are being conducted daily between 6.30 am to 7.30 am under the guidance of Dr Rakesh Giri of Government Yoga Centre, Sector 23.

The present-day stress related jobs, tensions at work and in family are producing divergent health related problems. Yoga has nowadays taken a front seat in overcoming majority of these. Dr Giri said when anything was done against the gravitational pull of the Earth, it created worries for the body. So, yoga was the ultimate answer.

Col Kanwar Singh (retd) who is 62-year-old, felt grateful to the organisers for arranging such useful classes for the well being of all. He along with his son Satbir, is not taking any chances by missing any class. Similarly, Ranjit kaur who is 40-year-old, and a teacher, said that she wanted to be familiar with some of the 'asanas', though she could not perform each one. For her, it is after 12 days, that a refreshing feeling has crept in and for her veterinary doctor husband, it is a welcome change. An old but young-looking Harcharan Kaur who is 65-year old, in lighter vein, says that her 72-year-old husband who does yoga for nearly three hours daily, appears younger than her. She too has complete faith in yoga.

As Mr S. P. Sood, Vice-President of the Sood Sabha, said "It is the inner voice and awakening which compels you to take proper care of your body." His inner voice encouraged him to organise such classes which he wanted to be conducted regularly.

At 70, Mr Som Nath Sharma, who retired as a senior manager with CITCO, is satisfied with yoga exercises as he believes that various body pains, especially the back pain, are cured to much extent through yoga.

A heart patient, Col P. S. Bhatia (retd), who is 57-year-old, and his wife are comfortable with yoga classes. As advised by the instructor, Mr R. P. Vashisht, he does not do 'asanas' which requires keeping the legs upward and where breathing time is more. That is the advice for a heart patient. Mr Vashisht explains the theory while his son, Akashdeep, aptly gives a practical demonstration.

Dr Giri said it was always better to learn yoga from a qualified person only. The 'asanas' vary from individual to individual. So exerts have to interact with every student of yoga so that some exercises could be avoided, depending on the organic health of the body.

Common problem of today's life is cervical spondylitis for persons sitting long hours before computers. Also, there are ladies with excess fat, obesity, back pain, migraine, low or high blood pressure and diabetes. 'Suryanamaskar', 'halasana', 'vajrasana' and 'pranayama' have proved to be the best for most persons, said Dr Giri.

He also said that it was only after a minimum of two weeks of conditioning the body, regular 'asanas' could be performed.

He also cautioned those who did yoga to do their practice only when excretion of the body was complete and the stomach was empty. Moreover, after the exercises were finished, an interval of at least an hour was required before anything could be consumed.

A real awareness about the concept of yoga is bound to yield better results and people should consider it a part and parcel of everyday life.

Amusement park plan hangs fire
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 4 — Like many proposals of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC), the proposal to set up a Disneyland-type amusement park has been hanging fire for the past over one-and-a-half years.

The idea of having the amusement park, first called as municipal park, was first discussed at the 13th meeting of the corporation held on November 20, 1997. The recommendations of the Environment and City Beautification Committee that the park be set up in Fragrance Garden, Sector 36, was also placed before the meeting.

The possibility of developing another suitable area for setting up the park was also discussed and the Chandigarh Administration was urged to allot about 20 acres of land. The Administration, in turn, asked the civic body to explore the possibility of setting up the park in one of the existing parks available with the corporation in view of paucity of land.

True to its reputation of making things happen on papers only, the MCC then proposed to set up the park in Mani Majra, near the railway traffic lights. According to the proposal, the park was to be set up on the lines of Disneyland having modern recreational facilities and was touted to be a major tourist attraction. Besides, it was advocated that the park would develop backward area in Mani Majra.

Though the land was duly identified by the civic body, yet the Administration reportedly expressed its inability to transfer the land on a token sum. Later, it dawned on the corporation authorities that the proposed park at this site would be a traffic hazard and hence not feasible.

Once again, in its wisdom the civic body proposed a site near Sector 38 in the hope that this time the Administration would transfer the land to the corporation. It was also proposed to link the park with SAS Nagar as the site was strategically located.

But this time also the Administration remained aloof to the idea of transferring the land on a token sum. The market price of the land is reported to be in crores which the fund-starved civic body is apparently not in position to pay.

No mowing, trimming for months
By Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 4 — Flower beds dominated by grass, scattered trash and untrimmed hedges of the Sector 35 Topiary Garden are tell-tale signs of neglect on the part of the authorities concerned towards the place.

The garden, adorned with a number of topiary skeletons of different animals, was conceived with an idea of creating awareness among residents about different types of hedges and to enable them to add to the green cover of city the by selecting different species of hedges for their houses.

But these days, it hardly offers the look of a garden due to an apparent lack of proper upkeep of the place during the past couple of months.

The parking lot at the very entrance to the place is so bad that one has to trudge through slush present due to the accumulation of water, to reach the place. What disturbs the visitors further is the presence of heaps of garbage along the boundary wall on the left side of the entrance and along the boundary wall inside the garden.

As one enters the garden, the diseased rose plants reflect upon the state of affairs of the place and give and impression that these have been without proper care for months.

If this is not enough see the flower beds containing more grass and less plants. While on hand, a couple of wire mesh creatures are damaged and bereft of green foliage, most species of hedges have not been trimmed properly, resulting in an uneven growth of enclosures around skeletons.

The condition of lawns is worse. They need mowing, which it seems, has not been undertaken for a couple of months, thus, discouraging early morning visitors to the place. "How can one walk at a place where overgrowth of grass could provide an ideal place to deadly insects to hide themselves?" said Mr Amar Nath, a resident. He said due to the bad condition of the garden, he has started going to the Sector 36 Fragrance Garden even though it is farther from his home.

Alleging that the Municipal Corporation authorities have adopted an indifferent attitude towards the upkeep, another regular visitor to the place said the condition of the place should be improved at the earliest so that senior citizens could enjoy a walk at the place.

Horticulture waste disposal inadequate
From A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, July 4 — The indifferent attitude of the Chandigarh Administration towards handling the problem of the horticulture waste comprising mainly wild growth and bushes, congress grass and wild plants is posing a serious problem to the city residents.

During the past couple of years, the Municipal Corporation has made a considerable effort to minimise the problem, but it assumes a gigantic proportion during the Monsoons. According to Dr Amarpal Singh, Municipal Secretary, normally approximately 25 quintals of horticultural waste is collected by the civic staff per day and the same amount by private organisations. This waste is tripled with the advent of the monsoons.

The corporation utilises the waste by either turning it into manure by burying it in the soil or by filling in pits all over the city.

Mr Vaidya Nath, an employee of a private company, feels that there is not much awareness about horticulture waste. He wants the authorities to reach out to people and let them know the difference between biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes. People generally burn or throw it with the rest of the garbage.

Mr Manoj Kundu, a worker, points out that road shows and special workshops for children should be conducted to create general consciousness about the horticulture waste and the bad effects of burning it, especially dry leaves, on the environment.

Dr Samvit S. Kaul of the Anthropology Department of Panjab University, says that a lot has to be done to enlighten inhabitants about benefits of using horticultural waste rationally.

Mr G.P. Singh, a local resident, complains that the Municipal Corporation wakes up only when a majority of weeds, injurious to human beings, reach the reproductive stage. It is of no use cutting them at that time as the plants would have already spread their seeds.

Mr Munish Kapoor, a businessman, suggests that the administration should work out better steps to improve the landscaping of Chandigarh by levelling the road berms and open spaces and growing grass on them rather than leaving them as barren and uneven, inviting wild and uncontrollable vegetative growth. People should be encouraged to grow plants which need less pruning.

Mr Gurinder Singh says he understands his responsibility but is bothered about the hazardous plants growing on the road sides. He appeals to people to help the authorities keep the horticulture waste to the minimum in the city .

In fact, the problem is more in the southern sectors where heaps of horticulture waste, in the absence of an effective garbage disposal system, are left on road berms and in parks and open spaces where it decays.

Museum sculptures neglected
From A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, July 4 — The Museum and Art Gallery in Sector 10 here is facing a number of problems. The museum is visited by a number of visitors regularly. Sculptures exhibited in the compound of the museum are in a pathetic state. “Nandi” bull , a sculpture of the medieval period, is surrounded by wild growth of plants. The cemented base of the sculpture is broken at a number of places and wild growth has spurted from it. Iron chains used earlier to guard the sculpture are missing. The sculpture has also got blakened at places.

Sculptures installed in the Leisure Valley, opposite the museum, are also in a bad state. Most of the pedestals have been broken due to weathering of cement. Nearly all sculptures have not been painted for the past couple of years. It was impossible to reach the sculptures as these are surrounded by wild growth.

The Director, Museum and Art Galleries, Chandigarh, said the sculptures were installed by the North Zone Cultural Centre and the museum got them painted from time to time.

A battle tank, standing outside the museum premises, also cries for attention of the department. The tank was captured by the Indian army in the 1971 war against Pakistan and was installed by the defence authorities. The condition of the tank shows that it has not been painted for a long time.Some visitors have scribbled abusive remarks on the exhibit. The tank can be seen by security guard posted inside the museum.

Dating in parks embarrasses onlookers
From Gautam Dheer

PANCHKULA, July 4— Of late, parks of Panchkula have become the favourite venue for young boys and girls out on dates. This is a matter of concern for not only the residents but also the police because the youngsters, at times, cause embarrassment to the other visitors in the parks with their behaviour.

The Panchkula police has registered several cases in this regard under Sections 294 and 109 of the IPC.

Mr R.D. Rajpal, a resident, feels that open public dating is generally obscene. ''I feel it is essential to maintain the decorum of a public place,'' he added.

With the increased exposure to foreign channels and the influence of the West, the legacy of our rich socio-cultural system seems to be fighting a losing battle, feel some.

Mr Sanjay Kumar, a software specialist, said he was worried about what effect such developments would have on the minds of children.

Other common sites for dating are the park parking lots and roads leading to these parks. Especially after sunset, one finds cars parked at secluded places with tinted glass windows rolled up.

The DSP of Panchkula, Mr J.P. Dahiya, said it is wrong to indulge in such dating activities which can cause public nuisance. Yet these are very sensitive issues. If raked up by the police, they could cause turbulence in the homes of both the boy and girl.

''It requires constant upgradation of moral values, a healthy communication system between parents and children so that boys and girls act with maturity,'' he added.

As per the law, any activity of public nuisance is punishable under Section 294 of the IPC. Two police constables and two CIA staff constables in civil dress are on duty at the parks to check such incidents.

Puneet, an executive with BPL, feels it is unjustified to blame those sitting in parks and public places. ''In some cities in the South, many dating zones and listed lover parks made for this purpose,'' he says.

Ms Aarti Marwah, a homemaker, does not feel it is wrong if done within limits. ''You should think of those who cannot afford to sit even in an average fast-food joint or roam about in cars. There is no other place where they can comfortably sit and share a few thoughts,'' she added.

The boys and girls dating in public places are generally in the age group of 16 to 24 years and most of them have no plans of getting married.

Dr Satish Verma, an eminent Punjabi writer, feels that this activity dates to the times when stories were written about famous lovers like Heer Ranjha and Sohni Mahiwal but we have yet to accept the situation. This is the victory of our culture and value system that forbid us to indulge in such activity, he concludes.