EDUCATION

Group clash in Govt College, 4 hurt
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, September 13
At least four students were seriously injured in a clash with a rival group in Government College here today, even as guards and cops posted outside the campus looked on as mute spectators. This is the second such incident in the college during one month.

Pardeep and Gurbachan — both students of BA (First year) in the college — received multiple stab injuries. They were also attacked with lathis and received injures on their heads and face. Both students have been admitted to the General Hospital, Sector 6, and are stated to be in a serious condition. Two boys from the other side, Sandeep and Baljinder, also received injuries.

It is learnt that these students have been attacked by a group of outsiders, belonging to Barwala The miscreants, about 15 in number, reportedly entered the college and attacked victims after they refused to give them their motorcycle. Said Gurbachan, “Sintu and Raju had asked me for my bike, which I politely refused. Without any provocation, the two, along with Ashwani, Dinesh, Manoj and 10 others, took out swords and lathis and began attacking us. They pulled us out of the college building , and in full public view, beat us up,” he said.

Added Pardeep, “They pulled us out of the college campus, but the guards on duty or the two constables deployed there refused to act. A police Gypsy was parked a few yards away from the college gate, and even though the traffic flow was blocked while we were being assaulted, they did not come to our rescue,” he alleged.

The victims said that the miscreants boarded a roadways bus after they were through with them and left. They said that college staff, including the Principal , later said that the incident had taken place outside the premises, to avoid any embarrassment. “They stood there like mere spectators, as we lay bleeding on the road. It was a police Gypsy that arrived a few minutes later, that picked us up and brought us to the hospital,” they said. The police has registered a case under Sections 324, 323 , 34 of IPC.

Students of the college, while talking to TNS, alleged that such hooliganism by these outsiders was a routine affair. “We are supposed to abide by their diktats. They demand money or our bikes, and no one here dare refuse. If anyone were to refuse, he would have to bear the consequences,” they said.

Another student of B.A. (Final), said except for Raju and Dinesh, the others are outsiders. “A few of them are old students of the college, but come here frequently to exhibit their influence. They are sons of landlords in and around Barwala and have political connections. No one stops them from entering the college and despite open knowledge about their involvement in such incidents, no action is taken against them, either by the police or the college authorities,” he said.

It may be noted that only last month, Balwant Singh and Parveen were attacked by this group with swords on the college campus. However, no case was registered against them, allegedly because the police had initiated a compromise between the two parties. One of the assailants had been caught by the police, but was later let off the hook.

COURTS

Chief Justice given send-off
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 13
Rhythmic notes of the bugle echoed against the Punjab and Haryana High Court walls as Mr Chief Justice Arun B. Saharya was today given a warm send-off on the eve of his retirement upon attaining the age of superannuation.

Judges, accompanied by high court staff and advocates, gathered to watch Mr Justice Saharya take the salute. The Chief Justice went down on his knees with folded hands on the wet concrete slab to bow before the high court.

The number of high court judges, with his retirement will go down to 31 as against the sanctioned strength of 40. The vacancies are forcing the judges to work till late in the afternoon and have also resulted in an increase in the backlog.

The Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs has reportedly written a letter to the states of Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory of Chandigarh to initiate the process of appointing judges at least six months before the retirement of the sitting ones.

Surinder accused of cheque bouncing
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, September 13
The eye witness-turned-suspect in the alleged rape case of a girl from Shimla, Surinder Sharma, was today produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate here, in a case of a dishonouring of cheque. Charges were framed against him in the court today.

As many as three cases of cheque bounce are pending against Surinder Sharma in the court, here. Cheques of Rs 1.2 lakh, Rs 75,000 and Rs 55,000, issued by the accused and presented in the State Bank of India, Surajpur, had bounced in February last year.

The complainants, Mr Harbans Lal Singla of G.S. Bricks, Kalka, and Shiva Gram Udyog had filed cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.

It is learnt that Surinder Sharma used to place a bulk order of bricks and ask for these to be unloaded at his plot in Surajpur. He would make a part payment in cash and issue cheques for the remaining amount.

These cheques were later dishonoured.

CULTURE

Workshop on film appreciation
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, September 13
The United States Educational Foundation in India (USEFI), New Delhi, organised a two-day workshop on film appreciation called “Understanding Hollywood: from real to reel and back” which concluded at Hotel Shivalikview in Sector 17 here today. A select group of 30 participants, including representatives from Nepal, Lanka and Bangladesh, discussed on films as a cultural genre and a form of social discourse.

The focus of the workshop was American Cinema Industry, from its inception to the impact of Hollywood across all temporal and spatial borders and its role as a tool to propagate ideas to masses. Four resource persons: Prof Suresh Chabria from Film Institute, Pune, Tissa Abeysekara, a film maker from Sri Lanka, Mr. Vankatesh Chakravarty from Chennai and Mr Amit Patra from Kolkata spoke on the occasion.

Emphasising on the need to understand the visual media and enable them to critically read a film, executive director of the USEFI, Prof. Jane Schukoske, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said film was a separate discipline and in this time of globalisation when there was a thin boundary between different cultures, one has to regard films as a form of art that has no definite boundaries, encompassing diverse genres of literature, culture, history and politics.

Talking about the need for initiating more exchange scholarship programmes between the USA and India, Prof Schukoske, who is also heading the Fullbright programmes in India, spoke about the various schemes covered under Fullbright.

Drama festival from Sept 18
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 13
The Haryana Public Relations and Cultural Affairs Department and North Central Zone Cultural Centre, Allahabad, will jointly organise seven-day National Drama Festival at the Tagore Theatre here from September 18 to 24.

An official release issued here today said the festival was being organised in collaboration with the National School of Drama, Delhi, Sangeet Natak Academy, Delhi, North Zone Cultural Centre, Patiala, South Central Zone Cultural Centre, Nagpur and Western Zone Cultural Centre, Udaipur.