Gurdaspur Diary: DC holds pep talk with girl students

Girl students of Shaheed Makhan Singh Senior Secondary School were in for a pleasant surprise when Deputy Commissioner (DC) Harbir Singh invited them to his office and delivered an hour long pep-talk on the virtues of good education. Actually, the group of youngsters were visiting the office of the District Bureau and Employment and Enterprises (DBEE) which is in the same complex that also houses the office of the DC. The students were personally invited by the DC to come to his office. The important things turned out to be an hour-long extempore on quality education. In fact the officer identified with the students because he himself is an alumnus of a government school. “Deep down, we all know the impact and importance of education. It is not about just learning, reading, writing, recitation and arithmetic at school. Instead, formal education is about gaining knowledge and the skills needed to become a better human being and hence create a better society to live in. A proper education sets people up to grow personally, professionally and socially. It can awaken joy, curiosity and a deep desire to solve problems and help others. Education is also about understanding about other cultures and corners of the world that lay beyond the school doors. It is perhaps the only thing that anybody can take away from you. Education is not preparing for life. It is life in itself,” said Harbir Singh. When the DC queried the children about the subject they like the most, a majority replied it was political science. The officer says he will be getting in touch with the secretary of the Vidhan Sabha to ensure the young girls get a chance to visit the Assembly. Hopefully, that chance must not come when two political bigwigs are verbally abusing each other. Rather it should come when a health debate is underway. Even the DC may not be able to ensure this!

Judoka does Gurdaspur proud

Jasleen Saini (in pic) has done the city proud by getting selected for the Indian Judo team which will participate in the Commonwealth games to be held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8. He has regularly been winning accolades in the 66 kg weight category. Saini, who had to fight abject penury during his childhood days, almost became the second player from Gurdaspur to get the Olympian tag. The first was Avtar who took part in the 2016 Rio Olympics. For a ticket to Tokyo, Saini just had to participate in the Asian championships held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan a few months prior to the Olympics. Saini’s Olympic dream crashed when a few Indian players tested positive for Covid. His coach Amarjit Shastri is working hard to make certain his disciple has the requisite funds to travel.

SMO raises awareness on hypertension

Dr Lakhwinder Singh, SMO, Kalanaur, seems to be a busy man these days. May is the Hypertension Awareness Month which makes him a doctor on the move. He and other members of his team have fanned out in the 30 odd villages of Kalanaur block to enlighten villagers about the need to keep their blood pressure under control. His team is on a house-to-house visit and anybody found to be having a BP more than the normal is given medicines on the spot. “BP can affect the body in many ways and is often referred to as the silent killer because it can lead to an increased risk of a heart stroke or serious diseases without necessarily alerting you to the problem. I like working among villagers. They do not question you much and obey doctors’ orders more than people living in cities."

Contributed by Ravi Dhaliwal

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