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Mar 27, 2014
Mar 14, 2014
Fazilka ek mahagatha....why its worth to get a copy of this great book on our motherland bangla is imp...as a number of unrevealed facts related to our city....are highlighted by great writer Lachhman Dost ji.....this book is not released yet....but I m sharing just a few lines ..u can easily interpret how this book is precious....share it maximum n get a copy soon....those who can distribute more copies to friends n relatives kindly contact at 07206406869. Dr. Vivek Kareer Fazilka
Mar 3, 2014
Oct 21, 2013
SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012
Sanjha chulha: flame of shared cooking re- ignited
Gaurav Sagar Bhaskar
FEROZEPUR: "Sanjha chulha ( common oven)", the tradition of communities sharing joys and sorrows over cooking a meal, is back in the state.
Sanjha chulha brings together women from different communities to cook meal together on the common oven. It strengthens community bonds.
Recognising its importance beyond culture, the Graduates Welfare Association of Fazilka ( GWAF) and Guru Gobind Singh Youth Club have made 13 shared earthen ovens across Fazlika's suburban localities of Nai Abadi, Teachers Colony, Basti Chandora, Dhingra Colony, and Zora Singh Mann Nagar.
Sanjha chulha, ingredient of Punjabi tradition for ages; had lost fire of late. The GWAF'S efforts brought it back alive. It started with installing 6 ovens across Fazilka to help poor housewives cook meals twice a day. Seven more will open on Sunday ( April 22), Earth Day.
"In modern times, when the prices of cooking gas has shot up, sanjha chulha will help the poor cut costs," said Lachman Dost of the GWAF.
"Nearly 15 families can cook food on each oven, which is also eco- friendly."
The NGO'S message to the world is that it is concerned over global warming. "Fossil fuels release carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and other poisonous gases into the atmosphere," said Dost. "Sanjha chulha will reduce the burning of fossil fuels at home for cooking. Natural fuels such as wood and coal don't hurt the atmosphere. We will aid India's progress and see a change in people when they cook together."
Read more: http://navdeepasija.blogspot.com/2012/04/sanjha-chulha-flame-of-shared-cooking.html#ixzz2iMxnkKCj
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
Fazilka’s oldest building to be sold for commercial gain
PEOPLE OPPOSE MOVE, WANT PROPERTY RESTORED TO EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY TO WHICH IT WAS DONATED
Surprised that the Fazilka improvement trust wanted to sell the oldest building of the town for commercial purposes, people opposed the decision.
The building of Raghuwar Bhawan was donated to a local education trust originally. Munshi Ram Aggarwal, a prominent citizen in 1901, had got it made and laid a beautiful garden around it for cultural activities. Later, he transferred the 16-acre property to MR Education Trust.
The donation’s objective was to promote education in the border town. “It was shocking when the improvement trust published a notice in a newspaper about its decision to exploit the land for residential or commercial purpose,” said social activist Laxman Dost, former member of the local civic body who has written the history of Fazilka and other books. “The education trust was neither consulted with nor informed.”
“Raghuwar Bhawan is the oldest building of the town. Instead of saving it, the property donated for education is being sold out,” said Dost. Many
MLA’S ASSURANCE
films and songs have been shot at the property. “It can be developed into a tourist centre,” said the historian.
The people of Fazilka have decided to move court to save the land, Navdeep Asija, secretary general of the graduate welfare association of Fazilka (GWAF), has said. “It was okay, if they had converted it into a school or community centre,” he added.
On Sunday, the townsfolk gathered for a meeting against the improvement trust decision. “We will launch a signature campaign against it and submit memorandums to the chief minister, tourism minister, and deputy commissioner,” said Kuldeep Singh, man from New Abadi locality here.
Efforts to contact the deputy commissioner of Fazilka, who is also chairman of the city’s improvement trust, were futile. Expressing concern over the issue, cabinet minister Surjit Kumar Jiyani, who is also legislator of Fazilka, said there had been no complaint, so far, against the proposal sale of the land that Munshi Ram Aggarwal had donated to MR Education Trust. The trustees had surrendered the property to the government, said Jiyani. “However, if locals are opposed to the idea, I will look into the matter and restore the land to the education trust,” he said
Green Ramleela celebrations in Fazilka
Green Ramleela celebrations in Fazilka
Graduate Welfare Association Fazilka (GWAF)
and Balaji Northern Railway Ramleela Samiti Fazilka celebrated Ramleela
function in a novel way on Friday night in Nai Abadi locality here. They
celebrated Ramleela as Green Ramleela as more than 250 saplings of different
varieties were distributed amongst the audience free of cost to spread the
message given in the Ramleela at large during the function.
It was a scene when Hanuman uprooted and
brought the mountain containing Sanjivani herb to save the life of unconscious
Lakshman. As Hanuman reached the stage with the mountain having different
saplings on it, the audience welcomed him with applause. The organisers
distributed more than 250 saplings of Neem, Arjun, Sukhchain, Alestonia,
Gulmohar, Kachnar and others varieties displayed from the mountain.
"The idea is to give practical shape to
all teachings and baseline values given in the Ramayana as our duty towards the
environment during the Sanjivani herbs episode,” said Lakshman Dost the
Director of the Ramleela Samiit. “The modern era needs this kind of ‘sanjivani’
to alert the unconscious civil society towards their moral duties for
environment,” he added.
“Each tree is sanjivani for the society and
this is the most scientific way to protect our environment through faith and
religion,” said Dr Bhupinder Singh, who initiated the campaign to alert
citizens of Fazilka about global warming through the teachings of Guru Granth
Sahib last year like “Pawan Guru pani, pita mata dharat mahatu.”
— Praful Chander Nagpal
The Tribune-Monday, September 28, 2009, Chan digarh , India
Oct 3, 2013
Fazilka Jutti needs incentives
Fazilka Jutti needs
incentives
Gaurav Sagar
Bhaskar , Hindustan Times Ferozepur, September 29, 2013
First Published: 20:57
IST(29/9/2013) | Last Updated: 21:35 IST(29/9/2013)
Lack of government support and dearth of adequate
marketing facilities have become stumbling blocks in the further development of
'Fazilka Jutti', a unique handcrafted trade.
'Fazilka Tilla Jutti', registered as a Geographical Indicator in the name of Fazilka under the Patent Act of India, is one of the favourite footwear among people of the region and the country.
'Fazilka Tilla Jutti', registered as a Geographical Indicator in the name of Fazilka under the Patent Act of India, is one of the favourite footwear among people of the region and the country.
The word 'Jutti' is Urdu in origin, which
came into common use during the Mughal period in India Punjab .
As per reports, more than 1.8 lakh pairs, with a
turnover of `400 lakh, are manufactured and sold by artisans of Fazilka a year,
giving bread and butter to more than 2,000 families involved in Jutti making
business directly or indirectly.
Major works like cutting, stitching and pasting
are done by male members, while women take up the embroidery work, which, in
common parlance, is known as 'tilabharai'. Main raw materials required for it
are hides, skins and bark of the 'kikar' (Acacia arabica) tree. The latter is
used for treating raw hides.
Not only men, women, too, feel proud in wearing
Fazilka Juttis, which come in a variety of colours and designs.
Fazilka Jutti is elegant in style and soft
leather used in it makes it comfortable to wear. It is slip-on footwear, which
rises high to the Achilles' tendon in the back and covers the toe with a round
or M-shaped profoundly embroidered upper shoe, leaving the top of the foot
almost uncovered.
Despite Fazilka Jutti's high demand, none of the successive governments ever bothered to chalk out a special strategy to further develop the trade into a major profit-making business.
About two decades ago, certain assistance for machines was facilitated to artisans in Bathinda cluster while banking facilities are available in all clusters. However, access to credit is negligible and mostly the source of finance is own capital or loan from oneylenders/agents/traders, who often charge high rates of interest.
Despite Fazilka Jutti's high demand, none of the successive governments ever bothered to chalk out a special strategy to further develop the trade into a major profit-making business.
About two decades ago, certain assistance for machines was facilitated to artisans in Bathinda cluster while banking facilities are available in all clusters. However, access to credit is negligible and mostly the source of finance is own capital or loan from oneylenders/agents/traders, who often charge high rates of interest.
With modernisation and machines taking over most
manufacturing activities, the Fazilka Punjabi Jutti is slowly losing its
presence and glory at the international level, forcing several artisans to look
for alternative means of occupation.
Being largely handmade, Punjabi Jutti needs no machines, but it does require recognition and support of government at global level. One such initiative can be to place it in the art and culture section of the union ministry of tourism and in government's promotion schemes and other publicity campaigns.
Another cause for concern is that marketing
channel is limited to local market and majority of artisans have no direct
access to retailers outside the state.
Citizens Speak
There are no facilities and infrastructure for training, skill upgrade and dissemination of information on fashion trends and designs. Government must develop it under small-scale industry by facilitating special incentives.
Ranjam Kamra, youth activist of Fazilka
There are no facilities and infrastructure for training, skill upgrade and dissemination of information on fashion trends and designs. Government must develop it under small-scale industry by facilitating special incentives.
Ranjam Kamra, youth activist of Fazilka
Lack of policy by government to uplift the
socio-economic profile of artisans has worsened the situation. There should be
institutional framework for skill, technology and product upgrade.
Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, supporter of Fazilka Jutti
Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, supporter of Fazilka Jutti
To preserve the old art with a modern touch,
government must introduce short-term training courses for local artisan
families about packaging, use of IT for value addition and trading through
e-commerce, etc.
Harish Monga, social worker
Harish Monga, social worker
The middle man is taking advantage of disparity
in sale price as there is no initiative on part of government to put in place
direct retailing facilities.
Shiv Tirpalkee, resident of Tarpal Kee village
Shiv Tirpalkee, resident of Tarpal Kee village
Special package in the form of tax holidays
should be provided for investors to set up leather industry in the region.
Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, supporter of Fazilka Jutti
Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, supporter of Fazilka Jutti
The SAD-BJP government is always eager to
promote small-scale industry. Soon I will meet representatives of artisans
involved in Jutti trade and will take up their demands with the state
government for the earliest approval.
Surjit Kumar Jiyani, Fazilka MLA and cabinet minister
Surjit Kumar Jiyani, Fazilka MLA and cabinet minister
-------
Sep 25, 2013
Sep 17, 2013
FAZILKA’S EIFFEL TOWER
By Harjap Singh Aujla
South Asia Post: Issue 25 Vol II, October 15, 2006
 Fazilka is a sleepy sub-divisional headquarter on the Southern tip of Ferozepore district close to the border with Pakistan. Before 1947 partition of Punjab, it used to be a thriving business center, but after the creation of Pakistan, it fell on bad days. The Northern big cities located along the Grand Trunk Road can be easily interlinked for television, telephone and radio services through inter-connecting terrestrial towers, but the Southern areas located in the Bhatinda, Muktsar, Abohar and Fazilka belt are difficult to connect terrestrially with Northern big city grid. Being at the South-Western corner of Punjab, Fazilka’s location is quite remote from the point of view of superior quality sound and picture transmission linkage with Northern communication grid. Technically speaking Fazilka deserved a high standing self supporting tower of its own. According to stories published recently in some newspapers including “Ajit” and “The Tribune”, Fazilka has finally got a 1000 foot tall self supporting communication tower. The reason I call it Fazilka’s Eiffel Tower is that its height is comparable with the height of France’s World famous Eiffel Tower. It may not be as beautiful.
Before we discuss the capabilities of this tower, it will be appropriate to share a brief history of broadcasting in Punjab. To the British Colonial rulers, Punjab was a province of extraordinary importance. Under the direct control of the Indian government, a central broadcasting authority called All India Radio was formed in 1936. In addition to the four metropolitan cities of Calcutta, Bombay, Madras and New Delhi the fifth and the sixth radio stations were opened in Lahore (Punjab) and Peshawar (North West Frontier Province). Originally all these stations were equipped with one 5 kilowatt medium-wave transmitter each. Between 1941 and 1943, these transmitters were replaced at each station with 10 kilowatt medium-wave transmitters. Theoretically the range of a 5 kilowatt medium-wave transmitter during day light hours is only 30 miles and the fringe area extends another 20 miles. This means that All India Radio Lahore with 5 kilowatts barely reached Amritsar, but after up-gradation to 10 kilowatts, it became local in Amritsar. On August 14, 1947 Pakistan got independence and from 15th of August, Radio Pakistan Lahore became a hostile station. This rang alarm bells in New Delhi and since high powered transmitters were unavailable in India, two low powered 1 kilowatt medium-wave transmitter each were dispatched to Amritsar and Jalandhar. Thus All India Radio Jalandhar-Amritsar came into existence. This arrangement continued for five years. Soon after independence the authorities in Pakistan increased the power of Lahore radio station from 10 kilowatts to 50 kilowatts. In 1953, All India Radio also installed a 50 kilowatt medium-wave transmitter at a place called Goraya, located equidistant from Ludhiana and Jalandhar. This arrangement continued until the nineties. Pakistan added a 100 kilowatt medium-wave transmitter to its existing 50 kilowatt station in Lahore in 1965. India opened a 1 kilowatt medium-wave station at Chandigarh in 1965. Another radio station was to be opened at Amritsar, but due to the 1965 war with Pakistan the idea was shelved. In the meanwhile Radio Pakistan and Pakistan Television Service increased its presence in the border areas with India.
 Radio Pakistan slowly and steadily kept opening new radio stations after independence in Rawalpindi, Multan, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Mianwali, Islamabad and Sialkot. Pakistan television also dotted entire border area with Indian Punjab with powerful transmitters. India started its second phase of expansion of broadcasting services in Punjab during the nineties. During the nineties both Bhatinda and Patiala got relay centers for Doordarshan and also got FM transmitters of All India Radio. The mother station at Jalandhar was up-graded with two high powered medium-wave transmitters along with a 10 kilowatt FM transmitter. All India Radio Chandigarh was strengthened with a 10 kilowatt high altitude transmitter at Kasauli extending its range up to 110 miles radius.
Punjab’s border area was all along better served by Pakistan Television Service and Radio Pakistan and poorly served by Indian broadcasting services. Hence there was a need to strengthen All India Radio and Doordarshan services in the border belt. Sushma Swaraj was the first Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, who realized that the entire border belt in Punjab was shabbily served by All India Radio and Doordarshan. She was surprised to find that Amritsar was served with a local quality radio service of Radio Pakistan Lahore and did not have its own radio outlet to be local in Lahore. She had two options. Either she could open four radio cum TV transmitting centers in Fazilka, Ferozepore, Amritsar and Pathankot. Or she could order the construction of very tall towers at Fazilka and Amritsar and serve Ferozepore and Pathankot from those two centers. She decided to have just two 1000 foot high towers at Fazilka and Amritsar. The one at Fazilka has just been completed and the one for Amritsar is yet to be built.
The 1000 foot high steel structure may not be as magnificent as the famous “Eiffel Tower of Paris”. But it is almost as tall. Before the construction of the tower in Fazilka, the tallest tower in India was the Bombay Doordarshan Tower, which is 984 foot tall. The Bombay tower is supporting the antennas of several Doordarshan channels and accommodates a number of government owned and private radio channels. The Fazilka tower is as much capable. As I hear this tower will carry at least the National Channel of Doordarshan and perhaps one or two Punjab based channels. Its radio outlet will carry several FM channels. Within a sixty mile radius, its transmitters will cover most of Ferozepore district with the exception of Ferozepore City and cantonment area as well as Zeera Tehsil. These areas will be covered by Amritsar station. Fazilka tower will also cover Abohar Tehsil and Muktsar District in Punjab as well as Sri Ganganagar District of Rajasthan. All India Radio Bhatinda is a full fledged FM radio station. Considering the height of the Fazilka tower, a point to point linkage with Bhatinda tower is possible. This means that the Fazilka tower can pick up the signal of Bhatinda and relay it. We congratulate the people of Fazilka for earning this state of the art broadcasting facility and hope it will spread knowledge in the area.
[Writer and engineer Harjap Singh Aujla has done engineering calculations to determine the ranges and radius of coverage and are accurate. He can be contacted at 16 Junction Pond Lane, Monmouth Junction, New Jersey 08852, USA
www.apnaorg.com/articles/sap6/
|
Sep 16, 2013
PAU to honour 6 progressive farmers on Kisan Mela
- See more at: http://www.punjabnewsline.com/punjab/pau-to-honour-6-progressive-farmers-on-kisan-mela/76109#sthash.HdbTVyyP.dpuf
The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) will honour six progressive and innovative farmers, on the inaugural day of PAU Kisan Mela, on March 15. The farmers will be awarded cash prizes, plaque and citations for excelling in agriculture, horticulture, and allied activities.
Sushil Periwal of village Khippanwali, district Fazilka, will be conferred with the “Chief Minister Award in Agriculture.” He has carved a unique niche for himself in the field of agriculture by adopting scientific methods. In addition to his ancestral land of 32 acres, Sh. Periwal has taken 96 acres of land on lease and thus, is cultivating on a total of 128 acres of land for the last 37 years. By leveling his orchards through laser land leveler technology, he has saved about 30% of water and improved the health of fruit plants. He has adopted drip irrigation method to save water. He uses farm machinery according to mechanical and scientific techniques. A 62-year old Sh. Periwal has remained in touch with the Kisan Melas of PAU for the last 37 years. For the marketing of horticultural produce under the brand name “LSP”, he personally visits Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Indore, Kanpur and Surat. He is earning 15-20% more income as compared to other farmers.
