Highly euphoric! This expression sums up the mood of the participants and spectators who gathered at the Government College Stadium to witness the one-day long ‘Virsa Utsav’ (heritage festival). Kite-flying turned out to be the blue-ribbon event of the proceedings. Bureaucrats, politicians and the common man vied with each other just to ensure that their kites were the best and flew the highest. For youngsters, it turned out to be a learning experience. They got to know so many things which will hold them in good stead in future. For a day, the kite became their teacher, their guru. The first lesson they learnt was that a kite rises against the wind and not with the wind. This means some opposition is necessary for an individual to rise in life. The second lesson was that the kite flies because of its tail. So, do not ignore the small things of life. The last chapter they learnt was that if the kite is tethered and set up properly, it can shoot up into the sky. That is if your educational base is good, you have the potential to make it big in life. And then there were some pearls of wisdom from the bureaucracy. SDM Amandeep Kaur Ghuman, one of the organisers of the show, said: “Life is like flying a kite. You never know what direction the wind is going to blow. And you never know how many twists and turns there will be before the flight is over.” Let the youth tag these lines onto their life’s journey. At the end of the day, the kite had become their great guru, their best teacher. Three professional kite-fliers were brought in from Rajasthan adding spice to the proceedings. They were Abdul Rauf, Salmaan and Nadeem. They displayed mastery over 18 types of kites. Their handling of a 52-feet-long kite came in for much praise. Kids were mesmerised by fancy names like Radar kite, Delta kite, Power kite, Spiderman kite, Batman kite, Ironman kite, Duck kite and Golden Fish kite. Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Komal Mittal paid a surprise visit. She reignited old friendships and why not? After all, not long ago, she was posted as an SDM here in Gurdaspur. To add as a post-script, Komal is also the wife of Gurdaspur DC Himanshu Aggarwal. In the evening, the audience was regaled by Sufi singer Kanwar Grewal.
Kajal Kumari’s painting to be displayed at Panchayat Bhavan
DC Himanshu Aggarwal hands over an appreciation letter to Kajal Kumari.
Kajal Kumari (19), who suffers from 80 per cent disability, has become the talk of the town for the untiring efforts she has been making to clear the UPSC examination. She was elated because Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal had granted her a one-to-one audience. The officer has agreed to display her water-colour paintings in the conference hall of Panchayat Bhavan. On her own, she cannot move and requires the help of a person to take her around. Her life is all about the triumph of the spirit against all odds. She is a BCA final year student at Government College. ‘Good Samaritan’ Romesh Mahajan is financing her studies. He was the one who facilitated her meeting with the DC. In Gurdaspur, it is said that she is a young woman who knows how to convert obstacles into challenges and defeats into victories. (Contributed by Ravi Dhaliwal)
