Young players from Classes VIII to XII, who were kept waiting in buses for hours yesterday while being ferried to Chandigarh for Yoga Day rehearsals, were today summoned to the district administrative complex to explain the “problems they had faced.” The District Sports Officer (DSO), coaches and children were asked to explain why they had spoken to the media on their return from Chandigarh.
The Tribune team reached the office of Deputy Commissioner Ram Vir Singh who vehemently denied having “summoned anyone” to his office, even as the coaches and children were found waiting outside. The DC claimed the DSO and hise team had come on their own. But one of the coaches said they had received a message from the DC’s office to reach the administrative complex. Reliable sources said the district authorities had tried to put pressure on the students to deny they were maltreated in any way.
Asked about gross “mismanagement” that had resulted in harassment to the children, the DC shot back, “What is wrong in calling some students for Yoga Day rehearsals? They were all given proper dinner and breakfast.”
However, the children say they were taken to the Fatehgarh Sahib gurdwara at 10.30 pm where they were served langar. Also, they had to spend the night in the buses.
Another shocker
Patiala: As many as 367 local students will not be able to participate in the International Yoga Day event at Chandigarh, on Tuesday. They had been issued registration numbers and had been practicing yoga for three hours every day. The students were told on Monday that the state-level coordination committee had decided against calling them to Chandigarh. One of them said, “This is so disappointing. We had been taking yoga lessons even during our summer holidays.” A teacher said the students were now asking for yoga kits as was promised to them. When contacted, Dr MS Mann, Assistant Director, NSS, Patiala, simply replied,”It is a state-level decision.”
