Has PEC forgotten Chawla's death anniversary?

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Engineering Colle ge (PEC) seems to have forgotten about its star alumnus Kalpana Chawla.
PEC has nothing planned to mark her first death anniversary. In sharp contrast to the elaborate functions that followed the crash of the space shuttle Columbia on February 1, last year, her college appears to be uninterested about her first death anniversary on Sunday.
Unlike the befitting celebrations that were organised at Delhi, her hometown Karnal and in the United States, PEC had nothing to offer.There were no special meetings or remembrance of earlier times.
The college, which will be opening on Tuesday, preferred to observe its extended weekend (with an official holiday on Monday).
Principal Baljeet Kapoor told Times News Network, ‘‘The college will be closed for two days, the occasion would be marked on Tuesday.'''' At Chawla''s department of aeronautical engineering, the faculty blamed the unusual and unexpected quietude on ‘‘problems within the institute''''. A year ago the crash had rocked the world when the space shuttle crashed minutes before reaching earth.
The memory of Chawla and six other astronauts was etched on everybody''s mind for times to come. Head of department of aeronautical engineering Prof S C Sharma said, ‘‘We would have organised a solemn function to remember the brilliant student of our department. It was because of her that the college shot to the limelight a year ago. I have received a number of letters from Kalpana''s batch mates expressing their feelings about her death. The department could have called old colleagues and Kalpana''s family.''''
Faculty at Chawla''s department feel ‘‘exploited''''. They say that the credit of the mileage that the college gained because of the star alumnus goes to the department which has not really reaped any benefits. Even the decommissioned Mi-8 helicopter, which was towed in from 3BRD to PEC last month, has been placed right in front of the administrative block much to the chagrin of some senior faculty members.
They said that so far the helicopter has been of no use to the department nor is the department aware of what would be done with it now that it has arrived.