A proud possession

More than a century old Gurukula Kangri University of Haridwar houses a rare collection of world literature and the ancient scriptures. This inestimable treasure of the country has a collection of approximately one lakh forty thousand books on various subjects as Sanskrit Literature, Vedic literature, history, literature of religion, philosophy and culture. Apart from these a good assembly of books on linguistics, science, management, science, IT, arts and architecture is an asset to the students.

Recently the university procured a copy of the 1930 trial proceedings against Bhagat Singh from Lahore, Pakistan. As intimated by the head librarian, Dr. Jagdish Vidyalankar, this document collection is now part of the other 1500 rare collections in Urdu stacked by the University museum. Some of the collections are even 150 to 200 years old in the university library and museum.

This 1400 page document containing original trial proceedings of the martyr in Urdu was received through post by the University after a long proceeding by the Vice Chancellor, Swatantra Kumar. Each page of this document is attested by the high court of Pakistan. Expressing his gratitude to the Government of Pakistan, Swatantra Kumar informs, "I had sent a written appeal to the high court of Pakistan to send this document during my last visit to Lahore on August 16, 2009 and they sent me by post. Nearly 2500 rare documents like this, including history of Sikhs, original manuscripts are carefully preserved by the Punjab Public Library, Lahore."

Discussing about his future moves, VC says, "Gurukul Kangri Library houses such rare manuscripts of importance in Arabi and Persian languages which the Govt. of Pakistan might be interested in acquiring. This university started from Gujranwala in Lahore.I am working on a mutual agreement through which both the governments can benefit each other through exchange of these valuable historical documents."

The library has preserved 'Satyarth Prakash' by Swami Dayanand published in 1882 and 'Arya Patrika Patra' collection published in 1890 from Lahore. Some of the rare Pandulipis and manuscripts of the eighteenth century like First Preamble of East India Company and Charak Sushrut are conserved in their original form. Nearly forty thousand have been confined to the reference section in which about seven thousand are of the rarest of rare category.

The university released a book a year before to commemorate the centenary of the launch of Satyagaraha Movement by Gandhi. This book named "Mahatma Gandhi aur Gurukula" with 600 pages compiles the original letters written by the Mahatma to students and Acharyas of Gurukul.

Savour the flavour

Rethink if you think that Haridwar is only for washing away your sins, says Neha Bhatia

For ages Haridwar has been better known as a place where billions take a dip of redemption and recently concluded Kumbh bears testimony of the same. However, my recent visit to the city of temples and Ganga made me believe that it is also a spot were varieties of food is available as well. And ubiquitous hotels, dhabas or dharamshalas are adding more cuisine to their menu card. Here one can have anything from traditional vegetarian thali to continental to chinese to regional delicacies. But somehow Gujarati food simply tickled my taste buds.

For those, who are fed up of the daily ordeal of having ghar ka khana, and wanna provide a respite to your taste buds, head straight to Shravan Nath Marg where on the banks of Ganges you will be welcomed to have a scrumptious meal of traditional Gujarati food. The moment you enter the Arya Niwas, you are greeted by typical Gujarati Dharamshala. Though people from outside are not allowed to stay here but the access to its canteen is free for all. Once down the stairs you have the option of sitting near the window and watching the magnificent river Ganga or sit inside the room in cosy surroundings. Once seated, the instant service starts and you find in front of you a huge steel plate, accommodating five or more bowls. But the real magic starts once the food is served. With great variety of choice one gets perplexed as to where to start from. A look at the plate itself makes you feel quite full, as the thali, once filled with all varieties of dishes, looks scrumptious. The best part is no matter how much appetite you have, the waiters will serve in a manner that will force you to over eat. However, worry not; the best part about this food is that it is easily digested. Or else you have a choice to go for a walk along the river Ganges. The unlimited thali seems to be a favourite with young and old alike. The delicacies that are served include varied vegetables, hot gujarati kadhi, dal, rice, khichdi, papad, chutney and pickles. The dishes are served in a rhythmic manner which make having the food here an experience in itself. What is happily surprising is that all this is for just Rs. 35.

The restaurant is open from early morning to almost midnight so you can head there for a bite almost round the clock. The delectable taste is owed to the fact that the spices used in the food here are from Gujarat and those cooking the food too are hard-core Gujaratis, thus making the much-mattered difference. "Whenever I come to Haridwar, I never forget to visit this place. There are very few places like this where you get this kind of traditional Gujarati food. What further enhances the fun of having food here is their excellent service," says PK Aggarwal, who comes to Haridwar quite often. During your next visit to this holy place, don't forget a quick bite at the Gujarati delicacies here.

Speaker for new Vidhan Sabha building

Uttarakhand assembly speaker Harbans Kapoor has asked the state government to make available land for the construction of new Vidhan Sabha premises, demand for which has been pending for quite some time. "There cannot be two opinions that the existing Vidhan Sabha building is too small to carry out the functions of legislature and it needs to be shifted elsewhere in a more specious building," Kapoor said in an interview to PTI. He said an amount of Rs 88 crore had already been sanctioned by the 13th Finance commission for the purpose but it was lying unused due to non-availability of the land. Kapoor said he had several times asked the Uttarakhand government to provide land for the Assembly building but the matter was still pending.

"When (B.C.) Khanduriji was the chief minister, I took up the matter with him. Now I have asked his successor Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank to provide the land for the new Vidhan Sabha," the speaker said. He, however, hoped that the present government would soon make the land available for the purpose. When asked whether the state government is hesitating in providing land for construction of the new Vidhan Sabha as Dehradun is still an interim capital, Kapoor said structures required for the functioning of government have to be raised. He advised the state government to decide the issue of permanent capital immediately as it is not in the interests of the state to further delay the matter.

The Virendra Dixit Commission has already submitted its report suggesting Dehradun, Ramnagar and Rishikesh as the places suitable for permanent capital of the hill state and the government should pick any of them, he said.

Same old story…

First downpour of the season, which brought city to a standstill, has exposed the tall claims of administration, reports P.S. Chauhan

The torrential rain, which submerged most parts of the city in three to four feet of water and caused unprecedented havoc, exposed the hollowness of the claims made by the administration. After spending crores of rupees on the holding of the Kumbh and claiming that infrastructure facilities including drainage and sewage systems have been revamped to such a level extent that the entire region will face no problem for the next 20 years. But all these tall claims have been washed away by just a couple of hours of downpour. A few hours rain created a flood like situation in the city, specially in Brahampuri, New Haridwar, Khanna Nagar, Ranipur Crossing, Katehra Bazar, Bhagat Singh Chowk, Sarva Priya Vihar and Latowali. The overflowing drains flooded the streets and water, mixed with mud and garbage, entered shops and houses. Near the Industrial Area, so swift was the flow of the swelling seasonal brook flowing down from the Mansa Devi and the Rajaji Park that three cars, two motor bikes and one three-wheeler, along with about a dozen persons were swept away by the swirling water. Some of these persons were rescued by the police team, but three of them could not be rescued. Suman Pathak (35), wife of Lavkush, R/o Kankhal, and her four year old son, Sarthak and Arti, wife of B.P. Nawani of Pauri Garhwal are still missing. The business community suffered heavy losses. The shops, the show rooms, the nursing homes at the busy intersection of the city, Ranipur crossing, all were submerged. "It was a sight of destruction. My computer, photostat machine and all other equipments, worth more than Rs. 1 lakh, have been badly damaged," Says Mudit Parashar, who runs a computer centre at Ranipur Crossing. The ATMs of most of the banks were flooded with water and went out of order. Water even entered flowed into State Bank of India, Jwalapur.

"Currency of about Rs. 12 crores has been fully drenched in rain water and spoilt," says Kishore Minz, the manager of the bank. The business community was so enraged that when the chairman of the city municipal board, Kamal Jora, reached Kathera Bazar at Jwalapur, he was roughed up by the shopkeepers and when the member of the municipal board from the local ward, Mukesh Ahuja came to his help, he was thrashed by the irate members of the business community. The entire life in the city was paralyzed by the incessant rains. Traffic came to a standstill. Due to heavy water logging in the railway yard the signal circuit failed and the railway track near the tunnel and the Kali Mandir got covered under thick layers of silt. "Movement of trains remained disrupted for about three hours and the trains movement was hampered," said Ajit Singh, the railway traffic inspector. The underground cables of the BSNL were damaged, causing disruption in mobile, landline and internet services in many parts of the city. Since the schools were flooded with water, the district magistrate, R. Meenakshi Sundram ordered the closure of the all the schools in the city for two days. The state minister for urban development and local MLA, Madan Kaushik along with the officials, took a round of the areas which were worse affected by the rain. He also called an emergency meeting of the top officials of the district. In the meantime the district magistrate has sent a detailed report to the state government about the damage. The urban development minister has announced an ex gratia of Rs.1 lakh to the families of the deceased and adequate compensation to those whose houses and property have been damaged. The state minister for development and the chairman of the city municipal board say that it was a case of natural calamity, perhaps caused by a cloud burst. "It is not a failure of the administration and the municipal board," they argue. However, the former MLA from the city, Ambrish Kumar says that it is more of manmade calamity than a natural calamity. "Of course, we have no control over nature's fury. But, had we revamped the drainage system in the city, the damage to a large extent, could have been avoided," says Ambrish Kumar. Suresh Gulati, the president of the City Vyapar Mandal says that all the nalas (drains), through which rain water used to flow, are now largely clogged, since they have not been cleared of silt and garbage for a long time. "Most of the drains in the city have been encroached upon, resulting in the narrowing of these drains. The administration has remained a silent spectator to these encroachments and if the administration swings into action, the political bosses tie their hands," alleges Adesh Tyagi, a social activist of Shivlok Colony. Vimla Pandey, resident of Sector 1, BHEL says that the drains made by the public works dept. during the Kumbh fall short of the water drainage capacity during the rains. "Some of the drains have been left incomplete. The roads constructed during the Kumbh, have also caved in at many places, further aggravating the problem of water logging", says Pandey.It was the first downpour of the season. Have the politicians, the officials of the district administration and city municipal board taken lessons from the monsoon mayhem?

Efforts to save native languages

Anjali Nauriyal

According to a survey conducted by UNESCO on the languages of the world, many tongues are faced with annihilation. Some of them have been in existence for thousands of years and have been the only medium of expression for many marginalised and other communities and in many ways represent their culture and history. The survey states that many languages will disappear in the coming years. UNESCO has declared February 21 as the International Mother Language Day so that efforts to preserve and propagate the mother languages of the world could be initiated and languages on the verge of extinction, be salvaged.

Keeping this burning concern in mind, DHAD, Lokbhasha Unit of Uttarakhand, organized a symposium earlier this year on 'Future of Lokhbhasha in Uttarakhand'. Amongst the participants were Dr. Savita Mohan, Director, Uttarakhand Bhasha Sansthan, and Tarkandra Vaishnava apart from many other eminent scholars.

They discussed threadbare the status of the three main languages of Uttarakhand, i.e., Garhwali, Kumauni and Jaunsari and presented their views on the different aspects of the concerned languages. The participants were unanimous on their observation that our languages are being gradually but surely being pushed to the path of annihilation.

The main reasons underlined were lack of governmental support, social neglect, and lack of proper documentation. This is a terrible and deplorable condition, which needs immediate attention. Both the government and the public must join hands to save their Lokbhashas of Uttarakhand.

The proceedings of the symposium have been formalised in book form now.

The book titled 'Lokbhashaon ke Nimitt: Reference Uttarakhand' was released by Lokesh Nawani, chairman of Dhad recently. The book is edited by Santosh Gairola and Kamla Pant.

"Saving our mother languages is our own responsibility and we cannot entrust this responsibility to others," avers Tanmay of DHAD. "Hope we do not restrict ourselves to merely celebrating February 21as International Mother Language Day," states Santosh Gairola, another member, adding, "Instead we must pave the way for creating a strong future base for our languages."

Experts made many recommendations for the development of these languages…

* Garhwali and Kumauni should be included in the eighth schedule of the Constitution.

* Academies of Garhwali and Kumauni should be established so that research can be conducted on these languages.

* Arrangement should be made for the publication of standard literary works and rare manuscripts.

* Research facilities and dissemination mechanism should be created in the universities for these languages.

* Arrangement should be made to give Gyanpeeth like award to meritorious scholars.

* Worthy writers should be rewarded and honoured.

* Literature compilation of language of Uttarakhand (a) Lok shahitya (b) original literature.

* Re-survey of languages of Uttarakhand (a) Kumaoni Dialect(b) Garhwali Dialect

* Determination of official language of Uttarakhand (a) Reading of all dialects of Uttarakhand (b) consent of linguists and promotion to language literature (a) publication (b) experimentation.

* Incentive to linguists and litterateurs (a) literature publication- financial help (b)prize (c) pension.

* Sincere efforts should be made in the direction of making standard dictionary and determination of Grammar of Kumauni, Garhwali language and for this purpose a panel of experts of this field should be constituted.

* Language should be connected with employment.

* It should be taught from primary to PHD level.

* A thorough research should be conducted on the Jaunsari language script and grammar.

* Compilation and publication of Jaunsar area related ancient literature.

* Compilation and publication of literature of old authors like Gumani and

Maularam.

* Provision of fund should be done for the development of regional dialect.

* Provision of financial aid to standard publication.

* Dissemination should be done among people for the propagation to these language through different awareness programmes.

Australian artist chronicles the Ganga's journey

Contemporary Australian artist Kevin Pearsh has chronicled the 2,500-km journey of river Ganga from an icy cave in Gaumukh to the Ganga Sagar in West Bengal in a series of 21 large format canvases. The seminal exhibition, 'Ganga 21: The Story' that opened at the Indian Council for Cultural Relation's Azad Bhavan auditorium in the capital, divides the journey of the river in three segments, 'a walk along the bank of Ganga', 'a drive across the Gangetic plains' and 'a boat ride through the Ganga'. The medium of the work is in oil. In the spring of 2006, Pearsh completed his first phase of hike from the massive ice cave of Gaumukh to the temple town of Haridwar.

In October 2006, he covered the Gangetic stretch from Haridwar to Varanasi and to the border of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Pearsh completed his third and final voyage from Buxar in Bihar to the delta in Bengal and Ganga Sagar in the spring of 2007. The canvases are serialised in numbers to narrate the birth, ebb and flow of the river that is considered the country's lifeline for centuries supporting great civilisations along its banks. The works documents geographical features of the river in its course and maps pilgrimage routes in details. The first canvas depicts Gaumukh flanked by icy Himalayas that sweeps up in formidable slopes like a shield around the cave. Pearsh describes Gaumukh as the 'spiritual source of the Ganges'. Eighteen kilometre down is Gangotri, the glacial swathe of ice where the river is said to have touch the earth for the first time. The composition highlights a cluster of stones leading to the river with a priest guiding the viewer down the steps. The locale moves to Devaprayag in the third canvas, where the feeder rivers of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda meet to become Ganga. The river then flows to the foothills of the Hiamalaya at Haridwar. The subsequent canvases capture the river on the plains, its broad meandering curves, peopling the water-scapes with figures and bustling activity. The last three compositions in the sequence are realistic in their depictions of the river in its deltaic flow as it lashes against the eroding mud banks of Bengal villages, past the ancient islands of Kahalgaon to Ganga Sagar where it meets the sea. The palette is close to life with raw daubs of paints giving the river its blue and aquamarine photographic quality. Pearsh, born in 1961 in Melbourne, studied in Perth and Zurich. At the age of 23, he contributed to the permanent collection of the Tate Gallery in London. In 2000, Pearsh began to work on his aqua-series (water compositions), inspired by his visit to China and later in Morocco. Ganga 21 will travel to the Rabindranath Tagore Centre in Kolkata Aug 7.

An education hub

The city with its labyrinthine lanes, temples dedicated to various Hindu gods and goddesses and ghats is considered the epitome of Hindu spirituality. The 21st century Haridwar, however has a lot more to offer than just the aforesaid. It is now a kaleidoscope of Indian culture and education. Education in Haridwar is one of the state's many claims to fame.

The region is a centre of academic excellence where numerous scholars and researchers flock to quench their intellectual quest. Haridwar that is famed for its traditional Gurukul system of education imparts a value based education system to the students. This is evinced by the education system followed by the numerous schools that the state is endowed with. State Ayurvedic Collage , Gurukul Kangri University, Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, Shanti Kunj and Rishikul ayurvedic College are amongst the premier Ayurvedic Universities where students come from all parts of the world to receive the knowledge of ancient alternative medical science .Graduate and post graduate colleges and research centres give ample opportunities to student to keep pace with current trends in the chosen field of interest. Recently the introduction of Patanjali University founded by Swami Ramdev has added another chapter to this inheritance of saints and sages. Besides this Chinmaya degree Collage, SMJN and Mahilla Vidyalaya offer regular courses in Science ,Commerce and Arts. Schooling is no less reputed and valued in the holy city.

On the fast track

Till about two decades ago, education in the city was limited to a university that had closed its doors its doors for the fairer sex, two truncated art colleges and two schools teaching ayurvedic medicine. Over the years, the higher education scenario has changed dramatically in the city. The art colleges have sprouted new faculties; girls can now study upto the post - graduate level at the Kanya Gurkul Mahavidyalaya and residents of Haridwar, interested in pursuing science no longer have to head out of the city for education. After the creation of Uttarakhand state in 2000, the entire holy city has undergone a sea change, with winds of progress, prosperity and modernity sweeping across the city and adjoining areas. Before being included in Uttarakhand, Haridwar was known for its gurukuls, Sanskrit vidyalalyas and Ayurveda mahavidyalayas. Now the emphasis has shifted to the job oriented technical and management disciplines. Half a dozen private colleges offering professional courses have cropped up and so have two new universities- the Dev Sanskriti University and Uttarakhand Sanskrit University. These were set up to popularize the classical language, adjusting it to modern requirements.

At A Glance: July 25, 2010

No more VIP puja

Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), which overlooks the maintenance of the two temples, has scrapped the provisions of special VIP puja inside the centuries-old shrines. The decision to the effect was taken by the board of the temple committee at New Tehri. "Now VIPs would also have to stand in queues for having darshans of both Badrinath and Kedarnath temples," Anusuiya Prasad Bhatt, Chairman of the BKTC, said. The two temples, among the most revered pilgrimage centres, in Uttarakhand's Garhwal region receive thousands of pilgrims every year.

State to fill 12000 govt posts

The Uttarakhand government has decided to fill nearly 12000 posts of class-III employees lying vacant at various departments besides recruiting 490 instructors in ITIs for starting market-driven courses. A decision to this effect was taken during a cabinet meeting presided by chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, chief secretary N.S. Napalchayal told reporters. The government made it mandatory for candidates to be registered with local employment exchanges for applying to the class-III posts. The candidates would be asked questions related to local customs, culture and geographical conditions to give preference to locals. It also decided to introduce eight market-oriented courses in the ITIs. A total of 490 instructors would soon be recruited for this purpose, Napalchayal said.

Sentenced for 10 years

A district and sessions court on Monday sentenced five youth to 10-year rigorous imprisonment for raping a teenaged girl in Dehra Dun last year. Justice U.C. Dhayani also slapped a fine of Rs 5000 each on the five convicts -- Himanshu Shahi, Deepak Saklani, Ashish Sharma, Vikas Rawat and Mitai Mohan. The five, aged between 17 and 20 years, had abducted a 15-year-old girl, a student of class ten, and gangraped her in Raipur area. They also thrashed her boyfriend who ran away from the scene, according to the charge-sheet filed in the case. The five were convicted on the basis of the reports of forensic tests.

Kanwar Teerth Yatra 2010: March of faith

Come sawan and all roads to Haridwar wear saffron colour as Shiva devotees start their annual yatra

P.S. Chauhan

Haridwar is again abuzz with activities. The shops are full with kanwar items, kanwar bazaar is being set up at its usual venue at Pant Dweep and thousands of skilled workers and artisans are busy in and around the city making kanwars. Kanwar Teerth Yatra, popularly known as Kanwar Mela, which is the biggest religious congregation at Haridwar and Rishikesh only next to Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh, formally begins with the onset of the month of Savan which this year begins from July 26. Though a large number of Shiva devotees have already reached Haridwar to fetch Ganga jal from Har-ki-Pauri. While some have proceeded to Gangotri to take Ganga jal. "It is after many decades that the first day of the month of Savan falls on Monday, the day associated with Lord Shiva", says Praveen Jha Shastri, a well-known priest and scholar of Hindu scriptures. The Shiva devotees, after returning to their destinations, will offer this Ganga jal at Shiva temples in the their respective regions on the auspicious occasion of Shiva Chaudas of the month of Savan on August, 8.

Last year nearly 70 lakh kanwarias congregated at Haridwar during the two-week long Kanwar Mela. The sources in the administration say that this year the number of kanwarias wending their way to the holy city is likely to cross 80 lakh.

With the passage of time, the Kanwar Teerth Yatra has undergone a transformation. Till about two or three decades ago, only a few thousands of kanwarias used to visit the holy city. Their number has been swelling with every passing year. Dr. Prateek Misrapuri, the president of the Oriental Studies Society, attributes the spiralling number of devotees turning up at the holy places during the auspicious occasions, including the Kanwar Mela, to the increasing spiritual bent among the people, trying to find solace in rituals and religiosity from the stressful routine of daily life. "Driven by faith, lakhs of devotees, braving in clemencies of weather, gather here to carry Ganga jal in kanwars on their shoulders," says Misrapuri.

Not only the number of kanwarias has swelled up, but with the changing time the entire profile of the kanwar is also changing. Besides the rural folk, now the urban gentry, including women and children, are joining the Kanwar Yatra. Now kanwarias carry colorful mobiles, digital cameras and many of them, in order avoid the rigours of the journey on foot, have started the practice of dak kanwar, that is, the carrying of kanwars on motorbikes, tempos, trucks and cars. Among these kanwarias there are many whose wishes have been granted by the Lord. Though most of these kanwarias are pious souls, some merrymakers and hooligans have also started joining the Yatra during recent years. The Kanwar Yatra has now become a queer amalgam of faith, piety, excitement and merry making.

The administration has geared up in a big way to face the challenge of the Kanwar Mela. The top police and civil officials of the state have held many rounds of consultations with their counterparts of the neighbouring states of U.P., Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himchal Pradesh and Rajasthan through which the Yatra passes. S.S.P. Haridwar, Sanjay Gunjiyal says that the past experience has shown that the dak kanwarias are the main source of nuisance. "It has been decided that this year the dak kanwarias will not be allowed to fit high sound DJs, music systems, and loud speakers in their jeeps, trucks and tempos, nor will they be allowed to carry hockey sticks, baseball sticks, bats, lathies etc. in their vehicles," says the S.S.P. In order to involve the local public in the smooth holding of the mela, the administration has held many intertactive meetings with the social organizations, including Ganga Sabha, Akhara Parishad, Vyapar Mandal and the hotels and the dharmshalas associations. At the request of the administration, the religious gurus, such as Baba Ram Dev and Muni Chiadanand Mahraj, have put up hoardings on the routes, urging the kanwarias to shun all sorts of violence and maintain the dignity of the yatra.

In view of the increasing threat to the religious gatherings by the terrorist outfits, highly elaborate security arrangements, including deployment of huge police force, P.A.C., Rapid Action Force, bomb disposal squads, divers and fire fighting measures, have been put in place by the administration. C.C.T.V. cameras have also been installed at sensitive points. Policemen in the garb of kanwarias have also been posted to keep a tab on the anti - social elements. "Our main objective is to ensure smooth and hassle free Kanwar Mela, with maximum facilities to the kanwarias and the minimum inconvenience to the locals," says the district magistrate, R. Meenakshi Sundram.

Pillars of strength

Over the years Haridwar has taken some giant leaps of success. P.S. Chauhan has the details

Since times immemorial Haridwar has been a world famous destination for religious tourism, whereas Roorkee has established its identity as one of the oldest centres of technical education in the world and Rishikesh has carved a niche as a global hub of yoga and meditation. During recent decades, the entire region has taken big strides towards progress and development, while retaining its basic traditional features. The four key drivers have taken the region to new heights.

Pilgrimage and tourism still continue to be the major pillar of strength for Haridwar as well as for Rishikesh. The two cities, which are the gateway to the Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand, have always been a place for crores of pilgrims from the country and abroad, seeking solace here, for from the madding crowd, on the serene banks of the Ganga. The recently concluded Kumbh, in which nearly 5 crores devotees thronged Haridwar to take a dip of salvation in the holy river, clearly testifies the powerful fascination which the city exercises all over the world. Char Dham Yatra, one of the biggest yatra circuits in the world, also begins from Haridwar and Rishikesh. Lakhs of the Sikhs also, who come to pay obeisance at the Hem Kund Saheb, mostly take this route. Piran Kaliyar, near Roorkee, with the dargah of the famous sufi saint, Sabir Saheb, is one of the most revered places for the Muslims in the country. During recent years Rishikesh has also emerged in a big way as a destination for adventure sports, like rafting, canoeing and kayaking.

Along with spirituality, the region started developing into a great centre of education in the 19th century. The first technical college of the country and the fourth in the world, was set up at Roorkee in 1847. The college produced eminent scientists and engineers who played a key role in shaping modern India and made their mark in West. The college was elevated to the status of the Roorkee University of Engineering and Technology in 1949, the first of its type in the country and was integrated in the IIT network of the country just after the creation of the state. If Roorkee became a hub of modern technical education, the Gurukul Kangari University, set up in 1902, became a trendsetter in reviving the ancient system of Gurukul education. The State Sanskrit University, set up in the district after the creation of the state, to promote higher studies in Sanskrit language and literature and the Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidalaya, set up to provide Gyan (knowledge) as well as Vidya (wisdom), by blending the old and the new, are also contributing their bit in developing Haridwar as a big centre of education.

The third key driver, pushing the region to new heights, is the recent establishment of a vast network of industries in the district. Lured by the central industrial package, which included various tax concessions, the regular supply of electricity at cheap rates and cheap land provided by the State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (SIDCUL), nearly 250 units were set up here by such big industrial houses as the Hero Honda, the Hindustan Unilever, the Birla Tyres, Asai Glass, Mahindra & Mahindra and Kirby, with an investment of nearly Rs. 20,000 crores. These industries have generated employment, both direct and indirect, for nearly one lakh people. This has proved to be a boon, both for the industrial houses as well as for the locals.

The fourth pillar of strength of the region is the recent emergence of Haridwar as the world famous centre of yoga. Though Rishikesh has always been a hot spot of yoga and meditation, specially for the foreigners, and Haridwar has been a seat of ancient wisdom of ayurveda, it is the recent meteoric rise of Baba Ram Dev of Kankhal here, which has really catapulted Haridwar as a great yoga centre on the global map. The setting up of the Patnjali University of Yoga and Ayurveda at Bahadrabad on the national highway between Haridwar and Roorkee, is emerging as the most preferred destination for yoga for all the seekers of physical and mental fitness. Patanjali Food Park, the biggest food processing unit of the world, has become functional at Padartha.

The region has proved that with the positive approach and the right types of policies, the full potential for development can be tapped. However, most of the credit for the fast track development of the region goes to the locals who showed a never-say-die attitude to make this possible. Salute to this heroic spirit of the people of the region and Haridwar Plus has been regularly trying to showcase this spirit.

And the award goes to…

Usha Jain Sheereen, a Haridwar-based writer, has been bestowed with 2009 Woman of the Year - India

Usha Jain Sheereen, a resident of Shivalik Nagar, Haridwar, has been conferred with coveted 2009 Woman of the year -India award by the American Biographical Institute U.S.A. Usha Jain has been given this honour for generating social awareness through her writing. Besides that she is also one of the nominees of 1000 Great Minds of the 21st century by ABI U.S.A. and also for 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century by International Biographical Centre Cambridge England.

Usha Jain is a professional Hindi Writer and after doing her masters in English from Christian College, Indore, she turned to writing. "Guftgu" a book on Ghazals was her first book, which was published in 1989. Since then she has written 11 books. A book on Art of Living is the latest work of Usha Jain. Presently she is working on a books on Parenting. Besides that she has more that 2000 articles to her credit which have been published in various newspapers. This award bears testimony that through her work she has been able to create awareness in the society and successfully managed to highlight various social issues. Her stories are also regularly aired on All India Radio.

French honour to former VC

Mahamandaleshwar Pranav Chaitanya

Man is engulfed in the bindings of nature. He spends his whole life in fulfilling the basic needs of food, water, clothing and seeking company of others. The desires of earning name, fame and luxuries of life keep us running for the whole life and the inner atma (soul) struggles to get freedom from these bonds. That process which frees us from the bindings of Prakriti (with inner consciousness) and Jadhta (Matter, without inner consciousness) is Adhyatam (spirituality).

When the basic needs of life are fulfilled and a person realizes that his desires are not getting fulfilled even after regularly feeding them, then he looks for some other means of fulfillment in life. There starts the search for soul (atma ki khoj tabhi shuru hoti hai). Once a gentleman from England, who used to give lectures on music at BBC channel, approached me. After giving a talk on Rabindra Sangeet, he said, "Swamiji, I am still not satisfied. I have learnt many musical instruments but now I think I must learn tabla, to complete my knowledge on music." I explicated his condition by taking an instance from Chhandogya Upanishad. In chapter 7 of the Upanishad, a reference comes of Narada muni who went to Sanat Kumar to have some knowledge. Sanat Kumar said, "I will teach you what you have not learnt." Narada muni went on to reply, "I have learnt four Vedas, Grammar, scriptures, Quran, Bhut vidya (Physics and Biology), Nakshatra Vidya (astrology and astronomy), Pitri vidya (effect of stars, Maths), tark shastra, Nidhi shastra (arts and skills). What else remains? But I am still unsatisfied and this is the reason of my coming to you." Till the time, a person doesn't strive to know Atma, he remains dissatisfied. It is rightly said, Shokam tarati atmavitta (Atma veta hi shok ka atikraman karta hai) Sanat Kumar explained further, "All the knowledge of matter and resources keep man dissatisfied. These are all merely naming forms or words. Bigger than the name is Vaak (from where the word originates). Mann (mind) is even bigger than vaak. Prana is even greater than Vigyan (science). In the end is Bhuma or (Brahma) which is the source of all knowledge, knowing that one becomes complete. Antatah bhuma ev sukham." Slowly taking from the form to the formless, Sanat Kumar guided Narada and this ultimately led to the quenching of Narada's thirst for knowledge. Wherever there are two, the dwait (duality) is seen or heard, there is unfulfillment. But where (yatra nanyat pashyati ) the duality ends, there the person becomes complete. So to become complete in life, the knowledge of the supreme is o be strived for and therefore dharma is needed.

(As told to Geeta Nagrath Anandi)

At A Glance: July 18, 2010

Cops thrash MLA, 8 suspended

Eight police personnel were suspended, three of them were later arrested and sent to jail, on Monday for allegedly beating up a ruling BJP MLA in the hill state of Uttarakhand. Sub-inspector Manoj Negi and constables Ravinder Kumar and Harinder Bhandari were arrested on charges of beating up MLA Rajkumar on Sunday night, SSP Dehradun Abhinav Kumar said. They were produced before a local court which remanded them to 14-day judicial custody, he said. A total of eight policemen were suspended for allegedly thrashing the MLA, a dalit, who represents Sahaspur segment in the state assembly. The incident happened when Rajkumar's vehicle was stopped by police at Premnagar in view of traffic snarl in the area sparked by a road accident. This led to heated arguments between the MLA and police who allegedly dragged the former out of his vehicle and thrashed him. Angry over the beating up of the MLA, a large number of BJP workers vandalised the Premnagar police post where the lawmaker was taken.

Councillor thrashes cop, held

Close on the heels of the alleged assault on a ruling BJP MLA in Uttarakhand, a Municipal Councillor was arrested on Wednesday on the charge of thrashing a policeman in Mussoorie. Rajwant Rawat, a nominated member, was arrested after he allegedly beat up a constable, police said. Rawat, who was hit by a moving car in Springroad area, reportedly asked the policeman on duty to catch the erring driver. When the policeman did not respond, he flew into rage and allegedly thrashed the cop. A case was registered against Rawat who was later arrested, police said. Two days ago, eight police personnel were suspended, three of them were arrested and sent to jail, for allegedly beating up a ruling BJP MLA.

Move to set up varsity flayed

The Uttarakhand government's move to set up an Ayurvedic university on the premises of Rishikul Vidyapeeth established by freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malviya has come under fire from various quarters in Haridwar. A group of sadhus and priests have launched an indefinite sit-in demanding cancellation of the government notification on setting up the university. They claim that Rishikul Vidyapeeth would lose its identity in case an Ayurvedic university is allowed to be built within its premises. Mapor opposition party in the state assembly has already lent his support to them in this regard. Uttarakhand Medical Association has opposed the move saying the Ayurvedic University should be built outside Haridwar city. The All India Akhara Parishad, an apex body of various sects of sadhus, has also objected to the government decision. "Rishikul Vidyapeeth is working hard to spread Sanskrit language across the globe. Once another institute comes up there, Rishikul Vidyapeeth will lose its identity," said a spokesman of the Akhara Parishad.

British royalty to honour India's WW-I soldiers

Jaideep Sarin

Over 95 years after they sacrificed their lives for the British Indian Army in World War I, over 4,700 Indian soldiers will be honoured by the British royalty in France July 19. Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will visit the Neuve-Chapelle Indian Memorial in Nord Pas De Calais county to honour the Indian and other South Asian soldiers who fought against German forces in France. The memorial commemorates over 4,700 Indian soldiers who fell in the battle of Neuve-Chapelle in March-April 1915. "Their Royal Highnesses will visit Neuve-Chapelle Memorial, in memory of soldiers from South Asia who gave their lives fighting for the British Indian Army in World War I," said Eva Omaghomi, assistant press secretary to the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at The Royal Household. "Their Royal Highnesses will meet students from the United Kingdom and France who have been studying issues of diversity and national cohesion." Over 22 percent of the 161,000-strong British Indian Army were Sikhs from the Punjab province and several others were from areas of northern India. Among those who made the supreme sacrifice in the battle is the winner of Victoria Cross, the highest British battle honour, Gobar Singh Negi, a rifleman from Garhwal Rifles of the Indian Army. Hailing from Manjaur village in the Tehri Garwal area in present-day Uttarakhand, Negi was awarded the Victoria Cross for his ultimate act of bravery in the fiercest and most significant engagement of the Indian troops during the war.

Negi's citation read: "For most conspicuous bravery on 10th March, 1915, at Neuve-Chapelle. During our attack on the German position he was one of a bayonet party with bombs who entered their main trench, and was the first man to go round each traverse, driving back the enemy until they were eventually forced to surrender. He was killed during this engagement." Losses of Indian troops in the battle of Neuve-Chapelle were heavy. Official figures of casualties in WW-I said that 64,449 Indian soldiers were killed fighting for the Allied Forces in the war. The Neuve-Chapelle Indian memorial, designed by Sir Herbert Baker and unveiled in October 1927, has inscriptions in English, French, Arabic, Hindi and Gurmukhi (Punjabi) saying, "God is One, His is the Victory". The Indian soldiers who fell during the war have no known grave. One of the memorials in their honour in India is the India Gate in central Delhi. The sandstone structure carries names of the Indian soldiers who died in WW-I fighting in lands thousands of kilometres from their home country for battles that were not their own.

BHEL wins ICWAI award

P.S. Chauhan

With many top awards and honours already in its kitty, the BHEL, one of the Navratna public sector undertakings in the country, has bagged the coveted Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India (ICWAI) awards for excellence in cost management, quality and delivery for 2009. Significantly, the company has won seven of these prestigious awards for 2009. "The best cost management practices across the company enabled the BHEL to reduce the material cost by 2.8% in 2009-10, which made its claim to the prestigious award," said R. Bhatnagar, the additional general manager and in-charge of publicity and public relations of the BHEL unit of Haridwar. The said award was instituted in 2003, by the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India, and is given annually to corporate entities in their journey towards excellence in cost management.

The BHEL unit of Haridwar made significant contribution in the company's getting the top honour. It may be mentioned here that the company has been bagging this award for the last five years in a row. This year the prestigious selection came after an independent jury, headed by the former Chief Justice of India, J.S. Verma, selected the company in the public manufacturing large organisation category. The sources in the BHEL say that with a highest ever order book position of over Rs. 1,440,000 million at the end of the fiscal, the company expects to achieve robust growth in 2010-11 and beyond. Since 1967, the company has maintained its track record of earning profits year after year. The sources further say that the company is equipping itself for the future challenges, by way of contemporary technology, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and skilled technical manpower to meet the country's power forecast in the future. Till date the company has established its capability to deliver 15000 MW per annum and further augmentation to 20,000 MW per annum is underway.

'Speed up Gujjars’ rehabilitation'

Amid growing concerns over the dwindling population of tigers in the country, Indian Board for Wildlife has advised the Uttarakhand government to take steps for better conservation of Corbett Tiger Reserve. With the centre sanctioning Rs 25 crore for rehabilitation of Gujjars residing in and around Jim Corbett National Park, onus is on the state government to clear the area of human interference, IBWL member Brijendra Singh said. "The Uttarakhand government must utilise this golden opportunity to rehabilitate Gujjars," Singh said. Singh, who is also the honorary wildlife warden of the park, said there are over 160 Gujjar families, who are still residing in and around the CTR. Each family is expected to get Rs 10 lakh in this regard, he said, adding more money can be given for the rehabilitation if the package is not sufficient.

To enable better patrolling of the park area where poaching incidents are common, Singh said the state government should immediately recruit people for over nearly 35 vacant posts of forest guards in the CTR. He said another big issue plaguing India's first national park is the mushrooming growth of tourist resorts around the place especially in the Ramnagar area. Most of these resorts came up after Uttarakhand came into being in 2000 and these have blocked the corridors being used by wild animals especially elephants, he said. "Some of these resorts at Sunderkhal area, if not all, should be removed," Singh said, adding this will also augment the drinking water supply to the park area. Due to the tourists resorts, the noise pollution level has increased in the CTR area, Singh said, adding, "Some of the resorts have also set up discotheques which create high decibel sounds." Singh also asked park authorities to undertake a fresh survey to ascertain the status of alleged encroachment in Ramnagar area of the Kumaon region. He also advised the government to include certain parts of Landsdown division of Pauri district into CTR for creating a better eco-system. "If these areas are included, we will get some new rivulets which will be a boon to the eco-system," he said.

CM’s intervention sought to check timber mafia

CM’s intervention sought to check timber mafia Alarmed over the "brazen defiance" with which the timber mafia was allegedly operating in Uttarakhand, environmentalist groups have sent a memorandum to chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank to look into the issue. President of the Himalayan Chipko Foundation J.B. Dabral has said in the memorandum that despite several requests for police protection, Shiv Prasad, an activist with the NGO, and his pregnant wife were victims of a murderous attack on July 10 allegedly by the timber mafia.

Prasad's pregnant wife is battling for life at the Chandra Singh Negi Hospital in Kotdwar town after they and their children were attacked by some goons near village Debikhet in the Dwarikhal block of Pauri Garhwal district. Despite efforts of some environmentalist groups even an FIR has still not been registered because of the political patronage enjoyed by the timber mafia, the memorandum said.

To make matters worse, efforts are being made to forcibly discharge Prasad's wife from the hospital even though she is hardly in a position to move out, it said. A noted wildlife conservationist Sumanta Ghosh said, "Such is the terror of the timber mafia that Shiv Prasad and his family fear that if they return to the village they will be killed. The incidents in the past week should serve as a real eye opener to all those who wish to save our nature", he added. The Chipko foundation has also filed a PIL in the Supreme Court of India in connection with massive destruction of trees in Uttarakhand state. The Chipko movement or Chipko Andolan (to stick) is a socio-ecological movement that practised the Gandhian methods of satyagraha and non-violent resistance, through the act of hugging trees to protect them from being felled. The modern movement started in the early 1970s in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand, with growing awareness towards rapid deforestation.

Highways to be closed for Kanwar

In view of ‘Kavad Yatra’ Dehradun Highway will remain closed from July 29 to August 8. Mobile police vans along with additional police forces, including Rapid Action Force, STF and PAC, will be deployed along the route during the yatra. CCTV cameras will also be installed along vital sensitive places. Metal detetors will be placed at entry points, while mobile vans with policemen in plain clothes guard the route. A meeting in this regard was held by district authorities of UP and Uttarakhand. District officials of Haridwar, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Ghaziabad, Baghpat were present in the meeting. Kanwads are Lord Shiva devotees, who arrive in Haridwar every year from different places to take a dip in holy.

Ban lifted

Thousands of fish died due to discharge of poisonous water from industries at Shukartal in Muzaffarnagar district following which an inquiry has been ordered into the incident, officials said. Fish were found dead on Monday following which a case has been registered against factories in Uttarakhand for discharging poisonous water in the Ganga, District magistrate Santosh Kumar told reporters in Muzaffarnagar. An inquiry has also been ordered into the incident, he said, adding Sub-Divisional Magistrate A.H. Karni would conduct the probe.

Opium seized

In one of the biggest haul, Uttarakhand police has claimed to have seized 96.3 kg of opium derivatives, worth over Rs 90 crore in international market, and arrested four suspected drug peddlers in Bajpur area of Udhamsingh Nagar district. Two country-made pistols of 0.315 bore were also recovered from the arrested persons, Inspector General of Police (Kumaon range) R.S. Meena told. On the basis of the information given by one Yogesh, who was caught with 300 gms of opium, the police laid a trap and arrested Mahipal with one kg of psychotropic substance.

Guv visits jail

State's governor Maragret Alva on Tuesday visited Dehra Dun Jail where former prime minister late Jawaharlal Nehru was incarcerated during the freedom movement. Alva, after seeing the ward where Nehru stayed, called for its renovation to enable it to become a tourist spot, an official release said. Nehru was jailed here during 1931-34 and was understood to have penned a few chapters of his famous book "Discovery of India".

Adulteration in your ration

the administration has failed to curb the rising menace of food adulteration. P.S. Chauhan investigates

It is really shocking that how can Haridwar become a hub for food adulteration. As reported earlier by HP that during the melas like Kumbh, Ardh Kumbh, Kanwar Mela, Baisakhi and Somvati Amavasya, the food adulterators have a boom time. But a recently released report by N.G.O. has made more shocking revelation that spices, pulses, sweets, milk and milk products sold even during normal days are highly adulterated. "Pulses are adulterated with droppings of horses and are mixed in coriander powder. Injections are being inserted in fruits and vegetables to increase their size and make them ripe fast. Fruits are dipped in artificial colours to provide them attractive appearance," says Pradeep Chaudhary, former chairman of Haridwar Nagar Palika Parishad. "The ingredients which are mixed in pulses, spices and other food items and the chemicals which are used for ripening the fruits and vegetables are extremely harzadous to health and damage liver, kidney and other vital human organs," warns Dr. Gupta, a medical practitioner. Synthetic milk tops the list of adulterated food items. Adulterated food has developed into a industry in the adjoining rural areas of Haridwar. In fact district has emerged as a big centre for the sale of synthetic milk. Jeevan Lal Sharma, the proprietor of Sharma Dugdh Bhandar at Daksh Road Kankhal says that during summer the demand of milk goes up by many times and the yawning gap is bridged by adulterated milk. Adulterated products such as paneer, ghee, mawa and sweets prepared from the synthetic milk are being openly sold in the market, obviously with the connivance of the law enforcing agencies. Another widely prevalent practice is to inject oxytocin in the cows and buffalos to increase their yield. "Administering oxytocin in the cows and the buffalos is an offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. However, these injections are openly available in the market", says Rajendra Agarwal, the state executive of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

The health department neither has resources nor the will power to tighten noose around the sellers and the manufacturers of synthetic milk. On June 30, a team of the CBI from Delhi raided a factory of synthetic milk at Sultanpur Kunhari village and recovered 10 quintals of synthetic mawa. The chief medical officer (CMO), Haridwar, Dr. B.K. Gairola frankly admits that they do not have sufficient resources and adequate number of personnel to deal effectively with food adulterators. The health department of the Nagar Palika Parishad tells the same sorry tale. The chief food inspector of the district, R.S. Rawat was roughed up by the supporters of a dealer in milk products at Jwalapur when he conducted a raid last year. "If we take milk samples from a milk man, the whole village unites against us. If we conduct a raid on a shop in the city, the business community turns up against us," rues Rawat. "There is a nexus amongst food adulterators and officials. Unless the public becomes conscious of their rights and comes forward to check the menace of adulteration, the food adulterators will continue to indulge freely in this heinous practice," says Rakesh Sharma Rakesh, a social activist. The state and the district administration have also turned a Nelson's eye towards this burning issue.

The sources in the health department say that now the state government is considering to constitute an independent prevention of food adulteration department at the state level, with its branches at the district headquarters and provide the department with sufficient resources and manpower to curb the malpractice of food adulteration.

Where times stops

Dr. Ravi Rawat

A historical building confronts every tourist who enters the Queen of Hills Mussoorie from the Library End of bus stand. It is the old library building itself established in 1843, one of the many reminders of the glorious past of British Raj in Mussoorie. Those days the upper verandah of the building was hired by the Savoy Hotel for the guests to enjoy the British Regimental bands played at the Band Stand on the right of the flat. It is said that till the World War I, a notice at the entrance of library read - 'Dogs and Indians are not allowed'. It was removed after an objection raised by an Indian, a Judge of Madras High Court.

(The writer is a resident of GMS Road)

'Stir if industrial package not restored'

Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh would launch a joint agitation if the Centre did not restore the industrial package upto March 31, 2013, during the monsoon session of parliament, chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said. Talking a media persons in Shimla on his return from Delhi, he expressed the hope that the prime minister would take some positive steps in this direction and said that in case nothing came out, it would mean that the centre was "discriminating" against BJP-ruled states.

The industrial package to north-western states was given on the analogy of north-eastern states but the centre curtailed the package for HP and Uttarakhand to March 31, 2010, even as it extended the same for north-eastern states upto 2017. Further, the package for Jammu and Kashmir had not been curtailed and only the two BJP-ruled states had been singled out, Dhumal pointed out. Replying to a question, he said that besides launching people's agitation, the option of a legal course was open. He said that at the time when package was given by Vajpayee government in 2003, Himachal was ruled by BJP, Uttarakhand by Congress and Farooq Abdullah was the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and the package was given to all three states for ten years without political discrimination. Dhumal said he had also spoken to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in this regard and asked her to use her good offices to get the package restored for HP and Uttarakhand.

Vacant posts in wc

Even as crimes against women are rising across the country, most of the state women's commissions entrusted with looking after the cause of the fair sex are yet to fill up vacant posts. Leading the list is Andhra Pradesh which as of now does not have a chairperson while Punjab has two posts of members vacant in its panel. In the Manipur state commission, there are supposed to be seven members out of which two posts are vacant. Uttar Pradesh, which has a sanctioned strength of 15 members, has a vacancy of 14 in all its staff. The hill state of Uttarakhand has 18 posts of members out of which five are vacant, Arunachal Pradesh has three posts for members of which one is vacant, Delhi has five posts of which two are vacant and Gujarat has three posts for members out of which one is vacant.

Education is the saviour of values

Dr. R .P Karmayogi, DSVV

Today's education is only making students 'Lakeer ke fakeer'(teaching them how to go about the same old beaten path). Students never learn to imply that education in their lives and it is constricted only as a means of earning livelihood. They never learn to read between the lines. Over the years, Indian education got side tracked from the main stream. The day-to-day problems confronting us are not a part of our curriculum taught in the schools and colleges. Dowry system, a major ill of the society is nowhere given space in the text books. There is no text book which gives us 'tatwa darshan '(principal analysis) on the vices of society. The need of the hour is to Indianise our education system which is totally influenced by the Macaulay system aimed at making our students no better than babus. The country cannot live on the foundation of wealth alone, education is a must; education that gives guidelines to live a life. When education blossoms in life, the standard of living is raised. Assessment of a person should be done on the values of life but in today's times, courtesies like "sorry" and "thank you" tag a man being cultured. This is only outer conduct but when it gets descended in one's life, it becomes culture in the real sense. Great deeds were done by cultured men alone.

The need of the hour is to introduce Indian philosophy in curriculum so that Indian values are promoted. Indian civilization has been the form and expression of a culture as great as any in human history- great in religion, philosophy and science, great in thought and literature, art and poetry, great in the organization of society and politics. Indian culture has been enriched by extraordinary spiritual leaders, thinkers and saints. The values enshrined in the Vedas, scriptures like Ramayana and Mahabharata created a deep impact on our society and now must be reintroduced in our education. Ultimate aim of education should be to gain 'vidya' which awakens our consciousness and not this education (shiksha) which only teaches us to earn livelihood.

Our belief system reflects in our lives which is very much shaped by our education. Gandhi revered as Mahatma had rightly said that knowledge without character is one of the seven deadly sins. A society and culture free of this sin would be a society without violence.

So to remove the ever spreading violence in our lives, Indianise our education system.

(As told to

Geeta Nagrath Anandi)

Gyan Deeksha ceremony at Dev Sanskriti

P.S. Chauhan

With the 17th Gyan Deeksha (Initiation) ceremony held in the Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar, 448 students of various disciplines at graduate and post graduate level, started their academic session. At a time when the commencement of the academic session is marked by ragging and freshers party, the Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya has been pursuing the age old tradition of Gyan Deeksha of the Gurukuls. The highlights of the Gyan Deeksha ceremony were the rendition of the Vedic mantras and performance of other rituals. Invoking the freshers into their courses, the chancellor of the Vishwavidyalaya, Dr. Pranav Pandya said that acquisition of Vidya (wisdom) rather than mere Gyan (knowledge) was the ultimate goal of education.

Speaking on the occasion as the chief guest, the vice chancellor of the Lal Bahadur Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi, Professor Vachaspati Shastri congratulated the state government for making Sanskrit as the second language in the state. "Students should enter the portals of an educational institution as 'takers' and pass out as 'givers' to the society", he exhorted. The vice chancellor of the Vishwavidyalaya, Prof. S.P. Mishra informed on the occasion that the Vishwavidyalaya was going to launch new courses in B.Ed., river and water resources management, astrology and P.G. diploma in animation and visual effects. The vice chancellor of the Kaviguru, Kalidas University, Nagpur, Professor Pankaj Chande and the director of the Morarji Desai National Yoga Institute, New Delhi, Dr. I.B. Basav Reddy were among those present on the occasion.

At A Glance: July 11, 2010

Scientist drugged, robbed

A young scientist on way to his hometown in Uttarakhand was allegedly drugged and robbed of his belongings and documents in New Delhi. Vikas Arya (24) boarded an auto-rickshaw from outside Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station on Tuesday evening along with a passenger. He was found unconscious by a sanitation worker near Raj Ghat on Wednesday, police sources said. His laptop, gold chain, cash and a bag containing some documents and contact details of scientists were missing.

On coming out of the railway station, Vikas was making enquires how to reach Kashmere Gate as he had to board a bus to Roorkee. Then a stranger came to him offering to share an auto-rickshaw. The stranger told Vikas he was going to Roorkee and the scientist got into an auto-rickshaw with him. After travelling some distance, the stranger got down to get a change for Rs 500. He also bought two sealed bottles of aerated drink and offered to Vikas and the driver.

Vikas fell unconscious after he had the drink. Wednesday morning, a safai karamchari discovered Vikas lying near Raj Ghat. Vikas, president of student chapter of Astronautical Society of India, has been admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital.

CCTVs for Kanwar yatra route

In a step to ensure peaceful 'Kanwad Yatra' Uttar Pradesh police will soon install CCTV cameras along vital sensitive places enroute Haridwar, a senior official said. "CCTV cameras will be installed with the help of street lamp convenors on 24 different places which intelligence unit has declared as most sensitive," Akhil Kumar, DIG Police Meeru, said. Kanwads are Lord Shiva devotees, who arrive in Haridwar every year from different places to take a dip in holy Ganga and offer holy water to the God.

SC notice on BCI's plea

The Supreme Court has issued notices on the plea of Bar Council of India (BCI) seeking transfer of cases from various High Courts in which advocates body's rule fixing minimum marks for getting admission into law colleges has been challenged. A bench headed by Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia issued notices and sought response from several persons and entities, including educational institutions, on the plea of the BCI contending that all the petitions pending with various High Courts on the issue be heard by the apex court. "The grounds of challenge and the prayers made in all the writ petitions that are being sought to be transferred are substantially similar," the counsel for BCI said. BCI has come up with the rule making it mandatory to secure minimum 45 per cent of the total marks for general category candidates and 40 per cent for reserved communities at the +2 or the degree examination for seeking admission into 5 years' integrated course or 3 years' course, respectively. Petitions were filed in the High Courts of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand challenging the rule framed by the BCI in 2008.

3 held with leopard skin, bones

Uttarakhand forest officials have arrested three persons following the seizure of three leopard skins and bones allegedly from their possession in Dehradun. The accused have been identified as Ajab Singh, Jagat Singh and Mohan Singh, all residents of Vikas Nagar area in Dehradun. "They were arrested by the anti-poaching cell of the forest department. Bullet holes were found on the skins and it is believed that the animals were killed in the nearby forest areas of Vikasnagar and Kalsi. "One poacher, Gangu Singh who allegedly shot the animals is currently absconding," according to a statement by Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) which assisted the state forest officials in seizing the skins. A case under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, has been registered against the accused in Kalsi forest division. If convicted, the accused will face imprisonment for a term between three and seven years with a fine not less than Rs.10,000. Poaching of leopards for their body parts has taken a toll on the animal's population as out of the total of 202 leopard deaths reported this year, fifty four per cent involved either seizure of its body parts or death due to poaching. 6As many as five leopard deaths, under different circumstances, have been reported this year from Uttarakhand alone, the WPSI statement said.

Elite force

Top three toppers of 2009 State Public Services Commission exam, hail from middle class families

P.S. Chauhan

Rethink if you think that candidates from well-to-do families, hailing from urban areas can make it to the civil services. As Arvind Pandey, State Public Services Commission topper for the year 2009, has no such privileged background. In the recently announced UKPSC result 64 candidates for different posts in the state government services, including deputy collectors and deputy superintendents of police have been selected. Arvind Pandey has won laurels by topping the list of successful candidates. Surprisingly, almost all the successful candidates, including the five selected for PCS (administrative) and two selected for provincial police service, belong to the poor and the lower middle class families of the backward and remote rural areas. Arvind Pandey, who is at present working as sales tax officer at Roorkee, belongs to Ramgarh village in district Chandoli of UP. Anjani Rawat rose to be an officer from an humbel post of a teacher in primary school in Naugaon village in Uttarkashi. Similarly, Pyarelal of Chandeli village in Tehri, who also got selected for PCS (administrative) is also a primary school teacher. Pyralal had lost his father at an early age and was brought up by his mother in extremely difficult conditions. The father of Rajendra Kumar, who has been selected as assistant director of industries, is a farm labourer in Sialde village of Almora.

Meenu Bist, who ranks forth among the successful candidates, has also scripted success story after struggling against all odds. Arvind Pandey, told Haridwar Plus that no impediments can obstruct the blossoming of genius. "If you work hard with single minded devotion and the blessings of your parents and elders, you will definitely achieve your goal," he said. He further said that after the creation of Uttarakhand, the districts of the hills have lagged behind in the onward march to progress and development. Elaborating his future plans, he said that he would strive for the development of the districts of the hills. "It will be my best endeavour to implement all the welfare and developmental schemes launched by the state and the central governments to improve the quality of life of the people in the state, specially in the remote rural areas." Arvind success has once again proved that a person can achieve heights irrespective of his background, provided he works with indomitable will power and does not deviate from his chosen path. As a matter of fact this is the mantra of success for one and all and for sure Arvind has followed the same path.

In high spirits

Queen's Baton and Commonwealth Express received an overwhelming response

P.S. Chauhan

After the Peshwaees and the processions for the royal baths taken out by the sant community during recently concluded Kumbh, it was for the first time in the holy city that people lined up on both sides of the roads in the city with excitement in their hearts and curiosity in their eyes. The occasion was the holding of the Queen's Baton Relay, the curtain raiser and one of the most glorious traditions of the Commonwealth Games, in the city. As the baton reached Har-Ki-Pauri at 5.20 a.m. on July 7th and the members of the organising committee handed it over to the state minister for urban development and local M.L.A., Madan Kaushik and the vice chancellor of the Gurukul Kangri University Haridwar, professor Swatantra Kumar.

It is indeed an unforgettable moment, when the East and the West met together. The baton, which started its detour from Buckingham Palace in London with the Queen Elizabeth's message, was accorded a traditional welcome in the city, an ancient seat of oriental wisdom. The priests applied Tilak on the baton and sprinkled the sacred Ganga water on it to shower Maa Ganga's blessings on the XIX Commonwealth Games scheduled to be held this time in Delhi in October.

Later baton was taken to special Ganga Aarti, performed with the recitation of the Vedic hymns, the blowing of the conches and the ringing of the bells by the priests, while the bands of the ITBP and the PAC played inspiring patriotic tunes. The leader of the organizing committee, Akhilendra Pratap Singh wrote in the register of the Ganga Sabha, "We are overwhelmed with pride after witnessing the spiritual ambience here. Let Maa Ganga bless us." From the Malviya Dweep, Har-Ki-Pauri, the baton was taken in a raft to the Birla Ghat from where the regional and the local players, who had made their mark in the national and international events, ran with the baton and passing through Shiv Murti Chowk, Devpura Tiraha and Ranipur Crossing reached the Hero Honda Showroom, near Bhagat Singh Chowk. From there the baton was taken in a special carriage to SIDCUL Industrial Area. As the baton passed through the prescribed route, the citizens, including a large number of school kids, who wore caps and carried tri-colours in their hands, welcomed it by showering petals of flowers and shouting "Chak De India." Everyone present on the occasion seemed impatient to touch the baton.

B.C. Mandal of the B.E.G., who is an international repute player was one of the runners in the baton's relay in the city he said that it is a proud moment for him to hold the baton. Bharat Bhushan, the secretary of the district Olympic association said that the holding of the baton's relay in Haridwar was no less than a dream.

"I hope that this time India will perform better in the Commonwealth Games which are being organized in the country for the first time, he said. After remaining in the city for about 3 hours, the baton was taken to Nainital, its next destination, in a helicopter.

Commonwealth Express

The excitement about the games extravaganza, generated by the Queen's baton in the region, was further aggravated by the Commonwealth Express which remained at Haridwar Railway Station for three days. Haridwar is one of the 49 railway stations, which have been selected in the country for creating mass awareness and generating momentum for the run-up to the event.

The five coaches of the green colour exhibition train provides comprehensive information about the games extravaganza, while the remaining six coaches showcase the impact of the information technology on various aspects of our life. While one coach depicts the history of the Commonwealth Games along with the details on the present game, including the Shera, Queen's Baton Relay and the green games concept, another coach has been designed to information about the venue of the events, including the massive changeover of Delhi in order to host this world-class event. Where another coach gives knowledge about various sports disciplines which have been included in this Commonwealth Games, besides displaying information about details of venue along with dates. One coach is dedicated to the saga of outstanding sports persons, along with the photographs of these icons, so as to make the masses aware of these heroes.

The train also showcases the success story of the country in the field of the I.T., beginning right from the hoary past when information was given via the smoke chimneys, to the present day high end technology of the electronic mails and short messaging services. Impact of the IT in the business and industry sector, in agriculture, our daily life, education and medical science, all has been vivified through various models and devices. "This is one of the best ways, most innovative and people friendly, to convey a message," says Dr. S.K. Batra, an associate professor. The response to the Commonwealth Express was overwhelming and Samrendra Goswami, said the station superintendent. Nearly 20000 persons visited the exhibition train. Ishank Dimri of Shivdale Public School, Jagjeetpur, who came to see the information on wheels, said, "The train depicts a picture of the developments taking place in India, particularly the revolution in the IT sector, besides providing information about the different facets of the Commonwealth Games.

'Modelling not a dark world, it's all about personal choices'

Fashion fraternity's take on suicide of supermodel Viveka Babajee

Shilpa Raina

With former supermodel Viveka Babajee committing suicide, the fashion industry is again in the news for all the wrong reasons. Experts and the fashion fraternity, however, feel that the incident is not a reflection on the industry but on how you personally deal with a situation.

According to psychiatrist Sanjay Chugh depression can hit anyone at any point in time, at any stage in life. "It perhaps gets more noticed amongst certain sections or groups due to one's social status in society. It has nothing to do with a specific profession," Chugh told IANS.

"The high stress and demands of the profession can make one emotionally weak and fragile, ultimately forcing one to shut all the doors forever," he added. Choreographer Liza Varma, who is also a former Miss India finalist, said: "It will be very wrong to blame the fashion industry for such suicides. A lot depends on the character of a person - if he or she is strong enough to overcome emotional stress."

"There are so many things happening around. But just because a popular personality has committed suicide, the media frantically starts reporting about it. If you look around, there might be women committing suicide in Meerut or Kanpur, but no one is reporting that," she pointed out.

In the case of Babajee, who was found hanging from the ceiling fan of her Bandra flat last week, her apparent split from boyfriend Gautam Vora triggered the incident. Earlier, former Miss India Nafisa Joseph hanged herself in 2004 while model-turned-TV actress Kuljeet Randhawa committed suicide in 2006.

The other side of the fashion industry was well portrayed in Madhur Bhandarkar's "Fashion" that showed back-stabbing, work pressure as well as competition taking their toll on a model's life. So, is this suicide tendency more prominent among female models? Chugh disagrees.

"Reports are often heard amongst of models, actors, pop stars and other artists committing suicide and there is no indication of it being higher or only among females," said Chugh. "Women fashion models continuously have to take care of their body and appearance as that is where their bread and butter comes from. Glamour, glitz and media often inadvertently put a lot of emphasis on the body image and that can put a lot of pressure on women," he added. Chugh felt loneliness is one of the factors that can push an individual to commit suicide.

"In the process of climbing up the ladder to success, one may encounter bitter experiences and rude shocks that could result in relationships going sour. This could eventually make you feel lonely at the top too," Chugh pointed out. "The trick here is not to succumb to pressures but move on," he added.

Designer Rahul of label Sairali said: "There are so many insecurities and back-stabbing (in the fashion world) that at the end of the day, when you come home, you are a loner." "You have nothing to look forward to once you go back home. There is a certain age for women to settle down and once you cross that, no one will marry you. So this puts added pressure on a female model, whose world crashes once she crosses 30," he added. Professional model Laxmi Rana didn't agree and said that modelling is one of the most flexible career options because one can pick and choose assignments and prioritize one's life. "It's all in your hands. I am married and so are many other models and they all are successful and balancing their personal and professional life as well," Rana said.

"So, you have to pick and choose from the various options and be clear about what you want in life," she added.

Speaking Tree: Tame your desires

Dr. Rajmeet, Sri Radha Govind Mandir,

A fisherman was resting by the banks of a river when a rich man approached him. Shocked at his carefree nature and non-ambitious attitude, this gentleman suggested him ways to become a rich man. He said to the fisherman, "You must increase your fishing nets and hire more people. Navigate more rivers and analyse the quality of fish from their market value. Increase your business to far off lands and mint money." The fisherman seemed bemused at his suggestions and asked the reason for increasing all that paraphernalia, to which the rich man replied, "With more fishing lines, more business will come and you will have more money, you can buy all comforts for yourself and get fame as a millionaire one day." "What after then?" cross questioned the disinterested fisherman. Then you can sit and relax!" answered the rich man. "What do you think I am doing now," quipped the fisherman.

Let us understand the basic mantra of life hidden in this anecdote that wanting more and more leads to miseries whereas limiting one's desires makes the life a celebration. Having desires is not bad but running after fulfilment of desires without 'viveka' (knowledge of discrimination) leads to endless entanglement in never ending pursuits.

Desire is not a particular thing; it is a force which picks up everything. All desires can be classified into three main channels. Firstly, there is the desire for friends and a husband or a wife, that is, for love and emotional fulfilment. The second group of desires is concerned with ownership, e.g. desire for money, property and possessions. The third group includes desires for progeny, family or tribe. In addition to these three principle desires, there is one more desire to be famous and powerful. In order to overcome these desires, do not hate or avoid them, just befriend them and treat with a discriminating intellect. So the answer lies in 'viveka budhi'. Train your mind while enjoying worldly pursuits that it is not permanent and every time you enjoyed eating your favorite food or doing any pastime, you felt more and more craving inside. So ever fed, never satisfied and never fed, ever satisfied says the scripture. Insatiable quest for material gains often does more harm than good. On the positive side seeking and fulfilling desires within limit is fruitful and advisable. Stop feeding more to the desires; even when you indulge in enjoyment, do it with a constant realization that feeding senses will not satiate desires rather, train you mind to use 'viveka' to discriminate the worthy and unworthy desires. Then you will celebrate each day of your life.

(As told to Geeta Nagrath Anandi)

Training to manage hill disasters

A three-week long training on hill disaster rescue is being held in Nainital. The purpose of this training is to familiarise the personnel of local administration and other volunteers since region is prone to natural disasters and also apprise them of the difficult and rigid terrain. Volunteers of the National Service Scheme (NSS) and other volunteers from the region are participating in the training programme. "The geographical structure of Uttarakhand is such that if we want to live in Uttarakhand, we will have to live with disasters. So, if some causality happens, you can help the people by saving their lives before the administration comes for help," said Vikas Gupta, chief instructor at the workshop. The participant trainees are taught rock climbing, communication, knowledge about first aid, river crossing, navigation and rappling. The instructor claimed that such trainings would build their confidence and will power.

"After doing such training programmes, their decision-making becomes strong, their leadership quality becomes strong; their confidence level also rises. It also develops their will power along with their decision-making power," Gupta added. The participants are determined to learn all the skills, as they feel that they would be well equipped to save lives in case of any eventuality.

"The knowledge about such things is not very common in the people of the hills. We are being told all these things to promote them in our village to deal with the natural disasters," said Kuldeep Singh Vohra, a trainee. The state government organises such training programmes from time to time, to make people aware of such rescue and disaster management operations.

Roorkee international call racket

Five people have been arrested in Roorkee for tampering BSNL computers and operating adult chat lines and making international calls, causing loss of crores of rupees

CBI has unearthed a racket operating from Roorkee in Uttarakhand and arrested five persons, including an NRI, for allegedly causing loss of crores of rupees to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). According to CBI, the accused allegedly conspired to tamper computers of a BSNL exchange to make international calls and operate adult chat lines. The arrested have been identified as Ashok Chaudhary, Sub Divisional Engineer of BSNL, Roorkee, Zia Alam, a native of Faridabad, Uttar Prdaesh, Saharanpur-based Abdul Mazid and Subhas Chand and the alleged kingpin of the racket, Sayeed Zaidi, an NRI based in Saudi Arabia. "During investigation, it was revealed that the accused persons made calls to three African nations (Congo, Sierra Leone and Somalia) on some premium rate numbers without any ISD facility by tempering the computers of said exchange.

"Thus, subscribers of these international numbers were getting huge payment by telephone operators without paying any money at caller end," CBI spokesperson Harsh Bhal said. In turn, BSNL was suffering loss of crores of rupees. International premium rate numbers of Somalia, Congo and Sierra Leone were taken by some persons in Italy and Saudi Arabia and these numbers were passed on by them to Zaidi for making calls from India through his Indian contacts, the spokesperson said. He was also paid huge money through hawala transactions for carrying out such activities in India, the official said. Premium rate telephone numbers are for phone calls during which certain services are provided and for which prices higher than normal are charged from callers. Adult chat line is an example of premium rate telephone number. Unlike a normal call, part of the call charge is paid to the service provider through telephone company at the receiver end. "Searches were conducted at the premises of accused persons which led to recovery of documents and details of money transactions. Till now, transactions of nearly Rs 1.5 crore by hawala has been established," the spokesperson said. Further investigation is continuing, he said.

At a glance: June 26 2010

Health scheme for school children

State government has approved a scheme under which regular health check-ups of school children will be done so that they can be provided treatment if found suffering from malnutrition or other diseases. Under the 'Chirau School Swasthya Yojna' scheme, an awareness programme for teachers and guardians on students' health will also be carried out, an official spokesman said. A team, comprising doctors, para-medical staff and officials of the Education department, formed at district level will travel to schools for conducting health check-ups. The team will provide treatment if the children are found suffering from malnutrition or other diseases, he said. The team will examine at least 200 school children in plains and 150 in hilly areas every month. A coordinator at divisional level will be appointed to coordinate with the teams at district levels while Chief Medical Officers and Additional District Education Officers will be its nodal officers, the spokesman said. Under the scheme, health cards will be issued for the children, he said, adding, the scheme will be implemented through 'Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan' programme for students of up to class V while from Class VI to VIII, it will be implemented under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

Support for CIP

Supporting the demand of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh for extension of Concessional Industrial Package (CIP), senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said the party had asked Punjab and Gujarat governments not to oppose incentives to the two hill states. "We have asked these states (Punjab and Gujarat) to make progress on the basis of what they are getting, and not to oppose the package to Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh," Swaraj told reporters after releasing a booklet on the completion of one year of Nishank Government in office. The BJP leader said that the centre's decision to curtail the CIP to the two states was "totally unjustified." "Industries had started to come to Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh keeping in view the long period of industrial package, which was scheduled to expire in 2013. But the Congress-led UPA government's decision to curtail it by three years is totally unjustified," she said. Swaraj said that she along with party chief Nitin Gadkari, senior party leader L.K. Advani and chief ministers of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh would soon meet prime minister on the issue.

In fast lane

P.S. Chauhan

If everything goes as per the plan then soon Haridwar would be a sought after city. As of now the existing infrastructure in the city is simply unable to cope with the tremendous pressure of the swelling number of tourists and pilgrims and the expanding base of industries in the region. The situation on the traffic management front is the most alarming, with incessant traffic snarls in and around the city and on all the national highways to and from the. The 200 kms journey from Haridwar to Delhi and vice versa, on the two-lane national highway is not only highly tiring but also consumes about 6 hours, while it takes nearly 7 hours to cover 260 kms. from Dehradun to Delhi. According to a survey conducted by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), approximately 30,000 vehicles ply every day on the national highway-58 from Delhi to Dehradun. But if all goes as per the plan then all this chaos would be history. As NHAI has taken up the long awaited project of expansion and complete revamping of this national highway which is one of the busiest highways of the country. Now decks have been cleared for the four-laning of the national highway from Muzaffarnagar to Dehradun, as the expansion of the highway from Meerut to Muzaffarnagar is nearing completion. "When the proposed Express Highway from Delhi to Meerut is completed, it will be a smooth and pleasant journey of about three hours from Delhi to Haridwar and of about 3.5 hours from Delhi to Dehradun," says M.K. Jain, the project director. M.K. Jain told that the contract for the four-laning of the 119 kms. national highway from Muzaffarnagar to Dehradun has been given to a Russian company, Sibmost and a Delhi based Indian company, Era, which will complete the work by August 2012.

The project entails an expenditure of Rs.14,000 crores. The two companies will also be responsible for the maintenance of the highway for the next 25 years, including provision of lights at the dividers on the highway and deployment of cranes and ambulances for help at times of emergency.

To ensure smooth flow of traffic there will be three diversions from Muzaffarnagar to Haridwar. The first diversion will bypass Purkazi and Falauda towns and connect with the highway near the boundary of Uttarakhand at Narsan, while the second diversion will be from Manglaur to the College of Engineering, Roorkee to bypass the congested city of Roorkee. The third diversion from the village Baungla will bypass Bahadarabad and connect with the highway a few kms. before Haridwar. To keep the momentum of the speed of vehicles flyovers are going to be constructed at busy crossings, at Singh Dwar, Prem Nagar Chowk, Chandighat Chowk and Doodhadhari Chowk in Haridwar city. Similarly, from Haridwar to Dehradun, flyovers are proposed to be built at Motichur Railway crossing, Nepali Farm near Raiwala, Chiddarwala near Teen Paani and Lal Tappar just before the Industrial Area. Since the national highway from Haridwar to Dehradun crisscrosses through the Rajaji National Park, underpasses for the elephants and other wild animals will be built under the flyovers at three places, to provide safe corridors for their movements. The Supreme Court gave its nod to these underpasses last year on July 24, 2009. These underpasses are to be constructed at 131 meter long flyover at Motichur Railway Crossing, 400 meter long flyover at Teen Paani and at 400 meter long flyover at Barkot-Kansaria range, say the forest sources. Besides four-laning of the national highway, electric escalators on the pattern of those at the ITO and Dhaulakuan in Delhi, for pedestrians are to be built at five busy crossings in the city for traffic management. In addition to the expansion of the national highway-58, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), for which Haridwar has been selected, is under progress in the city for the creation of high class infrastrructure facilities, including sewerage, sanitation, electricity supply and potable water. Under the plan 12 most congested crossings in the city have been selected for expansion and beautification with an estimated cost of Rs.20 crores. The railway department has approved the construction of a four lane over-bridge at the railway crossing at Jwalapur.

Developmental activities in Haridwar are likely to get a further boost by the plan of the National Capital Region (NCR) board to develop Haridwar and Dehradun as counter magnet centres to Delhi on the pattern of Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and Noida to disperse economic activities and ease pressure on Delhi. Recently, Noor Mahmood, the member secretary of the NCR board discussed the details of the project with the state government. The central government will provide 75% of the funds to be spent on developing high class infrastructure in these cities so as to develop them as counter magnet area to the national capital. To bring further cheer to the residents of the holy city, the state minister for the urban development and local M.L.A., Madan Kaushik has announced that, considering the population of Haridwar, a proposal to upgrade the municipal board of the city to a corporation is in the pipeline.

"Since so many agencies are engaged in developing Haridwar, there is need to co-ordinate the plans launched by these agencies, such as N.H.A.I., JNNURM, Haridwar Development Authority (HDA), Nagar Palika Parishad and the recently constituted Mela Authority, after considering the nature of the city and by developing a consensus on such vital issues as pollution control and traffic management, for the harmonised and integrated development of the region," says Ashok Tripathi, the vice chairman of the Mela Authority.

Convocation at Pantnagar University

A Correspondent

Economic growth of the country cannot be sustained without focus on growth in the agriculture sector. With the impending challenge of feeding 1.8 billion people per annum, existing food production will need doubling in much lesser land by 2020, due to concomitant industrial growth. There will always be a challenge for agricultural scientists to generate higher incomes and better quality of life for farmers. In order to meet these challenges, it has become imperative that transformation of traditional farming is done while adopting new researches and new technologies," said Margaret Alva, Governor of Uttarakhand, while speaking as the chairperson on the occasion of the 26th Convocation function of the Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology (GBPUA&T), Pantnagar, the first State Agriculture University of the country. The convocation function was organised with traditional grandeur in the Golden Jubilee year of the University.

The Governor, in her capacity as Chancellor of the University, conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh "in recognition of his long and distinguished contributions in the field of economics and as the chief architect of Indian Economic Revival". The Governor said that the University is proud to have him to bless the graduating students and the University on the occasion of its Golden Jubilee.

Present on the occasion were chief guest Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, special guest Chief Minister Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', Minister of State (Govt. of India) Harish Rawat, Members of Parliament and Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha, Dr. B.S. Bisht, Vice-Chancellor of Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, members of the Board of Management and the Academic Council, Secretary to the Governor Ashok Pai, Additional Secretary Arun Kumar Dhaundiyal, apart from a large number of students, officials and progressive farmers, among others.

Tourists assaulted

At least six tourists were assaulted by policemen, who were allegedly in an inebriated condition, in Mussoorie, sparking protests in the hill resort following which four personnel were today transferred. The four policemen allegedly entered into scuffle a with a group of tourists at Mall Road in Mussoorie, 32 kms from here, last night. Later, they beat up the tourists with batons. The policemen also hurled abuses at local people, who today held protests here demanding action against them. All the injured tourists were taken to local hospital and were discharged after treatment. Police did not disclose the identity of the tourists.

CM asks bankers to raise CD ratio

Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank has told government officials and bankers to make sincere efforts for raising the credit deposit (CD) ratio to the national average of 60 percent. Chairing a meeting of the State-Level Bankers Committee (SLBC), Nishank said that there is huge growth potential in various sectors related to horticulture, medicinal herbs and tourism. He said that officials must expedite the implementation of welfare schemes launched by the government and coordinate with bankers, so that residents of the state can get loans easily -- making the CD ratio of the state meet with the national average. The state currently has a CD ratio of 49.78 per cent, against the national average of 60 percent. The chief minister also asked bankers to open more branches across the state.

Mild quake in state

An earthquake of moderate intensity hit Uttarakhand early Wednesday morning, the meteorological office in Pune said. The quake, measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale and recorded at 4.47 am, had its epicentre in Pithoragarh district of the hill state, it said.

Power crisis as hydropower project shuts

Power supply to states of north India including Delhi was affected as the 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri hydel power project in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district was temporarily shut down by the authorities on Thursday after the level of silt rose in the Sutlej river. "The silt content in the river suddenly rose more than the permissible limit of 7,500 ppm (parts per million). We have no other option but to suspend power generation," Vijay Verma, deputy general manager of the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL), told.

He said the sudden inflow of the silt was due to heavy rainfall in the catchment of the river on which the project is based. "We are constantly monitoring the silt level. The project is likely to resume generation after midnight (Friday)," he said. This was the first time the plant had to be shut down this season. SJVNL, a joint venture between the central government and the Himachal government, daily generates about 38 million units, which are supplied to Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Lawyers call off strike

Lawyers of Uttarakhand have called off their strike and returned on Thursday to courts after the arrest one more policeman allegedly involved in misbehaviour with advocates in Nainital district on Monday night. "Bar Council of Uttarakhand as well as Uttarakhand High Court Bar Association have called off their strike following the arrest of all the accused in the case," said Razia Beg, Chairperson of Bar council of Uttarakhand. One more constable allegedly involved in the case was arrested last evening, said Mohan Singh Bangyal, Senior Superintendent of Police, Nainital. With this arrest, the number of police personnel taken into custody in connection with the incident at Jyotikote area has gone up to six. Four advocates-- Ravi Babulkar, Sushil Vashishtha, Yogesh Pachoulia and Anil Bist-- were returning after attending a wedding when they were stopped by police at Jyolikot. The men in uniform allegedly misbehaved with the advocates and beat them up when they resisted. Agitated over the incident, the advocates across the state had held protest demonstration, following which police arrested four constables and one Sub-Inspector, the incharge of Jyolikot police post, on Tuesday. However, the action failed to pacify the advocates who yesterday went on strike to press for the arrest of all the accused.