Shugden men approach Advani
DHARAMSALA, June 18 — Shugden activists have sought the intervention of the Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, to check attempts of the Tibetan government-in-exile, to isolate and boycott the followers of the Shugden Dorjee deity.

Overcoming odds to weave art
SHIMLA, June 18 — Given adequate opportunity to exhibit their skills, rural women can work wonders in the field of handicrafts. This is evident from the exquisitely hand-embroidered items displayed at the exhibition-cum-sale which opened at Solitaire Restaurant here yesterday.

Hamirpur Dharamsala Shimla

Support for PCS officers
SHIMLA, June 18 — The All-India Federation of State Civil Service Associations has expressed solidarity with PCS officers in their opposition to the move of the Punjab Government to induct non-state civil service officers into the IAS.

Age limit for girls’ admission up
SHIMLA, June 18 — The Academic Council of Himachal Pradesh University has decided to raise the age limit for girls for admission to degree course in commerce.

Constables resent transfers
HAMIRPUR, June 18 — Resentment prevails amongst the lower ranks of the Department of Police, Himachal Pradesh, over mass transfers from various districts.

BJP leaders criticised
BILASPUR, June 18 — Mr Vijay Kumar Joshi, acting president of the Himachal Vikas Congress, has strongly criticised those BJP leaders who are claiming that the HVC has given the green signal to the BJP to field its candidates for all four Lok Sabha seats and that the HVC would help the party win these seats.

Gorkha awarded life term
SHIMLA, June 18 — Mr Dharam Chand Chaudhary, Additional Session Judge, today convicted Bal Bahadur, a Gorkha, for committing the murder of Sunita, a resident of Sumerkot village in Rohru in June last year.

Harassment by govt-in-exile
Shugden men approach Advani
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, June 18 — Shugden activists have sought the intervention of the Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, to check attempts of the Tibetan government-in-exile, to isolate and boycott the followers of the Shugden Dorjee deity.

The Secretary of the Dorjee Shugden Devotees’ Charitable Religious Society, Delhi, Mr Chime Tsering, said they had given a representation to Mr Advani, in this regard. "He assured us that he will look into the matter and if it is found to be true, it is a serious violation of the Constitution of the country," he claimed. He warned that their society would not take all these actions of the Tibetan Government lying low, and would tackle it legally and through peaceful means.

The cult controversy has been raging the Tibetans community eversince the Tibetan spiritual leader, The Dalai Lama, is learnt to have warned against the cult’s extremism and the worship of the Shugden Dorjee idol. There have been allegations by the Shugden activists that followers of the deity were being harassed by the Tibetan Government in Dharamsala and children of some of the activists had even been expelled from the government run Tibetan schools.

Mr Chime Tsering, said once again incidents of harassment of Shugden followers had come to light. "Parents of some of the children studying in the Tibetan schools in Dharamsala, have approached us, with the complaint that the minds of the young children are being poisoned against the worship of Shugden deity," he alleged. He added that these parents, who were themselves followers of Shugden, said they would like to remove their children from these schools, but do not have the money to send them to other places. "The religious instructors in the Tibetan schools are telling the children that those who pray to the Shugden deity are traitors and anti-Dalai Lama, as the deity is an evil spirit meant for material benefits," he regretted.

Mr Tsering, who is based at Majnu ka Tila, in Delhi, said that the Tibtan Government in exile had gone to the extent of boycotting a monastery in Darjeeling, which had close links with the Shugden followers. He disclosed that as per the directions of the representative of the Dalai Lama, in Darjeeling, all Tibetans living in Darjeeling and Kaling Pong would not visit or pray at the monastery. He disclosed Tibetans of the area had been asked not to invite anyone from the monastery for any religious function. These directions to the Tibetans in Darjeeling had deeply hurt one of the senior lamas of the monastery, who died of a heart attack on hearing this news, around the Tibetan new year.

Mr Tsering said, that the monastery, Samten Choeling, was established by Indian in the early fifties, and this kind of boycott by the Tibetan Government authorities had hurt everyone.

The Joint Secretary, in the Department of Information and International Relations of the Tibetan Government, Mr Thupten Samphell, when contacted, refuted the allegations regarding the expulsion of children of the Shugden followers from Tibetan schools. He added that allegations regarding harassment of officials in the Tibetan administration, who are Shugden followers, were false.

Overcoming odds to weave art
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 18 — Given adequate opportunity to exhibit their skills, rural women can work wonders in the field of handicrafts.

This is evident from the exquisitely hand-embroidered items displayed at the exhibition-cum-sale which opened at Solitaire Restaurant here yesterday. A whole range of household linen, baby frocks and women’s night wear is available at the exhibition organised by Arpana, a Karnal-based charitable trust, which has been working for the socio-economic uplift of women for over two decades. The exhibition will continue until June 21.

Weaving ornate designs using satin stitch and cross stitch, some illiterate women of Haryana have transformed ordinary table cloth, bed sheets, cushions and other household linen into exquisite pieces of art. Use of quality materials, particularly threads, adds to the texture and the elegance of the product. The credit for this goes to Arpana-which provided the necessary training, materials, designs, machines and managerial, expertise to these women under its income-generation programme. It has already organised 25 women’s groups in 15 villages of the Madhuban area which are undertaking a host of activities to supplement their family income, ensure better health care for their children and maintain cleanliness in villages.

In all 1,600 women have been trained and they take up embroidery during their free time to supplement family income. Besides, about 200 women are involved full-time in managing income-generating schemes and other activities. Our primary goal is to overcome lack of opportunity and provide for essential needs faced by village women, says a spokesperson for Arpana.

The entire production is marketed by the trust through regular sales outlets and exhibition-cum-sales drives in the main cities of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal, Pradesh. The proceeds go to charities.

Support for PCS officers
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 18 — The All-India Federation of State Civil Service Associations has expressed solidarity with PCS officers in their opposition to the move of the Punjab Government to induct non-state civil service officers into the IAS.

The federation feels that such a step will jeopardise the interests of PCS officers who have been writing for 20 to 25 years for promotion to the IAS, though having excellent service records.

Mr B.M. Nanta, vice-president of the federation, pointed out that Rules 4 (1) (C) and 8 (2) of the Indian Administrative Services (Recruitment) Rules, 1954, laid down that non-state civil service officers were to be recruited only in "special cases" and under "special circumstances".

However, at present, no such special circumstances existed as the PCS officers with outstanding service records and having put in 20 to 25 years' unblemished services were readily available.

The state government had a wide choice available with it. Hence, there was no justification to look for officers from the non-PCS cadre.

He further said that the Supreme Court had laid down in clear terms certain basic principles to be adopted while resorting to provisions of Rule 4 (1) (C) and Rule 8 (2) of the IAS Recruitment Rules. "Special circumstances" and "special cases" could only be visualised if PCS officers with outstanding records were not available or did not fulfil minimum service conditions of eight years. Such a step also required to be justified so as to be in public interest. No public interest was likely to be served in the present case.

The federation urged the Punjab Government to reconsider its proposal and select PCS officers on merit for induction into the IAS. The federation has already taken up the matter with the central government to repeal the Indian Administrative Service (appointment by selection Regulations, 1956, (as amended in 1997) as the same were framed at a time when SCS officers of adequate seniority and merit were not available. Such "special circumstances" no more existed anywhere in the country and SCS officers were available in large numbers in each state.

The federation also appreciated the stand of the state government in this regard.

Yet another martyr from Hamirpur
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, June 18 — One more jawan of the district sacrificed his life while fighting against Pakistani intruders in Kargil sector. Sepoy Dinesh Kumar (20), of 3rd Punjab Regiment and hailing from Andral village of the Bamsan area of the district.

Mr Kamlesh Kumar Pant Deputy Commissioner of Hamirpur, said here this afternoon that the body of Dinesh Kumar would be brought to Chandigarh by air and then to Hamirpur tomorrow. It would be cremated at his native village with full state honours.

With the death of Dinesh Kumar, three Armymen from the Hamirpur district have lost their lives in Kargil since the start of the 'Operation Vijay'. incidentally, all three deceased belonged to the Bamsan area.

Meanwhile, people of Uhal and Bagloo areas of the district are still waiting for the bodies of Havaldar Kashmir Singh and Havaldar Raj Kumar, who had laid down their lives in Kargil on June 3 last.

An official spokesman told reporters here today that bodies of the two jawans were yet to be retrieved from the battle front by the Army.

Age limit for girls’ admission up
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 18 — The Academic Council of Himachal Pradesh University has decided to raise the age limit for girls for admission to degree course in commerce.

The council which met here yesterday reduced the minimum eligibility conditions for girl students to 33 per cent marks in plus two examination. It also approved the holding of seminars of Guru Gobind Singh and Himachal Pradesh, Himachal in Sanskrit literature, self-employment generation and mathematical analysis and its application. It also decided to celebrate Sanskrit year.

It also accepted the demand of the research scholars for exemption to Ph.D degree holders from national entrance test for appointment as lecturer in the light of the guidelines of the University Grants Commission.

On persistent demands of Students of Engineering College, Kala Amb, the council decided to grant one special chance to re-appear students and it further decided to recommend amendment to the university ordinance to provide for three supplementary examinations on the analogy of Regional Engineering College, Hamirpur, so that equal opportunity could be granted to engineering students in the state.

To mark the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations the university decided to create Guru Nanak chair in the university. The council further decided to start a diploma in Din Dayal Upadhyaya Studies. It also approved creation of one post of reader and three posts of lecturer each in the Departments of Commerce and Management and Public Administration.

Constables resent transfers
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, June 18 — Resentment prevails amongst the lower ranks of the Department of Police, Himachal Pradesh, over mass transfers from various districts.

About 400 constables have been shifted from all districts of the state to various battalions. Under the orders of the Director-General of Police. These included 27 constables from the district alone, where 14 posts of constables were already lying vacant.

Policemen lament that these orders are highly arbitrary, uncalled for and against all norms of the state government. According to them these orders were issued on purely political considerations and should be cancelled.

A group of policemen met the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, along with their relatives in this regard. The Chief Minister reportedly assured the deputationists.

BJP leaders criticised
From Our Correspondent

BILASPUR, June 18 — Mr Vijay Kumar Joshi, acting president of the Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC), has strongly criticised those BJP leaders who are claiming that the HVC has given the green signal to the BJP to field its candidates for all four Lok Sabha seats and that the HVC would help the party win these seats.

Addressing mediapersons here yesterday, Mr Joshi, who is a former minister and vice-chairman of the Himachal General Industries Corporation, categorically stated that the HVC was a separate party which had its own following in all parts of the state.

Mr Joshi stated that the HVC had urged the BJP to leave two seats for it under a "seat-sharing" agreement.

Gorkha awarded life term
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, June 18 — Mr Dharam Chand Chaudhary, Additional Session Judge, today convicted Bal Bahadur, a Gorkha, for committing the murder of Sunita, a resident of Sumerkot village in Rohru in June last year. The court also sentenced him to life imprisonment and to pay a fine of Rs 5000.

According to the prosecution, the accused was annoyed with one Ramesh Dutta of Rohru with whom he was working as a labourer, on account of alleged non-payment of his dues. He mistook Sunita to be a member of the Dutta family and hacked her to death to take revenge. She died instantaneously.

He was further sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for three years for causing injury by the same sickle to another girl, Anuradha, immediately after the murder of Sunita. However, the girl survived and the accused was nabbed on the spot.