H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Bus falls into khud, 5 killed
SHIMLA, Oct 30 — Five persons were killed and 15 injured, five of them seriously, when a private bus (HP 07-5186) fell into a khud at Bhanol, near Kotkhai, this morning.

Dalai Lama cancels visit to Seoul
KANGRA, Oct 30 — The Tibetan spiritual leader and Temporal Head Dalai Lama has cancelled his scheduled week-long religious visit to Seoul, South Korea, following the cancellation of the religious congregation by a Buddhist organisation under the directions of the South Korean Government.

CM inaugurates polytechnic
UNA, Oct 30 — Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister while addressing a public meeting in remote nangal Jariala village in the Gagret constituency of the district last evening said his government was ready to listen to criticism from Opposition MLAs provided they also appreciate positive work done by his government.

Lawyers abstain from work
KULU, Oct 30 — The Bar Association here abstained from attending the courts today, under protest against the alleged “illegal” action by the Superintendent of Police, who, they alleged slapped one of the lawyers during an altercation near the residential police accommodation near the district courts here today.

Licence must for adventure sports
SHIMLA, Oct 30 — To make licensing compulsory for paragliding and other adventure sports operators in Himachal Pradesh, the HP Tourist Trade Act will be amended in the coming session of the Assembly.

RSS decries BJP action in Goa
SHIMLA, Oct 30 — The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) has disapproved of forming government of Goa through defections by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Police cremates girl’s body
KUMARHATTI, Oct 30 — The police today cremated the body of a minor girl whose decomposed body was found in a nullah near Kambli, 28 km from here, on Divali.

Lance Naik cremated with honours
KANGRA, Oct 30 — The mortral remains of Lance Naik Puran Chand (32) were consinged to flames at his native village Kumarnoo near Panchrukhi in the district today.

Bus falls into khud, 5 killed
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 30 — Five persons were killed and 15 injured, five of them seriously, when a private bus (HP 07-5186) fell into a khud at Bhanol, near Kotkhai, this morning.

The bus, on its way from Kalbog to here, rolled down about 300 ft downhill. While two persons died on spot, one died at Kotkhai hospital and two succumbed to their injuries on way to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) Hospital, Shimla.

The police has registered a case of negligence against the bus driver. The deceased were identified as Nand Lal of Pujarli village, Mani Ram and Roshan Lal, both of Kalbog and Mohan Singh of Koti. One body could not be identified.

Dalai Lama cancels visit to Seoul
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Oct 30 — The Tibetan spiritual leader and Temporal Head Dalai Lama has cancelled his scheduled week-long religious visit to Seoul, South Korea, following the cancellation of the religious congregation by a Buddhist organisation under the directions of the South Korean Government.

Disclosing this, Mr Thublen Samphal, Secretary, Tibetan Information and International Public Relations Department of the Tibetan Government in exile, said here today the Dalai Lama had received an invitation from a Buddhist organisation for attending a congregation in Seoul in the second week of November, 2000, which he accepted.

He was scheduled to address the congregation but the Buddhist oragnisation received a communication from the South Korean Government to postpone it for one year.

Mr Samphal alleged that the Korean Government had cancelled the congregation under the Chinese pressure.

CM inaugurates polytechnic
From Our Correspondent

UNA, Oct 30 — Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister while addressing a public meeting in remote nangal Jariala village in the Gagret constituency of the district last evening said his government was ready to listen to criticism from Opposition MLAs provided they also appreciate positive work done by his government. He said in his public meetings local Opposition MLAs were always invited and allowed to express their opinions unlike in the past.

Replying to Mr Kuldeep Kumar, Congress MLA of the Gagret constituency, about his claim on Dr Ambedkar Government Polytechnic, Gagret. Mr Dhumal admitted that the foundation of the polytechnic was laid by the former Chief Minister. But he added that the latter failed to arrange funds for the institute. It was the BJP-HVC government which provided funds. Even now only the administrative block of the building has been completed.

Mr Dhumal announced that from 2001 the local government high school would be upgraded to a plus- two school at Nangal Jariala village and announced a grant of rupees 1.80 lakh for construction of two rooms of a government primary school at the village. The old school building collapsed some time ago.

He inaugurated the administrative block of Dr B.R. Ambedkar Government Polytechnic, Gagret constructed at a cost of Rs 80 lakh and laid the foundation stone of a bridge on Nangal Jariala.

Lawyers abstain from work
From Our Correspondent

KULU, Oct 30 — The Bar Association here abstained from attending the courts today, under protest against the alleged “illegal” action by the Superintendent of Police, who, they alleged slapped one of the lawyers during an altercation near the residential police accommodation near the district courts here today.

Mr Rajinder Thakur, President of the Bar Association, said that the SP and the DSP, along with about 10 police personnel, were reportedly arguing with a contractor of the municipal council, who is constructing a building for the use of the lawyers, in front of the residential accommodation of the police personnel at Dhalpur. The contractor, father of a local lawyer was being supported by his son in the hot exchanges between him and the police.

It may be recalled that the municipal council here had been erecting structures at various places in the town, allegedly without the approval of the Department of the Country and Town Planning.

The building near the district courts was reportedly being constructed by collecting an advance money of Rs 20,000 for each “chamber” from various lawyers. The district police chief had filed six complaints with the Country and Town Planning Department for the stay of the construction of these chambers but to no avail. Mr N. Venugopal Superintendent of Police told this correspondent that the story of manhandling was fabricated by some vested interests as they had invested money in the construction of the building being build in front of the police residential building and partially on the police department land. He said it was unfortunate that the “land encroachment mafia” was blackmailing the district administration and also using the elite of the town like the advocates.

Meanwhile, the lawyers have filed a complaint against the SP and DSP in the local police station.

Licence must for adventure sports
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 30 — To make licensing compulsory for paragliding and other adventure sports operators in Himachal Pradesh, the HP Tourist Trade Act will be amended in the coming session of the Assembly.

Paragliding, rafting and other adventure sports, are being organised by unlicenced operators as there had been no legal restriction on it. 

RSS decries BJP action in Goa
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 30 — The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) has disapproved of forming government of Goa through defections by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Stating this at a press conference here today Mr Jagan Nath, a senior leader of the Sangh and president of the state unit, said that creating political instability and grabbing power through defection was not desirable in a democratic set up. The RSS had always been opposed to such “unprincipled” politics and would never support such an action.

The RSS leader, who is touring the state to dispel misgivings among people about his organisation, said the Sangh was aware of the activities of Christian missionaries in Himachal who were alluring people to their faith. He said there was significant presence of missionaries in Kulu, Shimla, and Kinnaur districts. The Sangh has decided to send its volunteers to counter their illegal activities.

Mr Jagan Nath was at pains to explain that the BJP had nothing to do with the RSS and the party did not reflect its ideology. He said a number of RSS men had joined the BJP. It was an independent party with its own policies and programmes. The RSS and the BJP did not see eye to eye on most of the policy matters, particularly the economic issues. The policy of liberalisation and globalisation being pursued by the NDA Government would prove disastrous for the party in the long run. The unrestricted imports had already started affecting the indigenous industry and the dwindling value of rupee was a clear indication of the country’s “weakening” economy.

The RSS, he said, had grown manifold over the past 75 years. The number of “shakhas” has crossed the 60,000 mark in Himachal. The Sangh was running daily shakhas at 500 places. The state had been divided into 18 districts, 76 sub-districts and 919 blocks to cover 1600 villages under its month-long national awakening campaign.

It was not a communal or dictatorial organisation but purely a nationalist one. It was not opposed to people of any religious faith or sect. The mode of worship was less important. But all people should identify themselves with the country and respect its culture and traditions.

It was opposed to religious conversions by coercion or through allurements being carried out by Christians and Muslims. 

Police cremates girl’s body
From Our Correspondent

KUMARHATTI, Oct 30 — The police today cremated the body of a minor girl whose decomposed body was found in a nullah near Kambli, 28 km from here, on Divali.

No one came forward to claim the body of the girl, aged around nine years.

The body had been sent to the IGMC, Shimla, for a postmortem examination.

Dr Misra, an assistant professor of the crime science of the IGMC, visited the site to ascertain the facts regarding the case.

Lance Naik cremated with honours
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Oct 30 — The mortral remains of Lance Naik Puran Chand (32) were consinged to flames at his native village Kumarnoo near Panchrukhi in the district today.

His body was brought here yesterday and cremation took place with state and military honours today. Several government officials and senior army officers paid floral tributes to the martyr.