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| Saturday,
July 7, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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BJP not
respecting coalition spirit: HVC
Factionalism in Congress
to the fore again Dalai Lama celebrates 66th birthday |
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| Portrait removed “before Shastri’s tenure” Shimla, July 6 The controversy regarding removal of the portrait of Indira Gandhi from behind the Indo-Pak summit table here took a new turn today with Raj Bhavan now shifting the responsibility for the act to Ms Rama Devi, who was Governor during the Congress regime here. She is now Governor of Karnataka.
Stoppage of work on
public toilet resented J&K MLAs call on Dhumal Cong workers ask leaders to unite Deaf & dumb school Principal suspended Plan to set up mahsheer fish farm Cellular service to be extended in HP Garbage treatment
plant for Mandi
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BJP not respecting coalition spirit: HVC Kangra, July 6 The HVC supremo was speaking on the occasion of the fifth foundation day of his party. Addressing a rally of his supporters drawn from all over the state, he claimed that the HVC had become a threat for both Congress and BJP. “There were several occasions in the past when we could have easily toppled the government, but seeing the grave financial crisis in the state, we are compelled to continue supporting the government”, he stated. “Our party will never share the responsibility of the damage that will be caused to Himachal on account of the setting up of cement plants and we shall oppose it”, he said, adding that both Congress and the BJP had failed to comprehend the environmental damage, silting of dams and the adverse effect that the cement industry would have on tourism. He said despite repeated requests of the HVC, the BJP never seriously thought of formulating a “common minimum programme” which would ensure the smooth functioning of the coalition. Talking of the BJP at the Centre, he said it had dropped certain issues like Article 370, Ram mandir and common civil code to ensure the coalition spirit which was missing in Himachal. Trageting CLP leader and former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, he alleged that he had always tried to rule by creating divisions among his opponents and isolating those who could be a potential threat to his leadership. “Things are no different in the BJP and I strongly feel that the factionalism in the party is so deep-rooted that it can never be removed”, he said. The government had failed to tackle the financial crisis in the state, Mr Sukh Ram said, adding that “there is no denying the fact that this situation has been created not in two or three years but over the past few years and both Congress and the BJP are responsible for it”. The need of the hour was to mobilise resources instead of putting the blame on each other, he said. The HVC passed a number of resolutions regarding environment protection, employment generation, empowerment of women and protecting the rights of defence personnel. Mr Sukh Ram said the most disturbing factor was the rising unemployment. He said schemes like angora farming, mushroom cultivation and forestry could generate employment. Rajya Sabha member Anil Sharma said all those who had mocked the formation of the HVC five years ago were now feeling threatened by its popularity. “The party was floated by Mr Sukh Ram on some ideals and in five years we have shown our presence in the Assembly and also in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha”, he said. Lok Sabha member Dhani Ram Shandil said the HVC had been raising the issue of “one rank, one pension” and other problems of retired and serving defence personnel. Others who addressed the rally included Minister for Animal Husbandry Ram Lal Markanday, former MP and Senior HVC Vice-President D.D. Khandooria, former minister and acting president Vijay Kumar Joshi and General Dyal (retd). |
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Factionalism in Congress
to the fore again Dharamsala, July 6 Mrs Stokes today addressed her last party worker’s meeting in Kangra district at which workers from Kangra, Dharamsala, Shahpur and Nagrota were present. The HPCC chief and former minister and party general secretary, Mr Viaji Mankotia, had to intervene to stop infighting among the rival factions led by Mr Chaudhary and Mr Saini. The two Congress leaders are claimants for the party ticket from the Kangra Assembly constituency. Mrs Stokes, while trying to pacify the two factions, said she was here to strengthen the party and not distribute party tickets. She said the party candidate would be decided later going by his winning prospects. Once again most of the Virbhadra loyalists, including the three party MLAs, Mr Chander Kumar, Mr B.B.L. Butail and Mr G.S. Bali, did not attend the meeting. Mrs Stokes in her address said there was no factionalism in the party and she along with the CLP leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh, would hold meetings. She said the BJP government had failed on all fronts as the state was faced with a severe financial crisis. She said there was growing unemployment and rising prices were making life difficult for the common man. She added that there was rampant corruption in the state and the government had no control over the bureaucracy. She alleged that the BJP men were active in getting jobs to people on payment of money. The Congress leader said the popularity graph of the Dhumal government was falling fast and it had come to be known as a “roll-back government” which took decisions in a hurry and then reversed these. The All-India Mahila Congress president, Mrs Chandresh Kumari, said Mrs Sonia Gandhi had been able to strengthen the party and they were all working on her directions. She lashed out at the BJP government for its anti-people policies. Others who were present at the meeting included Mr Vijay Mankotia, Mr M.R. Goma, Mrs Viplove Thakur and Mr Harsh
Mahajan. |
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Dalai Lama celebrates 66th birthday Dharamsala, July 6 Ministers of the government-in-exile senior officials, religious heads and the local Tibetan population turned out in large numbers to attend the function at the main temple outside the palace of the Dalai Lama early this morning. Though the Dalai Lama is back here from a tour of Europe, yet he did not come out of his palace to accept the greetings of the people. Earlier in the morning, the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorjee, drove to the palace of the Dalai Lama to greet him on his birthday. Prayers were offered for the long life and wellbeing of the Dalai Lama, who is spearheading the freedom movement of the Tibetans, struggling to liberate their homeland, Tibet, from Chinese occupation. Special prayer services are being held in all monasteries in and around McLeodganj to pray for the wellbeing and good health of the Dalai Lama. A cultural performance was given by artistes from
TIPA. Mr Sonam Topgyal, Chairman of the Kashag (Cabinet), addressed the gathering on the occasion. The Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, Mr Prabodh Sexena, also spoke. The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was born on July 6, 1935, in a peasant family in a small village of Amdo in
north-eastern Tibet. He was recognised at the age of two, in accordance with the Tibetan tradition, as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the 13th Dalai Lama. His childhood name was Lhamo
Thondup. In 1950, when the Dalai Lama was just 15, he was called upon to assume the full political power of Tibet as the People’s Liberation Army of China was then marching into the country. Though a young boy, he was completed to leave his boyhood and defend six million Tibetans and their ancient civilisation against the vast power of Communist China. However, the Chinese increased their brutal repression, finally sparking off the Tibetan national uprising against China on March 10, 1959. At this juncture, the Dalai Lama left his summer palace and escaped to freedom into India to continue his efforts to restore freedom to Tibetans. |
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Portrait removed “before Shastri’s tenure” Shimla, July 6 Just two days ago, Raj Bhavan had claimed that the portrait was removed when changes were carried out in the interiors of Raj Bhavan on the advice of the chief architect vide his letter dated May 19, 2000, and Mr Vishnu Kant Shastri, who has now been shifted to Uttar Pradesh, had nothing to do with it. (Mr Vishnu Kant Shastri had taken over as Governor on December 2, 1999, sometime after the BJP came to power in the state.) A spokesman for Raj Bhavan, in a two-page clarification on the issue which has started snowballing in the state, claimed that the change of the portrait related to the period before Mr Shastri took over as Governor and he (Mr Shastri) had no role in it. He said at the time of the Simla Accord in 1972, the agreement table was placed somewhere in the middle of the Summit Hall and it was much later that it was shifted to its present position. The portrait of Indira Gandhi was not there on the wall at that time and appears to have been put there much after the summit was held. In a bid to strengthen his point, the spokesman said the portrait was a coloured one, whereas the other photographs of the summit were in black and white and were displayed in the Summit Hall. He said the portrait might have been fixed there when Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister and probably removed when she ceased to be in office. The spokesman said the exact record as to when the portrait was shifted was not traceable, However, a photograph purported to have been taken on July 3, 1999, when the portrait was not on the wall was sent to newspaper offices by the Raj Bhavan spokesman. While on one hand the responsibility was being shifted to Ms Rama
Devi, the spokesman has again pointed out that while carrying out interior decoration in Raj Bhavan, the chief
architect also recommended that only the relevant black and white frames of historical significance should adorn the walls in the Summit Hall and all other pictures and paintings removed from there. The spokesman claimed that the portrait might have been shifted during the tenure of Ms Rama Devi as it was coloured. She has “great taste” and sense for aesthetics and she made unending efforts to improve the interior as well as the exterior of the historic Raj Bhavan. She took personal interest and initiative in the upkeep of Raj Bhavan and she changed and added a variety of
artefacts, paintings and carpets to give a more pleasant and aesthetic look to Raj Bhavan. He claimed that the portrait of Indira Gandhi was displayed respectfully in another room. Some photographs of the summit with delegations of the two countries and the two prime ministers signing the Simla Agreement were placed on the table and four other pictures of Indira Gandhi taken during the summit were also displayed in the room. The spokesman said it was strange that “unnecessary hue and cry” was being made especially on the eve of the forthcoming Indo-Pak talks. |
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Stoppage of work on
public toilet resented Kumarhatti, July 6 The government contractor to whom the contract of the toilet was given has levelled allegations against the hotel staff. “On several occasions, I was threatened with dire consequences by the staff if I did not stop the work on the toilet,” he alleged. Due to the proximity of the toilet to the hotel, the owner had opposed the construction of the toilet at the present site. “The toilet was being built near our water tanks and the kitchen and it would have adversely affected our business,”said the hotel manager. According to panchayat representatives, 80 per cent work on the toilet had been completed but due to the pressure mounted by the hotel management through its high connections, it was now lying in an unfinished state. The Solan DC’s office had sanctioned Rs 1 lakh for the toilet and around Rs 80,000 had been spent on the toilet. “I have incurred a loss of Rs 40,000, with raw materials lying at the site due to the sudden stoppage of work,” the contractor alleged. The DC Solan, was not available for comments as he was away on tour. Mr Subash Kalsotra, ADC, Solan, expressed his ignorance about the details of the matter. He said the unavailability of funds was possibly the reason why the work was stopped. |
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J&K MLAs call on Dhumal Shimla, July 6 The legislators, including Mr Syed Abdul Rashid, Mr G.M.D. Mir and Mr Ali Mohammad Dar, called on the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, and discussed various issues of mutual interest. They appreciated the steps taken by Mr Vajpayee towards the normalisation of relations between the two countries. They said foreign mercenaries were vitiating the atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir. The visiting legislators said the construction of the Bhaderwah-Chamba road would provide a useful link between Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. The road on the Himachal side has already been completed and Jammu and Kashmir has been asked to finish the work on its side. The Chief Minister apprised them of the development made by the state in the field of horticulture and hydroelectric power generation. |
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Cong workers ask leaders to unite Nurpur, July 6 The senior party leaders, who participated in the meeting, not only faced the wrath of the workers for the alleged irregularities in the party’s organisational elections and delay in settling complaints with the Central Election Authority, but were also advised to forge unity in the party leadership. The workers told the leadership that the party could not return to power unless the leaders sunk their differences. They suggested that party tickets in the coming Assembly elections be allocated to the winning candidates and new young faces be introduced in the fray. Mr Vijay Singh Mankotia, former minister, said the Kangra Congress leaders were advised in the past to remain united but had been kept disintegrated by some Congress leaders with vested political interests. He called upon the Congress leaders of Kangra and Chamba districts to be united in the coming Assembly elections. |
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Deaf & dumb school Principal suspended Shimla, July 6 Ms Vinay
Kumari, Principal, and Ms Sarla Sharma, warden, have been charged with dereliction of duty. Ms P.C.
Negi, general secretary of the council, has asked Ms Uma Joshi, executive officer to conduct an inquiry into the incident. The pregnancy was noticed only last week by a teacher on June 26 and subsequently the medical examination of the class VII student revealed that she was carrying a 28-week baby. The girl belongs to Kulu district. Her parents alleged that she was reped by another inmate of the school. Both boys and girls study on the same premises, though they are lodged in different hostels. Doctors opine that the girl must have conceived around December 14, when the school was closed for winter vacation. The accused and the victim had left for their respective homes in December. The council authorities have questioned the boy, who is willing to undergo a DNA test to ascertain the parentage. The incident had raised the issue whether it was prudent on the part of the council to keep boys and girls on the same premises. Mr Sushil Negi, the director of council said the government had now decided to have separate premises for boys and girl. There were as many as 24 girls and 33 boys in the school. Keeping a strict watch on them all the time was not possible, he added. |
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Plan to set up mahsheer fish farm Shimla, July 6 Mr Kishori Lal, who also holds the portfolio of Fisheries Department, said this decision had been taken by the Centre and the fish farm would be one of its own kind in the country. The project envisaged the breeding of mahsheer at a large scale, besides setting up a vast hatchery research and training programme aimed at popularising Himalayan mahsheer. Fingerlings produced in the farm would be released into reservoirs, rivers and rivulets across the state and added that Rs 2 crore had already been provided for setting up the farm. Fish farming was being promoted in a big way and the total fish production has shot up to 70,000 metric tonnes whereas the total production of trout fish is about 20 tonnes in the state. |
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Cellular service to be extended in HP Nahan, July 6 He said 2000 mobile connections would be given under Solan circle and Solan, Nahan and Paonta towns would get top priority. He hoped that the charges for the services would be competitive. He added that to make the facility cheaper the BSNL was thinking to introduce sets having all essential facilities, like those in China. Mr Bose claimed that in the expansion activities Sirmaur district would get top priority. Seven new exchanges were being opened. He said two new telephone systems were being tried on experimental bases in Sirmaur and Solan areas, which would work through satellite. He said the BSNL had tied up with nationalised banks for depositing telephone bills. In Sirmaur district UCO Bank has been authorised to collect the telephone charges. |
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Garbage treatment
plant for Mandi Mandi, July 6
Guru Poornima celebrations Parwanoo, July 6 Mr Satish Berry, head of the Sarav Dharam Sabha of the temple, said devotees from as far as Bombay, Pune, Delhi, Ajmer and Bangalore visited this temple. |
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