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Tuesday,
March 12, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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HP Cong infighting intensifies 150 homeless as fire engulfs bazar Tibetans urge UN to initiate talks 150 jaundice cases reported in Mandi
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Mandi
decked for Shivratri Fair
Hotel takeover
retrograde
step: Mann Kin of martyrs ‘getting’ fair deal
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HP Cong infighting intensifies Dharamsala, March 11 Though the CLP leader and former Chief Minister Mr Virbhadra Singh, and the HPCC chief, Ms Stokes, have been holding separate rallies across the state, it is their endeavour to prove their popularity in Kangra that has led to a lot of bickering. With the Stokes camp trying to signal that it was a myth that Mr Virbhadra Singh had a large following in Kangra, the supporters of the former Chief Minister have still not stopped poking fun at the rival camp for holding a rally on the premises of a club in Kangra. Today, it was the turn of the general secretary of the Kangra DCC, Mr Ram Swaroop, to lash out at the CLP leader and the All-India Mahila Congress President and the Rajya Sabha member, Ms Chandresh Kumari. “If Mr Virbhadra Singh had a mass following, the Congress would not have lost 12 of the 16 seats in Kangra and his wife, Ms Pratibha Singh, wouldn’t have had to face a humiliating defeat from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat,” said Mr Swaroop. Demanding disciplinary action against the former chief minister for his utterances against the HPCC chief he said it was not only the BJP but also a section of his own partymen were unable to digest the success of their rally at Kangra. Mr Saroop took strong exception to Mr Virbhadra Singh’s remarks made at the Fatehpur meeting that the Congress must come out of club premises to hold rallies as it was a national party. During the recent months, the leaders from the rival factions have not spared any opportunity to pull down each other and rush to the party high command with complaints. With Ms Vidya Stokes scheduled to address four rallies in Kangra from April, it seems that the infighting in the party will intensify there. The leaders belonging to the Stokes camp seem to be pretty miffed with Mr Virbhadra Singh’s rallies in the district as they accuse him of grooming his own men from various Assembly segments with an eye on the Assembly elections, due early next year. They have even gone to the extent of saying that they will soon be approaching the party high command in New Delhi for taking disciplinary action against Mr Virbhadra Singh. The infighting in the Congress continues unabated as the two camps are trying to project their own men in every Assembly segment. |
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Cong all set for March 20 rally Chamba, March 11 The meeting was attended by more than 32 panchayat pradhans besides district Congress President Khem Raj Abrol, municipal council President, Surinder Pal Dhall, Youth Congress President, Mohinder Handa and leaders of NSUL, Mr Mahajan said. He directed partymen to be united to make the rally a grand success. He also appealed to the party activists to work for the national integration. |
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150 homeless as fire engulfs bazar Shimla, March 11 The fire broke out at 1.30 a.m. but fire tender from Rohru could reach only at 8.00 AM. The
double storeyed wooden structures were engulfed by leaping flames within minutes, giving hardly any time to the inmates to move their belongings to a safer place. The residents fought the flames for about five hours. The fire was reportedly caused by an electric short circuit. Telecom links to the area were snapped and the town remained without power. Mr P.C. Katoch, Deputy Commissioner, and Mr Pradeep Kumar, SP, rushed to the spot to supervise relief operations. A sum of Rs 5000 was provided as immediate relief to the affected families and alternative arrangements were being made for those rendered homeless. |
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Tibetans urge UN to initiate talks Dharamsala, March 11 In two separate appeals made to Jiang and Mr Annan, the Tibetan assembly and the nine NGOs, on the occasion of the 43rd Tibetan National Uprising Day, have welcomed the recent Chinese offer to the Dalai Lama, for talks . The nine NGOs including the Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibetan Women Association, Tibetan Freedom Movement, Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet, Dotoe Chushi Gangdurk, Utsang Association, Domey Association, United Cholsum Association and Ngari Association have urged the United Nations to initiate unconditional talks for resolving the issue. “Seeing the escalating Sino-Tibet tension, it is high time that China initiates unconditional talks with the Tibetan Government-in-Exile so that an end can be put to the suffering of millions of Tibetans inside Tibet, before it is too late,” they urged. The NGO’s observed that since the occupation of Tibet by China, over 1.2 million people have died and more than 600 monasteries have been razed to the ground. They said the Tibetans are deprived of their basic fundamental rights . |
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Mandi decked for Shivratri Fair
Mandi, March 11 They will be accorded warm reception by the officials and members of the Devta Committee on their arrival here on March 11 and 12. They will pay obeisance to Madho Rai, the presiding deity of Mandi district. The state government holds Madho Rai in the same esteem as was enjoyed by deity in ancient times in keeping with old traditions. The place of Raja has been taken over by the elected rulers. Now the Chief Minister or the Governor offers prayer before the launching of ‘shobha yatra’. Shivratri is celebrated all over the country, but it has assumed special significance for Mandi, once the capital town of a princely state. Week-long celebrations are held here amidst colourful festivities. For the rulers of the town, Shivratri used to be grand royal celebration marked with religious fervour and gaiety. Shivratri and other fairs and festivals of the state have gone a long way in preserving the cultural heritage. The founder Chief Minister of the state Dr Y.S. Parmar, used to participate in almost all fairs and festivals. He used to participate in folk dances also. Subsequently the importance of fairs suffered a marginal setback. However, Mr Virbhadra Singh, on becoming Chief Minister, restored the regal glory of the fair. He first declared it a state fair and then enhanced its status to “International Carnival’’. The local rulers were devotees of Lord Shiva. The ancient shrine of Shiva-Bhutnath, Trilokinath, Panchvaktra and Ardhnarishwara are located here. Built in shikara style, these are considered to be the finest specimen of ancient hill art and architecture. The fair, this year, will begin on March 12 with traditional ‘pooja’ by the Deputy Commissioner, who is the ex-officio Chairman of Mela Committee. Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal will formally inaugurate the fair on March 13 after performing prayer before Madho Rai on the premises of the Mini-Secretariat. A grand Shoba Yatra, which starts from Damdama Place, is the star attraction of the fair. A galaxy of hill deities with thousands of devotees in their best garments, the chief guest, officials and elite of the town wearing multi-coloured turbans, contingents of mounted police, home guards and NCC follow the Ratha of Madho Rai. UNI
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150 jaundice cases reported in Mandi Mandi, March 11 Mr H.K. Sharma, Health Officer, told this reporter that the local Regional Hospital had received 40 cases during the past one week while 110 cases had been reported from private hospitals. He said owing to timely preventive measures, the disease had been brought under control. Not a single death had been reported due to the disease here, he added. He said a three-member team, including member from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, had visited the town and taken samples of potable water. The authorities concerned had been advised to take all necessary preventive measures. People had been asked to use chlorinated or boiled water. Mr Sharma said the situation was being closely monitored. Only four persons had been admitted to the hospital. |
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4th Gurkha celebrates
Regimental Day Chandigarh, March 11 The day began with the paying of tributes and homage to the gallant soldiers of the regiment who made the supreme sacrifice by laying down their lives in various battles and reinforcing the motto of the regiment “Kayar hunu bhanda marnu ramro” (It is better to die than be a coward). A floral wreath was laid at the Regimental War Memorial by the Centre Commandant, Col R. Kapoor, Lt Gen YM Bammi (retd) laid a wreath on the behalf of the president of the Fourth
Gurkha Rifles Association. A wreath was also laid on the behalf of Lt Gen Ashok Chaki, the Colonel of the regiment. A mandir ceremony was also held on the occasion followed by Pagal Gymkhana/Meena Bazar. The aim of commemorating the occasion is to remember the ‘old pillars’ of the regiment and to further enhance the regimental spirit amongst all ranks and strive to not only maintain but to improve the image and standards of the Regiment. The Fourth
Gurkha Rifles was raised on August 6, 1857. The regiment has only five battalions which have played significant roles in various operations and battles. The regiment has fought The Lushais in 1871 and The Afghan War in 1878-1880. In 1889, the regiment took part in operation Chin Hills in Burma and Manipur regions. It also fought at Tirah and Chitral. In 1900-1901 the regiment played an active role in China to quell the Boxer Rebellion. During the First World War, the regiment was amongst the first Indian Army units to embark on overseas operations and was engaged in various battles in Mesopotamia, Baghdad and France from 1914 to 1918. In the Second World War, the regiment won laurels in Burma, Italy and the Western Deserts. In the post-Independence era the regiment has played significant roles in the 1948, 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars and also in Siachen and in anti-militancy operations in J & K and North-East. The regiment has the unique distinction of having been awarded 36 Battle Honours, one Unit Citation and almost 400 gallantry awards. The first two commandants of the Indian Military Academy (Brig L.P. Collins and Brig HEW Bell Kingoley, and the first commandant of the Defence Services Staff College — Major-Gen (late Lt-Gen) WDA Lentaigne — were the stalwarts of this regiment. After independence, the regiment in spite of having only five battalions, provided eight Lt-Generals 10 Major Generals and 20 Brigadiers to the Indian Army. |
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Hotel takeover retrograde
step: Mann Shimla, March 11 Mr Mann telephoned the TNS here this afternoon from Delhi and said the state government’s action was a step in the wrong direction. He said while the policy of the ruling BJP was to disinvest, the takeover of the hotel being run by a world-reputed company had raised many suspicions. Mr Mann asked when the state government was borrowing money from the open market to pay salary to its employees, how would it manage to run the hotel. |
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Kin of martyrs ‘getting’ fair deal Shimla, March 11 In a statement here yesterday, he said it was patently wrong to suggest that the families of jawans killed in various operations were being given only Rs 25,000 as against Rs 5 lakh awarded in case of Kargil martyrs. He said the government was giving Rs 3 lakh each to the families of all martyrs. He said the Himachal Government was the only one in the country to set up a cell to help provide employment to exservicemen, who were being given the benefit of seniority in pay fixation. |
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