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Sunday,
July 28, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Kainthla
files complaint against Virbhadra BJP chief
to quit if party desires Move on
new districts flayed Students
gherao minister |
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Court
discharges ex-MLA, 9 others Woman,
daughter ‘assaulted’, former DC booked All set for Minjar fair Breakthrough
in exotic mushroom cultivation Recuperating
MLA gets warm welcome Teachers
submit demand charter Order
to restore stolen silver to temple
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Kainthla files complaint against Virbhadra Shimla, July 27 Mr Kainthla alleged that despite his warning Mr Virbhadra Singh issued the statement that the probe report was biased, politically motivated, false and manipulated. He further alleged that Mr Virbhadra Singh was not having faith in the former’s judicious conduct and dispensation. The matter regarding the proceedings and constitution of the commission was also challenged in the high court, but no objection was raised against Mr Kainthla regarding his impartially, uprightness or competence. Under the circumstances it was clear that the acts of Mr Virbhadra Singh were calculated to bring disrepute to the commission, which was an offence under Section 10-A of the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, punishable with simple imprisonment upto six months, fine or both. The complainant has requested the high court to take action against the former CM for trying to lower the image of the commission in the eyes of the public. |
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BJP chief to quit
if party desires Hamirpur, July 27 Mr Sharma was here to take part in the meeting of the district unit of the party and its cells. Mr Sharma criticised the Congress for criticising the creation of more districts in the state. He said ending corruption, more employment opportunities and equitable development of the state would the poll plank of the party. He said that the Statement of Agriculture Minister Vidya Sagar Chaudhry on 27 per cent reservation to the OBCs was not anti-party. Mr Chaudhry made this demand in favour of his community, he added. |
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Bali stakes claim
to Kumarsen seat Shimla, July 27 |
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Move on new districts flayed Shimla, July 27 Addressing a press conference here, he said there was no emergency to create new districts, particularly, in view of the precarious financial position of the government which was finding difficult even to pay salaries. If at all new districts were to be created the first step was to set the parameters and take the political parties and people concerned into confidence, he said adding that he was the Leader of the Opposition but he also did not know anything about it. An independent commission comprising experts should have been set up. The hush hush manner in which the exercise was being carried out on the eve of assembly poll left no one in doubt that it was out and out a political move. Sensing the motive behind the proposal, people of every area were staking their claim, he said. He alleged that Rampur and Rohru were suffering in the matter of development because of the inimical attitude of Mr Dhumal towards him. |
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Students
gherao minister Palampur, July 27 Later, a rally was organised where several speakers criticised the state government for shifting the college. Addressing the rally, Mr Butail said the people of the area would intensify the agitation and force the government to withdraw its order. He said the college was opened during the Congress regime and alleged that it was a politically motivated decision to please the BJP MLA of Sulah. He said the new venue of the college was 12 km from the town and it would be difficult for the girl students to reach there. Meanwhile, students association decided to sit in fast in protest against the shifting the college. They also threatened to resort to direct action if the government failed to accept their demands. PTI adds: The Himachal Pradesh Minister of State for Technical Education, Mr Ravi Inder Singh
Ravi, was allegedly gheraoed here on Saturday by the students, agitating against the shifting of the college from Palampur to
Paraur, for more than two hours at the local hospital where he had gone for treatment. The incident took place when the students came to know that the minister had gone to the hospital along with another BJP MLA, Vipin Parmar. They converged at the hospital and made him sit in the room of the Senior Medical Officer. However, Vipin Parmar, managed to slip away, but Mr Ravi was allowed to leave the room only after he agreed to come to the PWD rest house and talk to the agitators. The efforts of the officiating SDM and the Tehsildar to persuade the students to allow the minister to leave yielded no results and the shopkeepers also downed their shutters and joined the students. The police handled the situation carefully and situation remained under control. |
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Court discharges ex-MLA, 9 others Bilaspur, July 27 The court held that there was no reason to believe that the documents were fake or that signatures of Manju Devi on them were taken deceitfully, particularly when she herself stated that she was happy with her second husband Kashmir Singh and wanted to live with him. Divorce and remarriage of Manju Devi was made out a case of selling Manju Devi for Rs 20,000 by Congress party opponents of Krishan Kumar Kaushal and was raised in the HP Vidhan Sabha resulting in the registration of this case against Kaushal and a public Notary. |
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Woman, daughter ‘assaulted’, former DC booked Shimla, July 27 She said Mr Lal, Mr Pradeep Kumar along with certain persons attacked her when she tried to stop the construction workers from affixing a sign board of the temple on the retaining wall of her hotel. She said the former bureaucrat was using his influence to get the revenue records changed. She said she apprehended danger to her life and demanded security. A case has been registered against Mr Lal and Mr Pradeep Kumar under various sections of the IPC. |
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All set for Minjar fair Chamba Himachal Pradesh is widely recognised for its immense diversity of landscapes, shrines and cultural and historic features. Since Himachalis presume that gods and goddesses dwell in the snow-clad mountains enriched with dense forests, it is natural that hillfolk of bygone eras must have also worshipped them. On the other hand, it can also be believed and inferred that the earliest celebrations of this kind were mostly organised to commemorate the victories of kings in battles. This is how these past forms of worshipping deities in groups and historical celebrations like crowning or welcoming ceremonies of kings have now assumed the form of colourful fairs in the state. The atmosphere at these fairs is idyllic and there is an air of innocence and simplicity. In Himachal Pradesh at least more than 100 fairs, including tribal state-level fairs, are relevant to farmers of the area. The word “minjar” originated from the Sanskrit word, “manjari” which means shoots of corn. In Persian, the word ‘manjar’ or ‘manzar’ stands for a huge spectacle. In this way, the Persian connotation affirms that the minjar fair is a huge spectacle if we tally it with the present day celebration. The author of “Manjari Mahotsav” has however, in his booklet, traces the origin of this fair to the 10th century. During the rule King Sahil Verman, the Kangra ruler attacked Chamba. Verman’s forces owing to their advantageous position emerged victorious. On his way back from the battlefield, the people of his tiny state welcomed him by presenting him with “tentacles” of maize and paddy at a bridge over the
Ravi. The historic bridge is no longer in existence. Presentation of maize and paddy tentacles to the victorious king by his subjects was symbolic of the fact that Chamba was an agriculture state in the days gone by. It also revealed that the tribal people of Chamba were poor and could not afford to give gifts to their triumphant king. So, the fair is believed to be held to recount those moments of the king’s victory. It is more pertinent to believe that Minjar fair is held to worship the rain god, Lord Varuna, to pray for rains and a bumper crop. On the fair’s concluding day until 1947, a male buffalo used to be pushed into the Ravi and forced to cross it. If the animal returned, it was considered to be an omen and it was presumed that some calamity would befall the state. But this tradition of sacrificing a buffalo in order to propitiate the rain god has been dispensed with. Legend too has it that this fair is held to commemorate a saint, who, with his mighty powers, altered the course of the Ravi. It is believed that the river used to flow between Champavati and Hari Rai temples earlier, which caused problems to the people. During the fair, the temples in the town are very tastefully decorated and the entire town is aesthetically spruced up. People traditionally ornate themselves by fastening ‘minjars’ to their shirts and flaunt in the bazaar to greet each other. According to Mr Rahul Anand, Deputy Commissioner, who heads the International Minjar Fair Celebration Committee, the festival would start from July 28 to August 4 in a traditional and fascinating way. Renowned singers like Vinod Rathore, Sunidhi Chauhan, Hans Raj Hans and Purnima would give a concert during the fair. |
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Breakthrough
in exotic mushroom cultivation Solan, July 27 The fungi, with its highly-rated medicinal properties, commands a world trade of $ 4 billion, was hitherto grown mainly in China, Japan, Korea and a few other South East Asian countries. It was for the first time that reishi had been cultivated in India. The Centre Director, Dr S.R. Sharma, accompanied by Dr R.D. Rai, a senior scientist responsible for the successful cultivation of reishi at the institute, today showed to local mediapersons its laboratories where this blood-coloured fungi was growing profusely. Later, Dr Rai who addressed a press conference, said researches made across the globe had established that reishi was endowed with anti-cancer, anti-HIV, anti-Hepatitis B, anti-tumour, anti-histamine release, and anti-stress properties. It also helped combat platelet aggression and keep the heart in good shape. Above all it strengthens the human body’s immuno system. He said a US company was currently selling a 100-mg capsule of reishi at one dollar each while a Chennai-based Malaysian company was selling a 220-mg capsule for Rs 12 each “without being able to meet the demand in full”. The demand, in fact, was bound to rise with the increasing awareness of the mushroom’s medicinal qualities. Dr Rai said the cultivation of reishi in India could prove to be highly beneficial for the mushroom growers in the country. The present annual world production of this mushroom was estimated at 6000 tonnes with China alone contributing 4000 tonnes. India with its strategic advantages could easily outstrip China in reishi production in the near future as the requisite technology would be made available to cultivators shortly. He said yields of up to 400 gm per kg of saw dust (used as a base for growing reishi) had been recorded in his laboratory. This yield rate was equal to and in many cases better than elsewhere in the traditional reishi growing countries. Also the cultivation had been done organically with no use of chemicals. He said the technology could not be extended to growers immediately as his application for patent rights was still pending. |
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Recuperating
MLA gets warm welcome Kangra, July 27 Mr Bali was addressing a well-attended public meeting on his arrival at Nagrota Bagwan this evening. He announced that he had got a Rs 4 crore sewerage project approved from the Planning Commission Vice-Chairman Mr K.C. Pant. He also thanked the Chief Minister, Prof P.K. Dhumal, for approving the sewerage plan for this town. A rousing reception was accorded to Mr Bali who is the MLA from Nagrota Bagwan. Mr Bali, had suffered 65 per cent burn injuries in a gas leak accident in New Delhi on May 14, was brought to Nagrota Bagwan in a motorcade of hundreds of vehicles. He expressed his gratitude to leaders of all political parties and to the common people. Mr G.S. Bali was received by Mr Harsh Mahajan, Mr O.P. Rattan and Viplov Thakur, Congress leaders at Mehatpur this morning. He was carried in a procession by his supporters through Ranital, Takipur, Suni Sarotri, Neeli, Radh, Samloti and to the Chamunda shrine where former state PCC Chief Sat Mahajan received him. |
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Teachers submit demand charter
Shimla, July 27 Addressing a press conference here, the president and general secretary of mahasangh, Mr Guru Datt and Mr Rajesh Sharma, respectively, said there was widespread resentment among the teachers over non-acceptance of their demands. The said that the mahasangh would be compelled to resort to agitation if the response of the government was not prompt and positive. The mahasangh also urged the government to set up joint consultative committees at the departmental level to sort out specific issues. It demanded two special increments be given to teachers of all categories who had completed 20 years of service, on the pattern on classical and vernacular teachers. It argued that there should not be a dual pattern of pay scales and language teachers and shashtris should be given the same scale. The mahasangh demanded that the school lecturers in science subjects be given practical allowance on the pattern of graduate science teachers.
PTI |
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Order to restore stolen silver to temple Kangra, July 27 The burglars had decamped with Rs 80,000 cash and the temple authorities at that time had claimed that only cash was stolen and gold and silver of the temple was safe. Interestingly when the burglars were nabbed they confessed to steeling Rs 80,000 and silver weighing 18 kg. Initially the temple authorities had denied that the silver belonged to the temple. |
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