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Hillside
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A crafty lot, indeed!
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The V-zone threat
Shimla Diary
Forest cover in the lap of danger
SOS for deodars
FINE FLORA: Chandertal Lake in Lahaul-Spiti district where a team of Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, has conducted a flora survey. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari
A temple of unity
CITIZEN FIRST
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Mr Virbhadra Singh is the longest-serving Chief Minister in the country. He also happens to be a long-time reader of The Tribune. He talks at length about a host of issues ranging from politics to his hobbies and, of course, the future of the state in an exclusive interview with Rakesh Lohumi Himachal Pradesh has come a long way since its inception as a political entity. What is the future you foresee for the state? The hill state has moved ahead from 1948 when it first came into being, from 1966 when the hills of Punjab were merged into it and 1971 when it was granted statehood by the then Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi. With a good social infrastructure, particularly in education and health sectors, a vast network of roads and abundance of power, the fundamentals of the state are strong enough to propel economic growth. The future is bright as the state can only go forward from here. It is already being seen as a model for hill development. It scored high on indices of human development in the report of the Planning Commission, while India Today in its survey described its achievements as a trail-blazing success story in human development. All this is a result of consistently good performance in implementation of plans. Unlike most other states, Himachal has been invariably exceeding the Plan targets. It is a result of ‘good governance’. It is also the spirit of the hill people who work hard to overcome difficulties. All this sounds too good but there are some areas of concern like the growing unemployment and increasing debt burden. How will you tackle these problems? Providing employment is indeed a challenge but the government has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to solve it. It has made it mandatory for the industries and hydroelectric projects to provide 70 per cent jobs to Himachalis so that the local youth gained form the unprecedented industrialisation taking place in the state. It has over the past three years attracted private investment to the tune of Rs 17,500 crore in the industrial sector, which will create over 2.50 lakh jobs. Besides, the government has decided to create 25,000 jobs in the government sector during this year alone. Further, the employment guarantee scheme has also been launched in two districts. The financial crunch being faced by the state is the result of the disastrous fiscal policies of the previous BJP government. My government inherited a debt of Rs 15,000 crore on which the annual interest liability alone worked out to be over Rs 1600 crore. Market borrowings have been discontinued and an effort is being made for a structural adjustment facility to swap the expensive loans with cheaper ones. The Centre has promised to support the state case for long-term loan up to Rs 8,000 crore from the World Bank to replace the expensive loans. Moreover, the free power from hydroelectric projects, which were under execution, buoyancy in tax collection after the implementation of VAT and increasing tax base due to industrialisation will also reduce deficit. What do you think is your biggest contribution to the state for which you will like to be remembered? I have been a nationalist to the core and I always saw the entire India as “one country and one people”. The boundaries of states have been drawn only for administrative convenience. I never believed in casteism and regionalism and battled against these twin evils all through my political career. My endeavour has always been to strengthen the emotional integrity of the people by ensuring uniform and balanced development of all regions. The result is there for all to see. The lower hill areas were the most backward in Punjab. Today they are the most developed. I definitely had a role in this transformation. There are certain leaders not only in the Opposition but also in my own party who keep raising the bogey of discrimination to divide the people just to keep themselves afloat. In their effort to belittle my achievements they are playing the dangerous game of dividing the people on regional lines, which will only harm the state in the long run. The state is today more integrated than ever before and this is my most important contribution as a leader. I have all through strived to bridge the emotional divide created by selfish leaders by raising artificial barriers to make political capital. It is pure vote bank politics having nothing to do with the ground realities. If the Kangra region ever suffered discrimination, it was during the BJP rule from 1998-2003 and the reason is known to all — the internecine war between Mr
P.K. Dhumal , the then Chief Minister, and Mr Shanta Kumar, a former union minister who came from Kangra. You have seen the media grow during your lifetime. How do you see the present scenario with a large number of newspapers coming out with multiple editions to focus on local coverage? The state is undoubtedly finding more space in the newspaper columns these days and it is a good sign. However, the regional editions and sub-editions being brought out by Hindi newspapers has resulted in ‘too much localisation’ of news which deprive readers of other valuable information and inputs. The coverage is ‘extensive’ but not ‘comprehensive’. One has to scan through half-a-dozen editions of the newspapers to know what was happening in the state. Himachal is a progressive state with educated people who are not only interested in the local news but also curious to know what is happening across the country and elsewhere in the state. The overdose of local news is not required in the era of globalisation where the constraints of time and space have been removed by modern communication technology. Unfortunately, the trend of localisation seems to be catching up with the English newspapers too. I hope that The Tribune, which has maintained its own distinct identity, will be cautious on this front. My association with the newspaper dates back to the pre-Independence era when my family got it by post from Lahore. I had been reading it as a child and even today the first newspaper I pick up in the morning is The Tribune. In fact, it continues to be the first choice of the people of my generation. You once said that you would be writing your autobiography. Has the project taken off and when will it be completed? Yes, I am in the process of writing my experiences in politics. It will not be an autobiography in the true sense of the word but a varied account of my political career. I have been a witness to political events even before the hill state came into being in 1948 and have been in active politics since 1962 when I was first elected to the Lok Sabha. The book will be virtually a treatise on the political history of the state. I will publish it only after I retire from politics but I am in no hurry to complete it. Politics apart, what is your favourite pastime? I have been a voracious reader. I enjoy reading books of all sorts, including novels and travelogues. Reading books is my way of relaxation. As the political head of the state one doesn’t get much time for such hobbies. Politics is both mentally and physically taxing for those who take the job seriously. I have to work almost for 18 hours a day and I find reading a book most relaxing after an arduous day. Whenever I feel the need to relax I make it to the bed early with a book in hand. I do not have the patience to watch the long-drawn television serials with plots within plots, though I do view Discovery, History and news channels whenever I have the time.
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Hillside
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Himachal’s beauty is linked mostly to its scenic splendour at every step— the rolling hills, snow-covered mountains, undulating valleys, gurgling streams, and fabulous sunsets. These elements overshadow a deeper beauty — the peoples’ nature, their culture, the basic sanskaar. Writers have tried a range of words to describe them: simple, honest, gentle, god-fearing, peace-loving and hospitable. All very inadequate.
Barely a few decades ago, people would go out, leaving their homes unlocked for hours. Thefts and burglaries were rare. Once in a blue moon, a criminal from outside might take his chance and flee the state with his booty. But a local would never indulge in such crimes knowingly. Neither would you find a Himachali among scores of migrant beggars from neighbouring states. A middle-aged man on transfer to Shimla got off the shared-taxi from Kalka and went to his hotel. There he realised he had left behind a sling bag containing a packet of currency notes. With a thumping heart, he rushed back to the point where he had alighted. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he found the bag safely parked in a small shop there. The lalaji called out to the pardesi babu who was making frantic inquiries in the vicinity — the driver had briefed him with a detailed description of the bag-owner! Beyond Parwanoo such incidents would have made news— here, honesty has been an ordinary part of life. Small
steps Izzat and sharafat have remained operative concepts in life. Young girls chattering away would walk miles at night to reach home after a function, without fear of males on the prowl. Ghost tales alone reigned over the nights in lonely lanes and discarded abodes. Look at the way people rally round a family during functions, illness and calamities — as smoothly as rain fills a pond. What a refreshing contrast from the big cities of the plains where such occasions serve as “PR opportunities”! We are told, it’s common (in places like Delhi) for bereaved families to note down names of those who cared to attend a chautha. Hisaab, even in grief. Listing gifts received in marriage (so that you may pay back suitably), also a common practice, seems more human! Culture cannot be seen merely in customs, colourful festivals or the costumes we wear. It encompasses every aspect of life. Throbbing deep in the consciousness of a people, culture needs to be felt like we feel the invisible pulse. Let’s keep in touch with that pulse and also put some light on the hidden hearts of Himachal. Columns of this kind add to your favourite newspaper’s regular efforts —”small steps” in that direction. Let us explore, together. Wishing tree Slowly, the big winds of change sweeping the plains are rising to the hills too. Himachal is at the crossroads of transition, with all its complexities. Look at the ancient “wish-fulfillment tree “ at the entrance to the famous Kamna Devi temple above
Boileauganj. Anxieties and worldly burdens of people must be weighing heavy on the brittle, rapidly withering walnut tree carrying all signs of an approaching end. Devotees tie threads, cloth etc, to its branches with frantic wishes in their hearts —they return to untie them on fulfillment. In between, hordes of monkeys ravage the tree daily for its fruit and tender leaves they so tear up the threads and coloured cloth, and pluck out the bangles hung on the tree by young brides. Already a kainth tree on the other side of the entrance (equally famed for fulfilling wishes) fell a few years ago during a snowstorm — it was disposed of unceremoniously. The deity, considered kul devta for several surrounding villages, attracts scores of pilgrims and tourists. Their wishes, revealed only after fulfillment, reportedly centre on daughters’ marriage, money and service matters and, of course, chronic ailments. Punditji Satya Prakash Sharma, whose family has been in charge of the mandir for four generations, is also the region’s much sought-after astrologer. Giving insights into the problems that people bring to him, the tree and finally to the “Mayya’s durbar”, he says: “About 20 years ago, people used to ask whether those who tied threads etc would attain spiritual goals like moksh — our hill-folk had limited requirements, and were more at peace with themselves. Now, things are changing rapidly. People are tense, and come here seeking quick relief and easy remedies. What can the tree give that the Mother Goddess cannot?” Interestingly, right behind the temple stand a few sky-scraping metal towers for mobile phones. We see hordes of visitors depositing their worries at the tree and the temple, and moving on quickly towards the awe-inspiring towers. Cell phones keep buzzing from their pockets even while receiving prasaad from the
punditji. Their sounds now compete with the temple bells. The share of their time and attention is shifting from the traditional mechanism to the modern technology: fair indications of the way things are moving, changing. And who cares if the old walnut tree withers after satisfying its customers? Uski kya zaroorat hai?
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The tradition of handicrafts in Himachal Pradesh is a glorious one and today the ancient craft is combining well with contemporary design,
says But it is not weaving and woolens alone, Himachal Pradesh excels in embroidery and the Chamba rumals are a rare craft that reaches to the level of narrative art. Besides the Himachal craftspersons excel in metal crafts, jewellery, wood carving, painting and leatherworks that can be best described as art that can be used. Now, wouldn’t you agree that these people are indeed crafty.
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Grassroots
Pratibha Chauhan writes about AIDS victims who have joined hands to give succour to people suffering from
the same disease Having taken a lead in North India, 19 AIDS victims at Paonta Sahib in Sirmour district are running a drop-in centre, where a person suffering from the disease can walk in freely anytime with his problems. It is probably the only NGO of its kind where all members, including nine women are afflicted with the dreaded disease. It was the initiative and the zeal of Madan Sharma, Director of another NGO, Shradha to do something different, which led to the birth of the Active Society for HIV/AIDS Infected People, called Shai (royal) almost three years back. “It was not an easy task to convince those infected with AIDS to come forward not just to help others but also to lead a better life,” says Madan Sharma, who feels that the victims must be given every opportunity to lead a normal life like any other being. With the active support from the staff of Shradha, today these 19 AIDS victims are independently running a Rs 5.30 lakh-project funded by the State AIDS Control Society. They visit the homes of those infected to counsel them and more importantly their families about treatment facilities and how to improve the quality of life. Their effort now is to open branches of Shai in all districts of the state. “Even now there are so many myths about AIDS. I have seen victims being asked to cook separately in their own utensils, as if the disease is infectious,” says one of the woman victims, who is in the forefront of this mission in one of the relatively backward district of the state. Prior to joining the NGO, all of them, especially women, were leading a suffocating life inside the four walls of their homes. The victims feel sharing their agony and experiences with a person going through the same trauma works far better than talking to other volunteers. They point out that despite so much publicity being done by the government to create awareness about HIV and AIDS, there are a lot of myths and misconception about the disease, which is assuming alarming proportions. They point out that the plight of women patients is the worst as after the death of their husbands they are ill treated by their in-laws and often turned out after being blamed for the death of their son. What is even worse is that they often have children, who are born as HIV positive, with no support from anyone. Sharma, along with other staff of his NGO, keep guiding the volunteers of Shai, three of whom have died during the last three years. He has now made it a mission to compel the industrialists in the state to get informative material about AIDS displayed outside their factories as workers and drivers are amongst the most vulnerable sections of society. He has already written to the officials in the State Industries Department about certain steps that can go a long way in checking the further spread of AIDS. This includes opening of condom depots in all factories and getting playing cards with information about AIDS on them. “Drivers, factory workers and labourers spend a lot of time playing cards, so I feel giving information about how AIDS spreads, its tests and not discriminating with people who have unfortunately acquired it on the cards will be a good step,” he says. In fact, the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) is keen to have more such centres, which are run by the victims themselves, but in view of the stigma attached to the disease, few patients have the courage to come out openly.
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Even after 50 years of displacement, residents of Bhakra and Khulmi villages are still waiting for basic amenities like potable
water and heathcare, Ten-year-old Disha has to climb over several fences and walk miles to fetch water before leaving for school. She is not alone. So many children of Bhakra and Khulmi villages have to follow this routine every morning due to the scarcity of water here. Over 2,000 people living in these two villages are facing a hard time as they were displaced during the excavation of the Bhakra dam. The roads connected to the villages are in pitiable conditions, the school lacks proper strength of teachers and the primary health centre does not have proper facilities. It’s more than 50 years since they left their original place, but they are still to get the basic amenities, which were promised to them. The promises of free power connection, proper water facilities and proper rehabilitation are still a distant dream. Now that their fertile land along the river has submerged, they are left with no work. Many of them are working as daily wagers while some others are running roadside shops. “Because of the menace of wild animals, we cannot grow anything at all. The forest area here has been declared as a wildlife sanctuary, so we do not even get any grass or wood that we used to get earlier,” the villagers complain. “The government had provided me 5 kila land in Hisar as compensation for my agriculture land that got submerged. But I sold that land as it was near a wild forested area,” says 57-year-old Gurdev Singh. “Even our relatives who were rehabilitated in Hisar are facing a hard time there. We hardly visit one another and now we have become almost strangers,” adds another villager Arjun Singh. “Last year, the then Union Power Minister, the late Mr P.M Sayeed, had interacted with the villagers during his visit to the Bhakra dam and had asked the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and officials of the district administration to provide proper water facility to us. “At a cost of several lakhs, a water supply scheme was started by the BBMB a few weeks ago, but it did not work out. The BBMB is supplying water for about one hour and that too not regularly,” says Ashok Kumar, the Sarpanch of Bhakra Panchyat that includes the two villages, Bhakra and Khulmi. “A long queue is witnessed every day outside the Badbi (the natural source of water) to collect water. The worst hit are the Dalits living in the upper hill areas as they have been ignored completely,” he added. “No official wants to get posted here as the two villages are situated about 100 Km from the district headquarter. The senior secondary school here lacks teachers,” says president of the Parent-Teacher Association, Mr Baldev Raj Puri, who has been running a shop here after being displaced from his old village. “The primary health centre here has only one doctor and it is not adequate to serve us. We have to go to distant places like Bilaspur, Nangal or Una for medical tests,” says 69-year-old Om Parkash. The Deputy Commissioner, Bilaspur, Mr Manish Garg, says the water scheme will soon supply water to all villagers. “The government has constituted a relief rehabilitation committee to look after the conditions of the villagers. I will look into complaints about inadequate staff in schools and the poor condition of the roads” he adds.
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The fear of an earthquake has driven the district administration to organise citizens’ awareness programmes, reports Vibhor Mohan from Kangra The fear of an impending earthquake looms large over Kangra, Chamba and Hamirpur as most parts of the three districts fall in the high-risk seismological ‘Zone V’. In the last century, this part of the state has witnessed over 220 earthquakes of different magnitudes. As district Kangra observes the centenary of the devastating earthquake in 1905, measuring 7.8 on Richter scale, which destroyed most buildings in the area and killed thousands, the steps to make buildings earthquake- resistant have been intensified. But a lot still remains undone. Divisional Commissioner B.K. Aggarwal says they have tied up with the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Hamirpur, to give training to government engineers and a compressed curriculum has been specially prepared for this purpose. It has duration of 2-3 weeks. Secondly, an awareness campaign has been launched for the general public in rural areas. For this, the neighbourhood masons were being trained on how to make buildings earthquake-resistant. Some of them would be identified as master trainers so that they could further disseminate the knowledge. On the other hand, P.P. Raina, a retired Divisional Town Planner, says most private buildings in the area continue to be prone to earthqake and the administration needs to do much more. “The is no procedure to check if any new construction is actually earthquake resistant or not. Even the government buildings are not being prepared as per the latest seismological codes,” he says. He further says there is not more than 20 per cent escalation in cost in making houses earthquake-resistant. “In the case of existing houses, the re-fitting does not cost much. But only 10 per cent of the people go in for anti-earthquake features,” he says. The last major earthquake to rock Kangra was in 2004, measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale. Fortunately, it did not cause much damage to property. Deputy Commissioner of Kangra Bharat Khera said a workshop would be organised in Kangra next month to train at least one mason and one engineer from each development block in the district to teach them the safer design and construction methods. As part of the awareness campaign, people are being taught the ‘Drop, Cover and Hold’ technique in case of an earthquake. When the ground shakes, drop under a desk, away from windows and other heavy objects that could fall. Stay under; cover until the shaking stops by holding on to the desk or table. If it moves, move with it.
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The herbal wealth of the cold deserts in Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti is fast shrivelling, reports Kulwinder Sandhu from Reckong Peo (Kinnaur) In the cold desert areas of Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti, the production of some rare and extremely valuable medicinal and aromatic plants like Artemisia brevifolia, Ephedra gerardiana, Podophyllum hexandrum, Saussurea costus has been fast declining. This is a matter of grave concern for the policy makers of the country. The loss during the past ten years has been estimated at more than 75 per cent. Some species like the Aconites and Podophyllum are on the brink of extinction. Dr. Ram Chand, Assistant Director-General of Krishi Vigyan Kendras of the nation, while expressing his concern over the diminution of the herbal wealth in the region, says that if adequate steps were not taken immediately, it would be a great loss to global biodiversity. The basic reason for the decline of this herbal wealth is the lack of proper education among the local people on cultivation and harvesting techniques. Inadequate supply of plant material, lack of interest shown by agro-scientists and successive governments in these difficult terrains are a few other reasons that have added to the loss of herbal wealth. Exploitation by the traders engaged in illegal exporting business to China through Tibet also seems to be another reason that has forced the local people to show less interest in harvesting natural herbs due to negligible profits. It may be mentioned that the cold deserts of Himalayas have very limited natural resources, fragile ecosystems, atmospheric dryness, inadequate irrigation potential and low soil productivity. Temperatures even dip down to -40ºC in winters with wind velocities of 50 to 70 km per hour. The people of Spiti Valley say that the lack of interest shown by the successive governments in promoting modern agro-technology after proper research has led to the overuse and degradation of the natural resources in the region. The little forest cover is further getting degraded leading to scarcity of firewood. Power is inadequate. Therefore, the local people are forced to cut the available trees or shrubs for both domestic and occupational fire uses, particularly during the winter when the weather conditions are very harsh. This basic need of the local people may also have possibly reduced the number of plants of herbal value. However, no concrete study has so far been done in this regard. The state government needs to come forward with a comprehensive policy on natural resource management of the cold deserts with emphasis on extension of infrastructure and modern technologies among the local people in order to uplift their economy.
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No site in sight
Despite the directions of an apex court’s monitoring committee to notify a designated site for hazardous waste management by June 30, the state government is yet to allot this site to the user agency. The court had directed the state government to regulate this waste on the basis of an action plan submitted by it.
The directions followed an apex court’s observations to contain the environmental pollution in the industrial areas of Baddi, Barotiwala and Nalagarh in 1998-1999. Though two sites at Majra and Dhabota, measuring 191.8 bighas and 71.9 bighas respectively, have been selected after an extensive study conducted by the State Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board and the Industries Department, its allotment to the user agency is still awaited. With land cost escalating by leaps and bounds, transfer of this land on a nominal lease amount was not considered viable by the government. This has inordinately delayed the setting up of this plant. Even a recent Cabinet meeting proved inconclusive to decide the issue. While the Revenue Department has worked out its cost at Rs 89 lakh, a proposition to lease it would earn an amount of Rs 1.80 crore, confided an official. “This would exhaust a major part of the investment and this proposal is not feasible,” says Vijay Arora, senior vice-president of the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Industries Association (BBNIA). An amount of Rs 30 lakh has already been spent by the association on this project. The association has tied up with United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) to provide the technical expertise. It is interesting to note that despite having conducted a public hearing on the issue by the State Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board on March 29, the state government has not been able to transfer this land. Principal Secretary Revenue Shubash Negi when contacted said they had already given their NOC and since the project involved central funding to the tune of several crores of rupees, the user agency would have to present its case before the cabinet. The case, he said, now vested with the Industries Department. The BBNIA, which has formed a user agency by the name of Shiwalik Waste Management Company Limited (SWMC) to run the project have been persistently requesting the state government to allot them this site. Initially the agency was asked to present their case to the Industries Department. This was later turned down as the land concerned belonged to the Revenue Department. They have now been directed to approach the Revenue Department. While these repeated representations have wasted precious time, the state government appears to have given little thought to meet the June 30 deadline. The worried industrialists concerned at the fate of this crucial plant said it was high time that the state government allotted them the land. They pointed out that the land was granted at nominal lease in various states. A site of 30 acres at Indore in Madhya Pradesh and 40 acres in West Bengal was made available for such a project free of cost by the respective state governments. In Andhra Pradesh, a site of 200 acres was provided at a lease of Rs 100 per acre while the Rajasthan Government facilitated the industry by providing 20 acres of land at a nominal lease of Re 1.
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Shimla Diary
With senior Congress leader Maj Vijay Singh Mankotia once again raising the banner of revolt against Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, the wheel appears to be turning a full cycle.
A queer political character, the ex-soldier has been involved in ‘love –hate’ relationships with successive chief ministers. He was very close to late Ram Lal Thakur at the start of his political career but fell apart when he was denied the Congress ticket in the 1982 Assembly elections. He managed to enter the Vidhan Sabha as an Independent. Later, he joined the Congress and won the 1985 election on the party ticket. However, the honeymoon with Mr Virbhadra Singh too was not a lasting one. He came into his own and started ‘Raja’ bashing and levelled serious charges of corruption against him. Mr Virbhadra Singh retaliated by filing a defamation case against him. Maj Mankotia subsequently formed the Janata Dal in 1989 in the state. He mended fences with Ram Lal and even persuaded him to join the Janata Dal. He contested the 1989 Lok Sabha poll from Kangra as a Janata Dal candidate but lost to BJP stalwart Shanta Kumar. Three months later, he joined hands with the BJP and the BJP-JD combine swept the 1990 Assembly poll. The dismissal of the Shanta Kumar government in the wake of Babri Masjid demolition saw Maj Mankotia return to the Congress fold once again. The defamation case filed by Mr Virbhadra Singh against him was settled amicably. He sided with Mr Virbhadra Singh in the factional war with the rival camp headed by veteran congress leader Sukh Ram for which he was rewarded with a berth in the Cabinet. After losing the Assembly election in 1998, he again switched loyalty and sided with then PCC chief Vidya Stokes. While Ms Stokes lost the race for Chief Ministership to Mr Virbhadra Singh, Maj Mankotia found a place in the Cabinet as her The exercise to downsize the ministry, which led to the ouster of Maj Mankotia along with two other ministers from Kangra, again saw him in a rebellious mood. Initially, he embarrassed his own party government by raising issues of discrimination against Kangra and corruption. However, last month he targeted Mr Virbhadra Singh by making charges against his private secretary, prompting the entire Cabinet, except Ms Stokes, to demand disciplinary action against him. With Maj Mankotia gunning for Virbhadra Singh and congressmen asking for his head the situation is back to 1989. Heading nowhere Like many other probes the inquiry into the affairs of the prestigious Indian Institute of Advanced Study, here, seems to be leading to nowhere. The governing body of the institute was dissolved soon after the UPA came to power at the Centre and an inquiry into charges of saffronisation and administrative and financial irregularities was ordered. The Dr D. Bandyopadhyaya committee, which conducted the inquiry, had severely indicted the director of the institute, Dr Bhuvan Chandel, for various administrative and financial irregularities. However, she managed to complete her three-year term and retired on April 14. Her detractors are sore that she had been allowed a safe passage. They maintain the ‘inaction’ on the part of the new governing body was deliberate. No monkey business this
Simians beware! The government is seriously into ‘monkey business’ now. It may not have succeeded in containing the human population but it is very optimistic about its ambitious plan for mass sterilisation of monkeys, which will get under way towards the end of this month. The Forest Department is all set with a laser machine installed at the Tutikandi rescue centre to carry out the job. However, the female species could heave a sigh of relief at least for now as it will not be possible to operate the female monkeys because of the large size of the laproscopic instruments. Census figures reveal that there are 3,17,115 monkeys in the state out which 85,784 are male. But the real source of nuisance is the 15,000 odd urban monkeys marauding in and around towns and various temples. In the first phase, spanning about 30 months, as many as 5,000 monkeys will be sterilised in Shimla, Rampur and along the Parwanu-Shimla national highway, which have been severely affected by simian nuisance. The campaign will start from Shimla, which has the highest concentration of simians. A second laser machine will be received shortly for the mobile team. Whether or not incapacitating 5,000 males out of the over 85,000 will be enough to control the population explosion among the simians only time will tell. — Rakesh Lohumi
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Forest cover in the lap of danger The drive for plantation for more trees in the state has failed to gain momentum during the past 10 years, reports Ravinder Sood from Palampur The forests in Himachal Pradesh not only contribute in maintaining the ecological balance but also play a significant role in the economic development of the state. In Himachal Pradesh, the forests provide physical sustenance to the fragile eco-system and also act as a source of precious raw material for the rural and industrial application. The large-scale reckless felling of trees in the state for the setting up of power projects, cement plants and housing colonies during the past 10 years has caused a serious concern among the environmentalists. Not only environmentalists, even the common man is worried about the shrinkage of the forest cover in the state. To make way for the execution of over two dozen power projects in Kulu, Shimla and Kinnaur districts, over 10,000 precious tress were cut during this period. Despite the fact that there is a complete ban on the felling of green trees in the state, a number of areas in the state have gone barren and no trees are seen on the hilltops. Besides, the cement plants set up in the state have also played havoc with the state’s eco-system. Over 20,000 trees were axed for the setting up of these plants and extraction of limestone in the Darlaghat area of Solan district and Barmana in Bilaspur district. The extraction of limestone for these cement plants from the forests is going on unchecked. This has further caused an extensive damage to the green cover of the state. If one goes through the recent reports and official records of the State Forest Department, the illicit felling has also taken an alarming proportion in the state. During the past three years, the police and forest officials reported over one hundred cases of illicit felling from different parts of the state and timber worth crores of rupees were sized. If no timely measures are adopted, the state would fast lose its green cover. It is on record that in Kulu district, the State Forest Department has registered a case under the Forest Act against a few companies executing power projects, which were found to be directly involved in illicit felling. Forest fires have also been causing a huge loss. The Forest Department has proved a total failure to check the forest fire and the number of forest fire has been increasing year after year in the state. According to official figures, forest wealth worth Rs 30 crore is destroyed by forest fires every year. Despite the allocation of huge funds from the Government of India for saving the forests from fire, the state government has failed to evolve an effective plan in this field. According to the forest policy of the state, forests are no more a source of revenue to the state. The government is laying emphasis on the protection and conservation of forests. Therefore, the state has imposed a complete ban on the green felling. Besides, the state government has made forest laws more stringent to deal with smugglers and poachers. It allows removal of dead, diseased and decaying trees. However, the extraction of herbs is allowed only on selective basis. On paper, the total area under forest is 37,591 sq. km. in the state, of which only 11,780 sq. km is under tree plantation, that is less than one third of the state’s total area. The total value of the state’s forest wealth is put at Rs 39,000 crore. It is evident from the various surveys and studies conducted by the government and non-governmental agencies that the drive for plantation for more trees in the state has failed to gain momentum. The state has planted trees only on paper and there is nothing worthwhile done on the earth. Even the survival percentage of saplings has come down. In a number of forest divisions, the survival percentage was recorded between 10 and 30 per cent – low by any The growing population here has also led to a disastrous use of forests for fuel wood and boxes for apples. There has been a manifold increase in the requirement of fuel wood in the state; it has increased to the tune of two lakh tonnes valued at Rs 160 crore per year. Though the government of India revised the forest policy in 1988, its main objective was the conservation, protection and development of forest in the country. Besides, much stress was laid to minimise the burden of the fuel wood and other local requirements on the forests. But in the absence of political will Himachal government has failed to implement the policy in its letter and spirit.
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Deodars, the crown of Shimla, are the first casualty of rapid urbanisation, reports Pratibha Chauhan Though it may appear strange, one can see huge majestic deodar trees being covered on three sides by the roof and walls of buildings. In some other cases, trees, which have been trapped in concrete, are administered chemicals, ensuring a slow death for them. Interestingly, those who have undertaken such constructions include senior politicians and bureaucrats—our own policy makers. Notwithstanding the tall claims of the government about saving the dwindling deodar forests with special emphasis on regeneration, residents who have tried to circumvent the law by covering it on three sides of the house are getting away with a simple fine. Under Section 339 of the Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, no building can come up within a distance of two metres from a tree and five metres the forest boundary. The architects and planners themselves admit that for a mammoth tree like deodar whose branches could extend up to 10 metres, keeping a two-metre restriction was pointless. In a large number of cases the trees that have gradually dried up, have been felled, for one needs to obtain permission to do so. Under the law, a person can be fined for cutting the roots of the tree, removing its bark or even undertaking lopping as all this finally leads to its death. It is the architect in the MC who ensures that the buildings come up at the specified distance from the trees. Environmentalist point out that specifying a distance of two metres from the tree is impractical as this is measured from the base of the tree. “It is but natural that the tree will tilt and not grow straight, which results in the tree being trapped inside roofs, with no violation,” says B.S. Malhans, State Convener of the INTACH. “In the new Development Plan of Shimla, we have proposed that the minimum distance of a building from a tree should be at least 5 metres as 2 metres is too less,” said a senior official. It is to save the green cover in the capital town that the government had imposed a complete ban on constructions in the green area, comprising mainly the Jakhu area, which has a thick deodar forest. Though the government is strict as far as permission for cutting of trees is concerned. those undertaking construction too have found ways to bypass the law. In fact, there is a committee headed by the Director, Town and Country Planning and Urban Development, to which all applications for seeking permission to cut a dry tree is addressed. An interesting aspect highlighted in a study was that there was practically no soil cover for regeneration as there was only concrete in and around the town due to construction activity. It clearly said the roots of the deodars were getting trapped in the retaining walls and septic tanks, leading to their drying up.
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Algae rich
Twenty freshwater algae species have been recorded for the first time in Chandertal Lake by a team of botanists of Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla. The team, headed by Prof M.K. Seth of the Department of Bioscience, had conducted the floral survey in 2004 and 2005. The State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, Shimla, had funded the survey.
Situated at a height of 4,420 metre in Lahaul-Spiti district, Chandertal Lake or Moon Lake is one of biggest lakes in the cold desert of Himachal Pradesh. The deep blue water lake has a circumference of 2.5 km. It is the source of the Chandra river and remains frozen during winter. The lake and small marshes around it are vital for the migratory birds which cross over the Peer Panjal range into the trans-Himalayan areas. It is also home to the snow leopard, the red fox, the ibex and the blue sheep. Last year the Switzerland-based Ramsar Convention Bureau had included Chandertal Lake in the list of Ramsar wetland sites along with Renuka Lake in Sirmaur district. Professor Seth said 60 angiospermic species belonging to 17 families had been recorded. However, the lake catchment is devoid of trees and shrubs. Bupleurum hamiltonii, Duchesnea indica, Gentiana capitata, Getianella paludosa, Polygonum recumbens and Stellaria himalayensis have been recorded for the first time in the district. Aconitum violaceum, Jurinella macrocephala and Thymus linearis are vulnerable species that needs protection, said the botanist. The vegetative growth of the plants starts in summer when the melting snow supplies abundant moisture to the vegetation. The vegetation is most prominent in August, but degenerates by the end of September or starting of October. However, Professor Seth said overgrazing should be checked in the area as it could lead to the depletion of the flora and steps should be taken to minimise landslides. Mr Deepak Sethi, Project Associate (Wetlands), State Council for Science and Technology, said the survey was conducted for the first time and all species were documented.
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Himachal Pradesh is the seat of four Shakti peeths, out of 52, and the Bajjreshwari temple at Kangra is one of the four, writes Ashok Raina from Kangra Bajjreshwari is the ‘Kul Devi’ of most of the people living in Utter Pradesh because of Dyanoo Baghat, said Mr. Umesh Sharma, one of the trustees of the temple. He said that the devotees of the goddess Bajjreshwari in Utter Pradesh have ‘ Dhyanoo
Pathwari,’ a slab in their homes and they worship this “ Shila’ daily. According to the Hindu scriptures, when the Dakshaprajapath organised a
Yagna, his daughter Parvati, wife of Lord Shiva, as mark of protest for not inviting her husband to the
Yagna, jumped into the “ Havan Kund” in Khankhal at Haridwar. Lord Shiva performed Tandava carrying the signed body of the Parvati (Shakti). Fifty-two parts of her consigned body fell at different places in the Himalayan region. The feet fell at Chintpurni, eyes at Naina Devi , tongue at Jawala Ji, left breast at Kangra and the right breast at Hinglass Devi near Karachi in Pakistan. Goddess Bajjreshwari appeared at Kangra and the temple was constructed at the spot, according to a legend. This temple was looted by Mohamed Ghaznavi in 1009 AD and the riches were taken away to Afghanistan. However, he did not destroy the temple. It was in 1949 that the then High Commissioner of Afghanistan, Mr. Rup Singh brought back some of the looted things and these have been preserved here in the temple complex. Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab visited the shrine five times and each time made the offering of a golden statue depicting the ruler paying obeisance to Mata
Bajjreshwari. The temple was destroyed in April 4, 1905, in an earthquake and was reconstructed in 1922. It is a symbol of unity, particularly of the Devi’s followers who belong to the different sects and religions. The main entrance of the temple looks like that of
Gurudwara, the middle portion like a tomb and the upper portion like that of a typical temple. The structure is based on the concept of the ‘ Vasudeva Kutambakum’ (the world is one family) said an old resident of the town. Besides Hindus, a certain sect of the Sikhs like Bhakra offer the first hair of their children at the temple. The temple is a major attraction for the devotees of Goddess from all over the country. The local residents demand that as the temple is being controlled by the government and the temple has a huge revenue, half of it should be used for the development of the town which would make the stay of the pilgrims visiting the shrine more comfortable.
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CITIZEN FIRST
The recent clash in Himachal Pradesh University in which about dozen rooms of the boys’ hostel were set aflame has once again raised questions about security on the campus.
The hostels of the university have always been the nerve centre of student politics. The university authorities have admitted this on many occasions, yet the authorities concerned find it difficult to prevent such unpleasant events. It is only after the occurrence of such incidents that the authorities raid the hostel rooms from where sharp-edged weapons, sticks etc are recovered. The question arises: why can’t such search operations be carried out at regular intervals? Further, the illegal boarding in hostels must be checked, if such incidents are to be prevented. The university authorities must see to it that entrance to the campus is only allowed after identification. I have been a student of H.P. University for more than four years, but not even once was my ID card checked. This shows how easy the access is to the university premises. The university authorities must make sincere efforts to keep a check on the hostels to prevent such events in future. Vikas Vasudeva,
Shimla Thank you, Tribune I wish to thank The Tribune for bringing out a special supplement focusing on Himachal Pradesh. This will give the readers an insight into the beautiful place, the ‘Abode of Gods’ that is Himachal Pradesh. T. R. Sharma,
ICICI Lombard, G.I.C. Ltd, Lucknow Another Plus No doubt, The Tribune has been the only reliable source of news in Himachal Pradesh for the last many decades. Now it is nice to hear that The Tribune management has thought of bringing out “Himachal Plus” which will give more opportunity to the readers to express their views. I, as a Himachali, express my heart-felt thanks to the management and wish that this “Plus” will become the most successful “pluses” of the paper. S.S. Verma,
SLIET, Longowal
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What a crafty lot indeed are the people of Himachal Pradesh! This statement is to be met with disbelief and it may even be taken as an affront because the hill people are known for their innocence as against the craftiness of the plains’ people. So also the people of Himachal for craftiness takes as long as development to climb up the tedious mountain paths or thrive in remote villages where the human needs are less and hardiness is a way of life. True, but here we are actually being literary in referring to the crafts of Himachal Pradesh that speak volumes for the talent, skill and determination of the people of this state.
In fact, entire India boasts of a rich tradition of handicrafts with the human hands being put to the best use in creating beautiful weaves in textiles and amazing patterns in handicrafts. The traditions of handicrafts date back to the Indus Valley and these crafts have survived for over 5000 years. The crafts of the hill state of Himachal stand proudly with handicrafts made elsewhere in the country and recent times have seen the handicrafts blossom as the traditional skills are combined with contemporary designs to reach out to the urban collectors all over the world. This has been made possible by the patronage and support of the Himachal Pradesh State Handicrafts and Handlooms Corporation. The effort is to get the craftspeople their due rates and doing away with the enormous profits the middle men made while the people who worked through long winters day and night lived in penury.
The long winters push the people indoors and that is the time when they sit on the looms and weave the beautiful woollens that are a must for the cold climes. But it is the beauty of hills and the colours of the nature that turn them into objects of art. The intricate weave, the passion of the design and the colours of artistic expression provide an insight into the rare imagination and the unique creative psyche that produced these brilliant masterpieces. The shawls of kinnaur and Kulu with their exquisite designs are heirlooms, which a mother hands over to her daughter and so on.
Overcoming the fear of ostracism, these are the few brave hearts who despite battling a certain death have taken upon themselves the responsibility of giving succor and dreams of a better life to those afflicted with the same deadly AIDS virus.
There is a need to check construction outside the municipal limits as well and water and power connections should not be given unless the owner makes the structure earthquake resistant. 
Becoming victims of rapid urbanisation, a large number of deodar trees in Shimla are dying premature death as indiscriminate construction activity is taking its toll on the crown of Shimla, making a mockery of the law, which prohibits buildings from coming up very close to the trees. 
Dhyanoo Baghat, an apostle of devotion and dedication, is remembered by the pilgrims visiting the Bajjreshwari temple here during the Chaiter
Navratras, which culminated here recently. Dhyanoo Baghat, who hailed from Utter Pradesh, was a regular visitor
of Nagarkot Dam Bajjreshwari temple. He wore yellow clothes when he visited the temple last to behead himself on a stone called “ “Dharam Shila”. It was in his memory that pilgrims from Utter Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Bihar and Punjab wearing yellow clothes pay their obeisance to the goddess during the festival. Himachal Pradesh is the seat of four Shakti
peeths, out of 52, and Bajjreshwari temple is one of the four Shakti Peeths. The other three are Naina Devi (Bilaspur), Jawalamuki (Kangra) and Chintpurni (Una).