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Song of the Ridge
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Back to Life
HIllside view
SHIMLA Diary
Royal treats for holiday revelers
Lifetime for Thanka
Greening hills a mirage
Railway buildings still hold
pristine beauty
Recycle of life
CITIZEN FIRST
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Song of the Ridge
For a keen observer of human behaviour, to be on the Shimla Ridge during the tourist season is indeed a treat. One can find an obscure corner and be invisible among the sea of humanity and the best part is you do not have to be a certified psychologist to have your moments here. For, on the Ridge people behave exactly the way they are expected to—surrendering to gay abandon! Hand in hand There are the newly-weds, hand-in-hand and completely lost in their own worlds, and not-so-newly weds, lost but in separate worlds, if their detached looks and nonchalant attitude is anything to go by. Then there are groups of young mischief-makers, humming a suggestive tune or two from the latest Bollywood blockbusters and groups of elderly, discussing earnestly the law and order situation of the country. Whatever category you may belong to; there is no dearth of entertainment here. The galloping horses are available to take anyone around for a price. It does not matter if you are not appropriately dressed for a ride, or your child is scared stiffed to mount one. If you are on the Ridge, you must do it, for folks it is the done thing here. Instant photos One can also find out how he or she would look in a Himachali gear or a Kashmiri one, for that matter. If you as much as give even a slide-way glance at the hovering photographers here, they are only too obliging to rent you a costume for Rs 10 and click you in that for another Rs 30. Do not worry; you do not have to rush to a dressing room to change into the elaborate looking dress, for the dresses are designed for a quick-fix shot. All one has to do is wear it over your own dress and pose pretty. What is more; there are accessories, too, to complement your dress, like a basket of flowers or a pitcher, and when in print, you end up looking more Himachali than a Himachali! “There are around 70 of us at the Ridge to cater to the visitors here,” says Baldev Sharma, who has 20 years of photographic experience to his credit. The number sounds a bit gigantic for such a small place like the Ridge, but then June and July are the only peak season for them. So it is a test for the survival of the fittest or should we say the persuasive one? For those travelling with a child, there is an excellent pram service, to take care of your child, giving you two a chance to revive yesteryear’s romance. For Rs 40 per hour, there are the likes of Anil or Dilip who would push your child around in their prams. “I come from Sirmour during the tourist season here to do this pram business,” says Anil, who otherwise does farming at his native place. They form groups and rent a room and once the season is over, they keep their prams in that room and go back home. Small business There are as many as 61 persons from different districts of the hill state as well as far away places like Saharanpur into this business now. “Business seems to be a bit dull, now that we have too many people into it and considering that we have to pay Rs 130 per year to the administration as service tax,” says Dilip and others agree. So some of them have started moonlighting as porters. Flying high After all that jostling around, time slips by and you realize how late it is only when you suddenly see a few brightly-lit objects moving up and down under the cloudy sky. You give into temptation to have a closer look even before you feel a tug at your sleeve by your little one. A close look at it and the curious object turns out to be a two-winged parachute with a battery-operated light. So you give in and buy one for Rs 20. But for that amount you also get an intensive training on how to operate the object. Before you can give into any other temptations, you decide to make an exit and do it subtly with flying the parachute to your little one’s delight. As you near the exit point, your parachute also does a disappearing act as its blinking light goes off, leaving you in the dark to grapple for it. Realisation sinks in. Life on the Ridge is so much like the blinking parachute—robust but short-lived!
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In 1864, under the Viceroyalty of John Lawrence, Simla was officially declared the summer capital of the British Empire in India— a status it retained up to the Independence in 1947. Interestingly, the Government of India ended up
spending more time in this little town than in the ‘real’ capitals Kolkata and later New Delhi.
You may brush Shimla aside now as just another concrete jungle, but its rich history is difficult to ignore. If you are uninitiated into the history of this little town, do not worry. You do not have to spend your time on the Central State Library, flipping through the pages of various volumes on Shimla—the ‘Queen of Hills’ or rush to a cyber café to do a Goggle search. If you happen to be on the Ridge, its history is just a glance away. Two huge plaques, documenting the history of Shimla, one in English and one in Hindi, greet you as you enter the famous Ridge. Nestled along with the railway reservation office, a booking office for a private airlines and the Himachal Tourism office, these two aesthetically built plaques never fails to arrest one’s attention. It starts with how Shimla (then Simla) came into being after the Gurkha War in 1815-16 from a non-descript village whose name is still not certain, and meanders through interesting tit-bits like how its first house was built in 1822 which is now famous as the Kennedy House and how the tract that holds the core of the town was acquired by the then Governor-General Lord William Bentinck in 1830 from the states of Patiala and Keanthal. If you do not get swept off by the jostling crowd and have time to indulge yourself, you will also know the origin of the British-Colonel genre of buildings that you get to see around here and also about the engineering marvel of its time—the Kalka-Simla railwaywhich was completed in 1903. Besides giving the details of the visiting dignitaries like Rabindra Nath Tagore to Mahatma Gandhi to Pandit Nehru to Maulana Azad, it also mentions the most important event of the post-Independence era, the historic Simla Agreement in 1972. In a nutshell, it gives you information right from Simla’s inception; its steps towards modernisation to the final emergence of Shimla of today. And with your newfound knowledge you learn to see beneath the surface and know it is not just about the glamorous mall and the Ridge that have given her the status of the ‘Queen of Hills’. — P.R.
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Back to Life
Life is back to normal once again. Antaryami, a truck driver from Dehlan village in Una is again back to driving nearly two years after he was taken a hostage by Iraqi militants. He left for Delhi to deliver his first consignment in a truck owned by a person from his village.
The experience had left him terrorised. He took this long to overcome the trauma. Besides he waited for the government to fulfill its promises to provide him a suitable job. But as nothing has materialised, he has taken up driving once again —the only thing he does the best.
Antaryami had become the talk across the globe, when a little known Iraqi militant group — Islamic Secret Army - Holders of Black Banners — took him along with six other truckers as captives from a check post near Fallujah on July 21, 2004. Besides Antaryami, six captive truck drivers included two more Indians — Sukhdev Singh and Tilak Raj — who were then employed by a Kuwaiti transport company. The hostages remained in news for 42 days of during their captivity. But Antaryami became prominent when the militants sent out video picture showing terror on his face was all over the television channels.
He became the talk of the village. And so great was the shock for him that he preferred to remain confined to his house only. Slowly he began working in the field. He started interacted with others occasionally. But he had lost the courage to go far or take up driving again.
“We gave him enough time to live the life he wanted to. We are lucky enough that Antaryami returned from the death trap. He realises now that driving is the only means to earn a livelihood,” said Rammurti, Antaryami’s father.
“Antaryami had left for Delhi this week to deliver goods in a truck that belongs to a person of our village. He is happy and having good time with his family, he added.
“We have no complaint against anyone as I have got my son back. We have given a representation to the Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh when he visited Una requesting him to provide a job to Antanyami, which was promised to him when he was released. So far we have not got any response from the government,” rued Rammurti.
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HIllside view
When passion and commitment meet too many roadblocks, either you just give up or steer away to smoother terrains. Amala Rai, Shimla’s energetic “lady of theatre” shifted to Mumbai eight years ago, seeking creative fulfillment. “I reached saturation here, and needed a richer experience in the world outside.”
The little girl, who loved swinging on the branches of old trees on the Jakhoo hill, now enjoys teaching theatre arts to Mumbai kids. The international school (Ecole Mondiale ) of the famous IBO group provides an inspiring environment. She misses the Shimla life terribly, and hopes to come back one day to resume living here. Meanwhile, she must utilise the creative opportunities coming her way in the big city. Amala, who had also acted in tele-serials like Kum Kum, Bulbul Bagh, and Rait ka daria, has hit it off well with Mumbai’s street and sum children. Her eyes glow, recounting the “terrific response “ to her play staged in a regular auditorium. Street kids taught by her were performing first time in her play in front of a full- house audience in an auditorium. The success inspired her to organize a month-long workshop on alchoholism and family planning for the parents of slum children. Conducted with the help of professionals, the workshop succeeded in sensitizing the couples to each other’s needs and feelings— all this “ khel khel me “(in an informal, jolly atmosphere). The audience in Mumbai, she feels, appreciate humour more than seriousness in plays— unlike their Shimla counterparts. “ Maybe because there is so much stress in life there, and they want to unwind watching a play. Here life is a lot easier, and a bit of seriousness on the stage brings variety to an evening”. But it is easier to produce plays in Shimla than in Mumbai where competition, high rents etc, push up the costs. Also, the actors and other staff in Mumbai have too many diversions like shoots in ad films— but once you get them together, their professionalism is amazing. “Here discipline is not that high, the work culture in general is not very conducive. The Mall road, minor social engagements etc, divert the actors easily. Our casual, ho jaiga attitude goes against perfection”. Amala feels sad about the government officials’ indifference to promotion of arts in Himachal. “ Five to ten thousand rupees for a play is a pittance. A month’s rehearsals, including costumes, rents, minimum refreshments etc, alone cost much more. “Artistes have to go round collecting advertisements and sponsorships for meeting the expenses. It’s so demeaning”. As a result, there isn’t adequate experimentation in theatre and performing arts. “Many babus”, she says, are interested “only in making artistes perform in front of ministers (mantri aaya, naati nachaaya )” . Her husband Suneel Sinha is a familiar face on the screen. Remember Machis (Wazira, among the four terrorists ) and Rudali ( Dimple’s drunkard husband ) apart from a number of similar roles on the screen ? After the
Cigarette ! I have received many queries about the problems faced by Valli Saab after he quit chain-smoking (Hillside View, June 14). So here is the sequel. After he gave away the packet and sat in the Shimla-bound deluxe bus, the young passenger next to him asked politely, “Do you mind if I smoke?” Saab burst out laughing— that’s what he had done to others all along! He would fill with smoke any friend’s room he had entered. He endured the first test in that bus. The next day on the Mall he found it difficult to walk or talk without slurring. His legs went weak and his tongue felt thick, like a flour-cake. A colleague strolling with him could not see his plight and suggested: “Bhai, why not smoke just one cigarette, I mean, purely like a medicine… “ Valli Saab agreed readily. That was the “danger moment”. They went to a paan shop there and asked for a single cigarette of a particular brand. The paanwallah nodded, busy packing paan for another customer. That gave a few seconds to Valli Saab to regain his determination. What was he doing? Throwing away months of hard work on his mind? Fortune indeed favoured him that moment — it was the final turning point. He walked away, telling his colleague he would rather die but wouldn’t touch the cigarette again. There were no harmful “after-effects” — it’s all the biggest myth, a white lie you tell yourself and your family. If smokers undergo surgery, hospitals don’t hand them cigarettes for recovery! In fact, within a month, Valli Saab’s health began to improve. The first few days, he advises, you should be in the company of only those who support you in staying away from the burning stick. Some so-called friends who could not give up smoking “are usually the ones who would put you back on it”. through dreams that the system drains out bits of a hidden desire. He has never “even touched” a cigarette in these two decades.
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SHIMLA Diary
With the thrust being on greater people-to-people contact as part for strengthening of ties between India and Pakistan, Shimla seems to be an important link and figures on the itinerary of practically every dignitary visiting India.
Well this time around it was the turn of Mr Asfadyar Wali Khan, grandson of the Frontier Gandhi. Mr Khan, who is the President of the Pakistan National Awami League Party delivered a lecture at the Himachal Pradesh University here on “South Asia—The Way Out” last week. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, he strongly advocated holding of dialogue and resolving issues between the two neighbours across the table rather than fighting it out. “It is a know fact that even after the wars in 1965 and 1971, issues have been resolved on the negotiation table and not on the battlefield,” he remarked. He felt that India and Pakistan should let bygones be bygones otherwise there will be no headway in the talks between the two nations. “There can be no peace in the Indo-Pak sub-continent till normalcy returns to Afghanistan and there is political stability,” he opined.
Prior to this, Shimla has been the host for the Lahore-Shimla Golf Tournament in 2004 organised by the Naldehra Golf Club. While the first practice match between the Pakistan cricket team and President XI was played in Dharamshala, a team of Pakistani journalists visited Shimla as part of a goodwill visit. In fact the Pakistani Food Festival organised in the town was a major success as people enjoyed the delicacies from across the border.
HPU’s reputation at stake The alleged leak of the HP-PMT question papers, under probe by the police on the court direction has put a question mark not just on the integrity of the Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) but also on the fairness of all other entrance examinations conducted by it.
With the three-member committee, probing the allegations of leak of the question paper, submitting its report before the court the very credibility of the HPU is at stake. Even though there have been allegations and murmurs of resentment regarding the fairness of the examinations conducted in the past but it is for the first time that there has been a thorough probe into the allegations. The manner in which the university authorities, including the Vice Chancellor, Prof L.R. Verma, tried to brush the entire issue under the carpet, fingers are being raised at the very system of holding examinations. With the report by the team probing the HP-PMT test, hinting at the alleged involvement of HPU officials in the racket, it is being felt that a more foolproof system be adopted. There have also been suggestions from some quarters that instead of conducting its own entrance for admission into medical colleges, seats should be filed up on the basis of an examination similar to the All-India Engineering Entrance Examinations (AIEEE), where a central authority conducts the exam.
Flip side of tourism With the peak tourist season getting over, the locals have heaved a sigh of relief as the town is less crowded and its civic amenities less strained. With problems like water shortage, traffic chaos and parking problem plaguing the town every summer due to the huge floating population of tourists, the locals like the quietness and the slow pace of life that the town returns to once the monsoons begin. The three summer months April onwards are no doubt the peak tourist season, on which the tourism industry heavily banks but it does make the life of the locals quite miserable. Any place you go, be it a shop, park, hotels or restaurant all are swarming with people. The weekends are even worse as tourists from adjoining areas like Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Pathankot and Jammu throng the place arrive here in large numbers. Despite creating a number of new parking areas all over the town, vehicles are parked all along the roads, adding to the chaos. To top it all the prices of all goods, especially fruits and vegetables shoots up making it quite difficult for the locals. It is only with the actual launch of the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission, under which the state is hoping to get ample amount of funds that will help it decongest the ‘Queen of Hills’, which has witnessed haphazard growth reducing it to a concrete jungle. For the locals it is back to the quiet little hill station till its peace is once again disturbed by the mad rush of people during Christmas and New Year time, when snow is the main attraction. |
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Topper with a difference
Higher education these days means paying huge sums to coaching centres in big cities, but Shilpa Sharma who just cleared her tenth, topping with 94 per cent marks, does not agree. “All you need to do is to work hard right from the beginning of the session. I have never taken any coaching. My school teachers were good enough,” says this bright girl from Saraswati Vidya Mandir of Auhar, a village 10 km off the Hamirpur-Bilaspur Highway.
Auhar and its surrounding villages are known for its brave sons who have won a number of Paramvir Chakras and Mahavira Chakras over the years. It also boasts of a Victoria Cross won by Capt Bhandari Ram, who died sometime ago. In spite of financial limitations, Saraswati Vidya Mandir, run by Vidya Bharati Institution, imparts education to children of this remote village. Although there is a building for secondary section, the primary classes are still held under a huge tree. It is from this school Shilpa got primary and secondary education. And her teachers are eloquent when talking about her, as this chance visit to the school revealed. Sukarma Sharma, Shilpa’s proud mother is a teacher in Amarpur, and father, Rajinder Sharma is Agriculture Development officer in Bilaspur. They say that they did not have to ever discipline their only daughter. “We gave her whatever little help we could, but nothing out of the ordinary. She organised her studies herself. She put in about six hours of work every day. Consistency and dedication paid off, we think” Not a bookworm, Shilpa is a good badminton player, who represented her school at national level. “You may not believe this, but this girl also helps me in the kitchen, and does all the household chores without a murmur,” says the beaming mother. Leaving her beloved school was a sad experience for Shilpa, who has taken up non-medical as her option, and is now studying at Him Academy in Hamirpur. She is now getting used to college and hostel life. Though she misses her schoolteachers and friends, she has adjusted herself well here. When asked about her future plans, Shilpa said, “I don’t know. Let’s see what happens.” Back in Auhar, her teachers hope to mould many more brilliant minds like Shilpa.
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Far from the madding crowd
Situated a height of 7054 feet, Chail is indisputably one of the most vivacious and refreshing places of Himachal Pradesh. Apart from housing the highest cricket pitch in Asia, it was the summer capital of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala and later Maharaja Yadvendra Singh, the President of Pepsu and the last ruler of Patiala in the British era.
The British Government annexed Chail from the Gurkha General Amar Singh in 1814, along with Shimla Hills. Later, the British Government gifted this quiet hamlet, part of the erstwhile Keonthal estate, to Maharaja Bhupinder Singh.
A fruit of revenge Both these Maharajas of Chail were avid cricketers who also captained the Indian team in test matches played in India and England. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh’s gallantry during the First World War and popularity as a cricketer earned him the status of an ADC to His Majesty, King George Five. Dashing and handsome, he struck instant rapport with the Sporting Society of Shimla. His courtship with the Commander-in-Chief’s daughter led to his expulsion from Shimla. The Maharaja then vowed never to enter Shimla and started exploring the adjoining area for developing into a resort, surpassing Shimla in all respects. The Maharaja was adamant to avenge the harm done by his expulsion and so he chose a spot higher than Shimla. This proved to be a blessing for Chail which was elegantly spruced up into a hill station. A site was selected to built the Maharaja’s Summer Palace.
Strange hurdles Local legend has it that whatever was built would collapse and numerous snakes would attack the labourers. Then Bhupinder Singh had a dream in which a saint directed him to select some other site as that particular site was where he had meditated till he was taken by the mother earth and he didn’t want his peace to be disturbed. Excavations of the aforesaid site revealed a stone image of the saint, a pair of tongs and a trident. A temple by the name of “ Sidh Baba Ka Mandir” was built at the site. Another site was selected for the palace, which was finally completed in 1891.
Maharaja’s majestic palace The spacious and elegantly furnished palace, served Maharaja’s purpose of revenge, being a hundred meters higher than Shimla. The Himachal Tourism took over the reins of this grand mansion in 1971, which is now famous as the Palace Hotel. Located at a distance of 45 km from Shimla , Chail commands an excellent view of the Satluj valley with the river meandering below and green hills and mountains of both Shimla and Kasauli, as well as the snow-decked Kufri above. On a clear night, lights of this hilly spot present a connoisseur of resplendent, appearing like myriad little dots on the landscape. Each season in Chail has its charm. The pine whiffed air is cool and pleasant in the summers, providing the visitors a soothing respite, irresistibly charming is the autumn when the forest seems to have taken a dip in the stream of gold and russet. The winters are bitingly cold when the white garb spreads all over and casts a spell of quietude in this salubrious hill resort. The majestic deodars, Blue Pines, ban Oak and the rhododendron trees surround the three hills, while the palace of the Maharaja is perched on the Rajgarh Hill. The Residency Snow View once occupied by the British is on Pandhewa Hill and the town of Chail lies on the third hill, Sidh Tibba.
Games galore The challenging trekking routes for adventurous ones together with mahseer and silver fish on the Guara river far the angler, makes the resort ultimate for the daring and enterprising ones. Well-maintained squash and tennis courts, besides Asia’s highest cricket pitch, enchant sports lovers. The ground is under the control of the Chail Military School, which hinders its development as a stadium. The Chief Minister Mr Virbhadra Singh, in a recent visit, however, announced that a committee supported by members from the Board for Control of Cricket in India would inspect it and suggest measures to bring it on the international sports map. A walk amidst the woods leaves one spellbound. Formerly, a private game reserve of the erstwhile Maharaja of Patiala, it is now heavily degraded. Yet it contains one of the world’s most significant population of the greatly threatened cheer pheasant and European Red Deer, introduced half a century ago by the Maharaja. The lovers of wild life can also look out for barking deer, red jungle fowl, samber, ghoral , khalij, leopard ,peacock, black partridge and several types of birds.
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Royal treats for holiday revelers Emulating a Georgian mansion, the Palace Hotel is reminiscent of the royal grandeur. Spread approximately on 75 acres, the luxurious lifestyle of the erstwhile Maharaja is brought alive in the form of spacious and well-adorned rooms with blazing fireplaces. A large graceful lawn together with pavilion and fountain adjoins the hotel. Bedecked with ornate furniture a Maharaja and Maharani suits, give a feel of royalty to the visitors. Besides deluxe and semi-deluxe rooms, the prince and princess rooms are other attractions of the palace hotel. A facelift is being given to the place by the Himachal Tourism Development Corporation now. Equipped with all modern facilities, a number of cottages located in its vicinity, provide the visitors the much-needed solace from the hustle and bustle of city life. This cottage once housed the ADC and secretaries of the Maharaja. Spread over 2-3 bedrooms together with attached baths, kitchen and dining rooms, they provide a perfect place to relax. Monal, Pinewood and Rose are the other heritage cottages here.
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A cry for help
A 29-year-old youth, with both his legs functionless, due to a spinal problem, is waiting either for a helping hand or death. His bedsore-ridden body is lying in a bed at his home in Abdullahpur village, near Kangra.
Madan Verma, a social activist and resident of Abdullahpur, says: “Vishal Verma has been lying in this state and we are hoping that some help comes to him but nothing has happened so far.” Vishal is son of Sansar Chand, a local teacher and social activist who was very respected in the rural society. Some 10 years ago Sansar Chand passed away, leaving behind his wife Rameshwari Devi and Vishal. He was 19 when he lost his father. After six years of the death of his father, Vishal developed weakness in both of his legs in 2002 and he was operated upon on May 24, 2004 in an Amritsar Hospital and his relatives and friends raised funds to the tune of Rs 75,000 for the surgery and treatment. Vishal again suffered the problem after nine months of his surgery. The doctors suggested another surgery, which would incur a cost of Rs 75, 000. By this time the family started facing financial crunch and his mother just did not have the resources for further treatment. Rameshwari Devi with the help of some people shifted Vishal with both functionless legs to PGI for another surgery and spent Rs. 40,000. Vishal, in spite of the surgery, had practically lost the use of both his legs. Rameshwari Dev says: “His medicine and dressing cost me Rs 100 daily. All I have is a pension of Rs 3,000. We are not able to make our ends meet. My only wish is to see my son all right again. Will someone help?
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Lifetime for Thanka
Away from the town’s hub, across Beas in Aleo, is Shambhala (Paradise) Hotel. One often sees an unassuming person, atop a ladder with a chisel, hammer and spade in his hands, engrossed in giving the finishing touches to the stone mural of a Buddhist chakra and dragon. One can’t even imagine that he is Sonam Tanzin, the renowned thanka artist, who is also the hotel’s owner.
Steeped in Buddhist tradition, thankas are religious scroll paintings on cotton, linen and sometimes silk, depicting vertically, various aspects of Jataka tales (i.e. Buddha’s life apart from the Mandalas, whose geometrics symbolize the order of cosmos.) Thankas also portray tantrik themes like Gods, Goddesses, Yoginis, demons, apsaras, skeletons, dragons, disintegrating bodies, blood curling scenes, etc. A peep into the Thankas’ past Thankas are hung on walls, unfurled at altars and religious processions. They were rolled and carried by monks as talisman, providing protection from evil spirits, preventing diseases and depression. Minstrels used them as visuals to describe Buddha’s life. An integral feature of every Buddhist monastery, a spectacular collection of thankas exists in the monasteries of Lahaul, Spiti and Kinnaur, brought by Tibetan Buddhist lamas. A Lahauli, 58-year-old Sonam’s life portrays sheer dedication to preservation of this centuries-old art. At six, he entered a monastery to become a lama where expert monks thoroughly trained him in thanka painting. From his revered guru Arborim Pochhay, a young soft-spoken Sonam painstakingly mastered thanka art for several years in the monasteries of Chidari, Keylong, Lahaul and Spiti. Labour of love Undoubtedly, painting thankas is very laborious. Sonam prepares his own colours and shades, which are used immediately as they last for only four to five hours. Sonam taught a famous Italian artist how to get correct brightness of golden colour by melting and mixing gold at suitable temperatures. Sonam holds his breath to paint minute details of tiny floral pattern on a brocade garment, worn by a figure, in a thanka painting. Japan invited him to exhibit 100 thankas, depicting Buddhleela in 1980 and 1983. Acclaimed as masterpieces, the Japanese Government prepared several computer prints, retaining the original ones. Sonam feels, “As Kunjur, a Buddhist sacred text ordains, a deep study of Buddhist scripture is essential to paint thankas, for only an artist can truly paint Buddha’s life’s various aspects like previous birth, wanderings, teachings, renunciation, nirvana, etc. Tradition triumphs Once an American woman from New Jersey spent five years and an English two years, but they couldn’t master the art, as not being conversant with Buddhist religious literature.” Sonam bemoans that thanka art is dying, intensely desiring to keep it alive. This quest has led to his establishing a four-room art gallery atop Shambhala, displaying his stupas and thankas mounted on Benarsi brocade, stitched by a Tibetan specialising in this art. Laments Sonam, “Thanka painting is a lifetime dedication. Where are the sacrifices, devotion, dedication in today’s lifestyle that are so essential for it?” To preserve it, he has established the Sonam Tanzin Thanka Painting Training Center, another one being in Kaza, aided by Himachal Pradesh Board of Handicrafts. Ten teenaged boys are undergoing a five-year course. They are being provided free boarding and lodging. Mornings are devoted to Buddhist religious literature and afternoons to the painting of Jataka tales, including techniques he has acquired over years. His son and nephew Sultim Tanzim are being trained to fulfill his dreams.
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Greening hills a mirage
For a change the unpredictable monsoon arrived on time for the Forest Department to start its annual plantation drive. The exercise has been going on since 1952 and over the past 53 years the department has spent a whopping Rs 680 crore on the afforestation programme. Officially as much as 8,13,764 hectare has been brought under forests over the period yet the green cover in the hill state has not exceeded 26 percent of the total geographical area.
Greening of the denuded hills is indeed a big challenge for the foresters but the slow pace at which the forest cover has been increasing has much to do with the indifferent implementation of the afforestation programme. The poor survival rate of the new plantations, illicit fellings, encroachments on forest land and large-scale diversion of forest land for development projects are the main factors holding back the expansion of green cover. The blame game The department claims that the average survival rate is around 70 per cent and in case of conifers, which account for 50 per cent of the total plantations, it is 90 per cent. But the actual survival is much less. The department blames that frequent droughts, grazing and shortage of field staff for the poor survival rate. There is, however, no doubt that the moratorium on green fellings imposed by the state in 1983 had stalled the declining trend. The increase of 70 per cent in the annual target for afforestation notwithstanding, the hill state is no position to achieve goal of bringing 33 per cent of the total geographical area under forest cover by 2012 set by the Centre to implement the national forest policy in a time bound manner. Widening horizon At present out of the total geographical areas of 55,673 sq km only 14,353 sq km area( 25.78 per cent) is under forest but out of this dense forest with a canopy cover of over 40 per cent stands only over 9565 sq km and the rest is open degraded forest with a canopy cover ranging between 10 to 40 per cent. On average about 15,000 hectare was brought under tree cover from 1998-2003 but from last year the government increased it to 2,600 hectare. However, to achieve the target of extending the green cover over 33 per cent area new plantations will have to be raised over at least 3.5 lakh hectare. If one takes into account the annual removals and the survival rate the target may not be achieved over the next 25 to 30 years. In all 37,033 sq km area, about 66.52 per cent of the total area, has been legally classified a forest but the land actually available for plantation is almost half. Almost 17,000 sq km out of the forest area comprising high mountain ranges beyond the tree line, glaciers and ravines, is unculturable. As per the policy at least 60 per cent of the area in the hills must be under the tree cover, which is virtually impossible in view of the vast stretches of unculturable terrain where no vegetation grows. Thus, at best the green cover could be spread only over 20,000 sq km, about 35.6 per cent of the total areas of the state as against the target of 60 per cent. The government has in the new forest policy set the target of bringing 35.5 per cent under tree cover. The magic number Mr R. A. Singh, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, concedes that the target of bringing 33 per cent areas under forests was indeed a daunting one. New forest plantations would have to be raised over at least 50,000 hectare annually over the next eight year to ten years. However, this will require the budget allocation for afforestation to be raised to Rs 100 crore from the current Rs 40. The state forest department had in accordance with the decision of the Centre drawn up a Rs 800 crore plan to help bring 4 lakh hectare (4000 sq km) of area under forest by 2012 to increase the tree cover to 32.5 per cent of the total area. The state had put its best foot forward and to implement the plan the Centre must provide liberal funds. Till 2004-05 the department had been spending only about Rs 22 crore to raise new plantations over 15,000 hectare annually. The target was raised to 26,000 hectare last year and the budget was also increased proportionately. However, raising it further to Rs 100 crore was a toll order.
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Nine-year-wonder
When girls of her age are busy playing with dolls and children their age, she’d rather spend time sketching or painting, which is why Amanat P. Singh, all of nine years was able to hold the first ever exhibition of her paintings here last week.
Visiting her grandparents here in town, Amanat is studying in Los Angeles, where her father has a real estate business. The excitement of holding her first-ever exhibition is what prompted the young artist to complete 60 paintings within a short span of two months, before the family flew to India. Be it sketches, pastels, acrylics or water colours, it is hard to believe that such a young mind can create such fine pieces of art, which reflect maturity and imagination way beyond her age. Her love for animals and nature is quite vivid in her paintings, as she adores one her paintings of a Dalmatian dog, which happens to be her first proper painting. “Even if she drew a flower as a three-year-old kid, it had the finesse and maturity one would expect from a much older child,” is how Loveleen, the proud mother puts it. She always encouraged her daughter to sketch and paint as she too has a flair for art and painting, which she never took up seriously. Amanat is currently studying in Grade IV at the Sunset Lane School at Fullerton in Los Angeles. It is not just painting that she excels at but is equally good in academics which is why she was chosen as one of the few ‘gifted children’ who were put in a separate Club Class, a grade higher than they would have been at this age. It is only two months back that she has started attending classes at an Art School in America, where the artistic talent of children if further honed. “We are taught the basics like how to hold a pencil and the movement of the hand,” said Amanat. Painting is her passion but she wants to become a doctor to serve the sick and the ailing. Even as she is enjoying her holidays spending time with her grandparents and cousins, she is taking lessons in stained glass painting from her aunt, Reena Singh, who is an established artist and has done stained glass paintings in many places. “Even at this young age she has all her clothes colour coordinated neatly in her closet, which reflects her artistic bent of mind,” says Loveleen. The proud grand father, Mr Pritpal Singh, who runs Shimla Public School here can’t get over the fact that Amanat has held her first exhibition at such a young age. “She has always made us feel proud and there can be nothing more precious than a painting given by your grand child, who is so gifted and talented,” he says. The appreciation and admiration that Amanat’s first exhibition has brought has made her even more determined to hold a second show as early as possible. “It is very exciting and encouraging to see people appreciate your work and I can’t wait to get back home so that I can start paintings for my next exhibition,” she says beaming.
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Railway buildings still hold
pristine beauty
The zigzag route amidst wooded and flowers filled valleys keeps one thinking what may be next in this journey to nature paradise. The mindset turn poetic soon after train takes turn to a wide open valley near Parwanoo. On the way one encounters numerous tunnels, bridges and railway stations. Many people know about uniqueness of tunnels and bridges but few will be aware of the railway buildings constructed in rich taste by British. The Railway Safety Institute at Dharampur was one such building. The institute building was around 1/2-km away from Dharampur railway station. The Chief Engineer of Kalka- Shimla Railway had office at Dharampur. The Engineers bungalow was built at Dharampur. This bungalow was later transferred in Northern Railway Safety Institute. The bungalow was constructed at one of best panoramic site of Dharampur. From bungalow one can take bird eye view of scenic beauty of Dharampur town. As Shimla was the summer capital of British the Railway Board office was remained at Shimla for a number of years. The
Crow-Brough officers’ rest house at Shimla was constructed with ornamental
stone. The rest house building was a wonderful example of workmanship in ashlar
masonry. The rest house building gives an attractive look and still stands good
for living. It has 9 suites with drawing room and dining room attached. The
valley side of rest house opens to panoramic scenic views of wooded hills. Another
rest house at Shimla known as Wood Bank is made of wooden panels with mud
plaster behind it. This rest house has fairytale land like beauty. Far from the
noisy and busy life of cites the rest house is ideal to take a break from
routine life. These rest houses were lavishly furnished during North Western
Railway (NWR) management. One can see the mark of NWR on the furniture,
crockery and cutlery some of which has been taken out for museums.
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Recycle of life
“Recycling is the only solution for sustainability and this can be achieved if the outputs from each production enterprise become the inputs of other enterprise,” says Dr D.R. Sharma, Director, Extension Education, Dr Y.S.Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni. Dwelling on the need to convert the organic byproducts of agriculture production and processes into useful nutrients Dr Sharma said all such waste generated in the university would now be converted into vermicompost. The requisite machinery has been recently installed for demonstration within the campus. “The compost so generated has an added advantage over the traditional manure as its small quantity fulfils nutrient requirements. It is also resistant to disease and insect pests. It further improves crop yield considerably,” adds Dr Sharma. Valued at Rs 1,100 per kg its production can be adopted as a small-scale industry. Making a beginning in the campus Dr Sharma is hopeful of taking this technology to the farm once its demonstration unit takes off successfully.
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CITIZEN FIRST
I am a resident of New Kather area of Solan town. The residents of this area have to go without water for days together. With the onset of the monsoons and rise in the water level in the local reservoir, we do expect regular water supply. The erratic water supply along with the arrogant attitude of the local authorities (water supply) have added to our woes.
Besides ,the local employees who release water to the residential area expect to be pampered in cash or kind. Although,they do not demand bribe in lieu of releasing water at sufficient pressure and regularly, but they do not mind being pampered. I am just an undergraduate, so I raised this issue with the senior residents of my area .But they think that we should just adjust in the present circumstances. They fear that if we complain ,then we may have to face the revengeful attitude of the water authority. However, I feel that we keep on crying about growing chaos in the country but do nothing to set the house in order. I hope the local panchayat wakes up & brings some relief to the people. Thanking You,
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Antaryami was Kidnapped by militants in Kuwait and terrorised but now he is back in his village and learning to face life again, reports
Kiran Deep
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Going Shimla through Kalka-Shimla toy train has always remained a fascinating adventure for tourists. The journey is filled with excitement beyond expectation and feelings are everlasting. No one can just able to take a nap en route for a while as exotic and panoramic views keep one busy.