Solan, September 15
Coming forward to share responsibility in the hour of power crisis following the burning up of a substation at Khera last month, the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Industries Association (BBNIA) has floated a unique model whereby captive power generation would help offset the shortage.

The body has not only managed to rope in support of its members but also convinced the state electricity board in signing a memorandum of understanding to make the arrangement viable.

DS Jamwal, chief engineer (operations) inaugurated the scheme finalised between BBNIA and the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) for solving the problem of power supply in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh area by starting the first generation set at Vardhman Textiles last week.

The industry was forced to shut its operations for nearly 2-3 days in a week after burning of the substation and the situation was likely to continue till the new transformer could be installed.

Therefore, to rescue the the industry, the BBNDA floated a public-private partnership (PPP) model. As per the scheme, the industries having standby captive generation were told to spare their quota of power that could be supplied to other industries lacking this facility. Explaining the concept, association president Rajinder Guleria said: “In this process, the generation by these generators will be considered as electricity supplied to the HPSEB and to be paid at the rate of Rs 9 per unit for DG set and at the rate of Rs 8 per unit for FO sets. The HPSEB will bill the power as usual to the industries. The power cut due to this failure is, therefore, reduced to negligible.”

In this process, power saved by the HPSEB due to transformer failure is being sold outside the state at higher prices than the power supplied to the industry in Himachal Pradesh. The additional revenue generated will be used for paying out for generators and the gap, if any, will be shared between the BBN industry and through ARR route in the ratio of 50:50.

“In this whole process, approach of departments concerned, i.e. HPSEB, government and the Electricity Regulatory Commission, was path breaking. The process from proposal to approval was completed in weeks time that proves the positive intent of the government in solving the problem in a pragmatic manner,” Guleria added.

This model is probably the first-of-its-kind in the Country and will be quoted in future as a case study for executing any project in PPP format. The role of generating units in offering their standby generating capacities merely at variable cost of generation is also worth appreciation.

Palampur, September 15
BJP stalwart Shanta Kumar, who celebrated his 76th birthday on September 12, has announced not to contest any election in future. “Bhishma Pitamaha” of the party in the state has finally said good bye to the electoral politics. He has never revelled in being politically correct. He considers himself to be more of a conscientious writer than a politician.

Born in Garh Jamula village (Palampur), Shanta started his political career as a RSS pracharak in 1952 before unsuccessfully contesting the Assembly elections for the first time from Palampur in 1967. He has won Assembly elections in 1972, 1977, 1980 1982 and 1990. Having remained the Chief Minister twice, he is considered to be the tallest BJP leader from the state.

He was hardly 17 in 1953 when he was arrested during Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s Kashmir Andolan.

With a political career spanning more than five decades, he was one of the founder members of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and member of its National Working Committee.

He remained in jail for 19 months during the Emergency.

After 30-year rule of the Congress in the state, Shanta was the first leader to head the non-Congress government in 1977. He is the one who created the BJP mass base in the state and brought it to power in 1990, 1998 and 2008. But without the blessing of the BJP high command, he could not reach the office of the Chief Minister in 1998 and 2008. He is the only leader in the state who has toured every remote village. In the rural areas, he is worshipped as “Maryada Purshottam”.

His first tenure as the Chief Minister is remembered as “Paaniwaala Mukhya Mantri” for innovative Antyodaya Yojna, and fighting for Himachal’s rights which had been ignored at the time of reorganisation of Punjab. His second tenure as the Chief Minister was marked by his pioneering campaign to introduce private sector participation to exploit the vast potential in power generation and tourism in the state.

He introduced the innovative scheme of installing hand pumps in every part of the state to tide over the water shortage. He succeeded in getting the Union government agree to grant 12 per cent free power to the state from the hydroelectric projects established in the state. As the Union Minister for Food and Rural Development, he pioneered the Antodya Ann Yojna, Hariali and Swajaldhara, which continue to be as popular as ever even after the change of governments both in Himachal and at the Centre.

Even his political rivals like former Chief Minister and Union Minister for Steels Virbhadra Singh has openly lauded his policies and decisions followed during his tenure as the Chief Minister and Union Minister. He is known for his policy decisions like “no work, no pay” and curtailing of subsides which were later followed by the then Union government and almost all states. Like other politicians, he has not lured any of his family members to join the politics.

Shanta says writer in him always inspires him to tread the path of truth. Politics is not a profession for him, but a vehicle to serve people. He has authored more than 20 books, including poems, novels, and short stories”.

The former Chief Minister has often suffered for speaking out his mind, but he has never flinched from adopting a political stance that may run counter to the official party line.

It happened during the BJP Goa Convention when he criticised Narendra Modi for failing to control communal violence in Gujarat. He lost his job as a Union Minister after he publicly flayed the Dhumal regime in Himachal for failing to deliver as a result of which the party lost the Assembly polls.

“I have no regrets for speaking the truth even if I have had to pay a price for that,” says Shanta.

Coming generations will always remember the contribution of Shanta for Palampur. He is the leader who had brought the institutions like HP Agriculture University and Institute for Himalayan Biotechnology to this town.

Today, his only aim is to complete his dream project Vivekananda Medical Institute at his hometown Palampur, which had been hanging fire for the past 20 years. As a chairman of the VMRT, he had already signed an MoU with the JP Group to complete the project in a time-bound plan and hand it over to people of the state at the earliest.

Shimla, September 15
The plans of the Tourism Department to upgrade the Naldehra Golf Club may finally take off with the government deciding to invite expression of interest to bring the scenic glade to international standards and promote it as a “no-miss” itinerary for tourists.

With the executive committee now deciding to invite bids from developers for undertaking the work, the project would take off. The expression of interest will be invited by the Infrastructure Development Board to whom the Tourism Department has forwarded the proposal.

One of the most important tasks to take it to international standards would be remove the criss-cross. The Shimla-Tattapani road, which passes through the middle of the golf course, has been a major hurdle in its expansion. A slight realignment of the road will help remove the criss-cross hurdle in the golf course coming on the international golf map.

As per the proposal, the road will be diverted to left from the Jablanda temple, short of Naldehra, before it rejoins after bypassing the course. Some forest land will have to be acquired from Jablanda to the boundary of the course to divert the road out of the course.

One of the oldest golf courses in the country, it is a living monument to the British legacy. It retains its scenic grandeur and tranquility as the springing green turf has remained unspoilt. The “Nal Deo” shrine still stands on the north-western edge of the course.

The story of Golf in Himachal started over a century ago during the British era. In 1905, the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, became so captivated with the beauty of Naldehra, 22 km from the summer capital of the British, that he would often visit the place. It was probably for the memory of his stay here, that he named his third daughter ‘Alexander Naldehra’.

It was on his favourite camping site that he established what today is one of the oldest and most scenic golf courses in the country. Initially a 9 hole course, it was expanded to 18 holes and upgradation will further expand it and make the course at par with the best in the country.

Tournaments involving the British army and civilian teams were a regular feature at the course ever since it came into being. Its elite status was maintained after Independence and lately efforts have been made to promote it as a major tourist place for domestic as well as international tourists. A few years ago the Lahore-Shimla Golf Tournament was held to bring focus on the course and to promote it as a tourist attraction.

The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation maintained it for about three decades until its management was handed over to the Naldehra Golf Club last year.

Perched on the Naldehra spur at an altitude of 6,700 feet, the golf course has been known more for its scenic splendour than sporting activity. Falling short of international standards, the golf course has been attracting only amateurs, which is one of the main reason why it is being upgraded to international scale. Its upgradation will enable the club to host competitive events recognised by the Professional Golf Association, thus bringing it to international level.

There was one bachelor Governor-General who came to Shimla in the early 19th century. He was Lord Auckland. He came here with his two sisters, Emily Eden and Fanny (Frances) Eden. Emily was 13 years younger to him and Fanny 17. Emily was an accomplished writer and painter while Fanny dabbled in sketch making.

In the absence of a wife, Emily was the First Lady of the British Raj. She did not desire a husband because she loved her brother George Eden, First Earl of Auckland, ‘deeply and devotedly and passionately’.

George’s party left England for India on October 3, 1835, on a frigate called Jupiter. Once Emily was in George’s cabin when the ship took one of the deepest rolls and Emily writes: “George was thrown upon me, and we both laughed.”

Having lived in Kolkata, Barrackpur, and visiting many cities while on a tour to ‘upper provinces’ of north India, Emily had found Shimla very innocent and delightful. It appeared terribly English to her with great deal of thick white fog that had a smell of London.

Apart from English atmosphere, another compensation for Emily was that George was always near her. He had turned one of the rooms in Auckland House, where they resided, into an office. At another place she writes: “I really feel every day that I would not be away from George - and think of him alone in this country - for any earthly consideration.”

Canadian biographer Marian Fowler in ‘Below the Peacock Fan’ finds these innocent descriptions of closeness with her brother by Emily “suggesting that, while she probably never acted on it, she did indeed feel some erotic attraction to George.”

The tour to upper provinces started in October, 1837, from Kolkata and the party of the Governor-General reached Shimla on April 3, 1838, when the forests were flush with scarlet rhododendrons. The immediate reaction of Emily was: “It is really worth the trouble - such a beautiful place - I come back to air again. It is a cool sort of stuff, refreshing, sweet, even apparently pleasant to the lungs.”

She got ample opportunity to dance attendance upon George here, which she enjoyed. Besides that she had no wish to know about the Indians and their culture. She always remained dipped in her so-called western superiority. That is why, besides George and Fanny, she had no company but a black spaniel Chance to amuse her.

They left Shimla for Kolkata in October, 1839, and the travels on dusty roads gave Emily ‘worn-out spirits and battered constitution’ but she had the consolation that George whom she always considered as an idol got fonder of her than ever before and was more dependent on her as she was his sole confidante. Back in England, George died suddenly in 1849, leading to Emily’s chronic invalidism and mental depression that lasted 20 years. In 1869, she was buried close to George in the family vault.

Shimla, September 15
“Classical music maestros should not shy away from exploring jazz and other genres of emerging fusion music. They have to adapt to the emerging trends and move forward with the changing times to keep alive the interest of new generations,” asserts India’s ace flautist Ronu Majumdar.

The general impression that classical music was not everyone’s cup of tea and that it was very difficult to comprehend could be dispelled only if the masters come forward to experiment, collaborate and become active players in shaping the new trends. While preserving the purity of classical music they must foray into other popular forms of music, if only to further the cause of classical music. It is the most important cultural heritage of the country which must be preserved at all costs. The “classical” music should not remain confined to the “classes’”, it must have a mass appeal, the internationally acclaimed musician who was in the city for a performance told The Tribune in an interview.

Little adjustments by classical performers could help immensely. For instance, the duration of “ragas” could be cut as there was a premium on time in today’s busy life. However, it required deft handling as the meditative prelude to the ragas could not be done away with entirely and all nuances had to be brought out within a performance lasting 20 to 30 minutes.

The innovative new age musician, who has been greatly influenced by great Bollywood composer R.D.Burman, maintains that playing in his orchestra, collaborating with international musicians like George Harrison, Ry Cooder, John Hassels, Lary Coryell and Indian maestros like P. Ravi Shankar, Bhimsen Joshi, Pt. Jasraj and Kishori Amonkar added to his versatility. He was one of the few musicians who took lead in experimenting with remix stuff and use of computer-based sound-designing technology to create new genre of music.

His epoch-making album “Song of Nature- A Traveller's Tale” added a new dimension to Indian music. He won a Grammy nomination for his album “Tabula Rasa” with Banjo maestro Bela Fleck in 1996. International releases like Fascinoma with guitarist Ry Cooder, In search of Life with Christian Seiferd and "Moonlight Whispers" with Larry Corryel demonstrated his versatility at the global level.

He sees wide scope for Indian music and musicians at the global stage in the emerging trends and is keen to create music for the world audience. He is very excited about the latest album, which he believes, is the first international album to be produced in India. He is bringing out the album with sound designers Jatin Sharma who has done commendable work of late.

Regarding preserving and popularising classical music he says the best way was to make it compulsory at the elementary school level. It must find in place in the reality shows that are very popular and throwing up a lot of new talent. Besides, popular Bollywood stars like Amitabh Bachhan must come forward to further the cause of classical music in the same manner as they have been doing with some social issues. He was doing his bit by and has been associated with the SPICMACAY for the past more than 15 years. He has a number of followers in Himachal who are keen to learn not only about the new trends in music but also about the technical aspects related to sound designing and recording of albums. He plans to organise a weeklong workshop for their benefit in Shimla.

Dharamsala, September 15
The office of the Principal Controller of Defenc Accounts (Pensions),Allahabad,and 9 Crps headquarters organised a two-day defence pension adalat at Yol military station on from September 11 for pensioners and their kin residing in Kangra and other districts. The adalat, organised under the aegis of the Controller-General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), New Delhi, was inaugurated by Lt-Gen V K Chaturvedi, in the Dhauladhar Auditorium at Yol. He said the basic objective of the pension adalat was to settle the grievances at the doorsteps of defence pensioners.

The welfare of veterans and their families and dependants was of utmost concern to the Army. The Army also looked after war widows. General Chaturvedi urged them to make full use of other welfare schemes for veterans such as ECHS, Assured Decent Last Rites Scheme (ADLR), Ex Servicemen’s Helpline (EHL).

An Army spokesperson told The Tribune that 66 of the 110 applications had already been settled by the CDA(P), Allahabad, with the remaining cases referred to the agencies concerned for speedy remedial action.

Over 410 affected pensioners attended the adalat and fresh applications were received for redressal.

The pension adalat was the 94th such event organised in the country since 1987 and the third at Yol. During the current financial year, three defense pension adalats have already been conducted at Jamnagar, Guntur and Nasik.

There are about 1,18,225 defence pensioners in Himachal Pradesh, most of whom are drawing pension through banks or DPDOs.

Palampur, September 15
Under the aegis of ‘Challengers’, Chandigarh, a live show was held at Neugall Public Senior Secondary School, Bindraban (Palampur) on Monday.

With the help of ancient tool ABACUS, two children from Chandigarh - Parth and Plexey - displayed their skills of mathematical computation much faster than the calculator. It was a treat to watch. Dumbfounded by their lightening speed in calculations, the audience gave them a standing ovation.

Many parents were motivated enough to enroll their wards in ABACUS one-year course. Sanjeev Malhotra, head (marketing), Challengers, underlined the utility of the program to increase the concentration of students, improving photogenic memory and sharpen other intellectual facilities that go a long way in one’s performance in various entrance tests. It was proved beyond doubt that human mind, if programmed and trained properly, can outsmart any artificial intelligence.

The Shimla centre of the International Institute of Fashion Technology (IIFT) celebrated it first anniversary by organising “fascination”, a glittering fashion show at Gaiety Theatre.

The event provided an opportunity to the upcoming fashion designers and local models to showcase their talent. Fashion shows have been organised in the city in the past but they focussed on established designers and models and never involved any local talent. Thus, it was refreshing to see local boys and girls coming forward to make their mark in the fast-expanding fashion industry which offers new career opportunities but not without competition. The show was a huge success even though it was not publicised much.

The show provided a glimpse of both indigenous and western cultures. Besides the apparel exhibiting the different colours of Indian ethnic culture, it also included trousseau, Christian wedding dress.

Director of the local centre Narinder Nayar informed that the IIFT had made its entry in the hill state in the education sector only last year but its centre has been rated among the best. Over the past two decades the institute has across the country trained over 70,000 persons in various streams of business management and fashion industry. It had recently signed MoUs for development of the fashion industry in Malaysia and Kenya.