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CRPF battalion wins hearts
Srinagar, June 1 While during protest demonstrations troops of paramilitary forces, especially the CRPF, become victims of the ire of stone throwers, there is one battalion in the heart of Srinagar, which has become the favourite of local populace.
Bad weather costs PDD Rs 6 crore in Jammu region
Staff shortage hits Reasi transport office
Govt to develop Baramulla town
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These children remain deprived of opportunities
Jammu, June 1 Militants killed his father in his native Gundna village of Doda district. Being an orphan, he came here when he was in fifth standard. After the declaration of results, he is being advised at his refuge to opt for some petty vocational course which immediately fetches him minimum sustenance after completion so that he no longer remains dependent on the welfare home. Similar is the case with other bright children at welfare homes here. Their aspirations take a beating as they grow up. Their career options remain limited to arranging two square meals for themselves as the homes have their limitations. On a positive note, SN Sharma, secretary of the welfare home, who is associated with the noble cause for the past 24 years, says, “We want these children to adopt those courses which make them self-dependent. Most of the boys from the home are sales executives with private companies or they are engineers from polytechnic colleges.” “Girls opt for vocational courses in the home itself. Some of the girls are doing graduation,” he says and adds, “The home has helped one of its inmates become doctor.” “We do our best in helping children realise their dreams, but at the same time, we have limited funds as we mainly depend on charity,” Sharma says. The home has 98 inmates and is running a high school which is open to outside children also. It has a computer lab, a nursing home, vocation training centre and a library. Since militancy has caused immense bloodshed, the state has seen coming up of several orphanages. In Jammu division, too, there are several welfare homes. Most of such institutes have been surviving on their own although the Department of Social Welfare has also been extending monetary support to them from time to time. “We give them grant in aid on yearly basis. The amount ranges from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh depending upon their performance and repute,” says Mehmod Rana, director, social welfare. Presently, at least five orphanages get grant in aid from the department. These are Ved Mandir Bal Niketan, Ambphalla; SOS Children Village, Channi Rama; Bal Ashram and Nari Niketan, RS Pura; Neha Ghar, Kachchi Chawni; and SOS Children’s Village, Gole Gujral. As the state does not have any juvenile justice Act, there are no child welfare committees and welfare homes for infants. Though grownups may get admitted to these homes, the problem arises when some abandoned newly born child is found. OP Gupta, project coordinator of Child Line, Jammu, says, “As the Child Line does not have a home for children in distress, when some missing child comes into our notice, we have to run from pillar to post for arranging refuge for the child. Most of the orphanages in Jammu have inmates beyond their capacity”. “Child Line plays the role of a facilitator only. We complete legalities, search for whereabouts of the missing child and reunite them,” he adds. What needs to be done?
Keeping in view the emergency children need, Gupta says all homes should pass a resolution that they give shelter to the child in distress when we approach them. “Even hospitals have emergency provisions, how can orphanages deny admission to a missing child,” he says. Civil society should also work in tandem with the Child Line. “Those who get separated from the parents if fall into wrong hands can be dangerous for society when they grow up. So we all have a responsibility towards them,” he adds. Dr Ashvini Jojra, social activist and founder of Saving All Humanity Yearningly Over the Globe (SAHYOG) India, suggests that the government must frame a concrete policy in this regard. “Since such children are special, the government is their guardian and society is their family. They do not belong to a particular sect or community, in fact they belong to the entire nation,” he says and adds, “Hence we all need to be sincere towards them”. “Usually the caretaker homes bring them up to make them clerks, salesmen or at the most a teacher. Just because someone is an orphan does not mean he possess lesser potential. All they need is an opportunity right from the childhood”. Employees at welfare homes do not treat the inmates as father, mother or siblings. They do not have a sense of belongingness with the children and therefore, the latter grow up in an atmosphere in which their emotional needs remain unfulfilled. Such children live a life of compromises and rarely exercise their free will. What needs to be done?
Dr Jojra says special quota should be created for such children across all educational institutions and in state as well as central government jobs. Private sector should also accord some privilege to them. Welfare homes should recruit people who understand the psyche of children in distress. The government should immediately increase the grant in aid to such welfare homes. The amount of money it gives them annually is a cruel joke. |
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CRPF battalion wins hearts
Srinagar, June 1 Since its deputation in the city two years ago, the 117 battalion of the CRPF has won over the local population as the battalion apart from taking care of the law and order situation in the area has done a lot for social cause. “Officers and soldiers of the battalion are very helpful. Whenever we need an ambulance in emergency, they provide us their vehicle without charging anything. No matter what time it is, whenever we ask for help they are always ready,” says Mushtaq Ahmed, a resident of the Wazirbagh locality. The commanding officer of the battalion himself has been meeting people of the area and requesting them to come to them for help. “We are here to assist the law abiding citizens. We have doctors, ambulances and water tankers. We have asked them that whenever they are in need, they should give us a call,” Prabhakar Tripathy, Commandant of the battalion, told The Tribune. The battalion has been doing a lot to help alienated youth join the mainstream. For this, it has been holding various sports and other activities. “This year we made all arrangements for holding the Third National Football Championship and the North Zone Carom Championship,” Tripathy said. The battalion has also done a lot for children with physical disabilities. “We gave items of daily need and recreation to a deaf and blind school in Srinagar. On the World Disability Day, we donated computers to the school. We also gave items of daily use to a day care centre for special children,” Tripathy said. On the International Women’s Day, the battalion
gave computers to a girls’ school in the city. It also send a team of 50 college students on an educational tour of North India where the students got a chance to meet the Home Minister and witness a session in Parliament. The local populace has been appreciating the efforts of the battalion in maintaining cordial relationship with people of the area. “We are really happy with what the battalion is doing for us. They are not our enemies but friends. For our children, they organise sports competitions, give them sports kits and whenever we are in need they are always ready to help us,” says Gulzar Ahmed, a local resident. |
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18 yrs on, militancy victim awaits rehabilitation
Badhori (Samba), June 1 Rakesh was a teenager when he lost one of his legs in a bomb blast in 1992, rendering him permanently disabled. “Since 1992 we have been approaching different government departments for rehabilitation but no one is ready to address our grievances”, Rakesh told The Tribune. Agony of the helpless family can be gauged from the fact that government officers have made it clear that there was no provision for giving a government job to any person who becomes permanently handicapped in a militancy-related incident. “Officers concerned made it clear that they don’t have the authority to rehabilitate those rendered permanently disabled in militancy-related incidents”, Rakesh said, recalling that on the very next day of the blast, the
then Governor, Mr GC Saxena, had handed over a cheque for Rs 25,000 to my family as immediate compensation. “As one of my legs was blown up in the blast, the authorities had at that time assured a job to rehabilitate me”, he said. Rakesh had remained bed-ridden for four years. “I have so far spent more than Rs 2 lakh on my treatment but the authorities have given just Rs 25,000 to my family so far”, he rued. Rakesh said though the successive governments had promised to properly compensate him, these promises had not been kept. Narrating his tale of woe, Rakesh recalled that he was traveling on a Ramgarh-bound bus when a blast took place on October 10, 1992. As many as 15 persons had lost their lives in that devastating blast at Digiana on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. A student of class X at that time, Rakesh remained on the bed for four years and could not continue his studies. Due to his disability he could not do any private job. “The government should at least give me a class IV job as a victim of militancy”, he said. Rakesh quoted a recent government announcement to give a monthly stipend of Rs 800 to kin of militants. “If kin of militants can get a monthly stipend, why there is discrimination with the militancy-affected persons? Rakesh asked with tears in his eyes. |
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Bad weather costs PDD Rs 6 crore in Jammu region
Power supply also remained affected in the region, including Kathua, Rajouri, Poonch, Kishtwar and some parts of Jammu district, as bad weather conditions wreaked havoc on the supply system. Sources in the PDD said the dust and thunderstorms for almost 48 hours this week had flattened electric poles in remote areas, where it was very difficult to re-erect them. Mohammad Qasim, chief engineer (PDD), Jammu division, said:“ The loss was estimated at more than Rs 6 crore. The bad weather has broken our backbone as the department is already suffering a huge loss.” He added: “The major loss was in the border and hill belt of the region.” Iqbal Khan, a resident of Kathua, said: “Our village was largely hit by the thunderstorm which damaged a transformer disrupting power supply for the whole day.” Not only the PDD, the bad weather damaged the mango crop as well, inflicting heavy losses on the growers. Flights were either cancelled and were behind schedule, giving a harrowing time to the passengers. |
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Orphanage making helpless help others
Udhampur, June 1 Indeed, the mission is on the right track as borne by the aspiration expressed by an orphan Suraj belonging to Haldwani, Uttrakhand. “I want to become a devotee and serve humanity,” he said with innocence betraying his voice. A student of class II, he, along with his two sisters, was brought here by an ISKCON devotee after his mother committed suicide and father left him and
his siblings. There are around 30 others like him who became orphanage at tender age and found a second home at Srila Prabhupada International Gurukul, which runs the orphanage-cum-free boarding school here since 2005 solely on financial patronage of donors. It accepts children of 4-5 age group irrespective of caste, creed, religion and financial background. At present, there are 27 orphans among total 70 students on rolls belonging to poor families. Almost all of them have disturbed family past having lost either of their parents. They hail from Uttrakhand, UP, Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir. This year, the school has added class X with 2 students and is affiliated to the J&K Board of School Education. Since the orphanage is dependent on donors, none of its inmates have been sponsored by anyone so far. “We wish if some noble souls could come forward to bear the cost of their education and other needs. The annual sponsorship of a single child is estimated to be Rs 25,000,” said orphanage caretaker Achyut Rai Das. He added that their aim in near future was to adopt 100 to 250 orphans and needy children and provide them shelter and education. The orphanage management is guided by the aim of bringing such children spiritually as per Vedic culture so that they are equipped to face modern society by becoming professionals with spiritual values. The spirit of
service is exemplified by female devotees who voluntarily look after all needs of inmates, be it washing their clothes or cooking food. |
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Staff shortage hits Reasi transport office
Reasi, June 1 This explains why to a great extent the monitoring of plying of overloaded public transport vehicles has left much to be desired. The fact has come into focus after the tragic bus accident on Friday that claimed 20 lives, besides leaving 63 persons injured. Earlier in January, two persons were killed and about 13 injured when a minibus on the way to Narloo from Reasi fell into a gorge. But the authorities failed to put its act together to ensure compliance of traffic rules so that their violations on narrow hill roads could be minimised to some extent. Though other traffic regulatory agencies, mainly the traffic police, cannot escape the blame, it does not mean that the transport authorities can afford to pass the buck to the police. The latter too has to tone up its functioning to ensure that such accidents are avoided. Meanwhile, in the absence of requisite manpower, it is strange how the ARTO office does its part of checking of vehicles. Sources say sometimes, a motor vehicle inspector used to come from Jammu for the purpose. When asked, Rattan Singh Jamwal, ARTO Reasi, tried to put the onus on the traffic police, which he said was mainly responsible for daily checking of vehicles whether these were overloaded or plying with required documents. About coordination between both, he admitted it did not exist. “I think it is due to lack of manpower with us,” he said. Jamwal said the proposal of sanctioning two motor vehicle inspectors, three clerks and a peon has almost been cleared. “I hope needful will be done at the earliest,” he said. |
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Govt to develop Baramulla town
Srinagar, June 1 This was stated by advisers of Chief Minister Mubarak Gul and Divender Singh Rana during their recent visit to the town to convene a public darbar at Dak Bungalow to assess problems and grievances of people. Interacting with deputations, the advisers stated that steps, like restoration of cross LoC, telephone link and raising of infrastructure had been taken to expand the cross
LoC trade. In the public darbar, 175 delegations and 200 individuals participated. Among those present included unemployed youth, self-help groups, Traders Federation of
Baramulla, Sports Contractors’ Union and mohalla committees. |
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Jammu diary
Jammu’s favourite slam-bang wall, the boundary of Government MM College, is out of bounds now. The wall that faces Jammu University is the favourite place for painting anti-government and anti-university slogans. Besides, it is also used by companies to paint advertisements, for pasting film posters and for obscene graffiti, but not anymore. The Jammu Municipal Corporation has painted it red with clear warning that those defacing it would invite fine or imprisonment or both. The warning seems to have worked so far and the place looks cleaner (See picture). Language pangs
Last week, the National Student Union of India (NSUI) organised a function to observe the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Eying the post of Pradesh Youth Congress, NSUI state president Rashid Choudhary addressed the gathering in English. However, all other leaders, including Union Minister of State for Information Technology and Communication Sachin Pilot, also spoke in Hindi so the gathering could under stand what they were speaking. In his presidential address, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Saifud Din Soz, in his satirical style, took NSUI leader to task for addressing the gathering in English. “For conveying your viewpoint to the people Hindi is appropriate language, but for attaining power English is a must,” he said, in an obvious reference towards NSUI leader who spoke in English to impress the leaders. “Hindi is a language of utility and English is a language of power,” he added. Unusual wait
Amongst the numerous problems that the enumerators have been going through, some are quite bizarre. One such hurdle, as they find it, is even tougher than the tough terrains and remotest of villages that the enumerators have been assigned for the headcount. Sharing his recent experience, a government teacher stated that the hurdle has its roots in an age-old tradition. “If we find some senior male member of the household, our job gets finished within minutes. But if there is only womenfolk at home then we are left with a single option, wait till the male member turns up,” he said. The reason for unusual wait may sound strange but it is true. In villages, women still hesitate in saying their husbands’ name. CM’s new look
To look mature and sober, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has changed his look. He is now seen in grey hair that has not only changed his appearance but has given a reason to the opposition to talk also. Omar, who is known for his dressing style, in his new look has attracted the public as well. Wherever he goes, may be it is any public programme or any private function, the public has been heard talking about his new hairstyle. In a recently held programme, a youngster was listened saying, “In politics, everything is fair, let us see how long Omar looks old in grey hair”. Innocence at
its best
Was that a fancy dress competition or a comedy show? A tiny tot got a prize for chanting “Hanuman chalisa” in a fancy dress competition. He was dressed up as Hanuman and forced the audiences to stand up and clap for him. When he came up on the stage, he looked towards the audience and held mike but became too nervous to speak. For a few seconds, he remained silent and out of fear of huge audience, he started crying and chanting “Hanuman chalisa” in between. His act enthralled all present. All people sitting in the hall clapped for
him. (Contributed by Jupinderjit Singh, Dinesh Manhotra, Ashutosh Sharma, Archit Watts and Sunaina
Kaul) |
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Jammu, June 1