Dehradun, October 7
General Secretary of the Congress Rahul Gandhi’s recent comment equating the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) with the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) has evoked strong reaction in Uttarakhand today.

Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers, led by mahanagar president Ranjit Singh Bhandari, today set ablaze an effigy of Rahul Gandhi at the Clock Tower here.

Addressing the gathering, Bhandari alleged that by making such an irresponsible statement, Rahul had lost his mental balance.

Echoing similar sentiments, the Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) strongly condemned Rahul’s statement. The ABVP said the RSS had always worked for the strengthening of the nation. ABVP leader Anshul Chawla said even Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi had praised the RSS for its developmental activities.

Meanwhile, the Congress, on other hand, welcomed Rahul’s statement and criticised the BJP for its criticism.

Congress leader Dhirendra Pratap said burning of Rahul’s effigy was a shameful act as he belonged to a family that had always sacrificed for the nation.

Joining the issue, Congress Mahanagar Committee president Harish Virmani in a statement issued today said it was not proper to politicise Rahul’s statement on the RSS. “It is unfortunate that the BJP workers are burning Rahul’s effigy, who is a grass-root leader,” said Harish Virmani.

ROORKEE: There was tension amongst Congress workers and supporters of the ABVP and the BJP at Balawali, Laksar towns. The supporters of the ABVP and the BJP were agitated over the recent remark equating the RSS with the banned outfit SIMI on Wednesday by Rahul Gandhi provoking them to burn an effigy of Rahul.

The effigy burning also carried out by the BJP Yuva Morcha on the nationwide call given by their superiors.

Seeing this, the Congress workers of the area got provoked and there were clashes between the two groups which led to the police intervention to disperse the agitated crowd.

To handle the situation, ADM Ranvir Singh Chauhan and SP Rural RL Sharrma reached the spot, where the agitated supporters had blocked the Laksar-Haridwar national highway and were demanding the suspension of two Sub-Inspector Dharmendra Rautela and Yunus whom they alleged for carrying out lathicharge. There would be an inquiry setup to look into the matter against the two Sub-Inspectors said, ADM, Haridwar, Ranvir Singh Chauhan.

There were very minor injuries which were caused during the disperse action, confirmed the police source. He said the timely intervention of the administration and the police had saved a big mishap today.

Dehradun, October 7
Adopting an aggressive attitude, protesting pharmacists dared the government to arrest them as the deadline of 9 am for taking action under ESMA ended.

This morning, the protesters staged a dharna outside the office of the Director-General of the Health and Family Welfare and demanded the government to initiate action against them.

“We are still waiting for reports from the districts and action would be initiated once the reports reach us. We have gone through their demands and are ready to accept the genuine ones and these are only two while others cannot be implemented,” said Dr Umakant Panwar, Secretary (Health).

The protesters, however, received support from several employee organisations which include the Parvartiya Karmachari Sangh, Provincial Medical Services, Vahan Chalak Sangh, Federation of Diploma Engineers, Uttarakhand Karamchari Mahasangh, Matar Shishu Kalyan Karamchari Sangh and other associations.

Unfazed pharmacists said they would call back their stir after the government gave them a written assurance.

Dehradun, October 7
Twentyfive schoolchildren were injured when their school bus turned turtle while carrying them back home here today. The incident occurred at Guniyal village when the driver of a school bus of Kingston Public School on the Gradient Road lost control over the gears of the vehicle.

On learning about the incident, relief work was immediately initiated by the cops. One student, out of the 25, received serious wounds, while the rest of them are in a state of trauma with minor injuries only.

However, the crane, which was sent to help, had also fallen into the gorge, along with the school bus whereas the relief work is still on.

Nainital, October 7
A Central team from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is currently touring disaster-hit areas in the region to take stock of the diseases that are prevalent and to chalk out a long-term strategy for their prevention.

According to sources, the four-member team, led by Dr Alpana Baruah, has been visiting areas from where maximum cases of dengue have been reported in the past one month since the region was lashed by incessant rain.

Most of these cases have been reported from Ramnagar in Nainital district where the team went on Wednesday. They collected samples of larvae from localities from where the highest incidence of the disease has been reported.

Incidentally, the Health Department has managed to check the number of dengue cases in Lal Kuan which had been reporting a higher incidence of the disease in the previous years.

This was possible on account of the timely preventive action taken and initiation of a large-scale awareness campaign right from the onset of monsoon. The team had visited this area on Tuesday as well.

Although media reports are putting dengue cases in the region well beyond 400 in the entire Kumaon region, local health authorities claimed that till last Saturday, 353 cases had been reported in the region and there has been only one casualty. A large number of these cases have come from the adjacent state of Uttar Pradesh.

Apart from the dengue outbreak which has been in the media spotlight, the remote areas in the region are facing the threat of outbreak of water-borne diseases in the wake of massive damage to drinking-water schemes.

There are chances of bacterial infections spreading in the villages that continue to be inaccessible by roads even till this day.

All that the health centres there have in the name of facilities to check such an outbreak is bleaching powder and chlorine tablets.

These areas have also been facing a dearth of doctors for the past several months, a malady which the state government has failed to address till date.

Dehradun, October 7
Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank today made a courtesy call on Governor Margaret Alva at the Raj Bhawan here and presented copies of his book “Apna-Paraya" and an English translation of the book "Perfect Success Mantras" to her.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister apprised the Governor of the systems that had been put in place for supplying immediate relief in areas affected by widespread damage due to natural disasters/unprecedented rainfall in the state.

During the discussions, with reference to the widespread loss of life and property in the state due to unprecedented rainfall, the Chief Minister also apprised the Governor of his recent meeting with the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister.

The Chief Minister said in these meetings, he had asked them for granting immediate assistance for rebuilding and reconstruction of civic amenities infrastructure such as drinking water, electricity, irrigation and roads that had been severely damaged by the occurrence of the natural disasters in the state.

Nishank called upon the Governor to make efforts at her level also to get the much-required Central assistance for the state on the basis of actual estimate of the widespread damage in the state.

Haridwar, October 7
The issue of some Sikh organisations trying to get permission to offer prayers and subsequently construct a gurdwara named Gyan Godri Gurdwara at the world-famous pilgrim site of Har-ki-Pauri in Haridwar is becoming a contentious one.

The view of a handful of Sikh organisations from outside Uttarakhand that the Gyan Godri Gurdwara existed, till a few decades back, at the site where, presently, the Uttaranchal Bharat Scouts and Guides regional office is situated is not getting the support of even local Sikh organisations.

The administration too is not entertaining their claim, but has offered to construct a gurdwara at any other available land in the pilgrim city.

The claims that the shrine existed at the site till the 70s have been refuted by the Bharat Scouts and Guides organisation. They say that their office has been at the very place for several decades.

According to Bharat Scouts and Guides chief Virendra Tiwari, their organisation has been working for the past 91 years. It was established in 1919 at Har-ki-Pauri.

He added that their administrative office for the past 70 years has been operating from the very place and has been paying tax to the Haridwar municipality every month as a religious organisation.

“The persons making claims about Gyan Godri Gurdwara have not furnished any document of it being at our office site. Legally and unofficially, we will be completing 100 years here in a decade,” said Tiwari.

Sikh representatives claimed that till the mid 70s, the Gyan Godri Gurdwara existed there but was shifted near Har-ki-Pauri. It was established in memory of Guru Nanak Dev who visited Har-ki-Pauri in 1504-05, observed ‘sadhna’ and had an interaction with local teerth purohits.

The Shiromani Guru Sikh Prachar Committee (SGSPC) and the All-India Sikh Council are demanding that the Bharat Scouts office be handed over to them for the construction of the gurdwara.

A delegation of the Shiromani Guru Sikh Prachar Committee met Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva to apprise her of their demands as well as facts of the issue.

Speaking to The Tribune, national coordinator of the SGSPC Indra Singh Chug said that their one-point programme was to again have the Gyan Godri Gurdwara where it once stood.

“A three-member enquiry committee will come to Haridwar this month to look into the facts and historical evidence. On its final report will depend our future course of action. The Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in Delhi has lent its support to our movement,” said Chug.

On Gandhi Jayanti, the Sikh council had announced the performance of ‘ardaas’ at the very place, but was thwarted by heavy police deployment on all routes leading to Har-ki-Pauri.

Though local Sikh organisations didn’t showed any enthusiasm, several Sikhs, along with chief of the AISC Guru Charan Singh Babbar, had tried to forcefully enter the area.

Babbar later accused the administration of harassing the Sikh community and did not accept the administration’s proposal for another site.

Now the council has urged other Sikh sangats to come forward to support their demand. Babbar has announced that on Guru Nanak Dev’s Prakash Utsav, they would reassemble in Haridwar and perform a huge prayer at Har-ki-Pauri.

Haridwar District Magistrate R Meenakshi Sundaram said that the administration is ready to allocate separate land for the construction of a gurdwara. He said that no one will be allowed to disturb peace in Haridwar. “Bilateral talks can be adopted to resolve the matter,” he said.

No sharp reaction has till date come from Hindu organisations and the Bharat Scouts office is operating normally though under security.

Rudrapur, October 7
Known as the food bowl of the Kumaon region, the district of Udham Singh Nagar has started getting on its feet again after suffering massive losses in the recent rains over the past one month.

According to official sources, the damage has been recorded in no less than 254 villages of the district and 48,957 persons have incurred losses. This district has suffered the worst in terms of the loss of agricultural land as large tracts of fertile land were washed away by the perennial rivers as well as seasonal streams right before the eyes of their owners.

Officials say 2,149.57 lakh hectares has been affected by flash floods and more than 50 per cent of crop has been destroyed on 915.55 hectares. In economic terms, the losses to crops have been put at Rs 730.91 lakh.

The district is known for its production of cereals and pulses along with vegetables.

The worst-affected area in the district during the disaster had been the Shakti Farm region where about half a dozen villages had been marooned for days together. People had to take shelter in the adjoining forests and highlands to save their lives.

A majority of the population in this region is Bengali and resides in kutcha houses. Since most of them are residing on sublet tracts of land, they are unlikely to get any economic relief as the claims would be paid only to the persons in whose names the land has been registered. Eyewitnesses say the farms in these areas now have nothing, but silt lying in them that tells a woeful tale of destruction.

These people are now returning to their homes trying to rebuild their lives.

Besides the Shakti Farm area, large tracts of agricultural land have also been damaged in the Kashipur, Jaspur, Khatima and Sitarganj regions of the district.

A spokesperson for the district administration told The Tribune that after paying initial relief to victims, efforts were now on to bring life back on track. In fact, Udham Singh Nagar has been the first district in the region to re-establish road links in all tehsils. Apart from timely efforts by the Administration, this has been possible because of the plain topography of the district.

The industry in the district has managed to escape devastation during the floods on account of taking timely preventive measures. Chairman of the Kumaon Garhwal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) Darbara Singh said: “The industry has been located in areas that are comparatively at a distance from the river beds. In addition to this the procedure adopted of earth filling prevents damage in such scenarios when there is flooding.”

He said the KGCCI has been providing relief to the people facing problems on account of the floods. The chamber has set up a helpline where people can call up to tell what is required in their areas.

A large number of employees of various companies located in the State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttaranchal Limited (SIDCUL) zone have donated part of their salaries for the relief efforts.

Dehradun, October 7
The state unit of the Indian Red Cross Society today donated 200 woollen blankets to victims of the recent disaster due to incessant rainfall in the Matakmari area, Vikas Nagar.

Vinod Agarwal from Rishikesh gave the relief material under the presidency of Governor Margaret Alva at the Raj Bhawan here.

At his meeting with Alva, Agarwal promised to donate more relief material for Tehri victims in future. He also thanked the Governor for her support and assistance for the noble cause.

Also present on the occasion were Dr IS Pal, general secretary, Indian Red Cross Society, Uttarakhand, and Ranjeet Singh, president of the managing committee.

Dehradun, October 7
To express sarcasm on the working of the police, the Prayas Jagrukta Manch presented a short street play, “Hum Majboor Hai”, at the Gandhi Park here today.

The storyline of the play depicts the helplessness of the cops at certain times when they require taking spontaneous decisions. The story also narrated the vulnerability of cops when they have to face both human rights commission as well as the media in times of failure.

The director of the street play was Vishal Saawan, while Rajesh Sharma and Saawan were the main actors of the play. Other artistes were Narendra Kohli, Jaspal Rana, Lawrence, Gayatri and Liyaqat Ali, while special guests in the audience were Upender Singh Thapli, Vipin Nautiyal, Ajay Thapa, Jitender Singh Khatri and Rajender Singh.

Haridwar, October 7
The three-day Ijatma concluded here at Bahadarpur Jat with more than 50,000 people gathered from across seven districts to offer prayers. Devotees offered namaz praying for communal peace and nation’s prosperity.

Apart from Bahadarpur Jat village, a large number of people from Haridwar district, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Saharanpur, Gaziabad, Bulandshahar and Dehradun came here to offer prayers.

Among others, Mufti Riyasat Sahab, general secretary, Anjuman Sir Tunnabi’s Maulana Sharafat Ali Kazmi, Fakira Khan Jwalapuri, Mohammed Rafeek Maunana, Iqbal Maulana and Ikram Maulana also prayed for the peace and harmony of the country.

Dehradun, October 7
A charity musical show “Antarman” will be held on October 10 at Hathibarkala amphitheatre in which popular bands from Bangalore and Dehradun will perform.

The proceeds from the show will go towards providing education to underprivileged children and also towards the Chief Minister’s Calamity Relief Fund.

Ravi Shankar Bisht, secretary, Dagar, a social organisation, said rock band Jam Gully from Bangalore, Ensemble from Dehradun, special performance by Jubin Nautiyal and Tal the Kids will be the major highlights. The show is being sponsored by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and Idea.

Dehradun, October 7
Ganga Prem Hospice is organising a multi-speciality healthcare camp at Punjab Sindh Kshetra, Rishikesh, on October 9.

Ayurvedic doctors Dr Aman Gupta, Dr Abhay Tiwari, Shree Baidyanath, cardiologists Dr Vijay Sinha, Fortis Escorts, Delhi, for diagnostic tests, Dr Triloki Nath, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, Delhi, and dentist Seema Dental College, Rishikesh, will participate in the camp.

General physician Dr GS Vats, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, Delhi, gynaecologist Dr Rupali Dewan, Safdurjung Hospital, Delhi, oncologist Dr AK Dewan, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Inistitute, Delhi, optometry Drishti Eye Centre, Dehradun and orthopedic Dr SK Bhaskar, SN Medial College, Jodhpur.

Dehradun, October 7
The Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) has given the tender to an agency for the removal of illegal hoardings installed on rooftops and 30 m around roundabouts. For this task, Mayor Vinod Chamoli informed that the DMC would also send his own people and police force to help the agency. Beside this, out of 38 the DMC had registered 37 advertisement agencies and denied one for hoarding rights.

He also refused the renewal of registration of nine old ad agencies for not adhering to the notices given by the DMC time and again.

Chamoli asked the DMC to prepare a detailed report about the defiance of these ad agencies. He said the auction of hoarding rights on road side, which were once held in 2003, would be held soon.

Chamoli also said the corporation had initiated the process of auction of centre pole lights as well as adding that bidders would also have to pay electricity bill of the poles as well. This way the DMC would earn an annual revenue of Rs 50 lakh from the auction of centre pole, he explained.

He said JMS road, Chakrata road, Lalpul to Dharmpur road had been covered with centre pole lights in earlier phases. Chamoli entrusted the task of monitoring the sanitation drive to doctors of dispensaries.