Haridwar, June 12
Fresh from Jolly Grant Himalayan Hospital after Ramdev broke of his fast-unto-death agitation, managing director of Patanjali Yogpeeth Acharya Balakrishan reiterated the commitment of yoga guru Ramdev regarding the fight against corruption, asserting that despite breaking of the fast, the ‘Satyagraha’ would continue till our last breath.

Acharya Balakrishan had broken fast along with his guru Ramdev today in the afternoon and reached Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar about at 4 pm. The effect of ups and downs in the past week following the police crackdown in Delhi were easily visible on the face of Balakrishan who looked uneasy while replying to the questions and the credibility of breaking off the fast.

Later Balakrishan stated that the ongoing ‘Swabhiman yatra’ would be carried out throughout the country with more determination as the ongoing ‘Satyagraha’ had ignited protest among the masses about the deficiencies in the system which they now realised needed serious changes.

Meeting the agitators at the ‘Yagyashala’, the venue of the agitation in the Patanjali Yogpeeth, Balakrishan, an ayurveda physician, urged the activists to shun fast but gear up for the future challenges as “the fight is not yet over with a long way to go till we meet our objectives”.

Talking about Ramdev’s health condition, he said now guruji was feeling better and the concern shown by saints, politicians, social activists and common people post-hospitalisation at Jollygrant had only uplifted the spirit of guruji.

Meanwhile, followers of Ramdev offered prayers at the ‘Yagyashala’ amid chanting of the Gayatri mantra, joined in by patients who had come to Yogpeeth for medical treatment. Local people and numerous visitors, everyone seemed happy as the news broke of both Ramdev and Balakrishan breaking the fast with sipping of juice.

Support has also been pouring in from varied quarters to Ramdev’s anti-black money stance with Vishwa Ayurvedic Parishad condemning the police action on silent agitators at Ramleela ground in Delhi. A meeting was held in this regard wherein the vital contribution of Ramdev in the field of health, yoga and ayurveda was acknowledged.

Netaji Subash Chandra Public Welfare Organisation has extended its support lashing out at the Central Government for its “tyrannical” attitude and praying for sanity to the Congress leaders. The members also prayed at the holy Ganga to make sure the agitation attained its objectives.

In the late evening, a candle march was also taken out from Patanjali Yogpeeth in which mass participation from Patanjali followers as well as from local people was seen.

Nainital, June 12
The Uttarakhand Chief Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank has claimed that there is complete transparency in the state with regards to appointments because of which even children from poor families are getting jobs. Nishank made this tall claim during his visit to Almora today.

Ironically, Uttarakhand remains a state that does not have a transparent transfer policy with regards to teachers and doctors because of which the two important sectors of education and health are in a pathetic condition.

Ostensibly on an image-building exercise, Nishank narrated his oft-repeated claims with regards to the development that has taken place in the state claiming that the state has seen an increase in power production. He said women empowerment has been done by reserving 50 per cent seats for them in the panchayats.

He said there is a need to keep the momentum of development works going.

Incidentally, the performance of the government with regards to repairs of infrastructure remains very poor. The road leading to Almora from Khairna continues to be a driver’s nightmare and a majority of the water works devastated during the disaster are yet to be repaired causing extreme hardships to the people in the rural areas of Kumaon.

He claimed that the government is committed to making Uttarakhand as the most developed state in the country and is pursuing the development agenda listed in Vision 2020 document that has been brought out.

Dehradun, June 12
It was a proud moment today for all members of “I-Care”, an environmental group, as the day marked the first anniversary of “Expressions”, the first environmental e-magazine in Uttarakhand, powered by the youth of the valley. “Expressions” belongs not just to those who gave birth to it, or nurtured it and made it strong; it belongs to everyone who cares about the Earth and feels her pain,” said Yudhishter Puran Singh, the man behind the initiative.

It is notable that exactly a year back on June 12, 2010, the young team started its foray in the field of online media with the objective of creating awareness among people across the Dehradun city about the current environmental crisis. “Expressions” was initially restricted to preserve the beauty of the Doon valley which has seen a sad change due to so many developmental changes happening across the city but widened its scope overtime and started raising important issues.

Started with a bunch of young students, “Expressions” has a readership of approximately 15,000 people from all walks of life, and is delivered online to public libraries and is also easily accessible to general population that cares for the environment not just in India but also in countries like France, Germany, the US to name a few. “Expressions” is also sent to consulates and government organisations in India to help provide information to the people who really matter i.e., policy makers.

Speaking on the occasion, Silky Jain, executive director, Tula’s Institute, and the Youth ambassador of I-Care-Dehradun chapter stated that, “The onus is on us to bring about a change, a change which can only be made possible by the youth. This will only be possible when we push ourselves and start demanding a better planet. Express yourself and you will be surprised what all can be made possible”.

Yudhishter Puran Singh, Chief Executive Officer, I-Care-India, said, “Personally I couldn’t have been happier because the ultimate objective of I-Care-India is giving the youth a chance, a chance to express themselves and make a difference. “Expressions” signifies the power of the youth. I take this platform to urge each person to make each day count, it is the small things that eventually matter. Do not think what you can do after five years, but think how you can contribute your five minutes to the betterment of the planet today.”

Dehradun, June 12
Six persons were killed at Raiwala in the district, here today. In the first incident at Raiwala, a tree fell on a tourist bus and killed four of its occupants bedsides injuring three. A total of 14 persons were said to be travelling by the bus.

The deceased have been identified as Dipendu Savantu (42), his wife Pampa Savantu (38), Dipesh Savantu (37) and Pradeep Mana (52), all natives of Kolkata. Shilpa, Sumeer and Babli, also of the same region, got injured.

According to the Raiwala police, the incident happened at about 7:30 in the morning. A tourist bus, coming from Delhi to Kedarnath, came under a tree which supposedly fell due to a storm in the area. The locals informed the police of the incident and the cops and 108 rushed to the place. The police, with the help of locals, extracted the body from under the tree. The tree had crushed a part of the bus resulting in the death of the four persons.

However, three others who sustained injuries were shifted to a government hospital in Raiwala by 108. The police had to face several difficulties to remove the tree that fell on the vehicle. The police said the tourists were coming from Delhi and had to go to Kedarnath when they met with the accident. It added that the condition of the injured is said to be out of danger.

Meanwhile, in another incident at Choranki in Uttarakashi, an Indica car fell into a gorge after it lost balance. The car was going to Kedarnath from Uttarkashi.

According to the police, Usha Bali, a resident of Ropar district in Punjab, and Indira Devi of Sirmaur (HP) died on the spot. The driver, Sunil Kumar, a native of Chandigarh, Tara Tomar, a native of Himahcal Pradesh, and Madhuwala, a native of Chandigarh, got injured in the mishap.

Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank expressed grief over the tragedy and mourned the deaths of the pilgrims. The CM also directed the district magistrates and chief medical officers of the areas to facilitate the treatment of the injured.

PRESIDENT of India Pratibha Devisingh Patil’s proposed visit to Nainital and its subsequent cancellation were the highlights in the Lake City during the past fortnight. The announcement of the President’s visit and the subsequent preparations had both the positive and negative aspects.

The most positive thing about the announcement was that the administration, which appeared to have been ‘sleeping’ with regards to repairs of the infrastructure, was finally galvanised into action. The officials could be seen working overtime. For a change it was really interesting to see that the roads that were dotted with potholes and puddles were finally being repaired.

The Haldwani-Nainital highway, which had been crying for attention, was finally repaired. The roads in the Lake City got a new lease of life.

This view was even expressed before Governor Margaret Alva by media persons and it was suggested that there should be a VIP visit to the town every three months. It was suggested that even if there was no visit it could merely be announced to keep the officials on their toes.

The Governor was prompt enough to convey this viewpoint to District Magistrate Shailesh Bagauli and qualified it by saying that she would be sending a letter of appreciation for all the hard work, which the administration had done.

At the same time those associated with the tourism-related vocations heaved a sigh of relief when the President’s visit was cancelled. The mock drill with regards to the traffic and other arrangements on the day prior to the proposed visit itself had brought life to a standstill and the people were left wondering what was in store when the President actually arrived. With the tourist season at its peak, the visit was sure to put pressure on the already scant infrastructure of the city.

Dehradun, June 12
Though the Clock Tower ward is one of the biggest areas of the capital city, it is plagued with narrow roads, sanitation problem, potholed roads, water scarcity, absence of streetlights, blocked drains and traffic jams.

The main attraction in this area is the historic Clock Tower, which was constructed in 1948. The famous Parade Ground and Gandhi Park also come under this area.

Area councillor Shail Tandon, who had won the elections as an independent candidate but later joined the BJP, said she had spent Rs 15 lakh on various works in the area so far, which include the construction of roads and the installation of streetlights.

She further said: “It’s impossible to visit all areas everyday, but whenever I receive any complaint, I try to solve it at the earliest.” She, however, blamed the residents for the sanitation problem in the area. She said most of the people threw waste on roads, resulting in blockage in small drains.

Regarding other problems of the ward, Tandon said she had complained to the departments concerned many times, but to no avail. She said there was an acute shortage of water in the area and sometimes people were forced to drink dirty water. Despite repeated complaints to the Jal Sansthan, nothing had been done. Most of the sewer lines were damaged, but the Municipal Corporation was not bothered to get them repaired.

Regarding wrong parking and traffic chaos in the area, the councillor said she had complained several times to the corporation to take action against the RGM Complex for wrong parking, but it had not even issued a notice to them.

DK Gupta, a resident of Omkar Road Block II, complained about the sanitation problem and traffic chaos in his area. He said: “Grass has started growing in small drains outside our houses as it has been long that a cleanliness drive was launched in the area. The councillor rarely comes to the area. Safai karamcharis also do not come regularly. We are being forced to engage private sweepers to get the drains cleaned.”

He further said the other major problem that is being faced by the residents of the area was narrow roads. “As roads are a bad shape, traffic jams occur frequently,” he said.

Aruna Negi, a resident of Chukkhuwala Block II, complained about the sanitation problem. “As a dustbin is lying near my house, we are being forced to live with stink all the time. We have complained about the same to the authorities concerned several times, but nothing has been done so far. Sweepers from other areas also throw garbage here,” she said. She added that during rains, all grime came on road, making it difficult for people to walk. Supriya Goel, a resident of the Chakrata Road, said: “There is no streetlight in our area. Safai karamcharis never visit the area and we have to pay to private sweepers to get the area cleaned.”

Oma Chandna of Chukkhuwala said as people threw garbage on roads, small drains remained choked.

Dehradun, June 12
A renowned microbiologist and pharmacist, Dr Sumant Baukhandi, also has a passion for art and music. He has a collection of his paintings made at Aurangabad where he spent most of his childhood and at his house in Suddhowala, Dehradun.

“My father, Shambhu Prasad Baukhandi, was also a renowned artist and worked at the National Museum, New Delhi. During our vacations, he used to ask us to make paintings and drawings based on our imagination. Slowly and steadily, I developed an interest in painting and yesterday I have a substantial collection of my work, which is still to be displayed publicly,” he quipped.

“It also gives me immense pleasure and delight that my father’s paintings were appreciated in India as well as overseas,” added Baukhandi, who paints a lot many figures, abstract and does wash-technique paintings, which is rarely practised in India.

Dr Baukhandi is currently the managing director of GMP Pharma Institute Private Limited and provides consultancy services on product development, process technology, regulatory consultancy, designing facility and developing good manufacturing products.

On being asked why he studied science when he had an inclination towards the arts, Dr Baukhandi replied, “Being a son of an artist, I inherited the streak of painting the canvas with my imagination but studying science especially microbiology was something that I always wanted to do. With a dream to become a specialist in studying micro-organism and pharmacy, I completed my PhD in microbiology from University of Pune.”

Earlier, he was a professor in microbiology-genetics at the Government Institute of Science, Almora. He has also served for more than a decade at Ranbaxy as the general manager and has also occupied the post of President in Orchid Health Care, Chennai.

Having dreamt of starting his own organisation with expertise to guide pharma professional, Dr Baukhandi also runs a training centre of his own. “I always wanted to share and give back to the students what I have learnt in my life. Citing the current scenario of pharma colleges in Dehradun, I feel that these institutes should emphasis on upgrading their teaching techniques with the help of relevant and appropriate substances.”

“The method of educating should be appealing to the students so that they benefit more while the faculty should try and make their complex lessons simplified as well as interesting,” he affirmed.

He also provides training to college students and pharma professionals to perform system, guidance on product development, process technology, equipment selection, laboratory technology, regulatory process of submission, inspection and approval.

Dr Baukhandi, who has also been selected to be given an Indian Leadership Award for Industrial Development by the All-Indian Achievers Foundation, feels honoured. He also has special recognition to impart his knowledge on pharmacy and microbiology.

He is looking forward to open a biotechnology research centre for students especially of Uttarakhand and is planning to open a hospital soon in partnership with his brother to provide treatment in tissue culture in India. “It will be too early to say that when and where will we start this hospital but the project is likely to take shape in nearly five years from now,” said Dr Baukhandi.