Tributes paid to statehood martyrs
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 2
Uttarakhand Chief Minister BC Khanduri has said the development of Uttarakhand, which has been achieved through martyrdom and sacrifices, would be carried out in consonance with the wishes and aspirations of the martyrs.

Addressing a gathering after offering floral tributes to the martyrs of the statehood agitation at the Martyrs Memorial at Rampur Tiraha (Muzaffarnagar) in Uttar Pradesh, today, Uttarakhand Chief Minister said the martyrdom of persons, who laid down their lives for the cause of the creation of the state, would not be allowed to be frittered away.

He said the Uttarakhand Government would do effective advocacy of the case in order to get the guilty punished.

Khanduri said he had not been able to understand as yet the strategy applied by the then Uttar Pradesh Government in restraining the agitationists who were proceeding to Delhi to put their views forward in a peaceful manner, as a result of which the unfortunate and foul environment was created in the form of Muzaffarnagar incident, the wounds of which are still fresh even after a passage of 16 years.

He also prayed to God to help make Uttarakhand in consonance with the 
aspirations of the martyr agitationists.

Uttarakhand Culture Minister Vijaya Barthwal expressed hope that under Khanduri’s leadership, Uttarakhand would set new dimensions of development as per the hopes and aspirations of the martyrs.

MLA Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh) Ashok Kansal (BJP) said the Rampur Tiraha incident was in reality a highly unfortunate incident which could never be forgotten. Chairperson of the State Women Commission Sushila Baluni said the martyrs were revered all over the country. She said she herself was a witness to the Rampur Tiraha incident and that she had undergone various trials and tribulations during that tumultuous phase, the memories of which still haunt her.

UKD remembers victims
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, October 2
Tributes were paid to the Uttarakhand statehood agitators who were killed at Rampur Tiraha in Muzaffarnagar when the Uttar Pradesh police opened fired at the unarmed agitators who were going to New Delhi. Both the factions of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), led by Trivender Singh Panwar and Diwakar Bhatt, paid homage to the martyrs and visited the Shaheedi Smarak at in Muzaffarnagar district.

Bhatt, who is Revenue Minister, and Panwar, along with the activists of the party, paid floral tributes to the martyrs at the memorial.

Diwakar Bhatt termed the incident of October 2, 1994, as a turning point in the Uttarakhand statehood movement as also a brutal attempt by the barbaric police, working on the directions of Mulayam Singh Yadav, the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, to suppress the movement.

Activists of the party Rana Ranveer Singh, Uday Ram Semwal, Lalit Mamgain and Ishwari Rao have decided to acquaint the younger generation of the immense contribution that the statehood agitators have made to the Uttarakhand cause.

“Dozens went missing, six died and many women were raped at Muzaffarnagar, but it seems the successive governments of the Congress and the BJP in the state have forgotten the contribution of the martyrs and women to the the Uttarakhand cause. Just by garlanding their portraits and statues once a year will not do justice to their sacrifice, it will only be when we make this state corruption free and provide employment to the people living in the hilly districts,” said Lalit Mamgain, central committee member of the UKD.

But forgotten in Mussoorie
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, October 2
Much to the ire of the statehood agitators, the public figures in Mussoorie, who were busy highlighting their success in the introduction of the city bus service, forgot to remember the martyrs of the Rampur Tiraha incident.

The statehood agitators said most of the public figures failed to even mention the sacrifices made by the “andolankaris” today and it was only after a social activist and statehood agitator from Mussoorie, Pradeep Bhandari, reminded them of the significance of the day, a few words were spared in the praise of the “andolankaris” by the speakers at a Gandhi Jayanti function at Gandhi Chowk.

The statehood agitators have demanded the portraits of all the martyrs should be kept at Shaheed Sthal in Mussoorie so that people do not forget their contribution to the formation of the state.

Mahatma Gandhi, Shastri remembered
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 2
Governor Margaret Alva today paid rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on the occasion of their birth anniversaries.

Alva said their crucial role in freeing the country from the Britishers would always be remembered by the nation. She said this day was an occasion for every Indian to be greatly proud of. “We should resolve to walk the path shown by these leaders to create a peaceful, safe and harmonious nation,” she added.

Alva said that it was the responsibility of each citizen of India to strengthen the country. “The government alone cannot do it.” She said even today, Gandhiji’s ideals were extremely relevant and worth emulating. She added that Shastriji, the epitome of simplicity, gave us the meaningful call of “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisaan”.

The function was held at the Raj Bhawan. Students of Bhathkhande Sangeet Mahavidyalaya rendered some of Gandhiji’s favourite “bhajans”.

Meanwhile, District Magistrate Dilip Jawalkar also paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversaries. Jawalkar said one should always practice thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi.

Khanduri pays tributes

Uttarakhand Chief Minister BC Khanduri today paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi by garlanding his statue at the Uttarakhand Niwas in New Delhi. On the occasion, Khanduri also garlanded the statue of former Prime Minister Late Lal Bahadur Shastri as a mark of reverence to the memory of the great leader whose birth anniversary was also observed today.

Among those present on the occasion were Uttarakhand’s Chief Resident Commissioner SK Muttoo, Additional Resident Commissioner SD Sharma and all Delhi-based officials and employees of the Uttarakhand Government.

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand Women Congress gathered at Gandhi Park, Dehradun, and staged a fast near Mahatma Gandhi’s statue. Workers also chanted bhajans in remembrance of Mahatama Gandhi.

Gandhi Mandir wears a deserted look
Tribune News Service

Nainital, October 2
It’s a temple minus deity and even devotees no longer turn up here. Even as the world celebrated the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, on Sunday, the Gandhi Mandir located at a distance of barely five kilometres from Nainital wore a desolate look.

It was at this building in Takula village that Gandhiji had stayed while accepting to be the guest of Lala Govind Lal Sah in June 1929. Gandhiji had been impressed with the Coolie Begar movement in Kumaon and had come to Nainital with his wife kasturba and son Devdas.

His arrival was marked with a large-scale representation of women in a public movement and old timers suggest that the women were so much convinced with the thoughts of Gandhiji that many had even donated their jewellery for the cause that he had undertaken at the national level.

It is in Moti Bhawan in Takula that Gandhiji had laid the foundation stone of a temple and had even stayed there during his next visit to the region. The place came to be known as Gandhi Mandir and it was in 1955 that noted poetess and writer Mahadevi Verma started Uttarayan institution from the premises. Even the Mahila Gruh Udyog Sadan had started from here in 1957.

The place was given the nomenclature of Gandhi Mandir in 1995 but somehow it has not made to the list of national properties.

The residents of the village want the place to be converted into a Gandhi Dham. They say that there is a need for a consolidated efforts to preserve the belongings and documents that Gandhi left behind here.

The family of Govind Lal Sah retains quite a few of these belongings.

Locals say that the place has been visited by the likes of former Prime Ministers Inder Kumar Gujral and Vishwanath Pratap Singh but nothing concrete has been done to conserve the place and the heritage of Gandhi. A signboard depicting the importance of the place that stood on the Nainital-Haldwani highway has also vanished.

4 swept away in Ramganga
Father-son duo among victims
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, October 2
Four persons, including a man and his son, were swept away by strong waves of the swollen Ramganga river near the confluence of the river with Saryu at Ghat, 30 km from the district headquarters this morning. All had gone to collect water from the river.

According to information, four persons from Gargaun village near the town hade gone to collect the sacred water of the confluence to be offered at a temple in their village during the ongoing Navratras.

“Those who died included Har Singh (45) his son Shankar Singh (18) and two of his cousin brothers, Sandeep Singh (23) and Mahipal Singh (48).

All victims belong to Gauria Gaun near the district headquarters,” said NA Bharane SP, Pithoragarh.

Quoting witnesses, the police said it all occured when Shankar Singh, while taking a bath in the river, slipped into it and started flowing and shouted for help. Hearing his screams, his father Har Singh jumped into the river to save him and he himself was swept away by the strong waves of the river, two of their fellows also jumped into the river to save the father and son but were drowned in the strong currents of the river.

“The police and rescue teams reached the spot three hours late as the place requires 2 hours drive from the town,” said a shopkeeper of the Bautari market who witnessed the scene.

The Pithoragarh police, under strong instructions from the Uttarakhand Water Resources Minister Prakash Pant, who reached the spot immediately after the incident, sent two rescue teams to the spot to recover the bodies but could not get any success. “We have installed a net to trace the bodies at the Ghat bridge, where the flow of the river is flat and slow. Out teams have also gone towards the downstream of the river at Pancheswar,” said Bharane.

Clash in Udham Singh Nagar
Bid to divide people on communal lines
Rajeev Khanna

Nainital, October 2
A series of attempts by forces desperately trying to polarise the population on communal lines over the past two years in the Terai area of Kumaon eventually bore fruit today in Rudrapur as the town erupted in a round of massive violence on communal lines.

With the Assembly elections round the corner, the orchestration of the riots has been perfect to the timing set by the forces aiming at communal polarisation. How Chief Minister BC Khanduri tackles the issue and whether he actually takes the guilty to task remains to be seen in the days to come.

This is not the first time that such an attempt was made in the Terai. The attempts had begun several months back with miscreants resorting to one act after the other aiming to foment trouble.

A little less than two years ago, there had been a series of protests by Muslims across the region against a multinational shoe company for having embossed something inflammatory on the sole of some shoe.

Interestingly, no one had either possessed the shoe or had even seen it. It was inferred that some mischievous elements might have spread a rumour that led to protests and demonstrations.

This had been followed by attempts in Haldwani and Rudrapur that had been made while there was communal tension in the adjoining district of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh.

In the first instance, activists of Hindutva organisations took out a protest march in Haldwani without intimating the authorities when the trouble in Bareilley was at its peak.

This was followed by the dumping of a carcass on the premises of a Muslim shrine in the Bhadaipura area of Rudrapur by some miscreants.

Last year, a publication in Lal Kuan was circulated in which there was a write up that aimed to hurt the sentiments of the Muslims. Interestingly, the write-up in the weekly “Bhasha Setu” was published under the byline of Hafizuddin.

Through his piece, the writer had questioned internationally acclaimed painter Maqbool Fida Husain, who had been targeted by Hindutva elements, on why he portrayed religious characters from Hindu mythology in his works and why he did not do the same with Islamic characters.

Investigations had revealed that the paper had not been registered in Nainital district and neither had there been any declaration from its editor that such a publication having its headquarters elsewhere was being brought out from here.

The District Administration had got writer Hafizuddin, editor Ranjit Kumar Bhattacharya and the owner of New HJ Printing Press in Haldwani arrested while the Press had also been sealed. It had been the proactive approach of the officials and the police authorities that had prevented riot from breaking out till Sunday morning.

Over the last few years, the Terai region has become a centre of economic development. The region has also seen a growth of the land mafia and mushrooming of politicians. The stakes, both political and economic, are very high in this zone and vested interests prevail over everything.

Maintain peace, CM urges people
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 2
Chief Minister BC Khanduri has expressed concern over communal flare up at Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand.

While appealing to people to maintain calm, Khanduri has directed the administration for stern action against the rioters. He also expressed grief over deaths in the rioting. He said the Uttarakhand had no past history of communal tensions and people from every caste and creed had existed together in the region since ages.

Meanwhile, Dr BVRC Purshotam, DM, Udham Singh Nagar, disclosed that indefinite curfew had been imposed in the Rudrapur Thana area. He said so far two deaths had been recorded in the incident.

Nishank hopeful of mid-term poll
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 2
Newly appointed BJP national vice-president and former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank today said he was hopeful of mid-term polls at the Centre in near future.

Nishank said the people of country were looking at the BJP with much hope as the prevailing political scenario at the Centre was hinting towards the mid-term polls.

“There is a big possibility that there can be mid-term polls at the Centre and even if the parliamentary polls take place as scheduled in 2014, the BJP has high chances of returning back to power at the Centre,” Nishank pointed out.

Nishank desisted from spelling out his mind on his electoral course of action in Uttarakhand’s politics particularly in regard to the forthcoming assembly polls in the state. He said his party would decide as to whether he would contest the polls or not. Describing himself as a part of national team, Nishank said he would try to fulfil the responsibility entrusted to him by the central command of the party.

Nishank landed at Jollygrant Airport, Dehradun, from Delhi this morning after getting new responsibility as national vice-president. He was welcomed by a large number of BJP workers led by Rishikesh MLA Premchand Aggarwal.

Man held for throwing acid on two grandsons, neighbour
Ajay Ramola

Mussoorie, October 2
An elderly person was arrested today after he allegedly threw acid on his two grandsons and a neighbour at Garhkhet village, Thatyur Block, Tehri Garhwal district, last night. His grandsons, Manoj (16) and Vinod (20), and the neighbour, who suffered burns in the attack, were admitted to Landour Community Hospital in Mussoorie.

According to the police, a petty issue over a mobile phone was the reason behind the attack

by Attar Singh (68), the boys’ grandfather from maternal side.

The doctors said the boys were out of danger but the neighbour, Ranvir Singh, had suffered severe injuries to his both eyes and required immediate surgery. They referred Ranvir to Dun Hospital.

Attar Singh, who fled from the scene last night, was arrested by the revenue police near the Ryat power project, a few kilometres from Gharkhet, after an intensive combing operation launched early in the morning. He was in possession of dynamite and a knife. He has been sent to jail.

According to Manoj, the heinous act was committed around 11.30 pm last night when his maternal grandfather Attar Singh, a resident of Sadap village, under the influence of liquor started abusing one and all from the family. Attar Singh was consuming liquor in the shop owned by the family with its shutters shut. When a mobile phone that was kept inside the shop started ringing, Manoj and Vinod pleaded to Attar Sing to let them attend to the call. But they got no response from his grandfather.

Hearing the commotion, Ranvir came out of his house and tried to convince Attar Singh to open the shutters. An enraged Attar Singh opened the shutters partially and instead of handing the mobile phone to Manoj, he threw a jug filled with sulphuric acid on the trio.

Manoj alleged that his grandfather had a history of committing such acts and also blamed him for the death of their mother whose body was found hanging from a tree in the village several years ago.

Winter Chardham Yatra to begin in December
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, October 2
Buoyed with an increase in the number of religious tourists to Chardham yatra this year, the vice-president of the Char Dham Vikas Parishad affirmed that the winter religious tourism would begin from the first week of December.

Nautiyal said the good management this year had resulted in an increase in the number of yatris to the Chardham yatra, Yamnotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath.

“I am returning from Yamnotri and have directed the authorities to repair the roads that have been damaged due to the incessant rain so that the winter religious tourism can begin in right earnest” added Surat Ram Nautiyal.

Nautiyal, speaking on the protest over the issue of newly carved out district Yamnotri, accused the opposition of playing dirty politics as the people of the region were extremely glad with this development and had hailed the government decision.

He also said it was indeed the moment of honour that one district was being named after the goddess revered by all.

Surat Ram further said the gates of the Chardham opened in April-May and closed in October and the pilgrims had to wait for the Darshan till next year. The original idols of the deities remained intact inside the closed temples but the mirror replica, also known as “Vigraha Murti” of the deities, was brought down due to the extreme winter and snow and worshiped on a daily basis.

The idols of the deities from Yamnotri were brought at Kharsali also known as Kushimath, the Gangotri deities at Mukhba Village or Mukhimath and the Badrinath deities were brought at Joshimath (Pandukehwar) and Kedarnath deities were brought at Ukhimath where the prayers would be held till the opening of the gates the next year.

He further said the buses would ply to Chardham in winters from Rishikesh.

Quake Safety Measures
Awareness programme in schools soon
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, October 2
In view of the recent earthquake in Sikkim, the Pithoragarh district administration has initiated an action plan for taking precautions and undertaking rescue operations in the wake of an earthquake as the district is listed in zone five of the active seismic zone. The main central thrust and other associated fault lines pass through the district.

The Disaster Management Department of the district has planned to run a programme in schools from the first week of October to make students aware of rescue practices at the time of earthquakes.

“We have outlined an action plan named ‘Operational procedures and action plan for an earthquake in Pithoragarh district’ and have trained the students of more than 100 schools in the district so far.Under the plan students are trained in earthquake safety measures,” said RS Rana, District Disaster Management Officer.

The earthquake information technique network in the district is also being updated as the information of tremors from the remote areas of the district is being received 4 to 5 days late at present.

“Only the accelerometer installed by the Meteorological Department of India at the district headquarters is functioning as other accelerometers installed by either the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, or by Kumaon University at Munsiyari, Dharchula and Didihat are not operational as they are feeding information four days late,” said Rana.

“The district administration on the advice of the District Magistrate has also charted out a plan to train masons working in the district in earthquake resistance housing techniques as the people constructing houses in the rural areas are still opting for stone houses instead of brick cement houses which are safer in the time of earthquake,” said Rana.

“In the seismically active zone five districts where the topographic, morphological and tectonic faults are active, the attention on the house construction practices is important,” said Rana.

Rana said during the last five years the town had followed the earthquake techniques in house construction but the people in the rural areas were less adapted to the brick cement and beam columns techniques. “Besides the improvement of construction techniques, we are also developing an effective information network in the district that could give timely information at the time of the disaster,” said Rana.

Appointments and Transfers
SCs, STs facing discrimination
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 2
Despite government orders, the Uttarakhand SC and ST Commission continues to receive a maximum number of complaints regarding failure to implement effectively the provisions of reservation policy in the government departments.

In its annual report, the commission has pointed out that members of SC and ST communities working in various departments continue to face discrimination despite the government orders issued to fully implement the reservation policy while making appointments, transfers and preparing reservation rosters.

A report recently presented to the Governor says from April 2010 to March 2011, a total of 105 complaints, pertained to failure in implementing the provisions of the reservation policy. For the same period, 30 complaints were related to transfer policy, 57 regarding land disputes, 149 regarding citizens rights and 21 related to crime against women.

Chanar, chairman of the commission, had also drawn attention towards 8,000 posts reserved for the SC members that were lying vacant in 2010 and later, the government’s effort to outsource them, thereby jeopardizing the rights of the SC members. The matter continues to remain unresolved even this year.

Buddhi Shuddhi Yajna by BJP workers
Tribune News Service

BJP workers hold a Buddhi Shuddhi Yajna on the issues of corruption and inflation in Dehradun on Sunday. Tribune photo: Anil. P. Rawat

Dehradun, October 2
Resenting the rising inflation and corruption, Dehradun unit’s Bhartiya Janata Party workers today organized a Buddhi Shuddhi Yajna at Deendayal Park, Dehradun.

Led by Dehradun BJP leader Sunil Uniyal Gama, BJP workers gathered at Deendayal Park during morning hours and performed Budhi Sudhi Yajna.

The participations at the yajna held the Congress led United Progressive Alliance government totally responsible for the rising inflation and corruption in the country.

Sunil Uniyal Gama said the inflation had crossed all limits and the people of the country were suffering due to this phenomenal rise in inflation in the recent years.

He said while inflation was taking its toll on the people, corruption at the behest of the UPA was another major challenge before the country.

A large number of BJP workers, particularly from the youth wing of the party, participated in the protest.

Record power generation by UJVNL

Dehradun, October 2
Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL) generated a record production of 626.258 Million Unit (MU) in September ever since the state was formed. Last year, the figures stood at 531.550 MU in the same month.