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Jammu gears up to usher in New Year
Police set to rein in drunk drivers
Armed forces in celebratory mood too
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Visitors explore Jammu as tourist destination
Health policy for street children sought
Srinagar Diary
Health education camp held
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Jammu gears up to usher in New Year
Jammu, December 30 The arrangements by hotels and clubs for the New Year bash are in full swing. Many musical bands and dancing troupes from different parts of the country have been invited by hotels and clubs to make their celebrations special. Amar Singh Club, a prominent club of Jammu, has invited a troupe, headed by dancer Kajal Bajwa, from Punjab. The club has restricted entry to its members and it will be charging a nominal fee of Rs 500 per couple. Reshma Thakur, a model from Mumbai, will perform at Hotel Ritz Manor on the night of December 31. She will be accompanied by a musical band from Delhi. The hotel is charging Rs 4,000 per couple that includes drinks and meal. No stag entry is allowed. Unlike previous years, Jammu Club will be witnessing a performance by a local dance troupe along with a local musical band. Many Jammuites, especially the elderly, proud of their Dogra ethos, are looking forward to the cultural night. “To witness folk dances and listen to the songs of your own soil is something I can never miss. I will go there along with my family,” said Rajinder Badgotra from Bakshi Nagar. Away from these party fireworks, there will be thousands of people who will flock to the cave shrine of Vaisho Devi to start their New Year with the blessings of the goddess. “I regularly pay obeisance at Vaishno Devi on the New Year. This way I feel that I am protected all through the year. I will be leaving for Katra tomorrow,” said Sumit Pandita on the phone from Delhi. Traders in Katra are also looking forward to the New Year rush. Samar Gupta, a dry fruit shop owner from Katra, said, “Though there is good rush of pilgrims throughout the year, on December 31, it increases manifold as devotees look to usher into the New Year with the blessings of Mata,” he said. It is not just parties and pilgrimages. There are many who love to go for holidaying on the New Year. Not surprising that many have decided to go to Patnitop, the nearest hill station. “We get full occupancy on the New Year’s eve. Weather remains beautiful. It generally snows around this time of the year and we make special arrangements for bonfire and other recreational activities. Hundreds of families as well as groups come here to enjoy the New Year,” said Kaushal Sharma, president of the Hotel Association, Patnitop, while talking to The Tribune on the phone. What’s your resolution I will try to get up early in the mornings. I want to get up at 5:30 am and I will start it in 2012. Besides, I will support the cause of Anna Hazare in 2012 and fight against corruption in a more vigorous manner My resolution is to channelise the energy of the youth of the state in the best possible way so that their potential can be explored and utilised effectively I will start an awareness campaign in the state to encourage people to prepare for the civil services examinations so that more and more youth from our state are able to make it to the bureaucracy. This year I will take out some time for myself. Every year, I think about serving the people. This year, I will continue to do that, but apart from that my resolution will be to give time to myself as well I will join gym and will try to continue it throughout the year so that I remain fit. And my second resolution is to get a new car for myself I will try to manage my finances in a better way. Last year, I could not achieve it. This year, I will try to be successful I want to be a part of the UN peacekeeping force. It has always been a dream and I will try to make it a reality in 2012. Every year, I make a resolution to study in a disciplined way, but fail to do so. This year, my resolution is the same and I will try my best to achieve it |
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Police set to rein in drunk drivers
Jammu, December 30 The police has constituted special squads to check drunk driving. It has issued advisories to hotels, clubs, banquet halls and restaurants organising New Year parties to make arrangements for transporting drunk people to their residence. “Police personnel will remain on duty outside all clubs, hotels, banquet halls and restaurants from where people are likely to drive back after New Year celebrations. As drunk driving causes a majority of road mishaps, we don’t want to take any chances. We will not spare anyone who resorts to hooliganism and rash driving,” JS Johar, SP City (North) Jammu, told
The Tribune. IGP Hemant Kumar Lohia, said, “We have asked all hotels, restaurants, clubs and banquet halls to advise people not to take excess alcohol and if someone is not in a position to drive, they should make suitable arrangements to ensure that such people reach home safely. Lohia said they had issued the same advisory last year, which resulted in “incident-free” celebrations in the state, especially in Jammu. A senior official said hoteliers and the management of clubs and restaurants would be allowed to organise New Year celebrations if they had sought permission from the district administration. |
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Armed forces in celebratory mood too
Jammu, December 30 “Like every year, we will organise a special ‘bara khana’ for our jawans on the IB on the eve of New Year where officers mingle with them to celebrate the occasion,” said JS Oberoi, BSF Jammu Frontier's DIG (G). At the BSF headquarters in Paloura, off duty jawans celebrate the occasion with officers during lunch and then in the evening, officers go to their mess along with their families, he added. The celebrations go on till midnight where jawans indulge in songs and dance around a bonfire, but along the IB, guard is never lowered, said the DIG. Similarly, the Army also organises “bara khana” for its officers and soldiers at their respective units. “We celebrate the occasion at forward locations during the day because we cannot celebrate in the night,” said an officer of the 16 Corps. Officers and soldiers distribute sweets and greet each other to welcome the New Year, he said. However, officers at various headquarters like in Nagrota, Udhampur and in Jammu go to officers' mess. “We can not afford to lower the guard along the LoC,” he said. The CRPF, which has been into duties like maintaining law and order, counter insurgency operations, guarding vital installations like Raj Bhavan, airport, railway station, Doordarshan Kendra and VIP residences, marks the occasion by organising sainik sammelans at their respective units. Bara Khana and cultural programmes under the supervision of respective commandants mark the occasion, said a CRPF officer.
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Visitors explore Jammu as tourist destination
Jammu, December 30 However, the people who recently made their maiden trip to Jammu hold an altogether different opinion. In the state to attend a refresher course organised by the University of Jammu, Aysha Swapna, Assistant Professor English, Farook College, Calicut, said, “Earlier we had certain apprehensions because everybody discouraged us from visiting Jammu. We got the message that it was not safe yet. But it has been a wonderful experience here and I can say the place is as calm and peaceful as any other state of India”. She said that during her 21 day-stay in the temple city, their team visited tourist destinations including Mansar, Sanasar, Patnitop Hari Palace, Bawe Temple, Bagh-e-bahu and many other adjoining spots. Aysha said, “Jammu does have tourism potential, we regret having refrained ourselves from touring this beautiful place earlier”. If linked with Kashmir, it could be a wonderful package for the tourists. “We will definitely enlighten the people at our native place about the real picture of J&K,” she said. “Most amazingly, we like to spent most of the time sitting in the sun during daytime. We enjoy the sunny days which we usually avoid in Kerala,” she said, admitting it to be the best part of her visit. The residents of J&K should make optimum use of the websites these days, she advised city denizens. “I think internet is one of the best medium to popularise the place. J&K still needs a lot to do in this regard, “she added. Najidha S, Assistant Professor, Physics, Government College, Kodencherya said, “We witnessed that steps are being taken by the government to bring back normalcy in the state. People from the South have some wrong notions about the state”. Dr Ranjit Kalra, Assistant Professor, Academic Staff College, University of Jammu said, “Our department frequently holds such programmes which involves participation of people from other states too. The aim is to provide them an opportunity to learn and explore the state.” “In this particular refresher course, we received considerable response from Punjab, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and some other states,” he added.
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Health policy for street children sought
Jammu, December 30 Addressing a gathering of street children, enrolled under Project PAHL of the Damodhar Satri Udyog Sanstha, Ravinder said street children must be screened timely by setting up regular health check-up camps near their houses. “There is an urgent need to spread more awareness among parents and weaker sections of society not to ignore the health concerns of small children and regularly attend health check-up camps in the vicinity of their houses,” Sharma said. He said, along with the state government, private sector companies should also come forward to focus their attention on street children so as to check the infant mortality rate by providing quality health care services. On the occasion, Ravinder also distributed warm clothes among street children enrolled under Project PAHL. Appreciating the team members of Project PAHL, Sharma said the model adopted by them should be replicated to enrol more and more street children under the same pattern to boost the literacy rate and realise the dream of providing compulsory primary education to all children. At present, 210 street children hailing from Naxal-hit states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, backward regions of Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand are enrolled under Project
PAHL. The secretary, Damodhar Satri Udyog Sanstha, Sunita Chandra, briefed the Congress MLC about the future vision of Project PAHL. Sunita said five years ago, they had started by enrolling more and more street children engaged in rag-picking and other petty works to earn their livelihood, and now they were going to consolidate by starting more such centres in the nearby areas of Talab Tillo, Bhagwati Nagar, Jeewan Nagar, etc. The principal of Jesus Care Convent School, Renu Antony, appreciated the efforts of team PAHL and pledged all possible support to them to ensure bright future of street children. Volunteers Jasmeet Singh, Rajesh Gupta, college student Sughand Gupta and faculty member Sukanya Chib were also present on the occasion and conducted the cultural programme. Vote of thanks was presented by Jasmeet Singh thanking MLC Ravinder Sharma for sparing valuable time and pledging his support to the noble cause.
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Srinagar Diary By autumn, most of these stocks are exhausted which get more snow in the upper reaches from time to time. However, due to low temperatures during the winter months, there is hardly any possibility of melting down of snow. Though one can still spot houseboats and shikaras in the Jhleum and other lakes, these have been pushed to the banks due to low water level. The water due to sub-zero temperature freezes many times. The shikaras and boats even touch the river base at some places (see photo). Nevertheless, such conditions give youngsters an opportunity to play cricket on the river bed. Some cheer for cinema lovers Due to the volatile situation in the Valley, cultural activities here take a hit. But earlier this week, cinema lovers of the Valley got something to cheer about as the premiere of a locally made Urdu movie was held in the city. “Khudi - The Fountainhead”, directed by a young local filmmaker, Ali Emran Kureshi, was screened at the IMPA Auditorium located on the Maulana Azad Road. The film, which is loosely based on Ayn Rand’s bestseller novel “The Fountainhead”, attracted a small but a decent audience. The film was screened just days after the recent suggestion of Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah to open more cinema halls and liquor shops in Kashmir had triggered a heated debate. While the movie evoked a mixed response, the entire audience at the IMPA auditorium agreed over one point. Almost everyone present was heard saying and also hoping that the city gets to see similar functions in the future as well. (Contributed by Ehsan Fazili and M Aamir Khan)
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Health education camp held
Udhampur, December 30 The basic purpose behind organising this event was to impart knowledge about basic tips regarding the maintenance of health and hygiene before the onset of winter and snowy season in this high-altitude area. The chief guest, SDM Amit Sharma, talked about the usage of age-old methodologies such as yoga, pranayam, meditation and intake of healthy, nutritious and fibrous diet to ensure negligible rate of health hazards in the entire sub-division. He emphasised on community participation in this context through newly elected panchayats, especially teaching fraternity, who should assume the mentoring role. He advised the younger participants against falling prey to fatalistic tendencies such as smoking, drinking and drug addiction. Block Medical Officer (BMO), Ramnagar, Dr Rajesh Gupta talked at length about various kinds of diseases related to different parts of body which spread in the upcoming severe winter months either due to cold or viral infections and mentioned about the precautions which should be taken to prevent them. He assured the participants that the services of the Health Department would always be at their disposal and they should take immediate steps to take the patients to nearest health centres in case of emergencies rather than trying local hit-and-trial methods to treat them. District Officer, Department of S&T, Udhampur, Dr Sanjay Kharoo, spoke about various kinds of technological advances in the medical world. He also motivated the youngsters to develop scientific temper and logical reasoning which can help them in becoming better citizens of the future. SDPO Ramnagar Veerinder Bhat, ZEO Ramnagar, ZEO Kulwanta, SHO Ramnagar, Principal GHSS Marta Bhat, sarpanch Marta and prominent residents were present on the occasion.
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With the onset the harshest winter period, water bodies in Kashmir get almost dried up and present a deserted look. It happens only in Kashmir as the heavy stocks of snow melt down partially during summer months filling up streams all around the valley.