Mandi/Kullu, September 17
As timber distribution (TD) to right holders stands banned, timber smuggling and illicit felling have been going on unchecked as about 405 posts of forest guard are lying vacant in the state Forest Department.

Though the department had started the process to fill 205 posts of forest guard, by the time it would fill these posts, another 100 forest guards would be retiring, bringing the things back to square one, insiders said.

Timber had become unaffordable for the common man. A deodar slipper costs Rs 6,800 at a sale depot and invites a tax of 17 per cent besides transportation and labour charges, timber distribution right holders said.

Timber mafias, who also double as forest contractors, virtually get a free run in the deodar-rich forests. They supply timber to private dealers, contractors and individuals to make buildings at half of the market rates, sources said.

The state has banned green felling and TD after the High Court ordered a blanket ban. The right holders are not getting timber for making houses as the forest corporation depots are not available in the rural pockets of the state.

The state Forest Corporation runs six Himcast Sale Depots (HSD), including Dhanotu in Mandi, Swarghat in Bilaspur, Mantura in Sirmaur, Bhadroh, near Pathankot, and Baddi in Solan. These depots offer an open auction for bidders every year, but there is no such facility for villagers needing timber for making houses.

“Most of the timber feeding the HSDs comes from annual salvage felling in various forest divisions in the state. However, the sale at these depots remains more or less static over the years,” the insiders said.

This is ironical as the demand for timber has multiplied due to construction activity across the state and outside. But the sale of timber at the forest corporation depots remains the same.

This shows that the demand is being met from private depots or from timber smuggling feeding the sale-cum-timber merchants, the sources said. Tirthan, Jana, Halaan and Naggar, Lug Valley, Soja and Solang valleys near Manali in Kullu district, Janjheli-Thatchi-Thunag-Shikari Devi-Chatri-Nihri-Rohanda belt and the Jahtingri-Barot-Chauhar- Katola-Kanda-Parashar belt in Mandi district have become the hot spot of timber smuggling in the Mandi-Kullu region over the last few years.

“Mandi needs 48 forest guards and we are filling 24 posts to take care of all the forest beats in the Mandi circle,” said Harshvardhan Kathuria, conservator of forests, Mandi, adding they along with the police had nabbed timber smugglers.

“Kullu needs 27 forest guards and we will fill six posts by October,” said Girish Hastur, conservator of forests, Kullu. “We have over 50 cases in Kullu district after smuggled timber was confiscated by the forest, police and vigilance authorities,” he added.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests RK Gupta said the department had an effective mechanism to check timber smuggling and illicit felling in the state. About 205 posts of forest guard would be filled in two months time and the remaining posts were also being filled as it was a regular process, he added.

Timber mafias, who also double as forest contractors, virtually get a free run in the deodar-rich forests. They supply timber to private dealers, contractors and individuals to make buildings at half of the market rates
— Sources

Solan, September 17
With the fund constrains preventing proper maintenance of roads in the industrial hub of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN), people are being forced to pass through potholed roads, which is not only adding to their woes but also reflecting the priorities of the state. The plight of internal roads in the industrial corridor is the worst though the National Highway-21 has been repaired again and again.

"The poor maintenance of the road leading to Housing Board Colony in Baddi has created a situation where it is impossible to figure out whether a road exist or not in the area," regretted Rajinder Kumar, a resident of the area.

Investors rued that though the successive state governments had allowed the industry to grow in every nook and corner of the industrial hub, the approaching road to places like Lodhi Majra, Kishenpura and the Export Promotion Industrial Park needed repair.

The plight of the Nalagarh-Ropar-Ghanoli road and the Nalagarh-Swarghat road was among the worst and in the past investors had even initiated a hunger strike to press for their immediate repair . This extreme measure, however, led to a limited relief as the Public Works Department carried out cursory repairs but later left the road to face more damages.

Shimla, September 17
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh will flag off the 15th Raid-de-Himalaya from here on October 5.

VC Pharka, Principal Secretary, Youth Services and Sports, while presiding over a meeting convened to coordinate necessary arrangements for organising the event, said here on Wednesday that the actual competitive rally would start from October 6. He said the first leg of the event would finish on the same day.

After taking off from Shimla, the rally would pass through Matiyana, Nag Jubbar, Kotighat, Kangal, Jhanjeli, Chamola, Luhri, Jameri, Panjvi, Karki, Koti, Batore, Shush, Khanag and rest at Manali. In the second leg on October 7, it would pass through Palchan, Marhi, Rohtang Pass, Gramphoo, Chattru, Chotta Darra, Batal, Chandertal, Kunzum La, Takcha, Losar and halt at Kaza.

On October 8, the rally would move through Hikkim, Langza, Komik, Demul, Lidang, Atargo, Lingti, Dhankar, Sichiling and return to Kaza. On the following day, it would cross Keylong, Sarchu and halt for the night at Pang and negotiate some high mountain passes like the Tanglangla to reach Leh in Jammu and Kashmir on October 10. The event would conclude after touching Wari La and Khalsar on the final day and the prize distribution ceremony would be held there on October 12.

He said 150 teams from the country and abroad would participate in the event and the Raid would run two parallel categories, the Xtreme and the Adventure Trial. The state government would provide helicopter services to meet any emergency during the event.

Pharka directed the Police and Health Departments to nominate nodal officers for the event for better coordination in their respective districts.

The event is being organised by the Himalayan Motorsport Association. 

Chamba, September 17
Here’s a good news for the people of Chamba. The much-talked about inhabited area from Parelghar to Golli has been excluded from the Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary and de-notified by the Government of India.

This information was given by the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Dalhousie, to Chamba District Progressive Council general secretary Gurmukh Singh Bedi under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.

Following this information, Chamba District Progressive Council president Hari Ram Puri and general secretary Gurmukh Singh Bedi again urged the government to undertake the widening of this portion of the Chamba-Pathankot highway.

"This portion of the highway is having a length of about 25 km has been hampering the movement of traffic for long," they said. They added that the highway was the only way through which the district headquarter town of Chamba was connected with the outer world.

Both the office-bearers of the council said as this portion of the highway was within the periphery of the Kalatop-Wildlife Sanctuary, widening of the road could not be carried out.

They said the decision was the result of the persistent endeavours of the council.

"Apart from the highway, other developmental works would also come up for the well-being of the residents, they said.

They appealed to Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri to take up the widening of the road. 

Mandi/Keylong, September 17
The traditional iron-rich crops “amaranth” (chaulai), “kodra”(jawar-bajra), “kaalan” (rice), “kathu” (buck wheat), which were once the staple diet of the people living in hills, have been pushed to the brink by cash crops. The Agricultural Department had no scheme to preserve these crops, sources said.

Farmers in Chatriyana, Badu, Chaswal, Kharwasra, Garli and Dharwar have taken an initiative to preserve and protect these traditional crops.

"The Agricultural Department has no policy to preserve, protect and promote these crops. As a result, these have disappeared from the fields," said Shiv Ram and Hem Chand, both farmers of Chatroiyana, Dharampur, Mandi.

They have grown “kodra”, turmeric and yam. Members of the Himachal Kisan Sabha have introduced turmeric and yam in Dharwar, Darampur, on experimental basis due to the monkey menace. "These crops have roots and monkeys do not eat them," said Bhupender Singh, secretary, HKS.

The HKS has proposed NABARD to set up a seed bank of these traditional crops at Dharwar," said farmers.

"Amaranth", "chaulai", found to be a rich source of iron and green calcium, used to be staple diet of people in the Mandi-Kullu-Shimla apple belt. But, the apple economy has thrown the crops out of existence and these are now found in the remotest pockets of Dodra Kwar in Rohru and the Chehta area of Chopal besides parts of the inner and outer Seraj valley.

"Amaranth is the richest source of iron. its green leaves used to be given to a pregnant woman as these are a rich source of calcium,” says a agricultural scientist.

Similarly, buck wheat used to be the staple diet of Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur and Malana areas. In Malana, villagers have grown fascination for the easy money-spinning hybrid

cannabis crop, and pulses. In the tribal belt, buck wheat has been pushed out of existence by cash crops like peas, potatoes, vegetables and apple. “We have

not seen the cultivation of buck wheat, which is now considered to be a poor man’s meal ,” said Ajey, a writer from Lahaul.

Harish Jamval, Deputy Director, Agriculture, said they had distributed a few kilograms of “kodra” among farmers last year. There is no policy to promote the traditional foodgrains as of now in the state and seeds are being preserved by some farmers,” he added.

Paonta Sahib, September 17
Dairy farming has revolutionised the life of 63-year-old Amarjeet Singh, a resident of Devinagar, near Paonta Sahib.

About 35-years ago, when he ventured into dairy farming with a buffalo and two cows, this seemed to be a natural choice for Singh as he hails from an 
agrarian community.

He graduated in 1978 and like any ordinary man cherished dreamt of joining a government job, but his father’s illness forced him to take care of his family.

Recalling his early days of struggle, he said he had availed a loan of Rs 18,000 from a bank in 1985 and constructed a shed after buying some cattle. Having little experience in this field, he went to a Karnal-based dairy research centre to acquire the basic knowhow and this helped him cope up with the teething problems.

Today after investing nearly 25 years in this field, his daily yield of milk is 1.5 to 2 quintal and he doesn’t need to make efforts to sell the milk as it is readily sold from his home. Going a step ahead, Singh has mechanised his work after buying a machine worth Rs 60,000.

He has also bore tubewells after obtaining subsidy from the state government to make sufficient water available for his cattle and farms where he is also practising agriculture.

With good quality milk becoming scarce due to decline in dairy farming Amarjeet’s milk is a ready sell out and people flock his house to collect milk.

Today, he is a successful farmer who had given employment to three people.

Talking about the problems facing the agriculture sector, he said apart from the high interest rate of schemes like the “Dood Ganga Yojna”, the farmers face pressure from the banks where they had to pledge their papers for obtaining loans. “Since the attitude of the bankers is not very facilitative, the government schemes fail to prove as beneficial to the farmers as desired,” he added.

He said in order to increase the utility of such schemes they should be more realistic and should keep in mind the ground realities which includes relaxation in the high interest rates.

Dr Rajiv Khurana, a senior veterinary doctor, while lauding his efforts, said Amarjeet was a progressive farmer of the area who had done exemplary work. He was also providing training to other farmers of the area in a training school being run by him at his farm.

Singh has also encouraged his son to join him after completing BCom as he believes education can add to dairy farming which has helped him stand on his feet and also set an example of perseverance and hard work.

Chamba, September 17
After the withdrawal of the Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) from the Chamba borders of the state adjacent to the Jammu and Kashmir borders, six outer check posts (OCPs) have been set up at susceptible places on the timberline in the Kihar and Tissa security sectors. It is in addition to Khundi Mural with a view to keeping round-the-clock surveillance on the movement of anti-national elements.

These OCPs are being manned by the recently-deployed 6th Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) in place of the ITBP.

The Inspector General of Police, North Range, Dharamsala, Rakesh Aggarwal, toured the border areas and took stock of the deployment of security personnel at Satrundi, Saach Pass, Tarela, Bhanjraru and other places adjoining the J&K border areas recently.

Aggarwal said the security jawans of the 6th Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) had been deployed in place of the ITBP which had been withdrawn from the borderland by the government about six months ago.

The Inspector General had an interaction with the security jawans manning the ‘long-range patrolling’ and observed that the confidence level of their morale and working capacity was high.

The outer check points set up on the borderline were being visited by the police scrutiny officers regularly who were also taking stock of the security situation on the borders so that the feeling of security and confidence could prevail among the people residing on the borderland, the IG said.

The IG also inspected the police lines at Chamba and had interaction with the police officials about their welfare activities and impressed upon them to popularise the ‘community policing’ among the public thereby generating harmonious relations between the public and the police.

Jagat Ram, Superintendent of Police, Chamba, also accompanied the IG during his visit to the district.

Hamirpur, September 17
A post graduate trained teacher (PGT) at Sainik School, Sujapur, has recently been awarded at the national-level for excellence in teaching.

Meenakshi Rana, a chemistry teacher , has been teaching in the school for the last 19 years and her name was recommended for the national award due to her dedication towards woek, sincere efforts and strong determination.

Rana has also played a special role in motivating Sainik school cadets for the International Science Olympiad. She is the only teacher in 21 sainik schools of the country to get this award.

Speaking about her achievement, she said, “I always believed in hard work and and believe that one should not get discouraged at any point of life as hard work never goes waste.”

Belonging to a family of teachers, she had her preliminary education at Hamirpur and completed her MSc degree from Kurukeshtra University. The teachers and the students of the school congratulated Meenakshi Rana for her this achievement and organised a programme to honour her. 

IT was my second trip to Kullu in a span of 60 days. The State Academy of Arts, Culture and Language had arranged a seminar there and I was to read a paper on, “Himachal Pradesh Mein Lok-Natya Lekhan Parampara”. Dr Devendra Gupta, Director of the Department of Language and Culture, was with me and I rode to Kullu and back in his official vehicle. When we were returning to Shimla, I requested him to have a glimpse at the Visesvar Mahadev Temple at Bajaura and enjoy the richness of carvings in the exterior of the shrine. He agreed and we took a turn to the left from the middle of the bazaar at Bajaura, 15 km from Kullu. Hardly had we driven 200 metres, there stood in front of us, popularly known as, ‘Bajaura temple’ in all its glory (see photo).

It was not my first visit to the temple, but I was awestruck by the dexterity and sensitivity displayed by the sculptor’s hand in giving architectural integrity to the edifice. Different experts have given different dates of the creation of the temple, but Vishwa Chander Ohri, our own expert, agrees with Herman Goetz and says, “The proposition of Goetz appears more plausible who suggests that the temple was built in the period of Yasovarman of Kannauj, that is, in the mid-eighth century”.

Ronald M Bernier of the ‘Himalayan Towers’ also assigns mid-eighth century period for its construction and adds, “It illustrates the struggle that seems to occur between architecture and sculpture when each lays claim to dominance over the other”.

Ohri has one more point to establish his stance through an eighth-century idol of Vishnu lying in a damaged condition on the premises of the temple.

The garbh-griha or sanctum sanctorum of the temple measuring 8 ft 6 inches by 7 ft 2 inches, with a large stone-‘linga’ as sign of Shiva in the centre, has no ‘pradikshna’ path in it. A few other art-works that cannot be missed in the temple are the triple-faced medallions called ‘bhadramukhas’ that appear on all four sides of the tower and ‘amalaka’ -the sun disc at the top of the tapering tower - Harcourt’s ‘pressed pumpkin or melon’.

There are images of deities chiselled in the niches of the temple about whom J Ph Vogel writes: “That on the south side shows the familiar figure of the elephant-headed Ganesha seated on a lotus throne supported by two lions on the front. The sculpture in the back or west niche is a beautifully carved image of Vishnu standing in front between two miniature attendant figures. The third image, which is placed on the north side, represents the goddess Durga in the act of 
slaying demons”.

I am highly impressed by the chiselling of Durga relief and bow to the hand that crafted it certainly in a period later than the eighth century (see photo). If you concentrate on the photograph, you find that the carcass of Mahishasur slain by the Devi lying on her feet and the ‘Ashtbhuja’ with one of her right hands is plunging a trident into the body of a demon and with one of her left hands pulling his tuft of hair who is struggling in her grip and there is another demon trying to attack the Devi from her back. Durga Saptshati unfolds that the goddess had killed nine demons in this order, Madhu, Kaitabh, Mahishasur, Dhoomralochan, Chand, Mund, Raktabeej, Nisumbh and Shumbh.

In majority of works, the goddess is shown killing the buffalo-demon (Mahishasur) and that is why one of her names if Mahishasurmardini. It is different in this relief and that attracts me. Who could this demon be? It could be Shumbh because the sloka of Saptshati “Tamaayantam Tato Devi Sarvadaityajaneshwaram; Jagatyaam Paatyaamaas Bhitva Shoolein Vakshsi” (Then the Devi seeing the angry demon coming towards her threw him on the ground and pierced his chest with trident.) fits into the creation. The demon trying to attack the Devi from behind could not be Nishumbh because the Devi had already slain that demon. It could be one of the soldiers in the army of Shumbh. It is a must visit place for a visitor to Kullu.

A month-long All-India Art Exhibition being held at the State Museum here has provided art lovers the opportunity to savour the works of accomplished artists from across the country.

The works on display were selected by a three-member expert committee comprising Santosh Verma, Tirthankar Vishwas and Samuel Masih. In all, 139 artists had submitted 228 works and the committee selected 84 works of 64 artists to ensure that only the best were on display.

Palampur, September 17
Over 40,000 residents of Palampur town residing in Panchyat areas have been crying for attention of the state government. The areas are in a state of neglect and no development activities have taken place in Ghuggar, Aima, Bundla, Bindravan and Lohana which falls in the rural areas of Palampur and governed by the panchyats.

Most of the roads, drinking water supply schemes and the power board installations are in a bad shape and are causing inconvenience to the common man.

It may be recalled that one dozen adjoining panchyats of Palampur town were yet to get sewerage facility. State government has already provided sewerage facility to the residents of the Palampur Municipal Council with a population of only 4,000 people. Over 40,000 residents of panchayat areas had been waiting for sewerage facility since 2006. Proposal for the sewerage facility in the satellite areas of Palampur town had been hanging fire for the last ten years. A necessary detailed project report (DPR) and other documents had already been sent to the state government for the approval but till date no funds have been sanctioned.

According to the information gathered by The Tribune, it is revealed that in 2006, Chief Minister Vir Bhadara Singh agreed to provide the sewerage facility to the left out areas of Palampur town. A project of Rs 10 crore was also prepared on the directions of Chief Minister by the Irrigation and Public Health Department (IPH) which was also approved by the state government in 2007.

It may be recalled that in the absence of the sewerage facility in panchyat areas, most of the residents have been throwing garbage in Kirpal Chand Kuhal and other irrigation channels, polluting the water sources which are the lifeline of one lakh residents living in lower areas of Palampur. 

Bilaspur, September 17
The state government has sent a detailed report of a Rs 59.54-crore project for Bilaspur district to the Centre for its sanction. The project, under the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, is aimed at ensuring cleanliness in all the gram panchayats of the district by March 2015.

This was stated by Deputy Commissioner Ajay Sharma while addressing mediapersons here on Thursday. He said recently Ghumarwin Development Block had won the first prize in the state and 80 out of 151 gram panchayats had won prizes under the scheme till now in the district.

Sharma said a lot needed to be done to make villages clean to root rout diseases, 80 per cent of which were caused by unhygienic conditions.

He said, "We have a long way to go in this regard as all the slums do not have the facility of lavatories. Even labour colonies made by contractors are without this facility." He said directions to ensure the facility at the earliest had been given.

The Deputy Commissioner said there was also a need to spread awareness among villagers about the significance of cleanliness so that they did not litter garbage here and there and degradable and non-degradable waste was disposed of scientifically.

He lamented that several bus stands, village centre bazaars and other public places still lacked the facility of lavatories.

The Deputy Commissioner said 936 schools, 412 anganwadis and 64 public places had been provided with lavatories in the district till now and more would be arranged soon. He urged villagers to keep their homes and surroundings clean. 

Palampur, September 17
Following a crackdown on illegal mining in the district, tractor-trailer owners of the district announced to launch a statewide agitation to press for the eco-friendly mining policy so that thousands of tractor-trailer owners engaged in the carrying of building material from the local streams could be protected. They said the government should allow scientific and legal mining.

In support of their demands, hundreds of tractor-trailer owners held meetings at Dehara Gopipur, Palampur, Kangra, Sahapur,Dheera, Thrual and Jaisinghpur and urged the government to come out with a new mining policy within 15 days. They said they would hand over their tractor-trailers to the tehsildars and SDMs of the region if their demand was not met .

A deputation of tractor-trailer owners’ union submitted a memorandum to the SDM, Dehara Gopipur, in this regard and urged him to forward it to the state government for an early action.

They told the SDM that they were opposed to the illegal mining and were ready to pay royalty if it was fixed by the 
government and would support the eco-friendly mining policy of the state government.

They said if mining was not allowed, over 300 tractor-trailer owners in Palampur would be rendered jobless.

The SDM categorically told them that as per the policy of the state government, no mining would be allowed from the local rivers till the new mining policy was announced by the government . He asked the tractor-trailer owners to wait for the new orders of the state government.

Meanwhile, tractor-trailer owners of the Changar area held a meeting at Jaisinghpur, in which over 100 people participated.

They submitted a memorandum to the tehsildar and demanded an eco-friendly mining policy. They also submitted a memorandum to the SDM, Kangra, in this regard.

Chamba, September 17
The art of painting that prevailed in the hills from 17th to 19th centuries is known as Pahari painting. Guler, Kangra and Chamba were the major centres of painting activities where this art flourished under the parasol of Pahari rulers and the court painters were required to fulfil the aspirations of the hill chiefs.

The painters also embellished the architectural edifices of temples and royal palaces. The murals of Devi-Kothi temple, Rangmahal and Akhand Chandi palaces of Chamba confirm this fact. The resources of Chamba being limited, its rulers had introduced Bangdwari painting on the occasion of marriage for providing the patronage to the painters. In the room where the wedding used to take place, a small part of the wall was also decorated with the depiction of ‘dehra’, a small shrine topped by a stripped dome. The inner chamber of ‘dehra’ was decorated with the figures of Kamadeva (love-god) and his consort, Rati. The work of the ceremonial painting was done by the members of Manikanth painters of Chamba on a rotational basis. The painter was invited to paint Bangdwari and after the completion of the work, they were sumptuously rewarded by the patron with food grain, clothes, and money. The family members of the painter were also invited for the feast (locally called ‘dham’).

In the beginning of the 20th century, Sohnu and Jawahar were the Chamba painters whose specimens of works were preserved in the Bhuri Singh Museum in Chamba. Prem Lal and Hira Lal also actively painted the Bangdwari and other ritual paintings.

However, Prem Lal died in 1974. He was a versatile artist and he revived the tradition of painting in Chamba. Some of his works are also preserved in the Chamba museum. Hansraj Dhiman, the gifted son of late Prem Lal Dhiman is an accomplished artist who is not only well-versed in the Bangdwari painting but is also responsible for the revival of the languishing pictorial handicrafts of Chamba rumal. Retired from the State Handicrafts Corporation as a designer, Hansraj Dhiman has given a new lease of life to the traditional paintings and the Bangdwari paintings in particular. 

Kangra, September 17
A state-wide campaign “Holistic Health and Students” was organised by Dr RP Government Medical College in Tanda under the aegis of the Aman Kachroo Trust in Himachal Pradesh and the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM ), which was inaugurated by Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur in a function held in the auditorium of Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla recently.

A booklet titled 'Holistic Health and Students' was released on the occasion.

Dr Anil Chauhan, principal of DRPGMC, Tanda, said the booklet consisted of chapters on history and laws related to ragging, substance abuse in students, moral values and the youth, role of yoga in students life, lifestyle modifications for better health, role of sports in students’ life and Vivekananda, an icon for the Indian youth.

He said another booklet titled 'Anti-ragging Rules and Regulations', a poster in hindi and english and badges in hindi and english were also released on the occasion to help in spreading awareness about the theme of the campaign.

Scholarships of Rs 3,000 per month was also awarded by the chief guest to two students each from Dr RP Government Medical College, Tanda, IGMC, Shimla, HP Dental College, Shimla, and HP Nursing College, Shimla.

Dr Parveen Sharma, associate professor, Department of Pharmacology, DRPGMC, Tanda, introduced the students of IGMC Shimla, Dental College, Shimla and Nursing College, Shimla to the concept of holistic health for students and stressed on the three dimensional approach to health i.e. physical health, social health and mental and spiritual health. He stressed that the concept was being forgotten in the present world of the competitive education.

Dr Mamta Mokta, professor, Department of Public Administration of Himachal Pradesh University, sensitised the students about the sexual harassment during the present times.

Professor ADN Bajpai delivered a knowledgeable oration stressing on the need of spirituality in the life of a student. He enlightened the gathering and made them realise that spirituality was different from religion and that both should not be mixed. He also said that it should be an integral part of a human being. He invited the organisers to have a session in the university.

Chief Guest Kaul Singh Thakur urged the students to stay away from ragging and develop a healthy atmosphere in the campus. He also urged the senior students to love their juniors and help them get settled in the new atmosphere.