international seminar on sanskrit 
Bangladesh defied attempts to sow religious radicalism 
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

There are several activists and writers who had suffered the worst persecution here during the freedom movement, but they never left their country and sought asylum elsewhere. I would ask Taslima to return home and be brave enough to face it all. She has enough support back home Lubna Marium,  A sanskrit scholar from Bangladesh

Dehradun, September 27
Artist, director, writer and Sanskrit scholar Lubna Marium from Bangladesh is of the view that all efforts to sow seeds of radicalism in the Islamic Republic of Bangladesh have proved unsuccessful in the face of strong tradition among Bengali people to constantly inquire and engage in search of inner reality as represented by the wandering minstrels or Bauls.

Lubna, who is the lone delegate from Bangladesh at the ongoing international seminar on Sanskrit, said, “Both East and West Bengal are purveyors of rich tradition of performance based rituals, an expression of free will and action as practised by the Bauls, a repository of Buddhist, and Vaishnavism traditions.”

At the seminar she presented a paper tracing the unique religious and cultural heritage of Bengal. A major part of her education was at Shantiniketan and Sagar University.

She sympathised with the plight of Bangladesh writer Taslima Nasreen, who had been granted asylum in India, and said the writer should return home and take on the right wingers. “There are several activists and writers who had suffered the worst persecution here during the freedom movement, but they never left their country and sought asylum elsewhere. I would ask Taslima to return home and be brave enough to face it all. She has enough support back home,” said Lubna.

As Director of Shadhona, Lubna is credited with reviving Chariya Nritya, a dance based on Vajrayana Buddhism and sung in the old Bangla language. “Priests were against the public performance of the religious ritual, but in 1956 after a conference, it was unanimously decided to allow public performances so as to keep the art alive,” she added.

Meanwhile, Sanskrit is studied in six top universities in Bangladesh and is offered in schools to Hindu students. It is the dwindling population of Hindus in Bangladesh that worries Lubna. “Once, the Hindus were in a sizeable number in Bangladesh. But now they are just 8 per cent of the total population. This is a black spot on the history of our country,” she noted.

Scholars want Sanskrit texts translated

On the second day of the international seminar on Sanskrit, scholars stressed on the need to translate works of Sanskrit in different languages and also said that the knowledge of Sanskrit was essential in spreading the message of world peace.

During the six technical sessions held today, around 100 scholars presented their papers before the Governor of Uttarakhand Aziz Qureshi.

The scholars deliberated on the efforts to translate Sanskrit works in different languages so that the rich knowledge in the traditional scriptures, science and art is easily accessible to a wider population.

Speaking on the occasion Prof Ramkripal Tripathi said that Sanskrit language has been referred to as the language of the Devtas as whoever acquires the knowledge of the language does not have to worry about earning a livelihood or people’s respect.

Scholars also revealed before the audience the rich texts available in Sanskrit on economic, political affairs and world peace.

Prof RC Sharma of Garhwal University said that the solution to world conflicts can be found in Sanskrit Vagmaya. In the evening the delegates were taken to witness the world famous Ganga arti held at Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh. 

Street play staged on Bhagat Singh’s birthday
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 27
Bharatiya Jan Natya Sangh today organised a street play at Gandhi Park Dehradun on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The street play started with Yogesh Mahendra, president of Bharatiya Jan Natya Sangh, garlanding the portrait of Bhagat Singh. The street play “Kasur Kis Ka” staged on the occasion focused on women empowerment. The issue of women harassment in particular was highlighted in the play.

Yogesh Mahendra said an awareness towards giving equal rights to women was the need of the hour. Udita, Ayushi, Abhilash, Amardeep, Ashok and Vikram Singh Pundir took part in the play. 

Two constables catch thief 
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 27
A night patrolling police team caught a thief, who broke into a mobile phone shop, at the Gumaaniwala market in the Shyampur police post area last night. Constables Manoj Negi and Mukesh were on night patrolling duty when they spotted the shutter of a shop of mobile phones open and somebody inside.

The night patrolling police team also found that the shutter of a confectionery shop was also open.

They immediately called up the owners of the shops on their phone numbers mentioned on their shops.

The constables entered the mobile phone shop and caught a person putting phones in his bag. The thief was identified as Madan Lal, a native of Ferozepur in Punjab.

They recovered 17 mobile phones from his bag, besides other goods that he had stolen from the confectionery shop.

Meanwhile, SSP Ajay Rautela has announced a reward of Rs 1,000 each for the two constables for their bravery.

Oak Grove School overall winner of painting contest
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, September 27
Oak Grove School were declared the overall winner of the 25th Master Naveen Sharma Memorial Painting Competition held at Gandhi Niwas Society in Mussoorie today. The theme of the competition in the senior division was “India Mission to Mars”, “Birds” in the junior division and “Environment” was the theme in the sub-junior division.

Another robbery in Sahaspur area
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 27
In yet another incident of robbery, armed robbers broke into a house at Jassuwala locality in the Sahaspur police station area and decamped with cash, jewellery and a sports utility vehicle (SUV) on Friday night.

According to the Sahaspur police, seven to eight armed men broke into the house of Gurupal Saini and Renu Saini on Friday night and held all the family members at gunpoint. They asked them to give them all the cash and jewellery kept in the house. After forcibly taking the valuables, the robbers took the key of Bolero SUV and decamped in it.

After being informed about the robbery, SP (rural) Manikant Mishra and other officers reached the sport and initiated in the nearby area a search for the culprits.

SSP Ajay Rautela directed the Sahaspur police to nab the culprits.  

Students present one-act play 
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 27
An inter-house one-act play with a theme ‘Thrillers’ was organised at St Judes School today. The programme began with a small documentary film on addiction prepared by students and teachers. This was followed by recitation of poems by winners of the English elocution competition.

Lyon House was declared overall winner while Khanna House bagged the second position and Howard House came third. Gardner House presented a play on ‘The Bull’ which was filled with all the colors of life- joy, sorrow, rejoicing, love, separation and sacrifice. The play was skillfully directed by Rachana Diwedi.

Howard House presented a play on ‘The Fortune Teller’ which was based on suspense, deceit and superstition, traits which exist in mankind. Khanna House presented ‘The Unthinkable’ — a play on modern problems of psycho criminals.

While a play titled “The Lamb to Slaughter’ by Lyons House stole the show by powerful performance.

The programme concluded with the prize distribution by Principal VR Gardner. 

KMVN announces Corbett trail package for tourists
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, September 27
To create extra attraction for tourists in Nainital and involve local villagers in increasing tourist trade of the region, Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN), the nodal agency for tourism development in Kumaon region, on the occasion of World Tourism Day, today announced Jim Corbett legacy trail tours package in and around Nainital town for the tourists. 

“The package has been announced to add extra attraction for tourists in Nainital, besides involving the villagers around it as the theme of World Tourist Day,’’ said DK Sharma, regional tourist manager of the nigam.

Package tours beginning from Nainital will include places where legendary wildlife conservator Jim Corbett lived during his stay in and around Nainital. “The Rs 950 per tourist package will cover traversing to the places of Jim Corbett legacy, including Bend station spot at Nainital, Swiss hotel, Garni house poly trail used by Corbett and several other places between Nainital and Kaladhungi where Jim Corbett used to dwell during his travels in and around Nainital during his stay here.

“We have aimed at not only preserving Jim Corbett trails around Nainital but to involve local villagers in it by providing them jobs as guides and facilitators of this package,” said DK Sharma, the regional manager of tourism at Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam.

IPS officer pens book on internal security

Dehradun, September 27
A book titled ‘Challenges to Internal Security of India’, written by Uttarakhand cadre IPS officer Ashok Kumar, was released at corporate headquarters of McGraw Education India publishing house in Noida today.

Kumar said, “Internal security has emerged as one of the biggest challenges to India. Our internal security problems should not be treated merely as law and order problems. They have to be dealt with at political, economic and social levels.” He said security requirements have to be met, but that does not mean giving security agencies a free hand and striking the right balance was the key to success in meeting these challenges. “We need a comprehensive security policy and its effective implementation,” asserts Kumar. — TNS

Table tennis tourney begins
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 27
The All-India Indian Public School’s Conference (IPSC) Girls’ Under-14,17 and 19 Table Tennis Tournament began at Welham Girls School here today. In the U-14 category, Welham Girls School defeated Delhi Public School RK Puram 3-1 while Delhi Public School Mathura Road defeated Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya 3-1 in another match.

In the under-17 category, Scindia Kanya Vidyalya beat Mayo College Girls School 3-2 while Delhi Public School Mathura Road registered a 3-2 win over Mayo College Girls School in the another match.

Welham Girls School defeated Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya 3-0 and Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya defeated Ashok Hall Girls School by 3-0 in the under-19 category.

Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya trounced Mayo College Girls School 3-2. 

CM pledges to tame bureaucracy
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 27
Chief Minister Harish Rawat today pledged to tame bureaucracy in the state. Addressing a gathering of entrepreneurs at a programme on World Tourism Day, Chief Minister Harish Rawat said he would not compromise when it comes to performance. 

Referring to the tourism sector, the Chief Minister said there were no dearth of funds as his government was committed to revival of tourism in the state, but asserted that bureaucracy needed to perform.

“Bureaucrats must understand that in democracy, the Chief Minister’s pen keeps enormous power,” he said referring to his higher status vis-à-vis bureaucrats and power to transfer them. He, however, expressed happiness that youngsters joining bureaucracy were not toeing the line of their predecessors who kept stereotype bureaucratic mindset.

He reminded that despite all odds, his government was able to successfully conduct the Nanda Devi Raj Jaat Yatra. “A total of 14,000 pilgrims participated in the yatra,” he pointed out.

Rawat said Uttarakhand had the best of tourism potential, but we need to publicise tourism destinations.