H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Shugdens opt for Indian citizenship
DHARAMSALA, Nov 14 — The cult controversy, raging the Tibetans for the past few years, appears to be threatening the unity of the exiled community. For the first time, some members of the Dorje Shugden cult have decided to renounce the spiritual leadership of the Dalai Lama and opt for Indian citizenship.

HP gives nod to 100 mini-power projects
CHOWARI (Chamba), Nov 14 — Himachal Pradesh Government has recently accorded approval for the execution of 100 mini and micro hydroelectric projects with a view to harnessing the rivulet and stream water as a source of energy in the state and generating employment for residence at their doorsteps.

Sukh Ram re-elected HVC chief
SHIMLA, Nov 14 — Mr Sukh Ram was today unanimously elected President of the Himachal Pradesh Vikas Congress, which held its organisational elections for the first time after its formation.

Children’s Day celebrated
HAMIRPUR: Mr Vishnu Kant Shastri, HP Governor, addressing a public meeting at Tounidevi as part of the state level Children’s Day celebrations, today exhorted the youth to follow the footsteps of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. He said Pandit Nehru was a towering personality and his contribution to world peace in the shape of Panchsheel would be remembered for times immemorial.

SFI conference concludes
MANDI, Nov 14 — The 18th annual conference of the district unit of the Students Federation of India which concluded here today assailed the move to convert the University Grants Commission to the University Education Council.

Mandwan bridge inaugurated
BILASPUR, Nov 14 — The government will ensure that entire amount required a expenditure for a particular project is made available at the earliest and the project is completed within the prescribed time-frame and its benefits are provided to the people.

HP Cong united, claims Mahajan
HAMIRPUR, Nov 14 — Mr Sat Mahajan, Himachal Pradesh Congress chief, said here yesterday that there was complete unity in the party and it had been established by a joint letter signed by all partymen expressing their faith in the leadership of Ms Sonia Gandhi.

Minister intervenes in hawker case
SHIMLA, Nov 14 — The Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Minister, Mr Vidya Sagar, has directed the Kangra District Administration to act swiftly in the case of the disappearance of a newspaper hawker from Kangra town.

Minister’s “betrayal” flayed
JWALAMUKHI, Nov 14 — Mr Nardev Kanwar, state secretary of the Youth Congress, today criticised the state Irrigation and Public Health Minister, Mr Ramesh Choudhary, for not fulfilling his promise of setting up a government degree college for women here.

Flesh trade racket unearthed
PARWANOO, Nov 14 — The local police has unearthed a inter-state flesh trade racket by arresting six women and five men who were operating trade in this industrial town and in nearby areas.

Shugdens opt for Indian citizenship
From Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Nov 14 — The cult controversy, raging the Tibetans for the past few years, appears to be threatening the unity of the exiled community. For the first time, some members of the Dorje Shugden cult have decided to renounce the spiritual leadership of the Dalai Lama and opt for Indian citizenship.

Though on a virtual war path with the Tibetan Government-in-exile over the issue of propitiating Tibetan deity Dorje Shugden, yet its followers had been reiterating their faith in the leadership of the Dalai Lama for the cause of Tibet and its freedom. The controversy, about two years ago, had threatened to disrupt the social peace of the exiled Tibetans. It has now been refuelled, following trouble at Bylakuppe, a Tibetan settlement in Karnataka.

The Tibetan Government-in-Exile, headed by the Dalai Lama, and members of the Dorje Shugden Devotees Charitable and Religious society, are hurling accusations at each other. At a press conference in New Delhi, three members of the Shugden cult, while accusing the Tibetan Government of being behind the arrest of eight monks in South India a week back, held it responsible for suppressing the religious freedom of the Tibetans.

The Central Tibetan Administration, while accusing the Shugden followers of trying to attract media attention termed all the allegations as false.

Reacting to the Shugden’s renunciation of the Dalai Lama and wanting to opt for Indian citizenship, the Tibetan government-in-exile, today said that the group had freedom to do so.

The Tibetan Government said that the question of a ban on the worship of Dorje Shugden does not arise as the Dalai Lama, for the past many years had advised the Tibetans against propitiating the deity on the grounds that it contributes to sectarianism among the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and the devotees tend to place Shugden above the teachings of Buddha, who is the ultimate guide. They clarified that the Dalai Lama, felt that the worship of Shugden leads to the degeneration of Buddhism and reduces it to spirit worship.

“As the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, it is the responsibility of the Dalai Lama, to give proper guidance to his people but whether they listen to him was up to them”, said an official of the Tibetan Government. He added that the administration did not have the means to enforce any ban, as they lived according to the laws of India.

The Tibetan Government said that the accusation that it was behind the arrest of eight monks in South India was a falsehold floated by the group to divert media and public attention from its activities to disrupt the peace of the exiled Tibetan community and to drive fear into those who oppose the worship of Shugden.

It added that the Indian police of Bylakuppe, is the local law enforcing agency whose duty it is to question and detain people who disturb the peace in the area.

HP gives nod to 100 mini-power projects
From Our Correspondent

CHOWARI (Chamba), Nov 14 — Himachal Pradesh Government has recently accorded approval for the execution of 100 mini and micro hydroelectric projects with a view to harnessing the rivulet and stream water as a source of energy in the state and generating employment for residence at their doorsteps.

Addressing a news conference at Chowari, the subdivisional headquarters town in Chamba district yesterday, Mr Kishori Lal, Industries Minister, disclosed that the state government had set a target to make Himachal Pradesh “as a power state” of the country. He added that the government had decided to generate 6,100 mw of power by 2010, thereby fetching an annual revenue of Rs 700 crore as royalty to the state exchequer in addition to the free power of 800 mw to the state government.

He said the state had already identified 21,000mw hydel potential which was 25 per cent of the hydel potential available in the country. He said the country had 84,000 mw of power potential of which Himachal alone had 21,000 mw. The state had so far commissioned 4000 mw of power from various hydroelectric power projects in the state.

The Industries Minister stated that the 2,100 mw Parbati hydroelectric project and 300 mw Chamera hydroelectric project were already under construction and work on these projects was ahead of schedule.

He however, said priority was being given to mini and micro hydroelectric projects and called upon the unemployed youths to form cooperative societies so that they could be financially capable of undertaking the construction of mini and micro projects. He said private enterprises would be encouraged to execute these projects.

The minister informed that the 7 mw Gorgu hydroelectric project on the Dehar rivulet in the Bhattiyat area of Chamba district was under investigation.

Sukh Ram re-elected HVC chief
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 14 — Mr Sukh Ram was today unanimously elected President of the Himachal Pradesh Vikas Congress (HVC), which held its organisational elections for the first time after its formation.

Soon after his election, Mr Sukh Ram told newsmen that the HVC would continue to support the BJP government of Mr P.K. Dhumal since his party did not want to create political uncertainty.

He also made it clear that there was no move on the part of the HVC to merge with either the BJP or Congress as it had enrolled more than 1.50 lakh members, which indicated that the party was acceptable to the police.

Mr Sukh Ram was sore that those whom he brought to power by supporting them at a crucial time, were now trying to break the HVC. He, however, refused to identify these forces.

He said that he had been demanding from Mr Dhumal the setting up of a coordination committee of the two parties. However, three years had passed without his demand being accepted. Now only two years were left for the next election and it did not matter whether the committee was set up or not.

The coalition culture had come to stay at the national level, but it did not have much impact in Himachal Pradesh. The trend was of making regional parties strong.

Mr Sukh Ram said that 81 delegates participated in the election of the president and he was authorised to constitute the executive committee of the party. Earlier, the delegates adopted three resolutions.

The political resolution reiterated the party’s demand for dropping Mr Mohinder Singh, PWD Minister, from the Cabinet as he had been expelled from the HVC.

The resolution demanded that the ruling BJP should maintain the tradition of coalitions and expel Mr Mohinder Singh from the ministry.

Children’s Day celebrated
From Tribune Reporters

HAMIRPUR: Mr Vishnu Kant Shastri, HP Governor, addressing a public meeting at Tounidevi as part of the state lavel Children’s Day celebrations, today exhorted the youth to follow the footsteps of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. He said Pandit Nehru was a towering personality and his contribution to world peace in the shape of Panchsheel would be remembered for times immemorial.

The Education Minister, Mr Ishwar Dass Dhiman, stressed the need for imbibing a sense of self-discipline among the youth. The Governor gave away prizes to the children who took part in various competitions on this occasion during the past two days.

SHIMLA: Children’s Day here was celebrated with a function to honour Phuhar Uppal, a student whose design for the stamp of the 38th Children’s Day was accepted by the Postal Department. The Additional Chief Secretary, Mr Harsh Gupta, formally released the stamp along with the first day cover.

SFI conference concludes
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Nov 14 — The 18th annual conference of the district unit of the Students Federation of India which concluded here today assailed the move to convert the University Grants Commission to the University Education Council.

Devinder Kanwar, an SFI leader, alleged that there was a deep-rooted conspiracy to end the autonomy of the UGC and warned that this would spark of a nationwide opposition. He said vested interests were out to tarnish the secular character of our education system.

Prabhash Rana, state chief of the SFI, called upon the student community to watch their interests and be prepared to face the challenges that come their way. He opposed the increase in fee and asked the government to withdraw it without further delay or else the students would be forced to launch an agitation.

Earlier, elections were held and a new committee comprising 37 members elected. Ajai Saklani and Balbir Prashar were elected president and district secretary, respectively.

Mandwan bridge inaugurated
From Our Correspondent

BILASPUR, Nov 14 — The government will ensure that entire amount required a expenditure for a particular project is made available at the earliest and the project is completed within the prescribed time-frame and its benefits are provided to the people.

This announcement was made by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal at Bharolikaian while addressing a public meeting after inaugurating the Rs 2.20 crore Mandwan bridge on Seer Khud, 88 km from here, last evening.

He said this bridge had reduced the distances by 18 km between the Jhandutta area and at least one dozen backward panchayats of the Kot Dhar area and Bilaspur town.

HP Cong united, claims Mahajan
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Nov 14 — Mr Sat Mahajan, Himachal Pradesh Congress chief, said here yesterday that there was complete unity in the party and it had been established by a joint letter signed by all partymen expressing their faith in the leadership of Ms Sonia Gandhi.

He said the new Himachal Pradesh Congress chief would be named by Ms Sonia Gandhi and her decision would be final and binding on all.

Addressing mediapersons here yesterday before leaving for New Delhi, he said there was no place for factional fighting in the party.

He alleged that the BJP-led state government had reserved seats for various panchayati raj institutions on political considerations.

Minister intervenes in hawker case
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 14 — The Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Minister, Mr Vidya Sagar, has directed the Kangra District Administration to act swiftly in the case of the disappearance of a newspaper hawker from Kangra town.

An official spokesman said here that Mr Sagar cancelled all his official engagements in Delhi and left for his native home town, Kangra, where the incident had taken place. The minister held detailed discussions with the DIG, Kangra range, Mr K.C. Sadyal, and the Deputy Commissioner, Mr R.C. Kapil, and asked them to resolve the issue at the earliest.

Minister’s “betrayal” flayed
From Our Correspondent

JWALAMUKHI, Nov 14 — Mr Nardev Kanwar, state secretary of the Youth Congress, today criticised the state Irrigation and Public Health Minister, Mr Ramesh Choudhary, for not fulfilling his promise of setting up a government degree college for women here.

Talking to reporters, Mr Kanwar condemned the IPH Minister for betraying the people of the area by starting a degree college with the financial assistance of the temple trust, contrary to the election promise of setting up a government college.

Flesh trade racket unearthed
From Our Correspondent

PARWANOO, Nov 14 — The local police has unearthed a inter-state flesh trade racket by arresting six women and five men who were operating trade in this industrial town and in nearby areas.

The Deputy Superintendent of Police informed that the trade was being carried out here for the past three to four months. The police raided a house at Sector 4 and a house at Rajpura in Punjab and arrested Prem Lata, resident of Mulanpur (Ropar), Asha Kumari (Ambala), Asha Singh (Delhi), Sangita (Delhi), Praveen Sharma (Rajpura), Rekha (Delhi) and pimps Bhupinder Kumar, Jagmohan, Sardara Singh, Kartar Singh and Gurnam Singh. The police said Prem Lata and Balwinder Singh were leaders of the gang and running the trade in Panchkula, Chandigarh, Patiala, Parwanoo and nearby areas.

The local police has registered a case.