H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Cut mullahs’ role, says former Pak General
Shimla, June 26 A former Pakistan Secretary for Defence Production, Lieut-Gen Talat Masood (retd), today said it was only by diminishing the role of “mullahs” that democracy in Pakistan could be strengthened, which would ultimately pave the way for Indo-Pak dialogue. Lieut-Gen Talat Masood (retd)

Gastroenteritis spreads, one dead
Mandi, June 26
With the death of a woman due to a suspected water- borne disease here, the threat of a gastroenteritis epidemic looms large as such cases are pouring in from across the region at the zonal hospitals.

Dangers of drug abuse highlighted
Shimla, June 26
More and more teenaged schoolchildren, mostly in reputed schools of the town, are not just falling prey to drugs, but are being used by the drug mafia in trafficking.

Schoolchildren take out a rally on the occasion of the International Day against drug abuse and illegal trafficking in Shimla on Saturday. — Photo by Anil Dayal

Cut mullahs’ role, says former Pak General
Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 26
A former Pakistan Secretary for Defence Production, Lieut-Gen Talat Masood (retd), today said it was only by diminishing the role of “mullahs” that democracy in Pakistan could be strengthened, which would ultimately pave the way for Indo-Pak dialogue.

“It is essentially due to the lack of democracy in Pakistan that the mullahs have managed to occupy a space much larger than what they deserve. For resuming the peace process with India, their role will have to be cut,” he emphasised.

“Since we cannot do away with the mullahs, our endeavour should be to ensure that the madarasas preach greater tolerance and bring about a change in the curriculum by introducing subjects of general interest,” he said.

General Masood is here to attend an international conference on “Vitality of India in regional and international perspective” being organised at the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies. He has also served as the Chairman and Chief Executive of Pakistan ordnance factories.

He admitted that in Pakistan madarasas had proved to be breeding grounds for militancy and a majority of the militant organisations essentially had a religious base.

“President Pervez Musharraf is keen to curb extremism and fanaticism but it will take time as it is a political, social and economic problem,” he remarked. He said the mainstream political parties and people of Pakistan wanted to move the nation in the direction of moderation and democracy and were in favour of dialogue with India.

General Masood said as long as the clerics had the will to oppose Indian occupation, they would continue to do so. As such, a political solution had to be found to the problem. “I foresee no problem as I am confident that the leadership in India, Pakistan and Kashmir will have sufficient acumen and statesmanship to find a solution that is least destabilising,” he said.

Suggesting steps that could help in resolving the Kashmir problem, General Masood said the withdrawal of artillery and missiles and pulling back of forces would greatly help in building confidence between the two neighbours.

General Masood said the efforts should be focused on opening the border and re-establishing road links between Srinagar and Muzzafarabad and between Jammu and Sialkot. Greater people-to-people contact should be encouraged by easing the visa restrictions and reviving trade relations, he added.

Gastroenteritis spreads, one dead
Kuldeep Chauhan
Tribune News Service

Mandi, June 26
With the death of a woman due to a suspected water- borne disease here, the threat of a gastroenteritis epidemic looms large as such cases are pouring in from across the region at the zonal hospitals.

In the Mandi Zonal Hospital, Sarla Devi, 25, a resident of Madavan, died of gastroenteritis yesterday. Ten patients from various parts of the district and Ghumarwin in Bilaspur are under treatment for the past two days.

Reports of gastroenteritis have also been received from Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Kulu districts.

Patients told The Tribune that they did not have access to clean water and had to have water from baulis in disuse. Even the chlorine tablets given by block medical officers were often ineffective, they alleged.

The worst would come in July, feared doctors attending to the patients. “The number of patients has increased since June 19 after the pre-monsoon showers contaminated the traditional sources of water used by villagers.”

About the Madavan case, Mr Pervez Akhtar, Executive Engineer, IPH Mandi, said at least 10 person had taken ill as they used water from the bauli and not from the IPH supply. “The IPH and the district administration are monitoring the affected people, who are given chlorine tablets along with other kinds of treatment”, he added.

Though the Irrigation and Public Health Minister, Thakur Kaul Singh, has issued instructions to the IPH engineers to monitor the supply lines for chlorine, the Chief Medical Officers and the engineers have yet to identify the high-risk areas across the state.

In Kulu district, at least six gastroenteritis cases are being reported daily from different parts of the district. The outbreak is serious in the high-risk areas of Bathal in Mashiar area, in Banjar, Diar in Bhuntar, and a few villages in Manali.

“People get water from such sources, which get contaminated as fecal matter flows into these from the slopes when it rains”, said Dr VC Kapur, CMO, Kulu. “The cases increase during the rainy season, but there is no outbreak of the disease so far”, he claimed.

In Mandi district, the high-risk areas include Kalair in the Chachiyot constituency. Villagers in Sarkaghat are complaining of gastroenteritis symptoms”. Commenting on the situation in Mandi, Dr P.S. Dogra, CMO, said over 3 lakh tablets had been distributed.

Dangers of drug abuse highlighted
Tribune Reporters

Shimla, June 26
More and more teenaged schoolchildren, mostly in reputed schools of the town, are not just falling prey to drugs, but are being used by the drug mafia in trafficking.

Stating this here today on the occasion of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Additional Director-General of Police, Armed Police and Training, Mr D.S. Minhas, asked parents and teachers to be more vigilant as the number of such children was on the rise.

“According to our information, children in Class X and above, many of them from reputed schools of the town, are falling prey to drugs and disease as they are being used by mafias in their illegal activity,” said Mr Minhas. He said teachers and parents must be vigilant to ensure that children do not fall prey to such evils.

He lamented that parents had very little time for children and instead of getting the child admitted to a school, they virtually deposited them there, as if their responsibility was over. “In order to make a fast buck to fulfil their demands, the children are not hesitant to tread this dangerous path, where they are being used a conduits by the drug mafia,” he said.

DHARAMSALA: A district-level declamation contest was organised here on Saturday to observe the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Eighteen students from 10 schools took part in the competition.

MANDI: Schoolchildren carrying banners displaying slogans such as ‘Say no to drugs’ took out a rally here on Saturday to create awareness among residents on the occasion of the International Day and against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The disastrous effects of drug abuse were highlighted.

NAHAN: Rallies and functions marked the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Sirmaur district on Saturday. Schoolchildren took out a rally in Nahan.

A declamation contest was organised on the occasion. Functions were also organised at subdivisional and tehsil levels.