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Punish torturers of Capt Kalia
CM shielding the corrupt: BSP
Cosmetic majors eye Himachal for making perfumes
Fee concession for girl students
Chief Justice inspects court complex
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Suggestions on delimitation invited
Warm reception to Indian Idol finalist
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Punish torturers of Capt Kalia
Palampur, April 8 The Holland-based portal has been created recently to mobilise a public opinion to press upon Pakistan to prosecute those guilty of torturing Capt Kalia during the Kargil operation in 1999. The initiative follows numerous futile appeals to the government to take up the issue with international human right organisations to pressure Pakistan to punish those guilty. Talking to The Tribune, Dr Kalia said, “Even though we feel let down by the Indian Government, the response of the public has been overwhelming. We have received over 1.25 lakh e-mails and nearly 40,000 written letters so far expressing solidarity with us.” Dr Kalia, who plans to petition the President shortly, added, “With the successive governments following an appeasing policy for Pakistan, it is unlikely that I will succeed but at least this humble endeavour will stir the conscience of an Indian.” I won’t be surprised if after ignoring the issue for some more years, the government might declare that nothing actually happened and I have caused embarrassed to them, said Dr Kalia, who is a senior scientist at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Palampur. It was in May, 1999, that Capt Kalia had gone out for patrol duty in the Kaksar area of Kargil and was the first officer to give information of the large-scale intrusion of the Pak army. He volunteered himself to go to Bajrang Post to check infiltration, along with five soldiers in the Kaksar area, said Dr Kalia. He was fired upon there by the Pak army. These brave soldiers had kept fighting for several hours but eventually ran out of ammunition and was finally got encircled by about 150-200 Pak soldiers and was captured. They were in their captivity for over 22 days and subjected to brutal torture as evident from their bodies handed over by the Pakistan Army on June 9,1999. “The Pak army indulged in the most heinous act of burning their bodies with cigarettes, removing eyes before puncturing, breaking most of the teeth and bones, chopping off various limbs and private organs of these soldiers, besides inflicting all sorts of physical and mental tortures before shooting them dead,” said Dr Kalia. Pakistan violated all international laws by capturing them but their PoW status not informed to the Indian counterparts. The Pak army subjected them to unprecedented brutal torture that violated the Geneva Convention, he added. Dr Kalia has also sought a copy of the CD with filming of the autopsy of Capt Kalia’s body conducted by a team of doctors in Delhi so that he has a proof of the atrocities committed on him while in captivity. “But the Army authorities say that it is an issue between two nations and the Army cannot help in such a sensitive matter. The information about his autopsy has been conveyed to us verbally,” said Dr Kalia. Dr Kalia’s appeal on the website portal (http://www.PetitionOnline.com/LtKalia/petition.html) has been endorsed by more than 5,000 individuals so far. |
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CM shielding the corrupt: BSP
Kangra, April 8 Mr Prakash Chand Saniyal, secretary of the party unit, said this in a statement here today. He said the Congress had, in its poll manifesto, promised to weed out corruption from the state. Soon after Mr Virbhadra Singh assumed power, he acted swiftly against the Chairman of the Subordinate Service Selection Board, Hamirpur, under the Prevention of Corruption Act and people hoped that he would weed out corruption. But soon all hopes of the people were dashed, he said. Following public disclosures of corruption in the Chief Minister’s office by former Tourism Minister and sitting ruling Congress MLA Major Vijay Singh Mankotia, the Chief Minister went on back foot and started shielding the corrupt instead of initiating action against them. |
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Cosmetic majors eye Himachal for making perfumes
Chandigarh, April 8 Confirming the development, top officials in the Institute Himalayan Bioresource and Technology (IHBT), Palampur, informed TNS that the two companies had approached them for research on aromatic plants and herbs growing in the Kangra valley. "The negotiations are at an initial stage, though Chanel has expressed its interest in bottling the scents of Himachal. The company is in its initial phase of testing the aromatic herbs, including lavender rose," said a top official, requesting anonymity. He added that the institute was involved in various research projects, product development and transfer of technology to industry, for aromatic plants like lavender, damask rose and geranium. In fact, the two international cosmetic majors are the latest to join Indian majors like Reliance and Panacea Biotech, to avail the research done by the CSIR lab here on the herbs in the valley. In fact, a paste of flowers is useful for treating head aches, if consumed can help cure liver ailments. Comprehensive research is now being undertaken in the pharmaceutical industry, on the role of the herb in reducing the incidence of cancer, and as a means of halting and reversing the growth of cancer. The lavender rose, whose traditional meaning is "love at first enchantment", is being developed in the huge expanse of the Kangra valley near Palampur. In fact, IHBT has pioneered the technique for growing these aromatic and exotic herbs at a subsidised cost through its lab-to-field research programme.
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Fee concession for girl students
Kangra, April 8 Disclosing this here yesterday at a press conference, Mr Diwan Kanwar, Coordinator of Swami Vivekananda Group of Institutes, said that the management has decided this following the withdrawal of this scholarship by the CBSE. He said under this programme, single girl would get 50 per cent and two girl children of a couple would be given 25 per cent concession in their fee to encourage parents to have girl children which would help in curbing the decline in the female ratio. He said that fee concession to these girl students would be in all courses of B.Tech, B.Pharmacy, B.Ed, MBA and MCA being carried on in this group of institutes for the entire period of their courses. He said that the decision was inspired by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda that down trodden and the women should be taken care of in the society to see strong India. This was the first institute in the country which has decided such programme. |
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Chief Justice inspects court complex
Kangra, April 8 The Chief Justice inspected the site of the court building complex yesterday. He assured the Bar members he was hopeful that the project would be completed by the end of this year. He also inspected the site to see whether the direction he had given to Mr R.S. Kanwar, Chief Engineer, PWD, during his last visit to the site on November 11 last year have been implemented or not. He had directed the Chief Engineer last year to merge the canteen and the Bar room area so that proper accommodation for the Bar members could be made available. The Chief Justice later inspected the makeshift court complex in Sainik Rest House.
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Suggestions on delimitation invited
Mandi, April 8 The revised proposals are available at SDM and DC offices of all districts in the region. Stating this here today in an official press note, District Election Officer and Deputy Commissioner Subhasish Panda said suggestion and objections, if any, should reach the Delimitation Commission, New Delhi, by April 10. “The commission will consider the suggestion and objections raised for the revised proposals for Mandi, Kulu, Bilaspur and Lahaul-Spiti districts here at a meeting at Vipasha Sadan on April 23,” he added. |
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Warm reception to Indian Idol finalist
Nurpur, April 8 |
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