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Smooth sailing skips ski slopes
Sangla all set for Dalai Lama’s visit |
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He plays with danger…
On a freezing night, behind wayside bushes, with guns poised, he and his men once waited 10 hours before the “quarry “ came their way. Laying an ambush for hardened criminals ready to kill (but carry their nefarious goods) has now become a way of life for this 40- year-old officer in the Narcotics Control Bureau.
SHIMLA Diary
Delhi’s VVIPs seek solace in HP’s cool climes
Art in her veins
Milk project a hit
Smelly sewerage
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Smooth sailing skips ski slopes The $135-million Himalayan Ski Village (HSV) project to be set up in the Sethan Thach area, overlooking Manali, remains mired in controversies, reports Kuldeep Chauhan For the great grandson of Sir Henry Ford, Mr. Alfred Brush Ford, the sparkling ski slopes of Manali still remain quite steep. His real hurdle is not the government’s red tape, but the Jan Jagran Manch (JJM), Kardar Sangh of Devtas- all backed up by the state BJP. They have been opposing Ford’s dream of setting up the $135 million Himalayan Ski Village (HSV) project in the Sethan Thach area, overlooking the tourist town of Manali. At stake is the seven million-tourist market in the state, which is expected to grow at a 25 percent an year. The lure for Ford is this market and perhaps his love for Himalayas, as his admirers say, and the dollar-rich high-end tourists that his market men will rope in from across the world. But local hoteliers fear the "big fish" will swallow them up slowly. Still others feel, it will boost tourism as its tariff is much higher than that of the three star hotels in Kulu-Manali. But Ford’s HSV company has got a shot in the arm as the state cabinet, chaired by the Chief minister, Mr. Virbhadra Singh, at Shimla on May 25, has cleared the ski village project. The government will soon sign the project implementation agreement with the company- HSV Private Ltd, at Shuru near Manali, where the company has set its corporate office. On the other hand, the Kardar Sangh, JJM and the BJP leaders have sharpened their teeth against the government and the company. They allege that both have kept the public in the dark about the facts of the ski village. They fear that the ski village would wreak disaster in the sacred tapobhumi of devtas and grazing pastures for local herds, as the recreation skiing had done in the USA. The state BJP general
secretary and a local resident, Mr. Chander Sen Thakur, who is
spearheading the anti-ski village movement in Kulu, charges that neither the state government nor the HSV company has ever bothered to clarify the facts before the public on the project. “The ski village will bring in an ecological disaster and be a security risk in the
country. The government is leasing worth to 6000- 10,000 acres of land to the company. It will prove culturally disastrous. We need small projects involving local people in the hospitality trade, not the big ski village of the multinational’, he claims. But the cabinet decision has evoked a mixed response from Kulu residents and NGOs. The President of the Brahman Sabha Kulu, Mr. Arun Sharma, says that the project would market Kulu valley in particular and Himachal in general around the world and would help rope in high-budgeted tourists. The Kulu Kardar Sangh cites verdict of Kulu valley’s devtas at the conclave at Naggar on February 16 as the final word. Says
Mr GC Chambial, spokesperson of the Kardar Sangh” We oppose the decision as they honour the verdict of the devtas against the ski village. The ski site is a seasonal pasture to shepherds from the six districts and tapobhumi of the devtas and no body
will be allowed to set up a resort there”. But the Board of Directors, HSV are upbeat over the cabinet decision. “The company will sign the project implementation agreement with the government shortly after we receive an official communication in this
regard”, said Mr. Ajay Dabra, Director, HSV. The company would prepare the detailed project report (DPR) on the ski village project to be submitted in six months’ time. The DPR is being prepared by the Bhopal-based the Indian Institute for Forest Management. As per its plan, the company will set up a 600 rooms five star hotel, 300 chalets, food courts, a handicraft village, a theatre complex, a convention centre and a sanatorium for hospital tourism. “We need three seasons for the social cum ecological audit of the area to prepare the DPR”, says chairman, HSV, Mr. Iqbal Sharma, stating that they would satisfy each and every villager, when they would seek their NOC during the public hearing on the project in due The Managing Director, HSV and the General Manager, Ford company, Mr John Sims says that the company will not use local woods and stream water and make no artificial snow. “We will employ over 80 percent locals and train them in the hospitality trade. The company has asked for 5 hectare of land. We have three locations in mind. We have set up a department of sustainable practices and will set up bench marks in ecotourism in the country”, he claims. The top tourism officials reveal that the government would give five hectares of forest land to the company at the site for setting up the gondola lifts and other infrastructure on the ski slopes. The company will set up its villas on the private land at the base of the ski slopes. The company cannot sell, but can lease out the proposed 300 villas in the ski village. But the terms can be thrashed out when the company submit its DPR to the government”, they inform.
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Chinatown in Shimla
Born and brought up in the Fujian province of China, it took quite some time for 20-year-old Yu Chu Ying to get used to a life in Shimla. Fifty years down the line, this is her home which she is not willing to change for anything, not even a life in Canada or Australia with her sons and daughters.
The small Chinese population of Shimla certainly misses the grand New Year celebrations and other festivities the Chinese in Kolkata have, but are not willing to relocate as they are well integrated into the social life of this small hill town. Used to the slow and easy pace of life in the “Queen of Hills”, this third generation of Chinese still sells genuine leather shoes, which are in demand despite stiff competition from imported and factory-made cheap shoes. The Chinese community in the town, owning big shoe showrooms on The Mall, has been reduced to a handful of families as many amongst the third generation have moved abroad. The older lot who migrated here from Kolkata, where the first Chinese in India arrived in the 18th century still sell popular handmade shoes like moccasins and boots. “There is no reason why I should not be making genuine leather shoes as there are many for whom a visit to Shimla is incomplete without buying a pair or two of Chinese shoes,” says Peter Tatung, owner of Tatung Shoes. Being the most popular face at the local Ice Skating rink, he has the rare distinction of representing India at the first Asian Winter Games held in Japan in 1986 and later in France in 1996. He stays here with his children, wife and parents who are about 75 years old and were born and brought up at a village in the Fujian province of China. His mother, one of the few first generation Chinese in Shimla, is still so shy that she refuses to be photographed and that too one which will appear in a newspaper. The Tatungs also happen to be the only Chinese people in Shimla who have visited their motherland and have close ties with their relatives back home. “I hated a life in India after my marriage at the age of 20 as I was born and brought up in China, but now there is no place better than this, not even my birthplace,” says a beaming Yu Chu Ying, who still speaks Chinese and can barely manage some English and broken Hindi, which just about enables her to make purchases at the local market. In sharp contract to the Tatungs is the family of Barbara Hugh, who runs a beauty salon while her husband dishes out Chinese delicacies for the tourists as well as locals at the restaurant “Dimsum”. “It is due to the labour problem, difficulty in getting good leather and absence of those who appreciate good shoes that we were forced to convert our shoe shop into a Chinese food joint,” explains Barbara. Her three daughters love Shimla but would not mind moving out, preferably abroad for better career prospects. “We do celebrate the Chinese festivals, but at the same time we are so Indianised that we do all that is done by our Indian friends on Divali, Holi, Dasehra and even Navratras” says Brigette Barbara, a pre-school teacher. Though dinner is essentially a complete Chinese meal, for other meals Indian food is relished by the family. Brigette’s sister, Betty recently got married to a Chinese living in Kolkata in the traditional style, wearing the wedding dress ‘khephawis’. “It was my father-in-law who set up the company ‘D Minsen’ and after Partition without partners who are running a shop by the same name in Connaught Place in Delhi we moved here,” revealed Barbara. Being the third generation Chinese in India, John Chung has no qualms admitting that he is more Indian than Chinese. “I do not know much about Chinese traditions or culture as I only have Indian friends but my wife, a Chinese from Kolkata, knows all that,” he says as a matter of fact. His father Christopher Chung had set up the shoe shop, Hopson, in 1940 while his mother had set up the first genuine Chinese restaurant in Shimla way back in 1975, called ‘Auntie’s”. He has no contact whatsoever with any of his relatives in China and says for him Shimla is home. In the absence of a Chinese temple or a monastery, all Chinese here are Catholics. “Though religion has never been a major issue with the Chinese, now all of us here are Catholics and not Buddhists like our ancestors, mainly for practical reasons like getting admission or even jobs in convents and public schools,” they admit. Surprisingly, it is rare that these few Chinese families get together as they have more locals friends and are more on their own. Unlike the 20,000-strong Chinese community in Kolkatta, about a dozen Chinese families here might have failed to preserve their ethnic identity in the true sense but are still an integral part of Shimla life. Even though it is Kolkata they prefer to be in at the time of festivals, for them Shimla will always remain home.
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Sangla all set for Dalai Lama’s visit
The 700-year-old temple complex having a Buddhist temple and a Hindu temple standing side by side in the heart of the village is being given a facelift, reports Pratibha Chauhan
The villagers of the Sangla valley in the tribal district of Kinnaur are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Tibetan spiritual and temporal leader, the Dalai Lama, on June, 8 not solely because of the reverence they have for the Nobel laureate but also because he is coming to fulfil the wish of the village deity, “Bairing Nag”.
Dutifully obeying the orders of the deity, the villagers are busy making arrangements for the discourse, which is likely to be attended by almost 8,000 people from the entire Sangla valley. The almost-700-year-old temple complex having a Buddhist temple and a Hindu temple standing side by side in the heart of the village is being given a facelift. It is one of the few temple complexes in district Kinnaur, where the Lagang (Buddhist temple) and the Shu Kim (deity temple) stand side by side, a testimony of the belief that the villagers have in both the religions. For the past two months, village artisans and workers, excelling in the local architecture, have been working round the clock to redecorate the ancient structures. “Impressed by the fact that the deity had himself wanted the Nobel laureate to come and bless the people of the area, the Dalai Lama was more than pleased to accept our invitation despite his busy schedule,” said Mr
J.L. Negi, who after remaining Commissioner, Income Tax, retired as Member of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). Being a representative of the deity, he had gone to McLeodganj to invite the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama, who will arrive by a chopper in Sangla on June 7, will hold a discourse the next morning. Villagers from Sangla,
Kamru, Chansu, Karcham, Chitkul, Raksham, Badsari and Shong are expected to attend the discourse. The same day he will proceed for Kalpa, where he will hold a discourse for four days. The local deity, Bairing Nag, will be preset there along with other deities, Tangnu
devata, Majang Naag and Bir, all three considered to be his brothers. The ancient Bhuddist temple has been given a new roof, made of wood and stone slates along with wood panelling on the walls. The Hindu temple is also being refurbished as the two structures stand side by side in the same compound. The Sangla temple has the biggest compound amongst all the temples in district Kinnaur and is expected to accommodate 8,000 people on the day of the discourse. Besides seeking some help from the government for redecorating the temple, it is basically the contribution from the villagers, many of whom have made it to top positions in the IAS, IPS, income tax department and other important postings, with which work is being undertaken. Even though it is the Pooh subdivision, which has the maximum number of Buddhists, irrespective of the fact whether a person is a Hindu or a Buddhist, all are keen to seek the blessings of the Dalai Lama in the Sangla valley. “It is for the first time that he will be coming to our village, which would be a great honour for all of us,” says Mr Negi. Interestingly, most of the people in Kinnaur, have strong faith in both Hindu as well as Buddhist customs and rituals. If there is death in a Hindu family, the final rites are only performed after a lama (Buddhist monk) chants holy mantras. As such the visit of the Dalai Lama is being considered a great occasion.
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Hillside view
On a freezing night, behind wayside bushes, with guns poised, he and his men once waited 10 hours before the
"querry" came their way. Laying an ambush for hardened criminals ready to kill (but carry their nefarious goods) has now become a way of life for this 40- year-old officer in the Narcotics Control Bureau.
He has come a long way from birth in an ordinary tribal family in Himachal’s remote Pangi valley, but says he has “a longer way to go” before his mission is accomplished. ”Freedom from life-ruining narcotics and drugs like heroin, opium, charas, ganja and psychotropic substances will come one day mainly because of people’s action—we are here only to help the process.“ Popular as “OP” among friends, he planned and conducted in the last four years operations to destroy illicit cannabis cultivation in the infamous Malana and Parvati valleys in over 7,500 bighas of land that would have produced about 22,000 kg of charas worth Rs 50 crore in the local markets. The Malana operations have deeper implications as international drug gangs have built up a firm nexus in the region. He has also ended, with the help of the local police, illicit opium poppy cultivation on 2,000 bighas of land that would have produced about 3,000 kg of opium worth over Rs 6 crore at the village level itself — in the Chuhar valley of Mandi district and the Banjar and Sainjh valleys in Kulu district. Apart from this, crops of over 1660 bighas of land in Mandi, Chamba etc were destroyed—they would have produced 5, 000 kg hashish worth Rs 5 crore. His raids and seizure of drugs too have become legendary. ”I know the chemistry of drug-peddlers,“ says OP. “I have to change my make-up accordingly, almost like in Hindi movies. The opponents test you. One mistake, and you are finished”. Once on such a mission, he met a mafia member who gave him a set of photographs of pretty girls to choose from “for having a good time “. He managed to wriggle out, with great difficulty. He recalls a chilling brush with death. He was surrounded by angry poppy growers in a remote village. He pulled out his pistol to fire in the air—it failed to go off! He took the name of Durga
Maata, his favourite mother goddess (he prays to her before setting out on dangerous missions), and ran 5 kilometres to save his life. In Mandi and Kulu districts, OP has observed a shift in opium cultivation—from private lands to government forest areas. Villages where he held councils have responded well to the drive against the drug menace. “But they need an alternative economy to sustain them. How will they survive, otherwise?"
Tara Devi About 13 kilometres from the Shimla bus stand on the National Highway to Kalka stands this magnificent hill, less known even to many living in middle and lower Himachal areas. On top is ensconsed an ancient temple with a breath-taking view all around. It’s right at the centre of the scenic bowl of Shimla hills—you can keep spinning on your heel, savouring the visual feast. A 4-km trek up the hill winds through a sprawling green forest with an assortment of unusual plants and trees. The light and shade effect with the sun in full shine is enchanting; the breeze is equally invigorating. Bears and leopards roamed these jungles till a couple of decades ago. You can’t find better picnic spots in the region .You can also go by bus or taxi right up to the temple from another side of the hill. About 20 minutes walk down the Tara Devi temple is an ancient Shiv Mandir—its remoteness has an aura of tranquility. Visitors belonging to different religions have talked feelingly about the atmosphere on this hill. But! This unrivalled goldmine remains out of our tourism folk’s priority list. This should have been developed long ago. Pilgrimage, picnic spots, best scenery in the region, trek through forests, right on the Kalka-Shimla road … what more do you want?
Silly Point? Calling them public “conveniences” is a public joke. Even angels flying above looking for good work would swoon—the stench is so strong. Water shortage, public apathy etc are known reasons. No wonder, males run helter-skelter, looking for suitable trees and bushes when buses halt at wayside dhabas. Women have a tough time -unless they emulate Madhuri Dixit and Manisha Koirala in the much-debated movie
“Lajja”. But why call them “mootralaya” in Hindi? The word “aalay” (abode) has a pious association—as in “devaalay” (temple). Thank god, or god thank us, we don’t use “mandir” in place of “aalay “! If we can’t change their condition, let us change their name. After all, that’s one thing we Indians are good at! By the way, the parapets of partition in these urinals are too short and narrow to give privacy to gentlemen pouring out to their heart’s content. The builders may have saved on costs, but every user feels shy and has a difficult time shielding his wares from others’ glare. Will our friends in the PWD and other concerned agencies take note of this point—not so silly, perhaps?
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Colonial heritage
Perched majestically at the quiet end of the famous Mall in Shimla, the elegant Oberoi Cecil hotel has been an integral part of the history of the erstwhile British summer capital, says
Rakesh Lohumi
One of the oldest and the Oberoi group’s most prestigious hotel—Cecil, has undergone a complete transformation following the execution of a major restoration project a decade ago. The heritage property has been virtually rebuild but without disturbing the basic structure and the façade, a fine specimen of the colonial architecture. The imperial grandeur of the magnificent building is also the tradition of the gracious living, reminiscent of the British Raj are very much intact. Re-christened as The Oberoi Cecil after restoration, the property has a special significance for the group as its founder Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi started his career as a clerk from this very hotel in 1922. He had a great emotional attachment with the hotel from where he learnt the first lessons in hotel management and went on to lay the foundation of an international group of hotels with a chain of 34 properties. Initially, a small single-storied house called “Tendril Cotage” was build in 1868. It changed several hands, at times by a public auction. It was sold to Mr H.R.Crooke, the then Registrar in the Foreign Office, in 1977 by Mrs Barlow. The property was rebuilt in 1884 only to be razed to the ground almost immediately as Mr Crooke found the quality of construction unsatisfactory. Tendril Cottage became a hotel only after a well-known photographer; Mr. R. Hotz bought it at the end of the century for Rs 45,000. Mr. J. Faletti, a favourite of the Prince of Wales who has been arranging for Viceroy’s tours in Indian states, purchased from Mr Hotz for Rs 2.50 lakh. He spent another six lakh on the construction of the main block. It was Mr Faletti, who offered him a job as a Clerk at a monthly salary of rupees fifty. Before long, Mr. Oberoi was elevated to the post of a Guest Clerk. Mr. Clarkes, who took over as the Manager of the Cecil, was impressed by Mr. Oberoi’s hard work and dedication. He was keen to have his own a hotel in Shimla and finally when he bought the Carlton hotel locates at the other end of the Mall, he made Mr Oberoi the Manager. It was re-named as the Clarkes Hotel. Mr. Clarkes travelled to England frequently on holidays, leaving the hotel in Mr. Oberoi’s charge. The hotel prospered so much that when Mr. Clarkes decided to return to England for good in 1934 , he offered the property to Mr. Oberoi. Thereafter, Mr. Oberoi acquired the Grand hotel in Kolkata and in 1944, the Cecil hotel did everything in his power to raise funds to become the sole owner of the hotel. The Cecil was the most fashionable place the summer capital of the British in India. The famous balls and floorshows made it a haunt for the fun loving. It offered the ideal getaway from the heat of the summer in Delhi for the senior officers and their wives. In the summer of 1984, the hotel closed its doors to guests and reopened only in 1997 after major restoration works, which cost Rs 30 crore. Rejuvenated hotel is a haven of luxury and comfort with the elegant rooms offering all the modern amenities, a restaurant that serves an extensive selection of fine Asian and European Cuisine, an indoor heated swimming pool, an Oberoi Spa by Banyan Tree and a children’s activity centre. There are 79 rooms with tariff ranging between Rs 8,000 and 12,000 per day. The rooms are equipped with satellite televisions, direct dial telephones, VCD players and electronic safes and most of them offer a spectacular view of the Himalayan ranges. Holistic treatments drawn from Ayurveda, Thai and Western techniques are administered to soothe the senses and promote a sense of well-being. Therapists, who have been trained at the Banyan Tree Academy, Phuket, Asia’s leading spa company, use the finest natural ingredients to relax, refresh and rejuvenate.
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SHIMLA Diary
Three years is the normal tenure for any incumbent in key positions like the Commissioner of the prestigious Shimla Municipal Corporation. However, when Mr Mohan Chauhan , relinquished charge after putting in two years and nine months, he had created a record for longest tenure in the past 40 years. The politically sensitive post requires extraordinary balancing skills to maintain equilibrium by reconciling the conflicting interests of the government, elected representatives and the public at large. Mr Chauhan has demonstrated that he had the skills for the tight ropewalk by surviving so long in the seat.
Mr Shekhar Gupta took over from Mr Chauhan last week is the 28th incumbent. The indifferent functioning of the local body, particularly its failure to check illegal construction, encroachments and illicit felling, has much to do with the frequent transfers of the chief executive mostly at the behest of local representatives. The only Municipal Corporation in the state has seen five administrators and 23 commissioners over a period of 37 years. How frequently the chief executive has been changing could be judged from the fact that the average tenure comes to just one year and four months. Mr P. Mitra had the shortest tenure of five months, followed by Mr R.S. Negi who lasted a few days more in the seat. Mr D.S. Minhas had three stints, the longest of which was 17 months. Political drama The prophets of doom have been proved wrong. The election Commission of India has dismissed the petition for disqualification of the 12 corporation legislators much to the chagrin of the BJP leaders who were not only cocksure that the party’s plea will be accepted but had convinced the party workers that a mid term poll was imminent. The sulking leaders are not avoiding any discussion on the issue. In fact, the whole political drama which started with the filing of a petition challenging the appointment the 12 chief parliamentary secretaries (CPS) and parliamentary secretaries (PS) two years ago has ended in an anti-climax. The BJP had been riding high ever since the High Court set aside the appointment of the CPS and PS but the dismissal of the petition had neutralised whatever political gains the party made by exploiting the issue. A lifetime adventure Trekking through the mountain trails is a fascinating form of adventure sports. The thousand odd young girls from various states across the country participating in the month-long All India Trekking Expedition -2006 have found that it is also an exhilarating way of exploring the natural beauty, flora and fauna of the hills and getting acquainted with the local people and their culture. It was a lifetime experience for some of the girls who had not seen hills before. The expedition is planned in such a manner that the participants get ample opportunity to interact with the local people and learn about their customs and traditions. They arrive at the base camp at Kufri near here in batches of 125 every two days and each batch spends 14 days during which each participant treks about 90 km on selected hill tracks. After acclimatization the groups move to Koti, Mashobra and Naldehra for the next three stages of expedition. The first batch arrived on May 12 and the last batch will return on June 8. The aim of the trekking expedition is to inculcate the spirit of adventure , exploration, inquiry and investigation and develop the qualities of endurance ,self confidence and spirit-de-corps among the cadets ,says Brig
D.C. Katoch, Deputy Director General of NCC (Northern Region). The trekking routes have been selected to include visits to the Horticulture Research Station, Central Potato Research Institute and the Himalayan Environment Park to afford the girls an opportunity to interact with scientists and experts to gather maximum information. Magic man
Mr H.G. Ley, magician turned neurolinguistic programmer, who has been using magic to educate school children for the past over two decades, is in the city again. Last summer he used newspaper to perform tricks, which also helped in developing the habit of reading among the young ones. This year, he has come up with a new programme entitled “hocus pocus” specifically designed to develop the observation skills of the children. Like most magicians, he does not produce pigeons from his hat or perform dangerous tricks like piercing a girl with a sword. His magic show is based on scientific and mathematical principles to enhance the observation and memory skills of children. During his month long sojourn in the hill station he plans to cover all the schools. Of late he has become a regular visitor to the city. Mr Ley is the director of Magique Systems, Hyderabad, an association working for the personal development of children. He has over the years become a specialist in educational magic programmes.
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Lensman at his best
An exhibition of fascinating snow-scapes captured in camera by Anil Dayal, a local photojournalist, attracted a large number of tourists here early this week.
The Governor, Mr
V.S. Kokje, who inaugurated the event-appreciated ingenuity of the young photojournalist in choosing the theme of snow on a hot summer day. The visual impact of the pictures was enough to provide relief to viewers from sweltering heat. In all, 50 snow-scapes were on display. The impeccable white mantle virtually transformed the hills into a fairyland and with his creative eye, Dayal only enhanced the beauty. Some of the pictures provided a breathtaking aerial view of the snow-clad mountains of Kulu valley. Mr Kokje found the night view of the famous Scandal Point of Shimla amidst falling snow and the view of snow-covered Hindustan-Tibet road at Narkanda the most enchanting. He lauded his work and said that the young photojournalist will go a long way and achieve greater heights in his career. The nature has blessed the hill state with unparalleled beauty. Some of it has been seen and appreciated but the unexplored Himachal is even more captivating which he aims to capture and bring before the
people.
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Delhi’s VVIPs seek solace in HP’s cool climes
The VVIP’s from New Delhi have invented a new way to interact with the grassroot people of this hilly state. They have chosen the best time to do so. They have beaten the heat of Delhi, enjoying state hospitality at the cost of state exchequer.
The VVIP’s list is long: the Railways Minister Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav, the Union minister for Panchayati Raj Mr. Mani Shankar Aiyer, the Social Justice Minister Mrs. Meira Kumar, the Union Agricultural Secretary
Mrs Radha Singh and Mr Divay Mathur, the Panchayati Raj Secretary. The top bureaucrats, accompanying the ministers, had also come with their families, enjoying state hospitality! Mr.Laloo Prasad had come with his wife and ex-CM Bihar Mrs. Rabri Devi and with their four daughters and enjoyed cool climes of Shimla-Narkanda for days together as the state guest. Mr. Aiyar along with his family members chose the secluded cool environ of Soja in Kulu district for couple of days before he flew to tribal Kinnaur and back Shimla. Miera Kumar chose the lower climes of Kangra in the lap of Dhauladhar range for here three days tour. Even at peak summer tourist season, HP Tourism Department Corp’s chefs were pressed into service to entertain the VVIPs’, revealed staff.
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Art in her veins
Her ambition has been to be counted among the top artists of the country. No wonder, she was extremely delighted when her painting entitled “colonial houses-II” was selected for the sixth Northern Region Art Exhibition held at Delhi last month.
A postgraduate in visual arts, Anubhuti Sinha, has all the makings of a master artist. However, when her painting figured among the ten top entries in the professional (water colour) category, it gave her immense confidence to pursue her cherished goal with determination. It was no mean achievement for the budding artist as more than 1,400 artists participated in the exhibition organised by the Camelart Foundation. The recognition of her artistic skills at a national platform has enthused her to expeditiously complete her “colonial houses” series of paintings featuring elegant buildings of the British era in the “queen of hills”. Born and brought up in Shimla, she was fascinated by the unique architecture of the colonial buildings from childhood. The aim is to put up an exhibition on the theme of colonial houses. Incidentally, the first person to acclaim her artistic skills was the Bollywood super star, Mr Amitabh Bachchan who termed her as a rare talent after seeing her works. Anubhuti is also a qualified fashion designer but her first love is painting. “I may join a fashion house,” she asserts.
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Milk project a hit
KANGRA:
To increase the milk production and strengthen the economy of nearly 20,000 livestock owners, the Intensive Dairy Development Project (IDDP) is doing well in 14 blocks of district Kangra.
The project, which was launched by the District Rural Development Agency, is being implemented by the Department of Animal Husbandry. A host of activities under different components are being implemented through a network of 60 veterinary hospitals and 308 dispensaries. Around Rs 370 lakhs have been spent so far under various activities to enhance the milk production in the district. The project aims at establishing a link between the existing technical knowledge of keeping milch animals and the available scientific management methods. Latest knowledge pertaining to animal health practices is being imparted through awareness workshops at the panchayat level and more than 650 such workshops have been held so far. Two farmers from each self-help group are being given institutional training at institutes like PAU, Ludhiana and more than 900 farmers have been trained so far. The unique feature of the project is to train farmers in the marketing of milk and milk products.
Baby No 1 Seven-month-old Ananya Malhotra was declared the overall winner of the Baby Show organized by the District Red Cross Society as a part of the state-level Summer Festival in Dharamsala on May 27. The child also topped the 0-1 age group category. The participants were judged on the basis of general health, personality, weight, height and their reflexes by a panel of judges, which included Sanjana Verma, Anita Mankotia and Dr Milap.
Regulate overspeeding The Senior Citizens’ Forum, Dharamsala has urged the police department to check over-speeding of vehicles in the Civil Lines area, on the stretch from Kachehri Bus Stop to the Board of School Education by deploying traffic constables. Mr
R.L. Mahajan, president of the Forum, said high-speeding vehicles were a threat to pedestrians on this accident-prone area and the police department should take immediate steps in this direction.
Summer adventure Nearly 300 wards of defense personnel would beat the heat at a summer adventure camp being organized by the Western Army. The weeklong fun camp will include activities like camping and rock climbing. The Western Command Children Summer Camp aims at making the children develop liking for the nature so that they could contribute to protecting the environment.
United in art An exhibition of paintings titled Pancham Rangawati, which features works by five artistes from Chandigarh and Punjab, was inaugurated in Museum of Kangra Art in Dharamsala on May 28 by SDM Mr Rakesh Sharma. The noted young artistes include Sadhna Sangar, Ashwani Verma, Komal Sohal, Navpreet Kaur and Dr Ambalicka Sood Jacob. The artistes said though they all had their own style, they had united to represent nature, human psyche and ethos of past, present and future.
It’s me, Abhijeet Making a reference about his namesake Indian Idol, Abhijeet, playback singer, said don’t confuse me with him, I’m your same Abhijeet, sporting specs and with a receding hairline. He was here to perform at the first evening of the Summer Festival on May 27. He mesmerized the audience with some foot-tapping hits like Mein koi aisa geet gaaon,
Ole, ole and the song Mein rahoon, na rahoon from his latest pop album Lamhe.
Prini set to
welcome Vajpayee Mandi: The green and cool village of Prini on the left bank of the Beas river near Manali is set to welcome Kulu valley’s VVIP resident: the ex-PM Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is expected to make his summer sojourn in the first week of June.
Yoga freaks at Ramdev’s shivir The ongoing 7-days long yoga Shivir of Guru Swami Ramdev at Hamirpur became hot haunt for the state VVIPs and the national media. The list of HP’s VVIP yoga learners list is rather long. Call it guru’s magic power or coincidence the
public was dazed to see political rivals, who till recently were baying for one another’s heads sitting
in a row with each other doing yoga at the camp. They include CM Mr Virbhadra Singh, Mr. Shanta Kumar, BJP National Vice-President and former Union Minister Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, leader of the opposition and former CM. — Kuldeep Chauhan, Vibhor Mohan
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CITIZEN FIRST
The draggy gutter nearby Handeti muhalla, flowing between Chaogan and Handeti from the Nirankari Bhawan on downwards to the North, has been made a pakki nali and the drainage system is also serving there. But the residents are flowing their system of sewerage in the open, which is causing bad odour and foul smell. The mosquitoes are being born here and polluting the atmosphere. It’s also getting very difficult to work in the nearby fields. The Pollution Board and the Sunder Nagar Municipal Council should take action in this regard.
A resident of Handeti and Chogan
Monkey menace I’m a resident of Shimla facing the irritating everyday problem of notorious monkeys. Actually, due to the encroachment of the forests by the land mafia and the forest mafia recklessly cutting down the trees, has led to the migration of monkeys to the town. Of the total landmass that we have in Himachal, wild animals like monkeys have a landmass of 12% for them. By trespassing its boundaries and entering the towns of Himachal, the monkey is destroying the fields and the agro economy of our state. The Government does not have any systematic plan of action to tackle this problem. The monkey menace is 2301 panchayats of the total 3243 panchayats but there seems to be no resolution of the problem. Yashwinder Dogra,
Sanjauli
Doggy nuisance The dog population in the Shimla city, particularly on the Mall, is increasingly day-by-day. These cause nuisance on the Ridge and tourists remain afraid, as there are so many incidents of dog bites. The Municipal Corporation has badly failed to check this menace. An easy way is to catch these and leave the same in the deep forests, where they would serve as the food for leopards and other wild animals. V.K Sharma,
Chota Shimla
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