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As foreign lands promise marital bliss, honeymooners part ways with Kufri
Wedded to the pleasures of exploring alien lands with familiar pleasures, young couples are parting ways with Kufri.As the flight of fancy takes them to Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius and even Dubai at almost the same expenses, couples are not just walking down the moonlit treks, meandering through the mountains and bliss, after getting hitched.
Poor parking facilities, lack of cleanliness, diminishing snow cover and complete commercialisation of nature has also done the damage, not just to Kufri’s image of a happy hunting grounds for lovers, but also to the business. Once christened honeymooners’ paradise, the little village of delight, less than half an hour away drive from Shimla is fast becoming just another hill station for families to spend the month-long summer break. If you have doubts about the divorced status of Kufri, just hop into your car. Negotiate the sharp twists and turns of time for reaching Kufri, just about 16-kms away from Shimla on national highway number 22. You will just not find the sun shining on honeymooning couples. Oh yes, enthusiastic tourists are there! Even before you get down the cab, you see so many of them riding ponies, picking up souvenirs crafted out of wood, and admiring the view with potent field glasses. But, you will hardly come across honeymooners romancing with the charms of the hills. Heaving a deep sigh, local trader Shiv Shankar says,” Newlywed have always been our prime customers. They are ever willing to pull out money, for taking home memories of the first few days spent together. And then, there is no denying the fact that grooms do not turn down requests. If a bride wants something, she gets it, pronto. No questions asked.” Shifting in his seat behind a pile of wooden artifacts in a small stall in the tiny Kufri bazaar, he says, “Otherwise also, saving dough is the last thing on their minds. They spend money and time, as if there will be no tomorrow. As the numbers of couples visiting here diminish, the sales have gone down by as much as 25 per cent.” Hazarding a rough guess, pony trainer Surinder Pal says,” Depending upon the tourist and marriage season, we have had anywhere between 500 and 800 honeymooners visiting Kufri daily. But now, their number has been reduced to less than half.” Looking around uncomfortably, other local entrepreneurs Ram Kumar Jatti and Raju Gupta cannot help but agree. Almost in unison, they say,” If the couples are not going abroad, they are finding excitement in Manali, even Kashmir. For, it was intense snowfall that used to attract them to the slopes in Kufri. As the pleasure of heavy fall does not snowball into a major bliss, the young couples just do not believe in taking to Kufri for better, or worse.” In Chandigarh ’s downtown, Vaneet Sharma of Sheetal Travels is more candid, than candied. In a matter of fact tone, he says,” Why would they give preference to Kufri when they can spend four nights and five days in Singapore for as less as Rs 25,000 per head, or six nights and seven days in Mauritius for just Rs 45,000. The trip not only gives them an opportunity of becoming familiar in strange environs, but also a chance to talk big about their honeymoon.” Back in Shimla, hotelier Dinesh Gupta recalls the time when couples visiting Shimla would definitely not miss the chance of enjoying proximity in the pristine environs of Kufri. “Those were the days when Kufri was famous worldwide for its skiing slopes and green hills. But, now it is fast turning into a dump,” he asserts. “Haphazard construction in the area has also taken away the charm. And then, it’s expensive. For a pony ride, you have to pay something like Rs 380”. Another resident says, “Kufri tourism development and environment preservation scheme was launched to restore the lost glory of the area, but it too has not been able to make much of a difference.” Well, one thing is for sure: If the authorities do not tie the knot with stringent measures now, or work for the hill station’s maintenance, Kufri may remain separated from honeymooners.
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Surrender to the charms of nature
Pack your bags and reach Kufri — a small town nestled in the laps of the gods. On a clear day, the entire range of snow peaks, right from Badrinath and Kedarnath in Uttar Pradesh to Pir-Panjal in Kashmir is visible.
It also offers pony-rides and a fantastic view of Shali peak. Spare some time and watch the glorious sight of the sun setting behind the mountains before splashing the sky in vivid hues of excitement. An adventure enthusiast’s paradise, Kufri is known not just for skiing, but also hiking and trekking trails. Once there, you can visit the Himalayan Nature Park and Indira Tourist Park. Just above Kufri, the Mahasu ridge has some good slopes. In fact, you have a beginner’s run, an advanced slope and slalom run. If you do not have the equipment, worry not. Himachal Tourism offers ski courses and equipment. Just keep it up!
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Vignettes
When Shimla gradually started earning the position of the seat of the Government of India, Lord Dalhousie, governor general from 1848 to1856, named it ‘his eyrie from which to watch the newly annexed plains that stretch below’. He had lameness of a foot, suffered from body aches and pains and the monsoons were hellish on his health so Shimla for him was ‘overrated in climate and everything else’. He preferred a drier and lovely Chini, now Kalpa in Kinnaur, 150 miles towards north of Shimla. He called it, “a province near the snow, where the rains do not come, and where the climate is described as better than anything since Eden.” He visited Chini twice during his tenure and probably stayed in the present Tehsil building in the village. The single-storied, dhajji-walled, slant-roofed building has a grave in its garden and the tombstone reads ‘ Bt Captain Henry Apperley of Bengal Horse Artillery’ died on 1st. July, 1845, which shows the penetration of the East India Company in the interior of hills. If I am right then Dalhousie stayed in this already constructed building and did not build one as Edward Buck wrote in 1904, “ Here he built a lodge, now utilised as bungalow for travellers, which was broken into and plundered in 1858.” The plundering hints towards late arrival of the news of ‘mutiny of 1857’. Tailpiece Young horticulture graduate to a Kinnauri farmer: “Old man, your horticulture practices are outdated. I’d be astonished if you get even two boxes of apple from this tree.” “So would I be, son! It is an apricot tree!” Dalhousie also wanted to create trade ties with Tibet and so he conceived ‘Grand Hindostan Thibet Road’ in 1850. The machinery of the East India Company was pressed into service and work began under the charge of the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Charles Napier. Napier’s secretary, Major Kennedy was made responsible for executing the task and for locals it was ‘Kengree Sahib Ka Surruck’. This road from Kalka to Shimla was opened for wheeled traffic by 1860s but from Shimla the trace passed through the villages of Fagu, Theog, Matiana, Narkanda, Kotgarh, Nirath, Rampur, Sarahan, Tranda, Paunda, Nichar, Wangtu, Kalpa (Chini), Rarang, Akpa and finally Jangi and remained a ‘small cut bridle path’. Dalhousie failed to convince the Board of Control in London about importance of this road and so got a cold response. His dream of “when it shall be finished will not be surpassed, I flatter myself, by any mountain road in the world” remained unfulfilled. This was the silk route, which the Government of Himachal Pradesh, now, wants to revive. Rahul Sankrityayan had travelled the area treading on this road. Past Tuesday, I was having my morning stroll on this very road just above the Circuit House at Kalpa at a height of 2960 metres and found the area dotted with guest houses. The HPTDC Hotel Kinner Kailash has come up there in ambient hill architecture. A couple of private guest houses are on lease with West Bengal entrepreneurs and the welcome signs in Bangla there spread the message that ‘Kalpa to Kolkata, we are one.’ An old resident Harbans Singh Bisht alias Shastriji met me there and told that Bangla tourists among the Indians and Israelis among the foreigners visit Kalpa in large numbers. He also informed that Circuit House built in 1905 by the forest department is the oldest modern building in Kalpa where the British stayed before independence. I have to mention about the two trees there to give verdure to the Circuit Houses. One, Ginkgo Biloba also called maidenhair tree, native to China and a living fossil that has not changed genetically since its discovery in 1690. A recent study, though needs further probing, shows that its extract is a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Second, a Chinar, now in tree-guard, planted by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his visit to Kalpa in May 2006. It stands in the grassy greens of the The view of snow clad Kinner Kailash and apple orchards all around punctuated by cottages is still just heavenly. Kalpa, including the hamlets of Sario and Raduley, has rightly been declared heritage village by the State Government in 2003. May it survive as it is – pure and pristine!
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Orphaned by AIDS, they live in stigma
“There is a need to mobilise the community on the plight of children orphaned by AIDS. No one comes forward to hear the voices of these innocent lives,” said Deep Mala, state in-charge of Francois-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB), an international NGO working for children orphaned by the syndrome.
Addressing a gathering of representatives of NGOs and panchayats at Dharamsala recently, she said children of HIV+ parents often experienced negative changes in their lives and suffered aneglect, mostly emotional neglect, long before they were orphaned. “They may have to adjust to a new situation, with little or no support, and may suffer exploitation and abuse,” she said. Highlighting her experiences of a study in Kangra , she said levels of psychological distress, anxiety, depression and anger were more among AIDS orphans. These psychological problems could become severe if a child was forced to separate from their siblings, she said. Mala further said in most of the cases these children did not have access to basic healthcare, quality education and face great risks of malnutrition, illness and HIV infection. “The crisis of these children is a major challenge in our society that needs to be addressed as early as possible,” she added. The NGO has identified as many nine children whose parents had died of AIDS in the recent years. The organisation has initiated efforts to sensitise their guardians so that they do not feel lonely and provide them basic amenities for living and education. The additional district magistrate of Kangra H.S. Pundir who presided over the function stressed upon the need to set-up children’s homes especially for the HIV-infected children. Proper education, healthcare and diet should be made as part of the special care in such homes, the ADM said. Dr J. S. Chandel, chief medical officer, Dr Surinder Sharma, district project officer, on AIDS, Dr T. D. Sharma, who detected the first case of HIV in the hill state and others were present.
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The good ol’ school days
Nostalgia gripped me as I went past the St Edward’s School, for within those gates I had enjoyed the best time of my life, carefree like a bird on a tree.
Down the memory lane, day one in school, crying and holding on to the skirts of lower KG teachers, Miss Stella Andrew and Miss Salima, going through school and coming out as a teenager. ‘Ready to take on the world, for a career’. Wow! What a wonderful experience it was! ‘Lumen Sequere’ (Follow the Light) on the School Crest is the guiding motto of the school; the students see the light and ‘Follow It’ while keeping vigil in dark and difficult times. Ex-Edwardians (some of them are ancient now) recalling school, saw the light at their beginnings and still ‘follow it’. The Inception of St Edwards School was deliberated upon by His Excellency the Archbishop A.E. J. Kenealy, an Englishman and two Irish Christian Brothers in October 1924. The school’s first day was March 9, 1925. There were six teachers, four of them Irish Christian Brothers and 42 students. Bro J.C. Dohoney was the first Principal. A fantabulous take off! Indeed a lucky day for Simla. The Irish Christian Brothers were a dedicated lot, led a life of celibacy, and were committed to upbringing students in the best traditions of education. St Edward’s then had a hostel and English boys as boarders. Academics, and all round integrated development was an integral part of school education, which was targeted and zeroed upon by the teachers. Deeply religious, the Brothers were great educationists, kept an inflexible watch on the students during the recess hours. Keen observers, watching from the windows of their top floor rooms, hidden talent was spotted and developed to an excellence. This otherwise would have remained untapped. Themselves sportsmen of sorts, the Brothers played hockey, soccer, cricket, table tennis. You name the game, they knew how to play. Talented artists, excelling in play of musical instruments (piano in particular) they imparted all they knew without fee or consideration to their wards, within school and outside school hours. “Walk double file, in step; raise your caps when you see acquaintances. No horsing around on public roads; and hands out of pockets” were teacher orders, while the Edwardians walked the streets of Simla. Before recess, for 15 minutes Bro. Foran, class teacher for the fourth standard (present seventh class) taught table manners and etiquette “How to eat, walk and talk how to address your seniors and behave in their company. To acknowledge ladies, to sit at the dinning table in homes or in hotels, and other matters of general etiquette in and out of home” were put to serious discussion. He was deputed by the Principal, BroW. I. McKeogh so to do. Student competition forms procured, processed and submitted before due dates was hobby with some teachers. The result was a few lieutenant-generals, Indian ambassadors, judges, lawyers, doctors, chief secretaries and commissioners, writers, poets, musician and highly placed business executives, all young men of sound mind and character, discrete in their dealings. Top notch all of them. Early 1950s, there were about 25 candidates in each class, the boy who stood last in the class would invariably score a whopping first division in the Matriculation Examination of the Punjab University. Such were the teaching standards and achievements of the school, a matter of credit to the teachers. Students from the St. Edwards were the blue- eyed boys of all Punjab Institutions and admitted thereto without interviews. Plays and concerts staged at the St. Edwards were par excellence, are rituals being maintained by the present set up. To be invited to the Concert Hall at Edward’s is a cherished desire of all in Simla, even now. “What school do you wish your son to join” I ask mothers of my tiny tot patients. “St. Edwards” is the invariable answer, “That is, if he gets selected” is an afterthought and a far away look in the eyes. An ex-student, now a retired chairman of the one of the largest tea producing company, had gone to Calcutta. Jobless during the recession of the mid fifties, he looked into the General Manager’s Office which bore notice ‘No Vacancies-Do not disturb’, asked the man sitting behind a huge work table in a hi-fi room “Do you really mean what you have pasted outside the door, sir” with a naughty look and a small wink. ”Get the hell out of here” was a gruff retort from the man. The young lad looked back while receding from the room, with a smile of having ‘done the job on him’ “Who are you, by the way?” shouted the affronted man. “N.N. Kaul from Simla”. “What school”? “St. Edward’s” “You have guts to walk into the GM Office. I have a Job for you son”. Both had spoken the same English. Both were from the same Alma Mater. Both had clicked. The Old-Boys Association was founded by Brother Hayes in 1967. Father Ambrose D’Souza revamped it in 2000. Father John Bosco the present Principal, Father Xavier Harold the School Manager and Father John Thadeus the Vice Principal take keen interest in the association and encourage all graduating students to join the club. The Old Boys are ‘What they are today’ because of what the St Edward’s did them then, a thorough grinding, sifting and sieving, till the best was attained. I relive St. Edward’s through my grandsons, two of them… little imps! They come home and narrate me stories about school. Within me I imagine they must be going through the same experience which I had sixty two years ago, a fantastic grinding. They are my third generation in Edward’s… A rare phenomenon! A great nostalgia!
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Shimla Diary
Come summers and the various picturesque locations in the state are thronged by film units. While large banners do prefer locales abroad for the convenience and hassle-free atmosphere but there are some who have a penchant for Himachal.
These days, it is Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor who are here shooting for The Train. The stars known not only for their on-screen pairing but also their off-screen chemistry are spending some quite moments at a resort in Mashobra, away from the media and public glare. With a director like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, shooting most of his much acclaimed Black in the hills here, there are many others who come here for shooting. Keen to promote shooting of films in the hill state, the government too is keen to attract film- makers by making special concessions and if possible having a film city. Get to know Israel
With Himachal being one of the most favoured destination for the Israelis visiting India, the country is keen to further strengthen ties by exploring the possibility of investment in the hill state. With over 40,000 Israeli visiting Himachal every year, the Israeli embassy has specially chosen Shimla as one of the venue for putting up an exhibition, marking 15 years of Indo-Israeli diplomatic ties. An exhibition on ‘Jerusalem in Old Maps’ has been put up by the embassy at the state Lior Weintraub from the Israeli embassy informed that they were also planning to hold an Israeli film festival in Shimla in July. As part of cultural exchange programme, artistes will come and perform here. “It is by word of mouth that Himachal has become the most preferred station in India for the Israelis,” he said. It is the warm hospitality of the people of the hill state along with Europe like conditions, which make it an ideal place for Israeli visitors, he added. In the backdrop of the close ties that the people of Israel have developed with Himachal, Israel could make some major investment in Himachal. Areas like dry land farming, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology could be the areas where the possibility of investment was being explored. The Israeli officials met the state government officials
in this regard during their visit here. Taste of Hyderabad
Those having a palate for mouth-watering kebabs and Hyderabadi biryani can savour the Avadhi cuisine as a Kebab food festival is being held at Hotel Holiday Home these days. The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Corporation has specially brought master chef Muhammad Juned along with his team of chefs from Hyderabad so that both locals as well as tourists can enjoy Hyderabadi and Avadhi cuisine. Being cooked and served in kasoras (earthen pots), there is a wide range of the steaming hot biryani, now popular world over. But there is no need for the veggies to get disappointed as there is enough variety for them too. The feast of biryanis includes gosht biryani, dum biryani, parda biryani, mutton hyderabadi biryani, kachhi gosht biryani, chicken dum biryani, nawabi biryani, sufyani biryani, khumb biryani and shahi subz biryani. As far as the choice of non-vegetarian kebabs goes, you take your pick from kakori, gilafi, galouti, sikandri raan, sikandaro botti and achari murg. For the vegetarians there is enough choice from shahi paneer tikka, makki seekh kebab, subz shami kebab, subz galouti, paneer gilafi kebab and many more. To make it a perfect evening with proper ambience and setting, gazal singer Gulam Rasool Khan will perform along with other artistes.
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Cherries keep apples at bay
Cherries are replacing the Kotgarh’s trademark deliciously sweet apples on their home turf. Bhutti panchayat has emerged Numero Uno in cherry cultivation and boasts of the largest cherry output in Shimla district.
The reasons are many — decreasing snowfall, poor yield, orchards plagued by borer, canker and wooly aphid as the trees have grown old. Villages of Bahli, Khaloda, Kotidhar, Bagari, Saroga and Jhanga — have made a name for themselves among the arhtiyas in the Delhi Azadpur Mandi. Advantage Cherry The cherry requires moderate rainfall. Its season begins in April and lasts till the end of May. Getting the fruit ready for the market is also simpler – while apples require trays, cherries are packed in one-kg boxes by family members. Farmers of Bhutti panchayat cultivate red cherry as well as its foreign varieties like Stella and Deura Neura. The Deura Neura cherry weighs double the usual red cherry and fetches three times more returns. While the red cherry sells in the wholesale market for Rs 60 a kg, the black cherry fetches Rs 130 to 150 per kg. Better still, black cherry is a self-pollinator. Says Ajit Bhalaik, a progressive cherry grower of Bahli village, “A cherry tree is full grown in eight to ten years and fetches returns of Rs 15,000 every season.” Farmers under the Bhutti panchayat have set up nurseries growing cherry saplings and are supplying these in the Apple Bowl. Though the Nauni Horticulture University has developed some new varieties, farmers prefer to stick to the local ones. Cherries have to be protected from birds and wildcats and farmers wrap the anti-bird net around the tree, which also protects against hailstorms soiled. The state horticulture department, through its Horticulture Technology Mission, offers subsidy up to 50 per cent on anti-hail nets till Rs 25,000. Farmers also complain of some procurement problems — Corporates like Adani Agri Fresh, ITC retail and Reliance do not procure cherries from them, unlike apples. “The arhtiyas’ cartel fleeces us in Delhi. If these corporates procure directly from us, we would be better off,” tells Bhalaik.
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Genes matter
The secluded hills in the interior of Himachal Pradesh may provide an answer to the ever-elusive search for pure blood red jungle fowl, widely believed to be extinct in the wild.
Large-scale cross breeding with the domestic fowls and other similar fowls over the years has almost completely wiped out the genetically pure bird. The genetic integrity of the red jungle fowl and its conservation status has been a matter of concern not only for the ornithologists but also medical scientists who need the pure blood fowl for developing drugs for diseases like leukaemia. Morphological studies conducted by the forest department have revealed that genetically pure blood red jungle fowl was present in the interior areas. According to Dr Lalit Mohan, conservator of forests (wild life), who has been supervising the conservation breeding programme, the birds in some pockets fulfilled the morphological, ecological and behavioural criteria laid down to assess the genetic purity. The tail is carried horizontally in both sexes and the females had no comb and they have an abbreviated call, unlike the domestic fowl. The clutch size is 6 to 8 eggs as against domestic fowl, which lay up to 265 eggs in a year. However, for final confirmation large-scale DNA mapping will have to be carried out. The department has now decided to formulate a project for the purpose under which blood samples of red jungle fowls from Chail, Renuka and Sarhan will be sent for a DNA test so that their genetic purity could be ascertained. It was John Corder, a conservation expert from the World Pheasant Association, who first saw the possibility of finding the red jungle fowl in the hill state. There are over 24 billion chickens, one for every human being, but the one for which the conservationists are looking for is most likely to be found in the hill state, John Corder is convinced. He made this observation after going through the interior areas of the state, which, he found, were largely bereft of domestic poultry. With little possibility of crossbreeding with other fowls, the ‘original chicken’ from which all other fowls have come, might have been preserved in all its genetic purity in the interior pockets, he points out. The preservation of the fowl is essential in view of its use in pharmaceutical research. The genetically pure fowls are required for developing drugs for various diseases as they are resistant to the disease-causing organisms. Dr Lalit said in case it was established that some of these birds were of uncontaminated stock, the department would include the endangered species in its conservation-breeding programme. The natural distribution of the fowl extends from the Indus river in Pakistan to India eastwards through Malaysia, Java and Lesser Sunda Islands. The widely distributed Indian Red Jungle Fowl is found in north, eastern and central parts, including the foothills of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and North Bengal.
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Hamirpur develops as a coaching hub
The town developed into a coaching center when a local college teacher from here started coaching in 1993.Today, about a dozen academies like Him Academy, Chankya, Chaitanya and Radical are well known for coaching for engineering and medical entrance exams. While, earlier the students uses to go to Chandigarh for taking coaching classes, they now attend classes here. Says, R.C. Lakhanpal, founder of Him Academy, “ The standards of coaching here match up to Chandigarh, and also we charge less coaching fees.” The fee for entrance test is also cheaper at Hamirpur than Chandigarh. While on an average Rs 20,000 is charged from a student for PMT coaching at Chandigarh, here Rs 13000 is charged for the same course. Similarly for AIEEE, entrance test for engineering, there is a difference of Rs 3000 in the fees for a crash course here and in Chandigarh. The hostel facilities offered by few academies also work as an advantage, especially for girl students.” One factor, which is helpful for students from Himachal is that coaching here is offered as per the IQ and education level of the students,” says Pankaj Lakhanpal, director of Him academy. The teachers are hopeful that Hamirpur will soon catch up with Chandigarh and Kota. “We are already working in the direction to provide best possible coaching facilities,” tell the teachers.
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BPOs hesitant to expand in state
BPOs have a distinctive work culture. They are marked by late night working hours, open space for huge offices and IT trained manpower; all this is missing in state feels the BPO professionals. Though the state’s IT department has made a small start in roping the Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs) companies in Parwanoo and Solan, the BPOs are hesitant in moving to Mandi and Dharamshala as Himachal people are not used to its work culture.
IT department has started 13 BPO centers most of them concentrated on the National Highway-22 stretch of the Parwanoo- Solan- Shimla as the BPOs These BPOs hold a good chance to employ the unemployed youth of over 7.46 lakh registered at state’s different employment exchanges. But the biggest hitch for BPOs is that Himachal has an IT-trained manpower of only 15000 so far. Besides this, they require open space, a town or city that is awake at night, as a 24-hr open market place is a must for BPOs and uninterrupted connectivity, revealed officials at BPOs chamber of industries. But the BPOs professionals feel that if the government invites BPOs to Himachal there will be sufficient manpower in the state, as large number of young professionals has to go to Delhi and Chandigarh to work in the BPOs. “Youth can be trained to work culture if BPOs are roped in here. If big companies come to Himachal there will be no shortage of manpower”, said Ankurdeep Singh, a BPO professional from Shimla, who worked in Delhi along with his ten friends. “One gets Rs 10,000 a month initially, but good packages later. The only hitch is that youth is not used to the “night long work culture” in the hills as towns here is almost dead after 8.00 PM in the evening”, added Amarjit Singh, a Mandi-based IT professional, who works in Wipro company in New Delhi. Specifying on the needs of BPOs, Rajinder Guleria, President, CII, HP state council said that they have submitted the action plan to the government to create necessary infrastructure. “But a BPO needs 2000 IT-trained manpower, a 24 hr market place, connectivity and large population, that is found in places like Chandigarh and Mohali”.
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A ray of hope
A visit to Gummer village is a refreshing sojourn. It is close to the famous Jwalaji temple in Kangra district. There are distant mountains, forests, fields with luxuriant crops and natural vegetation. The place is blessed pure air and a clear sky.
Before the intervention of the state (before 1850s), the cycle of crops was well balanced with the natural rhythm and the environment was well protected. Farmers still follow the traditional farming practices, thereby restricting the choices. A shift in these practices is essential, like switching over to cash crops like vegetables and fruits, which require less water. Villagers need to be convinced to plant ginger, turmeric, garlic and red chilly or better still, mixed cropping with legumes and mustard. Ashok Kumar, an enterprising villager, has proved that by planting turmeric, onion and garlic in the topsoil, one can ensure good returns. Before the inception of the forest department, there was little intervention in the management of forests areas, which were left in control of local communities like gaddis and ban gujjars. Kumar elaborates that in 1972, this area was merged with Himachal Pradesh. The recently established Gummer co-operative society takes care of the flora and fauna and checks forest fires. To prevent illegal cutting of trees ‘rakhas’ (forest guards) have been appointed by villagers. Every year there are forest fires. Resistant to fire, chir was used for building houses. The official interest in these forest was generated when two important scientific developments were reported in 1890’s, one being the tapping of chir pine for oleo-resin (a natural produce of resin and turpentine) on experimental basis and second, the use of chir and blue pine in railway sleepers (after chemical treatment). The climate is suitable for growing khair, kattha and aonla. There is a tremendous potential for growing stevia (a sweetener), jatropha for bio diesel, safed meusli, and aloe vera. Curry leaf plant grows in abundance in wilderness, extracted oil has curative properties. There are large groves of bamboos growing along river embankments to check soil erosion. Women are important in evolving a clean development mechanism projects. They are keen to earn besides collecting wood, farming and household chores. They feel that if the basic amenities like water and wood are readily available, life would be much more easier. They feel there is no souvenoirs of this place that a visitor can take back home. They wish to get training in handicraft so that they can earn some money. The villagers are unaware of the solar, wind energy and biogas. They know the urgency to conserve natural resources like land, water and biodiversity. Women in Gummer are looking out for new ideas and also government support in ventures like poultry, fisheries, dairy and mushroom cultivation. Kumar is optimistic that the government has promised Rs 30 lakh for creating awareness through seminars and interactive sessions. The forests in Gummer have sandalwood trees growing which the villagers do not want to talk about. With the hope to let the valley to become a sacred grove of ‘chandan-van’ or ‘chandan aranya’, any queries on sandalwood trees are ignored by the villagers. (The writer teaches botany at the University of Delhi and visits Gummer for training programmes for women)
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Nahan’s tourism potential unexploited Though Nahan has a number of tourist spots still it has not been exploited by the Tourism department, finds out Vidya Rattan Sharma The Himachal Government may have declared Nahan as a heritage town, however the tourism department has not developed it to attract tourists. The city has many ancient tourist spots like the antique gurdwara, expansive fort, historical taals, mehal is the headquarters of Sirmour district that comprises of world level Fossil Park and Renuka Lake. Interestingly, tourism officials at Solan had put a hoarding opposite Lal Kothi, stating a few sites of tourists’ interest, where the name of Nahan foundary was also mentioned though it was closed ten years back! Other than this, Nahan is loaded with visual treats of waterfalls, lofty mountains, pine-scented air, and salubrious climate, all this has not been used to boost the tourism and state’s economy. “State tourism minister G.S. Bali should have done his homework for promoting the tourism industry instead of investing time for meter usage in the private taxis,” said Paonta Sahib MLA, Sukh Ram Choudhary. He said that government should start facilities like good sanitation system, supply of purified water and smooth transportation system to attract tourists. “Tourism can be described as the lifeline of state. For developing Nahan into tourist spot there is need of a chain of good hotels, recreational facilities, swimming pools and air transportation that are needs of tourist these days,” says Sukh Ram Choudhary. Himachal state has a good potential till where tourism is concerned while it remained a dream for The foreign tourists who come to neighbouring states like Rajasthan, Kerla and Goa demand equally good facilities in Himachal that get here. Tourism department have not maintained Renuka Lake and adjoining safari. Also there is cheap means of transport amking it difficult to reach here. The tourism department can also open a permanent office, to carry out a survey for identification of sights of tourist interests. With the escalating high per capita income the number of visitors is also showing upward trend across the nation, as has been hailed at Mc Leodganj of Himachal state, said a German national. State tourism managing director, Tarun Shridar has proposed a 30-minute film on valleys of the state. Despite tall claims made by the Chief Minister (CM) Virbhadra Singh that state has failed to utilise its potential to attract tourists. The CM has recently announced Rs 5 cr for development of tourism here. The people of Sirmour district have always wanted to see Nahan foundry flourishing (which once used to churn out industrial electrical production for exports) that is closed now. Also places like the oval shape Renuka lake, Fossil Park are potent of capturing world map for research activities. The main reason for these untouched sites can be unorganised development of the region and tourism as well.
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WomAn Power
In an unprecedented development for the first time in the history of Sirmour, rural women who generally spent their time in ‘chulla-chowka’ and ‘ghas- pani’, are up in arms against the setting up of liquor vends. During the past one month more than 50 mahila mandals of the district have registered their protests with the Sub-Divisional Magistrates and Deputy Commissioner of the district against the liquor policy of the government.
Members of the mahila mandals feel that opening of new liquor vend ‘on demand’ or on the choice of the officials of the Excise and Taxation Department is a ‘dangerous liquor policy of state government’ which has triggered protests in the rural areas. People from a few voluntary organisations feel that the awareness among women against the bad effects of liquor ‘should be enchased to eradicate or minimise this social evil instead of crushing the movement.’ Majority of panchayats, chaired by the women presidents, were not even aware of the proposals for opening of liquor vends. While panchyats chaired by men were encouraging the opening of liquor vends in their areas. A recent study on women agitation conducted by a leading NGO, Vishwa Jagriti Manch, in the district has revealed that women organisations forced 19 panchyats of the district to withdraw their proposals for opening of liquor vends in their villages. As many as 14 such proposals forwarded by the concerned panchyats did not materialise due to strong opposition of women organizations. At 17 places the women protested giving the administration a tough time. Hundreds of rural women of the Koti Dhaman area beat up a team of 10 policemen, Excise and Taxasion Inspector and liquor vend contractor when they arrived for the opening of a liquor vend in their village. In the Katcha Tank area of Nahan when the women came to know that a liquor vend was being opened in their locality without an NOC from the local municipal committee, they rushed to the bus stand chowk and sat on dharna for the night. They did not allow the liquor contractor to open a vend in the locality. The agitation lasted for more than two weeks. Women also took out protest marches and sat on the main road forcing the vend contractor to drop the idea. Women organisations of the Kunthal Pashog area of Rajgarh Sub-Division blocked the Rajgarh–Solan road at Neri Pul and hundreds of women of Satiwala Panchyat in Nahan Sub- Division blocked the Chandigarh–Dehra Dun Highway for over three hours, after their requests fell on the deaf ears against opening of liquor vends in their areas. The same story was repeated by the women of other areas too. When contacted assistant commissioner, Excise and Taxation, Karam Chand said at present there were 74 liquor vends in the district. This year eight more were approved by the cabinet. In addition to this, the state government had allotted 20 more liquor vends to be opened in the ‘suitable’ areas. Keeping in view the on-going agitation, the department could open only six vends. He said that if a panchyat allowed to open a liquor vend in their area, Re 1 per bottle sold by the vend would be paid to the local panchyat. It was the main reason that several panchyats had made such recommendations, he explained.
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Dumping ground
Caring two-hoots about environmental degradation, tonnes of debris are being dumped along the roads by builders. The trend has been going on unchecked for quite some time now.
A survey on the Kalka-Shimla highway has shown that tonnes of debris had been dumped at Kumarhatti on the Barog-Solan road, at Samlech village on the Barog by-pass, near Salogra, Kandhaghat and several other places on NH-22. So large is the disposal of debris that at times large chunks of the valleys have been filled up. A landowner has been charging money from all those dumping debris in the valley at Samlech. What has caused concern is that once the entire valley is being filled up, the platform thus formed is used as a public utility place like parking of vehicles. In some extreme cases the private landowners sell them. Since the lower strata is predominantly loose, it often slides during heavy downpours causing loss of life and property. Officials of the forest department said, “Though private builders have permission to dump land after identifying dumping sites, but since no construction takes place at such sites there is no danger of any loss.” “The situation is, however, risky if private landowners allow dumping muck on their land and later sell them. Such landowners should be directed to make suitable entries in the revenue papers clarifying that the dumped muck site were unfit for construction,” they said.
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Hamirpur has developed as a coaching hub for students preparing for engineering and medical entrance exams. More than a thousand students come here every year from different parts of the state to take coaching classes. And, hundreds have already secured themselves admission in various prestigious institutions of the country, after attending crash courses here.
