Shimla, October 11
Amidst allegations of forcible reconversion by various Hindu organisations, Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamkoti Peeth, Jayendra Saraswati, today said returning to one’s own religious fold was ‘homecoming’ which could not be questioned in a secular country like India.

“Banning conversion would be a very welcome step, but then it would be difficult for any government to take such a bold step keeping in view the secular character of our country and of course the ‘vote politics’,” he remarked in an exclusive interview with The Tribune here today.

He said what is being termed as reconversion was basically returning back to one’s own ‘matri sthan’ where a person actually belongs to. He categorically said one could not label groups as Hindu and non-Hindus as what is being witnessed in Orissa was a backlash of conversions. However, with regard to the murder of Swami Parmanand in Orissa he said that it was the handiwork of the Naxalites, who had even owned the killing.

Shankaracharya, who is here in connection with the tercentenary celebrations of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Guruta Gaddi, felt that conversion was a very sensitive issue, which was the main bone of contention for communal clashes. “Every action has an equal reaction and that is precisely what is happening in places where there have been incidents of communal clashes and animosity,” he said when asked about the attacks on the Christian community in Orissa and Uttarakhand. He hastened to add that such sporadic communal clashes would continue as long as conversions are undertaken.

Vouching by the ‘Sarv Dharam Samanvay’ gospel, he said all religions must co-exist in harmony, but then there should be no misuse of religion in the form of conversion. “Neither will this kind of policy get them the minority vote (Muslims) nor the majority vote (Hindus) so they can keep pursuing whichever policy they wish to,” he commented when asked about the policy of appeasement being followed by the UPA regime. On the dream of constructing a Hindu temple at Ayodhya remaining unfulfilled despite being the main agenda of the NDA regime he said now the only hope he had was on the younger generation. “I put in my best efforts to see the dream being realised as I held series of talks with Muslim leaders and personal Law Board, but then with the court granting a stay on the issue there is little we can do,” he said.

He even took a dig at the fact that there is no retirement age for politicians who continue forever. “Government employees are entitled to pension and other benefits only after serving for three decades, but a politicians gets this privilege the moment he gets elected as an MLA or an MP and does not even last the entire tenure,” said the spiritual guru.

Solan, October 11
With the state revenue department yet to notify any relaxation under Section 118 of the H.P.Land Reforms and Tenancy Act to the non-Himachalis buying flats, hundreds of buyers are awaiting registration of their properties in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) 
industrial areas.

These persons had bought flats in the numerous housing colonies which came up after seeking licence from the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA). The colonisers had been demanding a one-time exemption as they had already sought this permission and they felt each and every flat owner should not be made to seek it separately. This permission would otherwise act as a hurdle and would deter the non-Himachalis from buying flats in the BBN.

The demand, however, is not new and it had been put forth even before the previous Congress government which failed to grant them the due relief. A section of builders said that, “ On the one hand HIMUDA was providing licence to construct flats and on the other the revenue department was deterring them from selling them as the buyers were non-Himachalis.

While this was a paradox in the government working it failed to achieve the desired purpose of providing housing facility to the company executives in the BBN area.”

The demand for quality housing has risen in the BBN area ever since the vast industrial expansion following the 2003 central industrial package. Hundreds of company executives are forced to commute from Chandigarh and the surrounding areas due to lack of quality housing in the BBN area.

According to an estimate nearly 1000 to 1200 flats had come up in the BBN area with prominent ones being Amaravati, Hill View and Omaxe etc.

While each one of them had constructed hundreds of flats the buyers were now awaiting their registration.

Officials in the revenue department said the issue was under consideration and it would merely require one notification which would enable such egistrations.

Once a builder had sought a licence from the HIMUDA after seeking due permission under Section 118 of the H.P.Land Tenancy and Land Reforms Act from the revenue department there would be no need for every buyer to go through the rigors of the same process. The delay, however, was causing anxiety among the buyers.

Bilaspur, October 11
The Himalaya Neeti Abhiyan Samiti, a state-level organisation devoted to the cause of environment protection, has demanded some essential changes and amendments in the Forest Rights Act, 2006, with a view to protect the misuse of this Act and also to provide essential benefits to the tribal and displaced persons of the state.

Addressing mediapersons here today afternoon, on the conclusion of a day-long state-level seminar on the above subject, which was attended by nearly 48 leaders and representatives of various organisations drawn from all parts of the state, samiti state president Kulbushan Upmanyu, state coordinator Guman Singh and prominent trade union leader Krishan Kumar Kaushal said the seminar, after long deliberations on this Act, has welcomed this Act, but has decided to demand that it should be amended in the view of special conditions prevailing in Himachal, the state government should be given the right to make suitable amendments to various Sections, Clauses and Rules of this Act so that its implementation becomes beneficial to the state.

The seminar said all forests should be brought under the joint management of the Forest Department and local population so that people are actively associated in forest protection and preservation and environment protection.

The other resolution demanded that this Act provides regularisation of encroachment on the forest land by an individual up to 50 bighas, which should be reduced to 5 bighas in the state and only those who have encroached upon the forest land up to 5 bighas should be allowed to posses this forest land. Bhakra and Pong dam oustees and also displaced persons from other power projects should be exempted under this provision up to 10 bighas of forest land.

The seminar said the cut off date for enjoying benefits of this Act should be December 13, 2005, also for Bhakra dam and Pong dam oustees and other displaced persons from projects as provided for the tribal areas and the provision of enjoying these benefits only by those who are living in their villages since 1930 should also be extended to the above categories of people in Himachal.

Upmanyu, Singh and Kaushal said they would soon present a representation to the Chief Minister for taking this matter to the Centre while the samiti would also send a detailed representation of its suggestions to the Prime Minister.

Chowari (Chamba), October 11
It has come to learn that the state government is pondering to extend the provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act for the planned development of underdeveloped Chowari and Sinhuta townships where the constructions are nowadays fast mushrooming leaving no space for alley-ways.

According to official sources, a proposal to this effect is already under the active consideration of the state government so that the charm of these scenic townships set in the captivating Bhattiyat valley, on the foothills of northern ranges of Dhauladhars, could be saved.

The proposed move of the government would help curbing haphazard housing in these townships, where no space was being left along the roads and even the prime agriculture land was being used ruthlessly for the purpose of raising structures which could prove detrimental to the future of residents themselves, the sources observed.

The sources said these townships were being converted into commercial settlements without giving any proper thought to a planned housing. As a consequence, the townships are becoming stinking slums resulting in polluting the environment of the entire townships.

Encroachments galore everywhere in these townships have created congestion to the streets and drains obstructing the regulation of traffic day by day and the time is not far away when it would become difficult to restore the former situation and to provide basic amenities to the town dwellers.

The people have lost civic sense and are busy in raising unruly and unwarranted structures. This tendency has given rise to the escalation of land prices and leading to expand the dimensions of these townships haphazardly.

Hamirpur, October 11
The two-day 11th annual national convention iSACH08 of Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) being organised jointly by students of the NIT, Hamirpur, and IIT Delhi began here today.

R.S. Nirjar, vice-chancellor of Gautam Budh Technical University, Orissa, inaugurated this convention.

Addressing the audience on this occasion, he said such events were of utmost importance for the growth of technical skills of the budding engineers.

He said the national convention would not only provide a forum for the students to display their skills, but to exchange new ideas for better employability.

ISTE president N.R. Shetty and NIT director I.K. Bhatt were also present on this occasion.

Students from all over the country are presenting their papers on personality development, entrepreneurship, motivational and communication skills in this techno-cultural convention, besides participating in cultural events.

On the technical side the competitions in bridge making, FM jammer designing etc. are also being organised.

Shimla, October 11
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 154.92 crore for the construction of 16,500 poly houses in order to give a boost to cash crop cultivation and help in diversification of the farm sector in the state.

While stating this here today Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal said the money would help in modernisation of the farm sector which in turn would help generate income to the farmers at their door step. “A total of 14,70,200 square meters of farm land has been targeted to be brought under precision farming practice by constructing poly houses where off season vegetables, flowers and other cash crops can be cultivated for commercial purpose,” he said.

Dhumal said the poly house project would generate direct employment to 4,000 rural artisans and 6,000 self-employment avenues for the educated rural youth, thereby benefiting 10,000 persons. He stressed the need for diversification and said agriculture, which was the primary sector, was facing neglect due to prevalence of traditional cropping pattern.

He said efforts were afoot to motivate farmers to adopt modern farming technology so that there could be diversification and income of the farmers could be supplemented. “By the end of the financial year soil testing at the farms of over one lakh farmers would be undertaken by the government so that the farmers can be guided to adopt the right technology and crops suited for the soil and other agro-climatic conditions,” he informed.

Nahan, October 11
J.P. Nadda, the forest minister of the state, while addressing a public meeting after dedicating a Yatri Nivas constructed at the cost of Rs 8 lakh at Jaman Ki Ser village under Pacchad tehsil said under the Vikas Mein Jan Sahyog (VJS), a development scheme being run with public participation, Rs 63 lakh have been spent in the Sirmaur district.

Appreciating the developmental aptitude of residents of the state he said people extended their full cooperation to development programmes to ensure their grand success, on all fronts which had bore fruits now and it is the moment of proud for every Himachali that state has been adjudged best in the country in the field of Health, education and road connectivity.

He sanctioned Rs 1 lakh for the construction of stadium at Bharwanu Ki Ser village. He said nearly 1 lakh medicinal plants had been planted in the district under ‘Jan Jan Sanjeevni’ plantation programme.

Sundernagar, October 11
The four accused, who were arrested by the Gohar police on October 9 for allegedly murdering Hem Raj of Badu village, were produced before the court of Judicial Magistrate at Mandi and were remanded to the police custody for five days for further investigation.

The incident has created much ripples in the political circles as one of the accused, Ankit Jamwal, was stated to be brother of Rakesh Jamwal, presidnet of Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha Himachal Pradesh.

After the incident the situation around the MG Engineering College, Badu, was still stated to be tense as the deceased was belonging to nearby area of the college campus and the police has been deployed in the campus. As per the college authorities, both the accused have been expelled from the college.

Earlier, the police has arrested Hans Raj, Ramesh, Vinit allias Vikki, residents of Behali and Ankit Jamwal. Hem Raj was thrashed by the accused and subsequently stabbed, the police said. Vinit and Ankit are students of MG Engineering College.

According to M. Chandersheakar, SP, Mandi, the arrest was made immediately and the accused were nabbed in their houses. He further said the police had today recovered the weapon of offence from Nalsar village of Balh valley.

Meanwhile, Kaul Singh, president of the state Congress Committee, has expressed concern over the incident and said after the BJP came to power in the state the law and order problem had raised and the things went from bad to worst.