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Student politics sans ethics Dehradun, November 22 It is pertinent to mention here that ever since BJP lead government took over the reins of the Uttarakhand, the activists of ABVP, an affiliate of the ‘Sangh Parivar’ seems to have got a free hand to smash public as well as private properties. After winning the students council elections in the local DAV College last year, ABVP activists attacked hotels and petrol pumps and even did not spare the policemen. As a mark of protest even the petrol pump owners of the city observed a strike. On the same day, the then president of DAV College Jatinder Moni and his supporters also damaged property of a hotel, after the hotel officials refused to provide the food free of cost. Though acting tough, the then inspector of Kotwali police station Mahender Singh Negi arrested the Moni and four other student leaders. But bowing to political pressure exerted by a close aide of the CM, the senior police officials not only released the arrested students on personal bonds but also ordered removed Negi for alleged dereliction of duty and sent him to police lines. After that morale of the ABVP was on a high and wrongful activities of students union continued without any check. While ABVP always remained in news for all wrong reasons, the NSUI activists too started following their footsteps. Recently, NSUI activists and DAV PG College Aryan Group members damaged Natraj Cinema. And just two days back, things took such an ugly turn that ABVP activists went to a girl’s college and damaged the college property and misbehaved with the staff. When the police dispersed them, they made it an issue and are now demanding removal of Kotwali Police Station incharge J.P.Juyal. Meanwhile, expressing his views, senior Congress leader and former president of DAV College Suryakant Dhasmana said that when he was president in year 1988, the student’s politics used to be issue based. “But today rather than taking up the issues of upliftment of students and youth, academic matters and other relevant issues; the saffron brigade (ABVP), which enjoys patronage of the state government, is spoiling the peaceful environment of the city,” he said, while adding that instead of focusing on genuine student issues, ABVP is indulging in hooliganism. President of DAV College and ABVP member Rahul Rawat and Jatinder Moni respectively rubbished all the allegations and claimed that they had never indulged in any sort of hooliganism. “We always take up issues concerning students community and it is the police authorities, who try to suppress our voice,” they claimed. Both of them also said that it was MKP College authorities, who slapped the College president Uma Rawat, adding, “It was College president, on whose request they went to the College.” Expressing similar views, general secretary of DAV College Parag Bhatt (Aryan Group) accused the police of resorting to lathicharge on students protesting in a peaceful manner. “We may have committed some minor mistake but the issue is unnecessarily been blown out of proportion,” he asserted. District president of NSUI Sangram Pundir admitted that students unions are diverting from basis aim of taking up issues related with academics and student issues. The former head of political science department of DAV College D.N.Badkote said it is now a general phenomena students organisation of the party in power resort to hooliganism. “This not only troubles public but also demoralises police force,” he also said, their petty political interests, politicians pamper the students. “Taking up academic issue is of no concern for students unions these days. The students seems to have disillusioned with the current education system because lack of job security and hence apply their energy in doing activities which are not in the larger interest of masses,” he added.
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The Oak tale Mussoorie, November 21 According to AK Banerjee, DFO, Mussoorie, this centre of excellence is “ not only for conservation but also educational purposes.” He is hopeful that the centre would meet the role of an information centre for relevant information to academicians and the public on the state’s oak species. Banerjee said he aimed to collect oak seeds from various parts of Uttarakhand and raise seedlings through nurseries. These seeds and seedlings would be sold to various agencies interested in oak plantations. Moreover, model oak plantations would be developed for all five species which would be of interest to ecologists and students, Banerjee said. An interpretation centre-cum-information centre was also being developed. “ At the centre all relevant information (in electronic and print) pertaining to the oaks would be made available to visitors,” Banerjee said. A total of 450 species of oak are found across the world, out of which five are found in Uttarakhand and 3,000 sq km of its forest area is under oak. While Quercus leucotrichophora (Banj), Q. floribunda (Moru) and Q. semecarpifolia (Kharsu) are the most common species, the other two species “Q. lanuginosa (Rianj) and Q. glauca (Phaliyat) occur in a limited area. Banerjee believes that excessive pressure on oak forests for fodder and firewood has had a negative impact on the health of the oak forests. “ Rianj and Phaliyat species are occur in a very small area and it is extremely important to promote plantation of these species,” said Banerjee. Work on this Centre of Excellence was initiated last year and is expected to be completed by March next.
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When Nehru helped me with a scoop Though an impressive speaker in English, Jawaharlal Nehru was not eloquent enough in addressing public meetings in Hindustani, and often changed track or jumped from one topic to another as he spoke. Like others of his ilk who had gotten their education through the medium of English, particularly in England, Nehru's thought process too was in English. First he composed his speech in English in his mind, and then instantly translated into Hindustani as he spoke. Likewise, those who covered his meetings would use bilingual mode, taking notes in English by instantly translating Nehru's Hindustani speech into English as Nehru rambled on. Nehru at times would bring up the most newsworthy point at the fag end of his speech, and that in a cavalier fashion. Most national correspondents on Nehru Beat were fully aware of this idiosyncrasy of Nehru, and would wait till the very end. However when once Nehru addressed a public meeting in Dehradun's Parade Grounds, probably in the late 1950s or thereabouts, most of the members of the accompanying Press party en masse left the meeting even before Nehru concluded his speech. The telecommunication revolution had not then touched India; the telegraph offices still sent telegraphs, and even the longish press telegrams in Morse Code. The Central Telegraph office near the Clock Tower had made special arrangements for the convenience of the visiting pressmen; providing typewriters, typing papers and even carbon papers. I waited till the very end. As was his won’t, Nehru delivered the most important point as he concluded his speech. I instantly recognised that point as the "Intro" or the "lead" to my story that I wrote in my mind as I rushed to cousin's dry cleaning shop nearby where I kept my small Royal typewriter and where I typed all of my telegrams. Being the local stringer, I knew everyone in the Telegraph Office and everybody there knew me. The stringers those days feared the news agencies more since their news editors would use the agency story if received early in order to catch the Dak edition. As I finished typing, I phoned the office in charge at the telegraph office, and he was ready to give priority to my copy. The following morning my papers carried Nehru's concluding announcement in big headlines, while most of special correspondents were left wondering. In my long career as a stringer I often beat the outstation special correspondents. Despite all this, most of them became my friends, and respected and treated as an equal.
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Paralympic seeks state assistance Dehradun, November 22 However, he complains that Uttarakhand is still not concerned about the Paralympic Games. “For physically challenged person having a job is not everything. An opportunity to participate in the games may given him an immense satisfaction and recognition which he is longing for,” asserted Prem. He also complains about lack of government interest in this direction. Prem suffers from polio and had been in constant touch with his doctor, who had suggested him to undergo aqua therapy and hydrotherapy for strengthen his leg muscles. It is then that he developed a interest in swimming. He was low on confidence when he first decided to participate in swimming competition. “There were no facilities for the game in the city and there is no one to give proper guidance, which made me feel low. Everyone is not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, as was the case with Abhinav Bindra whose father constructed a shooting academy for him. But people like us need support at the basic level,” said Prem. Everyday he travels from Mazira to ONGC Officers Colony to practice, which is about a 15 km stretch. The pool at ONGC is not an indoor one as a result Prem’s practice for 2012 London Paralympic will hampered in the month of December. No one in swimming has achieved this for Uttarakahand before. But still government assistance is needed to bring about a revolutionary change in state sports, feels Prem. He felt a little let down, when he came in communication with other state swimmers at 9th national Paralympic, who were given a 24-hour facility by their state governments. “Sometime I feel frustrated, as I have no one to discuss my problems and give me much needed advice. To resolve my problem I frequently talk with Trumulai Kumar, who belongs to Bengluru”. Prem is also eyeing to swim across English Channel, a 38 km stretch between England and French. But he still needs more government assistance to fulfill his dream.
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Another feather in Dimri’s cap Dehradun, November 21 Earlier, Dr Dimri’s contributions had also been recognised through the fellowship of prestigious national academies such as Indian National Science Academy and National Academy of Sciences. He became the first Asian recipient of Lorenz Award of American Geophysical Union in 2007. He is also the recipient of the prestigious National Mineral Award; Department of Ocean Development (DOD) Award, Govt. of India; Outstanding Scientist Award of FAPCCI, Prof. G.P. Chatterjee Award, presented by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh during the Indian Science Congress 2007. Dr Dimri has about 100 international and national publications to his credit; three authored books entitled “Deconvolution and Inverse Theory (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1992)”, “Application of Fractals in Earth Science” (Balkema, U.S.A. 2000) and “Fractal Behaviour of the earth system” (Springer, Germany, 2005). He is also serving as the member of various national and international scientific committees.
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