Kangra, March 24
Dr RP Government Medical College in Tanda has been in the news since its inception due to one reason or the other.

Earlier, there was a political tussle between the Congress and the BJP over some issue relating to the college. Then the issue of staff shortage and inadequate facilities was blown up and this month it was the notorious ragging which claimed the life of Aman Kachroo.

Now, efforts are on by teachers, students, parents and mediapersons to bring this institute on the right track and make it “zero-ragging campus”.

The evening of March 8 was an unfortunate evening for the college when its first year student Aman Kachroo lost his life. The alleged accused, Naveen Verma, Abhinav Verma, Mukul Sharma and Ajay Verma, are now in judicial custody.

Apparently everything seemed all right, but the college management failed to measure the dangerous undercurrents that ultimately shocked the entire nation.

Aman, a bright student, lost his life for no fault of his own and his family has been left shattered. Naveen, Mukul, Abinav and Ajay were equally good students, but somehow lost track and instead of serving society, are now facing the murder trial.

It remains to be seen what made these students to reach the present situation. PR Agnihotri, a retired executive engineer, said either the priorities of the parents changed towards their wards soon after they got them admitted to a professional college or they loved their children beyond limits and lost control over them.

Mandi, March 24
With the unusual change in climatic conditions, there are fears that a long scorching summer can break out an orgy of forest fires across the state. And to add to the apprehensions, the forests department remains ill equipped and understaffed to tackle such incidents.

Worsening the scenario is the fact that the village communities have been alienated from forests that have been their mainstay for fuel, forest produce and timber. The blanket ban on felling trees has snatched away their traditional rights and stakes on the forests. The villagers earlier used to volunteer their services to douse the fire, but now they hardly care, leaving the burning forests at the mercy of fires or a forest guard or two who is no match to fight the wild flames.

Adding credence to the fears, forest fires have already started erupting in scores of forests and “ghasnis” (grasslands) are being torched allegedly by some villagers under the belief that the smoke that arise from fires bring in rains and good fodder for animals in summer.

Despite forests department’s claims of taking measures to tackle the fire menace, more than 567 cases of forest fires were reported last year, which destroyed over 6,550.72 hectare of area in the state. In Mandi circle, over 80 cases of forest fires were reported, which destroyed 773 hectares of the forest areas, resulting in a loss of Rs 12.74 lakh.

The loss from forest fires was calculated to be Rs 59.89 lakh, but the irreparable loss to umpteen species of plants, herbs and other undergrowth in the forest remain beyond calculation, say environmentalists.

The forest department has identified Jogindernagar, Sundernagar parts of Karsog in Mandi circles; Rampur in Rampur circle; Dehra, Dharamsala, Nurpur and Una in Dharamsala circle; Nalagarh, Kunihar and Hamirpur in Bilaspur circle; Renuka, Paonta Sahib, Nahan and Solan in Nahan circle as the most fire-sensitive areas.

Reasons are not hard to seek. The forests department planted fire-catching jungles in lower hills to increase the green cover. The dry needles drop on the forest floor in March-April turning chil jungles into a burning cauldron that threatens villagers and their cattle. Chil jungles have destroyed grassland and fodder and villagers hopelessly torch chil needles to clear them in the hope that some green grass will grow up.

Most of the dangerous fires erupt in the deodar-rich belts of Chopal and Rohru forest divisions in Shimla district, Panarsa in Mandi, and several pockets in Kullu districts.

Each time drought-like conditions prevail in the state, the myth-influenced villagers resort to torching dry “ghasnis” that in turn leads to devastating forest fires.

The fires have already destroyed over four hectares of the forest area in deodar-rich Piun in Panarsa forest range in Mandi. Forests and “ghasnis” were burning in Kungu Nali, Tharoch, Khaddar in the Chopal forest division, Asia’s richest deodar forests, in the second week of March. The recent spell of rains has doused these fires.

However, the fire is gradually spreading as the ill-equipped forest department remains understaffed, although it has sounded a statewide alert. The forest watchtowers, including panchayat-level committees, exist only in papers as forest after forest is being destroyed every dry season.

The fires have also destroyed apple orchards near Kutara in Rohru and Shantha area in Chopal as the orchards run the risk of catching fire because of dry conditions, said orchard owners.

There is little being done to quell the myths about fires. In fact, when dry spell shows no sign of letting, the villagers resort to sacrificial “hawans” invoking local deities.

DFOs claim that ground fires affect “ghasnis” and private land and some forests areas. “The field staff is on high alert and joint forest committees of villagers have been activated to prevent fire incidents, they claim.

Principal chief conservator of forests Vinay Tandon says during dry season, the department gears up the field staff, puts up watchtowers, and activates the villagers with anti-fire equipment. “We do the controlled burning to remove dry pine needles and clear the fire lines in sensitive forests. We also organise workshops to dispel myths and superstitions about forest fires from time to time”. 

Not many know that some little-known feudal states of the state had their own postal stamps in the pre-Independence era. The philatelic exhibition organised by the Postal Department in the state capital early this week brought this interesting fact to the fore.

Unlike the stamps of the British regime, the stamps of the states like Dhami and Theog did not have any indication of the year on which these were issued. Indeed the “Simpex 2009”, organised as part of the department’s endeavour to create awareness among the people, particularly the schoolchildren, about the importance of philately, served the purpose.

A large number of students, who visited the exhibition, took keen interest in the rare stamps, some of which dated back to 1855. A total of 2,000 stamps, mostly from the collection of four philatelists, were on display. Ritu Kalra had the richest collection among the participants and she also had the oldest stamps. Jatin Jaiswal, P Chauhan and Kapil Dev Sood were the other participants whose collection had some rare stamps.

Nurpur, March 24
In order to highlight poor health services in the civil hospital, workers of the Nurpur block Congress Committee recently held a demonstration and staged a three-hour-long dharna on the premises of the civil hospital.

Led by state Congress general secretary Ajay Mahajan, they raised slogans.Protesting against de-notification of 59 posts sanctioned by the then government in August 2007 and downgrading of the hospital , they also submitted a memorandum to the state government demanding the restoration of its upgradation. They also rued the transfer of four specialists from the hospital affecting most of the specialties catering to the needs of Nurpur, Jawali and Bhatiyat subdivisions.

Kullu, March 24
Though the second phase of the regional hospital in Kullu was inaugurated in November, 2008, by the Chief Minister, it has not become fully operational till now.

While indoor patients undergo treatment in the old building, many are treated on folding beds in corridors of three floors of the hospital.The authorities here said the shortage of paramedical staff forced them to keep the indoor patients in the old building. The dearth of specialists forces people to get expensive treatment from private hospitals in the district or Chandigarh.

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) here claimed the allocated strength of the doctors was 26 while 24 had been posted.Specialist or general physician was not the consideration of the government, he added. He agreed that the hospital needed specialists in gynaecology, medicine, orthopedics, pediatrics and surgery.The volume of patients had increased while the strength of the doctors and the other staff was on the basis of a census of patients in 1990.Doctors had to take up national programmes for family planning, polio, TB, immunisation and hold various health camps.Besides, they had to attend court cases. 

Dharamsala, March 24
With the governing body deciding to shift out the IPL matches from the country, due to union home ministry expressing its inability to provide security in view of Lok Sabha elections, Dharamsala lost a golden opportunity. It has missed the chance to host four IPL matches that would have brought the first international-level cricket stadium of the state on the world map.

It would also have helped the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Board (HPCB) in getting approval for international cricket matches. The ICC inspection of the stadium was due in the next few months and the successful organisation of IPL would have helped in the approval.

Moreover, the IPL matches would have also given a boost to tourism in Dharamsala and surrounding areas in this otherwise lean period.

Tourism in Dharamsala is mainly dependent on foreign tourists visiting the Dalai Lama at Mcleodganj. However, due to recession across the world this year, the inflow of foreign tourists has dropped to a large extent.

However, the organisation of IPL matches would have brought domestic tourists to Dharamsala. Now with the matches being shifted to a venue outside the country, even that hope has been lost.

Various states and the union home ministry had expressed their concern regarding the security for IPL matches during the Lok Sabha elections. Many states had expressed their inability in providing security for the cricket matches during the elections.

However, the HPCB had grabbed the opportunity and managed to persuade IPL organisers for conducting four matches at Dharamsala cricket stadium.

As per the earlier IPL schedule, matches were to be organised here on May 1, 3, 17 and 19. The state government had also expressed its willingness for providing security. This week, the DGP had personally visited the stadium to oversee the security arrangement.

The missed opportunity might also delay the HPCB effort in getting the stadium approved from the ICC for international matches. Though an international one-day cricket match between India and Pakistan has already been played here, the ground is yet to be approved by the ICC for further matches.

Earlier, an ICC inspection team had listed various shortcomings at the stadium including, proper cabins for umpires and broadcasting crews. They had also listed the non-availability of a five-star hotel as a shortcoming for organising international cricket matches here.

The HPCB removed most of the shortcomings. A clubhouse is now being constructed for the stay of players that would compensate the lack of a five-star hotel. An indoor practice facility is also being created at the stadium.

The ICC team is scheduled to visit the stadium once again in the near future and officials here hoping that the stadium would get approval for international matches.

Shimla, March 24
Persistent loser Virender Kashyap (BJP) will not have to face his traditional rival Krishan Dut Sultanpuri (Congress), who trounced him six times, in his seventh attempt to enter the Lok Sabha from the Shimla seat.

Sultanpuri, who is no more now, successfully contested all the six Lok Sabha elections from 1980 to 1998 and on every occasion Kashyap was in the fray, though from different parties. Interestingly, when Sultanpuri was denied the Congress ticket in 1999 elections, the BJP left the seat for its alliance partner Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC).

While the BJP, more importantly Kashyap, lost an opportunity to score a maiden victory in the wake of the Kargil war, a political green horn Dhani Ram Shandil (HVC) defeated former Congress minister Gangu Ram Musafir to enter the Parliament.

In 2004 elections, Shandil contested on the Congress ticket but that did not help Kashyap as he was denied ticket by the BJP, which fielded a retired bureaucrat HN Kashyap. Shandil won the contest rather easily and now he is again in the field seeking a third consecutive term.

Unlike other three Lok Sabha seats, from where stalwarts like Virbhadra Singh and Sukh Ram (Mandi), Shanta Kumar (Kangra) and PK Dhumal and NC Prasher (Hamirpur) have entered the Lok Sabha, the Shimla seat has not seen a political heavy weight contesting the election. Sultanpuri won the seat six times in a row polling impressive percentage of votes ranging from 48 per cent in 1989 to 79.66 per cent in 1984. Yet, he remained a nondescript leader during his long and successful electoral career. He largely banked on the charishma of Congress stalwart Virbhadra Singh to defy the anti-incumbency factor and maintain an unblemished record from the seat.

On the other hand, the BJP failed to throw up a candidate from the seat all these years. It adopted Kashyap in 1996 and pursued with him till 1998 but failed to taste win. He is again in the arena searching for the ever-elusive victory. Kashyap also made his electoral debut in 1980 along with Sultanpuri but lost to him six times.

In fact, he ended up at the third place on the first four occasions when he contested from parties like JNP(s), LKD and JD, which had no base in the state. It was only in 1996 and 1998 when he got the BJP ticket that he polled substantial votes to climb up to the second place. He achieved the highest percentage vote (42.58) in 1998 Lok Sabha polls, which was a good seven per cent less than Sultanpuri.

Now that Sultanpuri is no more in the scene and his main rival Shandil seeking a third consecutive term, Kashyap fancies his chances as never before. He is in the fray for the first time as he is a candidate of the party in power in the state. Since, the BJP government has still three-and-a-half years to go, Kashyap will have some advantage, as people normally do not openly oppose the party in power.

Further, out of the total 17 assembly segments as many as eight are represented by the BJP and one independent is also supporting it. The Congress also has eight legislators, four each in Shimla and Sirmour. However, it is too early to say whether or not Kashyap will be able to break into the Congress stronghold and bag the seat for the BJP, which had not won it even once till date. 

Shimla, March 24
Politics may not just throw up strange bedfellows but it can leave families and close relations divided.

This time, too, in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, the scene is no different as several leaders will be seeking votes against their own close relatives. Family members and close relations could be on the opposite side of the fence, being opponents fielded by different political parties.

BJP candidate from the Mandi seat, Maheshwar Singh’s younger brother Karan Singh will have to campaign in favour of the Congress . Karan Singh, former education minister in the previous BJP regime, joined the Congress after his own party ignored him. Now being his political compulsion, he will have to campaign for former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who has been fielded by the Congress from Mandi.

Interestingly, both Maheshwar Singh and Virbhadra Singh, hailing from the royal families of Kullu and Rampur, have a lot of common relations. In fact, Maheswar’s daughter-in-law is from the Rampur royal family but it is political affiliations which will now decide who supports whom and not necessarily blood relation.

Several other leaders although having close relation are opposing each other on ideological differences. Take the case of Assembly Speaker Thakur Gulab Singh whose own nephew and former MLA Surender Pal, whom he defeated on the Jogindernagar seat, is campaigning for the Congress in Mandi. While the Speaker wants to ensure maximum lead for BJP candidate Maheshwar Singh, Pal is seeking votes for Virbhadra Singh.

The same story is being repeated in the family of former BJP stalwart Jagdev Chand from Hamirpur. While his son Narinder Thakur, a strong contender for the Congress ticket from the Hamipru Lok sabha seat will campaign for his party, his sister-in-law and sitting MLA from Hamirpur, Urmil Thakur will try to seek maximum possible votes for Anurag Thakur, the BJP candidate.

Narinder, having lost the race for the ticket to cricketer Madan Lal, will seek votes for the Congress as he has already declared that he has joined the Congress unconditionally and will work for the party.

Another close relative who stand divided on political lines is former Congress minister from Kullu Raj Kishan Gaur and his nephew Dharamvir Dhami. While Dhami had contested the Assembly election on the BSP ticket, his uncle Gaur had been fielded by the Congress from the Kullu seat. Both lost the elections with the BJP taking advantage of the feud within the family. It is Govind Thakur of the BJP, who managed to win taking advantage of a split in the family even it was on political lines.