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Ansari visits St Edward’s; goes down memory lane
Vice-President of India Hamid Ansari with his wife Salma Ansari on a two-day visit to Shimla on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Amit Sharma
Proud moment for every Edwardian
State has made tremendous progress: Chief Secy
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Himachal Day celebrations a low-key affair
BJP ‘big danger’ for nation: Virbhadra
Cong betrayed rural masses: Dhumal
CM blames UPA for ills
Cong not to crack whip on errant party men
Cong rebels trying hard for homecoming
Undercutting in Cong comes to fore
Charge sheet against BJP govt in May
Probe ordered into bus mishap
Mechanical failure led to Chamba mishap
Bragta misleading people on roads’ restoration: Cong
20-20 Tourney
Officer killed in mishap
EC grants permission to varsity
Protest by media
To deliver lecture today
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Ansari visits St Edward’s; goes down memory lane
Shimla, April 15 Back at St Edward’s School, where he studied for two years between 1949-51, Vice-President, M. Hamid Ansari today took a walk down memory lane as he visited his alma mater. “There are occasions when you are left speechless and this happens to be one of them,” he said while addressing students in the auditorium. Accompanied by his wife, Salma Ansari, he drove straight to the school after landing at Annadale. “I vividly remember the fields where we played a great deal of hockey and cricket even though our PT instructor was reasonably tough and we had named him “Thandamar Singh” as he would take a stroll in the snow wearing only a jersey,” said the Vice-President remembering those good old days. Paying tribute to the commitment and dedication of the Irish fathers who ran the school then, he said, “The values that you pick up from your teachers see you through your life. School is absolutely the best time of one’s life although I remember getting admonished time and again for not being able to correctly spell the Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus in one of the chapters on the Seven Wonders of the World.” In his message to the present generation of Edwardians and the youth in general, he said excelling in academics and technology is all right but what is most important and must be given primacy is the principle of justice. “All faiths and civilizations believe that justice is a critical element that makes a society happy, harmonious and at peace with itself,” said Ansari. He said India had achieved a lot but there was still a long way to go and this responsibility lay on the shoulders of thousands of schoolchildren across India. “To come back to school after half a century generates sentiments and emotions that words cannot express. May the school prospers and students go out and contribute in the building up of the nation,” he wrote in the visitors’ book. It was Ansari’s first visit to school after he left Shimla in 1951, when his father was posted out. |
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State has made tremendous progress: Chief Secy
Bilaspur, April
15 This was stated by Chief Secretary Asha Swaroop while presiding over the 62nd Himachal Day state-level celebrations at Balh Seena
Gandhir, about 45 km from here, today forenoon. Earlier, she unfurled the National Flag and took salute from contingents of police, home guards and voluntary students organisations like NSS and ACC. The parade was led by woman police officer Veena
Bharti, an IPS probationer. Swaroop also paid tributes to Dr YS Parmar, who is remembered as the architect of the state, and remembered freedom fighters who fought a valiant struggle to get freedom from Rajas in these princely states. The chief secretary desired that the youth should strive hard to learn latest skills so that they not only lead the state to more and more heights of progress and development, but also to ensure faster progress in the fields of agriculture and horticulture. She also had a word of praise for the people of
Bilaspur, who have given their homes on altar of the Bhakra Dam for prosperity of the adjoining states of Punjab, Haryana and
Rajasthan. She remembered Victoria Cross winner Capt Bhandari Ram Sharma of Auhar and Kargil hero Havildar Sanjay Kumar who was awarded Paramvir
Chakra. Earlier, Swaroop paid tributes at the Martyrs’ Memorial in Bilaspur town. Local MLA Rikhi Ram
Kaundal, DGP GS Gill, GAD secretary Daljit Dogra, DC JS Rana, DIG Anurag Garg, SP Kuldip Sharma and PWD chief engineer NL Sharma among others were also present in the
function. KULLU: The district-level Himachal Day was celebrated with great fervour and gaiety here at the Dhalpur ground on Wednesday. DC M Sudha Devi unfurled the National Flag and took salute from the contingents of police,
ITBP, home guard, traffic police and NSS. While addressing the gathering she said after coming into existence the state had established many records and achieved distinctions in the developmental works in the country. She called upon the people to maintain cultural and religious harmony and help developmental works with positive thinking. Artists of the Public Relations Department, students of various schools and local artists presented cultural programmes. SP KK
Indoria, the ADM and the SDM, besides officials of various government departments, were also present on the occasion. |
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Himachal Day celebrations a low-key affair
Shimla, April 15 The BJP government had made elaborate plans for celebrating the 62 years of state’s existence under which Chief Minister and ministers were to preside over the state and district-level functions to be organised with much fanfare. However, the election commission’s directive that no political person could even sit on the dais what to speak of presiding over the event paid put to the plans. The absence of ministers and other political persons took much of the the sheen away from the celebrations. Eventually, Chief Secretary Asha Swaroop unfurled the national flag and took salute from contingents of the police, Home Guards and NCC cadets at the state-level function at Balh Seena in
Bilaspur. Deputy commissioners presided over the district-level functions at which cultural programmes were Addressing, the Chief secretary called upon the youth to channel their energy on constructive pursuits and take advantage of the available opportunities of higher educational to carve out their careers. She urged the teachers to motivate students to take to farming and help modernise the agriculture and horticulture activities. She said that youth must be able to appreciate the importance of physical labour along with the need for acquiring higher educational qualification. The Chief Secretary said that environment had emerged the most vital issue of concern in view of the grave challenges being posed by global warming and climatic changes. She urged the people not to waste any drop of water, make its optimum use and go for rain water harvesting in a big way. Deputy commissioner Amar Singh Rathore presided over the district-level function here at which he praised the people of the state for preserving their rich cultural heritage and traditional values. |
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DC pays homage to martyrs
Hamirpur, April 15 Jain unfurled the National Flag and took salute from the marching contingents of police, home guards, NCC and schoolchildren on the occasion. In his address, the DC remembered our leaders who had contributed for the independence of the country and also paid homage to our martyrs. He said Hamirpur is land of great warriors and is also known as the land of martyrs since large numbers of them have sacrificed their lives for the country. Talking about independence movement in the state, Jain said large number of people had participated in this movement and several firing incidents took place during that period in the state. Schoolchildren also presented a cultural programme on the occasion. |
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Proud moment for every Edwardian
Shimla, April 15 His alma mater accorded a warm welcome to Vice-President M Hamid Ansari who studied here along with his younger brother between 1949-51. The Bishop of Shimla and Chandigarh diocese, Ignatius L Mascarenhs, while welcoming Ansari said he was an alumnus who would certainly inspire the students to reach out for the stars. President of the Old Boys Association Kapil Dev Sood and general secretary Anil Walia led the old boys in welcoming Ansari. The distinguished gathering
on the occasion included High Court Judge Justice DD Sood and Lt Gen DD Sakhlani (retd). The students who came to school for the function despite a holiday said they considered themselves fortunate to have amidst them an old boy who has risen to the post of the Vice-President. “The fact that he too studied here makes me feel that sky is the limit if the determination and will power to succeed is there,” said Abhimanyu Shastri, student of class VII. Majority of the students, especially in junior classes, admitted to the fact that it was only recently when the Vice-President’s programme was finalised that they got to know that he too studied here. Ansari spent over one hour at the school as he posed with the students and staff who were keenly listening to every word uttered by the former student. His wife Salma Ansari also showed keen interest and inquired from the students about the sporting activities and their interests. |
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BJP ‘big danger’ for nation: Virbhadra
Kullu, April 15 He said the Congress-led government could provide a strong government. The government led by Manmohan Singh had established an example in the world of economic management while the world was facing recession. India could sustain the jolt of the recession due to the efficient economic management of Manmohan Singh and the Congress. He further quoted that the growth rate had reached 14 per cent while the inflation came down to 1.4 per
cent. Virbhadra lashed upon the BJP to judge the Congress for having soft attitude towards terror and ridiculed BJP leaders for expressing LK Advani as a strong leader and reminded of his succumbing to terror pressure and Kandhar episode. As for as the state was concerned, Virbhadra claimed that the present BJP government had done nothing during the past 14 months except claiming the works started or completed by the previous Congress government to be theirs. In reply to a question about the BJP’s allegation on him for discrimination in development in some regions, Virbhadra said he had done uniform development in the whole state. As far as the medical college at Mandi was concerned, he said the state had been divided in three zones (south, central and north) for all developmental works. We had medical colleges at Shimla and Kangra
(Tanda) and wanted to open one at Mandi for which provisions were initiated in the budget of 2007-08. He said the private medical college could not be compared with that run by the government. Later, he also addressed a public meeting at Bashing. He was on three-day election campaign tour to
Kullu. |
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Cong betrayed rural masses: Dhumal
Bilaspur, April 15 This was stated by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal while addressing an election meeting at Gandhir, about 45 km from here, this afternoon. It was only the Vajpayee government at the Centre that first gave a new direction to the country’s planning and more than 60 per cent of national budget was ordered to be spent on the rural masses and projects and schemes meant for their welfare. He went on to count the achievements of his state government over a period of around one year. He said if the BJP came to power at the Centre this time, all types of farmers’ loans would be waived while all future loans would be provided at just 4 per cent interest. He said the Congress had always treated SCs and STs as its vote bank without ever bothering for their welfare and uplift. It was his government that increased state’s budget for these sections of population to 25 per cent from the earlier 11 per cent. The Congress had also betrayed the youth of the state, he alleged. It had promised to provide employment to at least one person of each household, but it actually provided employment to only 3,386 youths in its five-year rule. On the other hand, his government had made provision of 26,000 government jobs within just one year. Dhumal urged party workers not to rest till evening of May 13, the day of polling, and ensure that every vote was cast in BJP’s favour so that state could get its due from the Centre. |
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CM blames UPA for ills
Bilaspur, April 15 He held the UPA government responsible for all ills like rising prices, terrorism, mounting unemployment and unending corruption and said such situations required drastic changes in the administrative and governmental levels to make a difference. He said it was the BJP which gave one of the most competent and bold Prime Ministers like AB Vajpayee who rushed to the war front during Kargil war to boost morale of our valiant soldiers and thus made a history. Dhumal compared this situation to that of the recent Mumbai attacks, which killed hundreds and the UPA government did not even know how to give a proper response at such an hour of emergency. BJP candidate Anurag Thakur and BJP state election campaign In charge Suresh Chandel also addressed the meeting. |
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Cong not to crack whip on errant party men
Shimla, April 15 The utterances and actions of some lower-rung leaders had caused embarrassment to senior leaders, who had sought disciplinary action against their detractors. However, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kaul Singh, who is trying to take everybody along, has chosen to take a lenient view of such episodes to avoid precipitating a crisis in the party just before the elections. No action is likely to be taken against Hamirpur district Congress president Sunil Bittu, who had openly opposed the candidature of Narinder Thakur and even got passed a resolution sacking him from the party. Kaul Singh maintains that the letter he had sent to Sunil could not be termed as a show-cause notice. He only wanted to ascertain what action the district unit had taken and it was more of a technical matter concerning internal functioning of the party. Obviously, if Narinder had been sacked, the action would have been legally unsustainable as the district unit was not competent to take action against a member of the Pradesh Congress Committee. In case, the district unit only passed a resolution recommending his expulsion, the state president could always reject the resolution. Moreover, the action of the district unit became irrelevant after the party high command replaced Madan Lal with Narinder as the party candidate from the Hamirpur constituency. The party is now gearing up for the second phase of campaigning to be launched with the filing of nominations. Former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anand Sharma and other leaders will address public meeting after the party candidate Dhani Ram Shandil files nomination papers on April 18. The party is arranging a helicopter so that senior leaders, including Kaul Singh, Virbhadra Singh and Anand Sharma, can fly across the state to address election meetings. They will hold the
stage until national campaigners like Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and other leaders converge on the hill state, which is scheduled go to the polls in the last phase. |
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Cong rebels trying hard for homecoming
Mandi, April 15 Prominent among them are: Pramod Sharma (who fought unsuccessfully against leader of the opposition Vidya Stokes from Kumarsain), Natha Singh Thakur from Dharampur in Mandi, Manjit Singh Dogra from Bamsam, Prem Kaushal from Mewa and Singhi Ram (whose name appeared in a case of fake certificates). Though most of them have lost foothold in their home segments, they are bargaining hard with the party leadership so as ensure their re-entry into the party. They intend to do it by ensuring “big wins for Virbhadra Singh and other three Congress candidates”. Some of them are in touch with former telecom minister Sukh Ram so that things work out their way in this “new game of power”. Their plea is: When the Congress can accommodate BJP men, why it can’t accommodate them. Sources close to Virbhadra Singh said he had taken up the case of re-entry of his supporters, including Dharamvir Dhami from Kullu, Mahant Ram Chaudhary from Balh, into the party. However, both of them have now joined the BJP. This happened because the state leadership of the party took a very long time to decide on their re-entry, sources said. When Kaul Singh Thakur was asked about the re-entry of rebels into the party, he maintained they were trying to take back rebels.
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Undercutting in Cong comes to fore
Kangra, April 15 Without naming the senior Congress leader Kaku demanded that the HPCC chief should warn the said leader and take disciplinary action against him, as his actions were not only against the Congress but also against party leader Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. Later on, while addressing mediapersons Kaul Singh Thakur sought the allegations from Surender Kaku in writing to take appropriate disciplinary action against the Congress leader. When asked by mediapersons to identify the senior Congress leader who according to Kaku was working against the party, Thakur said, “ You all know him.” He, however, said action would be taken against him if his office receives complaint in writing from
Kaku.
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Charge sheet against BJP govt in May
Dharamsala, April 15 The information that would be presented in the charge sheet had been obtained under the RTI Act by Congress workers, he added. It would include charges against three ministers of the ruling party. The Congress would present a copy of the charge sheet to the Governor of the state and demand a CBI inquiry into the charges. Kaul Singh was at Rakkar village, near Dharamsala, to address a public meeting in favour of party candidate Chander Kumar. He said the ticket to Narinder Thakur from the Hamirpur constituency had brightened the chances of the Congress in the state. When Madan Lal was given the ticket, CM Prem Kumar Dhumal had said he did not need to go to the Hamirpur constituency. However, after Narinder Thakur has been given the party ticket, the CM
has confined himself to the Hamirpur constituency only. Kaul Singh also addressed rallies at Tapowan. He is the first state-level leader to address a rally in favour of Chander Kumar. Most of the state-level leaders are campaigning in favour of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singhin the Mandi constituency. They are finding little time to campaign for other candidates in the state. |
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Probe ordered into bus mishap
Chamba, April 15 The transport minister, who was addressing mediapersons here this evening after visiting the accident site along with a team of technical experts of transport officials of the HRTC, said Chamba Additional District Magistrate BR Kaundal had been appointed as the inquiry officer who would submit the detailed report to the state government within a period of one month so that action could be initiated against the guilty. He revealed that the 29-seater private mini-bus was in a bad condition as observed by the technical team of the HRTC. The insurance of the bus had also expired on March 28, the minister divulged. However, the owner of the bus would have to pay compensation to the next of kin as per provisions of the law. However, the government also owned the onus to pay compensation as per the relief manual, the minister added. Kapoor warned that the tendency of playing havoc with the life and property of the passengers would be brooked at any cost. He also expressed deep grief and sympathy with the aggrieved families whose kin had died in the mishap. The minister appealed to society to extend their wholehearted cooperation and file complaints with regard to such ramshackle buses plying in their area so that stringent action could be taken against them and permits of such transport operators violating the rules could be cancelled forthwith and action taken against them accordingly. |
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Mechanical failure led to Chamba mishap
Dharamsala, April 15 The minister for transport Kishan Kapoor who visited the spot today along with other transport officials while talking to The Tribune said that a survivor in the accident said that the driver failed to change gears at a sharp turning point. There was a sharp noise in the engine. After this the bus lost balance and skidded into about 600 metres gorge. It was also found by the technical committee that the bus model was TATA-709. It is a four-cylinder vehicle. However, the owner of the vehicle Bashir Mohamud got the original engine changed after inspection by transport officials. At the time of accident six cylinder TATA-608 engine was fitted in the bus. The sources said that the driver of the bus was resisting the change in engine as it was giving problems in driving. However, the owner of the vehicle prevailed and got the engine changed. The minister said the action would be taken against the bus owner as he illegally got the engine changed that might have led to accident.
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Bragta misleading people on roads’ restoration: Cong
Shimla, April 15 Addressing a press conference here today, he said the procured fruit could not be transported to processing plants as almost all major roads remained blocked for weeks together during the harvesting season. Officers of procurement agencies had also blamed prolonged blockades for the rotting of the fruit. Yet, the minister had been repeatedly claiming that all roads were reopened within 48 hours. Either he was making a false claim or the officers were at fault, he said. If roads were opened promptly, the procurement agencies were at fault for which action should be taken after fixing the responsibility. Otherwise, Bragta should tender an unconditional public apology for misleading the people. The fact was that the government totally failed in making proper arrangements for the transportation and marketing of apple as a result of which growers suffered losses to the tune of crores of rupees, he said. The total crop was only 2.45 crore boxes last year, whereas the previous Congress regime had ensured timely transportation of fruit to the market even during 2006, when the state produced a record 2.92 crore boxes of apple.
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EC asks for security report
Tribune News Service
Shimla, April 15 The commission has also asked about the funding of the tournament in which cash prizes will be awarded to the top teams. Information has been sought on the complaint field by the opposition Congress which alleged that the event was being organised by president of the association Anurag Thakur, who is also the BJP candidate from the Hamirpur constituency, to influence the young voters. Swaroop, who was away to Bilaspur in connection with the Himachal Day function, said she was not aware of the matter so far. The commission has also put a specific query if the tournament will impact election in the Hamirpur seat as alleged by the Congress. General secretary for the party Kuldeep Rathore said his party was not against cricket it was only opposing its use for achieving political ends. Heavens would not fall if the tournament was held after May 13 when polling would be completed.
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Officer killed in mishap
Nurpur, April 15 According to the police, the deceased in his private
car (HP-40-5670) was returning from Dharamsala after attending a marriage along
with his wife Indu, mother-in-law Pushpa and nephew Arun. He lost control over
the vehicle near Jonta in this subdivision and the car fell into a 20 feet deep
gorge. The other three car occupants were also injured and were rushed to the
Civil Hospital here. The deceased who rushed in the hospital here was referred
to the Tanda hospital, but he succumbed to injuries on way to a private
hospital at Pathankot. The police has registered a case under Sections 279,
337 and 304 (A) of the IPC.
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EC grants permission to varsity
Shimla, April 15 Chief electoral officer Anil Khachi said the commission had also communicated its approval for installing CCTV system at the multi-purpose tax barrier in Parwanoo. However, the commission has advised to defer the proposals for acquisition of land at Navgraon village in Nalagarh and rationalisation of VAT on CFLs, desi ghee, pre-fabricated structures and unbranded washing soap. It has also restrained the urban development department from utilising the unspent amount under the NORAD project till the completion of the election process. |
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Protest by media
Shimla, April 15 The journalists even went to the extent of raising slogans outside the school when the Vice-President arrived. On inquiring what the problem was he asked the entire media fraternity to come inside but most of them refused to enter the school premises. The district administration on its part clarified that they had tried to impress upon the school authorities to allow all mediapersons and not adopt a policy of pick and choose but they refused to relent for want of space in the hall.
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To deliver lecture today
Shimla, April 15 Ansari will speak on “The Intellectual and Society: Role and Responsibility”. Governor Prabha Rau will preside over the
lecture. The lecture will be attended by over 200 intellectuals, important dignitaries.
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Despite a time lapse of over half a century when he left school in 1951, memories of the playground, classrooms and the admonishes he got from teachers are still fresh in his mind.
