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Yet again, no woman candidate in fray
This summer, fun-filled yoga workshop for kids
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Album out to inspire folk singers
Free thalassemia tests at Doon hospital |
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Yet again, no woman candidate in fray
Dehradun, May 9 As a ruse, both the Congress and BJP leaders project themselves as the real benefactors of women and do not shy away from making absurd claims of working towards their well-being in order to notch up few political points. It is not that women political leaders have no role in these elections; they are out there in the hot sun canvassing and are present in large numbers at the election rallies, but there ends the story. Such is their fate that women politicians suddenly fade away into the crowd at the time of ticket distribution and these elections seem to be no different. What is worse is the fact that even issues that concerns them the most have been given a miss. Demographically, women outnumber men in Almora and Pauri Garhwal seats. As per details gathered from the Election Commission office, on the Almora seat there are 4.90 lakh male voters and 5.25 lakh female voters. In Dharchula, Didihat, Gangolihat, Kapkot, Bageshwar, Dwarahat, Salt, Raniketh and Someshwar assembly areas, female voters are more. Similarly on the Garhwal seat, there are 5.06 lakh male voters and 5.37 lakh female voters. While on the Tehri Garhwal, in certain assembly segments women voters outnumber men. Dismayed at the lack of representation of women, Sushila Balooni, senior BJP leader who was associated with the statehood movement, said: “There are no two opinions about the role of women in creation of the state. Most of our leaders rode to power on the sacrifices of women. However, none of the political parties are concerned about women and their issues.” Some opined that the national trend is getting reflected in Uttarakhand, where women participation continues to be uninspiring, although two national parties have women at the helm of affairs. “Although ours is a new state, but there is no dearth of women leaders, however, even they have not caught the attention of leaders. One has to admit that a grassroots woman leader is yet to emerge, but then one can only blame the male-dominated society that still looks incredulously at a woman and doubt her capacities. We had asked our party leaders to at least set aside two seats for women in these elections. But nothing was done,” said Shanti Juwantha, president of Uttarakhand Mahila Congress. However, social activists maintain that winds of change have begun at the level of panchayats. “I faced an uphill task in mustering a seat for myself during the last general and assembly elections. Later I had to be contended with the Mayor’s seat, but it was truly demoralising for my supporters and me. But I am happy that a large number of women can now hope to make a mark at the panchayat level due to reservations,” said Manorama Sharma Dobriyal, former Mayor of Dehradun and Congress leader. Increasingly, women political leaders are viewing reservation as a way to end their political oblivion. But they also blame their own sisters for getting satisfied with whatever little that comes their way. “I think once the Bill for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament is passed, we will have more representation. But my real worry is that our state is too small and we will have to devise an inbuilt mechanism to ensure that at least two seats come our way. I also think women leaders do not raise their demand loud enough to be heard by the leaders. “The BJP extended 50 per cent reservation in the panchayats for women in the state, and also launched the ‘Gaura Devi Kanya Dhan Yojana’ and other schemes for women,” said Raj Rawat, chairperson of the State Women’s Commission. Political observers also decry the absence of any women-centric issues in these elections. “It is a known fact that rising costs of day-to-day articles and food hits women the most, but none of the political parties are keen to find a solution. In our city there has been scarcity of water and also supply of LPG cylinders has been erratic, but I wonder if the leader who came the other day asking for my vote will even think about these issues,” said Madhu Dhobal, a housewife.
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This summer, fun-filled yoga workshop for kids
Dehradun, May 9 This is exactly what Delhi based Dhayan Foundation, under the guidance of Yogi Ashwini, has done for them and that too free of cost. This time around when myriad types of activities are being marketed for the kids for useful utilisation of time during summer vacations, the Foundation is
planning to hold such free fun-filled workshops in Dehradun shortly, informed the volunteer, Ruchi Singh. The Sanatan Kriya that Yogi Ashwini has adapted from ancient texts to suit modern man’s needs, has been re-designed and simplified to appeal children. “Lasting about 45 minutes, the 12-step module codifies the science of sound, colour, silence, laughter and breathing, and its tremendous effect on the physical and mental well-being of children,” she explained. The ability to focus gets boosted in such engaging exercises as ‘listening to the sound of silence.’ Awareness levels can be enhanced with kids being asked to shut
their eyes and describe the environment. “Moreover, right breathing is cultivated through an exercise where children are asked to watch the movement of their belly and blow air into balloons, she added. Traditional games like ‘statue’, ‘who will blink first?’ and ‘tippy tippy tap’, if friends were flowers what colour would you pick’ are actually part of a physical and mental workout to enhance stillness, cheerfulness and gauge the compatibility of a child with peers. The exercises lead to a host of other benefits as well: lower breath and heart rate, emotional do-congestion, positive thinking, increasing problem solving capacity, cheerfulness, alertness and qualities of caring and sharing. According to Yogi Ashwini, yoga is the ‘final frontier’ and the science of creation through one can access the outermost periphery of creation and subtlest dimensions of human existence. But here he is aiding the little ones through a few small steps
for the big leap and the real joy of can be felt only by taking these steps in proposed workshops,
she claimed.
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Yogpeeth to design lessons for Mauritian students
Haridwar, May 9 The Mauritius government has decided to make it compulsory from Class 1st to 12th. Notably, the yoga syllabus has been adopted by several states in India already but this is the first of its kind when the Yoga curriculum will be implied in a foreign nation. A consultative decision in this regard was undertaken between the President of Mauritius, Aniroodh Jaganath and the visiting general secretary of Patanjali Yogpeeth Acharya Bala Krishan who was in Mauritius last week. The idea came to the Mauritian President when he visited Patanjali Yogpeeth last year, where he took yoga lesson by Swami Ramdev. After doing yoga for a month, the president was so impressed with the benefits of it that he decided to impart it to the children of Mauritius. Several yoga classes of are already been conducted and the trend is catching up fast in Mauritius. With Swami Ramdev already on the verge of becoming a conglomerate with its several food, herbal, medicinal and processing parks units, Mauritius government and Patanjali YogPeeth have also agreed in principle on a joint Food and Processing Park. The details of project are being worked out. Mauritian President will also be coming to Haridwar in August for attending the opening of the operational unit of the Patanjali Food and Herbal Park situated in Haridwar-Laksar Road. Aniroodh Jaganath has also been conferred Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award for his contribution in fostering better ties between India and Mauritius.
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Album out to inspire folk singers
Dehradun, May 9 Punnu got an opportunity with the help of Krishna Gaud and Rakesh Gaud the directors of Gangotri films, who initially evaluated his singing and then gave him a platform to unveil his talent. Prior to this break Punnu had acted in several Garhwali and Kumaoni albums and films. The songs in the album have been composed keeping in mind the taste of Uttarakhand people. The main song of the album is dedicated to the famous goddess ‘Dara Ki Devi’ with capturing beautiful locations of Ukhimath, Guptkashi, Dehradun, Mossorie, Srinagar and Pauri. Choreography was done by Ajay Bharti, Dharmendra Chauhan and Arvindra Negi. The main actors in the album apart from Punnu Gusia are Sanjay Silori, Ajay Solanki, Kiran Uniyal, Jassi, Amit Bhatt, Manoj Khatri, Nikita Butola and many more. Gangotri films has always tried to entertain people with something unique. They want the state government to channelise the efforts of aspiring and talented artistes in a meticulous and professional way.
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Free thalassemia tests at Doon hospital
Dehradun, May 8 “The patients undertaking treatment at the hospital are hailing from the bordering areas of Uttar Pradesh. We even get patients from Bijnor, Najibabad and Muzaffarnagar,” said Dr DS Rawat, child specialist, Doon Hospital. Thalassemia is a group of inherited disorders characterised by reduced or absent amounts of hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying protein inside the red blood cells. There are two basic groups of disorders: alpha thalassemia and beta thalassemia. Beta thalassemia is caused by a change in the gene for the beta globin component of haemoglobin. While beta thalassemia usually causes severe anaemia that can occur within months after birth. If left untreated it could lead to retardation in children and decreased life expectancy. “It can be identified by screening newborn days before symptoms become fully developed. Although, transfusion therapy prevents many of the complications of severe anaemia in which the body is unable to eliminate excess of iron contained in the transfused blood. Over the period of time the excess iron deposits in tissue and organs results in organ failure,” added Dr Rawat. Though, through transfusion the life span of the patients could be prolonged up to 30 to 45 years. Health experts said a proper screening policy to reduce the incidence of the decease included pre-natal screening and even counseling before marriage, “ as there is a strong chance that the offspring of carrier parents may have the disease. However, being a carrier of disease may confer a degree of protection against malaria,” said Dr DP Joshi, child specialist, Doon hospital. The Indian Medial Association Blood Bank provides free blood to the patients.
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