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Despite hurdles, pilgrims march on
Mixed reactions to Sibal’s proposal
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A peep into Nishank’s wardrobe
Two minors killed
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Despite hurdles, pilgrims march on Dehradun, June 27
After being suspended for a couple of days, the Hemkund yatra resumed today with PWD and other officials managing to cross over as many as 4,000 pilgrims towards the shrine’s side by 11 am that too after temporary repair. Pilgrims numbering lakhs come to Uttarakhand from across the country every year for the Char Dham yatra which include Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri and Sikh shrine of Hemkund Sahib.
While the yatra has been smooth in Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri, conducting a hassle-free yatra is proving to be a challenge for the Shavite shrine of Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib for varied reasons. On June 21, thousands of pilgrims were stranded after the suspension bridge connecting Govind Ghat with the pedestrian route to Hemkund Sahib got damaged. No causality was reported. A rush of water in the Alaknanda caused the damage to the bridge. However, there were two casualties during the yatra. The deceased were identified as Harjit Singh (21), resident of Mohali (Punjab) and Lakhwinder Singh (44), who hails from Muzzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh). While Harjit died after he accidentally fell into a 200m deep gorge near Ghangriya pedestrian route, Lakhwinder died of cardiac arrest. “The bridge was constructed by the zila panchayat nearly 55 years back for local public conveyance. “During those days, hardly 40 to 50 pilgrims crossed this bridge in a day. Today, this has increased to around 4,000 to 5,000 pilgrims,” said Uttam Mehta, Eco Vikas Samiti Govind Ghat. He stressed on the prompt replacement of the damaged bridge while a separate bridge for the movement of horses and mules is also needed. Meanwhile, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) forces along with PWD officials have started repairing the old suspension bridge which is likely to be repaired within a week. Officials attribute the bridge going turtle to a sudden rise in volume of the Alakananda due to the melting of snow in the upper reaches. According to government officials, it may take some time to permanently repair the bridge. In Kedarnath, the problem with the yatra has arisen as the locals are alleging neglect of the region. Pilgrims to Kedarnath had to return without the conduct of the ceremonial worship due to Kedarnath Samiti’s bandh on June 25. During the bandh, a rally was taken out from Mukhya Bazar, Bhairavnath Mandir, Garunchatti to Ganga Ghat. Business establishments in Kedarpur region were closed. The pilgrims were even deprived of ‘prasad’. The samiti is also on a relay strike for the past 12 days. While seeking the construction of a road from Gaurikund to Kedarnath, the locals are also resenting the ban on construction activity in the region. Keshav Tiwari, member, Kedarnath Sangarsh Samiti, alleged that Kedarnath has been neglected for long and despite their long-standing pleas, the road between Gaurikund and Kedarnath was still a far cry. The samiti pledged to continue the agitation till the government concedes to their demand of construction of road from Gaurikund to Kedarnath. Earlier, equine influenza was reported which not only hampered the yatra but also resulted in losses to the locals. The Animal Husbandry Department was found wanting as the influenza spread far and wide. The Uttarakhand government had to impose a blanket ban on the movement of horses and mules in the state. The state’s boundaries and the international boundary with Nepal was closed. The Animal Husbandry Department did manage to quell the disease but it took enormous efforts and certainly the preparations in this regard were found wanting. Since the start of Char Dham yatra, over 6 lakh pilgrims have visited Badrinath and over 1 lakh had paid obeisance to Hemkund Sahib.
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Mixed reactions to Sibal’s proposal Dehradun, June 27 The intentions of the minister notwithstanding, experts are of the view that the proposal cannot be successful without devising a framework. What is worrisome is the dearth of opportunities for students once they do not score well, as the access to higher education and getting subjects of one’s choice is difficult. “Our education system, as far as assessment goes, can be termed successful. So, doing away with the board exams may not be a good idea,” opined Mahesh Kandpal, Vice Principal of Welham Boys’ School. “If not at the age of 14, children would have to take the exam after two years. In any case, Class X boards are primarily held to solidify concepts and there should be an assessment system to ensure that right feedback is given to students about their performance. Examination phobia can be considerably reduced if there is interactive teaching,” he added. Kandpal is of the view that the present assessment system at the age of 14 years prepares a student for a competitive life ahead. “There is no denying the fact that examinations have to be cleared at various stages of life; one way or the other they have to be cleared. Athough we can bring changes in the teaching methodology and make it more interactive, nothing has been done in this direction so far,” he said. Impressed with the manner in which the issue that affects most of the students has been brought into public discourse, Satyam, a Class X student, is convinced that the change may spell doom for meritorious students. “The grading system is a kind of equalizer; it does not do justice to meritorious students who burn the midnight oil,” he opined. However, agreeing with the Union Minister’s proposal, Mohan Joshi, Dean of Community and Social Service, Doon School, said exams should be scrapped altogether. “Children appearing for Class X board examinations are very young, so the experience becomes traumatic. I think making the board exams optional and quarterly internal assessment is a welcome idea,” said Joshi.
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A peep into Nishank’s wardrobe
Dehradun, June 27 His penchant for bright coloured kurtas and lightly embroidered sherwanis is difficult to ignore. All sourced locally, a local design studio is responsible for providing the Chief Minister a ready choice of kurtas and sherwanis to pick and choose from. Though today, on the most important day of his life, he played safe by opting for white cotton churidar pyajama keeping in view the blistering heat at the swearing-in ceremony. Though before his swearing-in ceremony he did not forget to have a word with Shekhar Meharwal, the designer responsible for designing most of his clothes. “I had suggested to him to choose between white, blue or black. White was the appropriate colour keeping in mind the heat and the sombre occasion. Otherwise he would have chosen more robust colours,” said Shekhar. Shekhar has designed dresses for former Chief Ministers beginning from Nityanand Swami, ND Tiwari and BC Khanduri. When Pokhriyal first burst on the political scene, he did what came easy. Following in the footsteps of RSS leaders, he usually wore white and off-white outfits. But as he rose up the ladder, a sea change came in Pokhriyal’s style and preference for clothes. Four years ago, a chance meeting with Meharwal at the office of a Hindi daily created a lasting association with the dapper Chief Minister and a designer who was ready for experimentation. “It was four years ago that I stitched a sherwani for him without taking his measurements. This impressed him so much that since then, there has been no looking back. “He has quite a collection of sherwanis, kurtas and waistcoats that are stitched in a week’s time or ten days. But no Western apparel,” said Shekhar. Not a carping customer, his designer said that Pokhriyal leaves everything to him. “I know the colours that he likes mostly comprising of rust colour, maroon, orange, burgundy black, mustard and red. “By his pleasant disposition and passion for clothes, the Chief Minister transforms the clothes we design. I think bright colours add to his personality,” said Satish Tyagi, the in-house designer. The fact that the Chief Minister is a clotheshorse was affirmed by other acquaintances but nevertheless, he manages to carry them well.
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Udhamsingh Nagar, June 27
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