|
|
|
|
Of memories & promises unkept
A hero in his own right
Illegal felling |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Salute to social activist Suman
Bears being killed for bile
Make education job-oriented: CM
Hospital to be named after him, says CM
|
|
Of memories & promises unkept
Dehradun, July 26 Reconciling to the fact that life must go on, the widows are stunned by the government apathy and the unfair system that bends in favour of the influential, not the kin of valiant soldiers. Manju Anthwal, widow of Lance Naik Shiv Charan Prasad of 2 Naga Regiment who was killed on July 6 in the Drass Sector, has been running pillar to post, foe a five bigha plot promised to her, but in vain. “In keeping with the government announcement, I was allotted a 3.5 bigha of land at Ladpur for which I completed the formalities. But I was rudely informed that the land could not be given to us as it was already in the possession of a lawyer.” Since then, there has been no news of the land promised.
She was singularly unlucky when it came to the allocation of a patrol station that was issued to her in far away Gujrola in Uttar Pradesh. “We had no option. My son was small at that time, so my brother and father opted for it instead,” Manju said. The station is not functioning these days. A dispute has arisen on the ownership of the land on which the station has been established. Manju and her son survive on her husband’s pension, half of which goes to her ailing mother-in-law in Kotdwar, as per the rules. The Green Card, through which loans and other facilities were to be be extended to dependents of Kargil martyrs, is but a restricted accessibility facility. “The road named in memory of my husband at Ladpur has been overrun by weeds and the stone laid for the road is no longer visible,” said Anthwal. Surinder Singh Negi’s family in Badowala (Dehradun) faces a similar predicament. He is yet to get the promised gas agency. “Ten years have passed, but no gas agency has been issued in the name of my son. The way the government works, we have lost all hope. The Rs 10 lakh assistance promised to us came in installments and was greatly reduced,” informed Sujan Singh Negi, father of Surinder Singh Negi. Shanti Rawat, widow of Naik Devindra Singh Rawat of 2 Naga, has coped with life well despite the bereavement. She runs a petrol station at the Shimla bypass (Ganeshpur) allotted to her by the government and is keen that her son joins the Army. “It has served us well. I was with the ONGC for years but opted for the petrol station that was sanctioned to me in 2003. A junior school at Harbajwala has been dedicated to Naik Devinder Singh Rawat, as also a road at Telpur Chowk. In Dehradun, martyrs’ families have been issued 12 petrol stations and 15 gas agencies. At Gandhi Park, a memorial stands as a tribute to the valiant soldiers of Kargil. A bevy of politicians descend there every year. At all other times, it remains forgotten.
|
|
A hero in his own right
Dehradun, July 26 The disciplined life of a solider helped him cope with the injuries that he incurred during the course of duty. “With a heavy heart, I decided to opt for voluntary retirement. There was no chance that I would ever be fit to take up active duty. I decided to quit. Initially, life was very difficult,” recalls a rather melancholic Gurung. He is disenchanted with society and says none bothers to spare a thought for thoselike him. “Fate did not allow me to be part of the Kargil war but several of us were part of the operation to clear the area of landmines. We responded to the call of duty, but none talks about it,” said Gurung.
|
|
SC orders probe
Tribune News Service
Dehradun, July 26 JP Dabral of the Himalayan Chipko Foundation in a press note yesterday said he had filed two PILs in the apex court highlighting the issue of illegal felling of trees by timber mafia in alleged connivance with forest officials. Both PILs were taken up by Forest Bench comprising Chief Justice GK Balkrishnan, Justice SH Kapadia and Justice Aftab Alam. In the first PIL, Dabral had cited the misuse of the “Hak Hakook” system, which is the right of villagers of Uttarakhand who are allowed to axe trees for traditional use such as making of ploughs, marriage ceremonies and cremation. The petitioner alleged that the timber mafia in connivance with Forest Department officials misuse this system. In the event of any enquiry, they produce permission papers for the ‘Hak Hakook’ of a particular village. Normally, the forest department officials sanction an application bearing the names and signatures of the beneficiaries, but the ground reality is that more trees are being axed than the number permitted. The beneficiaries neither have knowledge of the felling nor do they get any wood. Interestingly, “Hak Hakook” rights cannot be transferred or sold by the beneficiaries. The petitioner gave the example of Syalna village, in Dwarikhal Block, Pauri Garhwal, which was allotted six trees in Khairgarhi Compartment No. 3 and 4 , a dense forest adjacent to Rajaji National Park. Along with Syalna, the villages of Khodiyal, Jaigaon and Gaula Malla were also sanctioned five trees each under “Hak Hakook”. In all, as many as 20 trees were sanctioned. However, when on May 17, 2008, 285 sleepers of Saal trees were confiscated by the police at Kanwa Ashram, Kalalghati, the Forest Department declared that these were part of the ‘Hak Hakook’ of Gaula Malla village. But, villagers of Gaula Malla wrote to the DM that they had not applied for or obtained any wood, nor were they aware of any ‘Hak Hakook’ for their village. Following public outcry, the administration filed a case . In the second PIL, Himalayan Chipko Foundation gave an example of the Dhoor Thok, Bastir Thok and Janset Thok, near the villages of Syalna and Jaamal, in Dwarikhal Block, Pauri Garhwal District, where permission to axe 12 trees for use of the villagers was given by the Forest Department, DFO Lansdowne, Kotdwar, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. But the forest contractors axed hundreds of more trees than the number sanctioned.
|
|
Salute to social activist Suman
Pauri Garhwal, July 26 This time, the district administration in association with Sridev Suman Smriti Samiti, has organised a fair in the area to mark the death anniversary of the great freedom fighter. Sridev Suman not only took part in the Indian national movement, but also laid down his life fighting for peoples’ cause against the imperialistic rule of Tehri dynasty. At the native village of Dev Suman - Jaul - people from nearby areas attended the prayer function and laid down wreaths on his memorial. At Devprayag, people, especially women and children, planted saplings in memory of the great leader. Born on May 25, 1916, in village Jaul Gaon of Bamund Patti in Tehri Garhwal, Suman, who lost his father Vaid Hari Dutt Badoni at an early age, completed his primary education from Chamba. He later pursued his education in Dehradun. Suman had a keen interest in Hindi and a novelist, signs of which were evident when while studying he started publishing a book titled ‘Hindi Bodh’. Later, he wrote several books in Hindi and one in ‘Garhwali’ language. At the tender age of 14 in 1930, when Mahatma Gandhi started the famous Salt movement Suman too joined in. He was arrested and sent to jail for two weeks. However, he was released due to his tender age. Impressed with Gandhi’s mantra of non-violence, Suman tried to instigate feelings of nationalism and patriotism in the people of the hills. He established the ‘Gaddesh Seva’ for the uplift of people of the hills residing outside their native places. In 1942, Mahatma Gandhi launched the ‘Quit India Movement’ and Suman took active part. Later, he was arrested and sent to Agra jail. Jawaharlal Nehru was impressed with Suman’s ethics and made him the representative of hilly regions in Akhil Bharatiya Desi Rajya Parishad’s committee, which was presided over by Nehru. In the state, Suman fiercely protested against the tyrannical attitude of the Tehri dynasty kings. In 1930, the King’s army shot down at innocent person at Ravai area, which shocked Suman to such an extent that he took a pledge to get rid of the dynastic rule in Tehri. Albeit he was offered a job by Maharaja Narendra Shah, but he did not succumb to the temptation and instead intensified his movement against the imperialistic rule, especially during 1937-42. Seeing this, the king ordered Suman’s arrest. He was later sentenced to two-year rigorous imprisonment in Agra He was again arrested in Chamba on December 30, 1943, and as a mark of protest Suman sat on hunger strike. He continued his strike despite being brutally tortured in jail. On July 25, 1944, he breathed his last but did not bow before the tyranny of the imperialistic rulers. Till date, Dev Suman is reverred for the 84-day hunger strike he undertook for the cause of people of Tehri.
|
|
Bears being killed for bile
Dehradun, July 26 There have been instances when maize grown in the upper reaches of the Himalayas has been used as bait by poachers trapping bears. Maize, that grows in Uttarakhand in this part of the year, attracts the Himalayan Black Bear and Sloth Bear in large numbers. The bear love corn and often damage the maize crop. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau last winters came out with startling revelations as to how the maize crop was being used by poachers to trap bears. The poachers worked in connivance with disgruntled villagers to lay traps in maize fields. They targeted the bears for the gall bladder that stores the bile which is in demand across the border in China for preparation of medicines. Even in Helang, the poachers did not shoot the Black Bear to death. The miscreants resorting to the maize trap cannot be ruled out. “The reasons for the death will be known after the study of viscera,” said Paramjeet Singh, director, Nanda Devi Biosphere. Member of the IUCN Bear Specialist Group, S Satyakumar, said illegal trade of the bear bile and other body parts fetched exorbitant amounts attrac ting poachers. Such acts had the support of locals who resented their maize crop being damaged.
|
|
|
Make education job-oriented: CM
Dehradun, July
26 Addressing the inaugural session of workshop jointly organised by Institute of Engineers Uttarakhand State Centre and Indian Association of Teacher Educator, the Chief Minister said educationists and engineers were in a position to give direction to society. He called for making education more practical and held that education, which gives
direction to society, must be inculcated within children towards the large interests of the country and mankind. He also called for making science beneficial for the common man and demanded education that generates employment opportunities. Chief Minister on the occasion also released three books. He also honoured engineers Narendra Singh, Dr Jyotsana Saxena and YK Gupta and educationist MN
Parikh. MLA Sringar Brijmohan Kotwal, Doon University’s Vice Chancellor Prof Grijesh Pant, Technical University’s VC Dr DS
Chauhan, Dev Sanskriti University’s VC Prof SP Mishra, educationist JS Rajpur and Engineers Institute of
India’s Uttarakhand State Chapter president RP Jamloki were present on the occasion.
|
|
|
Hospital to be named after him, says CM
Dehradun, July 26 The Chief Minister said the sacrifices made by Sridev Suman for ensuring democratic rights to the people would continue to inspire generations. He called upon the people to follow in the footsteps of the great man if society was to see any progress. The Chief Minister honoured environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna and freedom fighter Paripurnand Painuily on the occasion.
|
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Years of memories is all that the families of Kargil martyrs are left with. The initial outpour of sympathy subsided a long time ago, giving way to tokenism.
