Udhampur, September 11
Fed up with the repeated false assurances of the authorities to appoint adequate teaching staff in government schools, inhabitants of the Pahari belt of Udhampur district have devised a new strategy to awake the higher-ups of the Education Department from deep slumber.

Instead of pleading before senior officers of the department to appoint teaching staff, residents of these areas have decided to lock the schools where adequate staff is not available. During the past two weeks, enraged residents have locked four schools, including one higher secondary school, in different areas of the district.

Government High School, Panchound, of the Dodu block, Panchari High School, Charat High School and Lander Higher Secondary were locked by the villagers as a mark of protest against the non-availability of staff.

It was only after the residents locked schools, the authorities realised gravity of the situation and deputed senior officers, including Vinay Mohan, joint director, education, to pacify the agitating villagers by making some alternative arrangements. The visiting team of the officers of the department has got some locked schools reopened, but the residents have warned to adopt the same strategy.

Defending the decision of the villagers, Kunj Lal, naib sarpanch of Panchound village, said: “Only three teachers have been deployed in the high school where about 300 students are enrolled. The school is also functioning without headmaster”.

“A majority of the teachers appointed in the school have got themselves posted in the towns,” he informed. He said the education of students had been suffering due to the non-availability of staff.

Worthwhile to mention here that Panchound High School was upgraded recently to provide education to the Schedule Tribes (ST) students at their doorstep. Panchound is a ST-dominated village where 90 per cent population belongs to the ‘gaddies’ and ‘kolis’ tribes.

Similar is the situation in Charat High School where residents have locked the institution after their repeated requests of appointing staff was not taken seriously by the authorities.

According to official figures available, 667 posts of teachers, including 115 lecturers, 165 master grade and 387 teachers, have been lying vacant in different schools. Three posts each of principals and headmasters are also lying vacant.

It is important to note that some schools of the Zib, Tikri and Udhampur educational zones are overstaffed, while a majority of the schools in the Panchari, Dodu, Basantgarh, Chenani areas lack adequate staff. Recently, 37 newly appointed teachers were adjusted in the Panchari block, but within one month, 25 of them got themselves posted in schools located in towns.

Jammu, September 11
Talent hunts for reality shows on TV channels have been attracting many in Jammu. Dance freaks are enthusiastic as they deem such platforms an appropriate medium for the promotion of their artistic pursuits to carve a niche for themselves on small as well as big screen.

A recent dance workshop held by Trance Dance Group at Rotary Club proved a success as it got a good number of participants from different age groups and backgrounds, besides schools and dance institutes.

“For the first time such an event was organised in Jammu. The response was appreciable. Besides Jammuites the performers from places like Srinagar, Himachal, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Jalandar etc also attended the workshop. Curiously, age seems no bar for the people to step into dance shoes. Not only there are toddlers, but also people in their late forties,” said Amit Dubey, head of the institute,. “As many as 75 dancers learnt dancing skills from Nishant Bhat, who has choreographed reality shows like Jhalak Dikhlaja, Nach Bhaliye and Aaja Mahi Ve,” he added.

Besides the talent scout for famous TV show Woogie Woogie on Sony, Gurpreet Kour is also judging the performance of dancers to select best performers for the same talent show.

On Thursday, the semi-final of the event “Who is the best” saw a scintillating performance of Mr and Mrs Mishra in their forties. Their 11-year-old son Moksh also gave a solo performce at the Zorawar Singh auditorium.

“She has been attending dance classes for the past four years and now her craze for dance has reached such a stage where she thinks nothing but dance,” said the brother and mother of Neha Sharma, who had come from Panchkula to participate in the event.

"She does not have any sibling or friend for company at home. So, we put her in a dance school so that she remains engaged and feels happy instead of sticking to computer games or other monotonous indoor games," revealed Balbir Kaur, mother of Jasmine, from Jalandar.

However, the participants were visibly sore over the arrangements made on the platform. “We feel bogged down by the poor light and sound arrangements made in the Zorawar Singh auditorim. Instead of enhancing the performance the poor technical support from backstage is hampering our presentation,” said a perturbed dancer.

The final is slated to be held on Saturday(September 12) and the finalists are looking forward with great expectations as CDs holding their live performances would be sent to the Colors and Sony TV network.

Jammu, September 11
Militants trying to sneak into Indian side these days rely mostly on advanced satellite phones equipped with GPS devices.

The Army seized such devices from militants when it foiled an infiltration bid in Poonch in August. These devices were being used by terrorists to navigate their way into Indian territory.

“Now they don’t have to carry two devices, they rely mostly on satellite phones which are equipped with GPS devices and other added advantages, including Islamic calendar,” said Lt. Col. Biplab Nath, Jammu-based PRO of the Ministry of Defence.

Earlier the infiltrators relied mostly on “not always trustworthy” human guides who used to take hefty sum in crossing the border “They (terrorists) now don’t want to rely on local terrorists as guides and now they have advanced satellite phones equipped with GPS which gives them pinpoint information,” Colonel Nath said.

According to intelligence sources. training in handling of GPS devices has also been made mandatory for those who undergo training in the militant training camps across the border.

“We keep on recovering items like GPS devices, satellite phones and other hi-tech equipment from arrested or killed terrorists,” Colonel Nath said.

The most-preferred satellite phone is UAE-based Thureya phones that give terrorists all information and better service.

Most of the infiltration bids were foiled after the security forces tracked the mobile conversation between guides and infiltrators.

Jammu, September 11
Four-year-old Khushi is used to seeing energetic soldiers bursting into loud laughters at her house whenever her father, Major Akash Singh, used to spend a few days of vacation with them at their ancestral house in Shiv Nagar here.

His colleagues and juniors used to have full fun and frolic to utilise the few days of respite from their tough duty of guarding the country’s frontiers and combating militants.

But on September 9, his father’s friends did not run towards her to pick her up and lovingly throw her up in the air. Khushi was moving around quiet and looking dazed at the sombre faces and tears in the eyes of army officers and jawans.

For, she was too young to understand the sadness over the death of her father, who achieved martyrdom while foiling an infiltration bid. Her two-year-old brother, Manu, was seen tugging the trousers of other army officers

Three days after the line of mourners has thinned down, Khushi still clings to her mother, Deepti, who mostly stares in infinity, at times looking at her daughter and son, who would be totally dependent on her henceforth. Broken dreams, a house under construction, uncertain future and creepy loneliness is all Major Akash Singh has left behind. Deepti, who belongs to Narayania Colony 
of the city, clutches to their wedding pictures.

Tears and sadness gives way to anger also. “No politician, minister has visited our house what to talk of the Chief Minister. We understand they could be busy but it would have helped us understand the worth of duty and sacrifice of Akash ,” complained his brother-in-law, Sandeep Singh.

Akash is remembered as a daring solider, who always talked about serving in the Army and embracing death with honour, “He was here just a few days ago on a short vacation. We were celebrating his completion of 10 years in the Army. He was so excited about the designing and planning of his house under construction,” said Vikas, his twin brother.

Each house in Shiv Nagar has a member or a close relative in the Army. “We understand the call of duty. We understand how risky the lives of defence personnel are but when the government doesn’t show gestures to share the supreme loss, there will be bitterness, ”said Brijpal Singh, Akash’s uncle.

A student of Ranbir Higher Secondary School, Akash joined the Army after clearing the Combined Defence Service Exam. “A 1999 passout from the Officers Training Academy. Akash was bubbling with life. He used to crack jokes at the drop of a hat. Destiny has been very cruel to snatch away such a jovial person at the young age of 34 years,” said his close friend Harivardhan.

Jammu, September 11
“Amidst screams and shrills I closed my eyes, withdrew all my senses and quietly remembered God. Deep inside, I felt that the time is up,” recollects 70-year-old Rasila Ram Manhas of Bhella, a retired zonal education officer.

“The bus was in the second gear and the question of over-speeding doesn’t arise at the blind curve where the mishap occurred. In fact, the sharp bend has a little space of around 4 ft, at a slanting slope, to move the vehicle backwards and then straighten it up to negotiate the curve,” says 33-year-old Bittu Kumar, driver of the ill-fated bus (JK02D/6339), which plunged 200 ft down a ravine on September 7, killing 27 persons and injuring 19.

The injured are undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College and some of them may not recover fully and live a normal life again.

The nightmarish experience of being inside a bus that plunged into a rocky ravine will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Earlier, after a 200-m stretch of road washed away in the same area due to rains and landslides on February 5, an alternative route was carved from Assar to Trungal. And on this particular road, the latest mishap has occurred.

“Like several others, I also boarded the bus from Doda and it left the city around 11 am for Jammu,” says Manhas. The bus was moving at a normal speed and the driver negotiated the first curve, but at the second curve, every driver has to reverse the vehicle to straighten it up so as to move ahead, he adds.

The driver started to move the vehicle backwards at the second curve (almost like a triangle on a slanting slope) and sensing some serious trouble, passengers, particularly those sitting in the rear, started yelling at the driver, he informs.

“After the rear wheels of the bus went off the road, the entire weight shifted to the rear portion and I felt that front wheels, too, had gone off the road”.

“Amidst chaos, I realised that the time is up and within moments the bus flipped over the road like a toy. Thereafter, I regained consciousness at Assar Hospital,” says the retired officer,

“It might be a technical snag or miscalculation, I cannot say confidently, but the driver was driving the bus carefully and he was an experienced driver,” he adds. However, Manhas attributed frequent road mishaps in Doda to old vehicles, bad roads, overloading and rash driving.

Lying on a hospital bed in pain with broken ribs, fractured legs and arms, Bittu says, “Only a space of 4 ft is there at the blind curve to move the vehicle backwards and one even doesn’t need to shift the engine into reverse gear because of the steep slope. Just press the clutch and the vehicle moves back.”

“The bus was in second gear but I don’t know what went wrong. The rear wheels skidded off road and it was over,” he adds.

Bittu, father of two sons, claims he is into the profession from the past 13 years and has been driving buses on the Doda-Jammu route for the past nine years. However, it came to the fore that the bus was a 1994 model vehicle owned by Gauri Singh of Karan Nagar. The vehicle was issued fitness certificate by the Regional Transport Authority a month ago, claims Bittu.

“The tyres were new and there was no technical snag, but I don’t know what went wrong,” he says with a sense of utter remorse.

He blamed bad roads for frequent mishaps in the area. Bittu also lost his cousin Gauri Lal, the conductor of the bus, who had three children. He had been working with me for the past eight years, he adds.

Similarly, the mishaps also orphaned three minor siblings from Bhaderwah. Ten-year-old Amit Kumar has not opened his eyes since September 7. He along with his three-year-old sister Simran and parents Subhash Chander and Usha Devi were travelling in the bus. While his parents died in the accident, Amit and Simran sustained serious injuries.

The eldest of the three siblings, Nitin, was asked to remain at his native place to look after the house.

“The kids would be looked after by their three uncles,” says Pammi, aunt of the children. Earlier, an emergency hospital in Khellani was approved in 2003. An amount of Rs 27.20 lakh, too, had been approved for the purpose and land had also been identified. However, even after five years, the hospital has not come up.

Residents of the erstwhile Doda district also accuse the BEACON authorities of frequent accidents on the NH-1B.

Jammu, September 11
It is a moment of pride for people of Jammu and Kashmir. For the first time, a play in Dogri is being staged in the International Theatre Festivals at four different countries beginning from September 21.

The credit for creating a history of sorts goes to the Natrang Theatre group which has been working tirelessly during the past about three decades to keep alive the otherwise dying medium of communication. The group is staging “Ghumahee” at Russia, Germany, Poland and Hungary.

The Natrang artistes are presently practising hard for edging the things to perfection, especially at the international level, where the rich Dogri culture, costumes and traditions would be displayed through the play.

Before going abroad, the theatre has decided to stage “Ghumahee” on the home turf up to September 18.

“This would provide an opportunity to people here to see what the play is all about. It will equally help the artistes to achieve mastery,” Balwant Thakur, who is directing the play, said.

Thakur said it took 27 years for the theatre to achieve the excellence level, which made their entry possible in the global theatre arena. “Ghumahee” is based on a Dogri folk tale of a hilly area which is confronted with the scarcity of water.

In the play, a bride is being carried in a “doli” to her in-law’s house. As the tough climb begins, the bride needs water to quench her thirst. However, her request was turned down, even by her husband. As the track becomes tedious, her thirst intensifies and her repeated wails end up in assurance of water at the next available source. A stage is reached when the bride’s thirst becomes unbearable and those accompanying her are requested to arrange water. In the quest, a water source is sited but is miles deep down in a gorge, which is extremely difficult to reach.

As the groom is not ready to fetch water for his wife, the plight of the newly-wed prompts a young man to volunteer for the job. The groom bets away his bride in lieu of water.

The young man, putting his life at risk, somehow fetches water to quench the bride’s thirst. However, in the process he loses his life.

Even after the young man’s death, “baraties” decide to continue with the journey. However, the bride refuses and declares herself a widow. She cries out a wail (Ghumahee) sanctifying the significance of human relationship over the most-prized relationship of marriage bound by mere rituals. Sixteen artistes are going abroad to take part in the play. Lead roles would be performed by Anil Tickoo, Tejeshvi Sharma and Vikrant Sharma. Veteran Dogri singer Suraj Singh has composed music for the play.

Jammu, September 11
‘Ghumahee’, a Dogri play written and directed by veteran theatre artiste Balwant Thakur, which is being showcased in the city in 12 various shows under the banner of Natrang group, is an excellent piece of sublime art.

The staging of shows is actually a warming up exercise for the group before it leaves for an international theatre festival in four countries - Russia, Germany, Poland and Hungary - from September 21 onwards. This will be the first-ever Dogri play to participate in an international theatre festival.

Full marks to Thakur for weaving an interesting script from a folktale, which has all elements of action, emotion, comedy, drama, folk music, twists and turns, and a surprising climax.

The audience remains glued to the seats with this tight, racy and interesting plot and power-packed performances by 16 artistes.

Interestingly, the stage has been set without any prop. It is only actors who beautifully use the space on the stage and enact different props such as altar for marriage, mountains, water etc, which is worth watching. The scene where the bride gets delusions of water all around her which disappears as soon as she goes near the source is remarkable. Another scene where the boy desperately attempts to get water through mountains, enacted by the group, is equally captivating. Teasing between girls and boys from both sides during the marriage creates a lot of fun while the bride leaving her parental home brings tears in eyes.

Music by Surya Singh and songs sung by Sunganda Mishra of Laughter Challenge fame add to the mood of the play. However, lighting remains monotonous, which Thakur says he is going to improve it by using digital lighting during his shows abroad.

It is difficult to understand the language at times, but because of the liberal use of gestures by the artistes, it becomes easy to understand the story. Wary of the handicap of language, Thakur informs, “I’ve been suggested various ways to solve the language problem for foreign audience, but I don’t want anything which hampers the feel of folk in the play. So I have decided to give copies of synopsis of the play to the audience half an hour before the play.”

Jammu, September 11
It was a painful moment for peace singer of the subcontinent, Seema Sehgal, when she stepped in a small dark room on the second storey of Gandhi Bhawan here recently. The room that once had musical aura of echoing melodies today houses birds and stray dogs.

Seema, who has brought fame to Jammu and the country by signing poetry of unparallel poets like Meer, Ghalib, Kabir, Bulle Shah, Faiz, Faraz, Nida Fazli and Bashir Badar, besides Dogri poets like Ved Pal Deep and Yash Sharma, is in the home town these days after releasing her Dogri CD album in Singapore recently. She is presently living in Tinsel Town, Mumbai.

Sharing her childhood memories, she said she would go to Gandhi Bhawan to compete with other child artistes in musical competitions.

Seema recently performed in Gulzar’s second theatrical venture, Lakerian, a play that portrays the pains of Partition, at Hisar. It was her 25th performance wherein she has composed some of the finest poems of literary genius, besides singing and acting out the same on the stage.

Seema is a winner of several awards for promoting peace through singing. Seema has also been felicitated by Harvard University.

Jammu, September 11
The work of laying sewer pipes in old city, especially in Panchtirthi Chabutra, has come to a halt. This shows that the common people in Jammu will have to suffer longer in juggling with dug-up roads. The situation has worsened after digging up of narrow stretch of the roads.

On one hand, the common man feels harassed while on the other, the executive agency, National Building Construction Committee, (NBCC) is helpless as it is not finding enough space to carry out its work with big machinery.

Hemraj, general manager, NBCC, says, “We are not getting enough space to carry out our work of laying sewer pipes using machinery. Unless the defunct lines are not sorted out from the thick web of water pipes, phone lines and cable lines, it is not possible for us to proceed with our work”.

“We have been asking for cooperation from the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department, but it has declined to do so”, he adds.

Chief Engineer, PHE, VK Abrol says his department cannot extend help to the NBCC at every spot. He blames the NBCC for damaging water pipes at many places.

Divisional commissioner’s suggestion to dig up some trial pits to test the condition of old pipelines has hit a roadblock. The work that was to proceed to its next destination to Mubarak Mandi has not moved further.

Divisional commissioner Pawan Kotwal informs that he has called a meeting of the NBCC, PHE and other agencies who are working in this project to find a solution to this problem so that people do not suffer anymore and the project can be expedited.