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Nainital runs to save girl child Youngsters run in a marathon at Nainital on Sunday.
Father, daughter killed in landslide
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No happy ending for many love stories
Nainital diary
Chandragupta Section win through penalty
Chandragupta Section team with its trophy after
winning the Inter-Section Soccer Tournament in Dehradun on Tuesday.
Malayalee community celebrates Onam in Doon
Shreya, Sandeep declare player of the championship
MKP thump Govt Girls Inter-College
Girls in action at the Dhyan Chand Girls Hockey
Tournament in Dehradun on Sunday. A Tribune photograph
Sanskrit students showcase talent at inter-school contest
Students perform in a contest at Uttaranchal Sanskrit Academy in Haridwar on Saturday. Tribune photo: Rameshwar Gaur
Relief from rain after Sept 5 likely
King of Pop remembered amid rocking performances
A kabbadi match in progress at the Regional Sports Meet Dehradun on Sunday.
A Tribune photograph
Frankfinn starts short-term courses
MPSC win volleyball tourney
Oak Grove, Mussoorie International in final
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Nainital runs to save girl child
Nainital, August 29 The event had got complete support of the local administration, police and the educational institutions along with other bodies like the Vyapar Mandals, the Hotel Association etc. Former Olympian K Malleshwari who had bagged a bronze for the country in the Sydney Olympics was the chief guest for the occasion. The day began with the flagging off of a marathon for the school boys and girls. The students turned up in large numbers from across the state as well as its neighbours to participate in the run that covered a distance of five km through a difficult mountainous terrain. The race had started from Bara Pathar and had proceeded through the route passing through Aurobindo Ashram, Sherwood College, All Saints’ School, Raj Bhawan, Tallital Market and the Lower Mall before ending at the band Stand in Mallital. This was followed by the flagging off of the men’s open marathon which was participated by at least 70 people from Uttarakhand as well as from the other states. The race was a test of endurance for any athlete as its 15 km course was marked by steep heights, slants and plain terrain. It was the test of both stamina and grit for the participants and completing the stretch itself was a big achievement. The event was flagged off from the Band Stand and its route covered India Hotel, Birla Check Post, Snow View, Tanki Bend, Bara Pathar, Aurobindo Ashram, Sherwood College, All Saints’ School, Raj Bhawan, Tallital Market and Lower Mall before it concluded at its starting point. However, the most popular event for the day was the Run for Fun in which people from all walks of life and all age groups participated with enthusiasm. There were no losers and winners in the event as everyone just ran for the cause of the girl child. The most enthusiastic participants were school children, some of them merely five years old and the women. They covered a stretch of about two km walking, jogging and running through the course. The event was managed efficiently by the staff of the Vrindavan Public School. Band Stand, which was the main venue of the event wore a colourful look as promotional stalls had been set up over there and a stage had been erected. A special song for the event written, sung and choreographed by the local artistes was played over the loudspeakers along with a running commentary for the events taking place. A lucky draw of 50 prizes was carried out for the participants of the Run for Fun event. The money collected through the entry fee for the event would go in providing a scholarship to three girl students excelling in different fields. A poster exhibition on the central theme was held at the Rink Hall in which students from the different schools competed. The creations were well received and appreciated by the audience. Proper traffic arrangements were made by the police for a period of four hours when the marathon and Run for Fun events were held. The winners in the marathon events were given cash prizes worth Rs 1,15,000 besides the trophies. The cash awards had been sponsored by the Stone Crushers’ Association at Haldwani. The main purpose for organising the event was to promote Nainital as a monsoon tourist destination. According to the District Magistrate Shailesh Bagauli, “Nainital has its own distinct beauty during the monsoon season which is enjoyed by very few tourists. We want to showcase this beauty by organising this event.” The Schoolboys Marathon was won by Rupesh Yadav of Haldwani while Harsh Bhat and Atul Kathayat of Sainik School Ghorakhal bagged the second and third places. Girls from Amrit Inter College in Muzaffarnagar made a clean sweep of the Schoolgirls Marathon event with Amrita Saini, Shalu Saini and Meenaxi Kashyap bagging the first three positions respectively. The Men’s Open Marathon was won by Mukesh Rawat of Mussourie. Harish Koranga of Rudrapur came second while Deepak Rawat of Kumaon Regiment Centre came in third. Rawat won a cash award of Rs 31,000 while the other two won Rs 21,000 and Rs 11,000 rewards respectively.
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Father, daughter killed in landslide
Pitthoragarh, August 29 “Head of the family Hukum Singh and his daughter died on the spot, while two other members of his family, who were injured, were rescued from the debris,” said Navneet Pandey, Sub-Divisional Magistrate,
Dharchula.
Villager buried under debris, hurt
Mussoorie: A villager was injured after he got buried under landslide debris at Sadab village in Janpur block of Tehri Garhwal district yesterday. Jagmohan Singh, aged 58, along with other villagers, was trying to repair the canal built by the Irrigation Department when the incident happened. Villagers called up the 108 ambulance service and rushed the injured to the community hospital. According to Anand, son of Jagmohan, despite reminding the department on several occasions, no official came to get the canal repaired. Jagmohan was shifted to the community hospital at Vikas Nagar where he is recuperating from the injuries. His family has demanded compensation. Meanwhile, villagers and residents of Mussoorie are facing difficulty in commuting due to mudslides occurring at several places in Jaunpur and Mussoorie. In one such incident, the link road from Veera village to Gattu Dhar in Jaunpur Block has been damaged completely yesterday. Studies of schoolchildren have been affected the most due to the damaged road. According to Veera village Gram Pradhan Sushma Panwar, the reoccurring mudslides have not only damaged the road but also standing crops. In another incident, the roads near Mussoorie International School and at Devidhar village have also been damaged completely due to landslide. Huge boulders fell at the main road of Guru Nanak Fifth Centenary School, blocking the road for several hours.
Residents living in fear
Two buildings at Lakshman Puri here are under the risk of falling due to the mudslide that occurred one week ago. Residents residing between Kohitoor Building and Bhandari Nivas at Landour Cantt are living in the grip of fear due to the mudslide. According to BP Joshi, a resident of Kohitoor Building, the mudslide is eroding the base of the building and if rain persists, the mudslide could endanger many lives at Bhandari Nivas just below the site. He said a complaint had been filed with the Cantt Board, but no action had been initiated till now and it seemed that the board was not interested in repairs at the site. Cantt officials, however, said the work would begin as soon as the rainy period ended. Meanwhile, heavy rain has played havoc on the two buildings and cowsheds at Mailgarh village in Jaunpur block in Tehri Garhwal district. According to BDC member Vinita Devi and gram pradhan Shoorvir Singh, the building that was being constructed under special component plan has been completely submerged under the debris due to the mudslide that occurred on Wednesday. The water pipelines have also been damaged, along with the standing corn crop in the field. Shoorvir Singh further said the administration had been informed regarding the damage, but no action had been initiated as the owner belonged to a poor family.
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No happy ending for many love stories
Dehradun, August 29 The UNS that has initiated the mission of performing mass rituals of marriage in the Doon valley in order to fight against the Khap Panchayat and protest against honour killings has failed to get permission from the administration for organising the event. While talking to The Tribune, Amit Jani, president of the UNS, said, "Despite our written appeal for the mass wedding, the administration is not in our favour. We have met the City Magistrate today who has asked the sena to cancel the programme in the city as it can lead to an agitation which might endanger the lives of couples in love". "This act of the administration clearly depicts that they favour the orthodox khaps that are encouraging the evil of honour killing. Today, we have given a memorandum to Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Governor Margaret Alva, along with a letter appealing them to express their clear-cut opinion on the issue. If they fail to meet our demands within 23 days from now, then the Sena will be compelled to file Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on behalf of the couples," he asserted. Many associations, along with the Shiv Sena and the Hariyana Navnirman Sena, have started protesting against mass love marriages. Even the state president of the Hariyana Navnirman Sena has appealed to the administration not to give permission for such events as it will only encourage youth to indulge in the activities of love affairs. Sachin Kurve, District Magistrate, said, "The sena has approached the administration to seek permission or any sort of assistance two days before the event. They have sent a fax asking for permission of the marriage of only two couples. “The administration will not raise an issue out of two marriages as they fulfill the norms of the Hindu Marriage Act. But it may give rise to untoward incidents proving fatal to couples due to protests by some organisations against love marriages," he asserted.
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Girda focus of discussions among people of town
Rajeev Khanna Tribune News Service The memories of Girish Tiwari, popularly known as Girda, who passed away a week back, continue to be the central point of discussions among people in the region. He was known to have a personal equation with everyone. He was a multifaceted personality, a poet, an activist, a social thinker, a writer, a theatre artiste, a film actor and, above all, an easily accessible expert on folk traditions of the state. One condolence meeting after the other continue to be held by various sections of society to pay their respects to him as well as veteran socialist Pratap Bhaiyya who too passed away two days after Girda’s demise. Among the last memories this writer has of Girda is the emotionally charged speech he delivered at a meeting in May to discuss the state of affairs in Uttarakhand. Everyone knows that Girda’s contribution in making Uttarakhand become a reality is unparallelled. On May 15, Girda had come up with the most vocal and emotionally charged criticism of the state and its political establishment. “The state was carved out in haste. The situation was such that neither the receivers of statehood and nor those giving the statehood of Uttarakhand were prepared with a future road map. In fact, the creation of all three states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand was a result of a political conspiracy that was going on across the nation at that point of time. Today all three states are frowning,” he had said. He had also denounced the political parties for their lack of will on the issue of having a permanent capital in the state. “No one has the guts even to say that Dehradun will remain the permanent capital. The state was made not for those living in palatial houses or for those owning vast tracts of land. Instead it was made with the notion that the Chief Ministers would regularly move in rural areas and the public representatives would address the grievances of common people. But, what we have got is useless talk. I want to ask those in power that where were you when the struggle was on and where are you now? Those who were not to be seen anywhere at that time are now enjoying the fruits,” said Girda while adding “it is a well-known fact that the percentage given for getting works done in Uttar Pradesh was lesser than what needs to be given now for getting works done in the government offices. Where have those dreams vanished? It is now that I realise what people had to go through in 1947 when the country was divided. But things are no better when a state with a mere 13 districts has been carved out.” That was a bitter Girda, dismayed over the state of affairs in present day Uttarakhand. The second memory etched in the mind of this writer is of a programme on April 10. A two-day event named “Maati Se Manch Tak” had brought together women singers of the Kumaoni folk who otherwise lead their lives working in the fields and taking care of their children. The high point of the presentation was the coming together of eminent Girda and the well-known voice of the All India Radio’s Lucknow station Beena Tewari. Much to the delight of those present, the two came together on the stage after almost four decades to present a folk song. It was clearly visible that Girda’s increasing age has failed to dampen his enthusiasm for promoting the culture of the land. Satellite phones of no help
The misery brought by the recent rains has the common man fuming on the political and bureaucratic setup in the state. People have a large number of questions on their minds for which nobody has either the will or the courage to provide an answer. All that can be seen is the masses criticising the setup and hoping that some deliverance comes from some sector. The people are questioning that what has happened to all satellite phones which the government has been procuring? Where are these phones? Who is using them and for what are they being used? Even mediapersons calling up the Disaster Management authorities on the day of the Sumgarh tragedy for an update were baffled to get a constant reply. “Even we are not able to get connected to those on the spot.” The point being raised at various forums is: “What is the use of all those workshops in the Administrative Training Institute and plush hotels when they are not even able to maintain a communication link between the control room and the spot?”
The intelligentsia and the politically aware people in the region are also peeved over the irresponsible and misleading statements being made by the politicians of the ruling party and the coalition. First came a statement that the government would write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the installation of Doppler Radars to help forecast extreme weather conditions. The politician making the statement had either not done his homework or was misleading the media that two such radars were already sanctioned for the state two years back and it was the delay at the level of the state government for providing the land for their installation at Mussoorie and Nainital. People also want to know why the administration at various places has failed to take preventive measures, particularly in places where the flooding and washing out of tracts of land is an annual feature and people have been making regular appeals to do something on this front. As if this was not enough, there came another statement from a minister saying that schoolgirls would be provided with wrist watches to ensure that they reach school on time. A set of government officials approached this correspondent with the request: “Can the media ask him how many watches he has disbursed and why it is that only girls need to reach schools on time.” More recently, a minister from a coalition partner in the government went on to say that the people protesting against establishment of the power projects in the state are CIA agents. The comment reminded one of the decade of seventies when all ills in the country were blamed on the American agency.
Image-building exercise
While the government continues to draw flak on various platforms for its inability to deliver, the Directorate of Information continues to do its bit to build the government’s image by getting tones of publicity material, eulogising the government, printed and dumped in districts. The matter continues to be a headache for those entrusted with its distribution as nobody wants to read it. “While on one side the government keeps on begging for more money from the Centre for carrying out developmental works, on the other it is wasting crores on its own image building. If the government is so keen on publicising the works being done under the present Chief Minister, it can get his picture and achievements printed on notebooks and distribute these among the poor children. At least the money will be put to some good use,” is a common refrain coming from the officials. Talking to The Tribune, an official said: “Recently, when such material was being distributed at a function in the presence of a minister, the minister himself acknowledged that all this is not going to help anywhere.”
The industry wants special tourism zones (STZs) to be developed in the state. The issue was taken up by a delegation of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at an interaction with the parliamentarians from the state in Delhi last week. The two sides concurred that tourism, agriculture and related industry along with the knowledge industry could be the key drivers of growth in the hills. On the tourism front it was felt that community-based, environment friendly tourism should be the focus areas. The parliamentarians welcomed the CII’s suggestion of creating STZs for an integrated and planned tourism development. Given the unique climate and soil conditions of the state, it was also felt that value added agricultural activities like cultivation of exotic fruits and vegetables, value addition through processing and leveraging the herbal wealth of the state held immense potential.
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Chandragupta Section win through penalty
Dehradun, August 29 The scores remained leveled till the last 5 minutes of the match. The first goal of the match was scored by cadet Pranay Jeet Singh of Chandragupta section in the first 5 minutes. But Pratap section fought back with cadet Piyush Deshmukh scoring for Pratap Section in the 15th minute, thus equalising the scores. The excitement continued till the last minute when cadet Ayush Salaria taking advantage of a penalty scored against Pratap section, winning the game for Chandragupta section. The game saw its end with a score of 2-1, with Chandragupta winning the seniors title. It was a very crucial chance with all four sections having equal chance of winning the championship trophy till the last minute of the game. In the junior category the most upcoming player title went to cadet Lulu
Lawrembam, highest scorer was cadet Akshat Raj, best player tag was bagged by cadet Akshat Raj, the best goalkeeper title went to cadet Vibhanshu
Hemdan. In the middles highest scorer was cadet O Khumanlamba, the best player tag went to cadet K Arjun and the best goalkeeper of the tournament was cadet Aditya
Kalsotra. In the seniors, highest scorer was cadet Ayush Salaria, the best player was again went to cadet Ayush Salaria and the best goalkeeper title was bagged by cadet Rahul Dev Verma. Meanwhile, at the overall positions, Chandragupta section was first, the second position was shared by Ranjit Section and Shivaji Section and at the next position it was Pratap section. The chief guest of the evening was Col Pankaj K
Kumaria, Commandant, RIMC. He praised the performance of the teams and congratulated all teams for putting up a good show. He also said it was a very
interesting tournament as the winners could not be foretold till the last minute. The referee for the final match was Hav TB
Thapa, CHM. The coordinators of the competition were Keshav Anand and Brijesh
Chauhan.
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Malayalee community celebrates Onam in Doon
Dehradun, August 29 The Doon Malayalee Community observed the celebrations of the festival at the ONGC auditorium. AJC Nair, president of the community, welcomed the gathering and the programme inaugurated by chief guest, GM (HR), ONGC, DD Mishra, along with guest of honour Commodore TK Ashokan, NM, Principal Director of National Hydrography. More than 3,000 Malayalees across the city have gathered to celebrate the festival. The programme initiated with praying to King Maveli (Mahabali), also known as Onathappan, for their well-being and prosperity. He was welcomed with flowers and garlands, carrying lamps and singing famous “Onappattu” (Onam song) by damsels. Onam, a 10-day festival is associated with the harvest. This is the festival when Malayalees decorate the courtyard of their houses with colourful flowers to welcome the King. The folks wear new clothes and prepare a sumptuous feast on the occasion. The celebrations included presentation of “Thiruvathirakali”, traditional dance, and various cultural items. It was followed by a lucky draw. From Malayalee songs to food, people within Dehradun and outside thoroughly enjoyed the function. “We are happy that not only our community has participated, but people from other communities are also equally enjoying the traditional food, songs and dances,” said Suman Nair. “Interestingly, folks down in Kerala participate in the grand event of ‘snakeboat race’ depicting strength, unity and oneness during the occasion followed by a community feast," added Suman. To wrap up the celebrations, there was the sumptuous, traditional festival lunch, “Onasadya”, with more than 15 dishes, rice, payasam, pappadam and banana on the occasion. Dr S Rajesh of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology and Rajalakshmi of Welham School anchored the programme. PK Kunhamboo, joint secretary, conveyed gratitude to all for attending the programme. Gracy Antony, vice-president, along with the guests, distributed various prizes to the participants.
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Shreya, Sandeep declare player of the championship
Haridwar, August 29 In u-13 girls category, Ispita Kumari, Mughdha Sharma bagged the first two positions respectively while in doubles Ispita and Mugdha shared the title. In boys’ section Sandeep Kumar, Vasu Aggarwal came first and second while Vasu and Varun won the doubles event. In the u-16 girls category Poonam Negi won the title followed by Shreya Thapliyal while Ispita and Mugdha again won the doubles title in this event too. In boys’ Chirag won the title defeating Rohan Pradhan while both combined together to won the doubles title of this event. In under-19 category, Shreya won the title. The double event was won by the same duo. In boys event, Chirag won the title defeating Sunil Gupta while doubles event Rohan Pradhan and Shiva Kumar won the title. Alongside the main event, a show match was also played in which chief guest of the event SSP Haridwar Sanjay Gunjiyal participated in the event. The championship was organised by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Youth Centre in Devpura. Deepa Joshi chief of the centre said by organising of such sporting events local talent is spotted.
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MKP thump Govt Girls Inter-College
Dehradun, August 29 Varsha (fifth minute) started the proceedings for MKP trainees. But this was Divya Rana who scored the next four goals. She netted in the 10th, 15th, 25th and 40th minutes. Sweety (45th), Sheetal Rawat (50th) and Pooja (53th) later added a goal each. On the contrary, government college girls failed to retaliate throughout the match and was blanked 8-0. Tomorrow, St Agnes School will face Welham Girls School (red team) in the first knock-out match. Welham Girls School (blue team) will play against MKP junior team.
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U’khand artistes to perform Hilljatra at Commonwealth Games
Pitthoragarh, August 29 Dr DR Purohit, who is preparing it for the celebrations, said, “The cultural presentation by the troupes of Commonwealth countries will be staged in the first week of October by the Indira Gandhi National Centre of Arts before the inauguration of the Games in New Delhi”. According to Dr Purohit, Director of the Centre for Folk Performing Art and Culture, HNB University, Srinagar, he is preparing 30 selected artistes across the Garhwal region for the past one month to give the finest presentation before the audience which is a precious opportunity for local folk dancers.
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Sanskrit students showcase talent at inter-school contest
Haridwar, August 29 The competition commenced at the Uttaranchal Sanskrit Academy here today with participants from Bahadrabad division schools partaking in various competitions. The competition is an annual event with the winners of this competition going on to compete at the district-level competition of Sanskrit schools. Earlier, at the inauguration ceremony, chief guest of the event Haridwar Municipal Committee Chairman Kamal Johra urged the students to be disciplined in all fields as it is the key to success. While coordinator of the event Usha Pawar, Bahadrabad division education officer, pointed that Sanskrit is considered the mother of all languages and the number of students and schools learning Sanskrit language are on the rise. Emphasising on the need of having more such co-curricular events for Sanskrit schools, host school Principal Suman Sharma opined that this would bring the language students from different regions closer as well as inculcate confidence among them. Tomorrow will be the concluding day of the event wherein the first three position holders will be
honoured.
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Relief from rain after Sept 5 likely
Haridwar, August 29 According to the astrologers, the ongoing rain fury is due to a changed celestial positions of some planets. On September 5, as soon as Augustya Rishi Tara (a star that is visible at the conclusion of the monsoon season) is visible in the sky the monsoon season will be on retreat, bringing respite from continuous rains the whole northern region has been witnessing. Stating about this astrological relation, Haridwar-based astrologer Vipin Parashar stated that the changed positions of planets Jupiter and Mercury caused disturbance in the weather situation, while also the shadow of zodiac sign Virgo cast a negative influence on the planet positions. Citing an example of an important incident from epic Ramayana, Parashar said initially when Lord Rama’s forces were on the verge of attacking territory of Lanka, heavy rain delayed the process. When Lakshmana, who was leading the force, wanted to attack, despite rain, Lord Rama asked him to be patient pointing out that as soon as Augustya Rishi Tara was visible in the sky, the rain would stop and then it would be the suitable time to attack. And it exactly happened.
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King of Pop remembered amid rocking performances
Mussoorie, August 29 Tributes were paid to the iconic figure of pop by organising a rock competition in which more than five bands participated. The competition was supported by Radio Khushi 90.4 FM, Ashwamegh Records and Sun Production from California. The rock bands Kaal, Rudra, Absolution, Reaper, Collapsion, Corsair and some old musicians like Romy and Sanjay mesmerised the audience with heart-rending cover songs of various international artistes, including legendary Jackson. The participants divulged in different genres of classical rock and heavy metal much to the delight of the invited audience. According to organisers Monty, Jack and Sanjay Tamta, each band would play for 25 minutes in which they would be free to play original and cover numbers sung by international bands. The winners of the competition would get two free recordings at Ashwamegh Records, apart from the cash prize on the occasion. They further said the main objective of the rock competition was to remember the greatest musical icon of the century Michael Jackson and promote rock music in the town.
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St Agnes bag sub-junior kabaddi title
Dehradun, August 29 While Government Inter College,
Dobhalwala, got the second place in both categories. St Agnes got 56 points to bag the first place in the sub-junior section and the Government College with 43 points stood second. In the boys' junior event, St Agnes School garnered 59 points and the government college scored 48 to get the first and the second place, respectively. Boys’ kabaddi matches concluded today while the girls’ matches would be played tomorrow. Media coordinator of the tournament, Madhav Mohan Sakalani said a total of 48 players participated in the competition. Many teams were invited for the event but very few turned up to participate.
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Frankfinn starts short-term courses
Dehradun, August 29 The announcement was made by Samir Walia, vice-president of the institute, during a press conference here yesterday. There are two courses on offer for graduates or those in the final year of graduation - a three-month certificate course in airport ground service and four-month certificate course in aviation and hospitality services.
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MPSC win volleyball tourney
Dehradun, August 29 All matches were played on the basis of league. Maharana Pratap Sports College stood first while Sports Stadium Parade Ground and Jaspal Rana Physical Education College got the second and third place, respectively. All senior officials of the sports college were present on the occasion.
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Oak Grove, Mussoorie International in final
Mussoorie, August 29 In a league fixture of senior division, Oak Grove School defeated Guru Nanak Fifth Centenary School in the first semifinal and Mussoorie International School defeated Mussoorie Public School in the other semifinal held today. In the juniors’ division, Mussoorie Public School defeated Oak Grove School and Mussoorie International School defeated Manav Bharti International School to enter finals. The finals will be held tomorrow at MPS. The tournament is organised under the Mussoorie School Sport Association.
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It was a special Sunday for Nainital as its residents ran for a cause. Hundreds of people of the Lake City turned up in their colourful best to participate in a race to support the girl child.
Soccer has been an integral part of the games and sports activities organised at the Rastriya Indian Military College
(RIMC). The RIMC Inter-Section Soccer Tournament which started on August 23 played its final yesterday between Chandragupta Section and Pratap Section. Both teams displayed brilliant skills enthusiasm and zeal.
Haridwar, August 29
Dehradun, August 29
Haridwar, August 29
