Srinagar, October 19
The government has sought a central assistance of Rs 5,851 crore for implementing reforms in the power sector and improving the distribution and transmission system in the state.

“We are seeking a central assistance of Rs 5,851 crore for implementation of a turnaround project submitted by The Energy Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi, for power sector reforms and improvement in the distribution and transmission system,” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said at a function here.

Omar had made a power point presentation about the turnaround project before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when the latter visited the Valley in June.

Equating the importance of power generation with an efficient energy distribution and transmission system, he said his government was giving due attention to establishing a dependable and modern electricity distribution network.

“A chain of grid stations, receiving stations and sub-stations are already under various stages of completion in the state,” he said.

The Chief Minister said 12 major power projects, besides many smaller ones, had been initiated to generate about 5,000 MW in the state in over the next six years.

“Our efforts are vigorously on to give new dimension to the power generation and its proper distribution,” he said, adding that 30 towns, including Jammu and Srinagar, have been brought under the restructured Accelerated Power Development Reforms Programme (APDRP).

The new version of the APDRP was estimated to cost Rs 144.11 crore, he added.

Omar said there was need to improve and upgrade the power transmission and distribution system and initiate reforms at various levels to cut down on transmission losses and also to keep the system pilferage-free.

Underlining that power development was central to the growth of economy and allround development of the state, he said the government was making every effort to harness the hydroelectric potential to its optimum.

Omar said smaller power projects have also been initiated in the rural and farflung areas with the help of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy headed by Farooq Abdullah.

“The ministry has extended full support to the state in harnessing non-conventional energy and launching small hydroelectric projects,” he said. — PTI

Jammu, October 19
CL Sharma (70), a local resident, has been collecting postal stamps since 1947. One can have a glance of the world history and pre and post-Independence history of India through his collection of stamps. The collection and study of postal stamps is called philately.

Sharma, a retired flight lieutenant, is as enthusiastic about collecting stamps today as he was in his childhood. After passing class X in 1947, Sharma developed the hobby of collecting postal stamps. He also has rare stamps of more than 50 countries, out of which many countries do not exist today.

“My father was a manager with a German firm, Pfaff, in Kolkata and I was in Class X at that time. He used to get mails from all over the world. The stamps affixed on the mails always attracted me. I got inspiration from there and started collecting them. It later turned into my hobby,” said Sharma.

“All stamps collected are rare for me. I have never sold any of my stamps so far.” Sharma also has interest in everything connected to stamps like how they are designed, printed and produced, as well as their historical background. Most of the stamps collected by him are used ones.

“Earlier, I used to remove postal stamps from mails and letters, which were discarded by people. I had also purchased stamps from the market, mainly outside the state. Now, I purchase stamps from the Postal Department whenever it releases one,” said Sharma.

He has collected thousands of stamps till date. Sharma has almost all stamps issued in India since 1947, besides pre-1947 stamps of Jammu and Kashmir.

From postal stamps of Queen Victoria to all of her descendants, stamps of Maharaja Hari Singh, Mahatma Gandhi, Kasturbha Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Rani Lakshmi Bai, he’s got it all.

His collection includes a stamp on “The Tribune” issued in 1881, a stamp on the first fight of Air India issued in 1948, stamps issued in the name of all Presidents of India till date and of Presidents of the US till Franklin D. Roosevelt (1982).

All stamps of Indian defence forces are important part of his collections, besides stamps on sports, particularly of Olympics and Common Wealth Games adore his collection. Sharma said, “Philately is no longer popular among children now as technology has taken over the physical sending of letters through mails”.

The state government through the Post and Telegraph Department should boost philatelists by way of conducting exhibition of stamps in schools and colleges, he said, adding that, “Last state-level exhibition of stamps was held in 2004. It should be held every year.”

Pahalgam, October 19
In a bid to motivate students towards their academics after the series of curfews in the Kashmir Valley, the Army has set up a Army Goodwill Public School (AGPS) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam town. The school has succeeded in motivating the youths to shun violence and concentrate on their academics.

The unrest in the Valley, particularly in Srinagar, has forced the closure of schools and diverted the attention of students from their regular studies.

Major General Gurdeep Singh, General Commanding Officer, Victor Force, under whom the school functions, said: “Education is of prime importance for parents. Their goal is to provide good education to their children and ultimately see them do well in life”.

“Considering this along with the fact that border areas lack even basic school facilities, we started this school to cover up deficiency in basic academics,” he added.

The students of AGPS consider themselves fortunate to be a part of the school and they are determined to attend it regularly.

“We consider ourselves lucky that we are here in the school and we are getting continuous education as the teachers try with loads of courage to impart knowledge to us,” said Faisal Ahmed, a student of AGPS.

“During these circumstances and current scenario in the Valley, we consider ourselves luckiest that we are in this school. Even in such times of conflict, we are getting education,” he added.

Danish Farooq, another student, said: “Unlike the youth elsewhere in the Valley indulging in stone pelting, he is more concerned about his studies since there are elders to address whatever be the issue”. “I want to give them a message that stone pelting may be for a cause, but students shouldn't take part in such activities. Let seniors participate; our role should be to do our job that is educating ourselves. Education should be our only goal,” said Farooq. ANI

Jammu, October 19
As we were moving through the scenes of massive destruction in Saboo village, near Leh, we saw a middle-aged Ladakhi woman standing outside her mud-filled house. Our eyes met and she smiled as we walk past her.

We had hardly taken a few steps when we heard her sobs. She was crying, albeit quietly, hugging another Ladakhi woman who had just crossed us.

That is what left an imprint on us about the rich Ladakhi culture. They greet strangers even in the time of adversity and can afford a smile. But the grief is personal.

Leh, housed in pristine beauty of barren mountains dotted with monasteries and greenery here and there with the mighty Indus caressing gently the curves, witnessed one of the most devastating natural calamity in form of cloudburst and flash floods in early August.

A land, which is abuzz with tourists from May to October, mostly foreigners on spiritual quest, was suddenly filled with cries and pain as cloudburst followed by flash floods happened. The place where one of the first civilisations developed earthen pots and mud houses saw the same mud destroying them.

Houses built of special mud bricks, did not collapse completely even if the roofs were blown off. They were just filled with mud. And in it, dreams and life of several hundreds too were buried.

Another ironic part of the cloudburst incident was that it mainly affected the downtown area of the city, the up market where tourists and rich live was not even bruised.

Ladakh lost much. It lost valuable lives, a whole season of tourists and faces a harsh winter. But the people did not lose their culture. There was not a single person seen begging. There were no persons trying to jostle ahead of each other to take relief in the makeshift camps. That woman who smiled at strangers, but grieved with another Ladakhi woman the very next moment was really a symptomatic of the strength of their will and culture.

That culture is seen all around. Here is a community that faced many onslaughts from Muslim and Dogra rulers apart from Chinese but yet it grew from strength to strength. The strength of tolerance and smiling in worst circumstances is what makes a Ladakhi richer.

Even the lack of oxygen that ages them early and shows creases and lines on their faces has become their beauty with photographers going mad to capture the contours.

The community seems to have taken on the spirit from the environs. Even when one stands amidst the ruins, one cannot help but notice the beautiful formation of clouds in the clear blue sky, or the shade of the clouds smoothly floating from rocky and barren peak to another.

One sees the sun, beating strong and hard on the cold desert and yet appearing so beautiful when it peeps from behind the peaks in the morning or evening hours. The snow on peaks appears as a slice of vanilla on a yummy chocolate brownie. Then one sees the eucalyptus tree.

This tree seen all over India and hated in Punjab because of its ability to suck water from deep in the earth and causing underground water to depletion is green and beautiful in Ladakh like pine trees in Gulmohar.

Then the best creation with the nature’s brush is the Indus. The mighty water channel flows without making any noise and is as calm as a woman after meeting her beloved. The valley and greenery it forms via its curves make Ladakh a dream destination.

With such indestructible beauty, one looks back at Ladakh with hope. True, the place lost much but the ability of the people and the landscape to bounce back is timeless and proven several times. What appears now is that the cloudburst could actually be a blessing in disguise like it did to Surat after the plague outbreak there, not very long ago.

Ladakh definitely needs better, wider and all weather roads. Even alternative roads to Manali and Srinagar would have to be thought about. One felt sad noticing that though much revenue is earned from foreigners, facilities for them are negligible. The worst is the Internet connectivity, a must in the modern world.

Locals as well as Army officers reveal Internet was either not available or slow as turtle. “If we manage to open our mail and check social networking site in one go, we consider it as a good omen,” said a senior woman Army officer.

One of the biggest sour points is the lack of facilities at the airport. To buy a ticket one has to stand outside in the open with no shelter extended from the window in the airport building. Worse, after the cloudburst, all airlines failed to provide respite to tourists. The fare went up and up with no consideration for trapped tourists as well as those reaching there to lend a helping hand.

Boarding a plane from the small and congested airport building that has vast open premises is a nightmare. All major flights fly between 6 and 9 am. This brings huge rush at one go and security drills, long queues and congested halls leave a bad taste.

Leh would have to be prepared for any natural disaster in future. It did not even have any system in place to handle such a situation. Even JCB machines had to brought in from Jammu. There is no disaster management system in place.

Research and analysis of experts would continue for months or years. But was it just a natural disaster? The residents as well as the tourists would have to contribute in easing the pollution.

One notices so many Punjab and Delhi registration number cars in Leh. These cars are second or even third hand bought from outside and plied as taxis. Leh was opened to tourists more in the last decade or so. People still do not have much money due to which they invest in old cars with each part but the horn making a noise, besides contributing to pollution.

Ladakh has preserved its mountains, river and meadows for its people since ages. Now, it is the turn of people to preserve the nature.

Udhampur, October 19
Son of a National Award winning teacher of a remote area of Kishtwar, Sheikh Nasir Hussain always nursed a desire to do something for the country. This propelled him to work hard and win accolades in the fields of academics, art and social work. He has now taken a plunge into politics.

He is the only student of Jammu University so far who was adjudged the best student for two consecutive years while studying for the degree of law there. Now, a freelance journalist and an advocate, he feels that talent-hunt programme launched by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi could provide him the required leverage to rise in politics with the mission to promote nationalistic vision among the youth of J&K.

”I always held the view that politics has been made dirty and it should be cleansed by being in it. Given my middle-class background, I was a bit pessimistic about making a mark, but the opportunity came in the form of the talent-hunt programme which promised that any young person with nationalistic vision irrespective of his socio-economic and family background could rise in politics and give a shape to his idea of serving the nation”.

“Given the prevailing situation in J&K, which has been reeling under threats from anti-national forces as well as political opportunism, about which I have always been feeling very strongly, I felt my chance has come,” he said.

While many cowered under perceived threats if they are seen as votaries of nationalism in the highly polarised state polity, he took initiative to organise a function on Gandhi Jayanti earlier this month. “I have vowed to continue my mission to foster the spirit of nationalism by organising all important events of national significance. But I believe active politics can help pursue it at a mass level especially by motivating the youth not to fall prey to divisive politics and communalism,” he said.

Being a lawyer, Nasir admits that he finds it difficult to devote as much time to multiple interests, including social activities. But with the passage of time, he has gone a step further and transformed his hobby into a mission that is to bring social change and awareness among people of this backward area. In 2000, he organised a weeklong workshop in Kishtwar for school students for the purpose.

“I believe that if somebody wants to do something, he should start from his home and this is what compelled me to come back to my native district from Jammu and help my own people,” he added.

Maharaja Gulab Singh, son of Mian Kishore Singh, was born on October 21, 1792 at Smailpur, Jammu. Gulab Singh was brought up under the care of his grandfather Mian Zorawar Singh and lived with his grand uncle Mian Mota, the Madar-ul-Maham or minister of Raja Jit Singh, the last ruler of Jammu where he learnt the manners of courtiers.

Gulab Singh showed his ability and skills in the Battle of Gumat in 1808 at the age of 16. Impressed by his bravery, he was summoned to Lahore as his fame of heroism had reached Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In 1810, he started his career as “ghorchara” (cavalryman) and was soon elevated to the command of a cavalry unit (sawarian jamwal).

As a military commander, he rendered meritorious services to his master in all his campaigns, especially in Multan, Attock, Kabul, Kandhar, Manerka Dera Gazi Khan, Reasi, Kishtwar and Kashmir. For remarkable achievements, Maharaja Ranjit Singh rewarded Gulab Singh by the conferment of Jammu raj on him on June 17, 1822 at Jia Pota, Akhnoor (northern bank of the Chenab also called Chanderbaga); a place of splendid beauty overlooked by the magnificent Akhnoor Fort built by Raja Alam Singh in 1802. Gulab Singh received vast jagirs in Punjab, including salt mines of Pind Dadan Khan on the right bank of the Jhelum. By knitting together scattered principalities of the erstwhile Jammu empire of Raja Rajgan Ranjit Dev, he laid the foundation of a future state of Jammu and Kashmir and extended its boundaries far and wide by capturing Ladakh, Chilas, Skardu, Baltistan, Gilgit, Hunza and 300 sq miles of Tibet.

After the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1839, and that of Maharaja Kharak Singh & his son Nau Nihal Singh on the same day a year later, the line of ascendancy to the throne was broken resulting in a free-for-all among claimants to the vacant throne. Gulab Singh was the sole Dogra survivor of the intrigues-infested Lahore Darbar. Raja Dhian Singh and Raja Suchet Singh (brothers), Hira Singh (nephew) and Udham Singh and Sohan Singh (sons) were killed at Lahore.

When the Sikh armies were defeated in the Anglo-Sikh war in 1846, he negotiated with the Britishers as the Prime Minister of the Sikh empire and signed the Treaty of Lahore. Tactfully exposing British vulnerabilities, he turned weaknesses into strength and was able to secure most honorable terms for the vanquished.

Later, Lord Hardinge, the Governor General of India, extended his rule to entire Jammu and Kashmir and elevated him to the status of Maharaja on March 15, 1846. By the Treaty of Amritsar, he got control of the Kashmir empire for which he paid Rs 75 lakh out of Rs 1.5-crore war indemnity levied on Lahore Darbar.

Maharaja Gulab Singh, who created a vast state of Jammu and Kashmir, was a symbol of secularism. By putting the crown of J&K on the head of the Indian Union, he changed the Indian map.

Maharaja died on August 30, 1858 in Srinagar at the age of 66. His contributions to the country’s political, cultural and religious lives are remembered on June 17 every year at Jia Pota by the Raj Tilak Celebration Committee, Akhnoor, and on October 21 every year in Jammu by Maharaja Gulab Singh Trust. On the eve of his 219th birth anniversary on October 21, Dr Karan Singh, his fourth generation grandson, will install a portrait depicting the scene of Maharaja’s raj tilak ceremony of 1822 at Jia Pota, Akhnoor. The portrait will enable tourists to learn inquisitively about the Dogra history and culture.

Different reflections and images of life were once again witnessed on the occasion of Dasehra in the temple city with not only youngsters but even matured one agog to mark the victory of the good over the evil in a big way.

As soon as Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhkaran were reduced to ashes at the local Apsara Ground, most they ran insanely towards the burnt effigies to lay their hands on the “ribs and bones” of three evil characters, forgetting about the safety of others.

In the process they pushed whosoever came their way and almost caused a stampede. If some of them successfully laid their hands on the remnants, others returned empty-handed while some had burns on their hands because in the madness they had picked up burning bamboos.