Dehradun, January 21
The newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of Uttarakhand Ayurveda University, Dr Satyendra Mishra, believes that Uttarakhand has various herbs in abundance. Only right approach and right direction is required to explore the various opportunities in the field of ayurveda. Dr Mishra talked about experiences of his life and his plans for the university during an interview with The Tribune.

Q: How do you feel after becoming the first Vice-Chancellor of Uttarakhand Ayurveda University?

A: It’s a privilege for me to be appointed the first Vice-Chancellor of the first-ever ayurveda university in Uttarakhand. After I retired from Benaras Ayurveda University where I had put in 30 years of service as Head of the Department and Professor (Physiology), Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, invited me to take the charge of his dream project of establishing the ayurveda university here.

Q: How do you place Uttarakhand vis-a-vis Ayurveda?

A: With a large number of people using ayurveda worldwide, Uttarakhand has gained a unique place in the field of ayurveda. In view of the immense potential of its growth in Uttarakhand, youngsters might get significant employment opportunities in this field too.

Q: Where did you study ayurveda?

A: I did my studies in ayurveda from Gurukul Kangri University in 1966 and completed my PhD under the able guidance of Prof Ramhari Singh, who is the first Vice-Chancellor of Rajasthan University.

Coming from a pastoral family of Balia in Uttar Pradesh, my family and me always had an inclination towards ayurveda. My father was an ayurveda physician in a government centre and he inspired me to pursue a career in ayurveda.

Q: What are your plans for the new university?

A: Uttarakhand Ayurveda University has to make serious efforts to establish the role of ayurveda in the field of health, as the state is the storehouse of many herbs and plants with medicinal properties. The university will try to scientifically establish ayurveda at the international level by encouraging international-level research work in the field.

Q: Where is the proposed site for the university campus located?

A: The search for the land for the proposed university campus is still on. We are planning to set up a massive infrastructure consisting of adequate classes, research laboratories, a hostel, a herbal garden, accommodation for the faculty and an auditorium. For the time being I am officiating from my residence with two of the staff members posted there by the Uttarakhand Ayurvedic Directorate. Hopefully, I’ll set up my office here within a week’s time and have more staff.

Q: What will be your priorities as a Vice-Chancellor.

A: It is the sole responsibility of the university to conduct admission, examinations and declare results on time. I’ll give my best to conduct these academic courses without any delay. I’ll develop a team of good researchers in the field of ayurveda.

Q: Will the university restrict itself to the studies of ayurveda only or will further streamline into different branches of treatment?

A: The state government department of Ayush (Ayurveda-Unani-Sidaa-Homeopathy) has undertaken the project of setting up the university in Uttarakhand. Correspondingly, the administration is contemplating enhancing the branches of courses and setting up different faculties in health programmes in the university. The university will also focus on working in the projects, which are running at the rural level. We might then change the name of the university to Uttarakhand Ayush University.

“People should follow a healthy as well as balanced lifestyle to stay hale and hearty rather than taking the medicines that provide relief for a short time,” advised Dr Mishra while signing off.

Dehradun, January 21
The ritualistic 12-year journey of Mahasu Devta may soon become a memory as a result of modernity. This has not only lead to the local deities becoming sedentary, but also to the secularisation of rituals in Uttarakhand. The Mahasu Devta is stationed in Himachal Pradesh and has not moved for the past five years. This has turned the prevalent traditional justice topsy-turvy.

“Even the tribal temples, the very heart of folklore, have been Sanskritised. Now, there is a proliferation of Nandi bulls and Vedic symbols,” said Lokesh Ohri, doctoral fellow, South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, while shedding light on the changes taking place around the worship of Mahasu Devta during a conference on “Folklore and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Uttarakhand” at the Doon University today.

Even the Bajgees, who are a special class of performers, are disappearing making things difficult for the Devta’s traditional procession.

“The Devta cannot move without these drummers playing. But in Dehradun and Uttarakashi districts, no one is ready to take up this profession.

“Even the rituals of possession have now become performances. ‘Celebrating things as it were’ no longer attracts people. Processions may become a thing of the past as more and more people confine themselves to indoor living.”

The Mahasu Devta territory is spread across Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. “In fact, Mahasu defies man-made boundaries and moves across these states. The point that I am trying to make is that geography and history as exemplified in the Mahasu territory may not be evident in books, but can be experienced in temples and folk processions,” he said.

The Tons river divides these territories. For 12 years, he lives on one side and then crosses over to the other for a similar period.

The cult centre of Mahasu Devta is a temple at Hanol. The Mahasu Devta is also a dispenser of justice and the villagers usually go to him with their problems.

“With the Mahasu Devta staying put for a long while on the other side of the Tons, the people living on this side have begun to break out of the ritualistic mould.

“A feeling is gaining ground that the waiting period of 12 years is too long. No wonder, a new temple dedicated to him has now been built on Mussoorie Road,” stressed Ohri.

He also observed that the deity is presently stationed where there is wealth. This too may be responsible for the phenomenon of sedentarisation of God.

“The chalda (moving) Mahasu Devta has not moved from Himachal Pradesh for the past five years and has extended his stay on the other side of the Tons beyond 12 years as the people of that region are more prosperous than the ones on this side,” pointed out Ohri.

Dehradun, January 21
Uttarakahand stands to gain internationally with the popularisation and use of folk idioms in the modern theatre. The state has 13 traditions in the folk theatre, with pandava lila and mask dance becoming very popular.

“In the last couple of years, the folk traditions of the state, especially theatre, has generated keen interest among the researchers in Europe. We may see the Greek and German artistes collaborating with the local artistes of Uttarakhand on the international firmament,” said Dr DR Purohit, HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, today at the Doon University.

In fact, Dr Purohit is credited for reviving the ancient instruments of dhol damoun and also popularising pandav lila, a firm believer that if folklore were to survive, “It has to be linked with the day-to-day life of the people,” stressed Purohit.

The pandava theatre became popular with the showcasing of Chakarvayu by a Dehradun-based NGO in different parts of the country, “It is now popular in Kedar valley and the public participation has increased over the years,” emphasised Dr Purohit.

At the same time, swangs staged as part of the pandav lila performed during Holi are responsible for unleashing latent dramatic potential of the people. “In fact, swangs are an example of highest forms of ingenuity. The highlight of these performances are women dressed as men taking centre stage and launching a fusillade against men,” said Dr Purohit.

Though, these may be less creative, but they have given rise to theatre of satire and are being staged at Nainital, Almora, Someshwar, Raniketh and Baijnath.

Similarly, the mask dance or the ramman staged during Baisakh, too, is witnessing a revival of sorts, courtesy the efforts of scholars and the NGOS.

“The income of the dramatis personae has considerably increased and he manages to earn between Rs 50,000-1 lakh, while staging performance during the winter months,” said Purohit. He delivered a talk on folk theatre of Uttarakhand- text context and aesthetics.

Dehradun, January 21
The mangalik songs sung by women during wedding rituals depicting sorrow may find echo in the lament songs popular in the Iberian peninsula, comprising some areas of Spain and Portugal.

Bringing it out vividly through her research work ‘Lamenting for Lament: A journey of identity’, Mala Shikha of Doon University today said the laments were the oldest form of grief and ‘Saudade’ sung in Portugal, a part of Iberian peninsula, were composed when men went on voyages.

“These songs exemplified heightened sorrow that the sea fearers experienced as they set on voyage. They were sung in female voices. Similarly, the Khuder songs sung by Garhwali women, poignantly sung to express their loneliness, once their men went to work leaving the hills,” she said. In fact, the songs of lament saw a revival of the sorts, when the Tehri was being drowned.

On the other hand, Arti Sisodia showcased the use of musical instruments that provide rhythm and beat in the life of the people of Uttarakhand. Most of these instruments were used during war and worship. “The Jew harp called Mochang is no longer played, so is the twin pipes,” she said.

Meanwhile, DS Pokhria of Kumaon University said it was important that the original text of the traditional jagars was made available to the scholars. “As a scholar, I will like to go again and again to the original text,” he said.

In that sense, he raised a pertinent question whether it was worthwhile to make intangible folk traditions tangible. Noted historian from Uttarakhand Shiv Prasad Naithani expressed similar views. “We have to be very careful while documenting folklore and traditions, so that nothing goes missing and the essence is not lost,” he said.

Dehradun, January 21
A two-day workshop on motor control (neurological and musculoskeletal system) was inaugurated at the Dolphin (PG) Institute of Biomedical and Natural Sciences here today.

Registrar, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal (Central University), Dr US Rawat was the chief guest on the occasion. He praised the delivery of quality education and well-equipped laboratories in the institute. More than 60 students and faculties from different colleges and universities have been participating in the workshop.

On the occasion, a compact disk (CD) of the study material of the workshop was also released. In his speech, Rawat said among the colleges affiliated under Garhwal (Central) University, the Dolphin Institute was one of the institutes that have good infrastructure, well-equipped laboratories (state-of-the-art facility), quality instruments and experienced teachers/professors. “The institute have succeeded in making an image of its own by conducting various educational and research programmes from time to time,” he said.

He also said the percentage of women in higher education all over the country was 11 per cent, whereas in Uttarakhand it was 22-33 per cent (in plain regions) and 9 per cent (in the hilly region), which was a matter of concern. He also said conscious efforts were needed to improve this situation.

“It is now possible to treat diseases like tennis elbow and spondylitis that were previously incurable through the medium of physiotherapy. Principal of the institute Dr Shailja Pant said the students would come to know about the new techniques through this workshop.

Head of the department (physiotherapy) Dr Siddhartha Sen said, “The motor control is one of technique in which various muscles (like various joint muscles) are controlled by brain during different physical activities. Fitness, joint integrity and functional capacity training in physiotherapy, along with various techniques and manual therapy, mainly treat pain and dysfunction. Motor control is the modern technique of physiotherapy, which is used in rehabilitation, neuro-rehab, musculo-skeletal and sports physiotherapy,” he said.

Dehradun, January 21
With the final board examinations fast approaching, coaching centres are helping students to overcome their problems by conducting weekly classes. As it is believed that the board examinations hold a lot of importance, the stress level among students and their parents has increased.

The students, who have been registered with the coaching centres, are taking sample tests and other mock tests particularly designed for the students appearing for the board examinations.

“Though I am preparing for my pre-boards, I go to a coaching centre to clear my doubts regarding various subjects,” said Siddharth, a student. Another student Rashi says she is focusing on the pre-board preparations because she wants to prepare herself for both IIT and AIEEE examinations, in which 50 per cent of the syllabus is similar to the board pattern.

However, to keep the motivation level high during the board examinations, the teachers at these coaching centres are busy helping them to solve their problems. According to the faculty of Lakshya Institute, “Nowadays children are more concerned about their academics and preparations for any competitive examinations. They are appearing for the preliminary examinations as well as attending the extra classes apart from the regular five-day classes to secure good marks. We are providing assistance to them according to their demand. We conduct regular sample tests, mock tests and revision of the entire syllabus.”

Nainital, January 21
District Magistrate of Udham Singh Nagar Dr BVRC Purshottam, while taking up the issues raised by the farmers, has ordered SDMs to probe whether proper paper work was being done by the mandi samitis with regard to the arrival of the agricultural products in the various wholesale markets for sale.

He has also asked the Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) to look into the issue of construction of the roads in the non-agricultural zones.

Meanwhile, the SDM and the Chief Agriculture Officer (CAO) PK Singh would jointly probe allegations of the financial misappropriation with regard to the co-operative societies in Kelakheda and Mahuvakhedaganj.

At a meeting of Kisan Bandhu held at Rudrapur on Wednesday, Purshottam called for solving the problems of the farmers at the earliest. He asked the CAO to write to the state administration about the need to increase the urea quota for the district. He also assured the farmers that an arrangement would be made for the sub-registrar, Bazpur, operating from Gadarpur for at least three days in a week.

Executive Engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD) CM Pande has been asked to inspect the repair work of the roads. The officials of the Irrigation Department have been told to get the canals cleaned as per the norms.

Senior IFFCO official Ajay Pal Singh related that two rakes of urea have arrived in the district, while the third was expected in the next couple of days. The farmers had stated that the crops in the district were faced with disease in absence of the urea availability across the district.

Dehradun, January 21
To solve the problems of the Uttarakhand State Safai Karamchari members, a meeting was held at the State Karamchari Aayog here yesterday, under the leadership of Bhagwat Prasad Makwana.

Makwana stated that 29 supervisors were allotted 60 wards and the number was very less. He affirmed that the file of pension allowance for the safai karamcharis was pending at the office of the urban development, so is the issue of the group insurance.

He stated that they would take the matter of less staff in the district, as only 3,190 employees were permanent against the requirement of 3,436. Out of these, 276 have been working on daily basis and 768 have been working with the Mohalla Swachta Samiti.

He stated that the sanitation work has been affected in the city, as the posts of the sanitary supervisor and safai karamcharis were not being sanctioned.

He further said the number of staff remained the same since the days when Dehradun city was not accorded the status of the nagar palika. The karamcharis demanded that facilities of big hospitals, where they could get treatment should be extended to them.

Mussoorie, January 21
Mohit and defending champion Sunil reached the final of the singles category in the second carrom tournament being held at Walnut Grove in Mussoorie on the second day today.

Mohit defeated Naveen (29-7) and Rajeev (29-3) in the league fixtures to reach the semifinals. Then, he defeated Subash Kavi (29-25) in a keen contest.

Sunil Kumar defeated Ram Krishan Rahi (29-6) in his last league fixture to reach the semifinals.

In the league fixtures in the doubles category, Bharat Kumain and his partner defeated Amit Bharti and his partner (29-24); Sarfraz and his partner defeated Arvind Sonkar and his partner (29-21); Manuj and his partner defeated Bharat Kumain and his partner; and Mohit and his partner defeated Sarfraj and his partner in a keen contest.

The finals will be played tomorrow and the chief guest on the occasion will be Municipal Council President OP Uniyal.