The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Tiger kills man at Corbett, shot dead
Jotirmay Thapliyal
Tribune News Service

(Above) Forest authorities on the hunt; and protesters block the road at Ramnagar in Corbett Park on Thursday.

Dehradun, January 27
The Corbett region in Uttarakhand has become a virtual battlefield for tigers and humans. In the increasing incidents of man-animal conflict and casualties on both sides, a tiger was gunned down by the forest authorities in Ramnagar Forest Division today after it was ascertained that it had killed a 25-year-old youth in the Sundarkhal settlement situated near the Jim Corbett National Park on Republic Day.

Puran had come to Sundarkhal on Republic Day to meet his relatives. He was attacked by the tiger, which, after mauling him, dragged him to the nearby Ramnagar Forest Division.

The incident infuriated the Sundarkhal inhabitants who had already witnessed four killings by a tigress in the past few months. The man-eater tigress continues to elude the hunters of the Forest Department.

Following the recovery of Puran’s half-eaten body, the Sundarkhal villagers today took to the streets. Some of the villagers even cordoned off some parts of the Ramnagar forests to prevent the tiger from moving out and pressurised the forest authorities to shoot the big cat.

The villagers blocked National Highway No. 121. In the meantime, a team of forest officials, headed by Ramnagar Divisional Forest Officer Ravindra Juyal and some police personnel, shot up to 12 rounds, resulting in the death of the tiger, which, they claimed, had killed Puran.

The highway blockade that started at 8 am was lifted at around 2.30 pm after the news of the gunning down of the tiger reached the villagers.

Jim Corbett National Park Director Ranjan Kumar Mishra, too, disclosed that a tiger had been shot dead by the Forest Department personnel when the feline was seen near the site where the body of Puran had been found in the morning.

The villagers said they would continue the agitation till the elusive man-eater tigress was killed too.

Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti president Munish Kumar said: “Despite the death of the tiger today, we will continue with our protest till the man-eater tigress is killed. The samiti will hold another meeting within the next few days to take a final decision on the move to close the Corbett gates on February 6”.

Expressing dismay and anguish over the entire sequence of events leading to the death of a tiger in Ramnagar Forest Division, former honorary Wildlife Warden of Corbett and member of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Brijendra Singh has called for stronger commitment on the part of the state authorities to tacking the sensitive issues such as man-tiger conflict.

Brijendra Singh said the Uttarakhand Government was doing little to address the core issue of curbing man-animal conflict, which was fast getting worse in the state.

He pointed out that the Uttarakhand Forest Department was horribly short of proper firearms and other equipment to deal with wild animals.

Interestingly, so far the authorities had been claiming that a tigress was responsible for human deaths and that the feline was shot at by forest personnel on January 11. The feline is believed to have recovered from the bullet injury.

These incidents of man-tiger conflict at the Corbett come at a time when the park authorities are all set to celebrate its Platinum Jubilee beginning this March. The park authorities, which aim to make it a mega event, are banking on Indian cricket team skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to add glamour to the celebrations.

R-Day function showcases cultural diversity
Tribune News Service

Margaret Alva, Governor of Uttarakhand, at the unfurling of the national flag at the Republic Day celebrations in Dehradun on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

Dehradun, January 27
Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva unfurled the national flag and took the salute at an impressive parade on the 62nd Republic Day function on the Parade Ground here yesterday. The Governor also felicitated Deputy Superintendent of Police Pramendra Singh Dobal with Governor's Medal for his devotion to duty and showing gallantry of an exceptional order in the face of adversity.

An out-of-turn promotion for Uttarakhand police Constable Surender Kumar Yadav to the rank of Head Constable and a cash prize of 51,000 was announced in recognition of his devotion to duty and bravery in the face of odds. Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank was also present on the occasion.

Alva unfurled the national flag and took the salute from the parade commanded by Major Ashish Khanna of 11 Guards.

Army, paramilitary, police and civil contingents, including 11 Guards Battalion, Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force, 40th Company PAC, Prantiya Raksha Dal, Uttarakhand Police and Women’s Police, Home Guards, NCC, NSS, Mounted Police and ex-servicemen, participated in the parade.

Garhwal Division Commissioner Ajay Singh Nambiyal takes the salute of the Uttarakhand women police contingent at Roshanabad on Republic Day in Haridwar. Tribune photo: Rameshwar Gaur

Two girls dressed as Radha and Krishna at a cultural function on Republic Day in Haridwar on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Rameshwar Gaur

The brass band team from the 31st Company PAC, led by Major Gokaran Singh, played beautiful musical compositions during the parade. An attractive display of tableaus was put up by different departments and institutions.

In the best march past category, the ITBP contingent was adjudged first, while the women police contingent was selected for the second position. This was followed by the Prantiya Raksha Dal, which got the third position.

The tableaus put up for display include the Nanda Raj Jat Yatra by the Department of Tourism and Culture, the tableau of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan by the Education Department and the Corbett National Park Platinum Jubilee tableau by the Forest Department. Besides, the tableaus of the departments of Rural Development, UREDA, Industry,

AYUSH, Medicine and Health and the Census Directorate were part of the parade. In the best tableau category, the tableau of the Education Department was adjudged first while that of the AYUSH was selected for the second position. The tableau of the Forest Department and the Disaster Management Department were adjudged joint third.

Under the aegis of the Department of Culture, a cultural programme was presented. Cultural teams from the Bhotia Sanskritik Manch, Joshimath presented the pauna dance, while Himalayee Sanskriti Sanrakshan and Shiksha Sansthan presented the tandi dance, which is popular in the Rawain valley of Uttarkashi. The Kalyan Samiti, Dharchula, presented traditional folk songs while the Chakrata-based Jaunsar-Bawar Sanskritik Lok Kala Manch presented the harul dance. The Jaynanda Lok Kala Manch, Almora, presented the chholia dance at the programme.

Prominent persons who were present on the occasion include Vidhan Sabha Speaker Harbans Kapoor, Mayor of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation Vinod Chamoli, Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar and Director-General of Police Jyoti Swaroop Pandey. The proceedings of the programme were conducted by Joint Director in the Department of Thrift and Savings Arvind Mishra.

The Chief Minister presented a shawl and a felicitation scroll to freedom fighters and also extended to them Republic Day greetings.

Earlier, Dr Nishank unfurled the Tricolour at his official residence at the Annexe. In his address, he extended his greetings and best wishes to people. He said all must pledge to work with dedication and honesty to make Uttarakhand an ideal state. He said people could bring honour to the country only through our efforts, conduct and commitment to national pride.

CM presents brave cop with cheque

Constable Surender Singh being honoured by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on Republic Day in Dehradun.

Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank presented police Constable Surender Kumar Yadav with a cheque for Rs 51,000 at his residence on the occasion of the 62nd Republic Day yesterday.

The brave constable had risked his life to arrest the prisoner who had fled from police custody. He had got injured while catching the under-trial prisoner single-handedly after the latter escaped from police custody by the jumping off a running train on January 24.

Earlier, he was also given an out-of-turn promotion as Head Constable and his name had been recommended for the Gallantry Award. Yadav, a resident of Meerut, is at present posted at the Lakshman Police Chowki.

The Chief Minister praised Yadav for showing exemplary courage and exhorted the state policemen to do well. Secretary of Chief Minister Umakant Panwar, DGP Jyoti Swaroop Pandey, the District Magistrate and others were also present at the residence.

Khanduri exhorts women to make Republic strong

Former Chief Minister of the state Major-Gen (retd) BC Khanduri exhorted women and youngsters to put in special efforts to make the Republic strong.

The ex-CM stated this at his residence where he was unfurling the national flag on the commemoration of the Republic Day on Wednesday. Khanduri said, “We should all work to make the country self-dependant and to make it super power. Thousands of people have sacrificed their lives and lakhs of people suffered to free the country from the British rule. And now this is our responsibility to justify the sacrifices of the brave men by working honestly”.

Contests mark celebrations at RIMC

On the eve of Republic Day, Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) organised a variety of entertainment competitions and a “Sadbhavana” run. The cadets participated in the events with enthusiasm. The cadets were at their best on the stage and the judges found it difficult to judge the winners. The results are as follows:

Best singer: Cadet Himanshu Thapa; best instrumentalist: Cadet Marshal Singh; most upcoming instrumentalist: Cadet Saganik Nandi; best actor: Cadet Vishvendra Gill; most promising actor: Cadet Arunabh Saxena; best anchor: Cadet Kumar Vikram; and Commandant’s special prize: Cadet Shashank Dahiya.

The Chandragupta section stood first while the Pratap, Shivaji and Ranjit sections secured second, third and fourth positions respectively.

The judges for the competition were SP Mamgain, Dr Jagriti Dobhal, TK Agarwal and Navneet Gairola, all renowned theatre personalities of Uttarakhand. The judges praised the cadets for their wonderful performances and encouraged them to take part in more such contests. The chief guest for the evening was Col Pankaj Kumaria, Commandant, RIMC. Appreciating the efforts of the cadets, he said the cadets were not only promising soldiers but also outstanding artistes. The coordinators of the competitions were Cadet Capt S Mishra and all the four Section Commanders.

The celebrations of Republic Day began with the Commandant hoisting the national flag, which was followed by the national anthem and Commandant’s speech. He motivated the cadets to be good citizens of the country.

The cadets, members of staff and the entire RIMC fraternity participated in the Sadbhavana run with zeal. The results of the Sadbhavana run were as follows: Under-14 cadets: 1. Cadet Mohd Salman; 2. Cadet Akshat Raj; and 3. Cadet Elizah Sanga; Above-14 cadets: 1 Cadet Ligang Kobing; 2 Cadet Lalit Kumar; 3. Cadet Marshal Singh; Freshers: 1.Cadet Sachin Kumar; 2. Cadet Amul Rawal; 3. Cadet Amol Tandon; Above-40 category: 1. Wg Cdr YS Panghal; 2. UP Dalvi; and 3. Selven; Under-40 category: 1. Hav Karki; 2. Brijesh; 3. Sanjay Kumar and Hav Binu; Commandant’s special prize: KS Ahlawat; Women’s category: 1. Padmini Sharma; 2. Ujjawala Dalvi; and 3. Major Nalini; Under-13 girls: 1. Vasundhra Panghal.

Schools, institutes celebrate R-Day with patriotic zeal

The Republic Day celebrations at Delhi Public School, Dehradun, hoisted the Tricolour and released tri-coloured balloons on the occasion of Republic Day here yesterday.

Major-Gen GS Bal, SM, VSM Deputy Commandant, IMA, was the chief guest on the occasion. The school choir presented a patriotic song, which was followed by a colourful patriotic dance.

St Joseph’s Academy

St Joseph’s Academy celebrated the R-Day with great enthusiasm. The flag was hoisted by chief guest IAS Radha Raturi and school Principal AJ George.

Raturi said our country had a rich cultural heritage. Cultural programmes, including dance, patriotic songs and speeches, were held to mark the occasion. The performance of the school band, comprising students from different classes, echoed at St Joseph’s Academy.

Ex-servicemen Welfare Association

The Ex-servicemen Welfare Association unfurled the national flag at its central office on the occasion.

At the flag-hoisting ceremony, central president, PTR, Shamsher Singh Bisht hoisted the flag. He said on January 26, 1950, the Constitution of our nation was implemented and Indians had got this day due to sacrifices of our brave freedom fighters.

Ankit Social Welfare Society

The Ankit Social Welfare Society organised a cultural programme for underprivileged children at its Karanpur office.

Children, who do not go to school and work, were present at the programme. From August last year, the institutions have been working in the fields of education, entertainment, sport, health and others.

As per the organisation, 125 slum children attended the programme that started with the National Anthem. The children presented a group dance and sang songs, which enthralled one and all.

Inmates of YWCA celebrate

Inmates of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) celebrated the day with patriotic fervour. In all, 50 senior citizens and girls attending short-term courses in tailoring and computers participated.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairperson, YWCA, Victoria Gyan said special attention had to be paid towards the health of the aged and the Day-Care programme run by the YWCA was proving to be useful. While Anis-ur-Rehman, project officer, YWCA, said soon Elders Self-Help Group (ESHG) would be formed at the Day-Care Centre for the benefit of senior citizens. “They will be encouraged to open bank accounts as members of self-help groups,” he said.

Haridwar dips into patriotic fervour
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, January 27
The city dipped into patriotic fervour on Wednesday with the government and private bodies organising various functions to celebrate the 62nd Republic Day of India. A major programme was organised at the District Headquarters, Roshanabad, where the chief guest was Garhwal Division Commissioner Ajay Singh Nambiyal, who hoisted the Tricolour.

The Garhwal Division Commissioner was given the guard of honour by the police contingent, which marched step by step to the patriotic tunes being played by the police band. Tableaus and other models formed part of the parade. The highlight of the parade was a drill by the bomb disposal squad, riot control squad, police control room unit and fire fighters and heavily equipped state commandoes.

Addressing the gathering, Nambiyal spoke of the glorious tradition of serving the country be it the armed police or the armed forces. He urged everyone to work towards making the nation a developed country.

Accompanying the chief guest was Deputy Inspector-General of Police Sanjay Gunjiyal who showered praise on the police personnel for doing their duty with near perfection during the world’s biggest fair, the Maha Kumbh 2010, and the Kanwar fair.

A function was also organised at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) with thousands of people turning up at sports stadium.

Beautifully decorated tableaus and a variety of cultural programmes made the environment at the stadium electric.

The chief guest, Managing Director of BHEL Devendra Kumar Mody, termed the function as a mutual effort of both the BHEL employees and common people.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) 3 Platoon, accompanied the contingents of 14 schools, elegantly marched on the tunes of the CISF band. The CISF platoon and band and the contingents of Bal Bharti Senior Secondary School, Central School and Saraswati Vidya Mandir Inter College, Sector-2, were awarded trophies.

Mohit Yadav and Puja Saini were adjudged the best platoon commanders. Five employees of BHEL were felicitated for their contribution to varied fields. The best tableau award was won by “Common Wealth Games 2010” presented by Vidya Mandir S-1.

Earlier on the eve of Republic Day, a harmony meet was organised at the Trishul guesthouse, BHEL, where the administrative, social, non-government and labour organisations took part. Executive Manager HR Vimal Kumar, Rajeev Bhatnagar, Dr NC Aggarwal shared the dais with the chief guest.

A cultural evening was organised at the Town Hall where City Magistrate R Shreedhar Babu lit the lamp to inaugurate the evening. Cultural programmes by the artistes of the Sarva Pratham Kaushik Art Group and school students were appreciated. All the participating artistes were felicitated by the Magistrate in presence of programme coordinators Naresh Chaudhari, District Education Officer Virendra Singh and others.

Functions were also organised at different government colleges. Inaugurating the function at Saraswati Vidya Inter College, Mayapur, Vice-Chairman of the Uttarakhand Planning Commission Manohar Kant Dhyani unfurled the national flag and lit the candle. Dhyani spoke on the need for education based on moral values.

Uttarakhand Sanskrit Academy Vice-Chairman Mahaveer Aggarwal, Saraswati Vidya Inter College Principal Vijay Pal Singh, Shyam Lal, Shiv Shankar Jaiswal, Rahul Kaushik, Ramesh Bhatiya, Shila Devi, Raksha Bhatt also spoke on the occasion.

The local media fraternity held a programme to mark Republic Day. Speakers at a meeting held at the Press Club of Haridwar, Mayapur, shed light on the Indian democratic system and the role of the media in maintaining its republic, sovereign and democratic structure.

MP Tamta visits Gurna village
First Lok Sabha member to do so
Rajeev Khanna
Tribune News Service

Nainital, January 27
It is for the first time that a Lok Sabha member visited Gurna village in Bageshwar. When Congress Parliamentarian Pradeep Tamta visited the village on Sunday, the atmosphere was that of ecstasy and jubilation. Tamta was surprised to see the traditional welcome. The villagers welcomed him to the beat of drums and traditional instruments.

“Their reaction to my visit was very warm. They spoke their hearts out as I was the first Lok Sabha member to have visited them,” Tamta told The Tribune while on his way back to Delhi.

The villagers attended the public function at a local school in large numbers and related the problems being faced by them. Tamta on his part was agitated and annoyed to see the utter neglect of education in the village. He announced an aid of Rs 2 lakh to repair the school building there. He also visited Kamasyar, Dafauta and Syal Dobah villages and found that the educational infrastructure was in a bad shape in these areas.

Talking to The Tribune, he lambasted the Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank Government for ignoring education in remote areas and said it was washing its hands off the responsibility of providing quality education to residents of the state.

“The state government is unwilling to implement the schemes like the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA). It wants the Centre to do everything. If the Centre is coming with a scheme and is doing its bit for development, is it not the responsibility of the state government to do its bit?” he questioned.

Tamta expressed displeasure at the failure of the state government to ensure recruitment of regular teachers in government-aided schools.

He also charged that single teachers were running a number of schools in Almora, Pithoragarh, Champawat and Bageshwar.

“All the norms are being thrown to the winds with regards to the student-teacher ratio and the recruitment of the teachers. The education in these areas is in a shambles,” he said.

“School buildings should be beautiful like temples and maintained properly. Unfortunately, nothing is being done on this front,” said the Lok Sabha member.

Disability Act to be replaced by new legislation
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 27
Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik said on Tuesday that the old Disability Act would soon be replaced by a new legislation that would be in consonance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

He said a high-level committee was engaged in drafting a new legislation to replace the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act.

Here on a visit to the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (NIVH), Wasnik said, “The old disability Act will soon be replaced by a new legislation in line with the UNCRPD. Several provisions in the present Act fall short of UNCRPD. So a high-level committee has been entrusted with the task of drafting a new legislation,” said Wasnik.

He said the recommendations were due by March-end this year and the new Act would replace the present Act.

Director of NIVH Anuradha Mohit apprised the minister of the activities underway at the institute.