Haridwar, March 7
In the police’s first success story, the extramarital affair of his wife with his cousin cost a man his life.On January 22 at the Alaknanda ghat on the Ganga canal, the body of Deepak Sharma, a resident of Dadola village, Panipat, was found.

Prima facie, the death looked like a case of drowning that was later affirmed by the postmortem report.

But the victim’s father Bhim Sharma was firm that his son was murdered and had filed a complaint at the Kotwali police station, Haridwar city.

A special investigative team, led by SI Vinod Gusain, was formed that sought the details of Deepak’s phone conversations.

According to the details, there were numerous conversation between Deepak and his cousin Sandeep.

On interrogation, Sandeep had lied that he had left for a relative’s house in Karnal on the day of the murder, but mobile phone details showed that Sandeep was in the Haridwar circle.

SP City Dr Kiran Lal Shaw said Sandeep, when put under pressure, confessed to having committed the murder as he had an extra-marital affair with Deepak’s wife Teena.

“Teena and Sandeep were in regular contact, conversed on the phone late in the night and wanted to live together. But Tina saw her husband as a hurdle.

“So she hatched a plot to kill Deepak. Sandeep brought him to Haridwar, served him enough alcohol that he fell unconscious, murdered him and threw him into the canal,” said Shaw.

Dehradun, March 7
The Nainital High Court today revoked the order of the Doon CJM disallowing Rajesh Gulati, who allegedly murdered his wife Anupama, from meeting his two children. In its previous hearing, the High Court had put a stay on the order of the CJM. Amninder Singh, CJM, had directed the police in its order to let Gulati meet with his children on last Saturday of every month.

To this Anupama’s brother SK Pradhan, who has custody of the twins, had filed an application in the High Court. He had pleaded that it was mental tension to the two kids to bring them from Delhi every month to meet their father who was facing a murder charge. This was today held right by the court.

Gulati, a software engineer, had allegedly murdered his wife on October 17 by stuffing cloth in her mouth and hitting her on the head with a heavy iron object. He had cut her body into pieces to be kept hidden in the freezer.

Dehradun, March 7
The Kamgaar Mahila Smanvay Samiti took out a rally from the Clock Tower to the Rajpur Road here today to divert the attention of the state government to a lack of sensitivity exhibited towards the women employees in various departments.

Secretary of the organisation Rekha Negi lamented that there was provision for gratuity for anganwari workers after they retired at the age of 60.

“Despite launching a campaign on these issues and holding protests and fasts, the Chief Minister do not have time to meet us and listen to our problems,” she said.

The district secretary of the Asha Swasthya, Asha Chaudhary, said if the Asha workers got slightly late in attending to a pregnant woman, their names were struck off from the rolls. Kamla Gurang of the Bhojan Mata Kamgaar Union lamented the reduction of their allowance from 11,000 to 10,000.

Tara Sudan of the Jal Nigam said women employees were not regularised and not given the benefits of the Sixth Pay Commission.

The association threatened to launch a Jai Bharo agitation if the contractual system was enforced on the women employees.

Dehradun, March 7
International Women’s Day may come and go but a silent women’s workforce comprising anganwari and ASHA workers are working a quiet miracle in Uttarakhand, providing healthcare to women and children.

Come rain or sunshine, the anganwari and Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers are out in the open discharging their duties even when they are not on the rolls of the state government as permanent employees. These contractual educated health workers have gained social acceptance and at times even faith of the villagers who trust them in times of distress.

Under the government’s Integrated Child and Development (ICD) programme, there are around 11,500 anganwari workers and 1,186 ASHA health workers working in the state, assisting in several schools, surveys and health programmes.

“The anganwaris and ASHAs do not possess economical or political clout but they are an asset shaping the lives of children and villages in their sphere of duty,” said, Lawrence Singh, a social activist.

They fulfil crucial needs like helping with child birth and sickness, distributing nutrition, giving pre-school education and advising women on various personal and social matters.

“Sometimes, I am awaken at night to perform night duties at Community Health Centres. It is a difficult task but we have to remain on duty at all odd hours,” said Geeta, a ASHA worker.

However, in return what these quasi health workers get is paltry incentive that is disbursed according to the number of deliveries and participation in the health programmes.

“The ASHA workers are paid incentives according to programmes like Janani Suraksha Yojana and Village Health and Nutrition Day Programme, being run at anganwari centres,” said Piyush Singh, Director, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

With government washing its hands off of any responsibility for better salaries, the workers are forced to resort to agitation again and again.

“We do not shirk work but the sheer ignorance on the government’s part does affect us, especially when the Union Finance Minister has announced 100 per cent hike in the Central government’s share in the monthly remuneration,” said Janki Chauhan, general secretary, State Anganwari Union.

It may be mentioned that the hike pertains to the Central government's share in the monthly remuneration that is extended to anganwari workers and helpers. Usually, the Centre's share is uniform across the states, but there is a substantial variation in the remuneration offered by the states as part of their share.

Mussoorie, March 7
Ten women were felicitated for their exemplary service to the society by the BJP Mahila Morcha on the eve of International Women’s Day here today. The felicitation ceremony was organised at Landour Bazaar. Andolankari Kalian Parishad president Usha Rawat was the chief guest. She presented the awards and citation to Dr Abha Shaili (education), Savinder Kaur (Nirankari Mandal for social work), Manu Vandana(music), Nazmin Aabid for research in Urdu, Rasna Bhartwan for education, Hemlata Gaud for education, Rajna Rastogi for social work, Anu Garg for environment and Sunita Rana for education. MC president OP Uniyal and Rajpur MLA Ganesh Joshi were also present.

Usha Rawat said the women’s essence lied in the innate ability to care, love and sacrifice for others. She plays a role of a mother, daughter, wife, sister, friend, nurturer, guide and partner from time to time. She further said women display a range of emotions from being patient to being extremely courageous in times of crisis.

Usha further said it was due to the sacrifice of Uttarakhand women that the state was formed. She also said in spite of continuing exploitation and injustice against women, several milestones have been achieved in terms of education, freedom of choice and liberty.

She said empowerment of the women was key to a healthy society and the BJP government had envisaged several programmes to assist the women to achieve them.

MC council president OP Uniyal and Rajpur MLA also greeted the women on the occasion.

Dr Abha Shaili said it was a great honour for her to get this award on the International Women’s Day and she would continue to serve the society in the same way.

Pithoragarh, March 7
“The patenting system in the treasure of world knowledge is hindrance to the expansion of it to the level of benefiting the common man, whereas the creation of knowledge for application in the economy cannot be without the cooperation of the common man,” said Dr Rajendra Dobhal, Director of Uttarakhand Council of Science and Technology(UCOST), at a two-day national seminar sponsored by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on “Protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in knowledge economy of world”, at LSM PG College here today.

The seminar was organised by the commerce department of local PG college. Elaborating on the advances of European countries in patenting the intellectual property, Dr Dobhal said the size and self-financing and profit capabilities of research projects in western world were much ahead.

“The number of patents registered in India are less than even Finland, the smallest country in the Europe,” said Dobhal.

Professor Chandra Dutt Suntha, organising secretary of the seminar, said the area of protection of intellectual property rights should be an area of survival for both developed and developing economies of the world. Highlighting the basic issues of protection of traditional knowledge, Dr Suntha said today the patent holders in developed countries were against the supply of generic and cheap drugs from the developing countries, ignoring the health security of the poor in the world. “The volume of present world economy is maximum due to the latest knowledge in the form of the technology,” said Dr Suntha.

SS Khanka, professor of human resource management in the National Institute of Financial Management, New Delhi, said there should be no ban in using the intellectual property and every human being should be free to use it.

Haridwar, March 7
With the renovation of Haridwar inter-terminus bus station and the anti-encroachment drive to beautify the city, several small-scale traders were displaced. Their shops were totally destroyed. Though representatives of the state government had assured them of proper rehabilitation, nothing has been done so far.

These affected small-scale traders took to the streets demanding a separate vending zone as they are now facing the crisis of livelihood due to the nonchalant attitude of the district administration and the state government.

The traders took a different approach of agitation. They carried baked chappatis in their hands and vehicle tyres to draw the attention of the authorities, particularly local Cabinet minister Madan Kaushik who is also a local legislator.

Lashing at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government, leading the agitation Sanjay Chopra, chief of the Small-scale Traders Association, said for months no heed was being paid to their woes. This had created resentment among the trader fraternity and they had taken to the streets.

Taking a dig at State Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik inaugurating a spree of high-rise commercial towers and buildings in the city, Chopra said this showed the approach of the BJP Government that it was pro-capitalist and anti-poor. "We want allocation of either land or commercial space to feed our families and earn a living. The local state minister seems the least concerned about us, as he is busy inaugurating malls, real-estate buildings and is not able to see us, poor, small-time traders agitating on the footpath," said Chopra leading the traders from the Devpura Chowk.

Social activist Tej Prakash Sahi remarked that their fight was not against anyone, but against the discrimination which had brought them on the streets from a normal trading life affecting displaced traders’ families.

Raj Kumar Taneja said if the municipality could allocate space to the Sumo Taxi Drivers Union, there was no reason why the traders, who were trading at the bus station premises prior to the renovation of the bus station in view of the Maha Kumbh 2010, not be allocated space at the said place or at any other commercially viable place.

Among others who joined the protest were Naresh Gupta, Bhoopendra Rajpur, Pawan Bhatnagar, Arjun Singh, Keerti Singh, Kamal Nayan, Heera Lal, Ravish Tanija, Horilal, Raju Sharma, Haridutt, Satish Aggarwal, Vijay Anand, Rakesh Tyagi, Prakash Pant, Khushi Ram, Mani Ram, Jay Singh Bisht, Chotelal, Raju Kashyap, Om Prakash, Mela Ram and Tasleem Ahmed.

Dehradun March 7
The women of the state have been a force to reckon with since the times of pre-Independence.In 1930, the women of Uttarakhand, earlier part of Uttar Pradesh, played a significant role in reforming civil disobedience movement. They were instrumental in igniting the fire of revolt and played a major role in attaining freedom of the country.

A veteran journalist and a research fellow, Manoj Panjani at Doon Library and Research Centre pays a tribute to them on the Women’s Day by remembering the women par excellence in the time of yore.

While talking to The Tribune, Panjani said, “Uttarakhand saw a glimpse of the women’s movement in India from its very inception. During my compilation of research on ‘Ideological Progress of Women in Colonial India,’ many pages of apathy from the past have turned up,” said Panjani.

“As I am coming closer to the end of my research, more and more facts are coming across my knowledge that clearly depicts that women from Uttarakhand, too, participated in the reforming movement in Colonial India actively,” he added.

In 1929, when Mahatma Gandhi visited Dehradun, he addressed a meeting of women at Kanya Gurukul here. In the 1929 session of the Congress held at Lahore, around 70 girls from Kanya Gurukul volunteered their participation.

Simultaneously, Sharmada Tyagi, wife of Mahavir Tyagi, had been politically active in Dehradun. Mahavir Tyagi invited Mahatma Gandhi to Dehradun when he was touring the country for collecting money for the Daridra Narayan Fund. Mahatma Gandhi had sought an assurance from Mahavir Tyagi that he would come to Dehradun only if Rs 500 was presented to him.

The demand made by Gandhi kept Mahavir wondering from where will he arrange Rs 500 for the fund.

However, it was his wife, Sharmada Devi, who took it as a challenge for fulfilling the demand of Gandhiji and managed to collect Rs 500 from the women of her village and nearby places which showed great conviction and determination of the women to make the impossible thing possible.

“Not only this, in 1930, Sharmada Tyagi also went to jail with her one-month-old daughter for participating in the civil disobedience movement. The other women who got arrested from Dehradun were Chandrawati Lakhan Pal (who was later appointed as principal of MKP PG College, Yashoda Devi, Yagyawati Devi, Ramla Bai, Devi, Shyama Devi, Vishnu Devi and Saraswati Devi,” asserted Panjani.

In 1932, the civil disobedience movement was revived after Gandhi’s arrest where women were set as targets of the police repression all over India. About 3,648 women were served with prison sentences all over India. From Roorkee, Attar Kumari, Chandra Devi and Havelli Devi were served with prison sentences, Ashoka Devi, Vidya Devi, Vedi Mati were from Haridwar while Surma from Luxor was convicted.

In addition to this, Panjani said, “Woman has always marked her presence in every era. Her significance has to be treasured and this is what I am trying to incorporate in my project through my work.”

Dehradun, March 7
A weeklong programme of the 19th Mining and Mineral Conservation culminated at the Archaeological Survey of India here yesterday.The mining entrepreneurs of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, under the aegis of the Indian Mining Bureau, conducted the programme. It was conducted with an aim to create awareness about the conservation of environment and minerals among the miners.

The chief guest for the closing ceremony was CS Gundewar, Chief Controller, Indian Mining Bureau, Nagpur. He gave away the prizes to the winners and congratulated the participants who had come from far off places.

Dehradun, March 7
The Doon Defence Academy (DDA) outplayed the Vishvkarma XI by nine wickets during the Uttarakhand Twenty20 Big Bash here today on the Rangers College cricket ground.

The losing side batted first after winning the toss and was bundled out in 12.2 overs for 75 runs only. Bantu and Joshi scored 26 and 14 runs respectively for the Vishvkarma team. Keshav claimed four and Manish three wickets for the DDA.

In reply, the DDA achieved the target in just nine overs at the loss of one wicket. Ashish with his unbeaten 62, scripted an easy win for his squad. Vaibhav was the only successful bowler with one wicket.

In another match, the Rajender Pal Cricket Academy (RPCA) defeated the Tanush Cricket Academy (TCA) by three wickets. TCA set a target of 119 runs in 20 overs for the loss of nine wickets. RPCA achieved the target in 19 overs, winning the match by three wickets.

Dehradun, March 7
The Himalayan Cricket Academy (HCA) (B) beat the Jammu and Kashmir XI (J&K XI) by two wickets in its twenty-20 match here today during the Uttarakhand Cup Beehive Challenger League at the Matawala Bagh.

The visitors (J&K XI) won the toss and decided to bat first. Robin, Asif and Pradeep started off well, but fell for 24, 23 and 10 runs respectively. The remaining batsmen faired poorly.

The team was bowled out for 108 runs in 17.3 overs. Lavi of HCA captured five important wickets. Sandeep took two wickets. Atish and Sumit took one scalp each.

HCA (B) while batting had to struggle hard to pull off the victory. The team scored 112/8 in 19.3 overs. Rajesh, Ayush, Suraj and Junaid contributed 25, 23, 17 and 15 runs respectively, taking their team to victory. Rayes, Adil and Pankaj took three, two and one wickets respectively.