No relief from rain fury in Kumaon
Tribune News Service

Nainital, August 20
Partially clear sky with the sun playing hide and seek provided a much sought-after relief across Kumaon today. However, the agony of the people heaped on them by incessant rain for over a week continues unabated.

Most of the roads to the hilly areas of the region, particularly link roads, are still closed even as the administration is making all efforts to put things back on track.

The danger of landslides is far from over as water has found its way through fissures into the hills. It is still difficult to send across essentials goods like fuel and vegetables to the hilly areas.

The Bailey bridge at Niglat near Bhawali is expected to open by tomorrow which will allow the movement of traffic between Bhawali and Ranikhet. As of now, people are crossing over the damaged bridge on foot. The road between Khairna and Almora is also closed owing to landslides at several places.

With the government having failed to repair the damages on this stretch that had taken place last year, the situation has compounded following rain this year.

Many parts of Kumaon region, particularly the interiors in the hill areas, are still without power. In Nainital district, the situation is worst in the remote areas of Okhalkanda, Dhari and Betalghat blocks, where people have had to live in darkness for over a week. A large number of residential structures have been damaged in the area.

The supply of drinking water across the region has also badly hit . In the Bhimtal area, there are 60 villages that are reeling under water crisis.

In Haldwani, the Gaula river continues to bring a large quantity of silt that has made the functioning of the water treatment plant impossible.

Parts of Terai continue to battle with the problem of waterlogging.

Rise in the water level of most of the rivers continue to cut large tracts of fertile land and inundate agricultural land.

According to reports, an old gurdwara has been damaged in the Kotkharra area of Udham Singh Nagar on Friday.

The rising level of Kailash river is also posing a flood threat to villages located along its banks in the district.

Police saves several lives this year too
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 20
Amid a disaster triggered by heavy rain in the state, the Uttarakhand police also known as “Mitar” (friendly) police has saved several lives this year too. Several national highways interconnecting the districts had got blocked because of landslides in the Garhwal range. It had adversely affected the Char Dham Yatra and several tourists and locals were stranded.

Garhwal range DIG Deepam Seth has strictly directed police heads of all districts to monitor the situation and help people. Giving details of police disaster teams, which helped in the Garhwal range, the DIG through a press statement said a police disaster team saved 35 lives at Rishikesh while at Vikasnagar block and Dalipur village, the police saved 30 persons.

In Haridwar, villages, including Gangdaspur, Jogawala, Madabela, Maharajpur, Panditpuri and Khanpur are the worst-affected areas due to floods.

The police disaster team, fire service and PAC have been deployed for the relief operation, distribution of food, medical treatments to the villagers in motor rafts.

In Rudraprayag district due to sudden landsliding, the highway route between Srinagar and Rudraprayag was blocked and 2,000 vehicles were stranded. However, with the help of the BRO, the Rudraprayag police passed the stranded vehicles.

In Tehri district also, a highway route had been jammed between Tehri and Srinagar route. Makhiratikhal also got blocked and 50 vehicles got jammed.

The police along with the BRO opened the road successfully and passed the traffic.

While in Pauri district, the police saved 20 persons who got stranded inside their houses after rainwater entered there. In Burari village, before warning of landsliding, the district police safely shifted 32 persons to another place, the press note informed.

Set up Ranikhet HQ in Dwarahat valley: Samiti
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, August 20
Ending their 217 day-old agitation for a separate district, the people of Dwarahat have decided to fight to establish the headquarters of the newly announced district of Ranikhet in their valley.

Ranikhet situated on a hilltop does not have space to set up district-level buildings but the valleys of Chaukhutia and Dwarahat have enough space.

Besides the existing infrastructure to house official buildings for district-level officers, there is capacity to expand further, Vinod Joshi, leader of the agitation and president, Nagar Palika Parishad, Dwarahat.

“The first step of the Mukhyalaya Banao Sangharsh Samiti will have to start a campaign to contact surrounding villages with an intention to involve these in the agitation to establish the state headquarters in the valley,” said Vinod Joshi.

Members of the Zila Banao Sanghrash Samiti resented that their demand was not conceded by the Chief Minister in announcing four new districts in the state.

“Today we have sent a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the District Magistrate, Almora, demanding announcement of the district headquarters of the proposed Ranikhet district in the Chaukhutia valley.

If the Chief Minister does not consider our demand, we will meet him before starting another agitation to press for our demand,” said Vinod Joshi.

Forest Guard’s Death
Mussoorie residents gherao DFO’s office
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, August 20
Local Residents led by state congress member Manmohan Singh gheraoed the DFO office alleging the high-handed attitude of the department and instead of rewarding Grinayal, a forest guard.

Manmohan Singh alleged that Grinayal posted at Kempty beat on Tuesday night stopped a vehicle carrying stones without any permit but as the vehicle owner who had high approach facilitated his transfer conniving with the higher officials namely the ranger of the area leading to his death due to depression same night..

Manmohan Singh further said before his death Grinayal had informed his family members about the incident and said while he was coming home his vehicle skid and he died due to the injuries. Manmohan Singh alleged that the department was responsible for his death as it was working hand in glove with the illegal miners in the area. The family members blamed DFO Ram Gopal Verma and the ranger for the death of Grinayal.

Verma said the transfer orders were delivered to him on 4th August and there was no connection between two incidents and what occurred on Tuesday was between the deceased and the vehicle owner. He said the matter would be investigated 
further.

Holy Koran weighing 1.75 gm attracts visitors at exhibition
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 20
Calligraphy has been held in high esteem in the Islamic world and it was this distinctive art form that was chosen for propagating and preserving the Holy Koran. After the first copy of the Koran that was printed in Hamburg (Germany), there have been various mediums and languages in which the Holy book has been produced. But to this day, Koranic calligraphy works continue to be admired.

To allow residents a glimpse into the world of calligraphy, Tasmia Academy organised an exhibition, “Holy Koran in the mirror of calligraphic art,” that was inaugurated by Parliament Affairs Minister Prakash Pant.

The Holy Koran weighing 1.75 gm donated by MH Farooq of Puducherry and one measuring 2x3 meters attracted a large number of visitors. The Holy Koran in other mediums was also displayed. All these are from the personal collection of Dr S Farooq, president of the Tasmia All-India Educational and Social Welfare Society. “To this day, I have preserved the Holy book that I had received from my father,”said Dr S Farooq. Close to 500 Holy books inked in black, blue and red on different materials were displayed. “We have more than 300-year-old Holy book belonging to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. I personally take interest in its preservation. The first coloured Koran having the assent of Afghan King Ameer Saheb Bahadur and printed in Ludhiana in 1908 is also a part of Tasmia Library,” said Dr Farooq. An old antique wooden door engraved with 99 names of Allah was also on display. Mohammed Ibrahim, who is a Qari at the local mosque in Egypt, and Maulana Peer Syed Shabbir Naqshbandi from New Delhi also took keen interest in the exhibition.

MP for inclusion of Garhwali, Kumaoni in Constitution
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 20
Garhwal MP Satpal Maharaj has demanded inclusion of Garhwali and Kumaoni languages in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution. Maharaj said during a discussion in the Lok Sabha, he had pleaded for inclusion of Garhwali and Kumaoni languages in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

He said Garhwali and Kumaoni languages had a rich history and had been the languages of saints and sages during the ancient times. He also dwelt at length on the origins of Garhwali and Kumaoni languages.

Maharaj said he had been working hard for inclusion of these two languages in the 8th Schedule.

Rajiv Gandhi remembered on birth anniversary
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 20
Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee remembered former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 67th birth anniversary and celebrated the occasion at its party headquarters today.

Congress workers garlanded the picture of the late Gandhi and paid him homage. Vijay Bahuguna, MP from the Tehri constituency, said Rajiv Gandhi gave pace to the development of the country by bringing revolution in the field of information technology.

While on the issue of corruption, he said Congress president Sonia Gandhi had taken the movement against corruption launched by Anna Hazare seriously from the very beginning.

MLA Dinesh Agarwal praised the late Gandhi for helping the youth to get jobs through his initiative.

MLA Pritam Singh exhorted the workers to strengthen the party by following the path showed to them by Rajiv Gandhi.

Meanwhile in another programme, the Nirbal Varg Jan Kalyan Parishad held a meeting to remember the former Prime Minister.

Parishad President Ram Kumar Walia said the late Gandhi was the hero of the nation. All workers paid homage to the former PM. 

Legislator gives Rs 2 lakh for students’ memorial
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, August 20
Eighteen Saraswati Shishu Mandir students, who lost their lives in a massive landslide in Sumgarh in Kapkot sub-division of Bageshwar district last year on August 18, were remembered on Friday at their first death anniversary at a function organised by officers of the district administration and the local community at Sumgarh village.

Eighteen candles were lit by Bageshwar District Magistrate Chander Singh Napalchiyal on the occasion and a two-minute silence was observed in their memory.

State vice-president of the Disaster Management Advisory Committee, Uttarakhand, Hira Dhapola, speaking on the occasion, said the state government had learnt a lesson from the Sumgarh tragedy and had now launched a new rehabilitation policy for the people affected by natural disasters. Sher Singh Garia, local legislator, sanctioned Rs 2 lakh for the construction of a memorial and a library building at the school where the students died. 

Tributes paid to theatre artiste Girda
Tribune News Service

Nainital, August 20
The Lake City is paying rich tributes to the folk poet, theatre artiste and social activist Girish Tewari who was fondly known as Girda. His first death anniversary falls on August 22.

The beginning in this respect has been made by theatre artistes of the town by staging plays. On the first day of the five-day-long presentations, artistes from theatre and cultural group Yugmanch came up with a spellbinding performance of Saadat Hasan Manto’s “Toba Tek Singh” on Friday evening.

Before the play, DK Sharma, who is employed with the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN), paid a unique tribute to Girda by rendering an excellent solo performance. In his half-hour presentation, Sharma revisited the good old days of his youth when he had performed in various plays under the guidance of Girda. Starting his journey from the year 1976, Sharma regaled the audience with spellbinding excerpts from plays like “Andha Yug” and “Nagade Khamosh Hain”. His performance was greatly appreciated by the audience present at Chalet Hall and it set the momentum for the presentations.

“Toba Tek Singh” clearly succeeded in leaving a mark on the audience. Perhaps the most popular short story, written by Manto, it was very well-presented on the stage by the seasoned and new artistes affiliated to the Yugmanch.

The performance of Bishen Singh by Dharamveer Singh Parmar and Fazluddin by Jeetendra Bisht was appreciated the most as the audience was kept spellbound.

The story revolves around the proposed exchange of insane people on the communal lines following the Partition of India. Amidst the lot of insane people is Bishen Singh who is neither interested in going to India nor to Pakistan. He just wants to go to his native village of Toba Tek Singh.

Eventually he dies on no-man’s land amid the barbed wire fences dividing the two countries. His death poses the question that was it those who were lodged in the mental asylum that were mad or was it those who had decided to divide the country into two halves.

The powerful story written by Manto was done justice to the team that worked under the direction of Subhash Chandra. The presentation was well-laced with a good musical score and rendering of lyrics penned by Nasir Kazmi, Girda, Bismil, Ali Sardar Jafri and Peeyush Mishra.

Janmashtami preparations on in Haridwar
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, August 20
The pilgrim city is all set up to celebrate Janmashtami, which is held on a grand scale with all temples getting illuminated and devotees offering prayers at temples and their homes.

All city temples are being beautifully decorated for the festive, which is celebrated as the birth of Lord Krishan. Special functions are being held at Radha-Krishan temples, ISCKON, Tulsi Manas Radha-Krishan temple, Kankhal situated Radha-Krishan temple and at various other temples throughout the district.

Majority of public schools have already organised special functions particularly enactment of the episodes of “Krishan Balleela” and other episodes of Lord Krishan.

At Shiv Dale Public School, students dressed as Radha and Krishan lured everyone with their acts. School founder Swami Sharad Puri said to inculcate our cultural-religious traits in the younger generation its imperative to make them know the importance of such festive.

Similarly, at Bachpan Play School, “Academic Heights”, a beautiful skit, on the festive occasion was organised.

Doon Star beat Garhwal Sporting
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 20
Gaggu shone in 1-0 win of Doon Star over Garhwal Sporting in the district football league that held at the Pavilion Ground here today.

He struck in the 20th minute of the play to take his team to 1-0 lead. While Garhwal Sporting despite some good moves failed to retaliate throughout the match to suffer the narrow defeat.

In another match, Vijay Cantt and Akranta ended on 0-0. Neither of the side could score any goal during the match. The two teams tried hard to score the goal but their all attempts ended in smoke.

Meanwhile, Doon Valley will face Cantt Blue and Sunderwala Boys will lock horns with Adhoiwala Boys here tomorrow.

KV sports meet concludes
Tribune News Service

The winners of the gold and silver medals in the 4x100 relay at the concluding ceremony of the Kendriya Vidyalaya (Dehradun division) sports meet in Haridwar on Saturday. A Tribune photograph

Haridwar, August 20
A three-day sports meet of Kendriya Vidyalaya (Dehradun division) concluded here today at BHEL-KV. As many as 20 teams falling under Dehradun division that covers the Meerut and Bareilly regions also participated, which is held annually. The winners will get opportunity to play in the national-level Kendriya Vidyalaya meet after this.

A total of 150 girl students showcased their skills in the multiple athletic events barring lawn tennis, which was organised simultaneously for boys too. Girl athletes of Raiwala KV were the star attraction of the event as they dominated in the 5,000-m race, 3,000-m race and other long races clinching several medals.

Sapna Kumari of Raiwala KV won coveted gold for 5,000-m race in the U-17category followed by schoolmate Anju. Similarly, fellow Preeti won bronze for 5,000-m race in the U-19 with gold again won by Dehradun’s Shiva (ITBP-KV) followed by Ritu from host BHEL-KV.

In other disciplines, the podium finishers in all age brackets were -- shot put event: Sapna, Anju Rawat and Monika, in 100-m dash: Aditi, Nilanjana and Monika and in 200 m: Aditi, Monika and Farha emerged as the winners.

In 400 m: Anu Pandey, Supriya and Shweta, while in 800 m: Sangeeta, Teena and Vibha and in 1,500 m: Supriya, Sangeeta and Poonam won the gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively.

The team of Nilanjana, Nidhi, Poonam, Ritu won the gold in the 4x100 relay while Vibha, Haripriya, Farha and Jyoti came second followed by second runners up team of Surabhi, Supriya, Rashmi and Monika.

Giving away the medals BHEL-KV principal Om Beer Singh urged students to follow a healthy disciplined lifestyle as well as work hard both in academics and sports as the nation needs to be superpower in both fields.

Pooja from Meerut KV informed that despite rainy season they were provided good accommodation and other facilities while ground maintenance was superb, which helped them give their best performance and now they would be eyeing nationals.