2 held for killing co-worker
Mussoorie, October 28
Two labourers from West Bengal have been arrested for allegedly killing their co-worker in Bemunda village, Tehri Garhwal, last night.

Ten invasive alien species recorded in Nakraunda Wetland
Dehradun, October 28
A total of 10 invasive alien species have been recorded in the Nakraunda Wetland, Dehradun, by scientists of the Forest Ecology and Environment Division of Forest Research Institute, Dehradun. The revelations come at a time when most of the wetlands on the outskirts of Dehradun have dried up and are being used for other purposes.

Dehradun, October 28
The Dalai Lama today exhorted students to work for ushering in lasting peace in the world as the century that has gone by was full of struggle and strife.

“The 20th century was marked by violence despite many technological advancements. Thousands of lives were lost in wars and many more to violence and strife but we failed to make the world a better place to live in. The problems that we see around us are man-made and only we can find a solution to these problems and have power to reduce them. I have great expectations from you. With a positive energy and sense of commitment, you can do it,” he told students.

Addressing students and parents during the 76th Founder’s Day of The Doon School, where he was the chief guest, the Dalai Lama said: “While exiled in India, I learnt a 1,000-year-old tradition of non-violence and religious tolerance and I have avowedly propagated them. No religion is universal in appeal. An ultimate source of peace is awareness which can be achieved by accepting other’s point of view and using a common experience and common sense,” he said.

When a student asked him if he supported Anna Hazare’s crusade against corruption and the methods adopted by him, the Dalai Lama said: “Corruption is like cancer that is corroding our society. It is another form of violence that we are inflicting on our society. One should be pure, honest and truthful without any hypocrisy. Before pointing fingers at others, we should liberate ourselves of any hypocrisy.”

To another query on striking a balance between an individual’s aspirations and society’s aspirations, the Dalai Lama said the students should not be self-centred and must work for the betterment of society. “It is better to be wise and selfish rather than being foolish and selfish,” added the Dalai Lama.

Dehradun, October 28
Manpreet Badal, an ex-Dosco (class of 1981) and President of the People’s Party (Punjab), said today that it were values and principles learnt at The Doon School that were behind his decision to part ways with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

“So many ministers have resigned in the past, but never in the history of our country a Finance Minister of a state decided to tender his resignation because he did not agree with the polices of his own government,” he claimed.

Here to participate in the Founder’s Day celebrations of The Doon School, Manpreet said he was greatly inspired by the then Headmaster, Gulab Ram Chandani, his masters, Arun Kapoor, HD Bhatt and Sheel Vohra, who instilled love for books in him.

“They introduced me to Marxist theorists and the subjects of history and philosophy. I owe a debt to them. They are the ones who shaped my thinking and played a role in shaping my life,” he said.

Shedding light on the last day at the school, Manpreet said he was greatly inspired by a little talk he had with his then headmaster Gulab Ram Chandani. He told me: “In the school, you have so far led a very sheltered life. Now you will be stepping out in the real world armed with the values you learnt here. Here lies your challenge. You will always have to choose between an easy path and a difficult path. It will be totally your own call and then what you have learnt here will then come handy. I think ultimately I chose a path that was full of thorns. Despite having the backing of a family, I chose to stick my neck out. It is a reward in itself,” says Manpreet, whose sons have also passed out from The Doon School.

“We have formed a joint front with like-minded parties that are interested in bringing about a change for the betterment of Punjab and our country,” says Manpreet.

He further said a needless controversy and a rivalry of sorts was deliberately created between The Doon School and Sanawar School in the cyber world when had he parted ways with his cousin and Deputy CM of Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal who passed out from Sanawar.

“Going to popular schools is not the end of the world. What you do afterwards (when you pass out) also matters a great deal. Several people in our country who occupy key positions today hail from government schools,” said Manpreet Badal.

Dehradun, October 28
A total of 10 invasive alien species have been recorded in the Nakraunda Wetland, Dehradun, by scientists of the Forest Ecology and Environment Division of Forest Research Institute, Dehradun. The revelations come at a time when most of the wetlands on the outskirts of Dehradun have dried up and are being used for other purposes.

The scientists, who conducted a study on the wetland, said the ecosystem of the wetland was being adversely affected due to the spread of the invasive alien species. In the winter, species like Ageratum Conyzoides, Eupatorium Adenophorum, Sprengel, Jatropha Curcas, Lantana Camara and Urena Lobata were found in the area taken up for the study while in the summer, Ageratum Conyzoides, Eupatorium Adenophorum, Sprengel, Jatropha Curcas and Lantana Camara were found in abundance. Sapium Sebiferum and Parthenium Hysterophours were also found.

“Invasive alien species are not only threat to biodiversity but also to human health. Apart from Nakraunda, other wetlands of Dehradun are also facing serious threat, particularly from the invasion of alien weed like Lantana Camara and Eupatroium Andenophorum,” said Prafulla Soni, a scientist.

PS Negi, a Dehradun-based scientist, had some time ago enlisted 308 woody and 128 herbaceous exotic species from various localities of the valley with 37.61 per cent of these being of the American origin. He had stressed on protecting indigenous species on a priority basis.

Mussoorie, October 28
The Autumn Festival, a mega cultural event that used to enliven the serene surroundings of the Queen of Hills during October, has been discontinued for the past two years due to the lack of funds and charges of corruption against the Mussoorie Municipal Council. The festival was started in the 1950s.

According to local historians Gopal Bhardwaj and Jai Prakash Uttarkhandi, Mussoorie was one of the favourite destinations of British tourists and with their exodus the town saw a slump in tourist arrivals. The then administrator of the town, Capt Kriparam, along with eminent intellectuals like Hukum Singh Panwar, RK Verma and Khemraj Bahuguna, conceptualised the idea of the Autumn Festival to attract Indian tourists residing in the plains of North India in the 1950s.

The first Autumn Festival was organised in 1951 in October and was billed as the first such festival of North India. Subsequently, the tradition was continued by the Municipal Council that came into existence in 1953. Thereafter, the onus of organising the festival fell on the Tourism Department.

Initially, the festival was held at the Rink auditorium situated at Kulri Bazar for 15 days. The eminent literati like Rahul Sankrutayan, Gopal Das Neeraj, Sahir Ludhianvi recited their poems in front of large gatherings of tourists, mainly from West Bengal enjoying their Durga Pooja holidays.

The festival reached its zenith during the tenure of the then MC president, Jagan Nath Mishra, after 1957 as eminent persons like Jawaharlal Nehru, Govind Ballabh Pant and the then Chief Minister of UP Chandrabhan Gupt came to inaugurate the festival on different occasions. A local cultural group called Parvitya Kala Sangam of which Shivraj Singh was the director also came into being after the Chinese aggression around 1962. The play, “Nefa ki Sham”, was a hit those days. Another play, “The Best Under Secretary”, was also staged and was appreciated well.

The downfall of the festival began in the late 1980s due to alleged corruption among public representatives that acted as a catalyst in destroying the basic fabric of the festival. Thereafter corruption set in at every stage of the festival. The practice of commission and omission (where artistes were given higher remuneration on paper only) led to talented artistes staying away from the festival.

The Autumn Festival 2009 tender scam added another nail in its coffin. The Municipal Council allegedly awarded tenders without following the set procedures to benefit certain individuals. An inquiry was constituted under the SDM Mussoorie who indicted the council of wrongdoing.

President of the MC OP Uniyal said owing to the major rain-related disaster in Uttarakhand last year, the festival was aborted and this year the lack of funds has been the main reason for doing away with the Autumn Festival celebrations.