Mussoorie to have centre for Himalayan glaciology
Union Minister opens Stable Isotope Lab at Wadia institute
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 2
Union Minister of Science and Technology Vilasrao Deshmukh today said a National Centre for Himalayan Glaciology will be set up at the hill resort of Mussoorie in Uttarakhand for an in-depth study of glaciers.

Inaugurating a three-day international conference on "Indian Monsoon and Himalayan Geodynamics" (IMHG), being held in the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dehradun, Vilasrao Deshmukh said an institute for study of Indian glaciers in Mussoorie would go a long way to further the glacier studies in the Himalayas.

He said a lot of scientific know-how was now available on different aspects of climate change and there was no doubt about the impact in the form of rising environmental temperature, melting of glaciers, flash floods and skewed distribution of rainfall.

“Although it is well known that evolution of Himalaya and monsoon has come up together but what really is unknown, yet, is whether this scenario of global warming is a part of natural climatic cycles or is there any human folly involved in it”, he pointed out.

Lauding the activities of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Vilasrao Deshmukh said the Wadia institute had the honour of being the only organisation globally that strives to understand the geodynamic development of the Himalayas.

Welcoming the minister, Director, Wadia Institute, Prof. Anil K. Gupta, gave a brief report about the institute activities and also gave the details about the importance of the IMHG Conference. Prof Gupta said the Indian monsoon affected climate and societies over a large part of Asia, and plays an important role in Asian hydrological budget.

The Union Minister also inaugurated a new state-of-the-art-lab (Stable Isotope Laboratory) at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology. He also visited the institute museum and took great interest in the various Himalayan exhibits, rock samples and minerals displayed in the museum.

Khanduri lays stones of potable water schemes
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 2
Chief Minister Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri addressed a massive public meeting in Dhumakot today, in which he emphasised on the importance of uprooting the scourge of corruption and working unitedly for Uttarakhand.

Addressing the public meeting, Chief Minister Khanduri said corruption was eating into the vitals of the society by impeding development process.

He said funds allocated for development were siphoned off through corrupt practices.

The Chief Minister proudly announced that following the agitation by Anna Hazare, Uttarakhand had become the first state in the country to have a strong Lokayukta in place. He said the Lokayukta Bill had been passed by the Vidhan Sabha.

He said the government had initiated several steps to eradicate corruption and promote good governance and effective public service delivery.

Under its commitment to provide good governance and transparent administration, the government had formulated the Right to Public Service Act, which would help in service delivery to the people in a time-bound manner.

During his visit, Chief Minister Khanduri dedicated to the people and laid foundation stones of a number of development schemes worth Rs 5.39 crore. These include dedicating to the people a road from Tandyu Bend to Tandyu village in Dhumakot, built at a cost of Rs 87.5 lakh under the State Plan.

In addition, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stones of a number of drinking water schemes under the Swap programme in the Naini Danda Development Block. These include the Rs 184.85 lakh village group reorganisation drinking water scheme in Digolikhal (Rudiyali Part 1), the Rs 138.30 lakh village group reorganisation drinking water scheme in Bangadkhet Malla (Rudiyali Part 2), and the Rudiyali village group reorganisation drinking water scheme to be built at a cost of Rs. 129.29 lakh.

Bird count begins in state
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 2
The 4th Great Bird Himalayan Count of the Action and Research for Conservation in Himalayas (ARCH) started today with birders taking to as many as 57 trails in Uttarakhand hills this year.

Flagging off the bird count teams at a ceremony held in Dehradun, Director-General of the Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology Rajendra Dobhal said such activities held importance in promoting eco-tourism in the state.

Dobhal said he had travelled a lot and had an opportunity to undertake birding, which he described as an excellent activity for both fitness and brain. He said the data being generated through the count would be extremely useful for the state wildlife authorities and other bird enthusiasts and would also reveal the lesser-known bird biodiversity of the state.

Prateek Panwar, founder trustee, ARCH, said the ARCH had been undertaking the Great Bird Himalayan Count since 2008. He said the response to the bird count had been increasing every year with large number of people from all over the country showing interest in the count. He said so far, the counts had recorded presence of 373 bird species in the state.

He said a total of 170 participants were taking part in the count, including a Malaysian and Nepalese citizen. He said the count would conclude on November 5 in Dehradun. He apprised that the popular trekking trails covered in the count this year included valleys of Tons, Yamuna, Bhagirathi, Bhilangna, Mandakini, Ganga and Alaknanda rivers in Garhwal. Senior Uttarakhand Forest Officer Umesh Kumar also greeted the participants and assured all logistics support to the bird count.

Assembly poll
BJP to give due share to women in ticket allocation
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, November 2
The BJP organised a one-day district level workshop for its women’s wing, the Mahila Morcha, at the Town Hall today. In charge of the party for the upcoming Assembly election Bhagat Singh Koshyari gave tips to the women activists, assuring them of due representation in the ticket allocation.

“Women have a pivotal role in the BJP as ours is the only party which seriously focuses on its women’s wing. Mission 2012 can’t be accomplished without the role of women’s cell and I assure that due representation will also be given in upcoming election to the deserving candidates” said Koshyari to a loud applause from the women activists.

While state general secretary of the women’s cell Anuradha Walia said the chain of organising women’s cell convention will be taken to other 12 districts of the state, which will boost the party base and preparations for the assembly elections.

Haridwar chief of the cell Kusum Gandhi pointed out that times had changed and women folk were coming out of the rigid customs, excelling in varied fields of which politics was a major one.

“We are not demanding reservation but on account of tough geographical conditions, a substantial quota should be allocated for probable women candidates. The Mahila Morcha of the party is the most active one when compared to other political parties and in the ticket allocation, preference should be given in at least half dozen Assembly segments to us,” remarked Sanjana Sharma, district secretary of morcha.

The convention was addressed by party state chief Bishan Singh Chufal, state rank minister Ram Moorti Veer Yadav, Mamta Falaria, Poonam Jha, Manju Sharma, Santosh Sehgal, Annu Kakkad, Rajni Verma, Kamla Joshi, Anita Sharma, Mamta Shishodiya, councilor Sapna Sharma and Leela Negi.

Party serious on corruption, says BJP chief

Dehradun, November 2
Trying to turn the heat on the Congress, the BJP said today that the Vigilance inquiry initiated by the BC Khanduri-led state government into 17 cases of alleged irregularities committed during the previous Congress regime reiterated the BJP government’s commitment to take strong action against corruption.

“While the government has referred the 17 cases for investigation, the report pertaining to 12 cases is still awaited and will come in the next few days,” said BS Chufal, state BJP chief.

At a press conference today, Chufal also refuted all allegations levelled against the BJP by the Congress. “The Congress is in the habit of levelling allegations, which are baseless. The CAG has only raised questions about the quality of work undertaken during the Kumbh Mela. There is no mention of misappropriation of funds anywhere,” he added.

The BJP chief also lauded the Khanduri government for passing the anti-graft Lokayukta Bill. — TNS

Annual migration of tribal people begins
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, November 2
The annual migration of Himalayan tribesmen and tribeswomen to their winter residences in the lower valleys has begun. As many as 14 villages of Munsiyari subdivision have set for the Terai areas along with their cattle.

Manohar Singh Tolia, a member of the Tribal Sauka Community, Munsiyari, said: “Now they will return to their permanent homes in the summer next year after the melting of snow in the higher valleys.”

He said the higher Himalayan valleys had witnessed snowfall twice last week. This was a clear indication that this year the snowfall would be more than expected, he added.

“Though the residents of villages situated in the Darma and Vyans valleys will start migrating in the mid of this month, villagers of Laspa, Tola, Burfu, Bilju Milam, Ril Kot, Martoli, Panchu,Ganghar, Lwan, Pothing, Mapa, Kilanch and Sundung in the Johar valley have started migrating to other places along with their cattle. The residents of Darma and Vyans valleys will migrate to the lower valleys in the same district while villagers from Munsiyari will migrate to the Terai region of Haldwani,” said Tolia.

Meanwhile, villagers of the Darma valley have written to the administration seeking the repair of track routes from the Darma valley to the lower valleys of Dharchula and Jauljibi.

“After the completion of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra this year, the administration did not bother to get the track routes repaired,” said Harish Gunjiyal of the Vyans valley.

Villagers from the Darma valley have their winter residences on the bank of Kali river between Dharchula and Jauljibi while villagers from the Vyans valley are migrating to to the Tawaghat area.

‘Land Acquisition Bill not in farmers’ favour’

Nainital, November 2
A group of social activists gathered at Almora have criticised the proposed Land Acquisition Bill stating that it has nothing to do with alleviation of misery of the farmers but would just be another tool for promoting the interests of the market forces and the political establishments supporting them.

In his address, Chittaranjan Singh of the INSAF said the bill was not in the interest of the people and was yet another move to protect the interests of the market forces promoting globalisation.

He asserted that the loot of the land had been rampant across the country over the past 20 years, whether it was in Nandigram, Orissa or for the Ganga Expressway. “The present bill is not aimed at protecting the interests of the farmers and the poor but it intends making land acquisition easier for the corporate world,” said Singh.

A meeting organised by the INSAF on Tuesday also saw the release of a report “Uttarakhand ka Khisakta Aadhar”, brought out by Raghu Tewari, Neelima Bhatt and Mukesgh Bahuguna of the Aman group.

In his address, Dr JS Mehta, who has been a former official of the Forest Department, pointed out that society could not be saved unless forests, wildlife and water resources were secured.

President of the Uttarakhand Parivartan Party PC Tewari underlined the need for a people’s movement against the policies of neo-liberalisation, introduced in 1990.— TNS

‘Gita is remedy to all problems’
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, November 2
On the occasion of the 11th Foundation Day of Baba Harihar Dham, Bhagwat katha is being organised at Bharat Mata Mandir.

A large number of devotees and saints are attending the religious convocation.

Swami Satyamitrananad Giri Maharaj said Gita provided solution to all problems that a human being faced. Earlier, a grand procession was taken out by the saint community.

Peethadeeshwar Mahant Gurusharan Das Maharaj said Harihar Dham had been organising religious events and functions for the past 11 years.

Bhagwat katha will take place till November 9. Saints who were present on the occasion included Mahant Rajendra Das, Mahants Shivanand, Sukhdev Muni, Kamal Das, Raghav Das, Vidyananad Saraswati, Mahamandaleswhar Swami Harichetanand, Swami Devanand, Jai Bhagwan Kedia and Manju Dedia.

Punjabis urged to attend meeting
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 2
State president of the Punjabi Sangthan, Uttarakhand, Devender Sethi, has called upon people of the Punjabi community and Punjabi traders to participate in a get-together where senior Congress leaders will come to listen to the grievances of the community and their demand for fair representation during seat allocation for the state Assembly elections at Guru Nanak Women Inter-College at Prem Nagar in the city on November 10.

Addressing a press conference, Sethi said it was pity that despite their contribution in the development of the state in terms of boosting the business, they had not convinced leaders of any political party in granting them appropriate number of seats for the coming Assembly poll.

He said their demand in this regard had made the Congress High Command to direct the state Congress leaders to meet people of the Punjabi community to give them a fair hearing.

There will be religious and political deliberations at the meeting as well. He expected a good deal from the Congress, which, he said, had done justice with the Punjabi community by making a Sikh Prime Minister of the country. He appealed to Punjabi people to make it to the occasion on November 10.

Others present in the press meet included city president Vijay Bagga, district president Tinkle Arora, state women president Soniya Anand, Gurdip Singh Kuki etc.

Taxi operators told to maintain records of customers
Tribune News Service

Nainital, November 2
The Haldwani police has asked taxi operators to maintain proper records of customers who hire their services.

They have also been asked to ensure that the taxis are hired from the main office of the taxi stand and taxi drivers do not resort to picking up customers from random spots. These instructions come in the wake of two taxi drivers being murdered in the past one month.

At a meeting held with the Taxi Union here recently, police officials asked the taxi operators to also go in for the installation of CCTVs.

They have also been asked to take the ID proofs of the people coming for hiring taxis at their offices and maintain records of their address along with telephone numbers.

Police officials said the instructions should not be taken lightly and they would be carrying out weekly checks at the office of the union to ensure whether a proper register was being maintained by the taxi operators.

They said very often taxi drivers pick up passengers without informing either taxi owners or the union office. This practice needed to be stopped for the security of the drivers. They have also made it clear that those taxi operators not adhering to the norms related to the booking of taxis will be facing strict action.

Film Festival Ends
‘Malegaon ka Superman’ liked the most

Nainital, November 2
Screening of documentaries by women film makers made a huge impact on the final day of the film festival held in the Lake City under the banner of “Pratirodh ka Cinema” or cinema of resistance.

The day saw some of the well-acclaimed documentaries being screened at the Chalet Hall in a special session on Tuesday. The session began with the film “Sabzi Mandi ke Heere” made by Nilita Vachani. The movie comes out with a real life portrayal of vendors of small items like balms, magic booklets, etc. that dot every bus stand across the country. It delves into the personal lives of three such characters selling their wares at the bus terminuses of North India, how they learnt their art and what inspired to get into a profession which is still acknowledged to be the best form of direct marketing by management experts. The documentary is gripping as it shows the two sides of these people, on personal and one public. It also brings out beautifully the unorganised economy at work across the country.

The second film screened in this category was “Kamlabai” by Reena Mohan. The film revolves around the icon of Marathi theatre and cinema Kamlabai who shows a distinct zeal for life. The film brings out the professional and the personal aspects of her life beautifully weaved by her own comments. Her zeal for reading the newspaper through a magnifying glass at the age of 88, the liberal use of expletives while describing those she does not like in her life’s journey and statements like, “I do not know what fear is?” say it all. She will not compromise on her independence at any cost. The film makes the viewer feel as if he or she is sitting right next to Kamlabai.

The film in this session that was liked the most by people of all age groups was “Malegaon ka Superman” by Faiza Ahmed Khan. The film revolves around a group of people in Malegaon, a place where film viewing is a sort of religion. The group is involved in making parodies of hit films at the local level with meager resources. This exercise is a diversion from the communal tension that raises its head time and again in the town. Laced with lots of humour and comic sequences, it clearly comes out with the message that the life is beautiful and everyone must come forward to add more colour to it. The last film in this session was on the much more serious subject of the women from Jammu and Kashmir whose husbands and sons just vanished in the last two decades of strife witnessed by the residents of the state.

Their voice has been subdued by the noise made by jingoism of politics and military. Made by Iffat Fatima in 2009, the film “Where Have You Hidden My New Crescent Moon” revolves around one such woman Mugalmasi. She resides in the Habba Kadal area of Srinagar. Her only son Naazir Ahmed Teli, who was a teacher, went missing on September 1, 1990. He was never found again. — TNS

Audience introduced to journey of background music
Tribune News Service

Nainital, November 2
The audience at the Nainital Film Festival was introduced to the journey made by the background music and camera in the film and television industry. A sound expert who spent several years working with a music giant HMV, Prabhat Gangola came up with an enriching talk on ”the impact of the background music in the Indian cinema”.

Making use of clips from old movies, including the first movie Raja Harishchandra, directed by Dadasaheb Phalke in 1913, he explained how sound was introduced in the world of the Indian cinema and the impact it had made in enriching the films.

He said: “The making of films in studios began in India in 1930 with the making of the film “Alam Ara”. With this began the era of Talkies, a word that became synonymous with cinema hall.

He further explained how Himanshu Roy made optimum use of sound in his film “Achhoot Kanya” in 1936.

This year saw the making of Marathi film “Sant Tukaram” that was well received not only in India but outside as well.

His discourse went on to explain the manner in which great filmmakers like Raj Kapoor, Gurudutt, Satyajit Ray, Bimal Roy and Ritwik Ghatak used sound to give a new meaning to the art of making films.

Gangola also introduced the audience to the twin concepts of background music and background score. Making use of a clip from a Bollywood blockbuster of the 70s “Deewar”, he demonstrated how silence, intermingled with the background score, gave a new dimension to the films.

An equally interesting presentation was given by K Nand Kumar on the journey of television broadcasting. He related how television reporting had travelled from the year of 16 mm cameras that required synchronisation with audio- recording cameras to the modern day compact gadgets being used for broadcasting news through the medium.

Govt’s effigy burnt
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 2
Irked over the alleged failure of the state government to manage traffic in the capital city, state Congress workers burnt an effigy of the state government at Prince Chowk today. Led by Dehradun Congress vice-president Deep Vohra, the workers alleged that the state government was not paying any attention to the traffic woes in Dehradun.

The workers said traffic jams had become a common scene, causing inconvenience to people.

They added that no efforts were being made by the government to redress the concerns of city residents.

The workers further said the issuance of permits to commercial vehicles was also a reason behind the traffic woes in the state.