Hill women suffer due to liquor-addict husbands
B. D. Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, February 8
The rural women in hill villages are the worst hit by liquor consuming habits of their husbands, partial unemployment due to shrinking agriculture and of social and family neglect despite working hard for 16 hours a day to keep their family going. This impression has been drawn by the women contestants in the Assembly elections this year on the ticket of various political parties or as Independent.

“The condition of hill women has worsened. Earlier the women were self-reliant and their husbands were not given to drinking,” said Shobha Joshi, a woman candidate who contested from this Almora seat.

Shobha said during her campaign, she came across the problems being faced by rural women in Almora area and was shocked after knowing the real plight of hill women. “Today, women neither go to forests to collect fodder and fuel wood, nor are involved in any self-employment schemes. The men hardly do anything except ploughing fields. The rest of the household work is expected to be done by women,” said Shobha Joshi, chairperson of Almora Nagar Palika parishad. “The number of mobile towers is more than that of toilets in villages at present,” added Shobha.

Rekha Arya, a contestant from Someswar Assembly seat, has a different experience of women’s problems in her area. “ The hill women are physically and mentally very strong. But they are suffering crunch of unemployment as despite day-long work, their agriculture has not been able to give them two meals a day,” said Rekha.

Rekha Arya found the hill women had no water or roads to connect to the mainstream or additional land holdings to earn from agriculture. “In villages of Kandarakhuva Patti in Almora district, nearly 30 per cent village women are victims of family and social atrocities for which they are not in a position to complain as they fear their family lives would be destroyed,” said Rekha.

“If only need of drinking water of these village women could be fulfilled, they could have time to get involved in self-employment schemes to enhance their family income,” said Rekha Arya.

Revti Joshi, who contested from Didihat in Pithoragarh district, has solutions to the problems of village women. She claimed that scores of cottage industries based on animal husbandry could solve the problems of self- employment for the women. “We need link roads to every village to take the surplus produce by women to market places to boost the income of village women, who face shortage of essential goods as their husbands do not contribute much to their family income,” said Revti Joshi.

Geeta Thakur, BJP candidate from Gangolihat Assembly seat, said she witnessed that the villagers have no sufficient drinking water, no motor road and no teachers in schools. “The village women told me that they bring drinking water from 5 km distance and fodder from 8 km distance,” said Geeta Thakur.

“The village women in this area are suffering from diseases but they are not aware of these as no doctors are available in the hospitals. In the absence of proper government hospitals and medical staff, quacks are making money by cheating them,” said Thakur. “In the villages of Bel Patti in Gangolihat area, the daughters become happy if not given sufficient dowry but are married off in a place where drinking water is sufficient,” added Thakur.

All these contestants feel that self-employment is must for hill women if they want to survive in the villages. Some suggest land holding as a solution but others emphasise on making the villages free from the problem of liquor.

“Almora, which is considered as the most advanced district in the sphere of women’s education, 95 per cent women in villages are still suffering from liquor-infested social life, which is stopping the education of their children and making them look for small-time jobs, “ said Shobha Joshi.

The condition of hill women has worsened. Earlier the women were self-reliant and their husbands were not given to drinking. Today, women neither go to forests to collect fodder and fuel wood, nor are involved in any self-employment schemes. The men hardly do anything except ploughing fields. — Shobha Joshi, chairperson of Almora Nagar Palika Parishad

Senior Congress leaders begin staking claim to top post
Party hopeful of victory
SMA Kazmi
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 8
With the Congress hopeful of victory in the state Assembly elections, senior leaders of Uttarakhand Congress have already started staking their claims to the post of chief minister. Many of the contenders for the top post, in case the party wins a majority in the state Assembly, have already started making rounds of the Central leaders and have positioned themselves in the national Capital.

Most of the them are trying to win over Central party leaders to strengthen their claims for the post of chief minister. In the faction-ridden Uttarakhand Congress, there are at least six senior leaders who are vying with each other to claim the top position. Three of them are MPs and the rest three had fought Assembly polls.

The front-runner for the post of chief minister from Congress is Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Food Processing and Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat. He is one of the senior party leaders who despite being the Uttarakhand Congress chief and working hard to win the first ever Assembly elections held in February 2002 for his party was denied the opportunity to become the chief minister.

After the Congress won the state assembly polls in 2002, veteran Congress leader N.D.Tewari was imposed by the party high command to become the chief minister of the new state. A sulking Harish Rawat, who has been a sworn political foe of Tewari, was offered a Rajya Sabha seat to placate him by the party. However, Harish Rawat, who had majority of party legislators on his side, played the role of an Opposition leader during Tewari regime as the main Opposition BJP was near defunct.

After the defeat of Congress in the second Assembly polls held in 2007, Harish Rawat was removed as Uttarakhand Congress chief but his decision to shift his political base after his Almora parliamentary constituency which was reserved in the new delimitation to Haridwar paid dividends. In 2009 Lok sabha polls when Congress won all the five Lok Sabha seats in the state, Harish Rawat won the Haridwar seat for his party after nearly a quarter of a century and was made a union minister of state. He has the single largest group of legislators who are expected to win the elections. He has said that being a loyal soldier, the party would definitely give him a chance to serve as CM.

Vijay Bahuguna, MP from Tehri Garhwal, is another contender for the top position. He is son of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna and his sister Reeta Bahuguna Joshi is Congress Party chief of Uttar Pradesh. He is banking his hopes on his family relations with the Gandhis. Satpal Maharaj, MP from Pauri Garhwal, is a godman-cum-politician with access to Gandhi family due to his clout outside the state as a religious preacher.

However, it would be seen that whether Congress would afford sparing a party MP for the top job. Amongst the legislators, Yashpal Arya, Uttarakhand Congress chief, is a Dalit and could fit into the party’s scheme of things if it want to project a Dalit as Chief Minister. Indira Hariydesh, a senior party leader who is contesting from Haldwani, has already thrown her hat in the ring, claiming to be a contender for CM’s post. Harak Singh Rawat, leader of Opposition who fought a tough electoral battle from Rudraprayag is another contender. However, despite tall claims by the contenders, it was believed that Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi would have a major say in the matter in case the party wins a majority in the Uttarakhand state Assembly polls.

Two more arrested in Rudrapur riots case
Tribune News Service

Nainital, February 8
The police has arrested two more persons allegedly involved in fomenting communal trouble during the Rudrapur riots on October 2 last year. One of them is learnt to be an elected member of the local municipal body.

The duo, Nur Ahmed of Kheda and Irshad Ahmed of Fazalpur Mahraula village, had been at large since the investigations had begun into the case. According to information, Nur Ahmed is a member of the Rudrapur Nagar Palika and affiliated to one of the three main political parties in the state.

Confirming their arrest, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pushpak Jyoti said besides being booked for inciting the riots, arson and attempted murder, the two had also been booked under the Gangster Act.

Police sources said till now 60 persons had been arrested in the case that was being probed by the crime branch of the Criminal Investigation Department of the state police.

The two were arrested from an eating joint on Rampur Road in Haldwani. They had come for some work at an automobile agency along with some people from Baheri when the Rudrapur police informed their counterparts in Haldwani. A police team of the Rudrapur police reached the spot and arrested them.

The police had placed a small monetary reward on their arrest. Till now, there have been a series of indicators pointing to the involvement of politicians in fomenting the riots. A documentary entitled “Partition Revisited” that was released just before the polls has shown evidence from the victims and observers which indicts the politicians from the BJP, the Congress and the BSP for having “fomented” and “incited” communal trouble on the given day.

The riots had left behind four dead and scores of others injured besides having caused immense damage to the infrastructure. The film has several eyewitnesses blaming a senior BJP leader for having incited the mobs by delivering hate speeches, including one near a gurdwara in the town.

It has been pointed that the Muslim community had been targeted in the riots. Several question marks have been raised on the role of the police and the media in the entire affair.

The role of the media has also been questioned for not coming up with genuine stories and reports about those responsible for the riots. Its role has also been questioned with regard to the playing down of a large-scale migration of people that took place from Rudrapur in the wake of the riots.

The documentary has even a member of the Uttarakhand State Minorities Commission, Mazhar Naeem, saying that the police, while not taking any steps to quell the rioting in the first instance, actually “helped them spill further”.

BJP strategists working overtime in case party fails to get majority
Neena Sharma/TNS

Dehradun, February 8
With days to go before the March 6 verdict and plenty of time at hand, the BJP strategists are busy working on a host of possibilities in case the party falls short of a simple majority. Despite the public posturing of reaching the magic figure, the strategists in the BJP have zeroed in on Mussoorie, Karnprayag, Dhanolti and Sahaspur Assembly seats, where according to their calculations the rebels are perceived to be in a strong position.

“The Assembly seats that have become the focus of attention are the Devprayag Assembly seat from where Mantri Prasad Naithaini, Congress rebel is in the fray, Mussoorie Assembly seat from where Congress rebel Jot Singh Bisht is in the fray, Purola Assembly seat from where BJP rebel Raj Kumar is in the fray,” said a senior BJP leader.

According to the party strategists, informal talks have already started with Congress rebels Mantri Prasad Naithani and Jot Singh Bisht, which would be resumed in case Naithaini wins, as also Jot Singh Bisht.

The party strategists believe it would not be difficult to woo back the BJP party rebels, including Raj Kumar and Kedar Singh Fonia (BJP rebel fighting on Badrinath Assembly seat on the Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha party ticket).

“We will not have much difficulty in wooing back our leaders and also bringing along leaders from the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (P), especially Pritam Singh Panwar, whose seems to be in good position on his Yamnotri Assembly seat.

In a worst case scenario, privately, the BJP strategists are not ready to give the party more than 25 seats; so exigency measures are being planned before hand.

Six villages in Thauldhar block face water crisis
Ajay Ramola

Mussoorie, February 8
Nearly six villages in the Thauldhar block of Tehri Garhwal are facing an acute shortage of drinking water. According to villagers, pipelines that supply water to their villages had been lying damaged since August-September last year. Residents of Dharwal, Jaspur, Syansu, Sarot and Uppu villages said as these pipelines had not been repaired so far, they were being forced to fetch water from the springs in the area.

They alleged that despite repeated complaints to the authorities concerned, nothing had been done so far.

Praveen Chand of Dharwal village said the pipeline project in their village had been damaged in a natural disaster in 2010. Despite various complaints to the authorities, no action had been taken, thus forcing women to walk several km daily to fetch drinking water from the springs.

The situation is similar in Syansu, Uppu, Sarot and Jaspur villages.

Gram pradhan of Dharwal village Prabha Bisht said earlier, the shortage of drinking water was felt in summer months only, but due to the “apathetic” attitude of the authorities towards the problems of the villagers, people were facing the water crisis in winter months also.

Bisht further said if the pipeline project was not implemented at the earliest, they would be forced to take to the streets.

Officials of the Jal Nigam said the repair work would begin as soon as the weather cleared in the region.

Women slum-dwellers ask Mayor not to demolish illegal colonies
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 8
The women residents of Brahmanwala Khala have urged Mayor Vinod Chamoli not to force them to vacate their homes on February 13. Chamoli left the matter to the discretion of the Mukhya Nagar Adhikari to decide. These residents have encroached upon the Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) land which carried several anti-encroachment drives to remove these colonies.

It was on Tuesday that a messenger from DMC informed the slum dwellers of Brahmanwala Khala to vacate the houses on their own before February 13, otherwise the corporation squad would impound their articles and crush their huts under JCB machines.

While showing the mark of voting on her finger, Suman Arya said: “The state government wants us to vote for them and also divests us of our shelter. Where will we go in this chilling weather with our little kids?”

Radha Devi reasoned that there were 162 slum colonies in Dehradun city but DMC was only after their colony.

They asked the Mayor to show pity on them. The Mayor, on the other side, chided them for capturing government land. He said: “ We cannot do much about the illegal slum colonies which have settled in the city many decades ago but surely we can stop fresh encroachments. Many times the encroachers have been removed but they come again and start living in the same place at the behest of some mafia people, who are politically sound as well and take money from the encroachers to occupy the land.”

The women folk threatened to hold a big rally on Friday if the officials did not assure them stability.

It was before the elections that 45 houses were razed to the ground and 100 more were given relaxation in the wake of the upcoming Assembly elections in the state. But since now elections are over, DMC’s JCB machines are ready again to dismantle the selective slum colonies.

17,221 cast votes without voter ID card
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 8
The last-minute decision of the Election Commission to allow alternative documents as proof of identity saw 17,221 voters using the documents to cast their votes. The Electoral Office now hopes to reach out to these voters by issuing them voter identity cards and complete the process before the general elections. In Uttarakhand, 31,35,297 voters possess cards. So close to 90 per cent of the population is covered by I-cards.

In Uttarkashi district, 51,065 cards were used and 1,714 voters used alternative documents to cast their votes.

In Chamoli district, 1,34,046 have cards while 1,124 used the alternative documents.

In Rudraprayag district, 96,215 have cards while only one used the other document. In Tehri Garhwal district, 2,05,757 possess the cards while only 553 used other documents.

In Dehradun district, 5,13,967 voters possess cards and 5,636 used the alternative documents.

The Election Commission also provided 10,67,407 voter slips to the voters. Similarly, the option of Section 49-0 for those voters, who did not find any candidate suitable, also elicited some response from the voters.

From the Mussoorie Assembly seat, 41 voters found none of the candidates to their liking.

NSS camp under way
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, February 8
A seven-day National Service Scheme (NSS) camp being organised by Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, Srinagar, commenced at Sadhna Dham Ashram here yesterday. Fifty girl students from the arts stream of Shravan Nath Jawaharlal Nehru (SNJN) College are participating in the camp, which is being held to improve their overall personality by engaging them in various social, cultural and co-curricular activities.

Also, the students will be given a feel of villages by making them carry out NSS activities there. Programme officer, NSS Girls Unit, Dr Sushma Nayal said the emphasis of the camp would be to inculcate moralistic and social values and confidence among the girls and also make them aware of the rural India.

SNJN College principal Navneet Ghildiyal inaugurated the camp by lighting a lamp before a portrait of Goddess Saraswati. He stressed on the overall development of the students and the need for camaraderie and team spirit.

Dr SK Batra, a former programme officer, Dr Nalini Jain, Dr Kamna Jain of SD College, Roorkee, Dr Dharmenda, Ved Praksh Chauhan and Dr Sanjay Maheswari also addressed the students.

Worn-out tyres found in 35 new buses
Tribune News Service

Nainital, February 8
In a scam that has come to light from Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar, 35 new buses bought by the state transport corporation were found to be having worn tyres.

It is being assumed that old tyres were also fit in five more buses that have been sent to Faridabad for having a body built on the chassis.

It is learnt that the state transport corporation has procured 100 new buses from a company that has a manufacturing plant in Uttarkhand. Out of these, 40 buses were sent to the workshop in Rudrapur.

While five chassis have been sent to Faridabad for building of the bus bodies, the buses with 35 chassis found on the workshop premises had worn tyres on them.

Sources say that a probe has been ordered into the matter while steps are being taken to replace the old tyres with new ones. Efforts are being made to pinpoint the personnel.

The money involved in the scam is reportedly Rs 18 lakh. Old tyres lead to more depreciation of buses, besides making the journey of passengers less safe.

1,050 hectares identified for development projects
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, February 8
The Pithoragarh administration has identified 1,050 hectares in the district to be used as land bank for the development schemes. “This land, scattered in various part of the district, will be given for plantation for the projects for which the more land needed for plantation,” said R Rajesh Kumar, District Magistrate, Pithoragarh.

The District Magistrate said after chairing a meeting concerning development in the district, 21 proposals for development had been cleared in the district for which the forest clearance was needed. “We have made a new system for the clearance of forest land under which each department will have to present its land requirement proposal, citing the civil, reserve and panchayat land requirement for their projects,” said the DM.

More than 15 development projects, including construction of 10 roads, were given approval at the meeting and the District Magistrate has given orders to officers to complete these projects before February 9 so that the state government could give final nod to these projects.

Woman succumbs to burns
Tribune News Service

Nainital, February 8
The woman, who was allegedly set on fire by her husband for not voting for a candidate of his choice in the Lal Kuan area on January 30, died at a hospital in Haldwani. Rani, 25, had sustained 90 per cent burns in the incident.

Rani’s husband Rais, alias Guddu, is in jail after her parents lodged a complaint with the police that he was harassing their daughter for dowry.

One version of the incident says Rani doused kerosene and set herself on fire after her husband, in an inebriated condition, thrashed her and threatened to kill her for not voting for a candidate of his choice.

The other version says Rani’s husband, Guddu, set her on fire after beating her severely. Guddu runs a timber business at Lal Kuan. The couple lived in Ambedkar Nagar Colony at Lal Kuan. They had a son who turned one on February 3.

Rani’s body has been handed over to her parents, who have reportedly taken it to their native place Faridpur in Bareilley in Uttar Pradesh for the last rites.

Make electoral process through postal ballots foolproof, Cong tells EC
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 8
Uttarakhand Congress has asked the Election Commission to make foolproof electoral process through postal ballots in the state. In a letter written to Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi, Uttarakhand Congress president Yashpal Arya asked CEC to send strict instructions to chief electoral officer Uttarakhand for strict adherence to all rules in a manner that whole electoral process through ballots is transparent and foolproof.

Arya held that all postal ballots must be secured in a double lock on daily basis. “All measures must be adopted to exterminate any possibility of tampering and sabotage,” he pointed out.

With a large number of serving defence personnel from the region, postal ballots can sway results in as many as 30 Assembly seats of the state.

Tibetans hold candlelight march
Tribune News Service

Tibetan monks hold a demonstration at the Parade Ground in Dehradun on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

Dehradun, February 8
As a mark of solidarity with Tibet, the Tibetans living in exile in Dehradun held a vigil in Dehradun this morning and a solidarity candlelight march this evening.

Expressing solidarity with the Tibetans living in Tibet, their leaders said they had gathered to draw the attention of the world towards the plight of the Tibetans.

“The human rights violations continue to go unreported because of the Chinese draconian laws,” said Tashi, a participant.

In the evening, the Tibetans held a candlelight march that passed through the town culminating at the Parade Ground. A prayer meeting was also held at the Tibetan market.

Volleyball tourney begins today
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 8
District Sports Officer Dharmender Bhatt said today that a two-day State-level Women Open Volleyball Championship would begin from tomorrow at Almora.

The participants have already reached Almora.

Those who will represent Dehradun are Pooja Bhatkeshwar, Anita Bisht, Sunita Chauhan, Surabhi Thapa, Nandini Maurya, Megha Thapa, Kirti Thapa, Jyoti Srivastava, Anita Paras, Pooja Dheerman and Paramjeet Singh (team manager).