Call to husband saves woman from boars
Pithoragarh, June 19
A call to her husband in distant Mumbai saved a village woman in Didihat from wild boars.

Haridwar, June 19
A two-day Sant Ucchadhikar Samiti Baithak of saints of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) commenced here today at Parmarth Gyan Mandir, Kankhal, amid speculations that in the final resolution of the meeting, a major decision about the Ganga and Shri Ram Janam Bhoomi's future course of action may be taken.

Parishad international chief Ashok Singhal, the international working president, Dr Pravin Togadia, and more than 100 revered saint representatives from around the country are attending the convention. The meeting is being viewed as vital for VHP’s fortunes as on the issue of keeping the Ganga clean, the saint community has come under one banner.

Singhal lashed out at Team Anna for not being practical regarding the anti-corruption movement.

The cow protection is another aspect on which saints were serious. Many of them also pressed for a stringent law regarding this.

The saint committee said the Team Anna core members were dictating the political parties and Parliament.

The committee will also dwell on its organisational objectives like dharam prasar, sanskrit prasar, dharmacharya sampark and matra shakti.

On the sidelines of the event, Togadia, while speaking on the UPA government’s move to allocate 4.5 per cent quota to minorities within 27 per cent OBC quota, said any type of Muslim quota was unconstitutional. He said the Supreme Court had termed the move as ‘unconstitutional’, ‘not supported by law and purely religious consideration’.

Togadia cautioned the Centre against the efforts to amend the Constitution to give reservation and other special favours to Muslims. He said if the UPA goes ahead with the plan, then Hindus would come on streets to protest against it. The responsibility of any ensuing situation, thereafter, will be the sole liability of the Union Government, he added.

Haridwar, June 19
Lakhs of devotees from across the country took a bath in the Ganga on the occasion of Aasadhi amavasya here today.

Brahm Kund and Har-Ki-Pauri were teeming with devotees since early morning. The ghats of Har-Ki-Pauri, Malviya, VIP, Alaknanda, Birla, Kushawrat, Rishikul, Gobindghat, Premnagar and Jatwada were also packed with pilgrims with many offering rituals to the Ganga and Sun god.

According to an estimate, more than five lakh people had come to the city to take a bath on the occasion with vehicles still being seen arriving, particularly from Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi.

In view of a heavy rush, elaborate security arrangements were put in place with the whole area divided in 10 zones and 31 sectors.

District Magistrate Sachin Kurwe, SSP Arun Mohan Joshi and SP, City, Dr Kiran Lal Shaw monitored the situation from the control room towers and in the field as well. Assistant Regional Manager, Uttarakhand Roadways, Haridwar depot, Suresh Chauhan said in view of the pilgrims’ rush additional buses were arranged.

Dehradun, June 19
In a major development, Uttarakhand government has decided to limit movement of Kanwariyas up to Haridwar district this year.

A high-level meeting presided by Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain decided not to allow Kanwariyas this year to travel to other parts of the state other than Haridwar.

The Kanwar fair that is held in the month of Sharvana begins on July 4 this year.

Chief Secretary said a kanwariya can only travel to other districts of the state in the capacity of tourist and will abide by all rules and regulations in implementation in the state. He said there will be a ban on carrying DJ, hockey sticks and cylinders by the Kawariyas.

He said all civic facilities and food arrangements will be made available to the Kawariyas. He said mobile/ATM arrangements are also being undertaken. Alok Kumar Jain appealed to officials from neighbouring states, who were present at the meeting, to sensitise the Kanwariyas coming to Haridwar from their states towards discouraging them from taking DJs, cylinders and other banned items along with them.

He ordered holding of special checkings at bus-stands and railway stations so as to ensure fullproof security to the Kanwar fair. District Magistrate, Haridwar, informed the meeting that 42 handpumps have been installed on the routes to be taken up by the Kawariyas. He said Sulabh International has further been entrusted with the task of ensuring cleanliness.

Uttarakhand Principal Secretary, Home Vineeta Kumar, Director General of Police Vijay Raghav Pant, Urban Development Secretary Umakant Panwar, Commissioner, Garhwal, Kunal Sharma, and senior government officials from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana attended the meeting. 

Dehradun, June 19
Feeling the pinch of water scarcity, students of Mahant Indiresh Medical College staged a protest outside the college premises, demanding immediate restoration of water supply to their hostel.

The students shouted slogans against the management and said since the last two days they have been without water.

The students gathered outside the college with empty buckets and blamed the administration for failing to make alternative arrangements.

The authorities of the college said due to some fault, the water supply was temporarily disrupted and alternate arrangements were being made for the students.

However, by the evening the water supply was restored. 

Haridwar, June 19
Citing directions from Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, All India Rahul Gandhi Youth Brigade Uttarakhand chief, Sunit Singh Rathi, has urged youths to engage themselves in social causes to pave the way for a better society.

Speaking here today at a blood donation camp organised by the brigade on the occasion of the 42nd birthday of Rahul Gandhi, he said that the vision of the Amethi parliamentarian is to bring India in developed countries' league with youths playing a pivotal role in shaping the fortunes of the country.

Rathi added that today's young generation is deflecting from Indian culture and social causes, which is a cause of concern.

"That is why under Rahul Gandhi Youth Brigade, we organise similar social programmes to involve youths in constructive activities, which instil in them patriotic and social feelings," said Rathi while donating blood at Blood Bank in Haridwar.

Office-bearer of the brigade Tarun Rajpal urged activists to hold similar camps in rural, far-flung and hilly areas, which will give a positive message of the brigade to society.

Chief nurse Aruna Sharma gave a list of do's and don'ts to volunteers prior to donating blood, clearing the common misconceptions about donating blood.

The blood donation camp saw more than 50 units of blood being donated by brigade activists. Prior to the donation, procedure tests were conducted on volunteers' blood samples for detection of HIV, Hepatitis and other ailments.

Dehradun , June 19
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has sanctioned Rs 1 lakh each to the families of the persons who died in a road accident near Sahiya while on their way to Chakrata from Vikasnagar on June 9.

The Chief Minister has also sanctioned Rs. 50,000 each to the seriously injured persons and Rs. 25,000 to those with minor injuries.

He has directed the District Magistrate to immediately provide the relief fund to them.

Seven persons had died and 8 others were injured in a road accident at Sahiya under Kalsi tehsil of Dehradun on June 9.

Dehradun, June 19
Patel Nagar police arrested Pankaj Dondhiyal, resident of Chanderbani, Patel Nagar, for stealing four two-wheelers today. During checking at St Jude Chowk, the police suspected Dondhiyal who had covered the number plate of his motor cycle with mud, and asked him about the documents related to motor cycle.

The accused could not tell clearly about the documents and soon accepted that he stole the motor cycle, which he found parked at an isolated place. At the police station, he admitted having stolen three more motor cycles, which the police recovered from his house at Chaderbani Road. The police is also on the lookout for another accomplice, whose name had been concealed by the police. He use to accompany the culprit in tracing such vehicles and stealing them. 

Dehradun, June 19
Garhwali Publications has released a book titled “Garhwali Kavya ka Udhbhav, Vikas Evam Vaishishtya," written by Jagdamba Prasad Kotnala.

The author is a teacher at a government school at Dugadda in Pauri Garhwal.

DR Purohit, who teaches at Garhwal University, appreciated the quantum of work put in the book, saying that it was first of it's kind to chronicle the work of poetry penned in Garhwali dialect.

The analytical approach adopted to assess the body of work of different poets to the minutest detail was the hallmark of the book, he said.

Publisher Vijay Juyal said vernacular literature had always been a source of unparalleled joy and inspiration.

He said the book would prove handy in understanding Garhwali culture by the younger generation.

Author Jagdhamba Prasad also threw light on this subject of his thesis for Ph.D and said he was always in awe of Garhwali poets, who had been contributing in changing the directions of society for good, whenever it was needed. 

Dehradun, June 19
Excers’ Cricket Club, Lucknow, and Himalayan Cricket Academy, Dehradun, won their respective matches in the Shyam Dutt Joshi Memorial Cricket Tournament played at Survey Stadium here today.

In the first match, Excers’ Cricket Club defeated Raigad Cricket Club, Mumbai, by seven wickets. Batting first after winning the toss, the Mumbai team scored 61 runs all out in 13.4 overs. Bhavin was the top scorer with 19 runs. Vishnu took three wickets while Arsh took two wickets. In reply, the Lucknow team scored 64 runs for three wickets in 11.4 overs to win the match by seven wickets. Abhishek was the top scorer with 17 unbeaten runs.

In the second match, Himalayan Cricket Academy defeated PDSJ Cricket Academy, Meerut, by 41 runs. Batting first after winning the toss, the Dehradun team scored 119 runs all out in 22.3 overs. Opener Shubhai scored 37 runs. Akshay took five wickets for 16 runs.

Chasing the score, the Meerut team was all out for 78 runs in 19.2 overs. Firoz was the top scorer with 25 unbeaten runs. Diger and Raman took three wickets each.