Bilaspur, October 23
Krishan Kumar Kaushal, former MLA and now the HLP, the CPI and the CPM joint front candidate from the Kot Kehloor constituency here, has challenged the BJP candidate, MLA Randhir Sharma, to come clean on his petition which he had filed against former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Katha Udyog of Una, etc for the alleged corrupt practice of illegally allotting a huge quantity of Khair trees to the Udyog, adding that he later withdrew this petition from the Supreme Court under the plea that he would pursue the matter in the Himachal High Court. But the petition was never filed in the Himachal High Court by him.

Talking to mediapersons here recently, Kaushal, accompanied by CPI state secretariat member Pravesh Chandel, advocate, and district secretary Ram Lal Sharma, released copies of these court proceedings as documentary evidence of his challenge and asked Randhir Sharma to explain to people of the state as to why he withdrew this case from the apex court and “what were his compulsions, changed circumstances or a deal or an agreement” between him and respondents that this novel method was adopted, allegedly to bail out the respondents, who could be sentenced even to seven years’ imprisonment if the charges were proved.

Kaushal said both the Congress and the BJP were two sides of a common coin and they had always been befooling the people of the state by fighting “mock battles” between themselves in public and declaring that they were “punishing” corrupt leaders of the other party. 

Nurpur, October 23
A chaotic condition prevails at the Indane gas agency here for the past over one and a half months as cooking gas consumers are being subjected daily to verification of their gas connections. The verification is being done to cancel bogus connections released by the gas agency itself to consumers in the past.

Panicky consumers are making a beeline in the morning before the gas agency being run by the Himachal Pradesh Food and Civil Supplies Corporation (HPFCSC). Over a 100 connections have so far been annulled as the names of the consumers didn’t match the ration cards.

In some cases the consumers’ names didn’t match the agency record. Only one verification centre is being run in the office of the HPFCSC where thousands of consumers from Nurpur and surrounding areas gather, resulting in crowds and chaos.

The queue persists throughout the day posing a threat to smooth movement of traffic. There are no guidelines on undertaking verification. As a result, the consumers are experiencing inconvenience in getting information and completing formalities.

They have to wait for hours to submit and collect their gas connection documents in the agency. The consumers have to waste almost a full day for getting their gas connection verified.

The alleged mismanagement has created panic among the consumers. There is a demand to set up at least two or three such verification centres so that the system could be streamlined for thousands of consumers still waiting for their turns. AS Tomar, the area manager, HPFCSC, Dharamsala, said they were trying their best to accommodate the consumers for verification of their gas connections and exhorted them to cooperate with the agency staff. 

Jatingri (Mandi), October 23
From this tiny hamlet to the colder Lahaul valley, people are busy harvesting potatoes, ‘rajmah’, maize, paddy and storing fodder and food for the ensuing five months of harsh winter. They have kept party candidates at a safe distance, even as just 16 days are left for the poll.

The state’s over 45 lakh electors are silent this time as it is the peak harvesting season for stocking winter supplies, said Shayam Lal, a farmer in Drang.

“People are silent as they have no time for elections. Storing fodder for cattle and harvesting is more important than elections as politicians do not feed them,” added Chering Dorje of Chandra valley in Lahaul valley, where potato season is at its peak.

The Election Commission of India is keeping a strict watch on candidates indulging in extra expenditure during campaigning. Fewer banners, wall writings, posters, party offices can be seen along the roadside in the town.

Party candidates are doing most meetings in the evening hours.

“Panchayat elections generated more heat than assembly elections here,” said Jaikrishan of Chauhar valley.

“The politicians stock their own houses and poor like us get nothing”, said Draupdi Devi in her Mandiali dialect.

The few BJP and Congress workers camped in party offices in small towns of each constituency also share the same view: the voters are silent.

Party bigwigs, be it Congress chief Virbhadra Singh or Chief Minister PK Dhumal, have focused their campaigns in towns so far and have not reached out to the villagers.

BJP workers are dishing out lists of developmental works done and funds spent on each panchayat and hike of 50 per cent in pensions and daily wages of the common man.

However, the Congress workers counter them, saying the works were done during their previous regime. 

Bilaspur, October 23
The so-called ‘cave woman’, Soma Devi, who has been forced to live in a cave due to extreme poverty in Dhar Tatoh village, near here, for the past several years, can now hope to get a two-room house under a government scheme on the orders and intervention of the President of India and the Chief Minster of the state.

Reports said social activist Vijay Heer, president of Himachal Shikshak Kranti Manch, had sent cuttings of a news item, which appeared in the third week of August, speaking of the deplorable conditions under which the aged Soma Devi had been living with her equally hapless family. Her kutcha house was destroyed during the rains several years ago.

Reports said the President and the Himachal Chief Minister had taken immediate cognisance of the news and responded to the situation, ordering the Deputy Commissioner, Bilaspur, to ensure that Soma Devi gets a shelter to cover her head and is asked to leave her “stone-age dwelling”.

The Chief Minister had given the orders on September 23 while the President also intervened and ordered suitable action on October 4.

The Tribune had carried this story prominently, among other newspapers. 

Kangra, October 23
A six month-long day-night super 8 cricket tournament organised by the locals at the Municipal Stadium here, concluded recently. Panthankot XI won the final match by defeating Sports Club, Amb, by 33 runs.

Chief organiser of the tournament Ajay Sehgal said the tournament started in May this year with 128 teams from Punjab and Himachal Pradesh participating in 127 matches played under flood lights. As many as 20 teams from different districts of Punjab participated in the tournament, he added.

Sehgal said 108 teams from four districts of the state, including Kangra, Hamirpur, Mandi and Una, participated in the tournament and Sports Club, Amb, of Una district bagged the second position.

In the final match of the tournament, Pathankot XI scored 108 runs for 6 in 10 overs and Sports Club, Amb, scored 75 runs for all with one ball to spare. Shally of Pathankot XI was declared the man of the series.

Sunny of Pathankot XI, who scored 40 runs, was declared the man of the match, and Dimple of the same team, who made a hat trick in the final match, was declared the best bowler.

Zakir of Sports Club, Amb, hit the highest number of sixes and Amar Jeet of the same team was the best fielder.

The locals appreciated the efforts of the organisers. Pawan Kajal, a local leader, inaugurated the final match.

We seldom celebrate the age of a town because history has, probably, little significance for us. Chamba saw its 1,000 years commemorated in grand style because the local politicians took interest perhaps to draw political mileage out of the celebrations.

I believe that Una is 300 years plus old but its 300th year died incognito. How have I calculated its age? The district gazetteer of Hoshiarpur (1884) reads: "Bedi Baba Kaladhari, a descendant of Guru Nanak, who crossed over from Dera Baba Nanak (Gurdaspur) early in the last century and after wandering about the Jullundur Doab for some years finally settled down in Una, (then in) Hoshiarpur, where he attracted a crowd of followers who flocked to hear his eloquent disquisition on the Guru Granth Sahib... Jaswal Raja Ram Singh made himself popular by granting the bedi, the revenue of 70 ghumaons of land". There are also references showing Baba Kaladhari and Guru Gobind Singh meeting in the forests of Santokhgarh along the Soan River, called "Swastu" in the Rig Veda. The Guru died in 1708 and inferring from the two supports, I conclude that Una's year of establishment was around 1700. A great soul in the line of Baba Kaladhari was Baba Sahib Singh who may be called the builder of Una. Guruvar Sarovar, Seetal Khui and the 84 steps leading to the ancient bazaar, the fort and the heritage havelis housing government offices today, all are the gifts to the people of Una by Baba Sahib Singh who died in Una on July 17, 1834.

Huang He (formerly Hwang Ho) River of China had frequent devastating floods and was known as China’s Sorrow, so was Soan River for Una. It, in spate, used to bring misery to the people. Recently when I toured the area, I found the banks of the river cultivated with vegetables bringing money and satisfaction to the households and was told that the river, more or less, had been restrained. I was also told that Saras cranes, biggest flying birds, come to nest on its banks. They were located here in 2011. I tried to trace these but could not, so I took advantage of ‘My Himachal’ to show photographs of these beautiful cranes frisking by the side of Soan (see photo). Una has been the district headquarters since 1972 and has developed on all grounds. But my impression is different - whenever I visited the town, I found its roads dusty and dismantled. This time the roads around Una were in tolerably good condition but those of the town were a hopeless reminder of my earlier visit. My second opinion is about its grand circuit house which is so clumsily maintained that to stay there for a person who cares for hygiene is a difficult task. The room allotted to me had soiled linen but, thankfully, it was changed on my request. The white bucket and the mug were so grimy that they appeared blubbering for their original colour. In the morning, I tried to give them their long lost shade but suddenly the water on the tap converted itself into air and then vacuum. I called for the chowkidar, who is always a busy person in a circuit house, and visits at his leisure. He did come and advised me to keep the tap open and wait for the downpour. I did that in vain and then shifted to a private hotel. I have a word of praise for the Mali there. He was watering the plants; the flowerbeds were fittingly maintained. I went to him and personally congratulated him for a good job done.

A new addition for me was a beautiful park developed by the side of the circuit house (see photo). The son MP had laid its foundation stone; after three years, the father CM had inaugurated it. I had several rounds of it in the morning and the refreshing air took away much of the tint of the past night and compelled me to exclaim: I love you, Una.

Nurpur, October 23
The ruling BJP is facing the threat of rebellion in all four Assembly segments in lower Kangra district after denial of party ticket to primary contenders. In the Nurpur Assembly segment, after the denial of party ticket to sitting BJP associate MLA Rakesh Pathania following opposition by the national BJP vice- president, Shanta Kumar, he is again jumping in the fray as an Independent as the party has decided to field Shanta Kumar’s favourite Ranbir Nikka.

In 2007, he was also denied the BJP ticket and he had won Assembly elections as a rebel. After that he became party’s associate MLA. The main contest in this Assembly constituency is between Ajay Mahajan (Congress) and Rakesh Pathania (Independent)

In the Fatehpur Assembly constituency, Sudha Sushant, wife of the BJP’s suspended Lok Sabha MP Rajan Sushant, has jumped into the fray to contest as a rebel BJP candidate as she had been denied the ticket, notwithstanding

the assurance given by Shanta Kumar just a month ago. In the Indora Assembly constituency (reserved), after denial of ticket to sitting MLA Des Raj’s son Nirmal Prashad and fielding Rita Dhiman, a new political equation has emerged when Des Raj and party ticket’s old contender Manohar Dhiman joined hands. Dhiman has been contesting as a BJP rebel candidate from here.

In Jawali constituency, Shanta Kumar succeeded in securing the ticket for his supporter, Arjun Singh. In this constituency, former minister Harbans Rana and Sanjay Guleria were strong ticket contenders. After denial of ticket to both, a mahapanchayat of senior party leaders and old party workers was held at Nagrota Surian. They had given two days’ ultimatum to the party high command to change the party candidate, but the party high command did not oblige them. After that, Sanjay Guleria, the state president of BJP’s industry cell, jumped into the fray as a rebel BJP candidate. However, Guleria first exhorted Rana to contest election, but he declined due to his ageing problems. The rebel BJP candidates have turned the fight triangular in all these four Assembly constituencies.

Solan, October 23
Sanjay Awasthy, the Congress nominee from Arki, is trying to reach out to the electorate in his maiden election after getting the party ticket despite opposition from a section of the party.

Awasthy, who is also the Block Congress Committee president for the Arki block, has been active in the constituency for the past several years and has been raising crucial issues, including the dismal condition of schools in the far-flung panchayats where either there is paucity of staff or infrastructure and children are forced to confine themselves to a single room to get education.

Awasthy appears to be catching the youth’s fancy who despite having equipped themselves in technical trades from the industrial training institutes have failed to find employment. Cement firms set up in the area have failed to provide employment to these youth and with no other avenue in the area they face an uncertain future.

Keen to address the cause of 12 panchayats of Pargana Malaun, which have been added from the Nalagarh constituency following delimitation, Awasthy says opening of a college for students of this area will be among his priority. Besides, the Diggal area, which has also been added to the constituency, also cries for attention.

The Congress lost this seat to the BJP in 2007 following refusal of the party ticket to the then sitting MLA who had contested against the party’s official nominee. Keen to wrest back this seat from the BJP, Awasthy says development had suffered in the constituency as the MLA had failed to address various problems like widening of roads vis-a-vis expansion of the cement plants. This had choked the roads, adding to environmental pollution.

Focusing his campaign on the local issues, Awasthy says the common man felt ignored as basic needs like healthcare and education have not been taken care of. Though the cement firms set up in the area have been promising provision of free health services but its benefit has been confined to a few.

Housing some of the most backward panchayats like Beral where proper road connectivity is a far-fetched idea, the residents are cut off from the rest of the region during rains when landslides block whatever road has been constructed.

Bilaspur, October 23
The District Congress Committee has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to order inclusion of rehabilitation of Bhakra dam oustees of Bilaspur in party election manifesto for the state, specifically mentioning that the party would solve all their pending problems within one year of its coming to power in the state.

Talking to mediapersons here recently, District Congress Committee vice-presidents Manender Singh Chandel and Vijay Kaushal, district general secretary Sushil Kumar , district secretary Ajay Chandel, district spokesman Balbir Pandey and former NSUI state spokesman and member, State Election Publicity Committee, Sanjay Guleria, said the BJP had given assurance to the oustees that it would solve their rehabilitation problems within six months of coming to power, but it had not solved a single problem while its five-year tenure is now coming to an end. Bilaspur is a district of lakhs of dam oustees and the BJP has always exploited their votes for its benefit during elections and now the time has come when the Congress leaders should take this problem seriously and give an assurance to them if it really wants to get their support, the leaders added.

The leaders urged the state Congress leaders to be specific to ensure that the much-publicised Berry Dadollan bridge is constructed between Berry Dadollan and Khairiyan and the district is given a ‘special status and special reservation quota’ in services and educational institutes.

The leaders added that the district should be given a special economic package to solve its particular problems, arising out of uprooting due to formation of Gobind Sagar behind the Bhakra dam wall.

Bilaspur, October 23
With no top leader taking any interest in “damage control” after the declaration of candidates here, an open rebellion seems to be brewing in the Congress in the Bilaspur Sadar constituency. Former zila parishad member and now state Congress committee member Jitender Chandel declared here recently emphatically to fight election as an Independent against official candidate Bambar Thakur.

Addressing mediapersons, Chandel, a staunch supporter of Kaul Singh Thakur, is now a Congress rebel candidate from here, said that there was “great resentment among all Congress men” here against ticket allotment.

Though Chandel claimed that he was being supported in his venture by at least five top Congress leaders of the constituency (who were also seeking tickets from here earlier), namely Bilaspur Sadar unit President Col (retd) AP Gauttam, prominent minority leader Saaber Deen (both supporters of Kaul Singh Thakur), former MLA Tilak Raj Sharma and prominent Dalit leader and zila parishad member Basant Ram Sandhu (both Virbhadra supporters), but both supporters of Virbhadra Singh, Tilak Raj Sharma and Basant Ram Sandhu were conspicuous by their absence while only Colonel Gauttam and Saaber Deen were present at this press conference along with some 12 other party activists.

Absence of Tilak Raj Sharma and Basant Ram Sandhu from the press conference was not explained.

Chandel said he was also collaborating with some other “Congress men” to ensure that all other three Assembly segments of this district also had strong “rebel contestants” in the field against the official Congress candidate to ensure defeat of that candidate. 

The Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) organised an innovative workshop (see photo) in collaboration with the Bridging The Gap Together (BTGT) for nurturing trainers as agents of change so that they act as a catalyst for nation building and inclusive growth. The three-day exercise was conducted at the Industrial Training Institute, Bilaspur, with an objective of developing a trainer as a “lifelong learner” and “reflective practitioner” which can help promote sustainability, thereby enabling them to act as agents of change. The IMC (Institute Management Committee) provided all the support which could play an important role in bringing about social innovation through an empirical model of change at the grassroots level.

The initiative is the brainchild of Director of Education Vijay Chandan who conceptualised this workshop with BTGT as research and innovation partner. He advised trainers “to make students more competent and establish Himachal as a brand name for sourcing trustful and hardworking skilled persons.”

The Head of BTGT , Vivek Raheja, said the world was changing very fast and the trainees of ITIs needed to be ready according to the global requirements. ITI as a learning centre was one of the most effective and sustainable ways to create an effective vocational organisation.

The action and research-based workshop was attended by 24 trainers. They understood the six pillars of learning organisation evolved by BTGT and felt empowered with the opportunity to participate, interact and learn from each other.

Community health initiative

As part of its community service initiative towards ensuring health and well being of the citizens, the Rotary Club, Shimla Midtown, organised a free skin and hair check-up camp in the state capital at Indira Gandhi Khel Parisar, Shimla, in association with Chandigarh-based Aura Skin Clinic and Medispa early this week.

Inaugurating the camp Governor Urmila Singh appreciated the effort and said that more such initiatives were required especially in the tribal areas like Kinnaur.

A team led by Dr Suruchi Gupta, MD Dermatology, PGI, Chandigarh, and Chief Consultant and Director, Aura Skin Clinic & MediSpa, made people aware of the growing skin problems and suggested preventive measures and proper treatment. Apart from free skin consultation, a complimentary skin analysis was conducted using state-of-the-art fully automatic technology for moisture content, oil content, pore size, pigmentation, wrinkles and their depth. Skin analyser equipment gives very precise and reliable results in a very simple test lasting five to 10 minutes. President of the club Aparna Negi said efforts would be made to have more such camps in the state soon.

Changed election scene

A strict vigil on misuse of money power and enforcement of the model code of conduct by the Election Commission of India (ECI) has totally changed the election scene in the state.

While the noise of loud speakers, poster war and several other activities are missing this time, people who made quick money at election time are finding themselves at a loss. The ECI has appointed special observers to keep a sharp eye on electioneering and expenses incurred by the candidates and special emphasis is being laid on curbing the use of illegal money.

To keep a check on paid news during the elections, several measures have been taken by the ECI. These measures have definitely reformed electioneering to some extent but expenditure during the elections has increased manifold, feel many people. The question being asked is if election expenses have been curtailed then why the politicians are collecting money?

(Contributed by Rakesh Lohumi & DP Gupta)

Bhont, October 23
Residents of Bhont near the hill resort of Shimla thronged to see the traditional fighting of buffaloes. The event is held to please local deities, preserve traditions and religious beliefs of the rural areas. Villagers from far off places brought their buffaloes and provoked them to engage in duels. The fair was organised to pay tribute to local deity Nag and Hindu god Saturn for peace and prosperity and to preserve the century old tradition.

“This fair is a centuries old tradition and will continue in the upcoming times as well. Our elders have told us that watching buffalo fight brings good fortune. It also provides good entertainment for people. People come from the far-flung areas to participate in the fair,” said Baldev, one of the organisers. The buffalo fighting fair showcased the traditional religious beliefs prevailing in the rural areas.

The sport of buffalo fighting is considered to be an entertaining activity for the spectators who cheer in anticipation when the specially reared animals are brought to the ring. “Another belief attached to the fair is that all women who do not have children are able to conceive after watching this fair,” Jeet Ram, a resident, said.

The locals celebrate this fair with fervour and zeal with active participation of elders as well as children.

The traditional fair is centuries old event in which two buffaloes are made to fight for the honour of an area, till one of them is pushed out of the field. —ANI

Dalhousie, October 23
Even after his retirement from the NHPC as Director (Projects), he is not tired but rendering more services instead. Recently, he made arduous efforts in getting constructed an edifice of ‘Antarnirmaan’, a unique spiritual centre of its own kind under the aegis of the Yog Manav Vikas Trust at Sukrain Bain (Banikhet) near the Dalhousie hill station.

SK Dodeja is an engineer and is now working as the chief patron of the Yog Manav Vikas Trust in Chamba district. He has been conferred with the Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP)-Shanti Yadav Mohan Award at the sixth International Research and Development Conference in Lucknow for his commendable contribution to the energy sector in India.

During his service in the NHPC, Dodeja brought kudos to the NHPC by completing and commissioning hydropower projects much ahead of schedule, thereby saving crores of rupees to the exchequer. Awards have been given to Indira Sagar Hydroelectric Project for the early completion of unit-7 and unit-5 (125 MW each) of the project much ahead of schedule. Similarly, the 300 MW Chamera hydroelectric project (Stage-II) in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh was also commissioned in four and a half years against its completion expected in about eight years.

Dodeja was also honoured by the Raj Bhasha Shikhar-2006 Award by the Madhya Pradesh Raj Bhasha Prachar Samiti.

Dodeja has authored some spiritual books in Hindi, including “Yog Manav” and “Kuchh Adhyatmic Sutra”. 

Bilaspur, October 23
With BJP fielding scribe-turned-trader cum RSS activist Rajender Garga from Ghumarwin, a close triangular contest between Garga and the two Dharmanis, Rajesh Dharmani of Congress and KD Dharmani of Lokhit Party (LHP), all from nearby villages of Ghumarwin town, is imminent with a host of Independents also in the fray.

Rajesh Dharmani, a social activist, who is a known supporter of central minister Anand Sharma, had won the last assembly election on a Congress ticket, defeating his nearest rival and two-time MLA and BJP leader Karam Dev Dharmani with a margin of 1,931 votes.

Karam Dev Dharmani, an advocate, parted ways with state BJP when he was denied primary membership by the BJP high command, inspite of remained district president and also vice-chairman of the state 20-pt implementation committee in the earlier BJP Dhumal-led government earlier.

Due to medical reasons, KD was out of the political scene, but for the last two years, he has been active and has now become state vice-president of the HLP. The constituency would see a very keen contest as Kashmir Singh Thakur, a former Virbhadra loyalist and prominent Congress leader, has declared to fight as an Independent candidate. He would certainly eat into the Congress vote, nevertheless a win seems far without Virbhadra’s support. — OC