Pranab Mukherjee is 5th President to visit Haridwar
Rajendra Prasad visited the pilgrim city thrice
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, December 9
With today’s visit by Pranab Mukherjee to Haridwar, the pilgrim city has now witnessed five Presidents who have put their foot on this holy land. The first President to have visited Haridwar was the very first President of the country, Rajendra Prasad, who, in fact, came thrice to the city.

Rajendra Prasad made all his trips to Haridwar while holding this highest constitutional post. He first came to Haridwar in 1950 when he was invited as chief guest at the convocation ceremony of Gurukul Kangri University.

Vice Chancellor of Gurukul Kangri University Swatantra Kumar told TNS that the speech of the then President Rajendra Prasad was kept in the archive museum of Gurukul Kangri University with photographs.

Later, during his second stint as President, Rajendra Prasad also visited Haridwar, taking a holy Ganga dip Notably, Rajendra Prasad is the lone President who has taken a holy Ganga dip in the Kumbh city, while being in this coveted post.

This time Pranab Mukherjee as the 13th President of India was scheduled to take a holy dip in the mother Ganga, for which arrangements were made at the VIP ghat, opposite to the sanctum sanctorum of Braham Kund, Har-ki-Pauri.

But later this programme was cancelled from the President’s tour plan due to unspecified reasons. Otherwise, this would have made Pranab Mukherjee only the second President to have taken a holy bathe in the Ganga river in Haridwar.

Fourth President of India VV Giri came to Kumbh city in 1968 to take part in the centenary celebration of formation of Haridwar Municipal Committee. Notably, Haridwar municipality was constituted in 1868, which at that time included villages of Mayapur and Kankhal.

Now, Haridwar Municipal Committee has been upgraded to Municipal Corporation status.

First Sikh President of India, Gyani Zail Singh, had a deep attachment with Haridwar as he visited the city twice, once as President of India, when he inaugurated charitable hospital Har Milap Mission, Mayapur, and later in the early 90s, Mittal Dham Ashram in Kankhal.

Missile man and 11th President of India APJ Abdul Kalam also graced the Dev Sanskriti University's 2nd convocation ceremony in 2006, making it the fourth President to visit Haridwar.

Now President Pranab Mukherjee, President number 5, is visiting Haridwar, and the local people are quite excited about this visit.

Special award for Japanese social activist, Ph.D degree for Italian
Hindi writer Narendra Kohli gets D.Lit
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, December 9
President of India Pranab Mukherjee today conferred a special award to Japan-based Matsudo Yashuhiro for contribution to social causes, Ph.D to Italy-based Macro Fenni and D.Lit to Hindi writer Narendra Kohli. The Tribune talked to these dignitaries after being bestowed degrees by President Mukherjee at the 4th convocation ceremony of Dev Sanskriti University.

Active philanthropist Matsuda Yashuhiro, hailing from Japan, has been working for the welfare of society for the past few decades. For his contribution to society, Dev Sanskriti University honoured him with a special felicitation award given by President of India Pranab Mukherjee.

Yashuhiro has been focusing on younger generation, specifically nurturing their minds by providing them ideal environment, educational and financial assistance.

Talking to The Tribune, Matsudo Yashuhiro informed that he wanted to open 10,000 primary level schools in India where poor and downtrodden children will be provided education at minimum cost.

For this he was planning a tie-up between Shantikunj Gayatri Parivar and these schools, focusing on Vedic knowledge in sync with Dev Sanskriti University pattern.

“Holistic, selfless lifestyle is the best which will propagate only happiness and overall development of all strata of society. Vedic spirit and knowledge is the best tool to change society, where positivity will eradicate negativity,”said Matsudo Yashuhiro.

Founder and President of Centro Study Bhakti Vedanta Macro Fenni, an Italian, has been visiting India for quite a long time. Macro Fenni has done Ph.D in Hindu Vedic Psychology from an American university, the degree of which was today conferred by President Mukherjee on him, for which he extensively visited India and carried out a deep research.

Fenni also visits sacred Hindu sites, meets saints, religious pundits, common people, reads Vedic textures and attends religious seminars to get expertise in spirituality and Vedas.

In conversation with TNS, Macro Fenni said that in collaboration with Italian universities, he holds lectures, courses, conferences, seminars in various universities, cultural institutions and hospitals to apprise the people of Vedic-yoga impact on one’s mind, soul and body.

Feeling quite overwhelmed for being felicitated by the President of India, Fenni said that this is a moment to cherish, which will only propel him to work for the people.

Sialkot born Narendra Kohli is a renowned Hindi language author, who is regarded as a veteran in epic writing. Credited with reinventing the ancient form of epic writing in modern prose, Kohli was quite humble when questioned after receiving the D.Lit degree from the President.

He stated that it’s recognition of his hard work which he cherished and not himself as he has still loads of work to be taken and compiled.

Kohli said that unless the country gets rid of casteism, India can’t be called fully developed and his mission will also not get completed. Kohlil said that one should learn from history, and students need to be motivated to take the initiative of spreading positive thoughts.

Dehradun Diary
Indira Hridayesh’s statement on permanent residents kicks up controversy
Statehood agitators feel original ones will be denied benefits
SMA Kazmi
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 9
The statement by Uttarakhand Parliamentary Affairs Minister Indira Hridayesh regarding the cut-off date of November 9, 2000, for being the permanent residents of the state, in the ongoing session of the state Assembly, has created a fresh controversy on the sensitive issue.

On a question asked by legislator Adesh Chauhan, Indira Hridayesh had replied that all those living within the boundaries of Uttarakhand on the day of formation of the state on November 9, 2000, would be considered as permanent residents of the state. This has infuriated statehood agitators, who allege that this would deprive the original residents of the state the benefits of jobs and reservations. The issue had agitated the minds of the people since the formation of the state since all those living in the Terai regions of the state were having problems in getting caste certificates in the absence of proving themselves as permanent residents.

Those opposing the state government move claimed that only those who were residents of the state since 1950 should be considered as the permanent residents. The statehood agitators claim that the main aim of a fight for a separate state was to get justice in jobs, opportunities and reservations for the permanent residents residing in the area since generations, but the present decision would further isolate them as others who had come to reside in Uttarakhand boundaries in the past 50 years would corner all the benefits at the expense of original inhabitants.

However, for any state government, it would have been impossible politically to ignore the demand of a large population of the state residing in the populated Terai regions of the state since decades to get permanent residentship and resultant benefits since they are for all practical purposes residents of the state. Moreover, the younger generations of such residents who came to reside in Uttarakhand area during the past 40 years, born and brought up within the boundaries of Uttarakhand, found themselves in a no man's land. The decision would benefit them, giving them equal opportunities. To top it all, the state Congress government has tried to put an end to the controversy by declaring the cut-off date as November 9, 2000, since a majority of the Assembly seats are concentrated in the Terai regions of Kumaon and Garhwal, which play a decisive role in any election.

Some of the statehood agitators and Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (P) members have started an agitation on the issue and also planned to move the High Court and Supreme Court against the state government decision. The main Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not officially opposed the decision but some of their leaders are opposing the move. Practically, it would be difficult for the party to take a stand against the decision.

After the conclusion of the ongoing Assembly session, there are expectations that nearly half a dozen Congress party legislators would be given responsibilities of various boards and corporations.

The state Chief Minister, Vijay Bahuguna, has given indications that the exercise would be done after December 14. Despite being in power for the past nearly nine months, the Congress legislators could not get these positions due to a variety of reasons.

Infighting between various factions, two byelections of Sitarganj and then Tehri Lok Sabha, and delay by the party high command to clear the names of the contenders delayed the matter. The ruling party legislators were getting desperate as even senior party workers had been exerting pressure on the Chief Minister to get them adjusted.

However, Congress general secretary and in-charge Uttarakhand affairs Birender Singh categorically stated that there would be no wholesale distribution of such positions as done under the previous Congress regime of Tewari. Even Chief Minister Vijya Bahuguna wants to keep the number of such positions less. It was expected that half a dozen Congress legislators would be given these responsibilities soon.

Small hydro projects to generate additional 150 MW: UJVNL chief
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 9
The small hydropower projects in the state will generate additional 150 MW power by the year 2015. Besides this, a detailed report of 12 new projects is being prepared as well, which will contribute 75 MW in the long term.

Chairperson of Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited Subhash Kumar, who had been Chief Secretary and at present holding an additional charge of head of the board of revenue, is making good use of his discretionary power to fasten work on these hydropower projects in the state. He said he recently visited the construction sites of these SHPs and monitored their progress.

He had instructed the District Magistrate of the concerned districts where these projects were undergoing construction to not only supervise the progress but also keep updating him about

it time to time. Subhash Kumar said he had also instructed the Commissioner as well in this regard. The officials of the Forest Department, too, had been warned not to delay any clearance or obstruct work regarding these projects. The delay caused by contractors, Reddy brothers, who had been given a few hydropower projects, had been given warning and directed to communicate with Subhash Kumar and others only through landline, to ensure that they were always at the construction site.

With these precautionary measures taken up at the highest level, which will have widespread effect, the work on SHPs is bound to meet the deadline. "Once these SHPs start generating power, they will add up 984 MU on an annual basis. The capacity of those projects which have been taken up under renovation and modernisation will also be generating 20 pc more energy in the state," Subhash Kumar added.

Assi Ganga-1 project suffered damage to the extent of 35 pc in the current devastation in the state due to cloudburst. Despite that, three SHPs, Assi Ganga-1,2,3, Urgam and Swarigaad will be ready by July. Kali Ganga and Madhmaheshwar will, however, operate by 2014. The DPR of Bhilanganga 1, 2 and 3 projects, which will be set up in Ghansali in Tehri, is being prepared as well.

Managing Director, UJVNL, GP Patel, said: "The work over Kali Ganga has been fastened. Kali Ganga-2 is 80 pc complete, while Madhmaheashwar is 30 pc complete. Dhunao project at Pauri is midway and Shobla is under construction as well. Galogi and Pathari are complete. Work on the Khatima project has started. The tender process for Kulhal, too, has begun. The department is engaged in preparations for holding tenders for Dhakrani and Dhalipur. This way, the sluggish pace of progress of SHPs will be checked.

Once these SHPs start generating power, they will add up to 984 MU on an annual basis. The capacity of those projects, which have been taken up under renovation and modernisation, will also be generating 20 per cent more energy in the state. — Subhash Kumar, chairperson, UJVNL

Himalayas on list of biodiversity hot spots
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, December 9
"The Himalayas has been included in the list of the 34 areas of the world which have rich and original biodiversity, as 125 species of flora found in this region are found nowhere else,” said Dr LMS Palni, Director, Himalayan Paryavaran Avm Vikash Sansthan, Almora.

Speaking as the chief speaker at the 11th Pt Nain Singh memorial annual lecture organised by the geography department of Kumaon University at Nainital yesterday, Dr Palni said the time had come to save this precious treasure. “The 2,400-km long and 204 km wide area from Afghanistan to Myanmar on the northern borders of the country is known as the Himalayas. The region includes 10 Indian states completely and two states partially in its periphery. Today, the local vegetables of the Himalayan region are facing danger of extinction due to inefficient ways of preservation,” said Dr Palni.

The 11the Pt Nain Singh memorial lecture, held in remembrance of the great Indian explorer of Tibet in the 19th century, was initiated by an NGO called ‘Pahar’, started by Shekhar Pathak, a retired professor of history in Kumaon University. Pt Nain Singh was a resident of Munsiyari in Pithoragarh district.

“The world has awakened to the danger looming large on biodiversity world over, as decade 2011-2020 is being celebrated as the international decade of biodiversity by world bodies,” said Dr Palni.

Elaborating on the contribution of Pt Nain Singh, Dr Pathak said Nain Singh was the first man to explore Tibet despite all odds he faced during his trip to that country.

“Owing to his great contribution in exploring Tibet, he Royal Geographical Society had awarded him fellowship,” said Dr Pathak.

Punjabi Mahasabha constituted in Mussoorie
MPS Khurana named president, Subodh Kapoor gen secy
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, December 9
The announcement of Mussoorie Punjabi Mahasabha was greeted with a thunderous applause by the gathered members of Punjabi Community at a hotel in Mussoorie today. MPS Khurana was named as the president of the Punjabi Mahasabha, while Subodh Kapoor was nominated general secretary unanimously on the occasion.

The other office-bearers nominated were GS Manchanda as senior vice-president, Narendar Sahni as vice-president, Raman Arora as additional general secretary, Kamal Jeet Singh as treasurer, Inderjeet Singh as junior vice president, Sandeep Sahni as PRO, Harish Kalra as media in-charge, Ranbir Singh and Parminder Ratan Singh as legal advisers.

Paramjeet Singh Kohli, Naresh Anand, Mohinder Singh, Devindar Kalra, Trilochan Singh, Harbhajan Singh Chadda, Sukhwinder Singh, Harjinder Singh, Pramod Kapoor and Jasvir Kaur were elected members of the executive community on the occasion.

The newly elected executive members thanked the community for reposing faith in them and said that the community will be celebrating the forthcoming Lorhi festival with fervour and gaiety.

They also said that the community members would actively take part in various social activities in the town in the near future.

The newly elected president MPS Khurana said he would be working in the interest of the community during his tenure in the town.

Kamleshwari Mishra’s poetry book released

Dehradun, December 9
Secretary, Pitambar Dutt of Badhthwal Hindi Academy, released litterateur Kamleshwari Mishra’s poetry book 'Drishya Bunte Hue' in the city today. The book contains 102 poems on various social and political issues. Mishra said: “My poems reflect varied themes which range from state of victims of natural disaster, anguish at felling of trees and neglect of wild animals in the name of development to the condition of poor people.

I have expressed my disgust towards the political class for failing to live up to the high values and ethos of service. They are far removed from the hardships of the common man.” She said the poems were written in a span of three months.

It is Mishra’s fourth book. His earlier works have been poetry books entitled 'Surbhit Samir,' 'Dharti ki Nabaz' and 'Hatheli me Lehre.’

It is not only poetry which is her genre to express herself, but the articles written for various newspapers and songs, weaved into her poems, have been prolific mediums as well. Her tryst with poetry started way back in 1980 when she said: “It just happened that a thought struck me in the middle of the night and something pulled me inside to pick the pen and put those words on to the paper. That day onward, I have been marching ahead in my literary odyssey.” She gave loads of credit to her husband Avdhesh Kumar Mishra, retired Post Master. Mishra said: “My husband had been encouraging me to continue writing. It is he who has always taken the initiative in the compilation of my poems into books. My boys ‘ confidence in my talent spurs me to continue writing.” — TNS

Sowing of Rabi crop delayed due to lack of rain
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, December 9
Sowing of the Rabi crop has been delayed in 44,000 hectares in Almora district as the moisture necessary to sow the crop is absent. The sowing had already been delayed by one month due to the absence of rain, agriculture scientists in Almora said.

“The sowing of Rabi crop, which should have been completed by November 10, has not even started in most of the part of the district. This has affected the entire area under the Rabi crop. Out of 44,000 hectares under the Rabi crop in the district, only 4,000 is under irrigation,” said Dr Abhay Saxena, district agriculture officer, Almora.

The agriculture officer said as mixed agriculture methods were adopted by hill farmers, gram, pea, barley, mustard and other oil rich crops have also been affected by the delay in rain. “To sow the Rabi crop in time, we need at least 25 mm of rainfall till December. If this does not happen, the crop is bound to be affected this year,” said Saxena.

The agriculture scientists have also advised the hill farmers to adopt commercial crops in place of traditional crops. “If the hill farmers resort to the production of spices, herbs, vegetables, along with animal husbandry, they can save themselves from heavy losses cause due to the delay in rain and menace of wild animals.” said Dr BS Bisht, deputy general manager, National Bank of Agricultural and Rural Development.

Urdu diploma certificate distribution programme
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 9
The National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language organised an Urdu diploma certificate distribution programme where 68 diplomas were presented to students who qualified in the Urdu examinations. A total of 12 students who scored more than 75 per cent marks in the said examination were awarded merit certificates. Four teachers who conducted courses were also honoured on the occasion.

S. Farooq, a social activist, presided over the function on the occasion and conveyed his greetings to all the successful candidates. He said that Urdu was one of the sweetest Indian languages, which was developed during Mughal period to give one language to united India.

He said Urdu was a language of aam admi spoken in most parts of the subcontinent and so it is known as the second most spoken language of the world. Bushra Rizvi, who was the guest of honour, emphasised on the promotion of Urdu language. Mufti Saleem Ahmad, Shagufta and Wasiullah also participated in the programme and presented their views. RA Haqqani thanked the guests and greeted the students.