No relief for victims’ kin from other states
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 19
The state coffers that are open for providing succour to the next of kin of persons who went missing from Uttarakhand may not be on offer for the next of kin of persons who came from 19 states and met the same fate in the natural calamity that occurred two months ago.

While the Uttarakhand government is disbursing Rs 5 lakh each (comprising share from three sources, Rs 2 lakh from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund, Rs 1.50 lakh from the National Disaster Relief Fund NDRF and Rs 1.50 lakh from State Disaster Relief Fund ) to the family members of missing persons (presumed dead) hailing from Uttarakhand, it may not after all disburse it’s share of Rs 1.50 lakh to the next of kin of persons, who belong to other states and, too, went missing, ultimately forfeiting the rights of more than 3000 persons who may have been lost to eternity.

Ironically, it was the grief of scores of people hailing from 19 states that were either trapped in Kedarnath or went missing in the mid-June deluge that moved the nation into action and monetary relief poured in from all quarters.

A mere Rs 1.50 lakh per person would not have depleted the state's coffers, but it seems the state has made up it’s mind to do just that.

“The Uttarakhand government would disburse only Rs 3.50 lakh minus the state government’s share to the families of persons hailing from other states who went missing in the deluge as ex-gratia relief. The government order would be issued shortly,” said Subhash Kumar, Chief Secretary, Uttarakhand.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, there was a hazy picture regarding the government’s intention to deliver equitable ex-gratia relief to the family members of all the missing persons, irrespective from whichever state they came from.

In the beginning the Department of Disaster Management continued to maintain that the state would disburse Rs 5 lakh as ex-gratia to the kin of missing persons.

But soon sources claim a contrary opinion emanating within the government that as other state governments were also chipping in and extending ex-gratia relief to their own people, Uttarakhand would do well to withhold it’s share, thereby saving that much of the relief money.

Interestingly, the state government in its package of Rs 13,844 crore submitted to the Central Government for approval has demanded an additional Rs 18,897 lakh as fund requirement for ex-gratia payment for kin of missing persons.

Yoga, meditation can check anger: Swami Chidanand
Ajay Ramola

Mussoorie, August 19
Responding to an article published in The Tribune titled “Demand to train public representatives in anger management gains momentum,” the spiritual head and president of Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh, Swami Chidanand Saraswati, termed the unnecessary exhibition of anger by the two politicians from national parties as unfortunate.

The Swami in a note sent to The Tribune today said that it was important to understand the space between an event/situation and “our response or reaction to it”. Explaining the need for anger management, the seer, quoting with example, said: “If somebody yells derogatory and obscene things to you and your hands rise up to slap or hit him, there is a subtle space between the event happening and your hands rising up in reaction to it. It is this space that needs to be expanded not merely by time but by awareness. By doing so, one takes hold of the reigns of our response in one’s own hands. In this way a reaction done without awareness can be converted/ transformed into an action carried out in the light of awareness,” said Swami Chidanand. Emphasising on meditation as the best tool for managing anger, he said that that this space between action and reaction could be expanded by the practise of meditation.

Swami Chidanand, elaborating further, said: “ I am not sure about the need of more spiritual leaders but I can say that all leaders can be certainly be spiritual. Political leaders or any leader can and must learn not to be a pawn of their reaction, their senses and their mind. They must practise and utilise the tools of meditation and yoga and become leaders of competence.”

He said: “If we want to be torch bearers of peace, we must first become rivers of love, dousing all flames of discord in the water of our own compassion and serenity. If you are in pieces, than all you share is pieces but when you are in peace than you manifest and exude only peace.”

Swami also opined that the challenging part of being a leader is realising and being a river of peace but it is not impossible and one can attain the control through knowledge and yoga and tread on the path of selfless service to humanity with ease. Swami Chidanand also suggested that just as corporate social responsibility, there is leader social responsibility (LSR) as well as human social responsibility. ''As part of LSR, one's actions are a reflection of our leadership and our ability to serve, and, thus, certainly resources and wisdom which our wise rishis, saints and gurus have passed on to us, we must utilise every day. Also as part of LSR and HSR every leader and every citizen of India needs to understand that they are reflections of their country and that their actions and their words reflect upon the nation. Therefore, when this responsibility dawns on us then only can we bring about true progress and 'vikas' of our country. Vikas is not merely about constructing a building or a hotel. It is also about building character and nurturing human values of compassion, love, forgiveness.

“When we stop to think not just about myself, my house, my land, my personal insult, etc and when we start thinking about the collective, such as my responsibility to my state, my nation and the world, then we transform illness to wellness. This transformation is the true celebration of our independence and liberty, which is the need of the hour and the need of the nation,” he added.

If somebody yells derogatory and obscene things to you and your hands rise up to slap or hit him, there is a subtle space between the event happening and your hands rising up in reaction to it. It is this space that needs to be expanded not merely by time but by awareness. By doing so, one takes hold of the reigns of our response in one’s own hands. In this way a reaction done without awareness can be converted or transformed into an action done with awareness.
— Swami Chidanand Saraswati, Parmarth Niketan Ashram

Govt to relax relief norms for areas affected by disaster
Tribune News service

Dehradun, August 19
The Uttarakhand government will relax the compensation and relief norms for the disaster-affected areas in the state. A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the legislators of Congress and alliance partner parties held at the Chief Minister's residence here today.

All Congress legislators and ministers belonging to the Congress-led alliance participated in the marathon meeting. The ruling party legislators belonging to the Assembly segments, which were worst affected by the natural disaster that struck the state on June 15 and 16, were unhappy with the relief and rehabilitation efforts being undertaken by the state government.

Some of the ruling party legislators were critical of the slow pace of relief and rehabilitation efforts and the attitude of the state bureaucracy towards the woes of the affected population. Some of the legislators reportedly raised questions about the powers given to the state officials to assess the damage and distribute relief amount for the loss of property.

Bahuguna assured that norms would be relaxed and announced that the district-level committees having local legislators and MPs as members would act as appellate body for relief and compensation amount. He said that anyone dissatisfied with the compensation amount for the loss of property or land could approach these committees and appeal against the decision. He also announced enhanced compensation for loss of mules and animals.

Dhirendra Pratap, Uttarakhand Congress spokesperson, said that the meeting ended on cordial note and a firm resolve to speed up the relief and rehabilitation efforts in the disaster-affected areas with the active support of local legislators.

Sanjay Kapoor, co-in charge of the party affairs, also attended the meeting as Ambika Soni, general secretary, in charge, could not attend the meeting.

Lions Club offers help for disaster-hit
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, August 19
The Lions Club wishes to provide relief and rehabilitation to disaster-affected people of the state. This was stated by Lions Club International vice president Naresh Aggarwal on a visit to Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Swargashram, Pauri Garhwal.

Along with Aggarwal, a 60-member delegation representing states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh were also present. Lions Club International delegates also enquired from ashram representatives about the impact of flash floods in the state.

Welcoming the delegation, office-bearer of Parmarth Ashram Ram Mahesh Mishra said the Lions Club International had made its name worldwide in the field of social service and the people of the state need relief which can ably be provided by such social organisations.

“We are committed to cooperate with Ganga Action Family (Parmarth) in various relief aid programmes to be held for the betterment of disaster-affected families,” said Aggarwal.

MNREGA workers hold protest march
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 19
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGA) workers here today organised a protest march in support of their demands. The protest during the peak hours in the afternoon led to traffic jams.

The march started from Lansdowne Chowk. The protesters raised slogans against the government and accused it of ignoring their genuine demands.

They are demanding a hike in the salaries of technical supporters from Rs 8,700 to Rs 22,000, data entry operators from Rs 7,250 to Rs 18,000 and project officers from Rs 12,000 to Rs 28,000.

They said MGNREGA workers whose services had been terminated should be reinstated at the earliest.

State president of the workers’ association Rajendra Prasad Nautiyal led the march.

Vehicles were stranded between Darshan Lal Chowk and Rajpur Road for hours due to the march. City residents had to suffer a lot last Saturday as well when the workers had held a rally in the city.

The MNREGA workers are protesting for their demand of increasing daily wages.

Leaders plead for rehab work in their areas on priority
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 19
The rehabilitation and resettlement of villages falling in the landslide zone in the aftermath of the mid-June natural calamity is expected to acquire political overtones with leaders pressurising the government to give priority to their villages.

While the government has earmarked around 433 villages affected by the landslides in the past natural disasters, around 71 new villages too have been earmarked after the mid-June calamity. Their rehabilitation is expected to prove tricky for the Department of Disaster Management.

The rehabilitation and resettlement policy of 2011, states that priority would be given to those villages, where the life of villagers is in danger. But, in the face of pressure mounted by the politicians this clause may not be adhered too, “The first priority should be given to the villagers of Kedarnath that bore the maximum brunt of the deluge and require rehabilitation so that they can resume their lives,” said Shaila Rani Rawat, Congress MLA from Kedarnath.

Similarly, BJP leader BS Koshiyari has also demanded that the villages of Munsiyari and Pithoragarh be given the priority, “The villagers cannot live in these villages any more and should be settled in the Tearai region,” said Koshiyari.

Amid clamour for rehabilitation, the Geological Survey of India has completed a survey of Kedarnath Dham. It is also doing a survey of 22 other villages in Rudraprayag. The state government has also tasked its Geology and Mining Unit to do a complete survey for rehabilitation work and the department is expected to present its report in six months.

“Our priority is to first do a complete survey so that an estimate could be made of the finances required to rehabilitate families. Efforts would be to rehabilitate them in safe areas and near their villages,” said Piyoosh Rautela Executive Director, Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre.

ONGC Officers’ Mahila Samiti celebrates Teej
Tribune News service

Dehradun, August 19
ONGC Officers' Mahila Samiti organised Teej festival that was celebrated with much fanfare and enthusiasm here today. Rekha Vasudeva, chief patron, ONGC Officers' Mahila Samiti, was the chief guest on the occasion.

A modelling competition in two categories was the highlight of the celebrations that held the audience spellbound. Draped in attractive green Indian attire and laden with glittering ornaments, the enthusiasm of the participants was worth watching. They enjoyed every moment of the celebrations. Kazri song was presented by a group of participants and traditional songs were sung by others.

Whereas Kiran Agrahary, Daisy Hazarika and Kusum Bhatia were adjudged the winners in the below 50 category, Renu Goel, Rita Malhotra and Kamla Ramola were the winners in the above 50 category. All participants were given consolation prizes.

Shyamla Saharia, president of the samiti, informed that the Teej festival was celebrated with the same zeal and enthusiasm every year. She opined that in today’s busy life people tend to forget their culture and traditions. Therefore, these types of celebrations were essential for nurturing the traditions. Manju Sar, vice-president, Poonam Sehgal, secretary, Rita Saksena, joint secretary, Anshu Suri, treasurer, Kalpana Sharma and Minakshi Bhatnagar, Lata Shukla, Kusam Bhatia, Sweety Dhupar, Samta Jain, Monika Dheer, Sarita Verma, Sanjeevani Bisht, Jyotsana Sharma and Julie Shalini, along with a large number of women, were present on the occasion.

Clan chiefs oppose plan to play ‘Bagwal’ with rubber balls
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, August 19
Chiefs of four traditional clans of the Kali Kumaon region, who take part in the traditional stone-pelting festival of “Bagwal”, today demonstrated against the proposal of the district administration which is based on the high court advice that the stone war festival of “Bagwal” be played with rubber balls instead of stones to avoid inessential injuries.

Champawat district administration sources said it had been discussed at a meeting with villagers two days earlier that the bloodshedding festival be played with rubber balls and the blood to be given to the Goddess be instead donated to the disaster victims undergoing treatment in hospitals.

“At the meeting with the mandir committee, we said that the symbolic festival be treated with formality only as the times have changed since in was started thousands of years ago,” said a district administration representative.

The stone-pelting festival is scheduled at Devidhura temple of Barahi Devi tomorrow.

The villagers are adamant to play with stones and not stop till the required quantity of blood is shed from the injuries of the volunteers. “We have been offering our blood to the sacred Goddess for thousands of years and we cannot break the tradition merely on the orders of administration or any other body,” said Trilok Singh Chamyal, chief of the Gaharwal clan of Devidhura.

The four chiefs of the traditional clans of the area said due to the tradition of offering of the blood to the deity, their area has remained free from any fear of calamities, wild attacks and infectious diseases, as the deity Barahi has been blessing the people after the stone-pelting festival is played every year.

“No one has ever been injured or died in this stone-pelting since the festival started centuries ago,” said the Gaharwal clan chief.

Volunteers from the four principal clans of Gaharwal, Chamyal, Balig and Singwal have been taking part in this traditional festival.

Temple committee members said they were trying to appease the villagers on the advice of the high court for which a meeting has been called by the committee. “We have to take a decision for respecting the high court advice amid threats of the villagers that they will stand up against the district administration, if the proposal of playing the festival with stones is not upheld,” said Laxam Singh Lamgaria, patron of the Devidhura temple committee.

Faith play

• Stone-pelting festival to be held at Devidhura temple on Tuesday
• Villagers are adamant to play with stones and offer their blood from injuries to the goddess
• Volunteers from four clans of Gaharwal, Chamyal, Balig and Singwal take part in this traditional festival
• They believe offering of blood to the deity Barahi keeps their area free from calamities, wild animal attacks and infectious diseases

Jan Sangharsh Morcha delegation meets Qureshi 
Tribune News service

Dehradun, August 19
A six-member delegation of Jan Sangharsh Morcha led by its president Raghunath Singh Negi met Governor Dr Aziz Qureshi today and submitted a memorandum to him.

The delegation requested the Governor to direct the government to ensure that local youth were given jobs in industrial units in the state on the basis of domicile certificate attested by the ADM and strictly follow the 70 per cent reservation for local people in appointments.

Meanwhile, Navneet Kumar Kalra of Congress Sewa Dal from Delhi and his colleaugues also met the Governor.

BRO expects to restore connectivity by October
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 19
By October this year, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) expects to restore connectivity along all major road networks in Uttarakhand which were damaged by flashfloods in June.

A total of about 48 kilometres of road formation in stretches on various roads of strategic importance was washed out. The BRO, which is the nodal agency responsible for carrying out repair of roads in flashflood-affected areas, has so far restored about 17 kilometres of road length.

Unprecedented floods caused due to heavy rains and cloudbursts in the upper reaches of Uttarakhand on June 16 and 17 had severely affected the popular pilgrimage centre of Kedarnath and adjoining areas, flooding valleys and triggering landslides and causing immense loss of life and property. Thousands of tourists as well as locals had perished.

Till the first week of August, the National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC) had detected as many as 2,266 landslides through satellite imagery along the river valleys of Mandakini, Basuki Ganga, Mandani, Kali, Madhyamaheshwar, Bhillangana and parts of Alaknanda and its tributaries like Kalpa Ganga and Kalapani Gad from Srinagar to Chamoli and parts of Bhagirathi around the Gangotri.

The major towns included in this area are Kedarnath, Sonprayag, Gaurikund, Okhimath, Guptkashi, Mansuna, Phata, Agastmuni, Rudraprayag, Srinagar, Gauchar, Karnaprayag, Nandprayag, Chamoli, Jakhpur, Kalpeshwar and Gangotri. Some parts of the affected areas are still to be mapped for landslides.

Kedarnath, which witnesses a heavy tourist inflow during summers, being an important religious centre, was the worst-hit area. The ancient temple situated there is the major attraction.

A team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) visited the Kedarnath temple on August 2 and 3 to assess the damage to the structure. Overall, the temple structure was found in a fair state of conservation.

However, some portions of the temple on the northern, eastern and western sides indicate moderate signs of damage in the form of dislodged stones on the eastern and western façade, damage to the entrance doorways, bulge in western façade and settlement on the southern side. No signs of physical damage to the interior of the temple were visible, according to the Ministry of Culture.

Tibetan women celebrate Rakhi
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 19
Women members of the Tibetan community today celebrated festival of Raksha Bandhan at the Uttarakhand BJP headquarters.

The women members visited the headquarters and tied rakhis on the wrist of Uttarakhand BJP chief Teerath Singh Rawat and other party workers.

The BJP leader, Urba Dut,t said that the members of Tibetan Women's Association included president Tsering Yanjum, Tsering Dondan, Dolma and Ganga Dolma.

“It is a goodwill gesture. Last year too we had tied rakhi on the wrist of former president of BJP BS Chuphal and wished him a long life,” said Tsering Yanjum.

Tunda’s arrest: High alert in Champawat, US Nagar
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, August 19
The police is on high alert in Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar districts. It along with the Shahastra Seema Bal (SSB) has intensified patrolling on the Nepal border following the arrest of dreaded terrorist Abdul Karim Tunda from Banbasa last week.

“The arrested terrorist has disclosed during interrogation that he sneaked into India from Pakistan through Nepal. The police is on high alert following this incident as terrorists often use the Nepal border to enter India,” said PS Pangti, a police officer in Champawat district.

Pangti said the police and the SSB would launch a special drive to nab dubious people trying to sneak into India.

“Smugglers and anti-social elements have been active on the porous Nepal border for long,” he added.

The police knows that a 90 km area along the Nepal border in Champawat district is frequently used by anti-social elements for illegal activities as it has bus services to Delhi and other metros. “We have decided to start a special checking in buses plying in the district,” Pangti said. According to sources, the police in Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar was not aware of Tunda’s arrest from Banbasa on the Nepal border as the Delhi police had acted secretly.

“Our Police Department, besides various intelligence agencies operating on the Nepal border were unaware of the move of the Delhi police as it did not contact us for any information,” said GN Goswami, DIG, Kumaon range.

Jawans, students plant 100 saplings
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, August 19
Jawans of 127 Eco-Task Force and students of Help Junior School planted more than 100 saplings under the “My Earth My Duty” initiative at Senji village near Kempty today.

JCO, Eco-Task Force, Subedar Kailash Chandra Kotnala inaugurated the programme by planting a sapling. Addressing the students, Subedar Kotnala said the sapling sown by them now would take the shape of a tree later in their life, providing clean and fresh air to breath, besides making available fodder for the livestock. He appealed to the villagers to join hands in this noble cause.

Director, Himalaya Education Literacy Project, Manoj Daliya also assisted in the plantation drive here. He commended the efforts of the jawans towards making the region green. He said the plantation drive should be carried out on a war footing in the wake of the recent natural disaster.

Daliya said the "My Earth My Duty" initiative of the Eco-Task Force would help generate environmental awareness among youngsters.

Subedar Pradeep Singh, Nayab Subedar Kishan Singh, Headmaster Jitendar Danoshi, Pramod Rathi, Sanjay Katiya, Shanti Danoshi, Sunita Rathi, Pooja Rawat, Sashi Prasad and Surendar Singh were present on the occasion. 

Students gherao DAV College Principal
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 19
Students belonging to different student unions gheroed Principal of DAV PG College, Devendra Bhasin, on the issue of alleged Law entrance paper leak matter. The students raised concern over rise in such incidents in the college.

President of the students union, Mahesh Jagudi and general secretary, Nitin Chauhan were also present during the protest. The Principal assured the students that a letter would be sent to the DGP, as the matter was very sensitive.

The students said such incidents give bad name to the college.