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Back to Current File Nepali immigrants under the scanner in Uttaranchal Chamoli:
Protests by social workers notwithstanding, the Uttaranchal Government
is actively continuing with its campaign to verify the antecedents of
immigrants from Nepal. This step has been initiated because of the looming
threat from Maoist rebels in neighbouring Nepal, which shares a 250-km-long
border with Uttaranchal. The Maoists have often used the the forested
areas of Uttaranchal as hideouts and as points from where to launch
periodic attacks in Nepal. The crackdown on Nepali immigrants follows
a security alert for 20 suspected guerrillas who escaped from a prison
in Nepal's Mahendra Nagar district earlier this month. PR Chauhan, the
district officer of Chamoli, said that the rising number of Maoists
using fake identification in state is alarming. "The state government
has nullified the ration cards of 11 Nepalese till now. At the same
time, the divisional development officers and other concerned officers
have been given the charge of inspecting the ration cards of those Nepalese
living in the remote areas of the state," Chauhan said. Social workers,
however, have a different view. "It is a hurried decision on the part
of the government to cancel the ration cards of the Nepalese. It is
a big mistake. We have Nepalese who have been living in India for hundreds
of years, and they are known as Gorkhas. Also, the Eighth Schedule of
the Indian Constitution has recognised Nepali as a language. If the
government nullifies the ration cards of all Nepalese, then we strongly
oppose it," said Babbar Gurung, a social worker. Foreign tourists throng Manali resorts (Go To Top) Manali:
Foreign tourists throng the country's hilly resort of Manali leading
to an increase in revenue generation for the people of the region. Situated
at an altitude of 2200 metres, Manali is located on the banks of river
Beas. Right from adventure sports like para- gliding, river rafting,
skiing, trekking, mountaineering, ice skating to relaxing and sightseeing,
tourists have a wide range of options to choose from. Damneco, a French
tourist on her sixth visit to India, said that it was the people of
this picturesque little town who keep bringing her to the place. "I
think it's mostly due to the way of life of the people because they
are keeping their tradition and accepting modernity. People are always
smiling here and they look very happy. This is a big contrast when compared
to the people of my country," she said. After the Kargil war in 1999,
the industry was passing through a bad phase and Manali had almost become
a ghost town. Tourism slumped in the wake of the September 11, 2001
US terror attacks followed by tension between India and Pakistan running
through 2002. But, things have improved since then and there has been
a 15-20 percent rise in tourist arrivals. Himanshu, a travel agent in
Manali, whose business has seen a high, said tourism and hotel industry
has also seen improvement in services. "Two major things have taken
place following an increase in foreign tourists. One, our revenue increases
and secondly there is an improvement in services. Because we have foreign
clients, we have to provide international services. So, generally the
tourism infrastructure, in terms of human resources, improves with the
coming of foreign tourists," said Himanshu. Blessed with some of the
most spectacular and beautiful landscapes, Manali is a traveller's paradise
with lofty snow peaks, deep gorges, lush green valleys, fast flowing
rivers, enchanting mountain lakes, flower bedecked meadows, beautiful
temples and monasteries steeped in time. Anti-drug drive in Kullu (Go To Top) Kullu:
Himachal Pradesh has recently turned into a valley of drug addicts,
with a large number of youth involved in drug abuse. To check this,
the state government has launched an anti-drug campaign in the Kullu
district. In order to spread mass awareness about the harms of using
drugs, street plays are being held across the state. "Kids watch the
plays with great interest and when they go back home, they discuss it
with their family members. So, it does make a diference. I think that
even if that bring about a 10 percent change, it is working. Recently,
Kullu has earned a bad name due to the increasing use of drug, which
is not good," said Ramesh Kumar, an actor. Growing narcotic use among
young locals has been a serious cause of concern for the local police.
Smoking hashish has been part of the local culture for as long as anyone
can remember. "The message behind it is to spread awareness that drug
addiction is harmful and that it can cause a lot of harm to our lives,"
said Veer Singh, a school boy. Drugs production in Kullu is like a cottage
industry with cannabis grown by villagers, particularly in the valley
of river Parvati. Alongwith the locals a number of foreign tourists
are also reported to be into illegal drugs trade. Terror grips women, kids in J and K (Go To Top) Doda
(JandK): Fear and anxiety has gripped families across Jammu and
Kashmir as terrorists have reportedly been targetting women, most of
them wives of Indian soldiers, and their children, in the past few months.
In a recent incident, suspect separatists chopped off a women's nose,
gouged out her eyes and threw acid on a sleeping family, suspecting
them to be informers of army soldiers or simply being married to one.
Most recently four members of a family, including two five-year- old
kids, were killed after militants threw a grenade into their house,
shredding their small hutment to pieces, in Kaharo village of Doda last
month. "I have three children, all of them are very, very young. What
will I do, how will I raise them? I am indebted. My husband was brutually
killed by militants. We are very poor," Nusheena, a 25- year-old said.
Recently the extremists tonsured a woman after she refused to divorce
her husband and going with them. Following the incident most women stay
indoors, almost imprisoned in their own homes. In the light of such
gory cases, the locals say that the means of terrorists have changed
and that they are fighting no holy war. "This is not "jehad". They are
committing atrocities on us. We cannot keep our young girls with us.
They cannot work, cannot go to the fields, cannot fetch water. This
is ridiculous. Their father or brother have to accompany them wherever
they go....The militants forcibly marry our girls, sometimes they abduct
them. Our lives are getting worse here," Mushtaq Ahmed, a resident said.
Meanwhile, local officials said that the rebels were losing support
as the villagers saw them as mere bandits and this had led to the frustration.
"Militants are not getting local support now. The locals are now alienating
them. That is why they are targetting women, children and poor people
to get back their hold," Satvir Gupta, deputy inspector genral of police,
Doda range, said. Taj Mahotsav, an ode to Agra's squalor, disgrace (Go To Top) Agra: Agra's
angry residents don't seem to be in a mood to observe the 350th anniversary
of the Taj Mahal, saying there is no point in such celebrations when
the city itself has lost its sheen and resplendent past glory. Today,
the city's broken roads and ill-maintained public utilities are a reminder
of how lax the local and the state government administration has been
to a spot that houses the seventh wonder of the world. "There are only
20-25 days left for the Taj Mahotsav which will start on September 28.
The roads are in bad shape and the public toilets are dirty. We do not
know what impressions foreign tourists will carry back home after seeing
this," said Prahlad Aggarwal, the convener of the Agra Tourist Welfare
Chamber. Officials however argue that care is taken that tourist spots
are well serviced and not affected by the state of affairs in the old
city quarters. "The tourists who will come for the festival will stay
in the hotels where the arrangements are fine. This is not a Kumbh Mela
where everything is done in the open. We are going to repair the main
roads before the start of the festival," said Nileshwar Kumar, the district
magistrate. The Union Ministry of Culture as well as the state government
have planned a series of musical galas at the Taj Mahal on full moon
nights beginning September 27 and stretching over 6 months, to mark
the anniversary. Visitors to the Taj will be able to witness the moonlit
majestic white marble monument and a reflection of its dome's perfect
shape in a rectangular pool. The last time a cultural event was held
in the backdrop of the Taj Mahal was in 1998 when famous singer Yanni
staged a controversial concert in moonlight. Sikhs celebrate 400 years of Guru Granth Sahib installation (Go To Top) Amritsar: Sikh religious leaders, surrounded by thousands of chanting devotees, carried their religion's holiest book to Amritsar's Golden Temple on Wednesday to mark 400 years since the book was first brought to Golden Temple. The old quarter of this city of about 1.6 million people was transformed into a sea of colour as Sikh men in turbans carrying swords and spears and women in veils marched towards the Golden Temple chanting "Wahe Guru" (God Almighty). Amritsar's streets were lined with gold and silver ribbons and flags in the Sikh colours of saffron and blue, while shops and houses were illuminated with coloured bulbs. The focal point of the celebration was the holy book known as the Guru Granth Sahib which was festooned with marigolds and jasmine and borne aloft by temple volunteers. The Guru Granth
Sahib was first brought to the Golden Temple on this day in 1604 by
Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth guru of the Sikhs, who had spent years compiling
it. Sikhs, who form the world's fifth largest religion, have regarded
the Guru Granth Sahib as the spiritual head of their faith ever since
the 10th guru, Guru Gobind Singh, named the holy book as his eternal
successor before he died in 1708. Earlier, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,
the first Sikh to rise to top job, was among the first to arrive at
the Golden Temple on Wednesday to pay his respects. Singh announced
a project to develop the region near Amritsar into a special economic
zone to generate employment for the youth in the region. "I feel that
there is a great need to give filip to employment generation in the
region lying between Amritsar and the border districts. The government
will spend 110 billion rupees to convert the region into a special economic
zone (SEZ). The export turnover will be boosted. Fifty five thousand
youth will get employment," Singh said as he addressed the gathering.
President APJ Abdul Kalam visited a Sikh shrine on the occasion. All
Sikh shrines across the country have been illuminated to mark the occasion
and free food is being served. |
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