P R A D E S H
Friday, September 17, 1999
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H I M A C H A L P R A D E S H |
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Friday, September 17, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Governor stresses on
judicial reforms |
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Ex-Speaker: BJP creating
divide Virbhadra govt ‘ignored’
youth Transport union to back BJP-HVC
men Former MLA joins Congress Dejected lover kills girl |
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Governor stresses on judicial
reforms SHIMLA, Sept 16 — Mrs V.S. Rama Devi, Governor, has emphasised the need for judicial reforms to make the judicial system more people-oriented and less expensive. She said that a number of commissions have been set up during the last two decades and many reforms have taken place which had helped the common man. She expressed these views at a function organised by the Indian Law Institute, HP unit in coordination with the Dr L.M. Singhvi Foundation, Britain on the occasion of a lecture by Lord Slynn of Hadley, Lord of Appeal in House of Lords, Britain yesterday. She was the guest of honour at the function. Mrs Rama Devi while calling for the need for speedy justice, said that delay was point of concern for all. She said litigation cases have risen with the increase in general awareness, whereas the number of judges had not gone up to meet the growing need. This had resulted in heavy load and delay. She said alternate disposal methods were also being adopted to solve this problem and lok adalats, bijli adalats and tribunal were helping in this direction. She said with the realisation of human rights the world had become a global village and we should work for universal good for human race. The Governor said that India has widened the scope of its administrative justice by adopting good practices and laws of various other countries. Lord Slynn in his lecture on "Judicial committee of the Privy Council" gave details of the historical background of judicial committee of the Privy Council and its association with India. He gave instances of landmark judgements delivered by the judicial committee regarding India and other Commonwealth countries. He appreciated the advances made by Indian courts in the development of administrative law. He also appreciated the development of law, more particularly, with regard to protection of human rights. Lord Slynn stressed the need for simplifying the procedure pertaining to litigation and to have more emphasis on substantive justice. Mr M.M. Khanna,
Chairman, Indian Law Institute, welcomed the chief guest
and other dignitaries, Mr Rajeev Sharma, secretary of the
H.P. unit of the institute, presented vote of thanks. |
Sharp increase in crime cases PALAMPUR: The deteriorating law and order situation in this largest district of the state has caused serious concern to local residents here. It seems that the police is fast losing its grip on anti-social elements. There has been sharp increase in the cases of murder, rape and theft in the district. Besides, other minor crimes have also gone up in the district in the past six months. Over one dozen major theft cases were reported at different police stations in the district in the past two months. But in most of the cases the police failed to trace the culprits. At the heart of Palampur town gold ornaments and other valuables worth Rs 30,000 were stolen in the broad daylight, but till today no one has been arrested. Likewise, in several cases of murder and rape the killers are still at large. This sub-division is yet to recover after the gang-rape of a minor Dalit girl. It is revealed that a 16-year-old girl was waiting for a bus near Panchrukhi recently when three youth appeared and forcibly took her away to the fields where she was raped for eight hours by half a dozen persons. Later the girl managed to escape and reported the matter to the police. Two of the prime accused are still at large. Yet in another case a youth was stabbed to death in broad daylight near Baijnath. In his dying declaration the youth had named three persons who attacked him and ultimately resulted in his death. It is sad state of affairs that the police failed to arrest the killers even after a week. Resentment prevails among the residents of Baijnath over the lukewarm attitude of the police in handling the law and order situation and inaction in arresting the killers. In another case a young businessman was murdered in Baijnath last year, in this case the police, too, could not reach any conclusion and real culprits managed to escape from the police file. There are many other cases of theft, murder and rape in which the police failed to trace the culprits. On the other hand, senior police officers say that most of the police stations in the district are in bad shape. These police stations have inadequate police force, causing delay in attending public complaints. There has been a manifold increase in the population of this bordering district of the state during the past 10 years. The crime graph has also gone up accordingly. But the government has not made efforts to enhance the police force. The strength of the police in this district is the same as it was in 1990. Despite repeated reminders of the senior police officers, the higher authorities have not increased the budget allocations for the purchase of day-to-day use items in the police stations. Even there is no sufficient funds for the purchase of petty items like stationery and furniture. Many a time people are asked to come along with a bundle of plain paper for the registration of complaints. Most of the police stations do not have vehicles worth the name. In all police stations the vehicles provided are upto 15 years old, which need to be repaired. No senior officer of the department bothers to look into these basic problems of the police which are directly linked with the efficiency of the police force and checking the law and order situation. Political interference in the functioning of the police has worsened the matter. The Deputy Inspector-General and Senior Superintendent of Police cannot even shift or post an ASI or constable at police stations. These officers need political clearance which adversely affects the functioning of this law and order maintaining agency. Likewise the posting of SHOs and DSPs, who play vital role in maintaining the law and order, are also made on the recommendation of Chief Minister or ministers ignoring the opinion of the district police chiefs. Frequent transfers of
district police chief in the past few years is also one
of the important factor for the deteriorating law and
orde situation in this district. In the past two years
three police chiefs were shifted from this district
keeping in view the suitability of local political
leaders. These police chiefs failed to complete their
tenure here. Even at present the police officers here
feel insecure as a minister can get them shifted at any
moment if they failed to toe his line. |
Gugga Mari fair begins today SUBATHU (Solan) Sept 16 — The four-day Gugga Mari mela which begins here tomorrow is perhaps the only religious fair of the northern region in which no considerations is paid to the factors of caste and creed. Ever since the setting up of the shrine of Gugga Pir, popularly called Gugga Mari, sometimes in the mid 19th century, by a Balmik devotee at Subathu, untouchability in any form had been a taboo among the devotees of the deity, at least during the celebration of the annual fair. Brahmins and Dalits not only jostle with each other on the fair grounds but actually worked together in organising committees. The flag pole of the deity called ‘Nishan’ bears a replica of "Tazia" of the muslems and coconuts an important component of Hindu customs. People of all religions and castes, having faith in the supernatural powers of Gugga Pir flock to the shrine. In a sense, people here while celebrating the fair, had been practising for over 150 years what Mahatma Gandhi started preaching in the 1920. The legend associated with the setting up Gugga Mari here is as colourful as the gaily painted shrine itself. Number of versions are there regarding the transformation of Rana Gugga, a feudal lord of Rajasthan into Gugga Pir. It is said that Chattar, a Balmiki, after having been convinced of the supernatural powers of Gugga Pir sometimes in the early period of the British Raj, laid the foundation stone of the shrine. In order to select the most suitable site, Chhatar tied a brick with red string round the neck of a he-goat and let it loose in the town. Before this the townsmen had agreed that the shrine would be constructed at the place where the animal lied down for rest in a particular posture. The Shrine’s present location was the very place "indicated" by the goat. Among the many legends concerning the Gugga Pir two are most widely narrated. According to one Gugga had vowed to finish every snake on earth. Just when he was about to fulfil his vow, the head of the snakes family beseached him to let his tribes live, giving a word that he would ensure that no one would ever die of snake bite in places where Gugga shrines existed. Mr Divendra Gupta, a Gugga devotee, says that nobody died of snake bite in Subathu after the erection of the Gugga Mari there. Pt. Tikka Ram, a septuagenarian devotee of the deity, says that Gugga was locked in a bitter quarrel with his twin cousins, Arjun and Surjan. He beheaded both of them in a battle after which he brought their heads for his mother to view. Gugga’s mother was shocked on seeing the heads of her nephews and she ordered Gugga to get lost and never show his face to her. It was said that Gugga felt so ashamed that he begged Guru Gorakhnath to enable him to dwell alive beneath the earth. Since such powers could be exercised by the pirs only, the guru directed him to approach Haji Rattan Pir at Bhatinda "who had been bestowed the piri by none other than the Prophet himself". On being told that Haji Rattan Pir had gone over to Mecca, Gugga decided to follow suit. Haji Rattan Pir passed on the Islamic ‘kalma’ to the Rajasthani feudal lord. This was how Gugga got interned alive, in his ‘mari’ at his native place and he ensured that he did not show his face to his mother, as ordered by her. When asked whether he, a Brahmin, recited the Islamic ‘kalma’ while offering prayers to Gugga Pir, Pt Tika Ram said he recited the gyatri mantra instead, which was a acceptable to the Pir as the ‘kalma’. Groups of Gugga
followers bearing the ‘nishans’ and chanting
hymns to come here. One could descern from their head
gears and songs that they belonged to different
communities, regions and religions. We certainly need the
likes of Gugga more. |
Ex-Speaker: BJP creating
divide MANALI, Sept 16 — Kaul Singh Thakur, former Vidhan Sabha Speaker, and Congress candidate from the Mandi parliamentary constituency has held the BJP responsible for dividing the state into "upper" and "lower", "new" and "old" Himachal by abetting apple versus orange-mango conflict for political gains. He was addressing a news conference here yesterday. He blamed the BJP-HVC government for not making serious efforts to delete apple from the OGL-list, though he had moved a proposal in this connection in the Vidhan Sabha. He accused the BJP of politicising the military and other forces. Mr Thakur said that although sector Commander Surinder Singh wrote six letters to the government to inform regarding the infiltration by Pakistan-supported intruders in the Kargil sector but no action was taken there. The Congress nominee maintained that now there was a fight between Maheshwar Singh, a "rajputra" and himself a "kisanputra", as Mr Maheshwer was born and brought up in royal palace while he (Thakur) was born in a farmer's family. The Congress candidate charged the Prime Minister Vajpayee with not announcing any special package for Himachal Pradesh. He lashed out at the BJP-HVC government for the rising prices of the food items being distributed through the (public distribution system) and said the same commodities were being sold at cheaper rates in the market. Earlier, Kaul Singh
Thakur addressed a public meeting that concluded after
his speech. Prominent among those who addressed the
public meeting were Raj Krishan Gaur, former Minister of
State for Tourism, Chander Sen, zila parishad member, Som
Dev, president city Congress, and Gautam Thakur,
secretary state Youth Congress. Sunder Thakur the vice
chairman of the zila parishad. Kamla Sharma the former
president of district Mahila Congress were also present
at the public meeting. |
Virbhadra govt ‘ignored’
youth SHIMLA, Sept 16 — The BJP has charged the previous Congress regime with ignoring youth and depriving deserving persons of jobs. Mr Ganesh Dat, a spokesperson for the state unit of the BJP, in a statement here yesterday said while the Congress Government did nothing to solve the problem of unemployment it flouted rules in providing jobs to its favourites. Even medically unfit persons and those who did not meet the minimum physical standards were recruited in the police. Jobs were given on ‘chit basis’ ignoring deserving candidates, he alleged. The BJP government had
raised the age limit for recruitment to government
service from 35 years to 38 years and youth with degrees
in professional courses were being given employment
batch-wise he said. |
Transport union to back BJP-HVC
men BILASPUR, Sept 16 —
The Himachal Pradesh State Ex-Servicemen Transport Union,
Barmana, has decided to support the BJP-HVC alliance in
the Lok Sabha elections and ensure its victory largely
attended meeting of the union presided by the HP State
Ex-Servicemen League Vice-President and union's patron
major Shivram Sharma addressing a meeting of the union at
Barmana, said yesterday that Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal-led BJP
government had provided a number of facilities to Kargil
martyrs apart from accepting demands of union, ordered a
judicial inquiry into the "lathi charge" on
union members at Barmana by the police during Mr
Virbhadra Singh's rule and restored cement loading work
to the union was led by Major Sharma, hundreds of
ex-servicemen drawn from all parts of the district held
an impressive slogan-shouting procession in favour of BJP
candidate Suresh Chandel. |
Former MLA joins Congress SHIMLA, Sept 16 — Ms Jaswinder Kaur, President of the Municipal Council, Una, and a former MLA, Mr Kashmiri Lal Joshi, today joined the Congress Party. They joined the Congress in the presence of Mrs Vidya Stokes, a Congress MLA and former Speaker. According to Mr Amar
Nath Bazwaria, permanent secretary of the PCC, Mr Ramesh
Kumar, former Vice-President of the Municipal Council,
Una, and Mr Swarn Singh, an OBC leader, also joined the
Congress. |
Dejected lover kills girl KANGRA, Sept 16 — Dejected by the rejection in a one-sided love affair a youth allegedly murdered a 20-year-old girl in Rani Sidpur village of the district and landed himself in police custody yesterday, the police said. The SP, Mr K.C. Sadiyal said here today that Naresh Kumar a resident of Palampur was arrested for allegedly murdering Suman Thakur, who had rejected the proposal forwarded by the boy. Mr Sadiyal said the body of Suman who did not return back from the college on Monday was found in the bushes near her village next morning, with stab wounds on neck and abdomen. Naresh Kumar was arrested by the police and the blood stained shoes and the weapon used in the crime were recovered from his possession. A case under Section 302
of the IPC has been registered against the accused. |
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