Love thy animals Vibhor Mohan She’s old, broke and helpless. Every morning, she goes door-to-door in search of food, not for herself but to feed her pets, a hundred of them. As if this isn’t enough, a fire breaks out in her small shack in McLeodganj. Home away from Home                   From the time when the dawn crawls sheepishly over the hills of Shimla till when the dusk gathers the hill town in its arms, around 3500 Kashmiri immigrants are seen toiling very hard. Rest is something they’ve totally forgotten. There must not be too many jobs available for them, but they try and grab whatever little work they get.

shimla Diary
Documenting the plight of trees
Rakesh Lohumi
While the Forest Department and the local Municipal Corporation remain indifferent to the vanishing deodars, a research scholar has tried to draw attention to the ongoing degradation of environment by making a documentary with focus on the reckless destruction of the most precious alpine tree species in the “queen of hill”.

Handicapped authority

Even after a decade of the PWD Act coming into being, Himachal Pradesh is found lacking in addressing the concerns of the disabled,
finds out Rakesh Lohumi

Himachal Pradesh has done exceedingly well in the field of education, health and social sectors but quite surprisingly it has been found wanting in addressing the concerns of the disabled.

Disability is indeed a curse, particularly in the remote hill areas where life is tough even for the normal strong and sturdy people. Proper rehabilitation of the physically challenged so that they could lead a dignified and meaningful life is a big challenge, which calls for a concerted and relentless effort. However, somehow the problems of the disabled had not received the right focus so far. Evan a decade after the enforcement of the People With Disability (PWD) Act the state has not been able to evolve a policy for the disabled and put in place an effective mechanism for the implementation of various measures to help these hapless persons.

Lack of information

Even authentic data about the number of disabled persons in the state is not available. While the 2001 census revealed a figure of 1,55,950, a survey conducted by the state put the number of disabled persons at 64,772. The percentage of disabled persons comes to 2.6 as per the census and only one per cent according to the state survey. The gap is too large to explain. The census figure seems to be closer to truth as various agencies of the United Nations estimate that disabled persons account for about 3.5 per cent of the population. The highest disabled population of 31,238 is in Kangra district, followed by Mandi (24,214) and Shimla (14,675).

As per the provisions of the Act, a state coordination committee was to be constituted under the chairpersonship of the Minister for Social Welfare and Empowerment for continuously evolving suitable disability-related policies and programmes. Further, an executive committee was to be set up to implement the policies and programmes.

Panel that fails to meet

However, in Himachal Pradesh the executive committee was set up before the state coordination committee. The state coordination committee came into existence only in 2001. It was required to meet twice a year but the meetings were not being held regularly. The last meeting was held in April 2005. Similarly, the executive committee, which must hold meetings every three months, has not met since 1999. Instead, a sub-committee has been formed to carry out its functions for which there is no provision in the Act. The sub-committee held a meeting on March 21 last. The National Human Right Commission had in December 2002 written to the government to constitute a task force to frame a policy for the disabled and monitor its implementation. It had also asked to formulate a plan of action after vertical integration of schemes of all the departments for disabled and create barrier free infrastructure on priority. However, the enforcement of the Act has been tardy.

The act has not been implemented in the right earnest all these years due to lack of awareness among the disabled and indifferent attitude of the government, says Mr Ajay Srivastava, chairman of the state chapter of the society for disability and rehabilitation studies.

Unfulfilled promises

A provision for three per cent reservation for disabled persons in government jobs was made way back in 1976 but over the past 30 years only 1,420 persons, which included 110 visually impaired, 18 deaf and 1292 orthopaedically disabled, have been given employment. The number of registered unemployed disabled persons is 11,877 for whom hardly any jobs were available. Only 54 departments have identified posts against which disabled could be appointed. Facilities for providing vocational training to enable the disabled get self-employed were also not available. They also faced difficulties in raising loans as the State Minority Development and Finance Corporation, the nodal agency, insists on securities and other documents, which they were not in a position to furnish.

Almost 90 per cent of the physically challenged persons, 1,44,756 out of the total 1,55,950, were in rural areas with a literacy rate of just 52 per cent. This only indicates lack of adequate educational facilities for the disabled.

Of late efforts have been initiated under the “sarvsiksha abhiyan” to ensure enrolment of disabled children in the 6 to 14 years age group. Out of the total identified 29,122 such children 26,906 have been enrolled. Non-government organisations have adopted 300 disabled children, mostly those mentally retarded, for home-based teaching.

Where do we complain?

The state had also failed to put in place a complaint handling mechanism in accordance with the Act. The law makes it mandatory to appoint an independent state commissioner for persons with disabilities to monitor the implementation of various provisions of the Act and adjudicate complaints pertaining its violation. However, the government had designated the Principal Secretary, social welfare and empowerment as Commissioner. Obviously being the head of the concerned department he is not in a position to do justice to the aggrieved disabled persons.

Mr Srivastava laments that there was no coordination among various bodies working for the disabled and so far no serious effort has been made to create awareness among the disabled and the general public. He said his organisation would strive to coordinate the activities of various bodies and launch an awareness campaign to make the voice of disabled heard.

The disappearing act

Is dal makhani taking the better of madra in the hills? Himachali people have lost their appetite for pahari cuisine and are turning to Punjabi food,
reports Kuldeep Chauhan

Himachal’s rich cuisine like sidoos, sappu bari, malpura, madra and other dishes of Mandi, Kulu, Kangra, Chamba and Shimla districts are vanishing fast from the diet chart of the locals.

Lately, the HP Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC)-run cafes and hotels have started offering these dishes on its menus, but it remains more or less a ritual. In fact, there is no serious attempt to revive and promote the once-rich Himachali food by way of holding Himachali food festival.

Heritage food

Except for a heritage hotel or two in the state, rest of the heritage hotels find no mention of the Himachali cuisine, leave alone others private hotels and restaurants in tourist hill stations in the state.

“We have Punjabi dhabas all over the Highways in tourists towns like Manali, Shimla, Dhalhousie and other places in the state, but not even s single Himachali dhaba serving local cuisine,” says Sanjay Sood, a travel agent in Manali.  

Even Himachali cuisine has lost its appeal in remote villages and tribal belt of Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti. Time was when locals would cook purely pahari cuisine during marriages and other social occasion. But today Punjabi food has overtaken the diet chart and the celebration of marriages in the state.

Lost goodies

For one, the sidoos were once a popular cuisine in Mandi, Kulu and Shimla districts in winter. “But it is rarely cooked now”, said Mrs. Rajni, a red cross volunteer, who is a teacher at the Sr. Secondary School, Mandi. “The sidoos are cooked in steam for half an hour are made from thick wheat flour paste after it ferments. Then curd grains are kept in water then grinded and filled in atta rolls. It can be eaten with a mix of desi ghee, chutney, or achar as the taste may run, added Sunita Devi, a housewife from Kulu, who along with other women run sidoo stalls during the seven-day-long Kulu Dushehra in  Dhalpur Maidan  in Kulu town.

Pahari fare

Other dishes include chawal ke atat ke kachauris, sapu bari, bhale and patraru made from the leaves of kachalus or a pahari arbi and ‘poru’ made from the coconut and cheese. Prem Lata and Shakuntla Gheuta, lecturers at Sr. Secondary School, Mandi, say: “People cook sapu bari dishes, but sidoo and other dishes s are the things of the past,” they add. Though under the norms, it is mandatory for all heritage hotels in the state, which have availed benefits from the government, to have Himachal cuisine on their menus. But it remains more or less on the menu only.

The HPTDC’s managers claim that the HPTDC hotels and cafes have listed the Himachal’s dishes like ‘sepu bari’ from Mandi and Chamba’s madra on the menus. “We serve the Himachali dishes to the state guests, VVIPs at the occasional government functions and receptions. It is mandatory now,” they claim.

Mr Ajit Butail, Coordinator, Tourism Cell, CII, says there is no serious attempt to revive and promote the rich Himachali food among tourists. “The rich ethnic dishes are vanishing even among the villagers, leave alone residents in towns in the state. We need to sit and think it over seriously,” he says.

HIllside view
Laughter of the wicked Moon!
by Vepa Rao

Every region has its own favourite gods and festivals. Broadly speaking, the Himalayan belt has Shiva and Parvati; Eastern India is partial to Shakti as well as Vishnu. Different avtaar s (incarnations) are worshipped fervently in the South, while Ganesh or Vinayak rules the hearts in the Mumbai belt. Our perception of different gods based on the related mythologies decides their place in our individual lives.

These preferences are intricately related to a region’s overall history including, its sociology, psychology, political, economic and every other conceivable context. The overawing tales of mythology perpetuated over centuries probably tell us even more about the people— than God, the impersonal concept (nirguna tatva), as perceived by the enlightened.

But such inter-disciplinary studies are difficult in today’s world tainted by prejudices and partialities. Some scholars are also engaged in either proving a point or disputing some other’s point for questionable motives— they are less fervent about liberating our minds from fixed boundaries. Every thing has become a conduit for propaganda — religion, science, ideology or whatever.

Sadly, we have forgotten religion’s basic character as a system of inquiry into life processes and a method of coping with the human limitations of the time. Instead, we are reducing its status to that of a limitation, an impediment to knowledge and scientific inquiry. Despite the fact that questioning has been an integral aspect of religion— that’s why so many sub-sects within each broad fame.

Struggle for power and dominance (at the family or political level) has further distorted it all. Mythology, rituals, time worn practices, have all been confused with religion both by the believers and the others. Are our publicity conscious, silver-tongued preachers and priests merely pushing us further down the abyss of rigidity and dogma? Are they unwittingly trying to illuminate with fused bulbs of competing brands? Our problem through centuries has been with striking a balance between belief and questioning, between self and society. That is where the role of genuine preceptors, the true gurus, comes in. But the bottom-line remains— mythology has become deeply embedded in our consciousness, our genes too are probably full of it!

Ganesh or Vinayak Chaturthi is four days away (Sunday, August 27). It is a major puja and festival, except in Himachal and other parts of North-India. The story claiming its origin carries a sting in the tail — those who don’t do puja that day will become victims of false blame if they see “the wicked moon who had laughed at Ganesh’s big belly on that day and was therefore cursed by Parvathi”. Even the mighty Lord Krishna who had merely “watched its shadow in the cup of kheer inadvertently” (without doing Ganesh puja that day) had to suffer. So what are ordinary mortals like you and I! The stories accompanying some pujas hold out both boons and curses. Greed or fear, both condemned by every religion, compete successfully with the purity of spiritualism. I too have been its victim.

It’s a special puja in my parental home. I stopped performing it after migrating to Delhi and later Himachal, though Ganeshji remained part of my daily prayers. And I also used to watch the moon cheerfully that night without fear. All was well— till I was bitten a decade ago by a few jealous, foul-minded ones’ campaign (that I was an atheist, that I made my students in-disciplined by teaching them even in restaurants, on pavements and so on…).

My mother reasoned that I suffered such lies and false blame first time ever in my life only because I had watched the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi without doing the puja! So, I resumed it all (though in my own no-frills manner), but am still scared of sighting the moon that night by mistake. Now you know why all the curtains will be drawn closely in my flat on that good lord’s appointed day! So deep are such fears, beliefs.

Every Hindu prayer, puja, religious ceremony and function begins with a pranaam to Ganesh— the god who prevents vighna or rukavat (hurdles), “thus clearing the way for success”. It is surprising that Ganesh Chaturthi is not such a major event in the North as Divali etc, are. Is it because we perceive him mainly as a god who merely clears the traffic hurdles— unlike the more powerful and mighty ones like Shiva, Mrutyunjay, Vishnu, Ram, Hanuman, Mangal and Shani who can either “give a lot” or “ruin” us? A watchman we greet at the mantri ‘s gate (better not to annoy him)? We need to study such fears, perceptions, needs and behavioural patterns linked to mythological tales in order to understand a culture.

Meanwhile, I suggest we stop using pictures, embossed images, and little metal idols of Ganesh on wedding cards. As it is, you don’t feel like tearing up or throwing into dustbins the wedding cards of the dear ones after the function is over. It is horrible to see torn up pictures, idols, or any material of any religion rolling in the roadside dustbins. Whether on calendars or posters, were they not the focus of prayers till the other day?

It is a matter of human sensitivity. Not of belief alone.

Sawan at Gaiety
Rama Sharma

Inspired by rich monsoon showers and lush green surroundings, women members of the Amateur Dramatic Club, Shimla, got together to celebrate Teej. Members, accompanied by their guests attired in different hues of green and red, turned up in full strength to participate in the joyous Sawan celebrations held at the 120-year-old Tavern Complex of the Gaiety Theatre on the Mall.

They were greeting by a rangoli, designed and executed by Sonia Minocha, who was ably assisted by Geetu Sood and Teena Walia. The bright display had been created without the use of synthetic colours. Instead, ingredients such haldi, roli, neel, wheat and cornflour were used. Aesthetically designed diyaas on the side of the rangoli were lit by the chief guest, Mala Jamwal, President, Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) branch of the Army Training Command and wife of GOC-in-C ARTRAC, Shimla.

It was celebratory singing and dancing, fun-games and teasing. A welcome drink of Brahmi greeted the guests. Film songs based on badal, barkha, boond, bijli and hawa filled the air. Sumita Saxena, kept the audience spell-bound with her melodious rendering of: Oh sajana, barkha bahar aayee and Thandi hawaayen, lehra ke aayen.

The ambience had been created in the hall with a dolled-up Teej belle put on the full length of wall, with art paper work, embellished with a nose-ring and sparklers. The ingenuity got a special gift for the team.

Little girls, Mehak Sood, Akanksha Bakshi, Shreya and Anurita Saxena, clad in traditional lehngas and cholis danced with abandon. Indeed as the compere said, “they could teach a step or two to Aishwairya Rai.” A batch of teenagers performed the traditional giddha to the rythmic clapping accompanied by beats of the dholak and bolian, thus bringing in real flavour of the festive spirit.

Choosing the best bindi, mehndi and designer glass bangles was indeed a tough task but was conducted in a competent manner by the judges. The best mehndi award was bagged by Manisha Rajeev and Sumita Saxana and the best designer bangles award was claimed by the 70-year-old Harjeet and Vidya was the runner-up. The other contestants were also commended for their ingenuity and artistic designs. Nandita Lalotra, Mrs Sheron, Atima Dewadi, Aupama Tomar, Mrs B.D. Thapar and Aditi Sood judged various events and Sonali Joshi, Sonia Minocha organised the event professionally . The lively compeering by Gurpreet Pannu made the celebrations enjoyable.

The coveted title of the Teej Princess was bagged by petite Anamika Malhotra. Natures’ Vibrant green stole the show and Shakti Kapoor was declared the Sawan Queen. Shakti is a French teacher at H.P University and is the wife of the Deputy Comissioner Shimla, Tarun Kapoor.

Mala Jamwal gave away the prizes. In her speech, she appreciated the effort of the women members of the ADC towards organising a traditional Indian Festival which brings together the Army wives and lady members of Shimla ADC and provides an occasion for healthy exchange of talents. The first-ever attempt to organise this traditional Indian festival was made in 2003. It proved so successful that Anupma J.J. Singh wife, of the Indian Army Chief Gen J.J. Singh, then AWWA Chief of the ARTRAC during 2003 requested the Club management to make it an annual feature. Now ‘SAWAN CELEBRATIONS’ find a place of pride in Club’s annual calendar of events and are eagerly awaited both by civilian lady members as well as Army wives to display their talent and creativity.

Malpua and kheer the traditional teej delicacies, on the menu, were thoroughly relished by the participants.

Monsoon misery
Kiran deep

During this monsoon season, while farmers of the region were praying for a good amount of rainfall, people in Handola village in remote Una border, were wishing for a dry spell. The reason, as the village situated in Shivalik foothills, lacks connectivity through roads and the villagers have to walk through the seasonal rivulet to reach other areas of Himachal and Punjab. When rain poured here and in upper hills, the seasonal rivulet grows to its capacity and cut off this village from rest of the areas. The rainfall virtually paralyses life of as many as 1000 persons living here and the surrounding areas. Besides, people living in the villages nearby, including many villages of Nangal (Punjab) are also facing a tough time as they have to cross this village to reach other side.

The village presents all signs of neglect. The children cannot not attend school and the men do not go for work during a downpour. Life becomes miserable for villagers when someone falls sick in such conditions, as the village does not have even primary health care service, they have to wait the rivulet water to come down to cross to other end.

The problems of the villagers do not end here, landline phones do not work as lines had been damaged for many years. They do not even have a post office. To post a letter one has to go to the nearby village that fall in Punjab. “ No one care for us, even after 60 years of Independence, life has not changed here. There is not a single bridge over the rivulet, so when it rains we are confined to our homes,” rued a 55-year-old Laj Devi of Handola.

“Politicians come only during the elections seeking votes. Thereafter no one bothers about us. There is only primary school on the village. For further studies, our children have to go to travel to other villages in Una or Bilaspur. We pray that non one falls sick during rainy day as it is not possible for us to take the sufferer to anywhere” said a member of Panchyat, Meena Devi.

A shopkeeper, Kuldeep, and another villager Bal Krsihan say that they do not have road connectivity inside the village. Even a small amount of rainfall floods the village with water.

The bridge over the rivulet would not only help the residence of Handola village, but also neighbouring areas like Nehlna, Olintha village in Bilaspur, says Saurabh of Nehlna. “Every day we have to cross this village for many works to reach other parts of Punjab and Himachal,” he adds.

Heaven for mammals
Vishal Gulati

It is probably one of the richest biodiversity sites in India. It’s home to more than 31 mammal species. From the spectacular snow leopard to the common Himalayan tahr, the Great Himalayan National Park offers numerous opportunities to explore the pristine beauty of nature in the Western Himalayas.

The park, where the altitude varies from 1,700 m to 5,800 m, is blessed with rich flora, magnificent glaciers, lofty mountains and gurgling streams in Kulu district — covering 754 sq km.

According to studies conducted by the park authorities, the mammalian fauna in the region is quite diverse. The park is significant in terms of ecology, botany and zoology. Most of the mammals, from subtropical to alpine, are endemic to the area and protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act.

The notable species are the leopard, the Himalayan black bear, the brown bear, the rhesus macaque and various herbivorous species like the goral, a small antelope found in lower forests, and the Himalayan tahr, a wild goat that lives in the steepest cliffs.

One of the most elusive species of the park is the snow leopard. It can be spotted in the highest inner portions of the park adjoining the Pin Valley National Park.

Its cousin, the common leopard, can be spotted in the wooded as well as open areas. It can be seen commonly up to 3,500 m.

A richly coloured animal with long silky fur, the red fox can easily be seen in high-altitude areas of Dhel, Tirath and Rakti Sar.

Well adapted to tree climbing, the Himalayan black bear is also a wide-ranging mammal of the park. Villagers dislike this species because it destroys their crops and kills livestock. However, the Himalayan brown bear is rarely seen in the park. It inhabits high-altitude areas and usually feeds on grass and herbs.

However, both species of the bear are under threat due to poaching for its gallbladder and skin. It is generally killed by farmers for protecting crops and livestock. But in the park, protection is given to them by checking poaching activities.

Rated high on the endangered species list, the musk deer is also seen in the park. It does not have antlers. Its uniquely developed scent gland in the abdominal region produces musk.

The Himalayan tahr is a wild goat that lives in the steepest cliffs, while the blue sheep prefers grassy slopes near cliff from 3,500m upwards. While the Himalayan tahr prefers to live in groups as large as 20 to 30, the blue sheep lives in small herds.

The barking deer is commonly seen in thickly wooded areas from 1,500m to 2,500m altitude, while the goral with yellowish grey or brown coat prefers elevations 1,000m to 3,000m.

The park is also home to a large number of small mammal species. They play a very important role in the food chain. Some of the species are the giant Indian flying squirrel, a nocturnal animal that roosts in tree hollows, the Indian pika, also known as mouse hare, the porcupine, the royle’s mountain vole and the Himalayan palm civet.

The best sightings can be made between September and November when animals start their seasonal migration to lower altitudes.

Love thy animals
Vibhor Mohan

She’s old, broke and helpless. Every morning, she goes door-to-door in search of food, not for herself but to feed her pets, a hundred of them. As if this isn’t enough, a fire breaks out in her small shack in McLeodganj.

That’s the true story-line of an unusual film on an unusual Tibetan nun, titled Joy of Living which captures the special bond that Anni Sonam Tsering shares with such a large number of dogs that have been staying with her for the past 30 years. The film was released here last week.

The protagonist is not clad in the traditional red robe that Tibetan nuns wear nor does she spend long hours chanting prayers. So moved was Kelsang Tsering Khangsar, the producer-director, by the nun’s story that he actually began shooting the film in the year 2003.

Without any financial support, he still managed to capture different aspects of Anni’s special bond with dogs. The very fact that an old woman goes to hotels, parties, and weddings to houses to get something for the stray dogs was mind-boggling. It is hard to believe that someone could devote her whole life for the welfare of the street dogs and still be happy and content, he says.

“The film is an attempt to inspire the inborn feelings of human love and compassion. The extent of sacrifice that Anni has made can be understood by watching the film,” says Kelsang. The happy-ending of the film continues in real life as tourists and locals are still donating money for reconstruction of the nun’s house, which was gutted in a fire. At the public screening of the film this week, many among the audience volunteered to donate dog food and other stuff to Anni.

Posters put up in McLeodganj by a self-help group have taken up the cause of supporting Anni in her endeavour to help the ailing and starving street dogs. Anni, who used to work as labourer at road and building constructions, says the condition of stray dogs in McLeodganj used to be pathetic three decades back and she felt this was the best way to do charity.

Home away from Home

From the time when the dawn crawls sheepishly over the hills of Shimla till when the dusk gathers the hill town in its arms, around 3500 Kashmiri immigrants are seen toiling very hard. Rest is something they’ve totally forgotten. There must not be too many jobs available for them, but they try and grab whatever little work they get. It could be a daily-wage labour in at some construction-site, cooking at a local eatery or lifting heavyweight gunny bags, these homeless immigrants from terrorist-struck Kashmir are just doing it all.

— A photo feature by Anil Dayal

shimla Diary
Documenting the plight of trees
Rakesh Lohumi

While the Forest Department and the local Municipal Corporation remain indifferent to the vanishing deodars, a research scholar has tried to draw attention to the ongoing degradation of environment by making a documentary with focus on the reckless destruction of the most precious alpine tree species in the “queen of hill”.

Deodar, which yields the best timber, is not only commercially important but also a symbol of hill culture. It was thoughtful on the part of Mr Shomu Shankar Ray to document the plight of the tree, which has been fallen prey to the greed of the man who has found ingenious ways to remove the trees despite ban on felling. Some expose the roots and apply acid to ensure a slow death, while others just stifle the trees in concrete structures. Hills are cut vertically to trigger of landslides, which bring down trees in piles.

The deodars have, indeed, been at the receiving end of the human onslaught. Wounds are inflicted on trees by nailing signboards, advertisement boards and hoardings. At places trees have been used as poles for power, telephone and TV cables. All this has been highlighted in the documentary.

Mr Ray has strived to drive home the point that survival of deodar is the key to safeguarding the fragile hill environment. He has also drawn the attention towards the disastrous impact of its denudation, which is already being felt in rising average temperatures, scanty snowfall and irregular rains.

Promising artist

Mujeeb Hussain

A gold medalist in visual arts from the Himachal Pradesh University, Mujeeb Hussain has all the makings of a master artist. At a young age of 30 he has already held a number of solo exhibitions and won acclaim for his works. He specialises in portrait paintings but instead of celebrities, he loves to capture on the canvas images of intellectuals, particularly great thinkers and writers. He has perfected the art of pen drawing and already sketched about 60 portraits that include greats like Mirza Ghalib, Prem Chand, Rabindranath Tagore, Arundhti Roy, Amritya Sen, and Hrivansh Rai Bachchan.

He has also been using his artistic talent to draw attention to social issues. During his short career he has already realized that art is an effective mode of creative expression but it is not very rewarding financially. To continue with his passion he has been contributing cartoons to newspapers on regular basis. It not only calls for artistic skills but also a penetrating insight to look deep into issues and events. His cartoons were adjudged the best at youth festivals at Dharamsala and Jogindernagar, while his painting entitled Vidaal was selected for display in the annual exhibition of the Bank of Punjab held at Chandigarh.

Mujeeb has also been doing well as the fine art teacher at the local D.A.V. School (Lakkar Bazar) to win the All-India Awantika Award for the best teacher at the national level early this year.

Wise decisions

The peaceful conduct of elections to the central students association of the Himachal Pradesh University is a big achievement in an institution where student violence had become a regular feature. Obviously, the bold decision of the authorities to debar the students involved in police cases and those under probation from contesting has paid off. The decision to reserve the seat of general secretary for girls and also came in handy in ensuring a peaceful electioneering. The enforcement of a code of conduct which laid down that students organisations could raise only issues pertaining to the institution took the wind out of their campaigns and helped in localising the election activity. Hitherto, the leaders of the SFI, ABVP and the NSUI had been making a hue and cry on the university campus about issues pertaining to various affiliated colleges.

Some other decision like not allotting hostels to the students who get enrolled for a diploma course or a second postgraduate degree course after completing a postgraduate course, department wise allotment of hostels, appointment of retired police officers as fulltime wardens in place of teachers for boys hostels and bringing a deputy superintendent of police as security officer on deputation also helped in maintaining peace on the campus. Unlike previous years the students organisations were not able to capture hostels and as such was no rivalry between hostels, which frequently resulted in violence.