Some youngsters have come up with their own version of the song that went viral on the net immediately after its release in November last year. The versions that have been put up by the youngsters of the state hit out at the existing political scenario in the state and attack the political class for having let down the masses since the state came into existence. These versions have been posted on Internet by those who have produced them. [more]

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The UKD has noted this arrogant attempt at reducing Uttarakhand into a colony for certain ideologies, aided and abetted by local politicians with little self-respect.

By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Garhwal Post, February 11, 2011

DEHRADUN, 10 Feb: The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal has expressed its resentment against the BJP Government naming development projects, institutions and universities in the name of persons who had nothing to do with Uttarakhand.

“The development programmes should be named after the likes of Indramani Badoni, DD Pant, Vipin Tripathy and other sons of the state,” said Virendra Mohan Uttarakhandi, Central Media-in-charge, UKD. Addressing media persons on behalf of party Central President, Trivendra Singh Panwar, who could not made it to the party headquarters owing to personal reasons, Uttarakhandi said that several people had laid down their lives for the state and their names ought to be considered while naming any projects or institute. He mentioned in this regard persons such as Sridev Suman, Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali and Madho Singh Bhandari. Uttarakhandi also took exception to government naming the Uttarakhand Technical University after Rajju Bhaiya. “I suspect political reasons behind naming of the projects and institutes,” he said.

Uttarakhandi also blamed Government for registering land in the names of Tibetans. According to him, citizens of Uttarakhand were landless and lands were being sold to foreigners. He also pointed out that a large piece of land amounting to 42.5 bighas was encroached on by an organisation named Tarun Himalaya in Haridwar near BHEL with involvement of a Minister in the BJP Government. “The UKD demands a CBI probe into this scam,” Uttarakhandi asserted.

To: Minister, Human Resource Dev., Government of India

We, the undersigned, hereby Petition the Minister, Human Resource Development, Government of India to intervene and save the Centre for Performing Arts and Culture at the Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, a central university.

The creation of such a centre fulfilled longtime need felt by scholars, academics, students and artists in the state of Uttarakhand. However, now when the centre has been created, in an unfortunate development, all efforts are being made to shutdown the project, which we feel will be unfortunate for the state and the country.

The center is facing an uncertain future since the removal of Prof. Data Ram Purohit, an internationally renowned scholar of folklore and culture, from the post of the director by the university administration. Currently, the center is without a director and other administrative staff…

Read the rest of the petition here

Mountain Shepherds Initiatives Private Limited took a giant leap today when it launched an online shopping site, Angwal, where people across the world will be able to purchase literature, music, handicrafts and films, all related to life and culture of Uttarakhand on the Internet.

Sunil Kainthola, Director of the company, said with this move, the estimated population of 50 lakh NRIs, who hailed from Uttarakhand, would be able to pick stuff of their own interest from this site. He said, “People who have been working for decades out of limelight will be able to get recognition as well as money for their hard work. This site will also help in spreading the awareness regarding the composite culture of the state,” he said. [more]

Coming at a time when the entire state machinery should be geared towards disaster relief and rehabilitation, the focus on Sanskrit as well as other political shuffles within the cabinet reveals much about the priorities of the incumbent government. As a pet project of the current CM, adding Sanskrit does find favour with the various holy men who are busy transforming Uttarakhand into their personal fiefdoms and pocket boroughs. However, it does little to support the unique cultural and linguistic character of the state. Those looking for leadership in these areas, must again look elsewhere for the promotion of Garhwali and Kumaoni culture that are for more threatened than the All-India Sanskriti.

The man of the masses, Girish Tewari, who was fondly known as Girda, was bid adieu by his relatives, friends and followers coming from all across the state and all walks of life this morning. Having lived a selfless life committed to the cause of the people, Girda had breathed his last at the Sushila Tewari Hospital in Haldwani yesterday.

A revolutionary and a rebel that he was, Girda was bid a farewell reserved for the revolutionaries. People from all walks of life accompanied the funeral procession and sang songs that were either written by Girda or were his favourite. As soon as his last journey began from his house in Kailakhan, the air reverberated with his songs that were sung by people with tears in their eyes. The songs were only interrupted with slogans like “Jankavi Girda amar rahe”. The people continued singing his songs all along the 3-km route to the cremation grounds in the Pines area.

The singing hit a crescendo when his pyre was lit by his son Tuhin and his mortal remains were consigned to the flames. The weather too had decided to remain calm during Girda’s last journey and when his friends, relatives and followers bid adieu to him. [more]

The voice that moved the conscience of the masses of Uttarakhand has fallen silent. A man with multiple facets of being a social activist, a poet, a cinema artiste, a theatre personality and above all a lovable human being, Girish Tiwari, who was fondly called Girda, breathed his last at the Sushila Tewari Hospital in Haldwani this morning. Although he had been battling ill health for long, an ulcer that had burst proved the immediate cause of his death.

His departure has left a void in the social life of the state. Girda was a man who thought from his heart and loved being among the common people. He was the first to turn up at events where people’s issues were being taken up. He was a “rebel for a cause”, as his friends describe his personality. [more]

Across Uttarakhand, traditional systems do the disappearing act, reports AMITANGSHU ACHARYA

SITTING ON the mud porch of his house in Uttarakhand, 80-yearold Maulya Singh looks stoically at the burnt stumps of pine a few metres away and talks philosophically of the land drying up. His daughter-in-law is, however, more concerned about the practicalities. As most springs in the village are dry, she is forced to trudge farther and farther afield to get drinking water. Maulya Singh interrupts, “If there are no chaals, where will the water in the springs come from?”

IN THE year gone by, Uttarakhand reeled under the impact of a climate gone awry. The rain required for the main crop, wheat, was 90 percent less than normal. Average temperatures in summer had soared to the highest in 39 years. The temperatures in turn lead to severe forest fires which charred 2,426 hectares of forest. In the Garhwal region, there were 665 forest fires. [more]