83% government schools in the state have less than 60 students

Students going to school (representative image) credits: Wiki Media Commons 

By :Shalini Thakur

Dharamshala: The number of government schools with less than 60 students is increasing in the state for the last decade, reveals the latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2018 brought out by Pratham, an NGO working to improve quality of education.  According to the report, 58.1% government schools in the state had less than 60 students in 2009, now the figure stands at 83.1%.

“In our school there are 50 students at present and there are only two teachers. The strength was the same last year too. But earlier, we used to have more than 70 students, “says Anjana Kumari, a Para Assistant teacher in government school, Khaniyara.

According to ASER 2018, the enrollment of students between the age group of 6 to 15 in private schools in the state marked more than two percent increase between 2016 and 2018. At national level the corresponding rise for the period is just 0.03%.

“I am a former student of this school which started in 1927. At that time it used to be at its best”, says Vijay Kumar, who heads the Government Primary School in Khaniyara. “But now things have changed, children at three are going to play schools, LKG,UKG and everybody prefers private schools, “ he adds.

"Quality of education won't be improved just by yielding infrastructure to schools" says Naveen Bhandari, Principal of Government Senior Secondary School at Khaniyara Khas, Dharamshala. He thinks that the debate over the comparative quality of education imparted by private and government educational institutions will never come to an end.

"Being a father, i want my son to get good education. He is studying in a private school because I know the conditions of government schools. In my school itself, there are no recruitments of teachers for the past one year,” he says.

However, not everything is hunky-dory with private schools in the state as per the figures released. For instance, the percentage growth in students in the 8th standard who can do division was 4.3 between 2016 and 2018 in government schools. But it fell by 5.1 percent in private schools in the state for the same period.

“The students who are weak in studies are usually removed from private schools. Sending them to our schools is the only option left with their parents,” says Anjana. Despite this, learning levels of students enrolled in government schools in the state shows improvement. Percentage of 5th standard students in government schools who can read at least a 2nd standard text was 65.3 in 2016, which improved to 74.5 in 2018. Corresponding figures for the private school students were 78 in 2016 and 80.4 in 2018. Proportion of students at 5th standard in government schools who can do division improved from 47.4% in 2016 to 51.5% in 2018. Corresponded figures for private schools were 63% and 64%.

Dharamshala's Zonal Hospital lacks basic facilities

by: Umang Arora


Pallavi, a student of Central University of Himachal Pradesh, had suddenly fallen ill in the middle of the night. Her friends called every number possible, from emergency number provided by the Dharamshala Zonal hospital to 108, the Emergency Response Number. But there was no response on the other side of the phone. At last, they called Dharamshala Police Station and asked them to help their friend.

“Pallavi had an epilepsy attack at midnight. She was with us, at our room. We had to take her to the hospital”, said Kuldip*, her friend. They were facing such a situation for the first time and that too at the middle of the night. They frantically kept trying emergency numbers but found no response except from police.

Getting reliable and emergency medical help at Dharamshala is not easy, especially at odd hours. The Zonal Hospital, despite being the only major medical facility available for more than a dozen villages around Dharamshala is not in a good shape. Even basic services are lacking. Patients visiting here have to go through various challenges to get proper treatment.

"We're here since 8am and the doctor hasn't arrived yet." said the member of a family that came from Bandi, a small village in Kangra. Their son was suffering from high fever and even after waiting for 5 hours, there was no doctor to examine him at the Emergency ward. Members of another family from Gharoh, a village near Dharamshala, said they also faced the same situation.

The winter has arrived in the city and there's a hike in the number of patients. However, the doctors wouldn't arrive in the Emergency section till noon and there's no one to guide the patients. The help desk is there, but no one has ever been seen sitting there. The washrooms aren't properly maintained. At some, there're no lights and at others, there's not even partition among men's and women's washrooms.

It is not that the medical staff here does not want to take care of the patients. They also face issues. “The call on 108 goes to the Solan first, and then the ambulance is provided to the patient. Often, this causes delay, especially during odd hours”, said a hospital staff. “We’re trying our best to satisfy the patients with whatever resources available,” she said.

The Zonal Hospital is the only secondary care multispecialty hospital in the Dharmshala sub division in Kangra district. It is equipped with a 300 bedded In-patient ward and a total of 90 staff. According to sources, there’s a shortage of doctors in the Zonal hospital as of now. Most of the patients are being referred to Tanda Medical College due to this.

Randeep Singh Rana, a labourer, hailing from Dari, had fallen sick in the middle of the day. His family took him to the hospital. "The doctor didn’t even touch him. Such was his carelessness. We were not satisfied by the services of the hospital and had to take him to a private doctor." said his uncle.

People are just not satisfied by the hospital's services. Many complained that the hospital staff was very rude towards the patients and their families. Patients are forced to resort to continuously coax the emergency staff to get the essential medical help here.

For Pallavi’s friends, even getting police help to take her to hospital was not easy. The police tried to put their request off by asking them to wait till morning. “We even had to warn them that if something happens to Pallavi, they’ll be responsible”, said Kuldip. “Then only they came with a vehicle to help us”, said he.


*Name changed on request for privacy reason.

छात्रों को उपलब्ध नहीं मूलभूत सुविधाएं

by: Swati Thakur
 
विश्वविद्यालय में पढ़ना हर विद्यार्थी का सपना होता है। विश्वविद्यालय में विद्यार्थी को उच्च स्तर की शिक्षा प्राप्त होती है।  प्रत्येक विद्यार्थी का सपना होता है की वे विश्वविद्यालय में पढ़ कर अच्छी शिक्षा प्राप्त करे। ऐसी ही बात है धर्मशाला स्थित केंद्रीय विश्वविद्यालय की। यह विश्वविद्यालय हिमाचल प्रदेश में कांगड़ा के धर्मशाला में स्थित है। धर्मशाला का मौसम आकर्षण का केंद्र है। स्वच्छ वातावरण में हर विद्यार्थी पढ़ना चाहता है। "शांत जगह पढ़ने के लिए अच्छी मानी जाती है।" इसलिए अन्य राज्यों के छात्र यहां पढ़ने के लिए उत्सुक होते हैं। वे दूर-दूर से यहां आकर इस इच्छा के साथ प्रवेश लेते हैं कि स्वच्छ वातावरण के साथ-साथ उन्हें विश्वविद्यालय द्वारा मूलभूत सुविधाएं भी दी जाएंगी।

 केंद्रीय विश्वविद्यालय शिक्षा के लिए अच्छा माना जाता है । यहां छात्रों को उच्च स्तर शिक्षा दी जाती है। यहां प्रवेश शुल्क भी अन्य विश्वविद्यालयों के मुकाबले बहुत कम है। यही कारण है कि यहां देश की कई राज्यों से छात्र पढ़ने आते हैं। बच्चे कई आकांक्षाओं के साथ आते है और उन्हें कुछ मुश्किलों का  सामना भी करना पड़ता है। केंद्रीय विवि पढ़ने आए छात्र हॉस्टल, कैंपस, कैंटीन, वाई-फाई, ऑडिटोरियम, एलसीडी प्रोजेक्टर और लाइब्रेरी में सीमित किताबें आदि जैसी मूलभूत सुविधाएं उपलब्ध नहीं होती है तो पढ़ने में परेशानी होती है।

केंद्रीय विवि में जब नए सत्र के छात्र प्रवेश लेते हैं  तो वे मूलभूत सुविधाओं से वंचित रहते हैं, तो उनके हाथ निराशा लगती है। विवि छात्रों से बातचीत के दौरान उन्होंने बताया कि वे छात्र यूपी,बिहार, झारखंड, पंजाब, दिल्ली से यहां पढ़ने आए हैं। "उमंग अरोड़ा, जो पंजाब से पढ़ने के लिए यहां आयी हैं, कहना है कि लाइब्रेरी में केवल सीमित किताबें हैं। जिसके कारण कई किताबें बाहर की दुकान से खरीदनी पड़ती है।" वहीं झारखंड से आए अजय का कहना था, “हॉस्टल न मिलने के कारण उन्हें शुरुआत में काफ़ी दिक़्क़त आई।“ कई छात्रों का कहना है कि परिवहन व्यवस्था की कमी होने के कारण छात्र समय पर क्लास नहीं जा पाते हैं। इतना ही नहीं केन्द्रीय विवि धर्मशाला के कैंपस में एक भी कैंटीन नहीं है जिसके कारण छात्रों को सारा दिन भूखा भी रहना पड़ता है।

ब्वॉयज़ हॉस्टल में रहने वाले हर्षल ठाकुर का कहना है कि ब्वॉयज़ हॉस्टल कैंपस से 15 किलोमिटर की दूरी पर है, जिसके कारण काफ़ी असुविधा होती है। पीजी स्तर पर छात्रों को एलीसीडी प्रोजेक्ट से पढ़ाने की ज़रूरत पड़ती है, क्लास-रूम में प्रोजेक्टर अच्छे से काम नहीं करते। "सुजाता गौतम जो दिल्ली से आई है उन्होंने बताया की कैंपस में एकमात्र पीने के पानी का कूल्लर लगा है, कभी बिजली न होने के कारण पानी नहीं आता और वह भी शौचालय के साथ लगा हुआ है।" कैंपस में छात्रों को बैठने के लिए उच्च प्रबंध नहीं है। केन्द्रीय विवि के धर्मशाला कैंपस में आडिटोरियम की भी सुविधा नहीं है।

इतनी असुविधाओं होने के बाद भी दूर-दूर से आए छात्र यहां मन लगाकर पढ़ते हैं। कम संसाधनों के बाद भी यहां पढ़ने वाले छात्र शिक्षकों के द्वारा काफ़ी कुछ सीखते हैं। बच्चे यहां मन  लगाकर पढ़ते हैं।

New efforts aim to restore Kangra miniature tradition

Radha celebrating Holi, painting, c.1788 (Image Credit - Wikimedia)

By: Preshita Thakur
Those who want to get a deeper experience of the traditional art of Himachal Pradesh at Dharamshala has a better chance now as the Museum of Kangra Art in Dharamshala is soon going to accommodate more of the Kangra paintings. The on-going renovation of the museum aims at increasing the space given to Kangra miniature paintings, told the museum authorities.

It will take another two to three months for the completion of construction. “After the renovation, we will bring out more paintings from bigger names including Padma Shri awardee Vijay Sharma and other senior artists”, says Dr.RituKumari, curator of the museum.

The museum, run by the Language and Culture Department of the state government, is one of the major art galleries in the area dedicated to Kangra miniature paintings. The museum also used to conduct training sessions on Kangra painting in collaboration with Kangra Arts Promotion Society (KAPS), an NGO working for promotion of Kangra art. The classes have since moved to Mcleodganj, due to the ongoing construction activities at the Museum.

Museum of Kangra Art in Dharamshala

 As part of their initiative to preserve the tradition of Kangra miniature paintings, KAPS has opened ‘Chitera’, an institute to train budding painters in the traditional Guru-Shishya parampara of Pahari paintings. Most recently, they have inaugurated a new space in Mcloedganj, an art gallery to exhibit works by its artists.

There are many renowned artists as well who are associated with the museum, practicing and teaching directly from the temples nearby. Dhani Ram Khushdil holds a clerical post at the Brijeshwari Temple but also teaches students interested in Kangra paintings for free. “I want to pass on this great tradition to the upcoming generation,” says he.

Kangra Miniature painting has its history rooted far back in the 18th century. It is still practiced today, though the exposure is limited. With all the above efforts, there is hope for better results in reigniting the glory and status of the paintings and its artists.

What winds the Dharamshala commuters most?

(Representational Image)

By Shalini Thakur

Dharamshala: "I think public transport here in Dharamshala is painful. Why would you get on a  Bus that doesn't leave to wherever you want it to head to, doesn't start wherever you want it to start from, and doesn’t stop at where you want it to stop?”, says Preshita Thakur, a daily commuting student at CUHP,who has to travel from Gahlian, a small village near Ranital in Kangra.

There are 3906 villages in Kangra, most of which are not have proper bus services. Many villages have just a couple of buses plying to them daily. When they stops operations unexpectedly, due to bad weather or some other uncertain circumstances , people in these villages and students suffer. Other modes of public transport are not affordable for most.

 ”Buses are our principal mode of public transport to nearby places", says Kuldeep Chand(64), an old man who lives in Dari in the outskirts of Dharamshala with his family. However, bus rides are not always a pleasant experience for him. Bus drivers and conductors often behave rudely or use abusive language, complaints Kuldeep. Elderly people like Kuldeep who suffers from Arthritis and other ailments, finds it difficult to enter and exit a vehicle. "One day when I pleaded to a conductor to give some extra time to get down from the bus, he shouted at me", says Kuldeep.

 “The day I was about to hire a taxi to Indrunag, the taxi driver pitched a price of 300 Rupees, I was totally shocked," says Umang Arora who hails from Jalandhar, but presently stays in Dharamshala for her studies. Umang complaints that she has come across several taxi drivers in Dharamshala who demand exorbitant charges from their passengers.

However, taxi drivers in Dharamshala have their own woes to deal with. The daily rise in fuel prices has made a dent to their daily earnings. “It is difficult if the taxi is your only source of income” Kamlesh Kumar explains. Kamlesh Kumar is a local taxi driver in Dharamshala, who lives with his family in Garoh, a village nearby. He says it is a hard task to maintain a taxi in Dharamshala. "Honestly, the petrol prices affect us very much. Servicing and repairing the vehicle from time to time also affect us and it becomes very difficult to survive when you are the only source of income in your family," says Kamlesh.

People like Umang, who are from cities where app-based taxi services are ubiquitous, finds their absence in Dharamshala bizarre. “App-based taxis back home were very convenient as they can be availed at any time, at any route based on our convenience. Drivers can not demand excessive rates too”, she adds.

Changing Paths: From hacking to rescuing animals

Avni is a three-limbed monkey recently rescued by Peepal Farm. She is recuperating from wounds
 (Image Credit: Peepal Farm)

By Himanshu Sharma

“I don’t think we thank god enough that we are not a dog suffering from severe mange, starving on the streets” Robin Singh exclaims.

He runs Peepal farm, an organic vegan farm and a stray animal recovery center at Dhanotu near Dharamshala.

Peepal farm is spread across one-and-a-half acres of land with an organic farm, an animal facility, cowsheds, and pet homes. The rescue center has a staff of eight, including a veterinary specialist. Thanks to the proximity to Dharamshala, Peepal farm gets lot of volunteers and numerous calls for animal rescues.

 “Initially we treated only dogs and gradually started helping other animals including cows and horses,” Robin explains.

King, a bull, is the newest resident of the animal shelter in Peepal farm. King is under the treatment for the burn injuries suffered when miscreants poured hot water on him nearby Palampur. King is getting familiar to the animal family of Peepal farm which include a monkey, four dogs, 4 bovines and a goat and a sheep. After the treatment is over, majority of the animals are released. Peepal farm also allows people who want to adopt pets to take care of these animals.

For Robin Singh, this is a new incarnation. He used to be a hacker. Seven years back, he was running a successful online business organization in the United States.

“But I was not happy. Later when I arrived in India to travel , I re-connected with my childhood dream of helping animals in distress,” he added.

He visited Auroville, the township near Pondicherry, in 2012 where he helped an elderly woman who was, on her own, looking after 40-50 stray dogs. It was during this period that he realized that he wanted to spend his life helping those who can’t help themselves.

“We look forward to making a group of devoted people who can do great and draw in long-term solutions for animal welfare”, Robin Singh added.

Young Himachal deserts farm fields for salaried jobs

A farmer ploughing the land (Representational Image) (Image Credit: WikiMedia Commons)

By  Manish Gupta

"Twenty four" was the age when Tarun Kapoor from Churag in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh completed his graduation in Civil Engineering in 2015. Traditionally, Tarun’s family managed agriculture in their small land holding. Before his graduation, he also tried his hands in agriculture for a while, but found it less attractive.

"I am fit for corporate jobs or running a business more, than taking to agriculture",he says. Now he is working as a construction supervisor in a company at Chandigarh. "Agriculture sector has been lagging a lot, lately. I was not able to make as much money as I wanted. I am no more interested in agriculture”, he said.

According to the annual action plan of Department of Agriculture, Government of Himachal Pradesh, agriculture is the main occupation for the people of the state and about 62 percent of the main working population is employed in agriculture. However, youth in the state do not find agriculture interesting and prefer salaried jobs or running business ventures more.

It is not just Tarun’s feeling that agriculture is not his cup of tea; his family also thinks the same. His father Parkesh, an truck driver, thinks that being a farmer does not convert to social status. "Main apne bête ko bada admi bante dekhna chahta hun. Aur kheti-badi se ek achi zindagi nahin mil sakti"(I want to see my child becoming successful in society. Career in agriculture sector is not good for standard living), he says.

Puneet, another young graduate from Churag  is working in his field. "I am compelled to work in the fields for sowing seeds and cutting crops because I was unable to study more", said Puneet. For him, farming is too laborious and is a gamble based on weather conditions. “Our luck depends on weather conditions. If it does not support, we are unable to get good crops”, he said.

Comparing farming to a salaried employment, Tarun finds it too difficult. "Farming takes a lot of strength to do work. There is no time limit to the work and it just keeps getting more”,he said. “We work too hard but income is very low."

Shubham, another friend of Tarun, points to the lack of action from authorities to help farmers in their plight.  "There are hard chances of making money in agriculture and current policies make it impossible to get a decent living from agriculture.The prices that the government offers are not satisfactory," he said.

Even if the policies exist, farmers do not get enough information regarding it. As per the data from the 70th round National Sample Survey, only 23.72 and 20.04 percent of farmers in the rural agricultural household in India are aware of MSP (Minimum Support Prices) of crops grown by them in kharif and rabi seasons respectively.

"Government policies also do not reach the farmers, they only exist on papers. So practically, there is no assistance from the government. People remain economically backwards," says Shubham.

According to the latest Annual Status of Education Report brought out by Pratham, a non-profit organization, 79 percent of the rural youth in the 14 to 18 age group are employed in agriculture, mostly in their family owned lands, despite their enrollment status in education. But among them, only 1.2 percent wants to be a farmer, taking agriculture as full time employment.

Tarun thinks this is more about the sector being less lucrative in the absence of adequate government support for farmers.  "Government agar hum logon ko facilities de tho hum sub aasani se farming kar sakte hain "(If government provides adequate facilities to us, then we shall manage farming easily), he says.

"People wish to make a decent living from agriculture, they don’t get it as of now ," says Tarun.

Incubating the untapped film talent in Himachal

Siddharth Chauhan

By Anuj Kumar Pandey

The popular film legacy of Shimla is limited to being one of the favorite locations for not-so-high budget Bollywood productions. Nobody here expects a Shimlite to make marks in world cinema circuits. After all, Himachal was never a soil for serious filmmakers. But with several independent filmmakers  emerging from the hills with their own films, things are for a change, lately.

Growing up in Shimla, Siddarth Chauhan never thought about succeeding in making films that would entice the  world audience. But with multiple screenings of his films in festival circuits outside India, he needs no formal introduction as the independent film maker of Himachal Pradesh.

Siddarth rose to fame when his film Pashi was selected for the Rhode Island International Film Festival, a coveted festival where award winning films would get direct nominations for academy awards, popularly known as the Oscars.

Being a self-taught film maker, Siddarth’s initial training was his rigorous film watching. “I mostly despise action films. I am a fan of coming of age genre”, says he. He admires Indian directors who do not make cookie cutter features.

'Boys Don’t Wear a Nail polish' was Siddarth’s first film. "Making it was a hard task but I always enjoyed the process", he says. He went on and with the help of his mentors such as documentary filmmaker Gurvinder Singh and made further films like Papa and Pashi. He stays in touch with Gurvinder and looks forward to collaborating with him.

Siddarth did not expect a warm welcome to his films from  foreign audiences. “For me, the experience was very unreal. I never expected that my film would get such a good response from the audiences outside India”, he said. "It was jarring and rewarding. The success that Pashi got, especially the whole Oscar thing, put me in a peculiar place" says Siddarth.

Piyush Kanga

Being an independent filmmaker from Himachal Pradesh is a journey Siddarth shares with several other budding filmmakers. Piyush Kanga from Bilaspur had an interest in dancing since childhood and while growing up he knew he could do something in films. Piyush had a little experience in filmmaking or any connections in Bollywood.

His first film was ‘Dost’. He didn't expect it to get him anywhere but just enjoyed the experience of making it. He is currently pursuing his studies and is also busy with his acting assignments. He manages a production house called Silent Hymns Production and continues to make short films.

Being in Himachal, there are several issues these filmmakers face. “The hardest thing to pull off in here is to get actors. Most of them are not professionals and professionals cost a lot of money”, says Siddarth. In Himachal, finding a serious filmmaker is like finding unicorns. “Getting in touch with other filmmakers and learning from them is difficult here”, says Piyush.

However, the film festivals which are mushrooming in the hills lately are encouraging such budding filmmakers. Piyush and Siddarth were both part of the fellowship programme at Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF). Similarly, both of these filmmakers have screened their work at ‘International Film Festival in Shimla and DIFF as well.

 "Himachal as a location has always been an unexplored phenomenon. It’s ripe for depiction on screen. If the government supports, then even Himachal film making scene can improve a lot", says Piyush.

Charan evictees still await rehabilitation

Temporary hutments raised by the Charan khad slum evictees at Chetru. (Image Credit: Harshil Thakur)

By Harshil Thakur

Tears still roll up in Bhau Dass (65) eyes when he recollects the eviction drive at Charan Khad two years before. “We have lived there for more than 35 years since our ancestors settled at Charan”, he says. “It was a black day in my life”, he said.

It's been more than 2 years now, but no development project has yet been started on the site near Subzi Mandi in Charan Khad which the Municipal Corporation of Dharamshala (MCD) has cleared by demolishing hundreds of hutments on 17 June 2016. Evictees like Bhau Das are still waiting rehabilitation.

Life is very tough for Bhau Dass and other families at their temporary settlement at Chetru, a village 13 kilometers from Dharamshala, as they do not get jobs easily to earn a livelihood. Elderly people and women have to stay at home, making half of the people jobless while the young men of the community work for Municipal Council Dharamshala, mainly as waste collectors for a meager wage of Rupees 200 a day.

Charan Kahd evictees at their temporary shelters at Chetru, 13 kilometers away from Dharamshala
(Image Credit: Harshil Thakur)

At Chetru, they have set up small hutments in a private land. Owner of the land who is an influential person of the area collects rent for each hutment here. "He threatens us to burn our shelters if rent is not paid on time”, said Das. Arranging RS.700/slum a month is a daunting task for them.

The slum dwellers at Charan Khad were nomadic tribes from Maharashtra and Rajasthan who came to Dharamshala during the drought in Maharashtra in the 1970s. They were accepted by local people and with time became integral part of the local community. But the situation changed when they received a notice by MCD on 16 May 2016, ordering them to vacate the place within 10 days.

Local residents still share fond memories about them and are angry with the government to displace the poor migrants in the name of hollow development  promises. "Rajasthan wale matka banaate the, Maharashtra wale kachra uthaate the" (Migrants from Rajasthan were potters and Maharashtrians were garbage collectors), remembers the vegetable vendors at Charan Khad. Many in the neighborhood of the erstwhile slum in Charan Khad are of the view that government should not have allowed them to settle there earlier but after living at a place for 35 years government should have provided permanent shelter to them.

The decision was taken after a complaint to MCD by Irrigation and Public Health department accusing these migrants of damaging sewage pipe lines and for open defecation which, according to authorities, had increased chances of epidemic in the area.

After multiple review petitions against the eviction drive by Karan Kumar, a local resident, were rejected by the Court, eviction started by MCD on 17th June 2016 which ended on 21st. During the drive, 150 hutments were destroyed, forcing the slum dwellers including toddlers and pregnant women to spend several nights on streets until they moved to Chetru.

At Chetru, they live in 40 to 50 jhuggis cramped into a small area very close to the river bed. Evictees who are migrants from Rajasthan have moved to another area, setting up similar temporary shelters there, says Bhau Das.

Without proper waste management options, residents of these temporary shelters live in dangerously unhygienic conditions. Several of the kids here suffer from diarrhea and respiratory illness. Poor access to primary medical facilities has resulted in rampant malnutrition and lower vaccination rates among the children.

“There is no access to clean water, no sanitation and the area is subject to flooding in the monsoon”, says Brigid Whoriskey, member of Tong-Len, an NGO helping out the evictees. “The families have to travel long distances to beg or scavenge in the rubbish and there is evidence in some families of malnutrition”, she said.

Locals in Chetru are also of the view that government should provide them permanent shelters. However, many of them are also concerned about the littering by the slum dwellers. The land owner or the authorities have not provided any toilet facilities or electricity connections here.

Slum dwellers complained that they approached government officials and the MLAs several times for help, but with no result. “No government official or service reach us, our life has become hell", says Bhau Das in a low voice.

Food factory for the foodies

By: Arslan Samdi

Rakesh Kumar preparing Naan

Rakesh Kumar wakes up at 4'o clock in the morning and cuts 10 to 20 kg vegetables, prepares 30 kg rice and deals with 50 kg of wheat flour which will later turn into hot chapattis. No, this is not a part of his diet, but this is what makes the routine diet for hundreds of students in the University, when they eat from the lone canteen in the campus of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP).

As the only cook in the University Canteen, work is hectic for Rakesh Kumar. According to him, on an average day, he works for almost 13 hours. “My typical day starts at 4 or 5 in the morning with my tussle with the vegetables, and by the time I wind up the day to leave, it gets to 6.30 in the evening”, says he. Well, that makes it longer than the actual office hours of the University.

Is he ok with that? Well, like the subji he makes, his feelings are a mixed bag. He is happy because he gets his time to spend with the young students in the campus. “Students here in the campus treat me very well. That makes me feel very good working here”, says he. But he knows the good treatment is not without reasons. “I know they look back for small favours”, says a grinning Rakesh; “Hot chapattis, jumping the crowded lunch-line, tea on demand; yeah, small favours”.

Sharing is success

By Arjita & Priyanka                                                                  

Jyoti Dogra during one of the rounds in the
Miss Himalaya 2014

TAB:“That day I came back confident, being the only one who spoke for the 10 minutes that we had to,” she reminisces first day of the Miss Himalaya 2014 contest. Contestants had an hour to prepare a 10 minute speech. Speaking on ‘negative impact of tourism in Himachal’, she opined that increasing commercialization, drug abuse were some of the problems, while solutions lay in ecotourism – where environment protection and making a profit went hand in hand. In the ‘talent’ round that followed, she sang ‘Climb’ by Miley Cyrus.

On the second and final day of the pageant, models hit the ramp and introduced themselves. “With courage and determination, one can do absolutely anything," she said. It looked like a festive carnival – colorful dresses, heavy ornaments – Tibetan and Himachali culture filled the stage when participants adorned their ‘traditional wear’ in the second round. “What does success mean to you?” she was asked in the 5th and final ‘Q&A’ round. “It is not the amount of money or bank balance, but the satisfaction one gets by sharing, and giving back to the society. So when I die, I’ll tell myself, this was a big success,”  she said.

                Jyoti Dogra is Miss Himalaya 2014. Back in her university, she is a student, struggling to complete her projects in time. And making time for the socio-cultural activities, she recently won the pan-India debate on ‘Role of Earth Sciences in Preventing Environmental Degradation’ organized by the Indian Geological Congress.

Fighting winter in cotton shirt

By Arjita & Shradha

TAB:Woolen sweater: check, gloves: check, socks: check, warm bunny cap: check – folks are bundled up to battle chilly Himachal winters. But one man walks around like summer’s here. “If Gandhiji could wear a dhoti and shawl the entire year, why not us?” he explains. Famous in the campus for his all-year-round outfit – a white cotton half-sleeve shirt, trousers and chappals, it’s the curious case of Dr. S. Sundraraman.

We hear often of ‘a flexible mind and a strong body’, but his motto comes with a twist, “A strong mind and a flexible body”. Movement is the key, “Pilgrims who walk up till Vaishno Devi start removing their warm clothes on the way – as the body becomes hot”. He enjoys a walk, uses little transportation. After an early morning cold water bath, he walks around while completing house chores. He always bathes with cold water, twice a day.

A vegetarian, he consumes seasonal food - sometimes in raw form, sometimes without salt - the diet varies. “People get defensive, I get adaptive,” says he. In the scorching summers of Tamil Nadu, in his home-state, he doesn’t use a fan. No prize for guessing then his dislike for AC. The trick is to, “manipulate little of the outside, instead change the inside.”

He pursued higher education alongside a 16 year service in the Indian Air Force. Retired, he completed a PhD, and began teaching at the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management, Gwalior. He has been in Himachal for two years now, teaching at the School of Tourism, Travel & Hospitality Management in CUHP. Never once spotted as someone biting the cold, he seems to taste it.

"Jo dar gaya, wo mar gaya,” he believes. Is it that easy to adapt? “To get used to a change in weather, my body needs 48 hours. I don’t suggest anyone to follow my routine suddenly. This has been my way of life for 25 years.”

A hat is not just a hat - political overtones of the Pahari cap

By Gaurav Mandyal 

Fixed ? Himachali caps on display at a retail shop in Kangra.
(Photo Credit: Gaurav Mandyal)

A cap is not just a cap in Himachal Pradesh, especially during the election time. The traditional Pahari cap of Himachal Pradesh is copyrighted by different political parties as a part of their identity. Yes, we are talking about the Virbhadra’s green Himachali cap and Dhumal’s red cap; and the latest addition is the blue, which belongs to the BSP.