News Analysis India

Tag: Nainital

  • Nainital’s Ghoda Library: Changing lives in remote areas

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned Nainital’s ‘Ghoda Library’ in the 105th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ series on Sunday, its innovator Shubham Badhani has decided to expand his unique education campaign so that people in rural areas and children deprived of innovative information in remote rural areas can take full advantage of it.

    Speaking to this daily right after the completion of the Mann Ki Baat programme on TV, Shubham, overwhelmed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s encouraging words, said, “The idea of opening this mobile “Ghoda library” came to our mind given the adverse geographical conditions and difficult connectivity routes of the state”.  

    “Horses, which can work smoothly in these difficult areas, we have used them for this purpose,” Shubham added.

    “Diwan Singh Rawat, a farmer from Jalna village, has given us his horse after being impressed by this campaign for this ‘Mobile horse library’ that started on June 12 this year,” said Badhani, adding, “When the news of this ‘Ghoda library’ experiment spread to nearby villages, we got an overwhelming response, as a result of which today we have 10 horses provided by various volunteers from different villages.

    Badhani said, “Since the library is mobile, at one round we issue books to the children and on the next round we take back the old books after a week and re-issue the new books.”  

    “So far the entire network of ‘horse libraries’ has been built in villages like Bagni, Jalna, Gountiya, Dhinwa-khadak, Mahatgaon, Dola, Mahal dhura, Kalsee and Talla Jalna”.

    “People in urban areas anyway had easy access to information through TV and huge libraries or workshops and instructors to enhance their knowledge, but, for rural children, getting their hands on a random book somewhere, would open a new window to the world outside their small locality,” Shubham believes. 

    Expressing concern over the education of children in Uttarakhand, Shubham said, “The biggest concern is that there are still hundreds of remote villages which are not connected to the internet or social media. There are still millions of children who are eager to learn about the outside world and getting a chance to read the book is like a dream come true.”

    DEHRADUN: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned Nainital’s ‘Ghoda Library’ in the 105th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ series on Sunday, its innovator Shubham Badhani has decided to expand his unique education campaign so that people in rural areas and children deprived of innovative information in remote rural areas can take full advantage of it.

    Speaking to this daily right after the completion of the Mann Ki Baat programme on TV, Shubham, overwhelmed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s encouraging words, said, “The idea of opening this mobile “Ghoda library” came to our mind given the adverse geographical conditions and difficult connectivity routes of the state”.  

    “Horses, which can work smoothly in these difficult areas, we have used them for this purpose,” Shubham added.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “Diwan Singh Rawat, a farmer from Jalna village, has given us his horse after being impressed by this campaign for this ‘Mobile horse library’ that started on June 12 this year,” said Badhani, adding, “When the news of this ‘Ghoda library’ experiment spread to nearby villages, we got an overwhelming response, as a result of which today we have 10 horses provided by various volunteers from different villages.

    Badhani said, “Since the library is mobile, at one round we issue books to the children and on the next round we take back the old books after a week and re-issue the new books.”  

    “So far the entire network of ‘horse libraries’ has been built in villages like Bagni, Jalna, Gountiya, Dhinwa-khadak, Mahatgaon, Dola, Mahal dhura, Kalsee and Talla Jalna”.

    “People in urban areas anyway had easy access to information through TV and huge libraries or workshops and instructors to enhance their knowledge, but, for rural children, getting their hands on a random book somewhere, would open a new window to the world outside their small locality,” Shubham believes. 

    Expressing concern over the education of children in Uttarakhand, Shubham said, “The biggest concern is that there are still hundreds of remote villages which are not connected to the internet or social media. There are still millions of children who are eager to learn about the outside world and getting a chance to read the book is like a dream come true.”

  • Uttarakhand High Court takes suo moto cognizance of Sukhatal reconstruction in Nainital

    By Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand High Court on Monday took suo moto cognizance of a letter sent by the concerned citizenry of Nainital in December regarding the preservation of Sukhatal Lake and stopping concretization. 

    Dr. Vishal Singh, one of the experts who has been working on Sukhatal and Naini lake for over a decade now said, “The letter showcases the immense faith that people of India have in the judiciary, and also sets an example that research and society can bring about a change in autocratic decision making.”

    Sukhatal lake is the catchment area of Naini lake in Nainital and is vital to the lake’s and related ecosystem’s survival.

    According to experts, the Sukhatal recharges 30-40% of the Naini lake. 

    Treating the letter written in December 2021 and signed by over 100 people as the public interest litigation the court listed it as the PIL. 

    The citizens also submitted a set of expert findings that establish the social/ecological and scientific grounds for our concerns.

    “We request his Lordship to kindly intervene in this matter by taking suo moto cognizance and stop the authorities from making this monumental mistake, as much damage has already been done to the city. This development is a recipe for disaster leading to a bigger tragedy than one faced by the Chorabari lake outburst in Kedarnath and downstream in 2013,” said the letter. 

    “The people of Nainital beg and seek his Lordship’s attention and request to take suo moto cognizance of the ongoing destruction happening on Sukhatal lake in the name of development. This catchment area and recharge zone has directly been feeding the Nainital lake in the lean months for the past 100 years and more. Therefore, we need to register our concern about the unscientific and unwanted development of Sukhatal lake,” said the letter. 

    The civil society pointing out in the letter that concerns were raised at the town meeting held with the Nainital Administration at the Lake Development Office (Nainital) on July 14, 2021, stated that in response, a panel of four experts was constituted to provide the necessary feedback and guidance on the planned project. 

    Since then, the people say that they have been told that no information has been passed to the experts, and so, as concerned citizens fear that the authorities will go ahead with their plan of concretization of the lake bed. 

    “This is visible through the ongoing activities in Sukhatal. This will alter the hydrological regime of Sukhatal and impair its natural property of water infiltration, leading to severe and adverse consequences for lake Nainital and the city as a whole. Hence his Lordship is the only resort we are left with to take up this matter urgently, ” the letter stated. 

    Opining that the promotion of tourism should not come at the cost of environmental degradation the letter revealed that some of the experts in the panel constituted by the then commissioner of Nainital remain unaware of the developments taking place in Sukhatal. 

    “The Sukhatal development requires inputs from Hydrogeologists, Geomomorphologists, Semiologists, Ecologists, Water Policy experts, and Wetland specialists. It is our humble request to his Lordship that a holistic approach is taken before proceeding with the plan, and that his Lordship may appoint scientists from these different backgrounds to submit an independent report on the Sukhatal development report,” said the people in the letter. 

    Furthermore, Nainital was extremely lucky to have survived the October downpour, and nature has sent a signal to Nainital, its caretakers and residents the letter said that this good fortune may not be the case in the future.

  • Salman Khurshid’s Nainital home vandalised, torched amid uproar over new book

    By Online Desk

    The Nainital residence of Congress leader Salman Khurshid was vandalised on Monday amid controversy over his new book where he has compared ‘Hindutva’ to radical Islam.

    The video and photographs shared by Khurshid on Facebook show flames, charred doors and shattered window panes at his home. Two men are also seen trying to extinguishe the fire by throwing water.

    Sharing pictures and videos of the incident, Khurshid wrote on Facebook, “I hoped to open these doors to my friends who have left this calling card. Am I still wrong to say this cannot be Hinduism?”

    “So such is debate now. Shame is too ineffective a word. Besides I still hope that we can reason together one day and agree to disagree if not more,” Khurshid added.

    Pictures shared by Khurshid on Facebook also show smashed windowpanes and a charred door. One video also shows a group of people waving a BJP flag standing around a fire and chanting slogans of “Jai Shri Ram”.

    Reacting to the development, party MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted: “This is disgraceful @salman7khurshid is a statesman who has done India proud in international forums &always articulated a moderate, centrist, inclusive vision of the country domestically.” The mounting levels of intolerance in our politics should be denounced by those in power.”

    This is disgraceful. @salman7khurshid is a statesman who has done India proud in international forums &always articulated a moderate, centrist, inclusive vision of the country domestically. The mounting levels of intolerance in our politics should be denounced by those in power. https://t.co/OQFBoN1Pgw
    — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 15, 2021
    Khurshid recently courted controversy with his new book in which he has drawn parallels between ‘Hindutva’ and radical Islam. His 354-page book – ‘Sunrise over Ayodhya-Nationhood in our times’ – was termed as an analysis of the Ayodhya dispute.

  • Nainital boarding schools deny allegations of not giving Diwali leave

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: Boarding schools of Nainital town have denied allegations of not giving Diwali leave after Nainital district administration ordered inquiry and action in the matter.

    K E Jeremiah, principal of All Saint’s College, one of the most prestigious boarding schools of Nainital said, “The leave for Diwali was announced on October 8, 2021. This information was also put on our website. The complaint is a blatant lie and attempt to misguide the district administration.”

    The principal also wrote a letter to the district magistrate of Nainital informing about the same on Friday. Earlier on Thursday, a letter was issued to the additional district magistrate for inquiry and action in the matter by the DM office, Nainital. A written complaint was filed by a resident of Haldwani in Nainital district alleging that in the garb of Covid 19, the boarding schools are not allowing the festivity leaves.

    The school managements of the boarding school denied any such thing. Hector Pinto, principal of Saint Joseph’s College, Nainital said, ” The directions regarding the Diwali leave were issued on October 25 only. These allegations are not true.”

    Parents of another student from All Saint’s College, Nainital also confirmed that the classes are going on along with few extra classes depending on the syllabus covered but On November 4, there are no classes.

    “My daughter is a student of All Saint’s College, Nainital and there are no classes on November 4 due to Diwali festival, ” said Kavita Joshi, a resident of Nainital town.

    The complaint was submitted by Manoj Joshi, a resident of Haldwani city alleging that boarding schools of Nainital town including All Saint’s, Saint Joseph’s, Sherwood and various other schools. Nainital has been a famous education resort with its boarding schools with famous alumni including General Sam Manekshaw, actor Amitabh Bacchan ans many others. “The matter is being probed and action will be taken accordingly,” said a district administration official.