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Sky, sea, sand and snow, the Queen’s Baton will do it all

May 24, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

From sky-diving above Agra, travelling in a submarine off Mumbai, taking an Army tank in Gwalior to trotting on horseback with the Presidential bodyguards, the Queen’s Baton will use every mode of transport possible during its 100-day journey across India beginning June 25.

The baton will cross into India from Pakistan via the Wagah border, where it will be received by Olympic champions Abhinav Bindra, Sushil Kumar and Vijender Singh. For the next 100 days, travelling from Punjab, it will be go to all four corners of India — from Nathula Pass and Tawang in the far east to Leh in the north, Jaisalmer in the West and even the islands of Lakshdweep and Andaman and Nicobar — before finally entering Delhi on September 20.

The planning for the event started two years in advance. A team from the Organising Committee has already visited the entire route twice. “We have divided India into four sectors and have a dedicated team for each. From February 8 our teams moved on the entire route which the baton will take. They repeated the trip from May 3,” said Queen’s Baton Relay additional director general Lt Gen Raj Kadyan. The baton will travel in India in a convoy of 26 vehicles with 88 core crew members.

In Chhattishgarh and Andhra Pradesh, because of Naxalite activity, the states have asked the OC not to take the baton by road. The baton will now stop by only in the capitals, Raipur and Hyderabad respectively.

A long relay340Total number of days240Days in international leg of relay1,90,000 km Total distance travelled20,000 kmDistance in India

Bharat DarshanKASHMIR:The baton will go to Jammu, Srinagar, Kargil and Leh. It will be at the Kargil Army base only for a few hours and talks are on to allow the baton to take a shikhara rideGanga:The baton will take a boat from Allahabad to VaranasiINDEPENDENCE DAY: The baton will celebrate Independence day in HyderabadKERALA: The baton will celebrate OnamTAMIL NADU: The baton with visits the famous temples of Madurai and RameshwaramAGRA: An Air Force sky-diver will jump off a plane with the batonMUMBAI: The baton will take a submarine, a first in the history of the Commonwealth GamesGWALIOR: The baton will board an Indian Army tankSOUTH: The baton will mount an elephantJAIPUR: The baton will take a camel rideDELHI: The baton will gallop with the Presidential Guards.The hi-tech baton* Soil from different parts of India has been used to make the outer covering of the baton* The Queen’s message has been engraved on to an 18 carat gold leaf symbolising the Indian patras. This message will be read during the opening ceremony.* The baton has the ability to capture image and sounds* It is fitted with GPS which has accuracy of 10 metres* It has LEDs which can emit the colour of the flag of the country it is travelling to

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Musharraf may avoid noose but won’t be playing golf in Pak for long time: Editorial

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Sep.16 (ANI): With President Asif Ali Zardari disclosing that his predecessor General Pervez Musharraf was given a ‘safe exit’ from the country, it appears, Musharraf may have avoided a high treason trial for his unconstitutional actions, but according to an editorial there is hardly any possibility of the former general returning to Pakistan in the near future.

The editorial in The Daily Times said Musharraf may be safe for the time being, but he would hardly be seen playing golf in Pakistan for years to come.

Referring to the Kargil debacle, the editorial termed Musharraf as a bad strategist, and alleged that the former general was rarely seen keeping his words during his autocratic rule.

“Neither was he a great strategist, as was proved by Kargil and his covert support of the Taliban; he was also no man of his word. He may be safe from the hangman’s noose but he will not be able to play golf in Pakistan for a long time,” the editorial said.

It also blasted the country’s political leaders for running to foreign powers for protecting their heads from ‘internal’ crises.

“Too proud to admit that there could be foreign stakeholders in Pakistan, a direct violation of state sovereignty, we can’t, however, deny that our politicians have leaned on foreign guarantors to save their careers and sometimes their lives,” the editorial said.

“Therefore, if President Zardari today absolves his party from the discomfiture of bringing Musharraf to trial, he knows that the PMLN leader Mr Nawaz Sharif too is riding in the same boat with him,” it went on to add.

However, the editorial lauded the Pakistan Army for refraining from getting involved in the demand for Musharraf’s trial, saying the armed forces, till now, had reacted sensibly.

“The one stakeholder in Pakistan that has acted less rashly than the politicians is the Pakistan Army. It has seen more clearly the risks that would have affected Pakistan’s security if the populist demand for Musharraf’s head had been met,” it concluded. (ANI)

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Air Marshal KJ Mathews appointed as new AOP of IAF

September 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep. 1 (ANI): Air Marshal KJ Mathews on Tuesday took over as the new Air Officer-in-Charge Personnel (AOP), the Head of Human Resources of the Indian Air Force (IAF) at Air Headquarters.

Commissioned in the year 1973, the Air Marshal has over 3,500 hours of flying to his credit on various aircraft that include HF-24 (Marut), Hunter, MiG-21M and MiG-29.

He was also a team member of “Thunderbolts” – IAF’s erstwhile Aerobatic Team.

His appointments include-Station Commander of an operational base during Kargil operations, Air Officer Commanding of Air Force Station Adampur, Principal Director of Concept Studies, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) at Air HQ and Commandant, Air Force Academy before his current appointment.

Air Marshal Mathews is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and Air War College, USA. (ANI)

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Radio Pakistan harps on Kashmir, again

August 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Abohar, Aug.29 (ANI): The Punjabi Durbar programme of Radio Pakistan seems to have run out of ideas. In its latest programme, it has criticised Dr. Manmohan Singh for not including the future of Jammu and Kashmir in the India-Pakistan dialogue.

The Punjabi Durbar programme has criticised Dr. Manmohan Singh for taking a step ‘back’.

Baldev Singh, an expert on political affairs has pointed out that India has always tried to engage Pakistan in constructive dialogue. He said: “The way Pakistan is functioning India has been forced to take its steps back.

If Pakistan concentrates on its internal affairs and gains the confidence of the international community, our government will think of improving its relations with Pakistan.”

India tried to improve relations with Pakistan and the Indian Prime Minister went to Lahore. But soon after Pakistan attacked India and India fought against the Pakistani invaders in Kargil.

Again when relations with Pakistan were showing some improvement, Pakistanis attacked in Mumbai.

Government of India, which was still keen on improving relations with Pakistan, provided Pakistan with detailed dossiers. But Pakistan, instead of proceeding against them, is trying to find an excuse not to proceed with the cases.

Radio Pakistan has dug up Jammu and Kashmir again.

People feel that Radio Pakistan should concentrate on its internal affairs and punish individuals guilty of terror and spreading mayhem not just in Kashmir but in other parts of the India too (ANI)

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George Fernandes demands apology from Congress party

August 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug 24 (ANI): Former Defence Minister George Fernandes demanded an apology from the Congress Party, as his name was not figuring in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) charge sheet in the coffin scam.

Congress, which was an opposition party in 2002, severely criticised Fernandes as having role in the Coffin Scam, and even boycotted him in the Parliament.

In a signed press statement Fernandes accused Congress for demoralising the troops to gain the political advantage.

“I needed no ‘clean chit’ from the CBI to know that the aluminium casket purchase issue had never even come to my table during my tenure as Defence Minister let alone my drinking the blood of martyrs, as the Congress accused me of doing,” Fernandes stated.

The CBI, which filed a charge sheet of the scam on August 19, did not include Fernandes’s name.

The charge sheet named the then military attachi in the Indian Embassy in the US, Major General (Retd) Arun Roy, Col (Retd) S K Malik, Col S D Singh and US based businessman Victor Baiza.

The NDA Government’s decision to purchase steel body bays to bring back the bodies if the martyrs of Kargil conflict had racked the nation during the summer of 1999.

The Comptroller and auditor General also found a lot of flaws in the procurement of caskets.

The UPA government, which assumed power in 2004, ordered probe against all the deals signed during the NDA regime. (ANI)

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Dalai Lama inaugurates school for underprivileged kids of Ladakh

August 18, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Leh, Aug 18 (ANI): Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has inaugurated a school for the underprivileged children from remote and isolated areas of Ladakh region such as Zanskar, Kargil and Nubra valley.

Built with support from the Dalai Lama’s Charitable Trust and managed by Nalanda Dharma Centre, Leh, the institution named the Jamyang School will impart education in both Tibetan Buddhism and modern sciences to these children.

It is said that the much acclaimed Oriental wisdom originated from Nalanda, which presently is in ruins and under the care of Archaeological Survey of India.

“Children from remote areas, who are deprived of basic education… representatives of our board and representatives of those remote areas and Director of Jamyang School visit these areas and then select children accordingly and grant them admission in our school,” said Tshering Sonam, Secretary, Jamyang School, Leh.

The first batches of students enrolled at the school are from Drokpa tribe of Da-Hanu area in Ladakh.

The school, with classes up to the fifth standard also has hostel facilities.

Around 60 underprivileged students have taken admission at the school at present.

The Dalai Lama has lived in Dharamsala with thousands of his followers ever since they fled from their homeland after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. (ANI)

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to launch INS Arihant in Visakhapatnam tomorrow – INS Arihant – Arihant

July 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to launch INS Arihant in Visakhapatnam tomorrow – INS Arihant – Arihant

Tomorrow, 26th July 2009, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh fwill ormally launch the indigenously-built nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant at the Naval Dockyard of the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.

Prime Minister will arrive at the ENC’s airbase INS Dega in Visakhapatnam by a special IAF plane along with his wife at 11 am and drive straight to the Naval Dockyard to commission INS Arihant into the sea.

Tomorrow’s launch of the submarine coincides with the “Vijay Diwas” marking India’s triumph over Pakistani intruders in Kargil.

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Kargil war – Kargil war heroes – Kargil war photos – Ace learning – Line of Control (LOC) – Kashmiri militants – International diplomatic support – Pakistani soldiers – Kargil war pictures – Kargil

July 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kargil war – Kargil war heroes – Kargil war photos – Ace learning – Line of Control (LOC) – Kashmiri militants – International diplomatic support – Pakistani soldiers – Kargil war pictures – Kargil

The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir. The cause of the war was the infiltration of Pakistani soldiers and Kashmiri militants into positions on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LOC), which serves as the de facto border between the two states. During and directly after the war, Pakistan blamed the fighting entirely on independent Kashmiri insurgents, but documents left behind by casualties and later statements by Pakistan’s Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff showed involvement of Pakistani paramilitary forces,led by General Ashraf Rashid. The Indian Army, later on supported by the Indian Air Force, attacked the Pakistani positions and, with international diplomatic support, eventually forced withdrawal of the Pakistani forces across the LOC.

The war is one of the most recent examples of high altitude warfare in mountainous terrain, which posed significant logistical problems for the combating sides. This was only the second direct ground war between any two countries after they had developed nuclear weapons, after the Sino-Soviet border conflict of 1969; it is also the most recent. (India and Pakistan both test-detonated fission devices in May 1998, though the first Indian nuclear test was conducted in 1974.) The conflict led to heightened tension between the two nations and increased defence spending by India. In Pakistan, the aftermath caused instability of the government and the economy, and, on October 12, 1999, a coup d’etat by the military placed army chief Pervez Musharraf in power.

Source Wikipedia

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Book nails ‘commando’ Musharraf’s Kargil lies

June 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, June 30 (ANI): Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf, in an interview with a private British television channel recently, claimed that he had came very close to resolving the long pending Kashmir dispute with India, and that he had never advised the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to withdraw troops from Kargil.

But according to the Dawn, the “Commando” (Musharraf), forgot to tell the whole truth.

In the television interview, Musharraf said that he had explained Sharif in clear terms that a final decision about withdrawing troops from Kargil remained with the country’s leadership.

Musharraf very easily skipped to admit that his close pal and the then US CENTCOM chief General Anthony Zinni, had visited Pakistan in the third week of June 1999.

General Zinni had met Musharraf first and then Sharif.

General Zinni, in his book named, Battle Ready, has clearly mentioned that he was sent by US Administration to convince Musharraf and Sharif to de-escalate troops presence in Kargil.

“I was directed by the administration to head a presidential mission to Pakistan to convince Prime Minister Sharif and General Musharraf to withdraw their forces from Kargil. I met with the Pakistani leaders in Islamabad on June 24 and 25 and put forth a simple rationale for withdrawing: ‘If you don’t pull back, you’re going to bring war and nuclear annihilation down on your country. That’s going to be very bad news for everybody,” the book states Zinni, as saying.

Furthermore, Zinni adds that Sharif had actually agreed to withdraw forces from Kargil after his meeting with the then US President Bill Clinton.

“Sharif was reluctant to withdraw before the meeting with Clinton was announced (again, his problem was maintaining face); but after I insisted, he finally came around and he ordered the withdrawal. We set up a meeting with Clinton in July,” he added.

The most interesting and disgusting part of the interview was when Musharraf tried to blame the present democratic set-up of Pakistan for the Swat mayhem.

Referring to the illegal FM radio station set-up by the top Taliban commander, Mullah Fazalullah aka Mullah Radio, over which he used to pronounce his diktat, Musharraf said the FM station was set-up after the 2008 elections when he had to step down, but the truth is that the Taliban’s frequency was yielding the banned outfit’s decree from 2006 itself, when Musharraf was still in command of things. (ANI)

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Two suspected Maoists arrested in Lalgarh

June 28, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Lalgarh, June 28 (ANI): Security forces on Sunday arrested two suspected Maoists and defused seven landmines from Lalgarh, while flushing out the Maoists hiding around the troubled area of West Bengal’s West Midnapore.

Five landmines were recovered from Binpur, while two more were found near Kargil junction at Bankura district, said Raj Kanojia, Inspector General of Police.

According to reports, police nabbed two men, who were hiding nearby in a bush where the landmine was planted.

“We have picked up the two men. They are now being questioned. We are probing their Maoist links,” said Raj Kanojia.

The government has deployed forces, which under the “Operation Lalgarh” are heading steadily to comb the entire area for landmines and other explosives.

The operation is expected to go on till normalcy is restored in the troubled area and a sense of security returns among the people.(ANI)

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Sharif’s “kept in dark” over Kargil claims “an absolute lie”: Musharraf

June 27, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Lahore, June 27 (ANI): Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has rejected former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s claims that he was kept in the dark regarding the Kargil issue.

In an interview to a private television channel, Musharraf claimed that he had shared all details with Sharif regarding the Kargil conflict.

Terming Sharif’s statement as “an absolute lie”, Musharraf said he gave Sharif a detailed presentation on the Kargil situation just two days before the former left for the US.

He said that Sharif repeatedly enquired about whether the troops could be withdrawn from Kargil, to which he claimed to have replied that it had to be decided by the country’s leadership.

“I said I have informed you about the military situation but the withdrawal of forces is a political decision which has to be taken by the political leadership,” The Daily Times quoted Musharraf, as saying.

The former military general also claimed that he came near to resolving the Kashmir dispute with India during the infamous Agra summit in 2001.

Musharraf said that he and the then India Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee had even agreed to draft a joint declaration regarding the Kashmir issue, but blamed New Delhi for ditching Islamabad at the last moment.

“The Indian leadership changed their mind at the last minute and did not support the joint declaration, saying that the cabinet had not approved it,” said Musharraf.

Musharraf said he tried his best to resolve the issue which is pending for years, and in that context even held talks with all the stakeholders such as All-Parties Hurriyat Conference and various leaders of the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

He, however, said the meetings did not yield substantial results, as the leaders ‘failed to guide him in the right direction’.

Musharraf also rejected the notion that the country’s Army did not want a resolution on the Kashmir issue.

He said all such reports were primarily aired to malign the image of the security forces, and a part of a “vicious propaganda” against the country. (ANI)

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Musharraf says he got ever so close to resolving Kashmir during Agra summit

June 27, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Lahore, June 27 (ANI): Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has claimed that he came near to resolving the Kashmir dispute during the infamous Agra summit in 2001.

In an interview to a private television channel, Musharraf said that he and the then India Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee had even agreed to draft a joint declaration regarding the Kashmir issue, but blamed New Delhi for ditching Islamabad at the last moment.

“The Indian leadership changed their mind at the last minute and did not support the joint declaration, saying that the cabinet had not approved it,” The Daily Times quoted Musharraf, as saying.

He, however, said the meetings did not yield substantial results, as the leaders ‘failed to guide him in the right direction’.

Musharraf also rejected the notion that the country’s Army did not want a resolution on the Kashmir issue.

He said all such reports were primarily aired to malign the image of the security forces, and a part of a “vicious propaganda” against the country.

Musharraf also rebuffed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s claims that he was kept in the dark regarding the Kargil issue.

Terming Sharif’s statement as “an absolute lie”, Musharraf said he gave Sharif a detailed presentation on the Kargil situation just two days before the former left for the US.

He said that Sharif repeatedly enquired about whether the troops could be withdrawn from Kargil, to which he claimed to have replied that it had to be decided by the country’s leadership.

“I said I have informed you about the military situation but the withdrawal of forces is a political decision which has to be taken by the political leadership,” said Musharraf. (ANI)

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Five candidates in fray for Ladakh parliamentary seat

May 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Leh, Apr 30 (ANI): The contest for Ladakh parliamentary seat in Jammu and Kashmir is expected to be an interesting affair as five candidates will be competing to earn a berth in Lok Sabha in the ongoing general elections.

The constituency is going to polls on May 13. The contest is expected to be intense as all five candidates have a good backing of voters in their respective assembly segments.

P. Namgyal, who is contesting as a candidate of the Congress Party, is expected to face a tough challenge from Ghulam Hassan Khan, senior leader of the National Conference (NC).

Khan filed his nomination as an independent after the NC-Congress coalition decided to field a Congress candidate from the Ladakh constituency.

However, Khan is unhappy at the manner in which the Election Commission is conducting the elections in the region.

“The distance between Kargil and Leh is 250 kilometres. The moment we file the papers, we have to rush back for scrutiny. After filing the nomination, it is a 500 kilometres up and down journey.

There is no provision in the law, that if the vehicle of any candidate breaks down and he is not able reach on time, the Returning Officer will say that we are rejecting the form and you can file an appeal in the court. This is absolutely undemocratic,” said Khan.

The other candidates who will battle it out from Ladakh constituency are Ghulam Murtaza of the People’s Democratic Party and Independents Thinles Angmo and Asghar Ali Karbalaie.

While the three candidates will battle between themselves for the votes in Kargil segment, Namgyal and Angmo will be contesting to seek the Buddhist votes in Leh district. (ANI)

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National Conference concedes Ladakh seat to Congress

April 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, April 8 (IANS) The stalemate between Jammu and Kashmir’s ruling partners over the candidate for the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat has ended. The Congress will field its candidate with support from the National Conference in the cold desert region of the state.

According to National Conference sources, party chief Farooq Abdullah met the Congress high command in New Delhi Tuesday where the issue of the Ladakh seat was resolved.

The coordination committee of the two parties that met here last week had failed to resolve the stalemate with the National Conference staking claim to field its candidate.

The National Conference’s argument had been that it had won two of the four seats in November-December assembly elections from the Ladakh region – Kargil and Zanskar.

The Congress won one with its candidate Nawang Rigzin Jora getting re-elected from Leh.

The National Conference will now field candidates for three seats in the Kashmir Valley – Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag.

The Congress has already announced its candidates from Jammu and Udhampur constituencies. Madan Lal Sharma and Chowdhary Lal Singh are seeking re-election from the two seats respectively.

Jammu and Kashmir has six Lok Sabha seats. The National Conference and Congress will now contest three seats each.

Polling in the state will take place in all five phases, April 16, 23 and 30, and May 7 and 13.

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President Patil says our forces ready to face any conflict

March 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Gorakhpur (UP), Mar 25 (ANI): President Pratibha Patil today said that India does not wish to be involved in any conflict but if it is thrust upon us, our forces are well prepared for it.

Addressing the gathering of Air Force officers and personnel on the occasion of standard presentation ceremony at the Air Force station here, President Patil said that a strong defence and offensive potential are essential to secure the border and safeguards the sovereignty of the nation.

Praising the Indian Armed Forces for their bravery and gallantry, Patil said our Armed Forces reflect our determination to protect nation’s interests.

The President awarded standard to 105 helicopter unit of Air Force Gorakhpur and 108 squadron of the Indian Air Force.

105 Helicopter Unit popularly known as the Daring Eagles, is the second oldest helicopter unit of the IAF. Since its raising in November 1959, the Unit has actively participated in the India-China War in 1962 and the India-Pakistan conflicts in 1965 and 1971, as well as in Sri Lanka military operations from 1987 to 1988.

The Unit has also undertaken humanitarian relief operations on numerous occasions, across the length and breadth of our country.

108 Squadron was raised in November 1959. The Squadron has participated actively in every operation since then, from the Liberation of Goa to the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971 and the Kargil operations. The Squadron has shown perseverance and tenacity as proclaimed in the motto of the Squadron ‘Shodhan Aur Akraman’ therefore, ‘Search and Strike’.

She said the squadron is presently entrusted with the important task of shaping the future of the Indian Air Force, by training young fighter pilots before they join frontline fighter squadrons.

She also released special commemorative cover issued by Army Postal Service. Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi, Major Command Chief of south western Air Command and Central Air Command at UP Governor T.V. Rajeshwar were also present on the occasion. (ANI)

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Farmers in Ladakh take to greenhouses for better yield

March 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Ladakh, Mar 12 (ANI): Farmers in Ladakh have taken to greenhouses, overcoming the hazards of harsh winters in a novel way.

Over 90 per cent of Ladakh’s population is dependent on agriculture. But very short summers and long winters make it hard for farmers to grow vegetables even to sustain themselves.

They now farm in greenhouses, ensuring availability of vegetables throughout the year.

Farmers say that the main advantage of having a greenhouse is the availability of green leafy vegetables throughout the year, especially in the winter season.

“We get green leafy fresh vegetables even during the months of January, February and March. We want that more greenhouses should be promoted so that more people benefit from these,” said Gulam Rasool, a farmer.

The concept of greenhouses was introduced in the region so that farmers can overcome the harsh climate.

The concept of gereenhouses was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation at its unit in Leh. It was adopted by the Army in Kargil by the Indian Army after the 1999 standoff with Pakistan.

The Horticulture Department in the region has popularized as the method has dramatically transformed vegetable yield in the region.

The project was an immediate success in Ladakh as it receives good sunlight for an average of 325 days in a year because of its unique location.

“We have seen that solar energy has a lot of potential in Ladakh. We have tried to develop farming and we are encouraging farmers to grow vegetables.

This concept was developed in 1998 to make greenhouses using local material,” said Tashi Thokmat, Deputy Director, Ladakh Environment and Health Organization (LEHO).

Vegetables like cucumber, eggfruit and capsicum, which were not grown in this region before, are now a common sight in the marketplaces of the mountainous region. By Jigmet Vangchuk (ANI)

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Intense cold sweeps Kashmir after fresh spell of snowfall

February 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, Feb 10 (ANI): Kashmir reeled under intense cold wave on Tuesday after many parts in the region received fresh snowfall.

The upper reaches of the state received fresh snowfall while the plains received rainfall, dipping the mercury levels across the region.

People said that it has been unusually cold this time after the snowfall.

“This time,it is very cold. People have started using kangris again. Heaters are out. People are covering themselves with warm clothes. It is very cold here,” said Rizvi Haider, a resident.

The meteorological department said the sudden change in weather conditions is due to the western disturbance.

More snowfall and rains have been predicted by the Meteorological Department for next three-four days.

“Due to some western disturbances, coming from the Arabian sea towards Jammu and Kashmir and adjoining areas, the weather condition will remain bad in the state for next three-four days,” said Sonam Lotus, Director, Meteorological Centre, Srinagar.

Upper reaches of the state like Kupwara, Bandipore, Baramulla, Gulmarg and many other regions received heavy snowfall, dipping the day and night temperatures in the State.

Kargil and Leh districts of the state reeled under extreme cold conditions as the temperature in these towns dipped to minus 18.6 and minus 11.8 degree Celsius respectively. (ANI)

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Indore hoists giant national flag on Republic Day

January 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Indore, Jan. 26 (ANI): As the nation commemorated its 60th Republic Day on Monday, people in Indore’s Gandhi Chowk were thrilled to salute a giant national flag, which many described as the highest flag of the country.

Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Raghavji hoisted the special flag, which measured 21 x 14 feet and was unfurled over an 80-feet iron pole here.

According to the organiser, the inspiration to unfurl the giant flag was derived from the recent Mumbai terror attack.

“When Mumbai terror attack took place, at that time whole Mumbai came together to raise their voice against terrorism. We also got inspired from that and we wanted to do something similar to that, that’s why we organised this flag hoisting ceremony to show to the world that we are united,” said Prakash Rathor, the organiser.

The Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad chief Hemant Karkare and others killed in the terror attack in country’s national capital during the three-day Nov.26 Mumbai seize, gave inspiration to a Jaipur artist who made this giant flag.

“I am passionate about making images of the martyrs, it’s my way of paying homage to them. I started making images of martyrs from 1999, during Kargil war I had made images of all the martyrs from Rajasthan state,” said Chandra Prakash, the flagmaker.

Prakash doesn’t sell off his portraits inspired by the martyrs, as his expression of gratitude for those who sacrificed their lives for the nation. He rather gifts these paintings to the families of the martyrs. By Rajni Khaitan (ANI)

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