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| Rahul may ride party charger | | |
Indications are that the Congress may ultimately cast its dice in favour of Rahul Gandhi to be party’s Prime Ministerial candidate for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.In fact the party had started preparing for it late last year but it did not want to create an impression that the party leaders had opted for dumping Prime Minister,Manmohan Singh.The stage for Rahul Gandhi’s “coronation” as Prime Ministerial candidate soon after Manmohan Singh himself announced that he will not be prepared to occupy Prime Minister’s chair for the third term.At one stage senior Congress leaders had stated that it was not necessary to name the party’s prime ministerial candidate and others had said that the selection for the candidate to occupy the Prime Minister’s chair would be made soon after the poll results were out.There was also some confusion among senior Congress leaders when Rahul Gandhi,while quoting his mother,said that “power is poision” which was mistaken for Rahul’s unwillingness to share the responsibility as party’s prime ministerial candidate.It was Rahul Gandhi’s latest media interview that cleared some misgivings about his intentions on occupying the chair of Prime Ministership.And on the basis of this interview the` party may name Rahul Gandhi as prime ministerial candidate during the forthcoming AICC meeting.
Rahul Gandhi has made it clear that he was ready and willing to serve the party and the country in the way the Congress would like him to do.“I am a sepoy of Congress. I will obey whatever order is given to me. I will do whatever Congress wants me to do because decisions in the party are taken by senior party leaders,”according to Rahul Gandhi.“Earlier also some decisions were taken...Power is poison ....does not mean that I am not keen to take responsibility. There is no word of reluctance in my life...Congress has never been specific. Whatever task the Congress wanted me to accomplish, I have done that,” Rahul Gandhi has claimed. Rahul Gandhi’s remarks at the party’s Chintan Shivir in Jaipur in January 2013, that his mother Sonia Gandhi had told him that power is poison had led to speculation as well Opposition attack that the Congress vice-president was not willing to take up responsibility.Explaining his remarks, he said, “Power is poison is an observation that when power comes, one should know how to deal with the associated dangers that come with it. This is it. Power is poison means use power for the welfare of people and do not use it to make oneself bigger or more powerful.
And if the Congress installs Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial candidate the ensuing Lok Sabha elections may dwindle to a clash of two prominent political personalities,Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi.And if one cites BJP leaders it would be a clash between a commoner and a Shezada,a clash between 63 and 43 which means that Modi being 63 and Rahul is 43.Reports say that the Congress felt the need for selecting its Prime Ministerial candidate only after it saw and Narendra Modi was being able to build a wave around him and it was for the first time in the history of the saffron Parivaar that vote for Modi means vote for BJP.In addition to this by delaying to project someone as its prime Ministeral candidate the Congress was creating an impression that it had no suitable leader in its kitty who could be projected as the party’s prime ministerial candidate.Hence the Congress wanted to bury this misconception and misunderstanding.Rahul Gandhi had achieved the stature and standing within the Congress which had helped him to dictate terms to the Government.Ha showed his stamina and stature for forcing the Congress leadership and the UPA Government to modify some of their decisions which had been taken ealier.If Rahul Gandhi is projected as prime ministerial candidate by the Congress it would be sheer fulfilling some political obligation because Rahul Has been working as the major domo of the party during the last over two years.(eom)
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Bani people favor district hood for Basohli.
Pawan Chohan Bani
These days a tug of war is seen taking place between Basohli and Billawar tehsils of district Kathua regarding the formation of a long awaited hilly district for Bani, Basohli and Billawar tehsils. It is beyond doubt that the creation of the hilly district is the only key which can ensure the speedy and desired development of these backward, remote and inaccessible tehsils. During the last up gradation of some tehsils to district it has been observed how the influence of some powerful and influential politicians, having a direct access to the higher echelons of power, managed the creation of some of the districts which were considered well developed and fell at a hand shaking distanceat the cost of those tehsils which are located 250 to 300 kilometers away from their present district headquarters.We understand that the creation of smaller units of administration is the need of the hour for the equitable and harmonious development of the whole state but at the same time it becomes the duty of the government to safeguard the interests of those tehsils which do not have their representatives in the council of ministers or those whose words carry little or no meanings in the political or bureaucratic circle.
Before the creation of new hilly district, either at Basohli or at Billower, the consent of the people of Bani tehsils must be sought because it is they who have to decide as to where their interests can be watched better or where they feel more comfortable in comparison to the options before them. Geographically Bani tehsil is situated in the north at a distance of 90 kilometers from Basohli, 180 kilometers from Kathua and 270 kilometers from Jammu. There are some remote areas of Bani which are still far away from the present district headquarter Kathua. For them reaching kathua is not only costly but time consuming also. Whole Bani tehsil is economically poor and socially and educationally backward because majority of the population belongs either to scheduled cast or scheduled tribes, for them performing to and fro journey to the district head quarter Kathua for even petty jobs will be like taxing them deliberately. Moreover both the Bani and Basohli tehsils are joined together by the Basohli, Bani, Bhadarwah road which is the life line for both the adjacent tehsils because both of the tehsils have scattered and inaccessible habitats, hilly terrains common problems, traditionsand culture. In the coming days Basohli, being a confluence of three states, is going to emerge as a hub of trade and tourism which will help boost tourism of Bani area also. The distance between Bani and Basohli is less than half the distance between Bani Kathua and Bani Billawar. District hood for Basohli will be beneficial for the people of Bani in every respect therefore the entire Bani tehsil favors district hood for Basohli in future.
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KULBUSHAN –The Legend of MELODRAMA
Jammu has produced many stalwarts in the theatrical arena. Some of them have left an impact over the people’s mind. Right from the days of Sh.K.L.sehgal , Sh.Om Parkash , Sh.Rishi Raj Chopra, Jammu has seen a spectrum of artistic excellence. But one of the luminosity and the beconlight of artistic grandeur is the son of the soil Mr.Kulbushan Sharma.
Jammu can never forget his contribution in the field of theatrical drama and street plays. Born to Late Smt. Lajwanti and Late Sh. Tirath Ram Sharma in the year 1954. Mr Kulbushan was endowed with peculiar skills right form his childhood days when he came under the emancipating influence of trio, namely Sh. K.l.Sehgal , Sh.Om Parkash and Sh.Prithvi Raj Kapoor the artists of iconic stature who had performed at Sanatan Dharam Sabha Natak Samaj (SDNS)- a historic artistic club/ institution in the heart of the city of temples.
On the occasion of Ram Navmi and Krishan Janam Ashtami in every annual calendar , the stage plays like Ramleela and Krishan Leela had a deeper impact on the psyche of Mr Kulbushan . Given, his husky voice and eminent personality, he was offered roles at a quiet young age of 12. The first role, he played on the stage was that of Nakula – the youngest of Pandava brothers. After this there was no looking back for Mr. Kulbushan. The various roles he played included the roles of Angad, Sugreev, Akshay Kumar –the son of Ravana, Bali and Parshu Ram, Jamad Agni, Dashrath and ultimately the role of Demon King Ravana for last 15 years without break. There came a time when SDNS and Kulbushan become the synonym words. All those characters which he had played form time to time at SANATAN DHARAM SABHA NATAK SAMAJ were made immortal by this artist of flaming heights consequently people started taking keen interest in the mythological backgrounds . His name become buzz-word in every theatrical gossip as the Ramleela show was gaining popularity among the masses.
Then came a turn in his professional and artistic persuits when he tried his luck on T.V . In 1994 , he was selected in the Doordarshan Jammu auditions and started getting good work in Hindi and Dogri serials.His work was widely acclaimed and soon he become a household name as for now he has become a renowned and an approved Television Artist. The tremors of his work was felt in metropolitans of the country.
In 1998 a team of directors and Artists led by Mr. Arvind Swamy , Satyan Kappu and others from Mumbai Film world came to Jammu for the shooting of serials and met Mr.Kulbushan who later recognized his exceptional acting skills and suggested him to join them at Bolywood. Number of times, he got offers for Dogri and Hindi films, ZEE TV Serials , but due to some circumstances , it was difficult for him to carry on acting outside his home town.
His promising performances include BAWAJITTO, ANTH, JANASHEEN, ANDHA SAFAR, BIKHRA HUA MAAZI, SHARAT, RADHA, SAAT DIN KE LYE, DHED ROTI, VISWAAS, JANWAR, AANDIAN, LOODIAN LIKRAN, DABBAR, HIMAYUN, RAJNIGANDHA, BAGWAAN PARSHURAM, GOOD BYE SWAMY ,EK AUR DHRONACHARYA AND SARKAAR . His serials were telecasted from DD1 And DD2 beside his stage shows in Annual Drama Festivals organized by J&K Academy of Art, culture and Language. His role as Sumeer Singh in Bawajitto has become unforgettable . His teleplay “Sharat” based on a Russian story was a worth watch. His role of a Pathan in one of his serial was the real crowd catcher. Later Anth based on terrorism won much applaud .His directors, writers and producers like Sh. Sohal Lal Koul and Sh.Ashok Jhelkhani now Director Doordarshan Delhi remarked that Kulbushan is an artist of par excellence and the art redefined. He is the real dramatic genius who can accomplish hi s role with dedication and sincerity.
In 1986, the dogri play Sarkaar which was staged at Abhinav Theatre Jammu on the occasion of inauguration ceremony of the statue of Maharaja Ranbir Singh at Ranbirreshwar Temple Shalamar, Jammu forced the audience to stand on their toes and highly acclaimed his character of Maharaja Ranbir Singh. He turned the tables on said day so much so that Dr. Karan Singh the grandson of Maharaja Ranbir Singh and Smt. Padma Sachdev. were also compelled to give him a big hug and shower of appreciation.
He and his team has also repeated the same performance in the capital city of the country which was a huge success. other than the performance of Mr.Kulbushan, the author also received an appreciation as he had successfully brought to the light Maharaja’s approach toward social, political and religious issues.
Kulbushan disclosed that he has great passion for Ramleela and it is his foremost duty to work for Sanatan Dharam Natak Samaj.Street plays and theatrical work should be rejuvenated in urban and rural peripheries so as to boost the building talent. One must apply the real motto of theatre in his real life drama so that every character be performed consciously to avoid all ill will, hatred & vices then & only then, the world would be a better place to live in.
Money does not matter much for him as he worked for the sense of achievement and satisfaction which he churned out in the intense roles played by him.
“At family front also, he remained an apple pie of the members. He can also be acclaimed as symbolic Sharavan Kumar of modern times as he keeps high regard for his parents and mentors.”
Presently at his place, he is leading a life of a Satyogi and setting an example to follow the suit.” told his brothers Ch. Prem Nath Sharma, a renowned wrestler and Vidya Rattan Sharma – a businessman.
“Whosoever comes into his contact feel like taking a holy dip in to a vast ocean of fulfillment” disclosed his friends and Mr.Sanjeev Kumar Sharma .
People like Kulbushan Ji are rare gems and still he has long way to go when asked about his future planning in Artistic Arena he was enthusiastic and replied in affirmative with the lines of IQBAL
“SITARON SE AGGE JAHAN AUR BHI HAIN,
ABHI ISHQ (ZINDGI)KE IMTIHAN AUR BHI HAIN”
“HAIN DONO KI PARVBAAz AIK SE HI FIZA MEIN
KARGIS KA JAHAN AUR
SHAHIN KA JAHAN AUR”
Kulbushan is of the view that the role Ravana is very close to him. He can feel an extra dose of energy in himself while playing this character for last 15 years and added that there are many myths regarding this character. Ravana –a hugely learned person and a special devotee of GOD SHIVA. He had enslaved death too. It was because of his one vice i.e ego , he succumbed to the fatal arrow shot at him by Lord Rama. In his recent interview with take On Channel , Jammu, Kulbushan maintained that rather than setting the statue of Ravana and his family on fire, one should keep check on his vices of sex, anger, attachment , greed and ego so as to make the whole world pure in all respects.
He owes a lot to his mentors viz. Sohan Lal Koul ,Sh.Ashok Jhelkhani, Pt. Ram Nath Shastri , Prof. Madan Mohan , Sh. Shiv Dutt Sharma, family members his fans and entire , family of SDNS for constant support and encouragement.
In the present scenario, Mr.Kulbushan was of the view that many people like Balwant Thakur, Mushtaq KAK , Deepak Kumar and Sudhir Mahajan are doing good work for the Dogri Theatre & uplifting the vernacular lore. He is always praise for the Jammu Artists & hold that the day is not for away when Dogri art would hit the international Audience.
Lastly , Kulbushan Ji bid adieu with an urdu couplet:-
“SITARON KO AANKHON MEIN MEHFOOZ RAKHNA
BAHUT DUR TAK RAAT HI RAAT HOGI,
MUSAFIR HO TUM BHI,
MUSAFIR HAIN HUM BHI,
KISI MODH PAR PHIR MULKAT HOGI”
Author: SANJEEV KUMAR SHARMA
The Author is a teacher in Education Department Govt. of Jammu & Kashmir
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Need to endorse Army Chief’s stand
-Balbir Ram Rattan-
Now, when Indian Army Chief General Vikram Singh has stated that “there should be no dilution of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Jammu and Kashmir in view of the prevailing situation in the region, including possible terrorist spill-over into the valley after US draw down in Afghanistan”, it should serve as an eye-opener to the leadership of Kashmir-centric political parties like National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who have been raking-up the issue of the AFSPA in one way or the other to divert the attention of the Kashmir people from their day to day misery, which has been on account of mis-governance or say total failure to fulfill promises and come upto the expectations of the people and their resentment against both these parties.
To elaborate his stand, General Vikram Singh has said that “we need to look at developments in Afghanistan in 2014 before we can look at perhaps tampering with or diluting the disturbed areas (Act) adding that it would be prudent to “wait and watch for a while” before taking a call on AFSPA.
Whatever General Vikram Singh has said on the issue of AFSPA, is neither new nor reflects any change in the principled stand of the Indian army. While all the top ranking officials of army and paramilitary forces have been time and again stressing on the need of continuation of AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir, the leaders of two regional parties of this border state namely National Conference and People’s Democratic Party have been, every now and then, raising fingers on AFSPA demanding its revocation on some unjustified and imaginary grounds. On the other hand, no one from the common population of the state has ever uttered a single word against this Act. Hence, it is a clear indicator that political parties of the state are politicising the issue, which is indeed very unfortunate and not good for the state as well as the nation.
To fully appreciate the background and scope of AFSPA, it would be fruitful to re-capitulate its history. After the onset of militancy and terrorism in the valley and forcible displacement of minority community from the valley, the army was called upon to counter the onslaught of terrorists by the civil administration as the state’s police could not stand before the highly dreaded terrorists equipped with the modern and sophisticated weaponry. To avoid any hindrance to the army in its assigned duty of countering terrorism, it was clothed with special powers which is commonly known as AFSPA. Now all those political outfits, entities and individuals, who seek revocation of AFSPA must first be themselves convinced and also convince others that army’s use in countering terrorism is no longer required. It is strange that all such people who want revocation of AFSPA are not prepared yet to relieve the army from its burden of countering the terrorism in the state.
Now the million dollar question that arises is as to who should have say in such decisions-whether those who are at the helm of affairs of the country’s security and are entrusted with the security and the safety of the people and the country or those who are in politics and weigh every decision through the political prism? In case of AFSPA, shouldn’t the views of the security experts prevail and those of political people accordingly tailored to it?
If opinion of a common Indian citizen is sought in any part of the country, it would surely be : “better leave the security related matters to the security dealing people”. Hence, it is advisable to NC and PDP leaders as well as persons like Prashant Bhushan to rather concentrate on issues effecting the life of the common man rather than raking up issues which have some emotional impact on a minuscule percentage of the valley population. It will be healthy gesture if every one, including leadership of regional political parties endorse the stand of General Vikram Sinsh instead of poking nose in security affairs. |
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