Monthly Archives: April 2016

Carpenter gifts Gita carved in wood to PM

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Kanpur:

A 32-year-old carpenter from the city got an opportunity to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and gift him a unique Bhagvad Gita carved on wood.

Sandeep Soni, who took three years in creating the wooden Gita, had long wanted to meet the PM, but was unsuccessful despite several attempts.

After an invitation by the PMO, Sandeep, his mother Saraswati Soni and a friend met Modi and handed him over the Gita, having all 18 chapters and 706 ‘sholakas’, in Delhi yesterday.

Modi later tweeted a picture of him receiving the Gita from Soni on his official Twitter handle.
“Sandeep Soni presented to me a copy of the Gita, carved on wood. I thank him for his kind gesture,” the PM tweeted.

Soni said he was elated after meeting the PM.

“I got emotional after meeting the Prime Minister because I never thought my dream would come true. He was very impressed by the Gita and praised my work in creating it,” he said.

Soni also conveyed to the PM that he wanted to start his own business under the ‘Make in India’ scheme, following which Modi directed officials to provide all the necessary help.

Soni, who earns a meagre Rs 9,000 a month, had been invited by the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) last month to hand over his creation, but was not able to personally meet the PM.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kanpur / TNN / March 10th, 2016

Country’s second Bhojpuri study centre opens in city

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Lucknow :

Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University became the second university in the country to start a centre for Bhojpuri studies. The centre, to be operational from this academic session, will promote Bhojpuri literature and language, besides showcasing the lively elements of Bhojpuri culture and civilization across areas of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

Banaras Hindu University is the only other institution to offer the course.

The centre will have undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral courses.

“Bhojpuri is significant to a large population and has considerable international presence. This linguistic region has been the life line of north India. The study of regional Bhojpuri life, including agriculture, lifestyle, indigenous knowledge and cultural profiles is of immense significance both from epistemological and practical angles,” said university vice-chancellor Nishith Rai, the ex-officio chairman of the centre.

Apart from academic activities, the Centre for Bhojpuri Studies will house a cultural museum to preserve rare manuscripts, art forms. The centre will als provide training for print, electronic media and film production, organise national and international conferences and publish books and journals. The university VC, said officials will soon constitute a committee of experts to work out the modalities for making the Centre functional

Bhojpuri diaspora merits special significance. According to academic advisor to V-C, AP Tiwari, Bhojpuri has worldwide linkages. It is spread not only in metros like Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi but also in erstwhile colonial Islands like Mauritius, Surinam, Trinidad and Fiji, besides USA and UK. “People with Bhojpuri clout are rich businessmen, successful bureaucrats, poor laborers or small shopkeepers but their languages are the same. Despite heterogeneous economic status of Bhojpuri people, it has built in tendency of integration. Hence, the Centre will explore Bhojpuri connections across the world,” said Tiwari.

The Centre, said Tiwari will also endeavour to bring out the philosophical world-view of the Bhojpuri community, its traditional eco-friendly practices and life style, its creative and aesthetic richness and fineness and most significantly its innovative genius. “Let the Bhojpuri (speaking ) people take pride in their language instead of being apologetic about it. It is a great tragedy that very little is known of a language which is the language of the heart for millions of people,” Rai said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / by Isha Jain, TNN / April 01st, 2016

SP Shamli to get fifth gallantry award

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Meerut:

Governor Ram Naik on behalf of President Pranab Mukherjee on April 1 will confer the Shaurya Padak, a gallantry award, to superintendent of police in Shamli district Vijay Bushan.

This will be the fifth gallantry award of Bhushan’s career. He will receive the award for showing “extraordinary courage” during an encounter with five kidnappers who had abducted a businessman’s son. The incident took place in 2007, when Bhushan posted in Lucknow as ASP (Special Forces).

According to SP Bhushan, in February 2007, one Praveen, a student of Class IV had been kidnapped by some miscreants who demanded Rs 50 lakh as ransom to release him. “That time I was ASP in the STF. The news had stunned the entire city and traders kept their shops closed for 10 days in press for the boy’s recovery,” he told TOI.

The STF got a tip-off that the boy was held hostage at Ramnagar of Barabanki district. When Bhushan, a sub inspector and a constable were trying to secure an ebntry into the house through the roof, the kidnappers opened fire at them. However, police countered the attack, rescued the boy after shooting down two of the kidnappers. Three of the kidnappers were nabbed during the encounter.

For showing indomitable courage, the names of Bhushan and a DSP, Shah Raseed Khan, were recommended for gallantry award.

On April 1, he would be honoured by the governor on behalf of the President at a ceremony in Lucknow. Bhushan has bagged the Shaurya Padak four times earlier during his career. He has also led an operation against Naxalites. UP government had sent him to Australia to get training to deal with terrorist attack and similar situations.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Meerut / by Pankul Sharma / TNN / March 26th, 2016

Smriti March to remember first war of independence

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Varanasi :

Volunteers of a social organization carried out ‘1857 Smriti March’ in the city on Tuesday to mark the March 29, 1857 when Mangal Pandey, a native of Ballia district and soldier in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry (BNI) regiment of the British East India Company, rebelled at Barrackpore and attacked British officers. It was the first major incident known as sepoy mutiny or the first war of independence.

Displaying the portraits of 1857 war heroes with national flags and raising slogans the volunteers carried out the march from Varunanagaram colony to Cultural Complex, Chowkaghat. Recalling the day as the first war of India’s independence, they remembered Mangal Pandey for the great uprising in the country.

According to records, at Barrackpore on the afternoon of March 29, 1857 Mangal Pandey attacked British officers of BNI. At that time the company had introduced new rifles, which used animal fat for greasing the cartridges. Mangal Panday refused to use the greased cartridges and broke into open mutiny and urged his fellow soldiers comrades to join him. Surrounded by guards and European officers, he tried to commit suicide by shooting himself and was seriously wounded. He was court-martialled, and hanged at Barrackpore on April 8, 1857. Indian Posts & Telegraphs Department issued commemorative stamp on him in 1984.

Later, Ballia became popular as ‘Bagi Ballia’ when it declared itself independent in 1942. To mark the occasion every year on August 19, people assemble at the gate of district jail and carry out a procession across the town. The procession culminates at Bapu Bhawan, Town Hall where a public meeting is held.

Known for rebellious nature, people of Ballia took active part in Quit India movement of August 9,1942. According to district records, during this period local natives and students took out processions, attacked the Bilthara Road Railway Station, Rasra treasury and Bairia police station.

Chittu Pandey headed the national government declared and established on August 19, 1942 for a few days before it was suppressed by the British. The parallel government succeeded in getting the Collector to hand over power and release all the arrested Congress leaders.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Varanasi / by Binay Singh / TNN / March 29th, 2016