Police bravehearts to get gallantry award from Prez

Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All

Lucknow :

Fifteen years after one of the fiercest gunbattles between the police and Naxalites in the state left 15 ultras dead, six police personnel of the ambush party will be awarded President’s Police Medal for Gallantry on Saturday. While the senior-most officer leading the team has retired from services, one of the junior-most members has passed away and will be awarded posthumously.

In all, 15 police personnel, including 7 IPS officers, involved in five different operations between 2001 and 2011 have been shortlisted for the gallantry award for their valour during police operations.

The encounter with the Naxalites took place on March 9, 2001 in Bhawanipur village of Mirzapur following a specific tip-off that more than a dozen people armed with latest rifles and ammunition had gathered in the village. About a dozen police teams zeroed in on the village and after evacuating the civilians, raided the hideouts of the Naxalites. As many as 15 Naxalites were killed and police recovered a total of 13 rifles, guns and pistols apart from a satchel of cartridges and countrymade rocket bombs from their possession.

The special task force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh Police (UPP) bagged a total of five gallantry medals for operations in Lucknow and Noida. The Lucknow operation relates to an encounter in 2006 in which listed gangster Sachin Pahari, who was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head, along with his aide Vikas Kannaujiya were killed in Triveninagar area of the state capital. Police recovered two handguns from the ambush site after the encounter.

In the Noida encounter, the STF shot dead Ashutosh Rai and Ajay Singh in an ambush near the expressway in Noida in 2010. Each of the two gangsters was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head. Police recovered a 9mm carbine and two pistols from the two gangsters.

Other incidents in which gallantry awards have been announced include the arrest of six criminals in Kavinagar area of Ghaziabad and an encounter in Varanasi in which listed historysheeter Satyendra Tewari, who was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head, was gunned down. Tewari was reportedly wanted in more than 20 criminal cases including those of murder, kidnapping for ransom and extortion.

Apart from the gallantry awards, four police personnel will be awarded medals for distinguished services and 70 for meritorious services. As many as 25 other senior police officers and jawans will be presented with Commendation Discs as well.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / August 15th, 2015

Agra’s crucial role in freedom movement not documented: Historians

Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All

Agra:

As the political capital, first of the Mughals and later the British, Agra was always a key centre of political action. The city played a crucial role in the freedom struggle but poor documentation of records has failed to highlight the contribution of the freedom fighters, say local historians.

Syed Ikhtiyar Jafri, director of the Mirza Ghalib Research Academy, who recently released a paper on the contribution of Urdu journalists, said “for whatever reasons the authentic history of Agra`s contribution to the freedom movement, to arts and literature, suffers from poor documentation of records, and therefore the contribution under-valued.”

Hardly any documented history book on the `Braj region` is available that could provide a true picture though fragmented pieces, mostly in newspapers are there for study. “Interestingly, Agra was a major centre of Hindi and Urdu journalism, and we have a long line of fighters with the pen,” says Prof Amit Mukherjea, head of the history department at St John`s College.

The first call for freedom in 1857, ignited by the visits of Nana Sahab, Azimullah Khan, Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah and dozens of other revolutionaries to the city, drew passionate support from the local youth who targeted government installations. Thousands of Hindus and Muslims, particularly in the rural hinterland, rose in revolt which forced the colonial rulers to declare Martial Law in the area.

The rebels against the imperialists were more active in the rural areas than in the city till Tantya Tope shifted base to Agra and the mohallas around Agra College and Gokulpura became the hotbeds of unrest. The heroes of the 1857 revolt, Thakur Heera Singh, Thakur Govind Singh, Chand Baba and Thakur Prithvi Singh continued to lead the mutineers with rare valour.

With the introduction of the railway and opening of the Tundla station in 1862, the city became the transit point of revolutionaries from the East. In 1857 the family of Jawaharlal Nehru migrated and settled in Agra following disturbances in Delhi. Motilal Nehru was born in Maithan mohalla in 1861.

The visits of Tilak, Lajpat Rai and the late Mahatma Gandhi in 1920 and 1929 galvanised the youth and the city came into prominent focus.

Revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Raj Guru and Sukhdev stayed here for days in the Noori Darwaza area, making bombs. A series of bomb blasts and conspiracies like the Hardy Bomb case, explosions in Sheetla Gali, Moti Katra, Barah Bhai ki Gali and other parts sent shock waves in British cantonments.

On the vanguard of revolutionary activities were journalists like Pandit Sri Ram Sharma, Mahendra Jain, Devendra Sharma, Goverdhan Das, Ganpati Kela and Hari Shankar Sharma, in addition to scores of poets and litterateurs.

Ram Chandra Bismil from Mainpuri had fired the imagination of youth with his revolutionary writings. Bismil`s “Shaheedon ki chitaon par lagenge har varash mele, watan par marne walon ka yahi namo nishan hoga,” rings an echo to this day.

Hindi daily Sainik of Sri Krishna Dutt Paliwal was the first to launch a frontal attack on the British colonists. Some of the best editors of the time including Ageya served as editors of this daily. The success of Sainik gave impetus to a long line of periodicals including Hanumant Singh Raghvanshi`s Swadesh Vandhav, Laxman Singh`s Praja Hiteshi, Taja Tar, Ujala, Citizen, Punch and dozens of others.

Women played a crucial role leading protest marches and participating in dharnas. Saroj Gaurihar, Parbati Devi, Bhagwati Devi Paliwal, Sukh Devi, Damyanti Devi Chaturvedi, Satyawati, Angoori Devi Jain, Shiva Dixit, Chandra Kanta Mishra, Vidhyawati Rathod and Heera Bahen Hemraj Betai of the INA were some of the leading figures of that era.

“So many others were there and there was absolutely no gender bias or differences,” says Saroj Gaurihar recalling her activities during those years, adding that “the boycott movement against foreign goods was recognized as the most successful by Motilal Nehru in Agra” in a speech.

Two stalwarts of the freedom movement, Thakur Ram Singh, the hero of Kala Pani, and Prof Siddheswar Nath Srivastav, died recently.

Officially, Agra witnessed 110 violent incidents that resulted in the death of British officials or destruction of property. The famous Hardy Bomb case, Postal Robbery case, Chamraua and Jaunia bomb cases at railway stations are still talked about.

Contrary to popular belief, the city played a very crucial and notable part in the hundred years preceding independence in 1947, but much of the record and documentation work has been lost.

“With more than 400 leaders arrested for varying terms in jail at different times, Agra`s contribution needs to be re-assessed and recognised,” says veteran media activist and former president of the press club Rajeev Saxena.

With railway connectivity to all parts, and situated on the borders of the Deccan plateau, the Thar desert and the Doaab region, Agra was naturally the key hub of revolutionary activities, says senior citizen Surendra Sharma.

IANS

source: http://www.zeenews.india.com / Z News / Home> News> India News> States News> Uttar Pradesh / Friday – August 14th, 2015

Panchala Museum plans gallery for freedom fighters

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel

Bareilly :

With the 69th Independence Day less than a week away, authorities at Panchala Museum are planning to set up a gallery dedicated to the lives of freedom fighters from the Rohilkhand region.

Officials have started collecting pictures, letters and other memorabilia belonging to those who were a part of the freedom struggle.

Abhay Singh, a professor at MJP and the project coordinator, said, “We are requesting families of these bravehearts to provide photographs and texts related to their lives. We are working on a strategy to gather as many belongings of the freedom fighters as we can and we also plan to appeal to the public through newspapers in this connection.”

“Residents aren’t aware of the kind sacrifices freedom fighters from this region made. With the gallery we plan to highlight their glories in our museum. For instance, FR Rahman alias Chunna Miyan who was known as Gandhi of Bareilly worked for creating communal harmony in the city,” Singh added.

However, setting up of the gallery is subject to the availability of required material.

Shyam Bihari Lal, head of the department of ancient history and culture, said, “The gallery will be set up in the museum only after we receive enough material to put things up on display.”

Many people from the Rohilkhand region, including Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit, Rampur, Badaun, Moradabad, Bijnor and Sambhal played an active role in the freedom struggle.

Bareilly was the headquarter of the Rohilkhand region during the revolt of 1857. In fact, on May 31 that year, freedom fighters killed several British officials including the principal of Bareilly College.

The museum is located on the MJP Rohilkhand University campus. Till now, it was only accessible to varsity students but it will be opened to public from this month.

“There will be no entry fee for outsiders but there will be timings for public visits,” said Singh. He added the final touches are being given to the renovation and beautification work at the museum.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India/ News Home> City> Bareilly / by Priyangi Agarwal, TNN / August 10th, 2015

Award-winning teachers get invite from PM on Teachers’ Day

Education, Records, All

Allahabad :

Award-winning teachers will be in for a special treat this Teachers’ Day (September 5) as they have been invited to have an interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on the September 4. The teachers, who have either been felicitated with National Award or the national incentive award by Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), would be invited by the government to interact with the PM.

A notice, mentioning an invite from the government, has been sent to the principals of all the KVS’ of the country by their respective regional office (RO). The Varanasi RO has sent the letter to all the principals of the KVS” in Allahabad for the information of the awarded teachers.

The letter, by KVS’ headquarter, dated August 11 and singed by assistant commissioner KVS’, D K Dwivedi, mentions that all the teachers who have been given the national award in the last five years and principals or teachers who have won KVS’ national incentive award during the last three years (2012-14) would be invited on September 4 to interact with the PM. The letter instructs the principal to furnish the information in a prescribed format.

The invite for interacting with the PM bears special significance for the city as there are two teachers and a principal who have been awarded with national incentive award in the last three years. Principal, KV New Cantt, Shalini Dikshit, was selected for the coveted national incentive award last year.

Remarkably, Dikshit’s name features along with three other principals of the country among 1,100 odd KVS’ in 29 regions. Likewise, Pallavi Sharma, principal KV number 3, Jhansi, who was awarded the national award in the year 2014 by President Pranab Mukerjee, would also be among the invitees.

“The award in itself was an honour and recognition of our work and now an invitation to interact with the PM gives us an added sense of responsibility that our efforts are not only being recognized but the PM too wants to share his idea of grooming the next generation of the country”, said Shalini Dikshit, principal KV New Cantt.

Along with Dikshit, two primary teachers, Purnima Pandey of KV Manauri and Archana Jaiswal of KV IIIT-A Jhalwa were also awarded with national incentive award. In all, there are around a dozen teachers who have been selected for the national incentive award and will be going to New Delhi to interact with the PM.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Allahabad / by Rajeev Mani, TNN / August 13th, 2015

Making of ‘dhartiputra’ Mulayam to be documented in a feature film

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders

Lucknow :

The struggle of ‘dhartiputra’ Mulayam Singh Yadav – from a schoolteacher to the chief minister of India’s biggest state – is all set to be documented on the celluloid. The full-length biopic, ‘Netaji – Mulayam Singh Yadav, directed by Vivek Dixit, would trace the Samajwadi Party supremo’s journey from the Etawah countryside in 60s to 5, Kalidas Marg in Lucknow in 1989 when he became the chief minister for the first time.

Mulayam’s younger brother and senior minister Shivpal Yadav will launch the film at a mahurat ceremony in Lucknow on Wednesday. Sources closely associated with the film production told TOI that ‘Massey Saheb’ fame thespian Ragubir Yadav has been approached to play the title role.

“Veteran actor Raghbir Yadav is being considered to play the lead role in the film,” says Ashok Yadav, a minister in Akhilesh cabinet who is also the chief of SP’s Etawah unit, the home turf of the SP’s first family. “We are also in talks with Amitabh Bachchan. Who will introduce the film,” he said.

Dixit, who has earlier produced and wrote ‘Sancha’ (Mould) starring Anupam Kher, told TOI : “The film ends with Mulayam’s first address after becoming the chief minister where he says Lohia ka sapna poora ho gaya .. aaj ek kisan ka beta mukhya mantri ban gaya (Lohia dream has come true. A farmer’s son has become a chief minister).”

Asked about Raghubir Yadav’s casting, he said: “Raghubir Yadav is fit to play Mulayam of today. However, playing his younger self will be difficult for him.” A final call would be taken in lead actors after after a final “look” test in make-up before the camera, he said, adding “The film will also have celebrated make-up artist and national award winner Vikram Gaikwad of ‘Mary Kom’ fame.”

On his inspiration behind making the film on Mulayam, Dixit said: “It was the thought that today parents want their children to become doctors, engineers and scientists but not political leaders. It was this urge to change the perspective that gave me the idea of making a film on a political leader.”

The invite sent for the mahurat ceremony mentions Shilpa Motion Works and Godfather Films as the two production houses handling the project which has a tentative budget of Rs 30 crore. The film is slated to be shot in most of the original locations in and around Etawah. “We have a research team working on the project for the past one year. We have visited the original locations and plan to retain them in the 2 hour 10 minute long film,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / by Pervez Iqbal Siddique, TNN / August 12th, 2015

At Aligarh village, shrine to British soldiers killed in 1857

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel, World Opinion

Shairpur (Aligarh):

In a strange twist of fate, nine British soldiers who died fighting rebels in the 1857 freedom struggle near this village are now worshipped by the descendants of the villagers. The locals, who believe the souls of the nine soldiers protect them from evil spirits, have turned the memorial plaque into a shrine with lit candles, incense sticks and red sacred thread.

Nearly 121 km from Agra, in the Gangiri block of Aligarh district on its border with Kasganj, the memorial plaque at Shairpur village commemorates British cavalrymen from two highly decorated regiments — the 6th Dragoon Guards, also known as the Carabiniers, and the 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers, who for their participation in the events of 1857 came to be called the Delhi Spearmen.

Engraved on the plaque are their names — Captain George Wardlaw, Lieutenant John Hudson, Lieutenant Sydney Vyse, Privates Joseph Barrett, Robert Chapman, Walter Cossar and Allen Eastwood of the Carabiniers, and Privates John Dyson and Henry Frampton of the Delhi Spearmen.

Surrounded by rice fields, tall shrubs and several trees including a peepal, the ramshackle memorial silently narrates the story of a bloody battle fought here on December 14, 1857.

The structure for the nine soldiers, known locally as ‘Kalajar’ since the war was fought near the Kaali river, has shrunk to its current size of 20 sq ft after villagers took up the surrounding land for cultivation.

However, what remains is of occult significance for locals. “On every holy occasion, local villagers, particularly women, worship this stone plaque. They tie sacraments at the peepal tree behind it, light earthen lamps and incense sticks and offer flowers to the dead soldiers’ souls,” said Jai Vir Singh, headmaster of the primary school at the village, just 30m from the grave. “It is certainly ironic that the descendants of the rebels who fought and killed these men offer them prayers today,” Singh added.

Others assign specific powers to the dead men. “We offer prayers here as we believe the souls of these men protect our village from evil spirits. Every year, the families of these soldiers also visit our village from Britain to pay homage to their ancestors who were buried here,” said Pushpender, a local villager.

BD Rana, son of the former local MLA Netram Singh, believes that the place is of historical importance and the government should take steps to conserve it. “During the Raj, this entire area was part of the Gungeree cantonment. Some five kilometres away, there is another tombstone protected by the ASI, but not much information is available on it,” Rana said.

Experts, however, play down the historical significance of the site. “As the tombstone indicates, there must be a graveyard of British soldiers in the area, but that doesn’t mean it is of historical significance. Scores of Britishers were killed by Indians and their bodies were buried at several places during the events of 1857,” remarked MK Pundhir, medieval archaeologist from the Centre of Advance Studies in History, Aligarh Muslim University.

“Worship of the tomb is a mere superstition. Since there is a peepal tree behind it, villagers over the years must have started worshipping the tombstone as well,” he added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Agra / by Arvind Chawhan, TNN / August 09th, 2015

French Artist to work with UP Artisans

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, World Opinion

A French entrepreneur who runs a fashion store has shown his inclination to work with the artisans based in Uttar Pradesh and make zardozi the talking point in the global fashion industry.

Maximiliano Modesti , who runs an export fashion centre in Mumbai, held a meeting with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, and showed his inclination to work with zardozi artisans of Uttar Pradesh.

A Government official said in a statement issued here on Thursday that Modesti has told Yadav that he wanted to work with zardozi and other artisans and export their work to the international market. “The French entrepreneur made it clear that he wants to make Uttar Pradesh as his work centre,” the spokesman said.

A graduate of IFM (Institut Francais de la Mode), finishing an MBA in Paris, Modesti runs an office in Mumbai. He works with clients like Hermès, Isabel Marant and Bibhu Mohapatra. All of the Hermès embroidery is done in Bombay and leather accessories and garments in Delhi. Now he wants to open embroidery centre in form of zardozi in UP.

Modesti told CM that he already works with a group of 50 artisans in UP as a pilot project. “After the success of this pilot project we want to increase this number to over 1000. We want that the products they make can be sold in the international market. This will not only give these artisans money but also bring UP’s zardozi and other art work to limelight,” he said.

The French entrepreneur had all praises for the skill development schemes launched by the UP Government, He said that such initiatives will help the artisans to hone their skills and if the government can provide them a market this skill will further flourish.

Yadav, on his part assured Modesti of all help. He said that UP being the most populous state of country it is full of opportunity. “The Samajwadi Party Government is trying to improve infrastructure facilities in the state with the result many top industrial houses are now willing to invest I UP,” he said.

source: http://www.dailypioneer.com / The Pioneer / Home> State edition> Lucknow / Pioneer News Service, Lucknow / Friday – August 07th, 2015)