So much for clean and transparent government — 11 BJP Candidates have criminal records, 7 for the Samajwadi Party, and 6 for Congress. By Aradhana Sharma for NDTV Wednesday, February 14, 2007 (Dehradun): NDTV has joined hands with the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) to help citizens make an informed choice. ADR is a nationwide [...]

British traveler Daniel Robinson has been in jail since October 2006 because he strayed across the Indo-Tibetan border. We call on the authorities to free Robinson immediately, both as a clemency for his health and as a remedy for the highly punitive sentence that was imposed for such an unintentional infraction. This case amply illustrates [...]

Commentary 14 February 2007 The BJP’s pledge to make Sanskrit the second language of Uttarakhand will hopefully never see the light of day. Apart from carrying no benefit to the general population despite pandering to religious elites, it gives the impression that their only employment plan focuses on extensive temple building and subordinating the state [...]

By S M A Kazmi Indian Express, February 13, 2007 Dehra Dun, February 12: With popular folk singers joining the election fray, campaigning in Uttarakhand seems to be full of melody. While folk singer Pritam Bhartwan is contesting the polls as a candidate of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) from Dhanolti (reserve) constituency, he is [...]

Garhwal Post 13 February 2007 With the state assembly polls growing ever closer, all indications point to a stronger presence of the BJP in the new assembly. While the party might not form the government, they will still play a pivotal role in state politics, thus the pressing need for greater scrutiny of their agenda. [...]

By Our Staff Reporter Garhwal Post, February 11, 2007 DEHRADUN, 10 Feb: A “People’s Manifesto” prepared by various social organisations working in Uttarakhand was released at a press conference here on Saturday. The manifesto was prepared after carrying out a survey at various places in different districts. The societies lead by Surendra Bhai said that [...]

Rakesh Lohumi Tribune News Service Shimla, February 10 A dozen villages along the banks of the Pinder, a tributary of the Alaknanda in Uttarakhand, will be saved from submergence, with the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) redesigning the 300 MW Devsari hydroelectric project as a three-stage run-of-the-river scheme of almost double capacity. It was originally [...]

The full absurdity of the BJP in catering to land grabbing and domination under the garb of religion is nowhere more obtuse than in promoting Sanskrit to official language status, even while neglecting the indigenous Garhwali and Kumaoni languages. The full colonization of Uttarakhand by these carpetbaggers is on. PTI, Dehradun, Feb 8: Pledging to [...]

Garhwal Post, February 8, 2007 For Congress and the BJP, politics has very much been a family affair in Uttarakhand. With so many ties binding their top leadership, it is no small wonder that the region has seen so many of the same names and faces in election after election. The following are a few [...]

February 7, 2007 News of Congress’ demise is greatly exaggerated, given the most extensive poll survey yet taken ahead of the elections. A Garhwal Post-Umeed survey of 18,000 in all 70 constituencies in Uttarakhand found the BJP polling a mere percentage point ahead of the Congress. This is less than the 1.7 per cent margin [...]