National News

New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS) The red-blue-yellow coloured Tibetan flags flutter everywhere in Majnu Ka Tila, a Tibetan settlement in the northern part of the capital. Five decades after the Tibetans fled to India, members of the community living here still have unflinching faith in the Dalai Lama and that their homeland, Tibet, will one day be free.

New Delhi, Nov 18 (IANS) Munni Rawat, a 50-year-old homemaker in Uttarakhand state in the Himalayas, does not know about the climate summit in Copenhagen next month. But she does know that climate change has dried up the stream in her hillside village in northern India.

Kolkata, Nov 15 (IANS) He is blind but can recognise more than 200 types of birds by their calls. He treks in the high Himalayas with gusto, transcending his physical inabilities to commune with nature.

Srinagar, Nov 12 (IANS) Fahmida, 39, sweeps dry leaves of the chinar tree to gather them into a heap with her broom. Her husband Razak, 43, then quickly moves to set fire to the heap. The crimson blaze creates a magical glow on Fahmida's face.

Srinagar, Nov 10 (IANS) Woollen clothes are out of the trunk, new 'pheren' robes are being ordered and, in the absence of consistent power supply, charcoal is being stored for earthen firepots - clear signs that winter has arrived in the Kashmir Valley.

Port Blair, Nov 8 (IANS) Along with its crystal clear blue water, long white sand beaches, mangrove-lined creeks and diverse marine life, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands also provide the visitor with vital insights into Indian history.

Leh, Oct 21 (IANS) Known as the 'land of high passes', Ladakh is a kaleidoscope of nature's extremes -- snow-capped peaks to sand dunes, sub-zero temperatures to scorching sun -- all sprinkled with barren mountains in myriad shades of brown.

Lucknow, Oct 12 (IANS) A picture is worth a thousand words. In the case of Shohaib Khan, words are worth a picture. Confused? The 20-year-old artist from Uttar Pradesh writes verses from religious scriptures in such a fashion that they become paintings.

Srinagar, Oct 11 (IANS) The seasonal migration of the Bakerwals from the highland pastures of Kashmir Valley to their homes in the warmer Jammu region has begun and will see the hardy goatherds travel over 300 km across the Pir Panjal mountains with their flocks of sheep and goat. Undertaken on foot every year, it is a journey of grit and fitness.

Lucknow, Oct 9 (IANS) What was once full of thorny bushes, wild grass and bamboo plants today lies transformed into a garden where children come to play. Narsingh Sadhusharan, a farmer in Uttar Pradesh, is the man who created this picturesque landscape single-handedly over 15 years.

Lucknow, Oct 6 (IANS) She had a loving husband and caring in-laws, but Uttar Pradesh resident Beena Rana was devastated on being told she had uterus cancer and could never bear a child. That was 20 years ago.

Sonarigaon (Assam), Oct 4 (IANS) Sitting on a low stool, head bent over a metal holder, Gautam Bordoloi carefully chisels a gold band studded with rubies. One of the very few traditional jewellers to have remained loyal to the art in his village in Jorhat district, Bordoloi is an expert craftsman with a client�le that goes beyond the state's borders.

Dharamsala, Sep 20 (IANS) More than two decades have passed since she was released from prison by the Chinese authorities, but the painful memories of her jail stay still haunt her. Eighty-year-old Ama Adhe, a Tibetan living in India, now spends her day in prayer.

New Delhi, Sep 13 (IANS) He uses a stick to walk, looks frail and is 91 years old. But Delhi-based Gandhian Shambu Dutta's resolve is firm - to fast unto death unless the government takes concrete steps to weed out corruption in India.

Surankot (Jammu and Kashmir), Sep 6 (IANS) The school is in a dream setting, but many of its students keep having nightmares. They are children of killed militants or of those killed by terrorists, all brought together here.

Bhubaneswar, Sep 2 (IANS) Lady Di replied to him. So did Michael Jackson, Ronald Reagan, Yasser Arafat, Pele and David Beckham.

Jammu, Aug 31 (IANS) From time immemorial the Gujjar tribe has travelled hundreds of kilometres in summer to the upper regions of the Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir with its livestock. But 20 years of militancy, government restrictions and loss of lives seem to be bringing the journey of these nomads to an end.

Srinagar, Aug 30 (IANS) Her teachers rate Shazadi as an outstanding student. The girl studying in Class 4 speaks the Kashmiri language fluently. She wants to become a college teacher here when she grows up. But destiny - in the form of government rules - has already ordained that she never will.