Other States - Himachal Pradesh   

Iraqi hostages, Pareechu dominated news space

By Kanwar Yogendra

SHIMLA, JAN. 3. The hill State of Himachal Pradesh remained in the news twice in 2004. First, when three of its people were taken hostages in Iraq. The high voltage hostage drama went on for more than one-and-a-half months. Secondly, it was the formation of artificial lake Pareechu in Tibet, posing a grave threat to the inhabitants of the State living downwards on the banks of turbulent Sutlej. The crisis went on for more than 20 days and the lake ultimately remained frozen. Extraordinary precautions were taken by the administration and the inhabitants as they had faced enormous devastation from a similar situation which had led to flash floods a few years back.

The ruling Congress suffered a setback when it lost the Guler Assembly by-election to a not so effective BJP. Earlier the Congress had sent three MPs out of four from the State to the Lok Sabha. Mr. Suresh Chandel of BJP won the lone Hamirpur seat for his party. Even the party stalwart Shanta Kumar, who was later instrumental in Guler victory, lost the BJP stronghold Kangra to Congress.

Mr. Anand Sharma the AICC spokesman despite confrontation from the Virbhadra Singh camp got the Rajya Sabha ticket and was successfully elected to the Upper House. Mr. Sharma is reportedly preparing for the top slot after gaining from factional fights in the state party unit. His proximity to the Gandhis can be an advantage. After the surrender of PCC president post by Vidya Stokes, the struggle for one-upmanship in the party ended and state Industries Minister Kuldip Kumar, a close confidante of the Chief Minister made new PCC chief. The party and government are now headed by Singh or his men. With this anti-Virbhadra voice in the party has been gagged. A section of the party is now rallying around Major (retd.) Vijay Singh Mankotia, a former Minister from Kangra, who has rebelled against his unceremonious dropping from the Cabinet during the downsizing exercise. The BJP under the leadership of former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal showed much aggression in the House this year after the firebrand Loktantrik Morcha MLA and a Virbhadra bete noire Mahinder Singh Thakur joined the BJP. With the independent MLA Navin Dhiman, who fought as a BJP rebel and Harbans Rana, newly elected Guler MLA the party was seen in a new verve and enhanced strength. The call given by the politicians to make the state a "Power State" after the previous label of an "Apple State" remained only a hype, and the State could not create a "brand Himachal" impression despite the President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam visiting the state this month.

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