Outcome-cum-Tour Report - Puryagang Awareness Camp held on 29th July 2006...by PauriGarhwalGroup..!!

First Step towards our aim…….Awareness Programme..! !


To create awareness, promote acceptance and integration and instill self confidence for benefit of school children and peoples in rural area of Uttaranchal about health, education, career, protection of environment, their rights and safeguards along with a view to addressing their grievances.



Project Completed : One day Awareness Camp held at Puryadaang Inter College, Puryadaang, Patty – Maniyarsyun, Block – Kaljikhal, Pauri Garhwal (Uttaranchal) on 29th July 2006.


Pauri Garhwal Group (Regd.) has kicked off a series of programmes in the State of Uttaranchal, with the objective of creating awareness among school children & villagers about health, education, career, protection of environment, their rights and safeguards along with a view to addressing their grievances. AWARENESS CAMPS ARE TO BE ORGANIZED IN THE LOCALITIES / VILLAGES, WHICH COULD BE VERY EFFECTIVE CONSIDERATION THAT THE TARGET COMMUNITY NORMALLY LIVES IN A COMPACT AREA.

The first such awareness programme was held on 29th July 2006 at Puryadaang Inter College, Patty – Maniyarsyun, Block – Kaljikhal, Pauri Garhwal. The following members of PG Group had participated in the awareness camp & imparted their knowledge/experienc e with the School Children/Teachers & Villagers:

S.
N.
Name of the Participant
Email
Information/ Experience imparted on
1.
Shri Anoop Chauhan
anoop.chauhan@ gmail.com
Education/ Careers/Health/ Information & Communication/ Social evils / Self-employment/ Environmental Awareness/ Natural Calamities, Government Schemes & RTI
2.
Shri Atul Nauriyal
atul.nauriyal@ st.com
3.
Shri Deepak Dhyani,
deepakdhyani@ yahoo.com
4.
Shri Deepak Kala
deepak_kala123@ yahoo.co. in
5.
Shri Deepak Chaudhary
kotdwara137@ yahoo.co. in
6.
Shri K.S. Rawat
sooni_ksr00@ hotmail.com
7.
Shri R.P. Chamoli
r.p.chamoli@ gmail.com
8.
Shri Rajiv Naithani
rajivnaithani@ yahoo.com
9.
Shri Subhash Pokhriyal
pokhriyal_subhash@ yahoo.co. in
10.
Shri Suman Sardwal
suman_sardwal@ yahoo.com
PLANNED VISIT FROM “”NEW DELHI TO PURYADANG SCHOOL, PAURI GARHWAL””

DELHI

The visit was planned in advance and pick up points were informed to the each member of the PG Group Team, who were part of this unique awareness programme. We had booked one Traveler Bus & it started from Garhwal Bhawan at about 10:30 PM to our Puryadaang Journey. After picking each member of the Team from different locations, the bus crossed Delhi Border at 11:45 PM. The bus reached at the Kotdwara Main Station at 4:30 AM.

KOTDWARA

In Kotdwara, Group members have interacted with the local people and have also distributed/ circulated printed pamphlets written about PG Group’s aims & objectives, enable them to know the main aims and objectives of the group & about its activities.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT IN KOTDWARA

We are really thankful to Mr RP Chamoli, who just forgot to carry the group’s official banners from his New Delhi residence. It was very difficult to print a banner at Kotdwar itself as market opens only after 8:30 AM.

We were discussing this issue with each other and suddenly we all requested Mr. Subhash Pokhriyal to arrange / bring one peace of white cloth and after that one chupa rustam appeared from our team have asked for a marker pen. We all were wondering what he is going to do. You want to know his name…..he is Anoop Chauhan…a new designer/artist of PG Group!, who designed a beautiful banner for this awareness camp …aur wo bhi….in the wee hours of 29th July 2006, at Kotdwar itself.

WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN KOTDWARA AND PURYADAANG SCHOOL

Group members boarded the bus and during their journey to Puryadaang School they have distributed pamphlets to the people enroute (Dugadda, Gumkhal, Satpuli, Banghat etc) between Kotdwara and Puryadaang. People were asking us for more pamphlets & were eager to know about PG Group.

When we reached at the Puryadaang School gate, Shri Hemant Naithani, School Teacher, welcomed our Team. Mr. Naithani also acted as a nodal officer for organizing the awareness camp in their School. After that a meeting was organized by Mr. Naithani with the school principal, Shri A.S. Bhandari. Shri Bhandari has informed us about the problems being faced by the students and about the achievements of the students as well as college during the past years. He thanked PG Group and visiting Team members for choosing his school for this awareness camp / mission.

COME TO THE POINT….PGG AWARENESS CAMP..!!

School children, their parents & school teachers started welcoming the PG Team and made seating arrangements for the team members. The programme was started by Mr. Hemant Naithani by giving brief introduction of the PG Group members & their efforts towards spreading awareness amongst our younger generation & helping poor students. He also appreciated our group’s activities specially undertaken for upliftment of Uttaranchali Community. On behalf of school, he also thanked to the PG Team for choosing their school for conducting such kind of activities in their school.

Then came PG Group’s anchor, Shri Suman Sardwal and he introduced each one of us to the School faculty & students. He also informed the present group of students / villagers about the 1 year achievements of the PG Group.

Around 250+ students & their parents were present and school staff has also attended the programme.

Environment was so good and we started giving speeches in a cordial environment. We have broadly outlined the directions in which our efforts would be focused.

v The programme started with an interactive session with the students. We have asked each and every student about their aim, what they want to become, after completing their school education. Most of the students do not know that what they will do after their school education. Initially students were hesitating to reply our queries as well as asking their question. Later on, they feel relaxed and understand what we asked from him. Most of the students want to join Army and Police as a soldier. We had convinced them that if they will do some extra work they will certainly get big career opportunities. We had also told them what is better for their career and where they can try for better career. Simultaneously, we had asked from students to write their aim/dream in a piece of paper. On the basis of their feedback, a statement has been prepared for sending them career guidelines (Statement Attached).

v We had also given an overview of computer education to all students. Although there is a computer in a school, however Laptop was shown to the students during the interaction session.

v We had also highlighted issues of natural calamities such as Earthquake, Landslide, Cloud burst etc. How they came and how we prevent and what measures to be taken during the natural calamities.

v Thereafter we had interact with students and parents on various general issues such as coordination, social affairs, organic farming, village unity, consumer awareness, environment protection, plantation, women education, right to information act, awareness on dying culture etc.

PGG Team have also given some useful / informative books to the School for keeping in the School Library so that students can read them.

Feedback from the School & School children reflected that the programme / mission was a great success. They heard all the team members silently and eagerly. They eagerly wanted to know which area is better for them and how they can achieve them.

Summing up the programmes, the Principal had expressed their satisfaction with the performance of students. He also stressed the need for organize such camp in future also. He also appreciated the activities of Pauri Garhwal Group in the school and hoped that such pace would continue to be maintained by all concerned i.e. Pauri Garhwal Group, School Authorities, Students and their parents.

At the end, gifts were distributed to all students as well as to the teachers. A memento of Pauri Garhwal Group was also presented to the Principal.

SEPARATE SESSION ON CAREER GUIDENCE & COUNSELLING

Thereafter, a separate interactive session was held with students of class 11th & 12th. Members have given an idea of various courses, which can be done after their completing their schooling. Experts from various fields expose senior students to a variety of careers. Counseling for class X students facilities better subject choices for Class XI. It helps students to increase their awareness of available careers and to make informed career choices and also to plan for careers that interest them. The response from the students was very good. We find them very enthusiastic. Students were eagerly asking questions about their career from our team members. Feedback form was also collected from students for their future/career. On the basis of feedback, we will provide various papers on career guidance to students in due course.


Our program was to complete by 2:30 PM but the students have asked us to give them more information on careers guidance and it was completed only by 5:00 PM.


At the same time we have conducted a 1-to-1 meeting with students and their parents/guardians and sponsored all the students except one Km. Hina, who could not stay back in spite of our informing her regularly.

Five students, who are good in studies, have been awarded with Tuition Fee, Dress/Shoe/Sweater, Stationery and books. Four students have been awarded with tuition fee only as we do not find them as per our expectations but still we have given them a chance to prove better. The detailed break-up is given as under:


Sl.
No.
Name of Student
Class
Sponsor Amount
Annual Tuition Fee
Dress/
Shoe/
Sweater
Stationery
Books
Total
1
Shanu
6th
150
700
350
*
1200
2
Vandana
7th
150
700
350
*
1200
3
Virender Singh
8th
150
700
350
*
1200
4
Preeti
11th
650
700
500
2000
3850
5
Parmila
12th
950
700
500
2000
4150
6
Mohini
7th
150



150
7
Tejpal Singh
9th
600



600
8
Manmohan Singh
12th
950



950
9
Jaideep
12th
950



950






Total
14250
* Books provided by the Government free of cost.

MAIN FINDINGS:

1. Students are totally unaware and ignorant of happenings around them.
2. Students are also totally unaware of their future career. Even they do not know about what they do after their school education.
3. They also do not know which subjects are useful for them and to whom they have to approach for their carrier.
4. The cultural, social and religious systems restrict women's education, economic independence, and political and social participation.
5. Male dominance is very common. Women are accustomed to subordination.
6. Education of girls is given little importance.
7. Women are not organized.
8. They are unaware of governmental welfare programs that are designed for them. Even they are unaware of Right to Information Act.
9. They are unaware of the concept of self-help programs.
10. Many of the adults abuse alcohol and drugs adversely affecting their economic condition and health.

RECOMMENDATIONS/ ACTIONS

We are in the process of sending money orders for a particular amount in the name of student only and are confident that our hard earned money will definitely give us better results. We are also in the process of preparing various papers on career guidance, which will be sent to the students shortly.


MONITORING ON OUTCOME

As this is our first step towards our aim and objective and we are in a process of learning. However, we are sure that we are going in a right direction and believe that the result of the school should be far-far better than the last year. We have been assured by the principal/teacher that the quarterly/half- yearly performance of these students will be known to us regularly. We have also been assured by the Principal/teacher that the sponsored books will be kept in Library, when the sponsored students pass out from their class. Thereafter, the same books will be provided to another needy student.
Apart from the above, a team of four members will be constituted shortly, who will look after the performance of the area/school as well as sponsored students. The team will be in contact with the local people regularly, listen to their problem and give them a solution with the active support of all members of Pauri Garhwal Group.
The monthly performance of the project will be sent to the Group members continuously so that Group members can give their valuable suggestion/inputs for further betterment of the rural people.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Head
Financial Implication
Source of funds
Gifts to Students/School
Sponsorship Programme
------------ --------- -------
Total
------------ --------- -------
Rs. 4783/-
Rs.14250/-
------------ ---
Rs.19033/-
------------ ---
Donations received from some prestigious members + Annual Membership fees of Rs.100/- received from few members.
Transportation, Boarding and Lodging
The expenditure towards boarding/lodging and other misc. expenditure were borne by the individual member themselves.


FUTURE STRATEGY

Blood Donation Camp

A blood donation camp will soon be conducted soon in NCR.

Family Get together programme

We are planning to organize a family get together sometime in October 2006 in New Delhi.

Next Awareness Camp

Next Awareness camp will be planned in a school in Chamoli or Pauri District (depending upon response received from Chamoli School & Pauri School) during next financial year i.e. 2007-08, as that time result/outcome of our mission will be coming out in the form of result of the Puryadaang Inter College (date will be finalized later).

Creation of Crisis Group

A Crisis Group will be set up shortly for the purpose of immediately relief operation will be conducted during the time of natural calamities in Uttaranchal.

LIGHTER MOMENTS…..

After completion of the project, what happened next……please check beautiful pics of the members, who were enjoying every moment of their life as they were very happy that the project has been successfully completed. [Other beautiful photographs will be display in Group’s website http://www.paurigar hwal.com shortly]
We hope, our Group members will recognize the effort put in by each member of PG Group family for completing this task. Please feel free to post your comments. Hope you have a good time here! Your response in this regard is highly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

K.S.RAWAT

Team Pauri Garhwal Group
http://www.paurigar hwal.com
http://www.paurigar hwal.org
http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/paurigarhw al

On behalf of PauriGarhwal Group-- Open Letter to the Government of Uttaranchal!!!

Hon’ able Chief Minister,

We humbly offer to those politicians of good will, who can put away partisan differences to work towards a better Uttaranchal and of course, a better India.

Democracy & People's Empowerment

Of all the goals of the Uttaranchal, the most significant, but most neglected, required the re-invigoration of the instruments of people’s governance and the vesting of ultimate sovereignty in the people themselves. The movement of Uttaranchal made history by representing a genuine people’s movement, where politicians had no place but to listen to the people. Transcending electoral politics that had ripped the social fabric and traditional harmony of the hills, Uttaranchalis strove for unity – between Garhwal and Kumaon, between the different castes and tribes, between Paharis and recent migrants, and between the different religious communities. This difficult but noble endeavor now stands on a knife’s edge, as politics as usual rears its ugly head once more in the void and confusion left by a fragmented and disoriented movement. Uttaranchal cannot afford to go down that path again, and any government must govern for all Uttaranchalis, and especially for those it barely represents through its representatives. Democratic governance can also be bolstered significantly by centering administrative and cultural activities in the hills, at Gairsain, equidistant from Garhwal and Kumaon. This may not necessarily entail relocating the entire bureaucracy to Gairsain, but at least holding a yearly open-air assembly (maha Sabha) of an empowered panchayat assembly. This would help maintain a proper perspective on the needs and hardships of hill life, while ensuring a greater measure of accountability from government officials. Within the confines of politics as usual however, politicians can still make a clear break from past practices by holding periodic "town hall" meetings as in other democracies. Politicians should as a rule answer to their constituency and meet with them regularly for representative democracy to function properly. However, direct participatory democracy and involvement of the public in economic planning and decision-making should be encouraged either through the panchayat system, or by convening constituent assemblies in every district.

Women's Emancipation

Women-friendly policies must be instituted including leadership development to prepare women to hold at least 33% of all assembly and panchayat leadership positions as well as enacting liquor prohibition, regulation, and rehabilitation for men. The shackles of household duties, illiteracy, and conservative family relations must be broken for the harder working half of Uttaranchali’s population to enjoy the liberty they have earned through their blood, sweat, and tears. Meanwhile, health awareness programmes for women living in the hills may be pursued. These policies cannot wait – they ought to be enacted immediately so that women take their rightful place as leaders in the new Uttaranchalis.


Civil Rights

The Uttaranchal has suffered grievously from repression, and cannot allow any new administrative structure to practice the same suppression of civil liberties and disrespect of human rights. All residents of Uttaranchal must enjoy the full spectrum of civil rights without fear of discrimination, police brutality, or harassment by the authorities. The rights of women, minorities, dalits, and the poor are especially vulnerable, and the law must be fashioned to protect and serve them.



Culture

Cultural awareness in Uttaranchal will necessitate fostering the Garhwali and Kumaoni languages, and local dialects reflecting the diversity of the people of Uttaranchal. In school curricula, folk heroes including Rajmata Karnavati, Sridev Suman, Chander Singh Garhwali, and Gaura Devi can be upheld as models of a great tradition of patriotism and activism. Both the cultural and agricultural heritage of the region can be promoted in the form of dance, song, cuisine, and preservation of Uttaranchal’ s significant biodiversity.

Education

However, cultural renewal may only take place in a functioning school system that teaches children the basics on how to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing society. Colleges need serious restructuring, as they barely function with the private tuitions increasingly filling the void of actual instruction. More specialized educational institutions such as technical or vocational schools suited to the region’s unique nature can be chartered, beyond the mad rush for the IT panacea that can only provide so much employment for so many people. High school curricula could also be adapted for practical learning and less rote memorization, while providing students internship opportunities with various NGOs, government agencies, companies, and service organizations. This endeavor would additionally help meet the needs of pupils in the hills where hands-on knowledge and skills are in high demand.

Health

Similarly, establishing or sanctioning existing medical colleges to train health care workers is one initiative that can bring about large scale change combining both the education and health care sectors in a far reaching partnership. Doctors, nurses, and even specialists can be trained in large numbers in return for service in remote areas over a specified period of 3 to 5 years. Not only would this generate employment opportunities for Uttaranchali youth and instill in them a sense of service, but it would also provide advanced educational opportunities to students who could not afford high tuition fees otherwise. For their term of service, arrangements could be made to either buy or rent pre-existing households in selected villages for conversion to clinics, dispensaries, and emergency care centers. This would nest these facilities in communities themselves at low cost to the state government. The health ministry need only facilitate the purchase or lease of abandoned property, and provide supplies and stipends to the medical staff.

Jal, Jungle, Jameen

Water and forest rights remain at the core of daily needs in villages across Uttarakhand, reflected in the struggle for Uttarakhand representing also a struggle for local control over local natural resources. As such, a single simple panchayat system with guaranteed fair and equal representation from all segments of society, and informed by local NGOs and women’s organizations, could look after the water, forest, and land resources of Uttarakhand. At the same time, household dependency on fuel and fodder needs to be alleviated by innovative technologies to lessen pressures on forests and cut down on foraging activities that consume most of women’s workdays in many areas. Various NGOs have been experimenting with heating and small power generation devices, and these small-scale efforts ought to be seriously mooted and applied statewide. The traditional water mills of the region, currently in a state of disrepair, can also be revived to generate electricity for household needs. Land rights, one of the most highly contested issues in India since time immemorial, has taken on renewed urgency in face of rapid urbanization of Uttaranchal’ s hills and valleys. Article 371 or a variant thereof must be imposed throughout the state to preserve landholdings for resident and non-resident Uttarakhandis with patrimony in the hills. The land mafia moved quickly in the months proceeding and following official declaration of statehood, and their speculation has driven prices beyond the reach of common people. The rapid development has also gobbled up enormous tracts of good agricultural and forested lands in Valley, and the state government will need to intervene to arrest this sprawl before the concrete jungle entangles all the terai and hills.

Environment

Many policies regarding the environment have been enacted through popular pressure and public interest litigation, but enforcement has been feeble. As most vividly demonstrated by the poaching incidents in Rajaji and Corbett National Parks, the government, judiciary, and police approach to environmental protection needs to be bolstered to ensure the rule of law and safety of protected animals and parks. Moreover, the administration ought to periodically review the usefulness and impact of measures designed to combat environmental degradation and ascertain their effectiveness. Indeed, throughout Uttaranchal, large-scale tree felling, over harvesting of medicinal plants, construction of multistoried buildings in sensitive areas, encroachment on reserved forests, limestone quarrying, and other illegal activities continue to challenge the very legitimacy of government agencies who appear unable to enforce bans or limits on these unsustainable practices. Even government-sanctioned projects have neglected basic environmental standards as witnessed by the poor record of rehabilitating surrounding hillsides after road excavation and construction. All this points to the need for the government to support local efforts to preserve the environment as well as to reduce corruption and the power of contractors and mafia that have the most to gain from a lax enforcement policy. The nexus between the administration and the criminal underworld has been rumored for so many years that any new government will have to take a resolute stand against these relations and enact stringent conflict-of-interest laws for politicians and bureaucrats alike.

Pollution

Plastic bags that are fast becoming the major menace to the environment in urban areas must be heavily regulated or banned outright. Incineration as a means of disposal must also be reined in due to the severe health hazards posed by carcinogenic and deformity-inducing dioxins that burning plastics release. Moreover, vehicular emissions and traffic congestion in the urban centers of Uttarakhand needs to be eased. Air pollution has reached the point of causing respiratory ailments in a substantial portion of the population, and must be reduced in keeping with constitutional guarantees of the right to a clean environment.

Development

Development, the battle cry of the Uttarakhand Andolan, cannot mean the indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources, the abrogation of people’s rights, or following the tired-old model of development that has plundered the hills for 150 years. In the case of dams, future projects should be cleared by a panel constituted along the lines of the World Commission on Dams. This landmark body has succeeded in bringing governments, lenders, utility companies, environmentalists, and displaced people together to ensure responsible development that respects people’s rights, ensures proper rehabilitation, and honestly appraises the economic worth and social and environmental impact of big dams. This will be needed to prevent future costly and unnecessary controversies such as the one that plagued Tehri whose residents are still waiting for adequate compensation. The experience of the Tehri dam itself cannot be repeated, as governments throughout the years acted in bad faith and with forceful duplicity during various negotiations, paying scant attention to the human suffering and destruction wrought by dam construction on the surrounding mountainsides. Besides hydroelectric power generation, the most often touted engine of economic growth for Uttaranchal, tourism, threatens to undermine and degrade the very basis of this sector – the natural and pristine beauty of the hills – unless clear and enforceable guidelines are established to accommodate the fragility of the Himalayan ecosystem. Indeed, tourism can have a reduced footprint, if adequate care is taken along pilgrimage and trekking routes to reduce and properly dispose of garbage, while encouraging conservation and frugality in the "abode of gods". Truly, Uttaranchal must evolve a new model of development that empowers local communities economically while respecting their natural environment. The government must reverse the quickening drift of most Uttaranchal ’s towns towards becoming virtual replicas of their counterparts in the plains. Not only does this contribute to a commercial monoculture where towns lose their distinct charm, but is rapidly eroding the surrounding countryside’s life-sustaining capacity and polluting it beyond recovery. Just as Indians cannot afford to imitate the American lifestyle – with its over-consumption, wastefulness, and social fragmentation – Uttaranchal likewise must make a social, cultural, and economic break from the hegemonic consumer ethos engulfing it and all parts of this globalizing world. As the Dev_Bhumi, it must preserve its traditions that are not only found in the temples and shrines, but in every forest grove, stream, meadow, field, and mountaintop. Most importantly, these traditions must be fostered in the hearts of all Uttarakhandis, so that civic values, good neighborliness, modesty, and hospitality again become the models by which to live and progress.


K.S.RAWAT / NEW DELHI
Team PauriGarhwal Group!

www.paurigarhwal.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/paurigarhwal

Struggle For Development – Pauri Garhwal, Uttaranchal

Over the years, all governments in centre have never done any development work in Uttaranchal. Some local groups never lost sight of their duty towards the toiling people of the area and their democratic movements. They always stood for the hill people’s democratic rights. People of Uttaranchal has stood for the people’s rights over basic resources like land, forests, water and power, which form the basis for the state’s planned development.
Now, we should forcefully put before the people of Uttaranchal the essence of the development process, which is deliberately being sabotaged by the State Government in Uttaranchal. We should fight a battle for more autonomy to the state, devolution of powers, affirmative action from the central /state government in favour of the state’s people and acceptance of the principle of democratic decentralization.
Having fought for decades for their uplift, the people of the area naturally looked to the government with great expectations. But their experience has been one of disappointment and betrayal. All the governments in Uttaranchal have proved totally insensitive to the people’s aspirations and problems. The region that was known for peace and tranquility has now become a hotbed of lawlessness and crime. Atrocities on minorities and Dalits are on the rise. The government itself seems to have fallen in the grip of politicians, mafia and bureaucrats. A total collapse of the public distribution system, of the state transport system, the crisis and massive rural and urban unemployment, and similar other problems hardly attract the government’s attention.
We should demand change in centre-state relations and other constitutional rights, women’s demands for establishment of family courts and a commission for women, workers’ rights, the demands of Anganwadi women, minimum wage for plantation workers, food for work, unemployment and industrialization, power and irrigation facilities at subsidized rates to the farmers of the state, reopening of public sector units, which can generate employment to Uttaranchali people.
A state with a relatively higher level of literacy, with a tradition of massive participation of women in democratic movements, with a history of anti-feudal and forest-related movements can surely forge a strong movement.

K.S.RAWAT / NEW DELHI

Member & Moderator Team PG Group!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/paurigarhwal

K.S.RAWAT - Moderator of PauriGarhwalGroup..!!

PAURI GARHWAL GROUP ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/paurigarhwal
http://www.paurigarhwal.com

UTTARANCHAL / UTTARAKHAND STATE!**Garhwal’s unparalleled beauty, its mountains, dense forests, rich cultural heritage, famous pilgrimage spiritual center, clean air, pollution free, peaceful law order situation, all combine to make it a tourist destination of par excellence. This group is meant for all Uttaranchalis, who wants to share their experience, thoughts and of course wants to meet their fellow Uttaranchalis. We have a passion from our childhood days to do some thing for our region so that all Uttaranchalis can be a part of the upgraded society. Now it's time to convert the things into realities. We all love our people, our family, friends, beloved but we rarely tell them of the love we have for them. Let today be the day to express your feelings for people of our region. AIM OF THE GROUPPauri Garhwal is a Group formed with the intention of bringing together people from Uttaranchal region and our main aim is to encourage all Uttaranchalis to do everything based on their personal and professional capacities through the activities of the Pauri Garhwal Group. OBJECTIVE OF THE GROUPOur objective is to advance the understanding of development of our region, leading to improved life and work outcomes for individuals and Uttaranchal community. Pauri Garhwal Group encourages you to make your voice heard by showing unity. To know more - visit the Group's website http://www.paurigarhwal.comIMPORTANT : Please also add your details in the database so that group members can contact you and most important is that they must know about you. Also, please view; files, photos, links, polls etc for more about this Group! Happy Viewing !!! Team PauriGarhwal Group!

Pauri Garhwal Group's 3rd Family get-together held at Garhwal Bhawan, New Delhi on 5th November, 2006..!!

PAURI GARHWAL GROUP
MINUTES OF THE FAMILY MEET
HELD ON 5TH NOVEMBER, 2006 (SUNDAY)
AT GARHWAL BHAWAN, NEW DELHI

Pauri Garhwal Group (PGG) has celebrated its 2nd anniversary and family get-to-gather at New Delhi on 5th November, 2006 at Garhwal Bhawan. All the Hon’ble Trustees and Board members have assembled at 9:45 am to welcome their guests of the event and special invitees at Garhwal Bhawan. It was a cool day and people have started coming at the venue after 9:30 AM.

Almost 300+ people of Uttaranchali community have assembled to grace the occasion. The overwhelming response received from Uttaranchali people on this occasion inspired us to organize such activities time & again. In just 2 years of PG Group's existance, people have realized that with the support of the members, we can do wonders & their overwhelming response has shown that they trust / believe in PG Group's AIMS & OBJECTIVS.

The programme started with the highlights of group’s aims, objectives and achievements. Mr Suman Sardwal, Board member of the PG Group, highlighted the achievements of the group, achieved just two years and also reproduce a brief note on the Puryadaang project and progress report sent by the Principal on the same.

Our chief guests, Mr. Bachhi Singh Rawat, Mr Birender Juyal, special invitees Mr. Vikram Singh Adhikari, Dr Dinesh Prasad Semwal & Mr Bhupender Singh Aswal (who came from Canada) graced this auspicious occasion. The sweet and smart children of PGG family honor them with garlands. PGG team has welcomed the chief guests at 10:30 am & after that it was the time, people were waiting for...Yup..are are right...it was our Culture presented by PG Group's members & PG Group sponsored "Jhankar Kala Manch". We are really thankful to Mr Aswal (Rs.1101/-) who has donated to the PG Group. Moreover, Mr Balbir Singh Rawat (Rs.500/-) & Mr Atul Nauriyal (Rs.500/-) also donated respective amounts for the get-together. All the hon'ble Trustees & Board Members have also contributed Rs.500/- each for this get-together. A very special thanks to Sh Sanjay Kukshal Ji, who has contributed much-much more.

The Chief Guest enlightens the lamp and than the programme started in its full swing.

Bhakti Vandana by the PGG Members!!!
Uttaranchali folk dance by “Jhankar Kala Manch” & “PGG Members”
Garhwali Jokes/Poetry by Garhwali Poet Mr. Brijender Sharma

People enjoyed the Uttaranchali "Dhol Damau". Large numbers of Uttaranchali people could not stop themselves and started dancing on their thump of the Dhol Damau.

The event become more and more interested when the special Uttaranchali quiz programme started, which was especially designed for children and women. The winners were awarded with the attractive gifts.

PGG Team has presented a momento to the Honorable Chief Guests & Special Invitees. The Chief Guest appreciated the achievement and activities of the PGG for the upliftment of Uttaranchal and assured to extend full support to PGG in fulfilling their aim/goals.

The fantastic Uttaranchali foods have also been a special attraction, which people have enjoyed very much.

We have already flashed the still photographs of the get together in group’s mail, which we hope everybody likes it. If you have not been able to view the pictures, please click on the following link:

http://in.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/sbdidelhi/album?.dir=/3702scd&.src=ph&.tok=phRaaxFBD8staEPz

Warm Regards,

K.S.RAWAT
PGG Team!
New Delhi