Its Shanta vs Mankotia in Kangra

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">DHARAMSALA: With the Lok Sabha elections five weeks away in the state to be held on May 10, the Congress stepped-up the attack on Shanta Kumar, former Union Rural Development Minister, the BJP nominee from Kangra Parliamentary constituency as the state tourism minister Vijai Singh Mankotia alleged here on Saturday that the former had done nothing worthwhile for the development of Kangra-Chamba parliamentary constituency.<br /><br />Addressing mediapersons, he said that Shanta Kumar had been in the politics for the last five decades and had been twice Chief Minister of the state and also has the distinction of being the first Union Cabinet minister from the state in the BJP-led NDA government should explain to the people of the state including Kangra-Chamba that what significant contribution he had made for the socio-economic development. <br /><br />He alleged that Shanta Kumar despite being the first Union Cabinet Minister from the state failed to get any of the moor projects or schemes approved from the center for Kangra-Chamba Parliamentary constituency. Mankotia alleged that Shanta Kumar has thrived more on hollow rhetoric rather than doing anything significant for the progress of the people of his constituency. <br /><br />The state tourism minister alleged that Kangra had always remained neglected whenever the non-Congress governments came to power in the state. He said that Kangra district which was one of the top districts in terms of per capita income in the state has slipped to eighth position due to lack of development during the previous BJP-led regime. <br /><br />Not only this, he alleged that the previous Dhumal regime sold the interests of Himachalis while signing the power projects with the private firms and companies adding that the MoUs signed did not have any provision for the employment of the youth of state. Mankotia claimed that whatever development had been made by Kangra district has been under the successive Congress governments including the present regime. <br /><br />He said that the state education board, Tanda Medical College, Kangra and other important offices in Kangra district had been opened under the Congress regime. He claimed that Gaggal airport had also come-up during the Congress regime. He expressed his optimism that Congress would win the Kangra Parliamentary constituency adding that party was well prepared for the LS polls. <br /><br />Separate story Socio-political situation deplorable in Tibet, TYC The Tibetan Youth Congress, a Tibetan non-government orgainsiation (NGO) said here on Saturday that despite innumerable efforts by the world community and Tibetans, the socio-political situation inside Tibet continues to be deplorable. Tenzin Samphel, Vice President,TYC, in a press release said that the execution of Lobsang Dhondup on 26 January 2003, the death sentence of Tulku Tenzin Delek and judgement of Geshe Sonam Phuntsok only proves the prominence of arbitrary detention and imprisonment, unfair trials, torture and ill treatment and execution in Tibet. <br /><br />He said that despite China having signed and ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the XIth Panchen Lama is still under Chinese custody and his safety and whereabouts is still a matter of grave concern. Samphel said that the issue of Panchen Lama revolves around the denial of rights to religious Freedom, rights of the Child and right to Education. <br /><br />He said in 2003, Katarina Tomasevski, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to education gave a harsh critique on the China''s education policies regarding the Chinese government''s ban on religious schooling and Chinese government''s interference in the functioning of monasteries and Buddhist institutions. He alleged that UN General Assembly has failed to implement the resolution adopted on Tibet in 1959, 1961 and 1965. <br /><br />Recommendations to the UN Commission on Human Rights by International Commission of Jurist are yet to be implemented. Chinese authority refused to acknowledge the genuine efforts by the Dalai Lama in resolving the Tibet ''s issue. Thus, deeply concerned over the continued human rights violations in Tibet and that the International community and the UN Human Rights mechanism has failed to end the human rights abuses in Tibet, Tibetan Youth Congress is left with no option but to observe non violence voluntary indefinite hunger strike in front of UN Building in New York from 2nd April (Friday). <br /><br />He said the indefinite hunger strike is being voluntarily participated by Dolma Choephel, Joint Secretary of Central TYC, Gyatso, Vice President of RTYC, Gangtok and Sonam Wangdu, an active member of RTYC New York and New Jersey as the first batch and the hunger strikers has offered their precious life for pressing the following demands of Tibetan people and strongly appeal the United Nation to fulfill them. <br /><br /><formid=367815></formid=367815></div> </div>