Indian girl is ‘Beauty with a Purpose’
An Indian American girl, Shree Saini, who has roots in Punjab’s Abohar, has become “Miss World America Beauty with a Purpose” National Ambassador in the United States.
The Miss World event organisers have created the title “Beauty with a Purpose National Ambassador” (BWAP) in many countries. Shree is the chosen representative of Washington State.
Talking to The Sunday Guardian, Shree said, “I have dedicated my life to service and this programme has inspired me to start creating positive change 10 years ago by serving over 100 non-profits.”
Shree is a survivor of a heart surgery, which she underwent at the age of 12. She is also a burns survivor. A graduate from University of Washington, Shree has been a visiting student at Harvard, Stanford and Yale Universities. She has earned the “Best Pageant Titleholder” award and recognitions from the Secretary of State, Senate, Governor and the American Heart Association CEO.
The BWAP, as the service aspect of the Miss World organization, has fundraised $1.3 billion for thousands of charities around our world.
Woman officer not allowed to attend havan
A young woman IAS officer, Ritika Jindal, deputed as tehsildar in Himachal Pradesh, was stopped from participating in a havan at Goddess Shoolini’s temple in her jurisdiction city Solon on Ashtami, the eighth day of Navratri. Maa Shoolini—Goddess of Victory—is the ruling deity of the area.
Jindal protested the denial of permission and said it was a matter of women’s respect. A 2018 batch officer, Jindal had gone to visit the temple to take stock of the arrangements and requested the priests to allow her to participate in the havan. They refused and said that “Women can visit the temple and perform puja but no woman has ever been permitted to participate in the havan.” “I was taken aback by this revelation. We talk of respecting women on Durga Ashtami, but have deprived them of their rights.” She is a native of Moga in Punjab.
Jindal told The Sunday Guardian that as a woman she would stand for equality. “I am a woman first and an officer later.” Incidentally, it was the last day of her posting at Solan. She has now joined at Nalagarh in the same capacity.
Corona booked
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on Thursday released a cartoon book on science with detailed information on Covid-19. She described it as the “world’s first scientoon book”.
The book is titled. ‘Bye Bye Corona’. The cover image shows a hand emerging from a grave, and the epitaph on the tombstone has the words “RIP Corona”, and “2019 , go back Corona, 2020, bye…bye”.
Fauja Singh, 109, in children’s book
The world’s oldest marathon runner, Fauja Singh (109), has become a superhero in a children’s book. He has beaten a number of world records in multiple age brackets but none of his times have been ratified as records.
Titled Fauja Singh Keeps Going, the book has been written by New York-based Prof. Simran Jeet Singh. It tells the story of the centenarian, a native of Beas village in Punjab. He completed a marathon at the age of 100 in 2011. The book aims to tell the children the story of a Sikh man who began running at the age of 81, since he was born with weak legs, for which the village children teased him as “danda” (stick). Fauja Singh is illiterate.
With illustrations by Baljinder Kaur, the book traces “the journey of the young Fauja from Punjab to the UK.”
In England, Fauja Singh underwent professional training and emerged as the world’s oldest runner when he ran the Toronto Waterfront Marathon at the age of 100 in 2011.
First time in India, heeng cultivation
The consumption of heeng is the highest in our country but it is not produced in India. About 1,200 metric tonnes of raw heeng worth Rs 600 crore is being imported from Afghanistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan every year.
Now for the first time in India, the CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur in Himachal Pradesh, has started the cultivation of “heeng”. Dr Sanjay Kumar, director of the institute, initiated the programme by planting “Heeng” seedling at Kwaring village in Lahaul and Spiti, a cold desert district of Himachal. Kumar told The Sunday Guardian that the National Bureau of Plant Genetics Resources has confirmed that Heeng seeds have not been imported into our country in past 30 years and this is the first attempt by the CSIR-IHBT to import its seeds. Two scientists of the institute, Dr Ashok Kumar and Dr Ramesh, have trained farmers in the Madgran, Beeling, Keylong and Kawaring areas of Lahaul and Spiti in collaboration with officers of the State Agriculture Department and set up a demonstration area there.
Man Mohan can be contacted at rovingeditor@gmail.com