Two paragliding deaths in two days in Himachal Pradesh raise safety concerns
Kullu: Two tourists lost their lives in separate tandem paragliding crashes in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu and Kangra districts over the past two days, highlighting concerns about safety measures in adventure sports.
In the first incident, on January 17, a mid-air collision between two paragliders in Kullu’s Garsa Valley claimed the life of A Jayesh, 28, a tourist from Tamil Nadu. The pilot, Ashwani Kumar, 27, sustained severe injuries and was referred to PGIMER, Chandigarh, for treatment. A case has been registered, and an inquiry is underway.
The second tragedy occurred on January 18 at the Indrunag paragliding site in Dharamshala, Kangra district. A 19-year-old girl from Gujarat, Bhaveshawar Khushi, died when her paraglider crashed into a ditch about 60 feet below, seconds after take-off. The pilot, Munish Kumar, lost balance during take-off, leading to the crash. While Khushi succumbed to her injuries at the hospital, Munish was admitted to the medical college in Tanda, where he is reported to be out of danger. Police are investigating the incident, including whether flights were permitted near sunset.
This marks the third paragliding fatality in the state this month. On January 8, Mahesh Reddy, 32, from Telangana, died after a crash in Raison village near Manali. Weak regulations and pilot errors have been cited by experts as major causes of such accidents in the region.
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Chhattisgarh: Scheduled Caste pastor’s burial blocked by villagers, son moves Supreme Court
Bastar: A farmer in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region has been unable to bury his father for the past 12 days due to opposition from villagers. The deceased, Subhash Baghel, a pastor from a Scheduled Caste (SC) community, had wished to be buried alongside his relatives in the village graveyard in Chhindawada. However, some residents opposed the burial, citing the family’s conversion to Christianity.
Ramesh Baghel, the pastor’s son, initially moved the Chhattisgarh High Court for permission to carry out the burial, but his plea was rejected on January 9, with the court citing potential law and order concerns. Following the setback, Baghel approached the Supreme Court, which has now sought a response from the state government by Monday.
“This is a clear case of religious discrimination,” said lawyer and human rights activist Degree Prasad Chouhan, who is assisting Baghel. He highlighted the increasing instances of discrimination against Christians in the Bastar region, particularly after the introduction of the Chhattisgarh Panchayat Provisions (Extension of the Scheduled) Rules, 2021.
Baghel recounted the challenges his family has faced over the past two years, alleging that a political group has been inciting villagers to socially boycott Christians. “We have been denied work, my shop has been boycotted, and now we are not even allowed to bury our loved ones,” he said.
Despite the fact that Baghel’s grandfather and other relatives are buried in the same graveyard, the High Court suggested that the family use a Christian burial ground located 20–25 km away in Karkapal to avoid unrest. Baghel has also accused local police of siding with the villagers, further complicating the situation.
