Baba Bhalku Smriti Kalka Shimla Literary Rail Yatra 2025 flagged off by Minister, Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil
Dr Col Shandil urged writers to use their pen to promote anti-drug awareness
Baba Bhalku Smriti Kalka Shimla Literary Rail Yatra 2025 flagged off by Minister, Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil
Dr Col Shandil urged writers to use their pen to promote anti-drug awareness
Ferozepur/Shimla, April 12, 2025: The Himalaya Sahitya Sanskriti & Paryavaran Manch organized the 8th Baba Bhalku Smriti Kalka Shimla Literary Rail Yatra in collaboration with the Language and Culture Department. The yatra was flagged off by Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil, who honored 31 participating writers from across India. Covener of Satya Sai Trust and station master Joginder Bohra honoured all the writers before flagoff .
Professor Rupali and Dr Gopal Berry, Director Deptt of Health were also present.
In his address Chief Guest’s, Dr. Shandil praised the Himalaya Sahitya Manch for preserving the legacy of Baba Bhalku, an illiterate labourer who played a crucial role in constructing the Hindustan-Tibet road and the Kalka-Shimla railway.
The minister highlighted Bhalku’s contributions to the construction of bridges on the Sutlej River and the longest tunnel at Barog. Dr. Shandil appreciated the Himalaya Sahitya Manch’s commitment to environmental conservation and urged writers to use their pen to promote anti-drug awareness.
This Literary Rail Yatra 2025 flagged off by Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil and he also travelled with writers upto Summerhill Railway Station.
During the season in train, the writers recited poems from their collections, including “Gaon Poochta Hai,” “Nazarbandh Lamhe,” “Sharanga,” and “Samvad.” The session featured local folk singer Om Prakash Garg and renowned singer Seema Gautam, who enthralled the audience with devotional and Himachali songs. The participants paid tribute to the late writer and journalist Romi Arora, and her husband Rajesh Arora recited from her poetry collection “Chitthiyan.”
31 writers from Mumbai, Kanpur, Madhya Pradesh, Ferozepur, Bihar, and various parts of Himachal Pradesh participated in this literary yatra.
S.R. Harnot, President of the Himalaya Sahitya Manch, thanked the railway officials, including DRM Vinod Bhatia and station masters, for their support. The yatra would conclude on April 13, 2025, with a visit to Bhalku’s ancestral.
