आज नवनिर्मित संसद भवन का लोकार्पण है। देश के सर्वाधिक लोकप्रिय नेता प्रधान मंत्री नरेन्द्र मोदी का सपना साकार हो रहा है। इसके कारण भारत में एक ओर उत्सव का माहौल है तो दूसरी ओर बहिष्कार भी हो रहा है। नवीन संसद भवन 64500 वर्ग मीटर में फैला है। पुराने संसद भवन की अपेक्षा यह उन्नत और आधुनिक है। लोक सभा के कुल 552 सीट के बदले इसमें 888 सांसद बैठ सकते हैं और राज्य सभा के 245 सीट की जगह 384 सांसदों के लिए व्यवस्था की गई है। संयुक्त संसद सत्र हेतु 1272 सांसदों के अलावा 1140 अतिरिक्त सीट की व्यवस्था की गई है। इस तरह नया संसद भवन भविष्य की जरूरतों का ख्याल रख कर बनाया गया है। ठीक 140 साल पहले आज के ही दिन क्रांतिकारी महानायक विनायक दामोदर सावरकर का जन्म हुआ था। इस तरह यह महत्त्वपूर्ण आयोजन उनके प्रति श्रद्धांजलि भी साबित होती है।
नया संसद भवन सेंट्रल विस्टा प्रोजेक्ट का एक अहम हिस्सा है। कुल दो साल की अवधि में नए संसद भवन का निर्माण और साज सज्जा का काम सफाई से पूरा किया जाना उपलब्धि है। अहमदाबाद की कंपनी एचसीपी डिजाइन प्लानिंग प्राइवेट लिमिटेड के आर्किटेक्ट बिमल पटेल ने इसे डिजाइन किया है और टाटा ग्रुप 971 करोड़ रुपए की लागत से खड़ा करती है। इन्दिरा गांधी राष्ट्रीय कला केंद्र द्वारा इसकी सजावट को मूर्त रुप देने में अहम भूमिका निभाई गई है। इस अल्प अवधि में सफाई से काम पूरा करने वाले सभी लोग बधाई के पात्र हैं।
केंद्रीय गृह मंत्री अमित शाह सभी दलों को इस आयोजन में शामिल होने का आमंत्रण देते हैं। इस अवसर पर सत्ता हस्तांतरण के प्रतीक राजदंड (सेंगोल) का प्रदर्शन होगा। पहले प्रधान मंत्री जवाहर लाल नेहरु को दक्षिण भारत के आचार्यों द्वारा इसे सत्ता हस्तांतरण के प्रतीक के तौर पर 1947 में सौंपा गया था। यह नए संसद भवन में इसकी प्रतिष्ठा का अवसर है।
संसद भवन भारतीय लोकतंत्र का पवित्र स्थल माना जाता रहा है। इसका उद्घाटन समारोह पूरे देश के लिए गौरव की बात है। इस अवसर पर सभी दलपतियों को एकता का परिचय देना चाहिए था। दुर्भाग्यवश ऐसा नहीं होता दिखता। प्रधान मंत्री मोदी के हाथों पराजित हुए योद्धा आज राष्ट्रपति के हाथों लोकार्पण की मांग कर रहे हैं। उन्नीस राजनीतिक दलों ने तो इसका बहिष्कार कर भारतीय लोकतंत्र को अभिव्यक्त किया है। एक वकील राष्ट्रपति द्रौपदी के हाथों यह आयोजन कराने के लिए सुप्रीम कोर्ट में याचिका दाखिल करते हैं। जिसे कोर्ट द्वारा खारिज किया जा चुका है। संभव है कि जनता भी इसी तरह बहिष्कार में लगे राजनीतिक दलों को आगामी चुनाव में खारिज कर दे। परंतु आपसी सहभागिता और सहमति से इस समारोह का संपन्न होना ही बेहतर था।
आज वीर सावरकर के नाम से तिलमिला उठने वाले राजनीतिक प्राणियों की पीड़ा चरम पर है। जीवन भर कष्ट झेलने वाले इस राष्ट्रवादी नायक की मौत के दशकों बाद ऐसा होना उनके पुरुषार्थ को ही इंगित करता है। साथ ही इस कुत्सित प्रयास में लगे लोगों की मंशा भी प्रकट कर देता है। महात्मा गांधी और वीर सावरकर जैसे महान राजनेताओं के नाम पर राजनीति की रोटियां सेंकने वाले लोगों को ऐसे हथकंडों को तिलांजलि देने की जरूरत है।
तेरह साल पहले नवीन संसद भवन के लिए प्रयास आरंभ करने वाले राजनीतिक दलों को इस उपलब्धि पर खुश होना चाहिए। साथ ही यह भी प्रयास करना चाहिए कि औपनिवेशिक शासन के दौरान 1927 में निर्मित पुराने भवन के बदले निर्मित नवीन संसद भवन गुलामी की मानसिकता और बिंबों से मुक्ति का भी मार्ग प्रशस्त कर सके। बर्तानवी संसदीय मर्यादा के समक्ष गणतंत्र की जननी भारत के अनुकूल मर्यादा स्थापित कर सके। आजादी की जंग में सर्वस्व न्यौछावर करने वाले शहीदों के प्रति यह सच्ची श्रद्धांजलि होगी। निश्चय ही इस यज्ञ के लिए विनायक दामोदर सावरकर श्रेष्ठ प्रतीक पुरुष हैं।
उत्तराखंड में राजस्व पुलिस का राजनीतिक अर्थशास्त्र कौशल किशोर | Twitter @mrkkjha
हिमालय की उन्नीस वर्षीया पुत्री के अंत से उत्तराखण्ड में कोहराम मचा है। ऋषिकेश और हरिद्वार के बीच स्थित गंगा भोगपुर तल्ला गांव के पटवारी को निलंबित किया गया है। कई दिनों तक राजस्व पुलिस की लीपापोती के कारण वनंतरा रिजॉर्ट के इस प्रकरण से पूरे इलाके में आक्रोश व्याप्त है। मुख्य मंत्री पुष्कर सिंह धामी इसका विशेष संज्ञान लेकर तत्काल एस.आई.टी. गठित करते हैं। रिसॉर्ट के मालिकान को सतारूढ़ भाजपा के प्रदेश अध्यक्ष महेन्द्र भट्ट पार्टी से निष्कासित कर मुक्त हुए। आर्य समाज की इस पर कोई प्रतिक्रिया पब्लिक डोमेन में नहीं है। अल्पसंख्यक प्रकोष्ठ के नेता के इस्तीफा देने के दावे और गुस्साई भीड़ का पुलिस की गिरफ्त में अपराधियों को पीटने का मामला सुर्खियों में है। विधान सभा की अध्यक्ष ऋतु खंडूरी भूषण इस पर राजस्व पुलिस व्यवस्था समाप्त करने का आग्रह सरकार से करती हैं। इस पर पिछले चार सालों से हाई कोर्ट का आदेश सचिवालय में धूल फांक रहा है।
अंकिता भण्डारी हत्याकांड में बुलडोजर की राजनीति का तड़का लगता है। तीनों आरोपियों को फांसी देने की मांग तेज हो गई है। भीड़ सफेदपोश की संपत्ति में आग लगाने का श्रेय ले रही तो सूबे के मुखिया जनाक्रोश शांत करने के लिए रिजॉर्ट ध्वस्त करने का फरमान जारी करते हैं। भीमकाय मशीन ने रातोंरात रिजॉर्ट के उस हिस्से को ध्वस्त किया, जहां से पुलिस ने हत्याकांड से जुड़े साक्ष्यों को जमा किया था। हैरत की बात है कि जिला प्रशासन ने भी इस बात पर सवाल उठाया और एसडीएम से जांच करने के लिए कहा है। नतीजतन अगली सुबह ध्वस्तीकरण की प्रक्रिया पूरी होने से पहले थम गई। यह सब श्रेय लेने की होड़ का नतीजा ही माना जाएगा। उत्तराखंड पुलिस हत्यारों द्वारा दर्ज गुमशुदगी के इस मामले में जांच कर ही नहर से लाश बरामद करती है। हत्यारों को सजा दिलाने के लिए आवश्यक साक्ष्य जमा करने का दावा एसआईटी कर रही। यदि न्यायपालिका इस मामले में तत्परता का परिचय देगी तो त्वरित कार्रवाई का रिकॉर्ड कायम होगा। अच्छा होगा यदि यह हैदराबादी संस्करण के दोषों को दूर करे। तीन साल पहले जनाक्रोश के दवाब में ही तेलंगाना पुलिस ने त्वरित न्याय के नाम पर अभियुक्तों को मुठभेड़ में ठिकाने लगाया था। हत्यारे साबित हुए पुलिसकर्मियों की अपेक्षा इस मामले में उत्तराखण्ड पुलिस का सर्जिकल ऑपरेशन बेहतर है।
उत्तराखण्ड का नागरिक समाज ही नहीं, बल्कि ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों के लोग भी हिमवान की पुत्री का शोक मना रहे हैं। देवभूमि में इस पाप को पनपने से रोकने की मुहिम कितनी प्रभावी होगी यह तो भविष्य की बात है। राजस्व पुलिस के अर्थशास्त्र पर चर्चा छिड़ गई है। उत्तराखण्ड का साठ फीसदी क्षेत्रफल और चालीस फीसदी जनसंख्या राजस्व पुलिस ही देखती है। लेखपाल, कानूनगो और पटवारियों का यह क्षेत्र 7500 गांवों में पसरा है। जमीन मापने और राजस्व रिकार्ड लिए घूमने वाले राजस्वकर्मियों से पुलिस का काम लेने का परिणाम सामने है। शातिर अपराधी इनको सुविधाजनक मान कर सक्रिय हो गए हैं। आज राज्य के 750 राजस्व क्षेत्र में 1216 पटवारी चौकियां सक्रिय हैं। कुमाऊं मंडल में यह व्यवस्था उन्नीसवीं सदी से चल रही, बीसवीं सदी में इसे गढ़वाल मंडल में भी लागू किया गया। हिमालय के शांत क्षेत्र में अपराध में कमी के कारण पुलिस की जरूरत भी पहले नहीं थी। आज की दशा ऋतु खंडूरी बता रही हैं कि गंगा भोगपुर में यदि सामान्य पुलिस बल काम करता होता तो निश्चित रूप से हिमालय पुत्री भी आज हमारे मध्य होती। आम जनता में सरकारी कार्यप्रणाली के प्रति इतना रोष व्याप्त नहीं होता।
नैनीताल उच्च न्यायालय ने राजस्व पुलिस की व्यवस्था बदलने के लिए छः महीने का समय 2018 में दिया था। प्रदेश सरकार तीन पूर्व नौकरशाहों की एक समिति इस मामले में गठित कर निश्चिंत ही हो गई है। मधुकर गुप्ता, इन्दु पांडे और अनिल रतूड़ी की समिति को राजस्व चौकियों पर पुलिस की वाजिब व्यवस्था हेतु जल्दी निर्णय लेने की जरूरत है। तिब्बत और नेपाल से लगते सीमा क्षेत्र की सुरक्षा का सवाल परिदृश्य से परे नहीं है। इस मामले में राजस्व व्यय की अपेक्षा राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा का ख्याल रखना बेहद आवश्यक है। इकोटुरिज्म क्षेत्र की गतिविधियों पर नजर रखने वाले ऐसे संवेदनशील मामलों को इंगित कर रहे हैं, जो कश्मीर और पूर्वोत्तर की स्थिति याद दिलाती है। उत्तराखण्ड की गौरव गाथा कायम रहे, इसके लिए बेहतर रणनीति पर काम करने की जरूरत है।
राजस्व विभाग से पुलिस को सौंपे इस मामले में श्रेय लेने की होड़ में अपराधी सलाखों के पीछे पहुंचे हैं। उत्तराखण्ड की राजस्व पुलिस वाली राजनीति को लेकर मेरा अनुभव अच्छा नहीं है। उन्नीस साल पहले मार्च 2003 में गंगा और हिमालय की रक्षा में लगे स्वामी गोकुलानंद नैनीताल जिले के राजस्व क्षेत्र में एक सहयोगी के साथ मारे गए थे। पर्यावरण रक्षा से जुड़े अभियानों की आड़ में हेराफेरी में लगे अपराधियों के बारे में उनकी सक्रियता की सूचना मिली थी। स्थानीय पत्रकार मित्र को जब पटवारी की रफा दफा करने की योजना का पता चला तो मुझे सूचित किया और खबर भी छापी। अगले दिन शासन प्रशासन ही नहीं बल्कि उनके समर्थक भी व्यथित हुए। वहां जा कर मैंने एफआईआर दर्ज करवाया। दिल्ली में 2001 में उन्होंने उत्तराखंड के पहले मुख्य मंत्री नित्यानंद स्वामी की बर्खास्तगी हेतु जब सत्याग्रह किया तो सहयोग करने वालों में तत्कालीन मुख्यमंत्री नारायण दत्त तिवारी भी शामिल थे। इस खबर से राज्य भर में हलचल मची हुई थी। हालांकि उन दिनों आज की तरह मोबाइल व सोशल मीडिया का प्रभाव नहीं था। परंतु सरकारी तंत्र की सक्रियता कम नहीं थी। इसके बावजूद भी हत्यारों का आज तक पता नहीं चला। इस मामले में पुलिस ने दोहरे अकाल मृत्यु के रहस्य को उजागर किए बगैर ही फाइनल रिपोर्ट लगा दिया था। कर्तव्य निर्वाह की इसी रीति को तोड़ने की जरूरत है। ऐसा नहीं करने से अगले 19 सालों में भी यह संकट दूर नहीं होगा।
एक लिहाज से हिमवान पुत्री के हत्याकांड में पुलिस का प्रदर्शन बेहतर है। अपने ही पार्टी के रसूखदार नेता के विरुद्ध सरकार के प्रदर्शन पर निगाहें टिकी हैं। श्रेय लेने की होड़ में यदि गोकुलानंद के हत्यारों का पता करे तभी सरकार की बहादुरी साबित होगी। हैरत की बात रही कि वज्रपात की थ्योरी को खारिज करने के बावजूद पुलिस ने हत्यारों को बचाने और रसूखदार लोगों के अपराध को छिपाने का काम किया था। अशोक कुमार की पुलिस तो सफेदपोश अपराधी की सेवा में महिलाकर्मी को पेश करने का सबूत जुटाकर अपराधी को जेल भेज देती है। सफेदपोशों की इस शैतानी सभ्यता से उत्तराखण्ड को बचाना होगा। इस क्रम में स्थानीय संस्कृतियों का ध्यान रखना भी आवश्यक है।
अपने देश के ग्रामीण इलाकों में पुलिस चौकी और थानों का विरोध पहले से ही होता रहा है। अंग्रेजों की यह व्यवस्था अपराधों की शैतानी सभ्यता जेब में लिए फिरती है। थाना पुलिस के साथ अपराधियों के रिश्तों की कहानी गुजरे जमाने की बात नहीं है। इनका ख्याल कर यदि मधुकर गुप्ता की अध्यक्षता वाली समिति आज राजस्व पुलिस की व्यवस्था बदलने से सहमत नहीं हुई तो यह असहमति शातिर अपराधियों को घृणित अपराधों के लिए सुरक्षित क्षेत्र मुहैया कराती रहेगी। अच्छा होगा यदि राजस्व पुलिस चौकियों को शीघ्र ही निकटम थानों को सौंप दिया जाय। इसके लिए हजारों की संख्या में पुलिस बल की तैनाती में होने वाले खर्चे हेतु बजट में भी प्रावधान करना होगा। सूबे की संस्कृतियों पर इस शैतानी सभ्यता का प्रकोप नहीं हो, इसके लिए स्थानीय लोगों की समावेशी भूमिका सुनिश्चित करना जरूरी है। उत्तराखण्ड को इन सभी तथ्यों का ख्याल कर बेहतर मॉडल पेश करना चाहिए।
Omicron varient of the virus is the reason behind new wave of infection in different parts of the world. Second wave, in the beginning of this year, caused irreparable loss that include the proponent of Chipko movement Sunderlal Bahuguna. The series of tributes that appeared in the media require attention from all corners to start its collective study as a society or community. A brief comment by Alka Tyagi in Hindi and Simran Kashyap in English might prove helpful to start with. In this case, we need to take a note of the fact that his family has rejected the controversial Nobel Prize offer that Kashyap mentioned. Madhu Pathak, the daughter of Bahuguna, declared it as a fiction by its author. But still the metaphor is no longer incomprehensible, when one thinks what Gandhi had said while referring to Sunderlal Bahuguna, a day before his assaissnation at Birla House on 30th January 1948.
The consistency of the public in the princely state of Tehri while adhering to values of Gandhian non-violence was noticeable. As such Gandhi had referred to this consciousness, and compared it to the Himalayas itself. Nature has enthused the creatures a kind of grace on the top of the world in the Himalayas. Dr. Inderjit Kaur, head of Pingalwara Society noticed it in her collection. Samdhong Rinpoche the first Prime Minister of the Tibetan government in exile, can help us to explore it further. That’s why after sixty-five years long companionship, Vimla Bahuguna urges us to listen to Pr. Rinpoche on His life and works.
The words of Martand Singh, the deceased descendant of Kapurthala royal family, who used to be closely associated with Mussoorie, are still meaningful. In order to establish its cridentials across the world, India should utilise the personality of Bahuguna. Singh has mentioned about His skills in communication with the top leader of the United States and a layman from the village in its interpretation. If nation-states of China and Tibet are included in this list, a larger world will be benefited by the Himalayan necter that seeps from the roof of the earth.
The fatal incident of March 20, 1992 has been mentioned by Alka Tyagi in Amar Ujala. The anti-dam satyagraha started at Tehri after accomplishment of the Chipko movement. That day, Dr. Vachaspati Maithani reached there with at least forty people in the bus to support the cause. The driver jumped off the bus after setting it to a trench near Pilkhi Baur while returning back that evening. Today the assaissnation of these Satyagrahis is an open secret of the Tehri dam that can remind the tragic end of Sri Dev Suman.
After the investigation into the two incidents of the premature deaths, one can find similarities in policies of the democratic corporate state and the princely state of Tehri in the case of Satyagraha. Non-violent resistance was curbed by the government and the contractor together adopting all means. As a consequence, the forces of resistance scattered like a pack of cards before the united efforts of the ruling class and the political class. After all, the development and the destruction found proportionate place in the Himalayas. The condition of Tibet is an example that seems to extend further across the hills, as an outcome of turning away from these realities.
After the series of Satyagraha that prolonged for two decades the dam was constructed on the Bhagirathi. Despite a series of assurances of the Prime Minister to the Bahuguna, the project started functioning in the 21st century. The founder and president of VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad), Ashok Singhal also joined the protest against the dam along with the Sangh Parivar. But still these Satyagrahis did not get justice. The leaders in Delhi assembly paid tribute to the Bahuguna. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written to the Prime Minister demanding for Bharat Ratna. A group of civil society gathered at Gandhi Peace Foundation to discuss all these issues last month. The verdict of the Supreme Court in the Uphaar Cinema fire incident reverberates here that reached beyond the limits of the accidents. Galileo, in Europe, got justice after three centuries. Keeping these facts in mind, Manoj Kumar Jha, managing editor of Gandhi Marg, has written a letter to Ashok Kumar, the Director General of Uttarakhand Police, urging him to re-investigate that case.
Once the purity of the Ganga was worth taking an oath of highest kind. Now that Aviral-Nirmal Ganga is a dream for several Ganga Rights activists. The state has authorised its agencies to ensure it, consequently their services are out of the scope of the public service. Unfortunately, the authorised bodies are not responsible in case of pollution. The outcome of this failed system is now appearant. Bahuguna has campaigned to procure aid for upbringing of the orphaned children of the victims of that day. Still the Satyagrahis neither got justice nor respect. The monument in their memory is yet another dream that can be fulfilled in future by the next generation of the Bahugunas.
In the Himalayas, the need for ecology conservation is increasing day by day. This is one of the reasons behind the intensified movements there. Pr. G.D. Agarwal has attempted to raise the anti-dam protest in the modern age of consumerism. We can never forget his sacrifice. Extention of the Tibet and ignoring these facts are also closely associated with one another. The humanity needs to think upon it in order to rectify the mistake of 1959 shifting the top of the world at its bottom.
Gandhiji had launched the salt satyagraha in 1930 on March 12. On its anniversary, the Prime Minister has started 75 week long celebrations of the independence. This year is the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Indian independence. After the twenty-five days, marching procession reached Dandi, on April 5 in the memory of that non-violent movement of modern history. The celebrations of this Amrit Mahotsav is scheduled at seventy-five places at different parts of the country that will be completed on this occasion next year.
The PM’s decision to extend the Independence Day celebrations beyond the confines of the ramparts of the Red Fort, reminds Narendra Modi’s days as Chief Minister of Gujarat where, after taking over as the CM, he had started a new tradition by celebrating Independence Day in different parts of the state. It had turned out to be a powerful medium to deliver development to the remote areas of the state.
Can the country too benefit from repeating this policy at the national level could be debatable though. Before dwelling on the issue, it may be mentioned that on 15th August 1947, the Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru addressed a public meeting at the Princess Garden near India Gate. Then the hoisting of the tricolour on the Red Fort took place on the next day. Ever since, the Prime Minister has been addressing the nation after hoisting the flag on August 15, from the ramparts of the Red Fort as a tradition, and this speech is known for its own peculiarity.
As is obvious, in the era of parliamentary politics, democratic values were adopted instead of the dictatorship of the monarchy. The heads of nation-state in certain other parts of the world have done a better job by addressing both the houses of the Parliament simultaneously. It’s possible to take better care of dignity maintained within Article 51 of the Constitution when the leaders interact with people in different areas.
Independence Day celebrations apart from the ramparts of Red Fort has also been in demands for last few years. The political analysts like Avatansh Kumar and Nitesh S. have offered remarkable suggestions keeping Indian cultures at the centre. Hampi, the place associated with Vijayanagara Empire, can remind the five hundred years old history. Apart from that Kashi, Puri, Somnath and Nalanda are other such places to celebrate the festival dedicated to the freedom struggle. On the other hand, Nitesh’s list continues from Srinagar (Kashmir) to Kanyakumari, and the places like Guwahati, Gandhinagar and Bhopal are in between.
Certain other scholars have also expressed their views in its favour. However, the Prime Minister out of national capital during the celebrations of Independence Day is a question on the federal structure since already the Chief Ministers hoist the tricolour in their respective states.
However, the important developments of 1947 needs to be kept in the mind in this context. Seventy-five years ago, Sardar Patel wrote a letter to Mahatma Gandhi inviting him to celebrate the independence in the national capital. He got the response from Noakhali (Bengal) that was burning in the fire of communal violence, ‘When Hindus and Muslims are killing each other in Calcutta (Kolkata), how can I come to celebrate. I will give my life to stop the riots.’ This bravery signifies the criterion that teaches how to face the toughest challenges. While redressing the sufferings of the last person the leadership emerges.
The nation is going through the trinity of pandemic, disaster and terrorism together. Reaching the remote region sends a better message to the common people. This policy of the Modi government is also clear from the expansion of this Amrit Mahotsav. It is possible that the future plans will be clear only during its closing ceremony next year. While taking decisions in this matter, the old cultures and modern problems of the country should be kept in mind, and also its federal structure.
The sinner with the reputation of a saint came out in the public view as the top court in Brazil allowed to initiate legal course against former federal judge Sergio Moro better known for the extrajudicial conduct in Operation Lava Jato (Car Wash) while ripping the dignity of former President Lula da Silva. Judiciary in India can learn from Brazil trying hard to ensure justice to restore its own dignity: Kaushal Kishore | Twitter @mrkkjha
Lal Bahadur Shastri, one of the best among prime ministers of India, never wore a flowing beard to reaffirm his position as a saint while being in the hot seat. Three years before the birth of RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) at Nagpur, he went to Lahore (now in Pakistan) to join Public Life Order of SOPS (Servants of the People Society), however, then SOIS (Servants of India Society) was active at Pune for seventeen long years. Almost after five long decades, introduced Satya Paul to the life members order and persuaded him to serve Dudhike village (birthplace of Lalaji in Moga district of Punjab) while being its secretary in the early sixties.
The Gandhian leaders like JP (Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan) and Vinoba Bhave also recommended for him. The promising young man left the thriving practice of Tax law at Bhatinda to join the likes of Rajarshi PDT (Purushottam Das Tondon), the founding father of three-tire Panchayati Raj institutions Balvantray Mehta, Shastri and former Vice President Krishna Kant at “Lajpat Bhawan”, perhaps to end up with the reputation of a sinner while being a saint as the Greek philosopher Plato said in The Republic long ago. Today we need to look at it while indulging into the public discourse on the lawfare in Brazil that seems to predict the fate of its former President Lula da Silva before the upcoming presidential election. Moreover, it has created space for the saints with sinners reputation after more than a couple of millenniums.
The realities of the Operation Car Wash (Lava Jato) and the extrajudicial conduct of former federal judge Sergio Moro to implicate Lula right before the last presidential poll is in public now. Geoffrey Robertson, the well-known Australian-British jurist, had referred to him then as a campaigner and not a judge. In this pandemic one of the finest saints in public life emerged as if the toughest time renders opportunity for the best among the leaders. Lula is one of the most respected statesmen across the Himalayas today, however, he is not in power. The fall of the Bolsonaro govt. next year is yet another reality after the last year’s fall of Trump led Republican govt. in the USA. The details of the quid pro quo before and after formation of the right wing regime in Brasilia, and the impending legal proceedings against Moro is on the other side of the same coin. At last the truth prevails with the redemption of Lula after the 580 odd days of incarceration in the anti-graft case since April 2018.
Lula da Silva and Sergio Moro (Reuters)
After independence, Gandhi continued the public service without committing to any public office. Down the line JP and Vinoba followed his footsteps. Satya Paul is the last generation of that banyan, who is known to join JP at All India Panchayat Parishad as its general secretary when he was its head. The proverb, “Wrap into the Samaja” is not used to refer to the Odia daily Samaja, but to any of the newspapers among the people versed in one of the Odia dialects. Undoubtedly, he is an architect behind this proverb, better noticed to initiate the SAF (South Asian Fraternity) to continue the people to people relationship among the citizens of the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries with the likes of I.K. Gujral, Atal Bihari Vajpayi and Kuldip Nayar right before the advent of globalisation. He has been the victim of embezzlement worth 4.7 million rupees since November 20, 2006 that was neither intended nor committed. Moreover the role of judiciary turn it into a critical example of the lawfare to depict a public figure as a criminal.
English daily DNA has published the report more than three years ago, talking about the impeachment of the SC judge while keeping his name out of the book. It has considerably discussed about the murcy ground within the Indian judiciary (Chibber, 2017). IAF veteran from Puri, Jayant Kumar Das is well discussed in media to raise corruption in judiciary with evidences against certain top brass officers. I am sorry to hear that he is yet to know about the report on an in-house probe initiated by SC on his prayers.
Satya Paul ji addressing Aaghaz-e-Dosti event
In 2011, Justice Indrajit Mahanty has reserved the judgment after hearing that case in the High Court at Cuttack. After an in-house probe initiated by the Supreme Court in corruption case, he was transferred to Maharashtra in 2018. Meanwhile the judgment remained reserved, and he has never cared to deliver the same before leaving Cuttack for new placement. I hope the incumbent Chief Justice of Rajasthan (Mr. Mohanty) will share the reason behind this misuse of judicial discretion and thereby paint a criminal out of a saint like Satya Paul.
Five years ago, Punam Suri, the president of DAV College Managing Committee enlightened us with the fact that Lala Lajpat Rai had left the college in 1921 before establishment of SOPS at Lahore. Radha Mohan Gokul referred to him as Lajpati (Master of Dignity) in his first authoritative biography that was published before the World War I. The centenary celebration of his brainchild is not that meaningful so long as the dignity of one of its most committed inmates is not really restored. One can hope the lights emanating from the saga of the socialist statesman from Brazil might enlighten thinking being to ensure the dignity of the saint with a reputation of the sinner for fifteen odd years.
Avalanche in certain parts of Nanda Devi massif in the Himalayas has caused the heavy losses of lives and properties on the Sunday. That morning it occurred at Raini village near Joshimath in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, and troubled the governments in the state and centre. The under construction Rishi Ganga Hydro-power Project was wiped out of the map in a single stroke.
Rishi Ganga stream joins the Dhauli Ganga in downstream. The temple of development is under construction on this river as well. That too is damaged considerably. Soon the state declared it as the natural disaster, and started the rescue and relief works by the midday. As a precaution it stopped the flow of the Bhagirathi, and announced to evacuate the river banks in the downstream. As a consequence it was possible to control of the floods at Rishikesh and Haridwar by evening. Once again disaster management teams deployed in the fields seemed to perform excellently as they were reported to save many precious lives from the Tapovan tunnel.
Meanwhile it’s necessary to discuss the politics that refers to an artificial destruction as a natural disaster.
No rain was reported. But more than a hundred people were swept away in the flash flood. Eight years ago, during a similar outburst at Kedarnath, heavy rains caused perpetual difficulties. Today most of the casualties are being reported from a couple of developing dam sites at the RishiGanga and the DhauliGanga.
The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is building the 520 MW hydropower project known as Tapovan Vishnugad, and the 13.2 MW Rishi Ganga power project was built by a private company.
Since the season of pilgrimage is far away, only a few pilgrims are its victim. The development syndrome is responsible for this destruction and deaths of workers, villagers and pilgrims alike. So long the indigenous culture of living as a part of the Mother Nature is replaced by modern civilisation it will continue to repeat.
All weather road, hydro-powered dams and technology of development contributed collectively to the destruction of the Rishi Ganga and the Dhauli Ganga glaciers. Beyond the border, in Tibet too, Chinese development projects are going on. That too is not out of the context. The politics that refer to these well crafted efforts of destruction as a kind of development promotes an artificial disaster as a natural calamity. Its causes are deeply rooted.
Before the independence, India used to be the victim of the colonialism. Despite Gandhi’s efforts, there was no serious attempt to come out of this mentality after independence. As a result, its grip began to tighten in the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean too. The same colonial mindset dominates the disguised investment for regional development that only destroys Nature and Community.
One of the most popular Presidents of America Harry Truman had defined development as the most powerful mantra of modern history in 1949 to divide the world into the two parts—developed and undeveloped or under developed. Three years later, Madeline Slade (Meera Ben) wroteSomething Wrong in the Himalayain 1952 to draw the public attention towards the Himalayan blunders. The world though was following Truman’s definition of development blindly and that continued for the next four decades, till the concept of globalisation and consumerism completely took the driver’s seat.
What more? The geopolitical realities further fuelled these dreams of development. The fall of Tibetan empire in 1959 at the hands of China—a decade after Truman’s doctrine of development—was an exemplary act.
Meanwhile certain Gandhian figures like Sundar Lal Bahuguna and Chandi Prasad Bhatt had tried hard to redefine the cultures of the Himalayas. At Raini—the avalanche-devastated village of legendary Gaura Devi who had started the famous Chipko movement—the local women had paid respect to their Chipko Movement in order to turn it into a success saga.
In the first two decades of the twenty-first century, that sense of respect got reduced to a mere display. This marketplace idea dominated the public consciousness. The spineless political class bowed down before the ruling class, and their acts of courage were at best, reflections of timidity. As such there was the brightness of the electrified poles on the one hand, and the unprecedented darkness on the other.
Landslides are a serious problem in the Shivalik Range of the Himalayas. The shrinking forests and the changing species of flora are at its roots. Similar problems arise due to the avalanche and glacial outburst above the snow line. Being away from the population, they didn’t cause such losses in the past.
But development is now moving towards that zone rapidly. The numbers of tunnels in the Himalayas continue to increase haphazardly. In the twenty-first century, the villagers are going to ride the trains that their ancestors had never seen. This is yet another reality that can raise a series of problems.
In this situation the falling glaciers can remind the end of Ghatotkacha in the war of Mahabharata. Today, instead of confining to rescue and relief, attention has to be paid to permanent solutions to these problems. Otherwise public at large will consider it as the widow-mourning of bureaucrats and politicians.
Rishiganga and DhauliGanga have conveyed the message of Mother Nature before the churning ofMahakumbhstart at Dev Bhoomi. However, on account of the pandemic traditional gathering is scheduled to the symbolic display of faith. The orientalists have surrendered before modern technology.
The westward air is blowing in the region that was once referred to asJambudweep. There is a question dealing with thepanchayats of mendicants and monks, whether they are capable to remove the obstacles and pave the way with the meaningful and effective efforts in order to make the wind blowing eastward. This is one of the burning questions in public domain.
Rounds of dialogues between the government of India and farmers’ unions failed to bring any solution. Then violent elements among the protesting farmers have hijacked the tractor rally on the Republic Day. It led to turn the peaceful protest into the violent display of traitors and failure of the promises of its leaders. As a consequence division among Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (United Farmers Front) is unavoidable that may pave the way for return of protesting farmers and their supporters. The achievement during the tenth round of dialogue on the birth anniversary of Guru Govind Singh, when the govt. proposed to suspend the three farming laws for an year and half, now lost its value (the govt. still stick to it). However it was supported by fifteen different groups of the front, it’s a question mark on the intentions of seventeen organisations that was against it. This violence has revealed intention behind the rejection of that attempt to evolve democratic process before the promulgation of the impugned laws.
The stay order of the Supreme Court prevails in absence of the fresh order. One of the four-members of its committee, Bhupinder Singh Mann, has resigned before the function started. One of the retired justices has also rejected its offer to preside the committee. After all, rest of the members of the committee have started their work. The Supreme Court is trying hard to find a legal solution to the political problem only to put its reputation at stake.
The peaceful mass movement suddenly turned violent. This is a matter of investigation. Demonstration of power by the protesting groups has emerged as a new normal due to the negligence of the governments towards Satyagraha. This movement is not an exception to it. Most of the state agencies, including the NIA, were active in order to prevent the anti social elements to infiltrate. But still failed to stop the violence on Republic Day in the national capital. In the Supreme Court, the government has referred to the involvement of anti national Khalistan in the United Farmers’ Front. The good faith finally rendered the platform for anti-national elements. The Khalsa Panth and Khalistan refer to purity as paramount, but that is meaningless in absence of purity of aim and means. The purity of both were principal concerns in the Gandhian endeavours.
In the parliamentary democracy the opposition got opportunity to say, and the govt. has its way. The three laws have been passed during the lockdown without giving opportunity to the opposition bench. Moreover the position of its supporters are also not clear. Neither the discussion in the media nor political tricks can fill this void. The violence is hovering over the several weeks of peaceful protest, and the nation needs to fix it.
As far as contract farming and minimum support price (MSP) are concerned, positions of both are in the public domain. The benefit of MSP is confined to merely six percent of the total farmers of the country. As such the produce of rice and wheat by the farmers in Bihar are sold in the APMC (mandis) of other states. The contract farming is yet another reality that prevails before the introduction of the new law. Despite the support of the Congress and the Left, the farmers have not handed over the protest platform to political parties and its leaders. They are aware of the fact that the same parties tried hard to introduce such laws while being in power.
According to the Indian Constitution, both agriculture and markets are the subjects of the state list. The central govt. can only persuade the states to make laws in these subjects. That is why the Left ruled Kerala assembly has passed a resolution against it. Similar efforts cannot be ruled out in other states. Today farmers across the country are demanding for the legal guarantee to pay the minimum support price. But the government is not ready.
Dr. Lohia once referred to the public protest on the roads and its connection with the stray Parliament. Gandhi had compared the Parliament to a prostitute in Hind Swaraj (Indian Home Rule). After going through these two leaders one can have an idea that the Indian cultures have fallen victim to modern civilization. As a consequence while the farmers and peasants are holding sacred books the ruling class is taking hold of their land. Today all politics of the political class and ruling class are moving around it. Sadly the common people willingly invited them to do so. As long as this practice is going on, the welfare of peasantry will continue to be viciously attacked.
Now no one talks on how many years the grains do not rot in the houses of the farmers. The discussion rests on the rotting grain in the warehouse of Food Corporation of India. Bill Gates came into limelight in the US for writing software scripts at a young age, and now there are several other reasons as well. One of the reasons are his ownership of 242,000 hectares of farming land across the US that can make him one of biggest farming lords across the globe. It’s not impossible for the wealthy merchant to do so since the land turned into the sellable commodity. The land is treated as the mother earth in the culture better referred to as agriculture, in order to protect it, the farmers and peasants need to maintain the purity of means and aims while moving forward.
The world’s largest gathering of Maha-Kumbh has started on the occasion of Makar Sankranti on banks of the Ganga at Haridwar. However, this time due to an impact of the pandemic, it won’t be as usual. In fact this is a gathering of all sects and traditions from India and abroad. Here, the issue of Gurdwara Gyan Godari has been in discussion for a long time. This shrine is associated with the pilgrimage of Guru Nanak Dev in 1504-05, when he went to Haridwar.
In the first twenty-four years of the sixteenth century Guru Nanak had traveled extensively in five phases. As such he is referred to as the second longest distance traveler in the world history. His itineraries are recorded as Udasi due to prolonged stay away from the home. The preaching of righteousness against the prevailing hypocrisy is also present in that series of pilgrimages. On account of that the followers of Sikhism came to know about a number of holy places. Humanity, including Hindus, are equally rewarded.
After the long hearing in the Ram Mandir case the Supreme Court verdict came on 9th November 2019. In the addenda of this verdict the court mentioned about the second pilgrimage of Guru Nanak in 1510-11. In order to refer to the birth place of Lord Rama his name has been repeated at least fourteen times between page number 62 and 65. The mention of at least five centuries older pilgrimage by the founder of Sikhism in the SC judgment is a mark of unity and fraternity.
Gyan Godari Gurudwara has been associated with the first udasi. In fact before having a dip in the Saryu at Ayodhya, he took the dip in the Ganga at Haridwar, and that shrine used to be located near Har-ki-Pauri, the most crowded place of the city, before forty-two years as a symbol of his stay. The divisional commissioner of Saharanpur sought it for development and beautification in 1978. Since then onwards Sikhs have been evicted from there. There is no way to continue the rituals and services to pilgrims. The efforts to wash this stain has also been going on for a long time. Success of Ram Mandir Movement has strengthened dwindling prospects for the Khalsa Panth.
The development and beautification of Gurdwara Gyan Godari is a unique case of generosity adopted by the state. Precise details of its establishment is not available in public domain despite being associated with the founding father of Sikhism. Still there is no doubt about its presence for several decades in the pervious centuries. The writings of pilgrims are also helpful in this regard. Referring to the bicycle tour of 1930, Bhai Dhanna Singh from Patiala wrote how the three-room-shrine had been engaged in serving the pilgrims while facing difficulties. In the process of developing Har-ki-Pauri area, the state evacuated it with a promise to return it by the end of seventies. Six years later, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated that was the cause of charged atmosphere against their community. As a result, the stand of government also changed. This is evident from the state policy adopted after accomplishment of the development project. The district administration handed over this heritage site of Sikhism to the Scouts and Guides that created a deep chasm.
A number of historical references categorically mentioned the dialogue on the bank of the Ganga between Nanak and priestly community. The proponents of different faiths live in peace and harmony in the Indian society. Finding the thread between terror and faith came to the fore in modern times. This injustice seems to be an effort to incite his followers. This plight of the shrine can prove to be the cause of disharmony between Sikhs and Hindus. The political parties are also involved in this case with their own interests. One may not be agree with the philosophy of Nanak Dev, but still this is not possible finish his preaching. Gyan Godari is the symbol of Guru Nanak’s staying at Haridwar. As such this is a question of the identity of the Sikhs. After considering its pros and cons, Sardar Jagjeet Singh has moved towards the court.
This injustice has compelled the Sikhs to organize against the Uttar Pradesh government for a decade and a half. Uttarakhand government has been also a witness to a series of protests in last couple of decades. The excitement of the success saga in Ram Mandir movement is out of control in certain parts of India. The group of Hindus are already chanting the slogans of Kashi and Mathura. This is the call of the time to consider the mention of Nanak’s Ayodhya visit to Ayodhya in the SC verdict. This can be helpful to improve the relations between the two different sects.
This is an old scheme hatched by the local administration to create tension between the two. If it had not been so, this mistake would have been rectified by now. It seems the administration has been waiting for the challenging protest. The rule of law has been challenged by the authorities in order to compel the followers of Sikhism to resort to the Gandhian way of resistance. Indeed it will be better to settle this issue through peaceful negotiations.
Tibetan flag flashed on the horizon between the epidemic and lockdowns. At a time when the mankind is trying hard to unite beneath the Face-Mask-Flag, it reminds the people holding it for at least six long decades. The nations are more and more polarising with passing days towards different poles on account of the corona virus that abruptly surfaced in China last year. It was censored from scenes of Bollywood movie, Rock-Star by the board before public view only to please the dragon. Now one can imagine that one day the same flag will fly across its border, and on the minarets of its cities and villages. Perhaps! While being engrossed with the virus, Chinese President Xi Jinping had a dream, where the old monk having Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj and Tibetan flag in hands visited him. And there after the dragon started its display on the Third Pole, near the Tibetan border in India surrounding the 3488 km long Line of Actual Control (LAC).
It further appears in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the provinces like Xinjiang. Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and South China Sea are also not spared to produce sufficient ingredients for propaganda factories to run across the globe. The Sino-India border by the time of independence was a little more than four thousand kilometres long. India, since 1962 war that ripped Aksai Chin thereby introducing a new term in defense dictionary, LAC, lost a considerable piece of the motherland. India needs to protect it. The chairmanship of WHO executive board and now membership of the UN Security Council can be helpful in these trying times. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has cleared the government position in the Parliament during the speech on trifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir, and referred to Aksai Chin. Between 3488 and 4056 there is a huge distance, no? Former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao has reminded us about it in 1993 before the Peace and Tranquility Agreement when unsuccessfully tried to insert the term “existing” before LAC at Beijing. Today the Chinese side refers to the efforts of incursions in 1967, 1999, 2013, 2014 and 2017 when they claim to reduce LAC to two thousand kilometres. Meanwhile India seems to focus on evolution of half a dozen bilateral peace pacts of 1988, 1993, 1996, 2005, 2012 and 2013. The battlefield appeared on 5th May at Pangong Lake in Ladakh. Again on Monday night (15th June) at Galwan Valley.
Here, the valley witnessed something that Albert Einstein had predicted as one of the scenes from the fourth world war while trying to answer a question pertaining to third world war. The soldiers kept words of peace pact between the two great Asian powers. No guns and grenades, only nail studded sticks on the name of weapons were used. News agency ANI intercepted Radio message about the 43 deaths from the Chinese side. The United States counts number of casualties at 35. The Chinese social media is flooded with messages dealing with deaths of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops. The unofficial CCP mouthpiece Global Times referred to Indian media reports dealing with the bodies of 16 PLA soldiers. In fact, after 33 long years of the 1962 war, they have finally disclosed the number of its casualties in 1995. The comments by Vikram Sood, former chief of Research and Analysis Wing, on the bilateral relation is wise and worthy. He said: Let’s not kid ourselves that the Chinese want to be friends. Xi had no interest in Modi’s Sabarmati hospitality or in his friendship. Prepare for the long haul and protect India’s interests. Indian Army has changed the rules of involvement along the border allowing the soldiers to keep guns during patrolling and in case of confrontation. After the new rule advance territorial aggrandizement will be costlier for the enemies.
The idea of Xinhua got expressions in the slogans like Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai that turned into China appeasement policy in the age of globalisation. It was the same idea of Xinhua that compelled Chinese leaders to ask India sending doctors, who can save its wounded soldiers in 1938. Mao referred to it, when they wrote, “Our freedom—independence of Indian and Chinese—shall be the symbol of freedom of all classes of victims and downtrodden”. Consequently Dr. B.K. Basu, Dr. M. Atal, Dr. D. Mukherjee, Dr. M. Cholkar and Dr. D.S. Kotnis started on the voyage for China on 2nd September 1938. Long before Dr. Ernesto Che Guevara and Fidel Castro in Cuba, these five Indian doctors helped building the China. Kotnis, youngest among these doctors died during 4.4 years of service on 9th December 1942 at the age of 32. Painfully Mao referred to him, almost after 78 long years, Xi noticed the sacrifice of Dr. Li Wenliang at the age of 34.
The bilateral engagement is essential and needs to continue. But appeasement is unbearable. It creates the confusing atmosphere that reverberates today with what PM Modi said, “Neither have they intruded into our border, nor has any post been taken over by them (China)”. Here Modi stands with his predecessor Dr. Man Mohan Singh on the same page. On Depsang, in December 2013, he expressed in the Parliament, “There are sometimes intrusions according to us. But the Chinese perception of the LAC sometimes differs. Therefore, I think, some confusion is created.” The Tibet is an open secret between the Red Book and The Black Book of Communism that describes the killings of 100 million people across the globe. In the absence of the Tibet, Indo-China fraternity is a meaningless adventure. The nature has placed the highest country on the earth connecting the two great Asian powers. It deserves attention from a point of view different from the previous.
Buddha started sermon in the Ganga Basin at Sarnath near Banaras. Buddhism, after disappearance from the Indian mainland, reappeared in Tibet on the top of Himalayas. His followers evolved into Tibetan Buddhism after mingling with the indigenous Shang-Shung culture and the Bon religion. Actually the cultures of Han tribes from the Yellow River Basin of Chinese mainland and the cultures of Ganga River Basin joined together and scattered on the Tibetan Plateau. After the World War II, the civilizations of capitalist and communist imperialism are in its quest for the vested interests. The Dalai Lama wrote in his autobiography that the assistance from the Americans had been a reflection of their anti-Communist policies rather than genuine support for the restoration of Tibetan independence. I have discussed it with Pro. Samdhong Rinpoche, the former Prime Minister of the Tibetan government in exile. He shared the value of Mac Mohan Line, the last generation of an old tradition and restoration of Buddha and Gandhi together in Tibet. A decade after the departure, the followers of Gandhi established the All India Panchayat Parishad in 1958. My association with this apex body of the village heads enriched with facts that Mansar village near Bindusar (Mansarovar Lake) in Tibet used to pay revenue to the Indian exchequer until the advent of 1962 war, and about the barter system of the exchange of goods between Indian and Chinese people in these villages. Such a transaction denotes the need-based economy, instead of the greed-based demands.
Two different black and white board games i.e. chess and igo can depict the current situation of the two neighbours. The Mandarin term “igo” literally means “to encircle”. The modern China with certain excellent ingredients of the communism and some of the worst stuffs of capitalism began to paddle the imperialist agenda. In the presence of the monk, poor Xi found himself between the need and greed. The author of Hind Swaraj reaffirmed that the earth has sufficient resources to fulfill the needs of its creatures, but not the greed. And we seldom repeat the proverbial wisdom as Majboori Ka Nam Mahatma Gandhi. As such one can remember Bapu out of a sort of compulsion, what’s objectionable if he does so in dreams. They surely know that development and technology are the devils all prepared to wipe out the humanity from the planet. “Why don’t you visit Trump and Putin?” Xi’s asked by the end of that dream. “I went to them before,” the monk said, “at last came here.”
The locust swarm that hits many countries including India and Pakistan is an enemy of the crops in the fields. It has increased the difficulties many fold in certain areas during the pandemic and lockdown. The farmers are used to spray pesticides to save the crops from such enemies. In February, the government of Pakistan announced spraying 300,000 litres of insecticides in order to get rid of the locust plague. In fact when a farming worker sprinkles powerful pesticides on the crop in a field a tiny amount of it hits the target. Only one per cent of the sprayed chemicals are effective, rest ninety-nine per cent of it are released to non-target soils, water bodies and the atmosphere to be absorbed by the mother nature. The lethal impacts of insecticides on human and environment are burning issues in the public domain today. World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) are worried due to its ill impacts. At least twenty-five million human pesticide poisonings including 225,000 deaths per year worldwide are reported since the inception of 21st century. The public health experts and environmentalists in India have been raising voices for almost a decade against the 66 types of insecticides available in domestic market that used to be banned in many other countries for a long time. The union agriculture ministry has issued a notification to ban 27 out of these 66 pesticides in India on Monday, 18th May after the third phase of the lockdown. Undoubtedly this is a good news during the pandemic and lockdown.
Agriculture suffers due to insects, mites, plant pathogens and weeds, however, they are parts of biological diversity. The insects and mites cause an estimated fourteen per cent of crop loss, plant pathogens cause a thirteen per cent loss and weeds another thirteen per cent loss. Approximately, there are nine thousand species of insects and mites, eight thousand species of weeds and fifty thousand species of plant pathogens worldwide. In this scenario pesticide seems to be indispensable in the agricultural production. Today one third of global production depends on the pesticides. These synthetic chemicals or pesticides are classified as insecticides, fungicides, bactericides and herbicides. In India, insecticides dominate the industry with 65 per cent of total consumption, followed by herbicides with 16 per cent, fungicides with 15 per cent and the rest 4 per cent by others. This is different from the global pattern where herbicides form the major share with 44 per cent, followed by fungicides with 27 per cent, insecticides with 22 per cent and the rest 7 per cent by others. The consumption of herbicides has been increasing globally due to its herbal composition that is less harmful among most pesticides.
Almost seven years back, after considering all these, the government of India constituted the expert committee to examine the neo-nicotinoid insecticides and to review the 66 insecticides banned in other countries but continued for the domestic use. The committee has conducted the detailed examination and submitted its report in December, 2015. Since then onwards the file moves among the agriculture ministry, the chemical and fertiliser ministry, and various departments of the state. Actually their recommendations were seeking endorsement from the Registration Committee that permitted these pesticides for consumption in domestic market. During the initial eight weeks of the lockdown the bureaucrats and political bosses finally agreed to stop the import, production, distribution and consumption of 27 out of these 66 pesticides in India. Although a late decision, still a commendable one, as this slow move going to hit hard on the business of hazardous chemicals. If this spirit is going to be maintained constantly, changes in the farming sector will definitely appear in future.
Today, the locust plague poses a serious threat. The swarm occupying a square kilometre of area in the sky has fifty million locusts and its average diet is not less than a hundred tons a day. In modern history the largest locust outbreak is recorded in the plains of the United States in the decade of 1870. The strange coincidence is that the local cultures of agriculture started to witness the radical change during the same period. The use of pesticides is not new in the traditional farming. Long ago, the farmers in Greece used sulfur for this purpose traditionally. The production and consumption of inorganic pesticides started during this period that prolonged since the beginning of organic synthetic pesticides after the Second World War. Drawbacks of this new civilisation did not remain hidden for a long time. As a consequence Japan banned the use of chemicals such as DDT and HCH in 1971. The following year the USA has also banned the use of organochlorinated pesticides, including DDT. Pesticide consumption in the United States declined by 35 per cent without reducing crop production by the end of twentieth century. In last four decades, a similar change is noticed in consumption of hazardous pesticides in Europe. As such the consumption of synthetic insecticides has reduced by fifty per cent. The organochlorinated pesticides including DDT and HCH have been banned in China since 1983. Even though half a million human pesticide poisonings with a hundred thousand deaths per year is reported there. Similarly 67000 people are subjected to pesticide poisoning in the United States every year.
I am astonished to look at the production and consumption of pesticides in India. After the United States, Japan and China, India is the fourth largest supplier of the pesticides. The Indian pesticide industry, with the production capacity of 140,000 tons per annum, ranks 12th in the world. In fact, here this market seems to focus on exports, and the top countries in this list are USA, UK, France, Netherlands, South Africa, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Singapore. The herbicide Dicamba, followed by the formulation Cypermethrin are the largest exported Indian pesticides today. The consumption of pesticides per hectare in India is the lowest throughout the world, however, it’s growing rapidly that includes the use of herbal products. The indiscriminate consumption of hazardous pesticides is better to be replaced with the herbal products. The analysis of this trade reveals the equation between modern civilization and the indigenous cultures.
The relationship between consumption of the hazardous pesticides and the climate change is clear today. The serious of cyclones and heavy rains in the Arabian deserts has been in the focus for last two years. As a result the locust plague started in the Middle East and began to spread into certain other countries of Africa and Asia. Last year, the people of Yemen turned the outbreak of locusts into an opportunity. In fact they have started to use it as the high protein diet. Pakistan draws inspiration from this initiative from Yemen. The bureaucrat of the National Food Security Department, Mohammad Khurshid and an expert from the Agriculture Research Council, Johar Ali have launched a campaign to use locusts as chicken feed. The saga of its success did not remain confined within the borders. Latter the government of Pakistan launched the scheme to buy locusts at the rate of fifteen rupees per kg. The well-known economist and leader of RSS affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch, Ashwini Mahajan reacts to it with the open heart. He advocates to replicate this initiative in India. In this case the requirement of hazardous pesticides to get rid of the locust swarm could be prevented during the pandemic and thereafter.
The culture of agriculture is not as dazzling as the modern civilization of it. So far as sustainability is concerned, there is nothing that stands equal to it. The production and consumption of genetically modified seeds and chemical fertilisers increased drastically with the advent of Green Revolution and White Revolution. The rise of hazardous pesticides is also closely associated with same civilisation. The clash between indigenous cultures and the modern civilisation has exposed the relationship between ruling class and political class. At the same time it has further revealed the intellectual harshness hidden behind claims of the public welfare state. It is not easy to move forward while keeping all these things in mind, but still this is not impossible. After this move against the civilisation that has introduced the hazardous pesticides in the fields, it is necessary to focus on culture of the agriculture. Above all, in India, whoever has a mastery on the public nerves as a pianist, is referred to as the Mahatma (saint) even though he or she is a politician.
All eyes are fixed on the Third Pole today. The proponents of Greater Nepal, these days headed by the Prime Minister Oli, forged a new map in order to introduce the new emblem of tourism department and to claim certain Indian territories. Reacting to the diplomatic move on it, Prachand seems to provoke Nepal govt. to launch an offensive against India. Sikkim reacted to an advertisement in Indian Press dealing with a unique mixture of civil and defense, when Delhi govt. seems to fix them between Bhutan and Nepal. The Indian Army denounced certain rumours in Social Media dealing with Sino-India Border Disputes. The fake Himachal Regiment having its headquarter at Kangra, and so called detention of five thousand Indian troops by Chinese are a few of them. These pieces of information are new to a series that turned the Third Pole into the most militarised region of the Holy Planet. The trifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir with creation of Ladakh, after the suspension of Article 370 of Indian Constitution, is already there. This kind of the narratives developed around the Himalayas during the lockdown.
Today the China Town scattered across the globe is a reality. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) makes several unusual moves on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Doklam standoff that prolonged for 72 days (June 16, 2017 to August 28, 2017) is not an old memory. The positions of two nations on LAC can reveal the bone of contention. The Sino-India Border is roughly four thousand km long, and India claims position on 3488 km long stretch on LAC and Chinese believe it to be around 2000 km long. The Indian Army deals with 170 cases of transgressions, including 130 in Ladakh, during first four months of the year. The data revealed a marked increase in the number of Chinese transgressions in Ladakh and other regions. There were 663 cases of transgression in 2019 as compared to 404 in 2018. The 75 per cent rise in Western Himalayas and the 55 per cent spike in Eastern Himalayas suggest the failure of working machination for consultation and coordination on Sino-India Border Affairs, which was established in January 2012 after the dialogue between then NSA Shiv Shankar Menon and his Chinese counterpart Dai Bingguo. Actually this forum is headed by joint secretary-level bureaucrats from both sides. Prime Minister Modi and President Xi met at Bishkek, Wuhan and Mahabalipuram to address these issues. It needs adequate attention for better functioning and to ensure the peaceful settlements of the border disputes.
Recently China amassed troops on their side of the LAC, no matter whether Harsil Valley in Uttarakhand or Galwan Valley in Ladakh. As a consequence, Indian Army has been increasing its presence in border states like Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Ladakh. It seems that the Himalayan atmosphere is charged like never before in the history. The three monologues further predict the fate of the Third Pole as the battle ground of a new Mahabharata. PM Modi addressed heads of armed forces directing them not to stop the road construction, making it clear that India would not be scaling down its deployment in the face of aggressive military posturing by the neighbour. The Chairman of Everything in China addressed National People’s Congress (NPC) and the PLA annual meeting, where clearly ordered the military to think about worst-case scenarios, promptly scale up training and battle preparedness, and effectively deal with all sorts of complex issues that includs resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty, security and the other development interests. Meanwhile, India got chairmanship of the executive board of World Health Organisation. Next day the US President Donald Trump offered to mediate or arbitrate the border disputes. As a cordial gesture it could have been better to extend the solidarity with India while suggesting for bilateral negotiations at this juncture. The situation on ground is unusually tense, and with seasonal fire in the forests and the spike in poaching it’s all the more deplorable during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The trijunction of India, China and Nepal on ancient Kailas-Mansarovar footpath is located in Lipulekh Region of the Himalayas. Since the rift between the two senior most comrades—Oli and Prachand—reached at its peak, domestic politics in Nepal is in an ugly shape. A new exercise for the enrichment of new found democracy or the outcome of a desire to the hot seat is in feature. The ghost of unrest that started with the promulgation of new constitution, almost five years ago, still hunts the Himalayan nation-state. The Madhesh Movement and blockade on Indo-Nepal border are in the backyard. The coalition govt. of communist parties in Nepal and its evolution for the definition of a secular kind of nationalism is against India in recent times. The chief of Indian Army referred to it while talking about Lipulekh Pass to fuel the fire. I think we need to thank Nepal to raise it a couple of decades ago with the advent of the Karakoram Highway (G219), and again in 2015, when India and China agreed to construct a highway on the trade route between the two nations and to redefine pilgrimage to the ancient shrine. The Hindu pilgrims can never forget the services rendered by Nepal and its people during the pilgrimage. The recent controversy started since Defense Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 80 km long Link Road in Uttarakhand connecting the trijunction via video conferencing on Friday, 8th May. After that Kathamandu published five thousand maps to be displayed across the Himalayan destinations. The landlocked Nepal has been trying hard to build better transportation infrastructure connecting to the port at Bay of Bengal. The diplomatic channels now look into it, and this ray of hope depends on peaceful negotiations.
The institutions of civil service and defense service are two different orders of the civilised world. The two sometimes stand against each other, no? The govt. is trying to club the two as civil-defense-corps. It reminds an old adage that the two opposite poles attract each other. The Delhi govt. has issued a recruitment for volunteers in an advertisement that dilutes the position of Sikkim, the 22nd province of Indian union since 15th May 1975. Arvind Kejriwal Govt. takes it back promptly. The LG has suspended Rahul Sudan, the civil servant responsible for releasing it with immediate effect for this disrespect of territorial integrity of India. This case revealed the failure of rule books that seldom failed to keep the promises contained in 36th and 37th amendments of the Constitution. The healing of wounds and this process of rectification are not entirely disconnected affairs.
Tibet and Taiwan are significant factors defining Sino-India relations for decades. The United Nations has replaced ROC with PRC in 1971 to reaffirm the story of two kinds of China. The definitions of these two acronyms—ROC (Republic of China or Taiwan) and PRC (People’s Republic of China)—bear different geopolitical significances. Recently, the Chinese embassy in India retorted when a couple of lawmakers from India participated the oath ceremony of the re-elected President of Taiwan via video conferencing. If Meenakshi Lekhi wished Tsai Ing-wen on her re-election, what’s objectionable in it? Tibet is an autonomous region within the PRC, however, its govt. in exile runs from Dharamshala in India. New Delhi keeps the distance with the govt. in exile, but its presence in India since 1959 is one of the causes of ire in Beijing’s eyes. Today the communist parties are in power in Taiwan and Vietnam, and their relationship with China is unbearable. The two countries are being noticed for better management of the pandemic with least infection and casualty. Recently, WHO has invited Taiwan to aid and assist the investigation dealing with the Biological Weapon Theory against China. The annual report of NPC has mentioned about the reunification with Taiwan. But this time the term ‘peaceful reunification’ lacks the old adjective. PLA Senior Colonel Wu Qian, the Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson has defined it that the Taiwan independence is a dead end. The series of protests in Hong Kong is yet another geopolitical affairs that China invited us to comment after the Ladakh issue. In this scenario dragon’s infallibility is at stake. It’s also a call for better cooperation and coordination in order to restore peace in the region.
Apart from the poles, the Himalayas is largest accumulation of snow, the life giving force in crystalized form. As such the cold intellectuals referred to it as the Third Pole. But this cold region no longer remains so with heavy deployment of security forces and weapons of destruction. Rise of transport projects in this region is closely linked to the Sino-India War in 1962. Border disputes on banks of Pangong Tso (Pangong Lake) started during Operation Vijay, when the Indian Army from the area was moved to Kargil in 1999. China took the opportunity to build 5 km long road inside Indian territory along the bank. This is an addition to the extensive network of roads built by Chinese, which connects with Karakoram Highway. The ambitious project connecting Pakistan and China is a little part of a greater initiative that encompasses through Asia, Africa and Europe on the ancient Silk Route. These projects deliberately created ecological imbalance in the Himalayas and militarised a peaceful region massively. Today the Third Pole seems all prepared to be the battlefield for the war that Chinese leadership has recently referred to. He has also mentioned China as the largest democracy committed to the public wellbeing. It reminds us what President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have promised a couple of years ago at Wuhan while committing to the innovative and sustainable solutions to global challenges like epidemics, natural disasters, climate change and terrorism. If trans-Himalayan nations failed to go ahead and flourish on the track of democracy, dialogue and prosperity they are bound to parish together.
Finance Minister has finally declared the twenty trillion rupees package in five sessions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while announcing the extension of lockdown into a fourth phase since 18th May, has declared much awaited stimulus for Indian economy. Idea of the self reliance with ‘Vocal For Local’ slogan fascinated many, including stock market that recorded the sudden jump. PM talks about a wonderful formula to find an opportunity in this health emergency. Saleem Miyan at Swaraj India has referred to AtamnirbharBharat Abhiyan as a Loan Mela before calling it an entertainment. Liberated Gandhi Project has got the forty thousand crores, and Rahul Gandhi’s response on it is amusing. Meanwhile the crises of prolonged lockdown including reverse migration are in the headlines. Herein former BJP general secretary Govindacharya reminds us that in case of the strength of a chain, it’s the weakest link that counts most, instead of the stronger ones. After two months long lockdown the state of infection in India is on unprecedented rise. Counting in India is now in six digits, and in the US it’s in seven digits. When the world counted initial five million infections, India got place among top nations with a twenty percent share. The crisis seems to loom larger, as the middle class is afraid, and backbone of working class migrants is broken.
We pledged to overcome one of the worst periods of history with ringing bells to encourage the Corona Warriors. Then the lockdown was announced, since then onwards exodus caused by reverse migration is being seen on the highways in Delhi and other parts of the nation. We have also tried to remove darkness by lighting lamps, but the rising number of COVID-19 infection is not ready to stop. Agitated migrant workers were seven times seen violent at Surat in Gujrat. These sights of migrant labourers’ plight is visible today as the symbol of national fate. This maniac state arising out of the hunger and fear is fatal. Moreover this is an outcome of seven decades of the development vision aligned to modern technology. The lockdown has cleared how much respect bureaucracy has for these hard working people. In an era, when public services are institutionalised, the plight of labourers from unorganised sector reached at peak. The health care institutions are not an exception to the disgrace. The top institutions like ICMR in India and World Health Organization are standing in the dock today. Initially the symptoms of COVID-19 was reported to be cough, fever, sneezing, etc. Then they have added headache, tremor, stiffness in the muscles, sore throat and loss of taste in it. And then this invisible infection also became asymptomatic. Similarly, they have recommended at least three tests in a series in COVID-19 cases, and the release from hospital was possible after two mandatory negative reports. Then ICMR adopted the single negative report practice, and finally no such negative report is necessary. The interpretation of these developments can lead us towards difficult consequences.
The communist govt. of Kerala is being noticed for better management of the pandemic. The migrant labourers are referred to as the Guest Worker there. Nitin Gadkari has appreciated them recently. The pandemic has unearthed failures of interdependence and globalisation, and brought the local and indigenous to the centre of the discussion. The bureaucracy for its salary exempted the liquor stores by the end of the lockdown and suggested heavy tax on it. In this hour of health emergency, the institution which appears to be pure is in rather critical condition. The Director General of WHO is now being questioned in Africa. Reality of testing in Tanzania came after COVID-19 positive reports of sheep, goat and papaya. The allegation of ten million dollars bribe in order to pass the Vaccination Bill in Nigerian Parliament recently surfaced against Bill Gates. It triggered the demand for his arrest in the Italian Parliament. The crisis of reverse migration is also not disconnected with these developments.
The political theatre that unfolded in the third phase of the lockdown on account of migrants’ train fare is not possible to forget. Adviser to former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and veteran journalist Prem Shankar Jha’s comments on it can shock any Indian. He has defined that the Bharatiyata disappeared from establishments like Indian Railways and Air India during COVID-19 pandemic. The home states of migrants and stranded people are afraid of new infection on their arrival. Still the govt. started limited train services on Tuesday, May 12. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed his grief after going through the reports of Barkha Dutt from the roads. Then directed the states to stop plying migrants on the roads and send them in the camps. A thousand crore rupees has been allocated from the newly created PM Care Fund for this purpose. Moreover Center for Monitoring Indian Economy presents figures on increasing unemployment. More than 120 million people are reported to be unemployed within six weeks of lockdown. Majority of them are from unorganised sector. Crisis of unemployment and rising hunger are actual cause of reverse migration. The lessons of self-reliance and self-respect can be learned from this class. Workers lifting an industry with hard labour are natural capital of Indian culture like a farmer. Actually the system is nature centred instead of being economy centred, and mankind is a part of nature, not the master.
Government of Uttar Pradesh issued a circular increasing the working hours for twelve hours a day. A bunch of social activists and institutions, including RSS affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh opposed it. The matter reached the High Court. At last Allahabad High Court dismissed it. A couple of decisions of Hyderabad High Court are worth mention. The court asked questions during a suo-motto response in the accidental death of 16 migrants on the railway track at Aurangabad. As such centre and state are bound to answer. The court has also taken cognizance of the plight of Dr. K. Sudhakar, who spoke about the lack of PPE kits at Visakhapatnam. Initially he was suspended then the cops beat him badly on the road. It has broken the pledge to stand with Corona Warriors and to remember the Chinese crusader Dr. Li Wenliang. Perhaps! the police in India seems to move faster breaking the records of China. The stand of Supreme Court on the plight of migrants disappoints. In spite of such efforts, the suffering of daily wagers are still continuing.
Australia heads the campaign to investigate the Biological Weapon Theory. The nations like India, France, Germany, UK, US and Russia came in its support. WHO believes that this investigation may take an year. Chinese virologists Shi Zhengli, also known as ‘Bat Woman’ and Xiangguo Qiu, who has brought the virus from the Canadian lab, are in focus these days. Now the communication gap between Australia and China turned into Trade War. The prolonged trade war between the United States and China metamorphosed into the Cold War. Still Gandhi’s land keeps a distance from the civil war. When our elder brother claims to be bigger than all, the objection from ‘Big Brother’ cannot be annihilated. Sometimes business with elder brother brings equally big burden. The annual trade deficit with our elder brother is twenty trillion rupees. It’s possible that this trade deficit has persuaded the PM to decide the value of stimulus. We have no objection if our younger brothers are at the receiving end of more love from the elder brother. But standing on the equal footing in business is needed to be ensured first. Let the trade deficit with China end soon. No compromise with the identity of India is tolerable. So long as the two are not ensured the dignity of hard working people and country are in peril.
In the prayer meeting on 26 January 1948 Gandhi ji said: We are entitled to celebrate the hope that the worst is over and that we are on the road to showing the lowliest villager that it means his freedom from serfdom and that he is no longer a serf born to serve the cities and towns of India, but that he is destined to exploit the city dwellers for the advertisement of the finished fruits of well-thought-out labours, that he is the salt of the Indian earth. Mahatma’s prayer seems to move a step ahead during lockdown caused by the noble corona virus. Liberated Gandhi Project means Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. Only this is possible with the two devils—technology and development. It could have been a tribute to Gandhi in absence of these two. Apart from these devils, the Vocal for Local campaign needs to turn away from debt and Foreign Direct Investment only to be Real for Local or to revisit the Hind Swaraj.
Sadly, I’m not connected to any member of the group chat on the social media that first discussed about the SARS like symptoms that latter confined half the world at homes or shelters, however, I’m seldom active on such platforms. Now think about the severe and acute respiratory syndrome that can make breathing impossible, and thereby creating a demand for ventilators across the globe. Dr. Li Wenliang, a medical practitioner and a CCP member since sophomore days, and seven others were reprimanded by the Police at least five weeks before his sacrifice. Never before such a huge world was compelled to pay for the humiliation of a professional, who was talking about an outbreak of the deathly disease.
Dr. Li was the first medical professional infected from the virus through a patient at Wuhan Central Hospital. He was happy at last, for a short while, when the judgment against the punishments came from the Chinese Supreme People’s Court. Then the Chairman of Everything in China noticed it and declared him the martyr for that sacrifice on Friday, 7th Feb. 2020. Meanwhile, China Lie People Die, appeared on account of it, and his wife, who is expecting their second offspring, received the first grade civilian honour.
Today quarantine and lockdown are newly coined old terms from WHO lexicon. Profound impact of its Director General in Africa can be ascertained from the fact that on 18th April, when the COVID-19 caused 13 deaths in Nigeria, the security forces have killed 18 people while enforcing the lockdown.
None has been spared, and the entire human race seems to be involved in the fight against an invisible enemy. This war of 21st century is not like the two world wars, but with the dragon‘s rise and fall it’s not less than the third world war. Meanwhile, one of my best friends from the Indian Police Service defined the rules on his Facebook wall that restricts us in India to continue such a group chat on social media. Indeed it’s the worst extension of a surveillance state, and liberal world is afraid of this idea borrowed from the top dictators. At the same time, it helps them to continue the prevailing police state. The cops are beating innocent people across the states and compelling them to write apologies. The mob lynching is yet another reality. Now even the sadhus are not spared. The compromised unrest can render an excellent ground to hide failures of the govts.
My bizarre thoughts, while moving towards what President Donald Trump said about the leak of a biological weapon at a virology lab in China, for a while lingers on Sarab Jeet, who died in the Pakistani prison before the state funeral in India. Ian Lipkin, one of the top virologists, contradicts due to lack of evidence, and the real source of the virus is still a mystery. The 2020 race between Republican Trump and Democrat Biden for presidency in the US is going to have considerable impact of the sacrifice and its aftermath that is not going to be less than that of the two world wars combined. The Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo cites links between the wet markets and zoonotic diseases. Recently, US has called on China to close all its wildlife wet markets permanently.
In India, we are neither in the state of an emergency nor even a formal curfew but an ever increasing lockdown as an extension of that Sunday Janata Curfew celebrations. The conch blowing and ringing bells, pots and pans further unfolded with the two epic wars on the national television. The first five weeks are enough to indicate how the future is going to be. The health emergency suddenly reduced the world in five words i.e. Lock-Down, Quarantine, Social-Distancing, Face-Mask and Ventilator. Today, all appeals for ‘No Panic’ seems to create more pain. The propaganda and rumour factories are in full swing that started with the misnomer ‘social-distancing’ that replaced the old idea of physical distance in case of a deathly disease. It proved to be the most powerful key word with an effective meaning for the battlefield. At last the Prime Minister was compelled to appeal for unity and brotherhood, mentioning the fact that the virus does not see race, religion, colour, caste, creed, language or borders before the strike.
At Indore, Dr. Shatrughna Panjwani was known among the poor patients before his death due to the virus, and with this the repeatation of the Chinese oddity started in India. And extended with the death of Dr. Nizamuddin, involved with the Tablighis to contain the virus spread. The humiliation at sites of last rites of Dr. Sailo at Shillong and Dr. Simon at Chennai hurts deeply. The attacks on the medical teams at different places narrate rather deplorable condition. These acts are the results of fear and panic. Unfortunately that’s on peak these days. The special funerals of corona victims are the only viable option, and all states and communities are needed to ensure it. The purpose of such an event ought to be the removal of fear and restoration of peace.
On 1st January 2020, the dragon‘s wings vividly appeared between the twenty miles from Wuhan Virology Lab and the Huanan Sea Food Market, places pertaining to the outbreak. The shutdown was initially forced in Wuhan, then entire Hubei province, and that further extended to certain other provinces as well. WHO copiously advised to follow a similar shutdown, and the world began to turn into China. Recently, Germany joined the alliance of US, UK and France against China. Berlin called out Beijing’s responsibility for the pandemic and issued a £130 billions invoice. After Exit China Mantra hundreds of multi national corporations are leaving them, and the India Inc. hopes to gain from it.
Diplomacy in independent India started on the concept that the friends remain in the heart and neighbours in intestines. Our domestic and foreign policies are based on Atithi Devo Bhava and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. My first interaction with the Chinese people started almost eight years ago, at Manikarnika Ghat in Benares during a series of interviews with the Ganga Rights activists. That afternoon, I saw Zinu Li was helping Baba Naga Nath, who was sitting on Anshan for Aviral Ganga. We need to inform her that the Ganga Putri started fasting before Dr. Li shared his views on the social media to save the world. Padmavati is yet to recover.
In the second week of last December the corona virus came out of the Pandora’s box. This outbreak of the flu is known as COVID-19. Since then onwards Isabel Hilton keeps us posted in the China Dialogue. The city of Wuhan in Hubei province of mainland China is in focus. People across the nationalities are shaking out of its fear. Never before in the history, Namaste was noticed so vividly. It replaced all the romanticism of hugs and hand shakes. India has fallen prey to it before last week of March. The chaos appeared in the cities and villages. And that’s not going to calm down soon. In 100 days more than a million victims are reported, including 200000 recoveries and 50000 casualties. Situation in India is bearable so far as infection is concerned, but fear of the trinity of chaos, inflation and recession is unbearable. Meanwhile the China has changed the New World Order, and the neighbourhood is yet to witness a civil war. The story of this pandemic remains incomplete in absence of its political economy.
The World Health Organization noticed the outbreak as an international crisis and declared it as a pandemic. Suddenly the transportation stops to redefine terms like globalization and nationalism. Janata Curfew on Sunday, 22nd March extended to another three weeks of nationwide lockdown (further extended till 3rd May). The government announced its implementation in a hurry as a bureaucratic adventure. Next day, hoi polloi thronged onto the roads carrying bags and bundles on their heads. The unrest it creates has beaten previous such instance during the demonetisation. As a consequence the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tendered an apologise to the masses compelled to move towards the village. The ghost now fully active in the market is ready to teach its political economy to the hard working class as well.
The outbreak of flu before the end of World War I accounts for approximately 20 million casualties. It was referred to as Spanish Flu and Avian Flu. In the last couple of decades the world witnessed a series of dreaded diseases i.e. SARS, Bird Flu, Ebola, etc. The institutions like WHO and CDC (Atlanta) are also noticed to control the epidemic. Still the mutation of new species poses unavoidable challenges. This new type of influenza is a result of mutation of corona virus known as SARS. Unfortunately its birthplace is in China. And its utility as a biological weapon is also not impossible. The text book of history in the China clearly narrates how the USA used biological weapon in the Korea War, five years after nuclear attacks in the World War II. The Trade War between the two superpowers introduced us with the Virology Lab at Wuhan. Today the world is curious to know what happened there?
My time line is full of reports dealing with cases of COVID-19 from USA, Italy, Spain, Iran, etc. Its number is rising. At this juncture, Prime Minister of Norway contributes 210 million dollars, and British Prime Minister 210 million pounds to procure its vaccine. The distribution of relief packages in different countries is yet another part of the same saga. The stock market in Europe, United States and India crashed due to its fear. At the same time, flag representing the Chinese Corpocracy is flying high. Beijing has declared victory on the corona virus and its celebration is in the picture. The most populous nation has beaten the ghost in a very short span of time. As such the pandemic rendered the win-win situation for China.
The pressure on US President Donald Trump to support the lockdown is in public domain. He has been criticised in the media to act against it. The death toll there on account of influenza can reach close to 250,0000 in 2020. According to the American Institute of Virology, the average influenza-pneumonia death is 66,000 every year. WHO is also being criticised to favour the China. Again the world is compelled to move between the two poles. And this time United States looks like a dwarf in front of China headed by Xi Jinping.
The China appeasement policy of India came into existence with the sacrifice of Tibet in 1959 due to the proponent of Panch-Sheel and the first Prime Minister. The same policy reflects from slogans like Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai. And 1962 war is the other side of the same coin. The Karakoram Project surfaced, two decades ago, connecting Pakistan and China together. Belt and Road initiative that encompasses through Asia, Africa and Europe on ancient Silk Route is its extension itself. In the 21st century, at Mahabalipuram and Wuhan, Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi appeared to promote the same old policy. The formation of a grand alliance with Pakistan and Turkey on the issue of Kashmir is yet another reality. Here, the Mongol (Chinese) and Islam joined together to lead the world. The nationalist leaders predicted the emergence of such an alliance before the advent of the World War I. The questions that arise in this situation are: (a) Whether India is destined to repeat the same old mistake? (b) Or we will be successful to form the grand alliance with countries like Great Britain and United States? The foundation of such an alliance and its base is yet another question. Leaders can easily turn away from questions, but the consequences. The thinking being needs to look into this crisis in the presence of sufficient light.
The state of Chinese Flu infection in India is still satisfactory. Here, the virus attack is not as dreaded as in the countries like Italy and Iran, the proponents of Chinese Model of Silk Route. The Prime Minister’s conversations with the doctors engaged in the treatment of COVID-19 patients at Pune and New Delhi bear certain ingredients to remove the fear. The mild infection as reported from both places are the most needed solace. The talks on resistance of an Indian against the outbreak are often featured in the mainstream. My friend Dr. Onkar Mittal, a graduate from Maulana Azad Medical College, reacts with an idea of the cooperative for traditional health care practitioners to address the burning crisis. I believe this is something in the favour of my village. Meanwhile, Prince Charles has preferred the Homeopathy to recover from COVID-19 infection.
After the couple of crusades of the Ganga Putras at Matri Sadan now the Ganga Putri has been fasting, a Satyagraha for Aviral Ganga between the two poles, Political Problem and Administrative Solution
Last month, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar again wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the Agony of Ganga. A few years ago, he had invited the doyen of environmental engineering, GD Agarwal. Also referred to as Sananda, he breathed his last while he was on an indefinite fast on October 11, 2018, for an aviral Ganga.
Aviralta Bin Ganga Nirmal Nahi (The Ganga is not pure unless flowing freely) has been one of the rallying slogans for the movement. Sadhvi Padmavati, initially known as Saniya, joined the Ganga crusaders’ brigade at Matri Sadan in Haridwar. A week after, the Bihar CM requested the PM to look into it, the state acts under Section 309 of the IPC. Hundreds of crores of tax-payers’ money have been spent in brainstorming sessions with experts and activists by the Modi government.
Last winter, on December 15, the Ganga Putri committed to fasting like Nigamananda and Sananda. After six weeks, she was sent to the Doon Hospital and returned the next day after medical examinations. Meanwhile, the other inmate, who was already on fasting, started anshan in her absence. Now the two are on anshan.
If the political leadership is not ready to respond, the two are bound to oscillate between the Ashram and the hospital. The default of this political crisis in the state administration is this pendulum like situation. The air is cold, but clear. This kind of Satyagraha is an attempt to suicide. The Ashram’s inmates have been fasting for more than a couple of decades, a number of lawmakers have approached them earlier like Kumar.
But still this issue is yet to be raised in Parliament. However, the Supreme Court had once expressed its views in Agarwal’s case, denouncing the colonial approach of the police.
The Ganga Putri has achieved something her predecessors had failed even after 111 long days of fasting. Recently, the Nalanda MP visited her with another JDU leader, Sanjay Jha, to convey the CM’s message. The wise decision is to give more attention to their requests.
If the chief ministers of the states in the Ganga Basin fail to decipher the meaning of aviral Ganga today, they will be doing a great disservice to the nation.
Last year, one day, I went to thank AAP leader Sanjay Singh who spoke about G.D. Agarwal’s Satyagraha in the Upper House. And before that, Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter to the seer to reassert his father’s views on the holy river.
If these leaders help build a greater consensus for the Ganga that represents the soul of the soil since old times, the dream of aviral Ganga can be realised. An alliance across party lines can be fruitful if it finds a meaningful solution to the burning crisis through dialogue.
The Modi government has to show real seriousness now. It is a test for the Modi sarkar.
Shiva appeared weak and older this time. And this was my first reaction to her on the eve of Bapu’s anniversary at India International Centre. She approached to receive me as soon as saw us, and I have introduced my friend with the book, before recollecting our previous meeting when she looked better at the Constitution Club in the Anupam Mishra Memorial. I still remember veteran Gandhian Dr. Vandana Shiva’s words that we will fulfil his dreams. She was firm and unforgettable in the shortest tribute to the man of wisdom known for water. Then she led us into the C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium in order to celebrate Bhumi 2019. And further informed about the Bengaluru visit next day to participate the Satyagraha with her friend Prasanna and others for Sacred Economy as if it was an invitation to join their collective tribute to the Mahatma. I moved towards my newest friend, the Iranian Gandhian scholar, Dr. Ramin Jahanbegloo as soon as my eyes figured him out sitting among the few audience.
The other day I have admired him to express homecoming and poetry are one and the same. He’s glad to define it as a tribute to the German poet Heidegger in the celebrations of his 130th anniversary. ‘I have quoted one of your verses in my yesterday address at the YMCA University’, I told him while shaking hands and disclosed that the talk was focused on role of youth in the mature democracy. We’d so much before listening to one of the best addresses of this anniversary of the nonviolence icon. It was the inaugural address by the veteran disciple of the Buddha, Professor Samdhong Rinpoche.
I am mesmerised to know that former Prime Minister of the Tibetan govt. in exile has been keeping Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj for four long decades as the Gita. He raised serious questions on mere lip services by the leadership of the world on the name of Gandhi—truth, peace and nonviolence—while hoarding for weapons and wars. Rinpoche has tried hard to bring us back on the long lost dialogue about disarmament, nonviolence and peace. This idea of the resurrection seems to be next to impossible.
While counting rising number of bricks at the Gandhi Memorial I hardly spared a couple of occasions to witness this 150th anniversary so far. Shiva’s brainchild, Navdanya started the women’s seed bank cooperative movement in rural India and Earth University at Dehradun. We joyfully remembered Gandhi in its annual fest, Bhumi. The next day we were in Bapu Abhi Jinda Hai (Gandhi is Still Alive), the dramatic resurrection of Gandhi by Manoj Joshi at the Siri Fort Auditorium. The play opened up with the inaugural address by Indresh Kumar, the RSS leader and Patron of the Indo-Tibet forum. Both of the leaders sat among audience after the lecture. The Patron is not ready to leave the Bible here, more like Rinpoche’s Hind Swaraj. The clapping is louder with every new sentence, and reached at peak when he has referred to the motherland as Bharat Mata. The same moment I felt mother earth disappearing into the thin air as a kind of the goddess he was talking about. It was confusing; whether he was leading the mass, or simply led by them? These two are not one and the same. Here Jahanbegloo helps me by this quote from none other than Gandhi: Those who claim to lead the masses must resolutely refuse to be led by them, if we want to avoid mob law and desire ordered progress for the country I believe that mere protestation of one’s opinion and surrender to the mass opinion is not only not enough, but in matters of vital importance, leaders must act contrary to the mass opinion if it does not commend itself to their reason.
Tibet reflects the true Satyagrahi spirit of Gandhi while fighting for so long. She was nowhere in question there, but development and technology. This is the development of actual mother into the virtual one like the magic play that South African leader Desmond Tutu best described while depicting the missionaries and the Bible that helped them to grab the tribals’ land. By the end of the play new Mahatma that once replaced Gandhi behind the spinning wheel emerged with the same idea of development. Technology, one of the few things that Gandhi continued to denounce until his last days, got more space here than ever before. This new idea of resurrection gains support from the class responsible for his assassination. The audience reacts on it, when 48 turns into 84 with ‘Two double o two’. Actually this dramatic rendition converts that unspeakable saga of the assassination into the biblical resurrection.
Meanwhile Gandhi’s eyes are hidden behind the glasses on every corner of the city. The five long years of achievements are painted on these shiny hoardings. Here one of his eyes reads ‘clean’ and the other ‘India’, as if the one that looks at clean doesn’t look at India and other that looks at India fails to look at clean. As such division between India and Bharat is all the more clear today. Unspeakable highlights of this series of events come from senior journalist Sankarshan Thakur and American author James W. Douglass. Thakur brings facts on prevailing violence from various parts of the country, including the status of Clean India Mission. How more than 50 manual scavengers died in the mains since the beginning of the year, and how many are destined to a similar fate? Prof. Apoorvananda recollected Bapu’s last birthday that was celebrated at Birla House, now known as Gandhi Smriti, when he was alive before moving to the unspeakable. He refers to Douglass’s book, Gandhi and the Unspeakable: His Final Experiment with Truth. The silence is limited, only the responsible ones don’t care to respond to inconvenient or unspeakable issues.
Shiva indicated her cotton sari to reassert that Gandhi is still possible. In this resurrection human and nature are on parallel rise, but the community is missing. This lessening of space for plurality is unbearable. Now the resurrected Mahatma has to fight in this new age of consumerism and globalisation. If these opposite thoughts find opportunity to hang together such monologue may eventually turn into the meaningful dialogue. Gandhi at 150 still awaits such a democratic dialogue.
The well-known scholar Ashis Nandy has been elected the trustee of India International Center in the last week of March. The IIC is a Delhi-based institution that does not occupy as much space as Jawaharlal Nehru University, but it can not be said about its impact on socio-political life around the world. In this election, he has defeated his nearest rival, the three times winner Lalit Joshi with a single vote. Recently, Delhi High Court bench headed by Justice Jayant Nath has started hearing a case in this election dispute. As such the IIC election committee is facing serious allegation of the election rigging.
The option of voting on ballot papers and e-voting both were available here. 1200 voters preferred electronic voting, out of which only 189 votes were valid. Apart from that 405 members preferred voting on ballot papers. Nandy was behind two votes in the counting. In the re-counting, he got just one more vote than Joshi, however the actual number of votes that he has obtained remained the same. As such a number of questions emerged after perusal of the media reports and documents pertaining to this issue. In cases of thin margin, how many times is it reasonable to count the votes? Traditionally re-counting is initiated when at least one of the parties requests to do so. In this election IIC has performed last rites to this tradition.
The election of trustees takes place every two years at IIC, and this was the first time when the ballots were re-counted. Instead of the demand of a party, the reason behind this was the so-called difference. Consequently the presiding officer of the election committee is in dock. In this case the position of IIC President and former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, N.N. Vohra is doubtful, hence his team is facing trial in the courtroom.
In fact this is not an issue of re-counting, but it has metamorphosed into the further analysis of the invalid votes. The invalid ballots are usually sorted out before the counting starts. The same process was evolved in this case as well, where two votes were found invalid. After the scrutiny and counting Lalit Joshi got two more votes than Ashish Nandy. In our conversation, Nandy said that after receiving this information, he has congratulated Joshi for the victory before returning to his home. Next day, when the formal announcement was made all were shocked to learn that Nandy was declared the winner with the thin margin of one vote.
The election committee has declared three more invalid votes in the second scrutiny. These votes were in favour of Joshi, who has been winning for three consecutive terms. As such total five votes were found invalid, and he lost this election with such a thin margin. Now the court is considering several questions, what was the reason that the committee failed to ascertain these invalid votes in initial scrutiny? Why the presiding officer ordered re-counting when none of the parties asked for it? What was the actual reason behind this repeated scrutiny? These are the question marks on the democratic process prevalent in the IIC.
Things are not going well at India International Centre for quite sometimes. The audit firm Chandok and Giuliani has mentioned about some of these inconsistencies in its report in September 2017 itself. Although the governing body has claimed taking appreciate action, but nothing to that effect is being seen anywhere. A couple of years ago, the controversy surrounding the trustees and members of the managing committee had made a lot of noise. Meanwhile the complaints of unlawful activities performed by some of its members came onto the fore. Considering these facts it is hard to believe that this the same institution that once denounced the membership proposal of the tainted leaders like Lalu Prasad Yadav.
I think Ashish Nandy and Lalit Joshi have nothing to do with this election rigging. It is possible that someone else is spinning cobwebs around them. Moreover e-voting did not prove any meaningful in this election. The E.V.M. has made the counting of votes easy and accurate. It has also minimised the likelihood of invalid votes. Despite all this, this prestigious institution has preferred voting on ballot papers. In case of voting on E.V.M. this kind of rigging was not possible. The court has fixed its next hearing on April 23. Many eyes are keeping a tab on the developments associated with this case of election rigging.
The Pulwama suicide bomber attack in Kashmir Valley on the Valentine’s Day is an unforgettable act of terror. The reaction on it is scattered here and there. The White House condolence message reads about the killing of more than 40 soldiers of the paramilitary force and at least 44 others as injured. After this inhumane act the waves of resentment and nationalist fervor are being seen everwhere in India. All directions resonate with slogans of Zindabad and Murdabad due to this love for nation and valley. The Prime Minister clearly expressed that the sacrifice of the bravehearts shall not go in vain. The forces have been given full freedom to retaliate denying the possibility of an impending war. The govt. had called an all-party meeting on this issue. The PM preferred the election rally in Maharashtra and clarified his actual position further. Today, the Congress President Rahul Gandhi supports Modi govt. on it. Meanwhile, the question on plebiscite in the valley is also coined by Kamal Haasan.
Just a day before this incident, there was a similar terrorist attack in Iran on the other side of the Pakistani border. At least 27 soldiers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard were killed. Major General Muhammad Ali Jafari, head of the guards, has asked Pakistan to take action against terrorists responsible for the act of terror. Iran has also blamed USA, UAE and Israel for it. Only a couple of days later, the MEA Sushma Swaraj has a meeting with her counterpart in Tehran and the two decided to resolve it together.
The three long decades of terror and violence converted the Valley into a den with the heaviest deployment of security forces throughout the world. Alas! They could have been airlifted that was easiest option available at hand, no? The public across the streets are excited. A series of movements are continued in all parts of India after the Pulwama Attack. The very next day Jammu has witnessed the impacts of the shutdown. The supporters of the suicide bomber celebrated it with crackers in Kashmir Valley. After Burhan Wani, the patriotism of the poster boy, Adil Ahmed Dar alias Waqas Commando is in picture. Bharatiyata (Indian Nationalism) and Kashmiriyat are being defined as nationalism versus patriotism. It turnef out ti be a cause of sufferings for the Kashmiri students in educational institutions in other parts of India. Army veteran D.S. Hooda, who was the Lieutenant General during the surgical strike, has expressed doubts on the procurement of explosives used in this attack of terror. If the operators in Pakistan can order one of the stone palters, and procurement of explosives from construction sites of Jammu Highway is also possible, our beloved nation is sitting on the sizzling volcano.
Intelligence failure resulted in the killngs of 76 ITBP jawans on 6th April 2010 at Dantewada in Chhattisgarh. The govt. launched surgical strike in response to the attack on Army camp in Uri on 18th Sept. 2016. Here, Satyapal Malik, J&K Governor has recently admitted about the intelligence failure, however, only a week earlier, IB has issued the alert before the anniversaries of a couple of the poster boys like Afzal Guru and Maqbool Butt. After this, the Operation All-Out, continued since last year, is on its peak. Its impact is noticed on the training camps situated across the fateful lines. The possibilities of fresh surgical or carpet strikes are hovering over the cloudy sky. It has rendered suitable time to move towards suspension of Article 370 of Constitution of India, before that the Mahabharata war all on focused on an emotional issue.
Pakistani terrorist outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammed, has claimed its responsibility. Later its spokesman dismissed the claim in a statement issued to the Pakistani media. Masood Azhar, the head of this outfit, was handed over to Taliban in 1999 in the lieu of Air India’s hijacked aircraft IC-814. The movie on this act and stories in mainstream media collectively failed to depict the tiniest details of one of the most controversial charrectors from among the passengers. The terrorists like Masood Azhar and a couple of hundred million dollars as ransom are and the terrorists like Masood Azhar, imprisoned in India, are the parts of the same scandal. The role of the middle man, Roberto Jiori, travelling in the same hijacked aircraft and better known as ‘Currency King’ is yet to be discussed in the mainstream media. The Prime Minister of Pakistan has demanded evidences, and levelled it as a political stunt to win general elections. He has urged to share the intelligence inputs. China is still engaged in the protection of Masood Azhar and giving voice to the same Pakistani theory. All these things are directly connected with the Sino-US trade war. The Americans expect help from Pakistan in the Afghanistan. Meanwhile, France known for the Raphael Deal, has extended helping hand when announced about its proposed draft pertaining to terrorist tag attached to Masood Azhar in the United Nations. Two weeks before this attack, the govt. had made provision of releasing more than 3 lakh crore rupees for the defense budget. In absence of the assessment of all these facts, it is very difficult to decipher the terror trade.
Last year, Imran Khan govt. of Pakistan with Modi govt. started a new chapter of love and fraternity with the advent of Kartarpur Sahib Corridor. After Pulwama Terror Attack, Pakistan has lost the status of the Most Favored Nation. In such a situation, imported goods will be charged 200% tax. Now those who make fast in Hindustan will have to pay twice heavier price for the rock salt. The million dollar question of the day is that whether resentment and insanity bear any healing impact for those, who suffered the loss of life and property? This question is waiting for its answer.
The Indian Army shifts its position during the winter months at higher altitudes. The situation like Kargil War can be ascertained when the weather changes. The insanity mixed up with fear, illusion and inconvenience can strengthen possibility of the civil war. It may makes things easier for the general elections, but the people involved in this patriotism versus nationalism drama can further lead the society towards new divisions. It is not in the interest of the country that used to reflect in the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi.
[Social activist Kaushal Kishore is the author of The Holy Ganga (Rupa, 2008) and Managing Editor of Panchayat Sandesh. His weekly column Across The Lines appears in the vernaculars.]
The rumours of disappearance of Sant Gopal Das alias Azad Singh, who has started fasting in support of Gangaputra Sananda after two days of his last fast-unto-death, is in news for sometimes. His father Shamsher Singh, from Rajakhedi village of Panipat district, launched a protest on December 5 in the AIIMS along with a number of supporters. The next day Delhi High Court has accepted the habeas corpus writ to present him before the bench headed by Justice Hima Kohli. The petitioner Praveen Singh, from Gazipur districts of Uttar Pradesh, was in his service for several weeks before the disappearance. It reflects that the supporters are not aware of his actual whereabouts. The same evening they started a series of protests with the candle light in the AIIMS. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Law Minister Somnath Bharti and volunteer Chandra Vikash have raised question on Modi govt. The politics on the state of law and order is at its peak without having any impact on the actual cause.
Sant Gopal Das is known for a series of fasts to save the grass land (Gochar Bhumi) in Haryana and his love for the Ganga is also evident. The credit for Nigamanand Sena (Army of Crusaders) goes to him. He has started the hunger strike focusing on Jal, Jangle, Jameen (water, forest, land) on the bank of the Ganga at Rishikesh on June 24. Meanwhile, the administration used Section 309 of the IPC as a weapon to treat him like a football in the playground. As such he was bound to travel from hospital-to-hospital in Dehradun, Rishikesh, Chandigarh and Delhi. The Uttarakhand govt. has sent him to AIIMS Delhi on November 5. After four weeks of treatment the medical board has found him to be fit on December 4 and once again sent him to Dehradun. Then he has been reported from Max and Doon Hospitals, respectively. The records of CCTV cameras and mobile phones reveal that he is with one of his followers. But neither the family members nor the supporters have any correct information about his whereabouts. In such a situation, the govt. is being questioned. One day those who raise such questions will have to answer the questions on themselves as well.
The news of his disappearance flashed a day after mob lynching of policeman Subodh Kumar Singh by members of cow protection brigade in Bulandshahar. He has started Satyagraha to protect water, forest and land while raising questions on plundering of natural resources. This fast with a demand to restore the free-flow of the Ganga is continued for more than five months more like Baba Naganath, the Ganga crusader from Kashi. This may be asked whether the govt. failed to initiate talks with him or the possibility of such talk is missing? But the media has considered him one of the busybodies seeking attention. The difference between the law he is demanding and the one proposed by the govt. is also not clear. The supporters are too deeply engrossed in declaring him the next crusader after Nigamananda, Naganath and Swami Sananda to focus on this issue. Here, a voice of Aviral Ganga reverberates that sounds more like Har Har Gange.
The mastery of proponents of fasting in raising a series of questions is evident. But no one has taken any initiative to amend Section 309 of the IPC. Four years ago, the Supreme Court has not accepted Swami Sananda’s hunger strike as an attempt to commit suicide. After that people active in this politics should take necessary steps for the amendment in concerned law. The lack of proper policy to address the demands of such fasting people on social issues is further needed. Whether Rahul Gandhi, who has raised this issue in a tweet and Arvind Kejriwal, who has accused Modi government for his disappearance, continue to miss these issues in the wake of political gains? They have proved it by not disclosing their policies on free-flow of the Ganga and the grass land for cows. AAP leaders, who came out of the public movement, could have proved better, but they put all efforts only in taking advantage of the prevailing situation.
The people used to raise the issue of Aviral Ganga and Nirmal Ganga after the sacrifice of the Gangaputra have to be accountable as well. Today the state is all the more responsible for it. But the functioning of the democratic government is not possible without public participation. All the efforts of these people are in favour of one or the other political party, not the Ganga and her tributaries. The saint, who disappeared recently, has himself proved to be a proponent of this policy during last Lok Sabha election. The bullock cart rally that reached Banaras in support of Narendra Modi was headed by Gopal Das. But during Modi govt. he was punished for violating section 144 when marched towards the parliament. Today, when the law proposed to safeguard the Ganges needs to be framed, the game of hide and seek is in progress. The transparent public debate on this topic is missing in this hue and cry. In the days of election, this tendency transcends all limits and turn into the politics of hatred. The common man is not completely ignorant of it.
So far as disappeared Gopal Das is concerned, the division bench of Delhi High Court has given two weeks time for the next hearing. The challenge before the police is to find him before that in order to present him before the court. The time will tell whether the Satyagrahi saint has preferred the stunt of disappearing for seeking media attention or went his chosen place for sacrifice? In case Arvind Kejriwal’s conjecture proves to be true, then Jaats along with the cow protection brigade and devotees of the Ganga can be violent. The condition of Gopal Das is different from the three Gang crusaders. He is one of such devotees to cows and the Ganga, who is coming from Jaat community of Haryana, and spent quite a long time in establishing an effective networks in many states like Prabhu Dutt Brahmachari, leader of 1966 Gauraksha Andolan.
There is a question mark on those supporters and leaders busy in giving voice to this theory, since he has invited one of his companions to meet outside Doon Hospital before the disappearance. The old customs like Santhara that prescribed how the saint can give up the life and Jauhar that relates to widow committing sati are still prevalent in India. There is a number of supporters to such customs that Padmavati raw has revealed recently. The mob lynching of a couple of innocent people in Bulandshahar further adds to it. The hue and cry in this case is still in the atmosphere. Gopal Das ought to come forward in this situation. I request the administration to maintain softness in its behavior in order to make it possible. This will prove to be a better step.
The foundation of Shri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor has been laid during the celebrations of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. In fact this is a small orifice of the ambitious project intended to turn into a roaring river in future. Undoubtedly it will render the opportunity to connect people living across Indo-Pak border. The Union Minister for Surface Transport, Nitin Gadkari, has declared the completion of this four-line road project in less than six months. As such it will soon be accessible to the people living across the lines. This political initiative that started under cloak and cover of religion and faith will also be able to nourish those elements that is being clearly indicated by Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh and BJP leader, Subramanyam Swamy.
Indeed the governments of India and Pakistan have made commendable efforts to restore the harmony and brotherhood in the crucial phase of growing violence. It reminds the earlier such attempt by former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who has initiated an effort to connect Delhi and Lahore. Navjot Singh Sidhu and Imran Khan have emerged as the effective strategists in South Asian politics. Now devotees can easily make pilgrimage between this side of border at Dera Baba Nanak and Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib on the other side. Earlier formal proceedings to get the visa was necessary to do so. Now the display of faith is quite easy. Sidhu, who has participated in the oath ceremony of Imran Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, has played significant role in it. Recently, the governments on both sides have shown sincerity necessary for this corridor.
The External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has kept the distance from programs in both the countries. However, it is being said that her engagements due to the elections in Telangana and other states is the cause of it. But what is hidden here behind the noises of the media can remind the days of the Khalistan movement. This corridor strengthens the possibility of creating the third political region, after Vatican City and Israel, on political map of the world that defines religion and politics as the two different sides of the same coin. Long ago, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia had said that religion is a long term politics. Sushma Swaraj, who was happened to be a socialist before joining the right-wing, is well aware of Dr. Lohia’s views. Harsimrat Kaur Badal from Shiromani Akali Dal and Hardeep Puri, the bureaucrat-turned-politician, have represented the govt. of India in her place. Modi govt. has preferred the festivities of birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism and a couple of ministers from the same community in order to turn it into a series of wonderful religious events.
The faithless religion and sports of cricket have been playing an unprecedented role in the politics of 21st century in Indian subcontinent. The cricketer-turned-politicians like Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan and Congress leader Sidhu will be remembered for a long time due to their contributions in this ambitious scheme. It further indicates about the deeply rooted agenda that gives preference to people joining politics after a noticeable stint in sports (cricket), arts (acting) and bureaucracy over those coming from the traditional backgrounds. The relationship between New Delhi and Islamabad is also critical that is dominating on the common people of these countries. There are certain kind of restrictions on the people living across the fateful lines. This corridor will be easily accessible to all living in different parts of the world and specialised in many sorts of games. Its political economy is such a topic in which consumerism does not hesitate to wear the cloak and cover of faith and religion. The acts of terrorism and contest of weaponry are culmination of the same consumerism.
The 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak is an opportunity to review the last five centuries. He gave priority to the Lokas over the Vedas. Meanwhile, there is a history of centuries long slavery and repeated division of the same country in the name of religion. Punjab and Bengal are scattered in different countries today that gives rise to certain questions like whether Punjabi and Bengali is going to be the source of unity in future? Such questions will remain unanswered in the golden period of politics of hatred and division. The leaders gathered to celebrate the occasion neglected such issues, however, they preferred to make headlines while focusing on the harsh punishments not only for the culprits of riots and massacre but also for those who are responsible for drowning the new generation in the abyss of intoxication. The foundation of this corridor was laid when the victims of Mumbai terror attacks (26/11) were remembering their loved ones after a decade. All these things are capable of carrying out the task of properly exposing the draped priorities.
There is a natural connection between the common people of Hindustan and Pakistan. It’s the relationship of brotherhood and affection. The govt. in the eighties formed a group of South Asian countries known as SAARC. After that a non-political group, South Asian Fraternity, was formed to maintain the people-to-people relationship. Its chairman Satyapal Grover is glad on this development of the corridor. Kuldeep Nayar, Khushwant Singh and Satyapal Grover like Indians have tried their best to keep this brotherhood intact together with their Pakistani friends.
One day I was surprised to know that the group of Pakistani women gave credit to Grover Sahib for the little freedom that they enjoy today. I believe that he is the last person among us, who has witnessed the pains of the partition. Last time I saw him during the dialogue series in the memory of Kuldip Nayar, dion of journalism in Independent India. It’s not possible to forget one of the comments from that event. Ratish Nanda, one of his close relatives and CEO of Agha Khan Cultural Trust has said that Nayar Sahib firmly believed that the way East and West Germany had demolished the Berlin Wall, one day, people of India and Pakistan will wipe out the lines drawn between the two countries in the same way. Of course, in the future, this corridor will be considered as a step forward in that direction.
Nowadays proponents of Indian language are happy since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj have delivered a series of lectures in Hindi on many platforms in India and abroad. Although Hindi and other regional languages are yet to get proper place in the central services, the govt. has initiated certain steps in this direction. Next year aspirants of Indian Forest Service can take the advantage of Hindi option in addition to the English during examination. Moreover, existing English language laboratories in the educational institutions can provide facilities for local language in the future. The spice of nationalism in this process can make the dishes all the more enjoyable. State governments in Maharashtra and Karnataka have been acclaimed due to the schemes of local language in practice. Now a similar trend is going to take place in certain other states and private sectors as well. The campaign for Indian languages are becoming stronger. Undoubtedly the people imparted education in regional languages will conveniently avail the services of the state. But these efforts on the name of language campaign will eventually destroy the reservoir of natural diversities and will also continue to be helpful in enhancing the all pervasive inequality.
Most of the leaders active during the middle age of freedom struggle had accepted Hindi as a language of the mass. They have promoted it as a medium of unity in the diversity of the country. The desired success is yet to be achieved, even after seven decades of the independence. There will be widespread impact on the status of English after proper placement of Hindi and other Indian languages in the state. The protest for this cause has been continuing for last three decades. One day, leader like Atal Bihari Vajpayee was also standing in its support. The govt. of Madhya Pradesh has started Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi University out of respect towards his views. But lack of students emerged as a new problem here on account of the employment related crisis. The groups involved in its establishment have started to find out the solution of the prevailing crisis. But there is no such organisations dedicated to address the crisis of dialects. Today primary oral tradition that has survived since the pre historic times in different parts of the country is breaking away. Once upon a time the Indian scholars actually used to be the proponents of the oral tradition itself.
Languages are born out of dialects. As such the connection between the language and the dialect is as clear as crystal. However the two are different things by nature defining the oral and written traditions. The sound is any noise available in the nature. After refinement these sounds take meaningful form of the dialects. This is an approach that never try to impose mastery on the nature. European scholar Ivan Illich has mentioned about the major issues pertaining to this subject in ABC: the Alphabetization of the Popular Mind. Repeatation is possible in the written tradition. However, the same is not possible in the oral tradition that cannot avoid relationship with time and nature in every effort of repeatation. The process of writing is capable to eliminate this relationship. The dialect turns into a language with the help of script and rules of grammar. In fact this is a political change. It’s very difficult to cultivate the tribes of oral tradition in its absence. The difference in expression of dialects and languages are yet another significant issue. The dialect is a freely flying bird, whereas the language is bounded in the imprisonment of script and grammar. If Mahatma Gandhi’s village of Hind Swaraj takes shape even in an imagination, it will be on the basis of dialects, not the languages. The dialects have been keeping the regional identities and diversities intact for several centuries. In the 21st century it’s not possible to say that the same tradition is going to continue in future.
Language and dialect are two different concepts more like civilization and culture. Its political economy can accurately define the equation between civil society and tribal or rural community. The system that developed for the civil society found to be sitting in the congregations are considered to be the civilization, and the traditions that evolved naturally among the local community have been given the name of the culture. However, the activities based on civilization are often referred as a cultural program today. By doing so the prestigious educational institutions have revealed the same politics, which has long been contesting against the people from all over the world with one and the same stick. This is the politics that taught how to test scholars on parameters of literacy. It played the significant role in accelerating the growing inequality throughout the world for a long time. This is a topic of serious study in itself. The research work pertaining to this issue will be able to blow the sharp minds like Capital in the Twenty-First Century by French economist Thomas Piketty. The system responsible for the prevailing order is limiting the use of words in the market place. This is surely going to have a negative impact on the indigenous diversity in future as well.
On this subject, the well-known scholar of Hindi, Namvar Singh is afraid of the premonition that one day we will forget our own dialects in future. I was tongue-tied in front of the people of my own village and community on this issue of language and dialect. Today it’s difficult to ascertain that to what extent we have forgotten the dialects of the village? This topic is giving pain while discussing with close friends. Recently I’ve urged, on the couple of occasions, to consider its seriousness on the forums related to Indian language campaign. It may have certain noticeable impact, if the Congress President Rahul Gandhi and other influential leaders, in addition to the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister, look into it. The thought on it can reintroduce certain questions on the margins that is neglected due to the politics of its own kind.
Jal Bahule Srishtinasha, Jal Bihune Srishtinasha. Too much or too little water destroys creation. This proverb has been often heard on banks of the Mahanadi, when it literally turns into the bulky river. The drought in its terrible state is called a famine. Its history is beyond the limits of all destructions. The four-years long famine of Bengal was the cause of 10 million people’s death in the 18th century. The number of casualties are almost same in a couple famines of the 19th century. Again millions of people lost their precious lives in the famine of Bengal during the World War II. Although the conditions of the colonial days are not prevelent today, but still the catastrophic problem is yet to be solved.
After Bangladesh, India leads the world over so far as the deaths caused by floods are concerned. There are certain states here one part of them are submerged in flooding and the other parts are suffering from draught. This year Kerala was submerged in water. The flood has caused irreparable loss to the life and property. Apart from this, the reports of huge damages caused by flooding came from the states of Assam, Odisha, Nagaland, Karnataka, etc. Among so many news of heavy rains 38% districts remained in the grip of drought this year. Today total 251 districts are compelled to withstand drought. Villagers are still suffering in many parts of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka due to severe drought. People in the Marathwada region are bound to eat chapatis made of grass. The dry karnels of mangoes seldom proves to be the basis of life for villagers of the Kalahandi region. The issue of home delivery of relief materials instead of the home delivery of alcohol in Mumbai that emerged recently in Maharashtra politics is actually a part of the drought narrative.
Today the story of too much and too little water is present in every part of India. The villagers of Ganga basin have used certain terms to define the degree of abundance of water i.e. barh, boha, humma, shah and prlay. In case of barh the water from the fields used to reach the threshold of village. When this water starts to touch the window it’s called boha. The pets start to swim when the water crosses this limit, and that situation is referred as humma. In the case of shah the water starts touching the roof, and when everything is submerged in that it is referred as pralay (holocaust). This series of problems are steadily moving towards breaking all records of previous centuries. Indian farmers and peasants were floating while bravely facing with the crisis of flooding. But today same people seems to be drowned in the water.
For a long time farmers from all over the country are forced to swing between these two problems. In the 21st century, this crisis has travelled a long distance from the sea coast to the top of the Himalayan shrines. In last five years since the devastation of Kedarnath in 2013 to the catastrophic floods of Srinagar, Chennai, Mumbai and Kerala got enough of space in in public sphere. In addition to them the terrible devastation caused by the tsunami in coastal areas in 2004 is another holocaust like situation. These are a few of the huge catastrophic floods of 21st century. There are countless stories of drowning and drying of small villages buried beneath these mammoth walls of water. Sadly they failed to emerge properly in the limelight. Today no one in the media is going to raise the voice for these farmers and peasants. Senior journalist P. Sainath said that the print and TV media has not 1% space for those producing food grains for the entire populace.
The flood and drought are the most frequent enemies of the farmers’ produce. The lives of peasants get entangled in the cobwebs of financial crisis, they fail to get out of it. As such this is counted as one of the major causes of rising suicide among farmers and peasants. In order to get rid of these problems the people engaged in cultivation are forced to flee to the city. Millions of people are turning their faces away from farming over the past decades. As a result of that only eight percent people were found to be active in farming in the last census. This is also not true that nothing has been done in order to address the problem of flood and drought. In fact every attempt of its treatment has proved to make it further deadlier. The Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar is worried due to the loss of Rs 500 crore from the state exchequer in the management of flood and drought every year.
The villages and tribes were ready to deal with these two problems in the old time, as if they were eagerly waiting for them. The result of forgetting the price of silver drops of rain is now an open secret. Today, the indigenous system has broken down. The old system of water conservation and irrigation is no longer surviving. As a result of that the perennial rivers ary dry in the lean seasons. The Gandhian environmentalist Sundar Lal Bahuguna said that the ratio of water in India during monsoon and non-monsoon months is one and seventy, whereas in Bhutan, the same ratio is one and seventeen. The countries like Bhutan and Japan have done commendable work towards water conservation.
The author of Aaj Bhi Khare Hain Talaab, Anupam Mishra and the well known journalist Arun Kumar ‘Paani-Baba’ have dedicated their all lives while promoting how to revive the indigenous techniques of water management in order to reduce the crisis of flood and drought. The innovative works carried out in Rajasthan has turned Rajendra Singh into the water man. The leaders of many states, including Bihar, are contemplating on it today. This is not possible without the participation of the common people living in the villages. Sadly the development model of Delhi that is centred on grabbing the land of rivers and reservoirs is assumed as the development vision of the day. The impending danger is going to continue as long as this tendency is not discouraged considerably. However the people standing in the desert are always free to look at the horizon with the hope of a mirage.
पानी और किसानी संकट में है। तमिलनाडु के किसानों ने बार-बार जंतर मंतर पर धरना प्रदर्शन कर इसे अभिव्यक्ति दी। मध्य प्रदेश के किसानों ने मंदसौर में सरकारी बन्दूक से निकली गोलियों का सामना किया। वामपंथी संगठनों ने भी खेती किसानी की संकट को दूर करने के लिए आवाजें उठाई हैं। योगेन्द्र यादव देश भर के तमाम किसान संगठनों को एकजुट कर संघर्ष की धार तेज करने में लगे हैं। किसानों के मुद्दे पर प्रधानमंत्री से जवाब तलब करने वाले महाराष्ट्र के नेता नानाभाऊ पटोले देश के सौ से ज्यादा संगठनों को एकजुट कर संसद का घेराव कर रहे हैं। इन आवाजों के मुखर होने से पहले ही निति आयोग के बाबू अरविन्द पनगड़िया ने अपने एक मित्र के साथ मिलकर वह किताब लिखी थी, जिसमें कहा गया कि किसानों की आत्महत्या दूसरे सेक्टर में होने वाली ऐसी मौत की तुलना में काफी कम है। उन्होंने देश की जनसंख्या का 53 फीसदी हिस्सा कृषि कार्य में संलग्न मान कर ऐसा निष्कर्ष निकाला। इस आंकड़े में वो लोग भी शामिल हैं, जो अमिताभ बच्चन की तरह बाराबंकी में कृषि भूमि खरीद कर किसान होने का दावा पेश कर सकते हैं। हालांकि भारत सरकार ने साल में 180 दिन खेती किसानी में लगे लोगों को ही कृषक माना है। और 2011 की जनगणना में ऐसे किसान सिर्फ आठ प्रतिशत हैं। इस दशा में निति आयोग के बाबू की मंशा स्पष्ट हो जाती है। साथ ही यह भी कि कृषि ऋण माफी, फसल बीमा, लागत का डेढ़ गुणा मूल्य और ई मंडी जैसी स्कीम से किसानों के अच्छे दिनों का ख्वाब पूरा नहीं हुआ।
देश के पानीदार लोगों की दशा गंगापुत्रों की व्यथा कथा कहती है। सोलहवीं लोकसभा चुनाव के केंद्र में गंगा की पुकार रही। नरेंद्र मोदी की वह स्वीकारोक्ति और अरविन्द केजरीवाल का बनारस पहुंचना महज संयोग नहीं था। गंगा का तट कुरूक्षेत्र का मैदान बन गया। सरकार नमामि गंगे का मंत्र जाप कर रही है। यह कुल बीस हजार करोड़ रुपये की परियोजना है। अब लालकिला की तरह गंगा का घाट पाट भी देश के उद्योगपतियों ने गोद ले लिया है। जलयान चलाने के लिए बेताब बहुराष्ट्रीय कंपनियों ने धीरज धारण कर रखा है। नदियों को जोड़ने की कवायद के साथ ही इन बेजान नदियों के लिए रैली निकालने वाले सदगुरु के सघन वृक्षारोपण अभियान की सफलता भी उनके लिए मायने रखती है। इन सभी परियोजनाओं का राजनीतिक अर्थशास्त्र कम से कम पांच लाख करोड़ रुपये का है। इसी बीच बनारस के मल्लाह विकास की आंधी को चुनौती देने के लिए खड़े होते हैं। एक दिन इसी जमीन पर गंगा मुक्ति आंदोलन के प्रणेता बाबा नागनाथ शहीद हुए थे। देश भर के पर्यावरण वैज्ञानिकों में अगुवा गुरु दास अग्रवाल संन्यासी हो गए। हाल ही में वह 111 दिनों के अनशन के बाद इस दुनिया से विदा हो चुके हैं। गंगापुत्र निगमानंद के नाम पर बनी सेना के नायक गोपाल दास का सत्याग्रह बदस्तूर जारी है। दक्षिणपंथी विचारकों ने इसे संन्यासी विद्रोह कह कर इन पानीदार लोगों के बलिदान का समर्थन ही किया है। जलपुरुष राजेन्द्र सिंह इन आंदोलनों को एकजुट करने के लिए गंगोत्री से गंगासागर तक की सदभावना यात्रा में जी जान से लगे हैं।
पानी और किसानी के हित में जंग जारी है। हालांकि इन दोनों का अन्योनाश्रय संबंध जगजाहिर है। पर इन आंदोलनकारी समूहों के बीच ऐसा ही संबंध नहीं कायम हो सका है। ऐसा नहीं होने से सत्तारूढ़ गठबंधन ही लाभान्वित होती रहेगी। बीते 4 अक्टूबर को कांग्रेस मुख्यालय में गांव और किसान से जुड़े इन्हीं सब मसले पर परिचर्चा हुई थी। इसमें उठी दो बातों पर हालांकि मीडिया में खुल कर चर्चा नहीं हो सकी है। पर गांव देहात के लोगों तक बातें पहुंचने लगी है। इस मंच से चीनी विचारक कन्फ्यूसियस की बात उभरती है कि आप जब-जब पानी पीते हैं, तब-तब उस सोते को याद करिये, जहां से पानी बहता है। सभी सहभागियों ने ध्वनि मत से इस प्रस्ताव को स्वीकार किया कि जब-जब अन्न ग्रहण करते हैं, तब-तब उसको याद करें, जो उस अन्न का निर्माण करता है खेतों में, जो बीज बोता है, जो निकौनी करता है और फिर उस फसल को काट कर रसोई घर तक पहुंचाता है। इनसे जुड़ी सभी समस्याओं को सम्बोधित करने के लिए दस दिनों तक संसद में चर्चा हो, जिसमें कोई भी सवाल अछूता नहीं रहे। नानाभाऊ पटोले ने पत्रकार पी.साईंनाथ की इस मांग के पक्ष में आवाज बुलंद कर सभी किसान संगठनों को एक मंच पर लाने का प्रयास किया है।
किसान संगठनों की एकजुटता का मामला एक सर्वमान्य किसान नेता खोजने की कोशिश में सिमटती जा रही है। गौर करने की बात है कि नरेंद्र मोदी से हुए मतभेद के बाद लोकसभा और भाजपा की सदस्यता त्यागने वाले पूर्व सांसद को कांग्रेस पार्टी ने वर्षों से बंद पड़े किसान मजदूर कांग्रेस का अध्यक्ष नियुक्त किया है। 23 अक्टूबर की जवाब दो-हिसाब दो रैली में देश के सभी हिस्सों से किसानों के रहनुमाओं के जमा होने की संभावना है। राहुल गांधी ने इस रैली के निर्णय का स्वागत किया है। परंतु इसमें भाग नहीं लेने की बात कही है। ऐसा करने से नानाभाऊ पटोले के नेतृत्व में देश भर के किसान संगठनों को दलीय राजनीति की परिधि से उपर उठकर एकत्रित होने में सहूलियत हो सकती है। आज वह भाजपा में होने वाले विद्रोह के प्रतिनिधि स्वर हैं। संभव है कि यशवंत सिन्हा, अरूण शौरी और संजय जोशी जैसे नेता उनके साथ मंचासीन हों। पर क्या यह शक्ति प्रदर्शन पटोले को किसानों के सर्वमान्य नेता के रुप में स्थापित करेगा? इस सवाल का जवाब तो वक्त ही बताएगा। पर सत्ता पक्ष के लोग इस तरह के किसी ध्रुवीकरण को तीतर-बीतर करने में कैसे माहिर हैं, इसका व्यौरा साझी विरासत की पैरोकारी से लेकर तीसरे मोर्चे की कवायद तक पसरी है।
पानी और किसानी के संकट को दूर करने की नीयत से सत्याग्रह और शक्ति प्रदर्शन में लगी जमात के लोग जलपुरुष राजेन्द्र सिंह और नानाभाऊ पटोले की ओर आशा भरी नजरों से देख रहे हैं। गांधीवादी तरीके से रेगिस्तान में जलाशय और नदियां उगाने वाले जननायक आज गंगापुत्र सानंद के बलिदान से आहत हैं। अब तो एकादशी व्रत हो संसद में तभी यह आह मिट सकेगी। इसके पहले दिन बाबा नागनाथ से लेकर स्वामी सानंद तक अकाल मौत का शिकार हुए सभी गंगापुत्रों की मौत का मातम मनाया जाय। उसके बाद दस दिनों तक पानी और किसानी के संकट को संबोधित किया जाय। इस अभियान के समर्थकों ने सांसदों को दलीय राजनीति की सीमाओं से उपर उठकर इस मुद्दे पर आम सहमति कायम करने का प्रयास शुरू किया है। नवरात्रि में आराधना करने वाले सांसदों के लिए यह उत्सव सरीखा हो सकता है।
(कौशल किशोर ‘दी होली गंगा’ पुस्तक के लेखक और पंचायत संदेश के प्रबंध संपादक हैं)
Someone has called him the Mombattiwala. He used to visit the Indo-Pak border every year with the candle to celebrate his birthday and to nourish that hope. It’s coincidental that the day falls on 14th August, the independence day in Pakistan, what’s not coincidental is his weekly column Between the Lines, his autobiography Beyond the Lines, and this ritual of torching candle precisely where it used to take place. These are a few of the reasons that made him one of the most loved Punjabis across that fateful Lines. And this love with the Lines reflects more clearly in some of his works as well. The Urdu was his first love. He has often mentioned that his carrier as a journalist started in the late forties from Anjam, the end. Perhaps one can neither find the Veera (Hero) nor that Zara, but still this love story of the Mombattiwala is still waiting for the end of his dreams.
I prefer to refer to Kuldip Nayar as the tallest Punjabi I’ve actually come across face-to-face. Lala Lajpat Rai and Justice Rajinder Sachar were a couple of others connecting us together. We were going to talk about Ehshas-e-Nihan: Khirad-o-Rawayat. This is a collection of ghazals on the hidden feelings in the light of intellect and tradition by one of our common poet friends Shyam Sunder. In this tribute I am going to share about our past and future interactions. The initial occasion started during the two days roundtable conference on Agony of Ganga in July 2012 at the India International Centre. During the lunch break, I found him busy with some of the Ganga activists in the lobby, where I have brought my friends to talk to. Suddenly one of the activists from his table came to me and said, “Nayar Sahib wants to meet you.” I turned left only to verify. His smiling first glance is still fresh in my memory.
I went there to join him delightfully. It was surprising to know that he was aware of my works more like a series of adventurous acts including the fact that Nainital High Court has taken cognisance of contempt against me and the case was pending for almost a decade. This is the sordid saga that a munsif or a judge in the lower court is entitled to pass order against the verdicts of the high court and the supreme court, and when I have raised this issue in a public interest litigation the judge was glad to take cognisance of contempt against me. I told him that I prefer to argue in person and the judges preferred to leave the court before the argument. I further disclosed that I don’t like talking on this topic since the death of my friends from that battlefield. He wrote the address and mobile number on a little piece of paper before giving me, and invited me to his place. Missing the loved ones can make anyone uncomfortable. So I never thought about the meeting. After many moons, we bump into each other in the gangway at the same centre. He said, “You didn’t come.” This time I replied, “I definitely will come tomorrow.” Next day we were together for a couple of hours at his home in Vasant Vihar. By the end of our talks his wife Bharatiji also joined us. I felt comfortable talking most uncomforting topic. Today, I remember him as the rare expert to change hats as well as adjusting heights simultaneously.
Kuldip Nayar loved words. He wanted to be a poet (shayar) in his twenties. He used to be the second generation of Arya Samaja closely linked with Servants of the People Society founded by Lala Lajpat Rai in 1921. He was the manager of United News of India in 1960s. The society is publisher of the Odia daily Samaja, and owns stake in UNI. SoPS has nominated me to represent them in its board in December 2014. Here, we’ve found the best helping hand in him. There were challenges before the news agency. Some of them are still there. His departure is an irreparable loss for this news agancy. Both, Nayar and Sachar were dreaming the publication of the Samaja in Hindi from New Delhi.
Last couple of occasions were memorial lectures of his father-in-law, Bhim Sen Sachar. He was presiding the dais when Justice T.S. Thakur has delivered that lecture on 1st December 2016. That day I reached an hour before the scheduled time with a view to have a little talk with Justice Rajinder Sachar. He has chaired the 150th anniversary of Lalaji that I’ve hosted. I wanted to produce his presidential address in my upcoming book. That day once again Nayar Sahib has called me. This time I have told him about the dialogue series in All India Panchayat Parishad and invited for the lecture, now not possible. We focused on 1965 war, Shastriji and Balvantray Mehta. Then, last year in that lecture Narayana Murthy was the chief guest on 8th December. The dreams of his Balvantray Mehta Memorial lecture and interview on the Pakistan series are now not going to be fulfilled.
One day his love appeared in the upper house of Parliament when former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee has used ‘Pakistan’ in order to refer to the chair in his absentia. On the other day they were sitting next to each other in the bus leading towards Lahore. He was true to say that there will be none, after his departure, to talk about this love for unity and fraternity among neighbours beyond that Line. All roads are leading towards Rome alone. In the last six years before the final call, he used to be the President of the South Asian Fraternity that was founded by the leaders like A.B. Vajpayee, I.K. Gujral, Krishna Kant, and social activists like Satya Pal Grover before the advent of globalisation. The proponent of Gujral doctrine was his immediate predecessor. He was the tallest figure among journalists of Independent India. In fact he was the first journalist to report from the ground zero in case of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948 and the controversial death of Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1966. Immigrants or Vote Banks was his last published column or last question that you can decide. He left the mortal coil on the night, and next morning it appeared in several newspapers. Nayar Sahib wrote tribute to the former Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee after the demise that remained unpublished on his table.
Kuldip Nayar was scheduled to preside over the book launching ceremony of Ehshas-e-Nihan: Khirad-o-Rawayat. Here, in this series of conversations, the Mohabbatwala emerged out of that Mombattiwala, who used to light one of the darkest nights between the two brightest days of the Indian subcontinent. I wrote a few letters to the experts a couple of weeks before the goodbye! Sadly, I’m not able to comment on the fact that he has once desired to arrange this event before 15th August. He has left the legacy. It reflects in the efforts of Aaghaz-e-Dosti and Aman ki Asha, across the Lines peace programs. We hope to remember him on the martyrdom of Balvantray Mehta this 19th September.
किसी सज्जन ने उनको मोमबत्तीवाला कह कर संबोधित किया। वह हर साल अपने जन्मदिन पर भारत-पाकिस्तान सीमा पर मोमबत्ती जला कर अमन की आशा करते थे। यह महज संयोग है कि 14 अगस्त को पाकिस्तान में स्वतंत्रता दिवस मनाया जाता है। पर कई बातें संयोग नहीं है। उनका साप्ताहिक स्तंभ ‘बिटवीन द लाईंस’, उनकी आत्मकथा ‘बियाॅड द लाईंस’ और मोमबत्ती जलाने का ठीक वह स्थान, जहां यह अनुष्ठान बराबर होता रहा। ये कुछ ऐसी बातें हैं जिनकी वजह से रेखा के आर-पार वह उन चुनिंदा पंजाबियों में गिने जाते हैं, जिन्हें सबसे ज्यादा लोगों का प्यार मिला। विभाजन रेखा के आर-पार पसरा यह संसार उनके लेखन कार्यों में भी खूब झलकता है। उर्दू उनका पहला प्यार था। कुलदीप नैयर अक्सर कहते थे कि एक पत्रकार के रूप में उनका आगाज ही अंजाम से हुआ। इस मोहब्बत में कोई वीर और कोई ज़ारा भले नहीं मिले, लेकिन मोमबत्तीवाला की यह प्रेम कहानी आगे भी अपने ही सपनों के अंत की प्रतीक्षा में रहेगी।
वास्तव में रु-ब-रु होने वाले सबसे ऊंचे पंजाबी के तौर पर मैं नैयर साहिब को याद करता हूं। लाला लाजपत राय और जस्टिस राजिंदर सच्चर जैसे विभूतियों के कारण हमारा जुड़ाव बढ़ा। हाल ही में हमने तय किया था कि एहशास-ए-निहां: खिरद-ओ-रवायत पर चर्चा हो। यह हमारे शायर मित्र श्याम सुंदर के आरे-तिरछे पसरे गज़ल और नज्मों का संकलन है। मैं समझता हूं कि इसमें छिपी हुई भावनाओं को बुद्धि और परंपरा की कसौटी पर कसने के प्रयासों का चित्रण है। इस श्रद्धांजलि लेख में हमारे भूत और भविष्य के प्रसंगों को याद करने की जरूरत है। ऐसा पहला अवसर जुलाई 2012 में गंगा की व्यथा विषयक दो दिवसीय गोलमेज सम्मेलन के दौरान उपस्थित हुआ था। दोपहर के भोजन के अवकाश में मैंने उन्हें लॉबी में कुछ गंगा कार्यकर्ताओं के साथ व्यस्त देखा। वहां मैं कुछ दोस्तों से बात करने पहुंचा था। अचानक उनकी मेज से एक व्यक्ति मेरे पास आकर बोले, “नैयर साहिब आपसे बात करना चाहते हैं।” मैं बायीं ओर सत्यापित करने की कोशिश में मुड़ा था। और उनकी वो पहली मुस्कान मेरे जेहन में ऐसे कैद हो गई जैसे कल की ही बात हो।
मैं खुशी-खुशी उनके पास पहुंचा। यह जानकर मुझे हैरत हुई कि उनके पास मेरे बारे में अच्छी खासी जानकारी थी। उन्होंने लगभग एक दशक से नैनीताल हाई कोर्ट में मेरे खिलाफ लंबित कंटेप्ट केस के मामले में पहला सवाल किया। मैंने कहा कि यह शायद एक ऐतिहासिक मामला है कि निचली अदालतों का एक न्यायाधीश उच्च न्यायालय और सर्वोच्च न्यायालय के फैसले के खिलाफ आदेश कर देता है। जब इस मुद्दे को एक जनहित याचिका में उठाया जाता है तो न्यायाधीश याचिकाकर्ता के खिलाफ ही अवमानना का संज्ञान लेते हैं। मैं खुद ही इस केस में बहस करना पसंद करता हूं और जज साहिब इस बहस के शुरू होने से पहले ही अदालत छोड़ देना पसंद करते हैं। अंत में कहा कि लड़ाई के उस मैदान में मेरे दोस्तों की मौत के बाद इस विषय में बात करना मुझे अच्छा नहीं लगता। उन्होंने कागज का एक छोटा सा टुकड़ा थमाने से पहले उस पर पता और मोबाइल नंबर लिखा और मुझे अपने घर आमंत्रित किया। प्रियजनों की दुखदाई याद किसी को भी असहज कर सकती है। इस मुलाकात के बारे में कभी सोच ही नहीं सका। अर्से के बाद एक दिन हम उसी गलियारे में एक-दूसरे से टकरा गए। उन्होंने कहा, “आप आए नहीं।” इस बार मैंने जवाब दिया, “मैं निश्चिय ही कल आऊंगा।” अगले दिन वसंत विहार स्थित उनके घर पर हम लंबी बातचीत में मशगूल हुए थे। इस भेंटवार्ता के अंत में उनकी पत्नी भारती जी भी शामिल हुईं। उस दिन मैंने असहज करने वाले विषय मे बड़ी सहजता महसूस किया। आज मैं उन्हें एक ऐसे दुर्लभ विशेषज्ञ के रूप में याद करता हूं जो न केवल बदलते विषयों के साथ ठीक सामंजस्य स्थापित करते थे, बल्कि ऊंचाइयों का भी सटीक समायोजन करते थे।
कुलदीप नैयर को शब्दों से प्यार था। जब नवयुवक थे तो शायर बनना चाहते थे। वह दूसरी पीढ़ी के ऐसे आर्य सामजी रहे जो लाला लाजपत राय द्वारा 1921 में स्थापित सोसाइटी – लोक सेवक मंडल से जुड़े थे। 1960 के दशक में वह यूनाइटेड न्यूज ऑफ इंडिया के प्रबंधक थे। सोसाइटी ओडिया दैनिक समाज का प्रकाशक है, और यूएनआई में एक फीसदी का हिस्सेदार भी। दिसंबर 2014 में समाज का प्रतिनिधित्व करने के लिए मुझे इसमें नामित किया गया। यहां हमें उनके रूप में सबसे अच्छा सहयोगी मिला। इस समाचार एजेंसी के सामने पहले से कई चुनौतियां थीं। उनमें से कुछ अब भी शेष हैं। उनका प्रस्थान इस एजेंसी के लिए ऐसा नुकसान है, जिसकी भरपाई संभव नहीं है। नैयर और सच्चर दोनों ही दिल्ली से समाज का हिंदी में प्रकाशन हो, यह सपना भी देखते थे।
उनके ससुर भीम सेन सच्चर की स्मृति में होने वाले वार्षिक व्याख्यान में उनसे आखिरी मुलाकात हुई थी। न्यायमूर्ति टी.एस. ठाकुर ने 1 दिसंबर 2016 को इसमें व्याख्यान दिया था। उस शाम अध्यक्षता उन्होंने ही किया था। जस्टिस सच्चर से बात करने के उद्देश्य से मैं निर्धारित समय से एक घंटा पहले ही पहुंच गया था। मुझे उनकी अध्यक्षता में संपन्न हुए लालाजी के 150वें साल के समारोह के संचालन की सेवा मिली थी। और मेरी आने वाली किताब में वह अध्यक्षीय व्याख्यान शामिल करना चाहता था। उस दिन एक बार फिर नैयर साहिब ने मुझे बुलाया। इस बार मैंने उन्हें अखिल भारतीय पंचायत परिषद में शुरू हुए संवाद श्रृंखला के बारे में बताया। एक व्याख्यान के लिए आमंत्रित भी किया था। हमारी चर्चा 1965 के युद्ध, शास्त्री जी और बलवंतराय मेहता पर केंद्रित रही। पिछले साल 8 दिसंबर को इस व्याख्यान में नारायण मूर्ति मुख्य अतिथि थे। बलवंतराय मेहता स्मारक व्याख्यान और पाकिस्तान श्रृंखला वाला साक्षात्कार अब पूरा नहीं हो सकता है।
एक दिन यह मोहब्बत संसद के उच्च सदन में प्रकट होता है। पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी उनकी अनुपस्थिति में कुर्सी को इंगित कर ‘पाकिस्तान’ शब्द का इस्तेमाल करते हैं। दूसरे दिन लाहौर जाने वाली बस में दोनों साथ बैठते हैं। यह भी सच है कि इसके बाद रेखा के आर-पार एकता और बंधुत्व की वह बात करने वाला कोई दूसरा नहीं। उनके रास्ते केवल रोम की ओर जाते थे। पिछले छह सालों से वह दक्षिण एशियाई बिरादरी के अध्यक्ष थे। अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी, आई.के. गुजराल, कृष्ण कांत जैसे नेताओं ने सत्य पाल ग्रोवर जैसे सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता के साथ मिल कर वैश्वीकरण के आगमन से पहले ही इसे शुरू किया था। गुजराल नीति के पुरोधा उनके पहले इस पद पर आसीन थे। भारतीय उपमहाद्वीप के इतिहास को कलमबद्ध करने वाले पत्रकारों में उनकी गिनती होती रहेगी। 1948 में महात्मा गांधी की हत्या और 1966 में लाल बहादुर शास्त्री की विवादास्पद मौत के मामले में सबसे पहले रिपोर्ट करने का काम उनके नाम पर दर्ज है। ‘प्रवासी या वोट बैंक’ को उनका आखिरी प्रकाशित स्तंभ कहें या आखिरी सवाल। यह आप तय करें। चिराग बुझने के बाद जब सुबह हुई तो ये कई पत्रों में छपा था। पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री वाजपेयी की श्रद्धांजलि उनकी मेज पर शेष रह गई।
नैयर साहिब एहशास-ए-निहां: खिरद-ओ-रवायत नामक किताब के लोकार्पण समारोह की अध्यक्षता करने वाले थे। संवाद की इस कड़ी मे ऐसा मोहब्बतवाला उभरता है, जो इस उपमहाद्वीप के दो बेहद चमकीले दिनों के बीच की घनी स्याह रात को रौशन करने के कारण मोमबत्तीवाला कहलाता है। इस सिलसिले में कुछ हफ्ते पहले ही मैंने दो खत लिखा था। मैं इस बात पर टिप्पणी करने में सक्षम नहीं हूं कि उन्होंने 15 अगस्त से पहले यह आयोजन करने का जिक्र किया था। हमारे बीच उनकी विरासत है। यह विभाजन रेखा के आर-पार शांति की पहल के ‘आगाज-ए-दोस्ती’ और ‘अमन की आशा’ जैसे प्रयासों में बेहतर प्रकट होता है। 19 सितंबर को हम बलवंतराय मेहता की शहादत पर उन्हें याद करने का विचार रखते हैं।
Swami Agnivesh was subjected to mob lynching. A series of things are everywhere ever since I heard about it from Dr. Vaidik that Tuesday. It was not a faceless mob. The name of youth wing poster-boys from the ruling party is in public. Both the heads of state Draupadi Murmu and Raghubar Das were aware of this yet to be delivered address on the plight of natural resources. The social reformer was engaged in the process of uniting certain public movements of different regions, the dream that Lok Nayak JP had before formation of the PUCL–Public Union for Civil Liberty. He is on this agenda since joining the Gangaputra, Swami Sananda, who has been fasting for Aviral Ganga since 22nd June. The state has fielded C.P. Singh to defend the accused with a bundle of allegations suitable to the Anti-Hindu agenda. Meanwhile scaring visuals of the act repeats on the screens. Fear factor is at its peak. How a bunch of so-called Hindus were beating the monk in saffron robe? It sounds like Lala ki Lathi aur Lala ka Sir (the Hindu’s baton and the Hindu’s head).
What a perfect timing! It happened the moment Supreme Court has issued directives on such horrendous acts of mobocracy. Suddenly the WhatsApp message flashed on mobiles of a couple of hundred people from around Pakur in Jharkhand on 17th July. They were all prepared sleeper-cells or robots to reach the venue performing what the bench headed by the CJI was afraid of. The digital army of New India seems to be invincible in the Facebook and WhatsApp era. Similar mob gathered around the residence of veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani in 2013 when the party was about to declare its campaign head for 16th Lok Sabha. After that more than 65 people died due to mob lynching. The crime record bureau is not keeping an up-to-date report on lynching, however, the PM has referred to the dossier on it in the Town Hall address in 2016. He said, 80% members are fake in the cow protection brigade. Since then onwards there is an outstanding order under Article 256 and 257 of the Constitution. After the verdict, the govt. is all the more serious on amendments in I.P.C., Cr.P.C. and the Evidence Act. to address this crisis. Now the debate on plundering of resources shifted to Anti-Hindu rhetoric. This beauty is the scholasticism that prevails today.
Next morning an article, Faith vs Blind Faith, appeared in the English daily, The Indian Express. Swami Agnivesh and Valson Thampu are coauthors of this brilliant piece. These couple of Indian Protestants from Hinduism & Christianity have bluntly offended the clergy involved in immoral and unlawful acts. They come up with specific evidences and plausible reasoning. I do in fact endorse the idea of religious reform shifting the perception from life-after-death to life-before-death. Here, they have deliberately used the wired term Christian community that purports to define a religion as a community. Sadly these rationalists failed to distinguish the two separate terms. Most of their pains are due to this repeatation of an old misnomer that started with Judaism and nourished with Christianity and Islam only to prove a fact that the two are different sides of the same coin.
Emergence of the Hindu in 19th century India was due to Maharishi Dayananda and his brainchild Arya Samaja. All his monotheism and criticism of idol worship proved the best tools to bring the converted back after purification. In 20th century R.S.S. emerged after fifty years with the same Ghar Vapsi idea shifting the focus on idol worship that further unfolded with the Ram Mandir movement. The politics is all about endeavours to convert the religion thriving on morality neutral clergy and leader into a virtual community. No one can imagine about religion without its dogmas, books and the clergy. Similarly basic ingredients of community are cohabitation, life and people. Community is older than religion; a village or a tribe is an example of the former, and Christian, Islam, etc. are examples of the latter.
Everyone has some convenient facts on Swami Agnivesh. Once I’ve heard him during the Muslim gathering at the Ram Lila ground. In the 17 minutes lecture he preferred to react on the cartoon of the Prophet, and narrated the event how their leader approached the woman known only to humiliate him, before shifting to political-economy of the terror trade. I really had no idea that he will go beyond limits to criticise the hosts. The other noticeable memory from the same night is that the dais coordinator got changed as if it was certain kind of the punishment. Democracy and Constitution are meaningless terms in absence of critics. The PM has recently remembered the poet-saint Kabir at Maghar. He was an excellent critic.
Subodh Kant Sahai, former union minister and President of JP’s brainchild All India Panchayat Parishad, reacts to it. The moment it occurred, he was addressing the public gathering of more than fifty thousands at Littipada not far away from ground zero. He has asked a million dollar question, what could have happened if this mob turned back? It was only possible if they were aware of this lynching of the Hindu monk from Maharishi Dayananda’s order at their mother-land. The next day they were talking to the press together at Ranchi, the state capital. He said to me on phone that they have been friends for last fifty years. Then we shared views on the position of the community that was used to be placed between the poles of Atithi Devo Bhava (guest equals to god) and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (one planet home), the political-economy of this series of events, and impact of Bhasmasura that neither spared Advani nor Agnivesh, a couple of staunch Hindus from the cadre of R.S.S. & Arya Samaja. If the crisis prolongs it may prove to be the cause of the civil war. That evening the victim of Pakur lynching has reached JPN Apex Trauma Centre of AIIMS. I went to see him with one of my loveliest friends. Thanks to its head Dr. Rajesh Malhotra for briefing us on his health condition. His assistant Dr. Viplab allowed us to meet their patient. And he opened up with an unusual smile and the usual handshake. I fumbled, “Where actually have we arrived, Swamiji?” He, then, asked the name of my friend next to me. I replied, “This is Shyam.” I wanted to say that Shyam does not stand for black, but for the term Hindu in the Persian and Indian in European language. Shyam Sunder, the poet.
The Hindu used to be the idea of tolerance, acceptance, harmony and love. Unfortunately the opposite of that is occupying the public sphere of the day. The Hindu is not involved in scholastic debate on the Taliban. How can they forget the fact that it was raised in the Parliament? Perhaps! Rahul Gandhi has copiously hugged Narendra Modi in the house. Someone among Hindus was allowed to hallucinate His Holiness instead of the Congress President. Meanwhile the deep state has placed the Bhasmasura to play overtly bringing us face-to-face with Dalitacharya. After Kabir, the Prime Minister should remember martyrdoms of Maharishi, Lalaji and Swami Shradhananda, proponent of back to the Vedas.
The huge crowd of devotees and saints has returned from Prayag Kumbh. Official announcement of its closing will be only after the bathing festival of Shivaratri. Having third Shahisnan on Vasant Panchami the saints of Akharas had already returned to their places. After the holy dip on Magh Purnima even kalpavasi pilgrims went back. Kumbh administration is now eagerly waiting for Shivaratri. Silence began to spread over the Kumbh City day-by-day. Amidst this silence there are many artists, painters and activists dedicated to the protection of small rivers, and now they began to entertain with lively presentations. Many of these artists come from different parts of the globe.
A controversy also dominated here in Allahabad. Certain acharyas opposed the Kumbh on the name of impure water of the Ganges and cross road on the name of Shankaracharya, however, this conflict was not taken seriously. These big challenges are needed to be addressed properly; otherwise it can result in complex and fatal consequences in the future. In Bihar, the cause of rivers was raised in the seventies by the activists of J.P. Movement. This time in Prayag Kumbh, acharyas also raised out loud voices on the issue of polluted waters of holy rivers. Almost all religious leaders stood in opposition for contaminated river water. Certain influential saints inflicted threats by not to participate in Kumbh in absence of pure water in the Ganga. Such superficial threats by these eminent saints has now become common, however, serious contemplation on the issue, its truthful assessment and appropriate action are needed in this direction.
New Holy Cow
The discussion on preservation of the holy rivers by the religious leaders gathered in Prayag Kumbh can begin a good initiative. The acharyas engaged in the business of religion initiated the campaign to save holy cows years ago. Today, they run their shops on the name of the holy cattle. The sensitivity of saints on the issue of the Ganges indicates towards worthwhile initiative. On the other hand, opening of new business on the name of preservation of the Ganga cannot be denied. Today, hefty amount is being collected from pilgrims and devotees on account of protecting the holy river. Meanwhile certain religious leaders in Prayag began nomenclature of their disciples on the name of rivers. On the other hand pilgrims and devotees saw the growing army of Shankaracharyas and their conflicts, as thus they commenced naming them on the name of the same rivers.
For Big Leap
The river originates at Gaumukh, in the upstream of Gangotri is not called Ganga, but Bhagirathi. In fact, there are three main streams of the Ganga i.e. Alakananda, Mandakini and Bhagirathi in the Himalayas. After their confluence at Devprayag the river is called Ganga. Similarly, hundreds of other small creeks and rivulets join the large rivers like the Ganga and Yamuna. The water flowing in the Yamuna at Delhi is dirty. But the water is relatively clean here in Allahabad. It is relevant to mention here that between Delhi and Allahabad stretch, India’s cleanest river Chambal merges in the Yamuna at Etawah. Eradication of pollution of the Ganga is possible if cleanliness of these small rivers is ensured. All these aspects are particularly important in the protection of rivers.
The movement to save creeks and rivulets has accelerated by the end of Mahakumbh. The state coordinator of the campaign Monica Arya began to boost up her exercise on national and international levels. Here, this campaign is being duly noticed and supported. During Kumbh, painters, artists and experts associated with Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam began to explore creative dimensions of it. These artists have initiated making artefacts since last week in the Kumbh City. Recently an international level working committee to save small rivers has been formed here. Ganga devotees like A.K. Douglas and Ravi Ranjan have been appointed to coordinate the campaign on international level. A special team of experts has been formed to recognise and search all creeks and rivulets of the country.
Karmayogi To Kriya Yogi
The presence of Karmayogi on the campaign to conserve natural resources is progressively increasing. The movement for small streams began to be supported. The presence of Gandhian activist P.V. Rajagopal and J.P. Movement leader Putul Didi in their Kumbh camp is its testimony. Anna Hazare and Jalpurus Rajendra Singh have shown active interest in the movement. Yogis and politicians are speaking up in support of the movement. The presence of Kriyayogi Satyam and David Lynch, former Mayor from Ohio province of USA is enough to understand it. Saints and storytellers have also shown significant activity as well.
The diligent masters like Devakinandan Thakur and Shankaracharya Adhokshajananda Dev Tirth, who arrived in Kumbh from bank of the Mahanadi are pledged to walk on the same pace. These days, Rakesh Mishra, Coordinator of U.P. Municipal Councillors Association (Uttar Pradesh Nagar Parishad Mahasabha) dedicated his days and nights. The assessment of seriousness of the issue had initiated in different parts of Uttar Pradesh last year itself. In addition to Nagar Nigam and Nagar Palika, public representatives in district and village level panchayats were also involved in this discussion. In the wake of these activities, the activists of the campaign are hopeful for pleasant future.
Morale Booster
Hayam and Hesham Taha are also present in the Kumbh City. They have shown their activism in Egypt on the issue of the Nile and her tributaries. This artist couple evolved unique ways to warn people through artefacts. The legendary artists, painters, filmmakers from Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and China have shown interest in the initiatives to save Indian rivers. They have not left any stone unturned by giving the example of Latin American martyr, Che Guevara to boost the morale of their Indian colleagues. Certain people from the Mumbai film industry also appeared on this issue. Pankaj Mistry, who is associated with the silver screen, is camping in Chhoti Nadiyan Bachao Camp in Kumbh City with his crew. Rohit Suri also arrived from Delhi to give them his active support.
The top national leaders like Mahamana Malaviya, Nehru and Subhash accepted it as the concept of nation building. Today, artists and activists in collaboration with common people again pioneered to pursue the same program.
Artist Douglas led a couple of dozen artists from different corners of the globe, as thus they gathered here for that purpose by the end of the Kumbh. They have started creation of artefacts from waste substances on the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and invisible Saraswati. The large number of devotees and pilgrims along with local people are reaching their camp. This awareness program is not confined to Kumbh camp itself. The preparation for the nationwide movement is in full swing.
Today, small streams also need adquate attention along with the large rivers. Since large rivers like the Ganges and Yamuna consist of several small rivers. Therefore, in absence of freely-flowing pure creeks and rivulets the cleanliness of the holy rivers is beyond imagination. The movement to save creeks and rivulets is the great resolution of Prayag Mahakumbh. The diligent activists along with certain kriyayogi and religious leaders are exploring the possibilities.
In the Indian subcontinent, there are six thousand species of the colourful flies. Sixteen percent of it is going to be extinct soon in the future. Disappearance of vulture and sparrow in the India that looks like a beehive on the map has been a part of news for last several years. The sixth mass extinction is a part of the same debate on biodiversity loss. This time modern human civilisation is responsible for the mass extinction, unlike the previous five occurances of the natural origin.
On occasion of International Day for Biological Diversity this is a burning issue throughout the world today. In the Indian subcontinent, tribal village community has been dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity since ahistorical times. Yesterday, it was a part of the discussion during the celebrations of cultural diversity and dialogue. Unfortunately, the tribes dedicated to biodiversity conservation is on the verge of extinction due to the modern civilisation.
The annual festival to preserve biological diversity was initiated in the last decade of twentieth century. Its foundation was laid with inception of globalisation during the Rio Earth Summit. The next year, on 29 December 1993, it was signed by most of the countries except the USA. As such the biological diversity festival started to mark that day between Christmas and New Year. In the 21st century, it has been shifted to 22nd May, due to the series of celebrations in the last week of the year. The conservation of biodiversity is a part of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), and it was a part of the discussions in the UNEA (United Nations Environment Assembly) in Nairobi last March. Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province in China, beyond the Tibet, has been waiting for COP15 on this topic in the first week of October this year. Chinese wet market and its relation with the pandemic is being discussed around the world these days. Its regulation and other significant decision can be its outcome.
The pandemic created further space for biological diversities in the mainstream discussions. Extinction of biodiversities and its outcome is in public today. The loss of a hundred and fifty thousands to two hundred and fifty thousand species in last 5 centuries is a part of the debate in these trying times.
In the last couple of hundred years, 158 fish species, 146 among the amphibians, 69 mammals, 80 birds and dozens of reptiles are reported to be extinct at an unprecedented rate. According to the experts, the number of species that take ten thousand years to be extinct have lost within the last century. The age of modern technology seems to speed up the process of extinction a thousand times. The extinction of the mankind in future is a part of this crisis. In the first decade of twenty-first century, American journalist and author Alan Weisman wrote on it The World Without Us. The idea of a world without humans is the principal thought behind this literary work.
Sensitivity of the United Nations and its agencies on the climate and environment is in the focus since 1970s. Chipko movement in the Himalayas started in the same period. The women in the valley of Uttarakhand started it to preserve the socio-economic order of life. This idea of nature conservation is embeded in the Indian cultures. In the deserts of Rajasthan, the community of Vishnoi is known to save the forests and its biodiversities. Today, the tribal population of Chhattisgarh started another Chipko movement to preserve the Hasdeo Forests known for its rich biodiversity.
Forest dwelling communities are most suitable set people to save the natural forest. In 2007, the United Nations has started an initiative to that effect. As long as its provisions are not legally binding at the local level, the forest dwellers cannot get its benefit. In fact, the evolution of the indigenous culture has been based on the conservation of the nature and its biological diversity. As such the need of these trying times is to return to those values instead of sticking to what’s being taught in the name conservation initiatives perhaps to promote the modern technology.
बापू के बलिदान को 74 साल पूरे हो गए। आज़ादी के अमृत महोत्सव के दौरान इस पर्व की अपनी अहमियत है। धर्म संसदों में बराबर चर्चा के कारण लगातार सुर्खियों में बने हैं। हालांकि यह नफ़रत का व्यापार ही है। यही वजह है कि सुप्रीम कोर्ट के आदेश के बाद उत्तराखण्ड पुलिस ने इस मामले में दोषी यति नरसिंहानंद और अन्य लोगों को जेल भेज दिया है। रायपुर में महात्मा गांधी को गाली देते कालीचरण महाराज पुलिस के हाथों खजुराहो से गिरफ़्तार कर पहले ही जेल भेजे जा चुके हैं। हालांकि इसकी जानकारी स्थानीय पुलिस को नहीं थी।
मध्य प्रदेश के गृह मंत्री नरोत्तम मिश्र ने इस मामले में कड़ी प्रतिक्रिया व्यक्त की। फिर जवाब देने के क्रम में छत्तीसगढ़ के गृह मंत्री ताम्रध्वज साहू प्रादेशिक सरकारों के बीच का समीकरण उजागर करते हैं। यह देश में गृह कलह की स्थिति बयां करती है। इसके साथ ही कालीचरण के समर्थन में आवाज़ बुलंद करने वाले भी खुल कर उभरने लगे हैं। महामारी के इस दौर में ओमिक्रोन के संक्रमण की तरह ही देश में कलह, हिंसा और युद्ध की दुरूह स्थिति पनप रही है। हरिद्वार और रायपुर में आपसी कलह, हिंसा और नफ़रत की पैरवी करने वाले इन लोगों ने अपना ही परिचय दिया है, गांधीजी का नहीं।
दिल्ली में हिन्दू राष्ट्र की मांग शुरु किया गया था। इसके उपरांत हिन्दू धर्म में हाशिए पर मौजूद रहे अवयवों ने फतवा जारी करने का यह सिलसिला हरिद्वार में शुरु किया। मुसलमानों और ईसाईयों को मसलने की पैरवी भारतीय संविधान को ही खारिज करता है। यहां कानूनी कार्रवाई के नाम पर पुलिस इनकी सुरक्षा में लगी है। कई जवान खुल कर समर्थन भी कर रहे हैं। पूर्व जल सेना प्रमुख एडमिरल राम दास समेत सौ से ज्यादा पूर्व उच्चाधिकारियों ने राष्ट्रपति और प्रधानमंत्री को पत्र लिखा है। साकेत गोखले और मार्टिना नवरातिलोवा जैसे चर्चित लोगों ने आवाज़ बुलंद किया और सोशल मीडिया भी दो खेमों में बंट गया।
उत्तराखण्ड, मध्य प्रदेश और छत्तीसगढ़ की पुलिस कानून का पालन करने के क्रम में राजनीतिक नेतृत्व और चुनाव के बीच का समीकरण उजागर करती है। हरिद्वार में जांच की गति देख कर यही लगता रहा कि सत्ता परिवर्तन के बाद ही कार्यवाही मुमकिन है। परंतु न्यायालय ने इसे शीघ्र सुनिश्चित किया। अनुशासित मानी जाने वाली पुलिस की यह अक्षमता विचारणीय है। इसके कारण व्यापक स्तर पर शांति और सुरक्षा के लिए खतरा पैदा होता है। उत्तराखंड पुलिस के महानिदेशक चाह कर भी अपराधियों के इस गिरोह के खिलाफ कुछ नहीं कर पा रहे थे। उन्होंने वायरल वीडियो में हिंसा की पैरवी करने वाले साधुओं और पुलिस के जवानों के विरूद्ध कड़ी कार्रवाई करने का जिक्र किया था।
इसके अतिरिक्त कानपुर रैली के बाद वैमनस्य की राजनीति के खिलाड़ी अकबरुद्दीन ओवैसी की धमकियां सुर्खियों में रही। योगी को मठ और मोदी को पहाड़ पर भेजने की राजनीति का प्रतिकार करने के लिए भी लोग मैदान में हैं। नफ़रत की आग में घी डालने के मामले में कोई किसी से पीछे नहीं रहना चाहता है। भाजपा और कांग्रेस शासित राज्यों में ही नहीं, बल्कि वामपंथी सरकार में भी पुलिस न्याय सुनिश्चित करने के बदले वोट बैंक तुष्टिकरण में लगी है। जनता को भूलों का एहसास कर सही दिशा में आगे बढ़ने को प्रेरित करने के बदले नेता भीड़ का अनुशरण करते प्रतीत होते हैं। यह लोकतंत्र का भीड़ताँत्रीकरण है। इस दशा में आम जनता का मार्गदर्शन करने वाले गांधी वाकई प्रासंगिक हैं।
बगावत के इस अंगारे के कारण सूबेदार से लेकर चौकीदार तक सब मौन हैं। इस सन्नाटे को तोड़ने वाले भी रायपुर में उसी मंच पर मौजूद हैं। राम सुंदर दास इस धर्म संसद की अधार्मिकता पर कठोर आघात कर गांधीजी के अंतिम दिनों में भारत की स्थिति का जिक्र करते हैं। सावरकर और गोडसे के करीबी रिश्ते के बावजूद नेहरू और पटेल ने भी जेल के बदले नजर रखने की नीति अपनाया था। हालांकि ऐसे लांछित अतीत को भविष्य नहीं माना जा सकता है। अंग्रेजों के साथ खड़े लोगों के वंशजों को सजा देने की बात नाजायज है। ठीक इसी तरह हिंदुओं पर किए गए अत्याचारों की सज़ा आज के मुसलमानों को देना भी वाजिब नहीं है। राम सुंदर दास की तरह असत्य और अन्याय का प्रतिकार आवश्यक है। इसके लिए समाज के प्रबुद्घ लोगों को आगे आने की जरूरत है।
अल्पसंख्यकों का देश के सभी संसाधनों पर पहला हक बताने वाले पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह को धर्म दास ने मौत के घाट उतारने का ऐलान किया था। हाशिए पर मौजूद ऐसे लोगों को देशवासियों ने पहले कभी महिमामंडित नहीं किया था। आज ऐसा भी हो रहा है। यह देश का दुर्भाग्य ही है। आज एक ओर संघ प्रमुख मोहन भागवत समरसता का पाठ पढ़ा रहे हैं, तो दूसरी ओर विभाजन के अगली कड़ी की तैयारी हो रही है। इसके साथ सीमाओं पर तनाव बढ़ रहा है। अंदर और बाहर कलह की यह स्थिति सचमुच विस्फोटक है।
इस कलह का फायदा उठाने वाली शक्तियां भी बराबर सक्रिय है। चीनी मीडिया में प्रोपगंडा है कि पहली जनवरी को चीन द्वारा गलवान घाटी में झंडा फहराया गया। हालांकि चीन में हर नया साल अलग समय पर मनाया जाता है। इस साल कई दिनों तक चलने वाला यह उत्सव पहली फरवरी से शुरू होगा। गलवान घाटी में सेवारत डोगरा रेजीमेंट के जवानों ने नव वर्ष के अवसर पर झंडा फहराया था। भारतीय सेना द्वारा तीन दिन बाद इसका खंडन किया गया। यह प्रोपगंडा वार भविष्य की चुनौतियों को उकेरती है।
चुनाव के इस मौसम में अंतर कलह का आलम भविष्य में गृह युद्ध की आशंका पैदा करता है। बाहरी शत्रुओं ने सीमा पर अतिक्रमण का इरादा जाहिर किया है। सौ करोड़ लोगों के टीकाकरण के दावों के साथ नई लहर के कारण महामारी का विस्तार तेजी से होने लगा है। बाजार में टीके के बूस्टर डोज की मांग है। बार बार टीकाकरण के बदले बापू रोग प्रतिरोधक क्षमता विकसित करने की पैरवी करते थे। तिब्बत में हिन्द स्वराज के सपनों को साकार कर विश्व शांति का मार्ग प्रशस्त होगा। इस तथ्य को नकार नहीं सकते हैं कि सावरकर और गांधी देश का विभाजन नहीं चाहते थे। साथ ही इस पर्व पर यह भी विचार करना चाहिए कि 125 साल जीने का सपना देखने वाले बापू अकाल मृत्यु का शिकार नहीं होते तो देश दुनिया कैसी होती।
Last Saturday when we were celebrating Makar Sankranti in India, a series of volcanic eruption occurred in the Pacific Ocean. It disconnected more than a hundred thousand Polynesian people of Tonga from rest of the world. The volcanic eruption created lack of real time information related to situation on ground even in this age of information technology.
In the south Pacific region, the Hunga Tonga – Hunga-Ha’apai volcanoes have been active for a long time. But the explosion had never been so terrible in the past. The big bang was heard thousands of miles away as far as Alaska in the United States of America. Power supply in Tonga was cut off, and the communication system like phones and internet went off. As such all connections with modern technology were severed. Five days later, when limited facilities were restored, the Tongan government noted unusually heavy damage on the three islands including death of four people. Apart from that the two casualties are reported from Peru.
Tonga faced waves up to 1.2 meters high on some of its islands. The volcanic ash falling from the sky made breathing a difficult experience. It has also contaminated most of the water resources, and the black layer of ash has spread over the island nation. The mystery behind this series of events is yet to be known, however, an earthquake of 5.8 magnitude was recorded by the American Geological Survey. The authority in New Zealand has expressed the possibility of its repetition.
After the newest series of eruption the tsunami warning was issued in certain countries like New Zealand, Fiji, Peru, Australia, Japan, Chile and America, as a precaution. This volcanic eruption seems to disturb the entire Pacific region. It caused irreparable damage to aquatic ecosystems, and the loss of biodiversity is not limited to the sea. The accounts of oil spill in Peru, 10000 kilometres away from its actual site, can be helpful to imagine the scale of destruction. The largest refinery in Peru sustained the accident due to the destructive waves of the tsunami. The dead bodies of a number of living organisms are scattered across an area of 18000 square kilometers.
The Ring of Fire in the Pacific Ocean is 40000 kilometres long and 500 kilometres wide. The shape of this vast area is like a horseshoe, and it has witnessed the two-thirds of all volcanoes in the world history. Polynesian country Tonga is a part of this region located in South Pacific, its total 169 islands spread over 750 square kilometres. The population of about a hundred thousand people live on its 36 islands. Hunga-Tonga and Hunga-Ha’apai, located 65 kilometres apart from Tongan capital Nuku’alofa, used to be two different islands before merging in 2009 due to the volcanic eruption. Again the same started burning on December 20, 2021 that continued till January 5, 2022. After this horrific eruption that sent a plume of ash, gas and steam 17 kilometres into the atmosphere last Saturday, the two islands have been separated again. But the two are now reduced considerably, and the same mass of land returned to the earth after touching the sky as a rain of stones on Tonga tapu.
Today the wrath of nature is in discussion due to this series of destruction. As such the humankind has paved the way for this planet to move towards the sixth extinction of biodiversities. The experts observed that in the last five centuries possibly as many as 150,000–260,000 of the two million species have already gone extinct. This huge loss of biodiversity will be the first such event to be caused by humans.
One of the episodes of Angry Planet, the audio visual series by the storm chaser George Kourounis, deal with sensitivity of this region. The volcanic eruption and destructive waves of the tsunami are natural calamities, but the civilisation based on modern technology helped them to be more lethal.
The developed nations extend a helping hand after this kind of calamities in the name of service to humanity. Countries in the Pacific region such as New Zealand, America, Australia and Japan have extended their helping hand to the people of Tonga. But no effort has been made keeping in mind the loss of animals and plants. In such a situation, is it possible that nature will help them in the future?
कोरोना वायरस के कारण इस महामारी से जूझते लोगों ने भक्ति साहित्य में दिलचस्पी लेना आरंभ किया है। वर्ष 2020 के आरंभिक काल में तालाबंदी के साथ टीवी पर एक बार फिर से रामायण और महाभारत जैसे धारावाहिकों का प्रसारण किया गया था। व्यावसायिक टीवी के इस दौर में भी इसकी सफलता खूब चर्चा में रही। इसके अलावा शास्त्रीय कथाओं पर आधारित कई अन्य कार्यक्रमों ने भी टीवी पर सफलता अर्जित की है। यह सब भारतीय जीवनशैली में पौराणिक कथाओं के महत्व को ही इंगित करता है। धार्मिक साहित्य के सबसे बड़े प्रकाशक की बिक्री का रिकार्ड खंगालने पर भी इस तथ्य की पुष्टि होती है।
महामारी के दौर में गोरखपुर का गीता प्रेस खूब चर्चा में है। किताबों की बिक्री का तमाम पुराना रिकार्ड तोड़ कर पिछले साल इसने नए रिकार्ड बनाए हैं। महामारी से भयाक्रांत लोगों को आध्यात्मिक किताबों ने बेहतर जीवन जीने के लिए मार्गदर्शक का काम किया है। यही वजह है कि गीता प्रेस की पुस्तकों में इस बीच अप्रत्याशित वृद्धि दर्ज की गई है। प्रतिदिन न्यूनतम 50 हजार किताबें बेचने वाली यह आध्यात्मिक संस्था बीती सदी में दुनिया की बेहतरीन प्रकाशन में गिनी जाने लगी। मासिक पत्र ‘कल्याण’ के पाठकों की संख्या आज ढाई लाख है। इसके श्रीमद् भगवद्गीता और रामचरितमानस जैसे सफलतम पुस्तकों की बिक्री की संख्या 10 करोड़ का आंकड़ा पार कर चुका है। इस प्रकाशन सूची का विस्तार बाल साहित्य में योगदान से होता है।
हिंदी बोलने वाले लोगों में भक्ति और धर्म को प्रोत्साहित करने के लिए 29 अप्रैल 1923 को जयदयाल गोयंदका ने गीता प्रेस को शुरू किया था। आज इसकी किताबें 15 भाषाओं में उपलब्ध हैं। प्रामाणिक व सुंदर साहित्य न्यूनतम कीमत पर उपलब्ध कराने के कारण गोरखपुर का यह प्रकाशन दुनिया भर में प्रसिद्ध हुआ। इस बीच 60 करोड़ से ज्यादा किताबें बेचने वाली यह इकलौती संस्था है। कोरोना महामारी के दौरान बिक्री में तो वृद्धि हुई, परंतु छपाई में बाधा पहुंची है। परिणामस्वरूप अनेक पुस्तकों का स्टाक भी खत्म हो गया। इस समस्या को दूर करने के लिए प्रेस प्रबंधन ने जापान से नई मशीन खरीदा है। चार रंगों में छपाई करने वाली यह मशीन एक घंटे में पंद्रह हजार बड़े पन्ने छापने में सक्षम है। प्रेस के संरक्षक और उत्तर प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री योगी आदित्यनाथ के हाथों इसका श्रीगणेश किया गया था।
आधुनिकता से पहले भारतीय जीवनशैली में ईश्वर की भक्ति का अपना ही महत्व था। गांव और मोहल्ले के लोगों के बीच तुलसी के मानस की पंक्तियां गाने का प्रचलन था। पढ़े-लिखे लोगों के अलावा वाचिक परंपरा के सामान्य लोग भी गीता का श्लोक गाते थे। मनोरंजन के साधनों की वृद्धि के युग में इसके प्रति उदासीनता पनपने लगी थी। महामारी काल की विपत्तियों को दूर करने के लिए लोगों ने साहित्य की इस विधा में रुचि लेकर स्पष्ट कर दिया है कि प्राचीन भारत का यह वैभव भी अतुलनीय है।
गोरखपुर के प्रकाशन की उच्च गुणवत्ता व न्यूनतम मूल्य एक आश्चर्यजनक उपलब्धि है। आज यह भारतीय धार्मिक समाज की पहचान साबित हुई है। इसके पुस्तकों की कीमत देखकर यही लगता है कि संभवत: यह लागत से भी कम है। साथ ही एक दिलचस्प तथ्य यह है कि गीता प्रेस किसी सरकारी अथवा गैर सरकारी अनुदान पर आश्रित भी नहीं है। सफलता की यह दास्तान भारतीय समाज का अपनी ही जड़ों से जुड़े होने का प्रमाण है। इसे निरंतर कायम रखने पर सनातन संस्कृति को संजीवनी मिलती रहेगी। जागरण राष्ट्रीय संस्करण 9 जनवरी 2022
The winter session of the Parliament started with the withdrawal of the three farming laws that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised on the Guru Nanak Jayanti. That morning he has surprised many amog us with the announcment of the long awaited withdrawal of these controversial laws, however it has annoyed some of his ardent supporters. At last it has ensured the return of the agitating farmers from borders of the National Capital. Before the elections in states like UP and Punjab, these long protests has defined the United Farmers Front that brought millions of people from different places.
Right after their return home, the Environment Minister has placed the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill before the lower house. Bhupendra Yadav has introduced this new bill with a mention of the select committee, as if the govt. is all set to pass the bill with their majority in the house. It could have been more democratic to refer to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment, Forests & Climate Change. As such this is a kind of summon to villagers dedicated to preserve the biodiversities to launch yet another series of protests on the Delhi borders to save it from clutch of the corporate state. The former Union Minister for Environment and the Chairman of the said standing committee Jairam Ramesh has raised the strongest protest against it in his letter to the Speaker of the house.
The next week, the same minister produced the same bill before the upper house of Parliament, with a mention of the Joint Parliamentary Committee. Jairam Ramesh is also one of its members. Meanwhile the Environment Ministry promised to start public consultation on it within the timeframe. One can think after these two updates that the govt. is not going to supress the democratic process of discussion on this issue before its enactment with majority of the house. Since this law deals with villagers and forest dwellers considerably, it needs widespread support from various corners. Policy of exploitation of resources, instead of abusing the nature should be the guiding principle.
Almost a decade after the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, Atal Bihari Vajpayee govt. has introduced the Biological Diversity Act in 2002. The COP (Conference of Parties to the protocol) started as an annual ritual that focuses on the conservation of biodiversities. The amendments are required since the Nagoya Protocol came into existence during COP10 in Japan. It envisaged to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the genetic resources. It’s astonishing that dialogue about the biodiversity conservation has started in the USA, still they have never ratified to protocols. Moreover, Elizabeth Mrema, the secretary to the UN biodiversity convention is an African diplomat known to raise the conservation efforts for certain environmental programs.
The demand for amendments is in the public. Vaid and Hakim, and the other AYUSH practitioners, along with the seed, industry and research sectors have been raising it over the years. So far as the conservation of biodiversities are concerned these amendments can do more harm, than the good it claims. As such a number of the environmental protection groups are standing against it.
Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board had sent a notice to Divya Yoga Pharmacy in 2016 for violation of the law. Baba Ramdev’s team moved against it with a petition in the High Court. Requirement for NOC from the board, and to share a portion of the profit with the local people were contested there. After two years of hearing, the court ordered in favour of the board. Since then the demand to amend these laws are increasing, however, the High Court at Nainital observed that the board is legally empowered to regulate and decide the policy of dividend sharing. This is one of the crucial issues at centre of this debate.
The proposed law seems to dilute the powers of the BMC (Biodiversity Management Committee). These bodies were set up to coordinate between the village community and the state government. To delegate powers of committee to the board set up by State will be harmful for the indigenous communities. This is an effort to strengthen the doctors engaged in practicing the AYUSH system. They will be exempted from the condition of informing the board about the ingredients obtained from forests. It also aims to promote the cultivation of medicinal plants. The well-known lawyer Ritwik Dutta claims it to be against the spirit of bioiversity laws. As such he has opposed these amendments.
Profit-making ventures usually avoid the sharing of its profits. Lack of awareness among local people is yet another difficulty. In these conditions, the task of biodiversity conservation is not simple. The biodiversity boards are working in collaboration with the BMCs and the national agency, and the challenges are there to settle the crisis. Policy to promote the trade and commerce does not ensure the conservation of the biodiversities. The analysis of its political economy can reveal the fact that most of the elements of cultural identities are at stake. The genetic resources were easily accessible to the people of the village and the city before advent of modern civilization. The corporate state has turned that idea of exploitation to the abuse of Mother Nature. These two are the opposite point of views that can be helpful to understand the right and wrong in biodiversity conversation.
In this age of consumerism, the loss of biodiversity is a serious challenge that needs regulation. The Nagoya Protocol came into existence in October 2010 that advocates for the sharing the profits from the genetic resources with the people busy in its conservation. India has ratified to the protocol, in case of failure, it will be discussed in the villages and on global forums.
The farmers’ protest is a lesson to learn. The majority of ruling alliance cannot replace the parliamentary democratic process of the adjudication with the strategic democratic move. No one can match a village community in conservation of biodiversity. Similarly, the industry and trade sectors are experts so far as the manoeuvring of laws are concerned. It will be against the convictions of biodiversity laws to deprive a village community of the benefits derived from the nature. Moreover, this is equally unfair to ignore democratic values with the disrespect to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment, Forest & Climate Change. It can mobilise the public to launch the mass movement. The amendments to the biodiversity law are placed before the Joint Parliamentary Committee. One can hope that the lawmakers would remove all errors from this document before its implementation.
आज ही के दिन यानी पांच दिसंबर 1950 को महर्षि अरविंद का देहांत हुआ था। आधुनिक भारत में देशप्रेम व राष्ट्रवाद के विषय में विकसित हुई चेतना के लिए उन्हें याद करने की रवायत है। वंदे मातरम और कर्मयोगी जैसे पत्र के प्रकाशक बिपिन चंद्र पाल और अरविंद घोष जैसे राष्ट्रवादी नायकों का पुनर्पाठ किए बिना उत्सव का यह सिलसिला अधूरा ही रहेगा। आजादी के मध्य काल को लाल बाल पाल का युग भी मानते हैं। इस कालखंड के इतिहास पर दृष्टिपात करने से उनकी अनुपम छवि उभरती है।
अरविंद अभिव्यक्ति की प्रतिभा का प्रयोग कर स्वतंत्रता आंदोलन में सहयोगी हुए। भारतीय राष्ट्रवाद की परिभाषा गढऩे में उनकी भूमिका है। हथियारों और विस्फोटकों से क्रांति का मार्ग प्रशस्त करने में असफल होने पर आजादी और अखंड भारत की सिद्धि के लिए तप का मार्ग चुनते हैं। उनके जीवन पर पिता डा. कृष्ण धन घोष के विलायत प्रेम के साथ ही माता स्वर्णलता देवी व नाना राजनारायण बोस के देशप्रेम का अद्भुत प्रभाव है। इसके कारण वह आरंभिक जीवन में मुश्किलों का सामना भी करते हैं। इंग्लैंड में 13 वर्षों की शिक्षा के दौरान उनकी राजनीतिक समझ विकसित होती है। इंग्लैंड प्रवास के दौरान अभिलेखन में उनकी रुचि उजागर हुई। नरम दल के कांग्रेसी नेता दादा भाई नौरोजी से सवाल कर प्रगतिशील विचारों का ही परिचय दिया था। सिविल सर्विस परीक्षा में घुड़सवारी का इम्तिहान छोड़ कर अपनी मंशा जाहिर की थी। अरविंद और सुभाष चंद्र बोस के ऐसे त्याग ने उन्हें आम लोगों का नायक बना दिया था। बंगाल विभाजन के खिलाफ अरविंद और बिपिन चंद्र पाल आंदोलन चला कर छा गए।
तमाम क्रांतिकारी गतिविधियों के कारण उन्हें एक साल अलीपुर जेल में अपार कष्ट झेलना पड़ा था। खुदीराम बोस और प्रफुल्ल चाकी ने कैनेडी मां-बेटी को किंग्सफोर्ड समझ कर मुजफ्फरपुर में 30 अप्रैल 1908 को बम से उड़ा दिया था। दो दिन बाद ही कलकत्ता (अब कोलकाता) में बम बनाने की एक फैक्टरी पर छापा पड़ा और अरविंद के छोटे भाई बारीन घोष की साथियों सहित गिरफ्तारी हुई थी। अलीपुर ट्रायल में 49 अभियुक्तों में अरविंद ही मुख्य माने गए। उनके वकील चितरंजन दास ने उन्हें देशभक्ति के कवि और राष्ट्रवाद के मसीहा के तौर पर प्रस्तुत कर कोर्ट को ही इतिहास की अदालत में खड़ा किया था। इस मुकदमे में न्यायाधीश रहे सीबी बीचक्राफ्ट इंग्लैंड में उनके सहपाठी थे। इस केस में अरविंद समेत 16 अभियुक्तों को दोषमुक्त करार दिया गया। इसके बाद उन्होंने फ्रांसीसी उपनिवेश चंद्रनगर में छोटा और पांडिचेरी (अब पुदुचेरी) में लंबा निर्वासित जीवन व्यतीत किया था। इसी क्रम में स्वामी विवेकानंद से जुड़ी भगिनी निवेदिता से उन्हें मदद मिली थी।
उनके निर्वासन के बाद पहला विश्व युद्ध और भारत भूमि पर गांधी का युग शुरू हुआ था। पांडिचेरी प्रवास के दौरान भी उन्हें कांग्रेस की अध्यक्षता का प्रस्ताव मिला, जिसे खारिज कर उन्होंने संन्यास की मंशा स्पष्ट की। उनका जीवन उत्तरोत्तर आध्यात्म की ओर अग्रसर हुआ। अरविंद को सही मायनों में पहले माडर्न गुरु के रूप में व्यापक स्तर पर पहचान मिली है। देश के दक्षिणी छोर पर स्थित आरोविले नामक उपनगर उनकी स्मृति में बसाया गया है। अरविंद आश्रम में आज भी अखंड भारत के मानचित्र के सामने ध्यानमग्न लोग उस भौगोलिक क्षेत्र का चिंतन करते हैं, जिसे हिंद महासागर के पूर्वी और पश्चिमी भागों से उठने वाली मानसून द्वारा परिभाषित करने का क्रम इतिहास लेखन के पहले से जारी है।
Sunderlal Bahuguna’s Crusade (Interviewed by Madhu Kishwar in Manushi, May-June 1992)
What steps had you taken to raise the awareness regarding the dam before going on this fast? When the work on the dam started in 1978, many men and women went to stop the work and were arrested and sent to jail. The whole area was converted into a police cantonment so that the people could not do anything. The government said that they would hold talks, but nothing came out of them. After this we sent a petition to the Lok Sabha with 10,000 signatures. A committee was appointed by the Lok Sabha which went there for fact finding but the Lok Sabha was dissolved before anything could happen. Then, in 1980 Mrs Gandhi came to power. She had visited this area earlier when she was out of power. She appointed a committee under the chairmanship of S.K. Roy, Department of Science & Technology, to investigate the dam, but environment was not covered in the enquiry. We are told that, based on the report of the committee, a decision on the matter would be taken. Mrs Gandhi personally recorded on the file that even though the project had been prepared after a lot of thought and deliberation, she did not think that the project would be of any benefit to the local population. Indira Gandhi had written that the matter should be re-examined, this dam should be given up and smaller projects should be designed. But the people in favour of the dam were very clever – they said that the small projects would all be loss making, and the Committee continued its work. When the Committee came we asked them to stop work on the project as lots of money was being spent on it even while a decision was pending. They submitted an interim report which was not implemented. The Committee took five or six years to reach a decision. When we got tired of waiting for the report, we filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court in 1985 for “right of life”. Then the report of the Committee came out in 1986. It said that the dam should not be built because it would not be safe, it was too risky. The government did not accept the report. The Department of Environment made the same recommendation. At that time the government did not have the money to build the dam, though some money had already been spent. In the meantime, Gorbachev came to India in October, 1986 and discussed the objections of the Committee with Indian government leaders and said that everything was okay. As the money was coming from the Soviet Union, the work restarted with renewed vigour in October 1986. It was converted into a central project as the UP government did not have the money. A corporation was formed in which the central government had a 75 per cent share and the UP government a 25 per cent share. While the case was going on in the Supreme Court, the government constituted a second committee. When I started a fast on Christmas day, December 25, 1989, it was a call- attention motion to tell people that this fraud was taking place but no one is even aware of it. After 11 days of my fast the work was stopped. The government then called me for talks. It was then decided to abide by whatever decision was given by the Scientific Committee. It was also decided that the project should be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) because the CAG had objected to it earlier. After that a final decision would be taken with the Planning Commission. The committee of 14 scientists gave a unanimous report that there should be no dam. It is called the Bhumbla Committee after the chairman, a scientist who was Vice Chancellor of Hissar Agricultural University. Even this report was suppressed. Only one point regarding the earthquakes was considered by the government, and even this objection was overruled by their engineers. At this point we said that the same people who are interested in building this dam should not be giving decisions about the dam, and we demanded an independent probe into the matter. There were many prominent scientists from the USA, USSR and from within the country who said that the dam was too dangerous and should not be built. Most prominent amongst them was Vinod Gaur, Secretary of Ocean Development, who is acknowledged to be amongst the world’s best scientists on earthquakes. Another one was a Russian – Borak, Chairman of the International Organisation of Scientists, as well as James Brune from Nevada University, whose formula had been used in the calculations. All of them were unanimous that this dam should not be bulk because there was danger to it from earthquakes. In response, the people wanting to build the dam originally said that there is no risk of any earthquake.
After the earthquake occurred they said that it had not caused any damage to the dam. But how could it have damaged the dam since the dam had not yet been built! After the earthquake we said that the project should be reviewed afresh because it has been proved that earthquakes can happen in this area and there have been fresh developments like cracks developing in the catchment area and cracks in the mountains. When rain seeps into these cracks there will be landslides – there have been many such incidents in the past. The catchment area of the Ganga is a very delicate area. In 1978 a big mountain in the catchment area of the Ganga crumbled and blocked the Ganga. There is a very long history of such incidents. There have been many blockages in the past; the river has changed its course many limes. And of course, the rate of siltation would also increase. We had hoped that after such a big earthquake the government would think afresh about building the dam there, but about eight days after the earthquake the Energy Minister made a statement that there was no danger to the dam from the earthquake as the design of the dam was earthquake proof. After he made this statement, we felt that these people are absolutely callous and they were hell bent upon building the dam no matter what the consequences. Therefore we decided to start a dharna at the entrance of the dam site on October 29. Our first demand was that before proceeding any further they first provide relief to the quake victims, but no one listened to us. Among other reasons we oppose this dam because its building involved dispossessing about one lakh people of their homes. Moreover, as the site of the dam is just behind the town, and very close to it, there is a lot of blasting at the dam site that has resulted in both physical and mental damage. These explosions must be stopped while people are still living there. Due to the explosions all the houses in the town have been shaken to their foundations, and have developed cracks. When these explosions occur, children cry and run out of their homes and people are forced to leave their homes fearing that they will collapse. We asked them to stop these explosions while these people are still living there. Even if it were necessary for them to build the dam there, no government has the right to torture its citizens; these explosions are a form of torture. There should be no construction of any big structure, such as this dam, in the Himalayan region as this is an area prone to earthquakes. As for their contention that nothing will happen to their dam as it is going to be very strong and safe, we ask them: how will our homes be protected? And even if they manage to build an earthquake-proof dam, what about the mountains? These are not earthquake proof. What will happen when these mountains crumble and fall into the dam – have they thought of the incredible destruction that will cause? And such incidents have happened – in 1963 in Italy the Vyjont dam was destroyed in this manner and 2,000 people lost their lives. It is just the same as throwing a stone in a vessel full of water – the water is sure to overflow. The dam will be like a sword of death hanging over the heads of a crore of people who live below it. In case of a mishap, Rishikesh will be destroyed in 63 minutes and will be under 262 meters of water. The water will be moving at a rate of 100 kms per hour. At this rate Haridwar will be finished in the next 20 minutes. Meerut in six hours will be under 30 feet of water. Similarly, Bulandshahr and Delhi will also be affected. Scientists have estimated that public property worth Rs 20,000 crores will be destroyed. The budget for the dam is now estimated at Rs 5,058 crores. Out of this Rs 680 crores has been spent so far. The construction of the dam has not yet started. Till now only the base of the dam has been cleared and they are scraping to raise the walls. This is why we had to take this extreme step. We have been saying repeatedly: do not waste the money of the country. The Russians who at one time had promised to finance the dam, do not have the money any longer. They have put in a rider -they will help us but the rate of interest will be 12.5 percent not 2.5 per cent – five times more. Further, the instalments will not be over a period of 70 years but of 20 years. Third, we will have to buy their machines for the money that they give us. Fourth, earlier the money was to be returned in rupee terms, but now it has to be returned in dollar terms. Now the government is trying to get loans from various other sources. Who is really behind this? Contractors, politicians and engineers. For example, it is said that the chairman of the corporation formed for the dam is a relative of Kalpanath Rai, the Energy Minister. What has been the attitude of the Environment Minister? I cannot speak about him. What he is and what he is not, I have not been able to understand because he does not stand by what he says. In Parliament he said that the government will withdraw the scheme. But yesterday, when I met him, he said that the Prime Minister has taken the matter in his own hands and therefore he cannot do anything about it. Apart from the Energy Minister there are his contractors -especially one particular contractor – Jaiprakash Industries – his fortune has changed as a result of his contract for work on the dam. Earlier he was a hired overseer in this area and now, within 20 years, he has become the owner of a Rs 1,300 crore company. These are the elements that are involved. You are well aware what money power is capable of doing. Since 1977 you have been making efforts to have this dam stopped. You have tried many methods of satyagraha. But your voice has not been heard so far. You have had to resort to this extreme step with still no assurance that the dam will be scrapped. Do you feel that in today’s world your philosophy, that of Gandhian satyagraha, is effective or relevant? What other philosophy is there, I would like to know? I have an absolutely open mind. The fact of the matter is that today there are three methods available for solving problems. The first is the method of the establishment -through the machinery of law and order, the legislature and judiciary. How can we solve our problems this way when the government machinery is breaking down, when the system has failed the world over? This is true not only of democracies but also of socialist societies and dictatorships: all of them are breaking down because they have not been able to solve their society’s problems. The second method is that of terrorism. This kind of extremism has also failed because the state has collective might and individual terrorism cannot match the collective terrorism of the state. Only one method remains. This method does no harm – at least it stops the degradation of human moral values. The other two methods not only claim human lives, they claim human values too – they are lethal for both. As for the third method, the one that I have adopted, I agree that it has failed thus far, but at least it does not harm anyone. At the most it will harm one person only – and it will harm only his body, not him, because a fast is different from a hunger strike. A person on hunger strike (bhookh hartal) is angry, he is unhappy at someone. For example, Kaikayi went on a hunger strike and sulked angrily in her kopgriha. Hunger strike is undertaken by politicians. It is a tamsik way of protest. The rajsik way of protest is unshun (giving up food). But upvas (fasting) is a satvik course of action. It is undertaken by a devotee of God. Upvas involves leaving the vas in this world and going under God’s protection. When a devotee feels that his worldly efforts have failed, he says: “God, I am now under your care.” He has faith as he has heard stories of God and his devotees, like the one about Gajendia Moksha, of the elephant and the crocodile… Please tell the story, I do not know it? A very powerful crocodile once lived in a river. One day an elephant went to that river to drink water. He was very proud of his strength. The elephant’s foot was caught in the mouth of the crocodile. A great fight started between the elephant and the crocodile. The crocodile was pulling the elephant into the water and the elephant was pulling the crocodile away from the water. A lot of commotion took place, a lot of water was splashed, and the earth began to shake. In the end the pride of the elephant was shattered and he began to call out “Krishna, Krishna”. Then Krishna came and freed him. The elephant’s prayers are known as Gajendra Moksha. In one of the bhajans of Surdas it says that, for those who are blessed by God, even the impossible becomes possible. (Charan Kamal bandon harirai, jaki kripa pangu giri langhe, andhe ko sub kuchh darsai. Behro suni mook puni bole, runk chale sir chhatr dharai). Now Surdas was blind, and blind people have very sharp ears. He must have heard that in such and such village a lame person had crossed the mountains, a deaf person started hearing, a pauper became a king, et cetera. This way the experience of people has shown that through the devotion of God even the impossible becomes possible. It has been my own experience that when the will of the people is combined with the blessings of God, then all problems can be solved. I can see the devotion to God, but do you feel that the will of the people is with you? The situation today is that people are asleep. No one believes anyone. We have become intellectuals, and what is this intelligence? This commercialized intellect raises arguments – like the controversy going on in the papers – when I ask them why they don’t print the truth about the matter, they say that they have to print both sides of the story. If one side is lying, it means that they are propagating lies when they present both sides. I have the belief that humans can be changed, and the power to change humans is in their hearts. Therefore the appeal of the fast is not to the minds of people but to their hearts. Your fast lasted 45 days. We were all concerned for your health and life. How did you endure the fasting? It was the most pleasant time for me. My undivided attention was towards God, and I had full faith in him. I had surrendered to the feet of the supreme power and when you totally surrender yourself to anyone, then where is the worry, as you are His responsibility? And He saved you?
There must be some work of His that this body has still left to do. He told me to stay alive, but even if He had taken this body, then a lot that could not be done while this body is living might perhaps be achieved after this body is no more. There are many examples in history showing that what some people could not achieve in their lives, they achieved through their deaths just as my guru of public life Shridev Suman did. I was 13 years old when I came in contact with him. He was a disciple of Gandhiji, a satyagrahi. He fought against the tyranny of our princely ruler who denied all civil liberties. When Sumandevji raised his voice against the tyranny, he was arrested for rebellion, jailed and persecuted. He said that he was fighting for civil liberties and started a fast in jail. He was placed in solitary confinement. When he refused food, he was whipped. Fetters weighing 25 seers were tied to his feet. In those circumstances he survived for 84 days. He died on the 84th day. His body was stuffed in a sack and thrown in the river. There was a lot of terror in the princely state at that time, but after Sumanji’s death the awakening came. He died on July 25, 1944. The dead Suman became far more influential that he ever was in his lifetime. That is why during the upvas, I was very happy within myself. There was no question of hunger. Rather now, even when my stomach is upset, I still insist on eating. Then I was in a state of bliss. I would pray to God: “O God, remove this danger to Gangamaiya and create restlessness in the hearts of those people who have to take decisions. Do you think this has happened? At least they have now recognised that the explosions must stop, that the people there should not have to live in a state of terror. They had closed their minds to reviewing whether this dam was indeed needed. Reviewing the question of building the dam had been closed. Now, at least, they are starting to understand that it should be reviewed. A social worker has to learn from the sun. Even if all the doors and windows are closed and there is a small hole, the sun peeps in through there. I have found a hole to peep from and I will keep peeping. The result is in His hands. My job is shakti arjit karke shakti banane ka kaam (gather more people and try and energise them). There must be a lot of demoralisation; many people in Tehri must feel that if after so many years of struggle their voice has not been heard, it won’t be heard even now. If they were demoralised, why would people continue with their struggle? Do you feel your movement is strong? A lot of money is being spent to weaken our movement. This money is working. Yet the common people, poorest of the poor, who have no voice, especially women, are with me – women are with me because in Tehri the struggle for life is being fought by women. That is why in my fight for prohibition and in the Chipko movement women were in the forefront. For men, money is the most important thing, but for a woman it is her earth, her culture; she loves her environment. The Chipko movement has become an international mythology but it seems to me that more trees have been cut than saved in the land of Chipko. What is the situation according to you?
Those who have made it an international mythology are wicked people who have opened environmental shops in Delhi; they have to run their shops and have to hold conferences. Leave them aside. As to the question of whether trees have been saved or not: the ban imposed on commercial culling of green trees has been in force for 10 years. Earlier, lakhs of trees were being cut for commercial Use. The jungles have been saved, go and see where the effect has been felt.
So you believe that it had an effect? One important thing that has happened is that there has been a basic change in the way people think. Ten years ago people used to say cut trees for development. Today everyone is saying plant trees for development. This is the basic change in the thought process. Another important thing is that the people are directly challenging the commercial tree planting policies of the government. If the Chipko movement hasn’t spread to Bihar, why do the Jharkhand people say sal tree stands for Jharkhand and teak for Bihar? Some have called Chipko a preservation movement; some call it a peasant’s movement, and so on. They try to fit it into their political ideology. Many books have been written on the movement, but very few have been able to understand the spirit of the movement. Did all those who wrote their theses on the movement or held conferences in it come forward to support you? A few did. But many more came to break the movement. Had it not been for such people, the movement would have been stronger. Another thing that they have done is to pump money into it government money, institutional money. They have made it into a department of government. What started as a voluntary action for change has become a Non Government Organisation (NGO). Earlier the social worker used to be one of the people, and was sustained by the handfuls of rice they collected for him. The people now evaluate a social worker differently. They look at how much money he has brought, what new “development” schemes has he brought.
In your view, did the advent of money bring with it fights and quarrels? Do you accept grants? I don’t have any money, except the little that comes as donations. I think that an NGO is like a foreign plant from outside. In India, we do not have NGOs, we have Buddhas and Gandhis who challenge wrong policies, who revolt. They are supplementary to no one. For this reason some people came here for a gospel. I told them that the gospel of India is the same as that of Buddha and Gandhi.
You had said in an interview that you get your strength from yog. Will you explain? Sitting with your eyes closed is not yog. Yog means to concentrate your thoughts on something. This comes slowly with practice. A karma yogi does not need solitude, he can meditate while being around people, in society. In reality there are two great things about Indian culture – one is Yog and the second, the Vedanta. Yog is incomplete without Vedanta. Yog is yoga without Vedanta, the kind that is sold and practiced in the west. The Yog of the Vedanta says that there is life in all beings- humans, birds, animals, trees, rivers, the mountains. So anyone who sees the world in this manner, his love will be all encompassing. The trouble today is that we have love for a few and the rest are strangers in our eyes. The second tenet of the Vedanta is to love everyone, see God everywhere. The greatest practicing Vedantist in India, Swami Ramtirth, has written a poem in which he challenges death. He says, what harm can death do to me? You can only take my body away from me, but I- will be in leaves, in flowers, in branches, in water, in the songs of the birds. When I was 13, Shridev Suman once asked me what I would do after studying. I replied that I would seek employment in the princely court. I am a native of the poorest district of India, where people only had one lion-cloth to wear at that time. He asked me, “then who will work for these people?” I replied that I will do that as well. He then asked: “how can one person have two Gods?” I did not have an answer and asked him to explain it to me. He said that I would have to work out the answer for myself, but I should give a serious thought as to whether I should sell myself for a few pieces of silver. So, I tell everyone that I decided not to sell myself for a few pieces of silver and decided to face the hardships of life. Thus I dedicated myself for the service of people.
Where did you study? Whatever I studied, I have forgotten. I have studied in the university and was amongst the brilliant students and toppers. But the first thing I did was to return my certificates to my elder brother because he expected that I would earn a lot of money and would work at a high post. One has to liberate oneself from these fetters, only then can you achieve self-realisation. A person with degrees wearing the convocation gowns covers his character with the gown. And the gown is black; nothing of his personality can peek through. Therefore, first remove and throw away the gown. At the age of 13 I joined Gandhi’s movement. I believe’ that there should be something in life for which one should make efforts. The worst thing about our life today is that we have two personalities – one that is for our private life and the second that is for our public life. The first thing to do is to get rid of this dual personality – be the same outside as you are within and a lot of problems will be solved. Secondly, have a firm determination, so that whatever you want to accomplish, you are able to complete. If you want to understand this better then read the 12th chapter of the Bhagvad Gita. Today the conflict is between knowledge and wisdom. We have too much knowledge and very little or no wisdom. The train of knowledge is meeting with accidents; only if wisdom becomes its driver will it run well. And wisdom is the assembled experiences of common people, which they have gained from many generations.
What kind of help can educated city dwellers give your movement? Go and live with the people, run schools for small children. People will surely feed them what they eat themselves. Go and instil self confidence in the people. Those who do not have too much time to spare, let them come and join those sitting on protest (dharna) against the Tehri dam and experience how they are living in an open tent by the riverside. And it will be a free holiday in the mountains. Live in the mountains and you will escape the heat of Delhi. You will drink the ice cold water of the Bhagirathi, fresh, alive water. Secondly, lies and misinformation are being spread that the people of Tehri are enemies of development, that they do not want the progress of the country that so much money has been spent on them and they just will waste it, that Delhi needs this water. Go to each house in Delhi and tell them that the water from Tehri dam is the blood and tears of the people of Tehri. Sixteen people have lost their lives fighting against the dam. The people of Delhi should say that they do not want their water to come from tears and blood. If you want water for Delhi then ask them to save water that is, for example, being wasted in five star hotels. And give the poor an equal share of water. Water should be equally available to all, like air. Thirdly, we have the responsibility of the campaign, we are poor people. There are about 3d to 32 families of the movement who have lost a member or members, or someone has been maimed. We have to look after them for the rest of their lives. Some have left small children behind them. Some people should arrange to cover the expenses of these children for at least the next 15-20 years. For example, someone could deposit Rs 15,000 in the child’s name and the child would be able to receive monthly instalments to get to study. People can collect small amounts and this can be used for the victims of bus accidents during this movement. We also need help in spreading information and awareness in order to carry our movement forward.
One last question: Your wife told me that you resigned from the Congress at her behest at the time of marriage. Had you stayed on with the Congress party, as one of the oldest, foremost political workers of the area, you would probably have become the Chief Minister of U.P. long ago? Even while I was in the Congress party, I had very little inclination towards political power. I used to concentrate on constructive social work. For instance, I began Harijan seva at a time when untouchability was a very serious problem in our area. I would go to the bhangi bastis (neighbourhood of untouchables) and take classes. For this I faced a great deal of opposition. I went on to establish a hostel for harijan students. Even in my village work I focussed on constructive activities. I realised that those who want to do seva should not get into party politics. The inevitable logic of party politics is that you must support your own party men, no matter how bad they may be and you must oppose and trouble those who are in the opposition even if they are doing good work. That is why I left it.
Have you ever come to regret that decision? No, I was very happy when I left Congress because party work brought a lot of tensions. When on the day of my marriage I announced my decision to renounce party politics, I felt a sense of peace. Inner happiness comes from real samaj seva (serving society). That happiness enables a social worker to face the worst of hardships cheerfully. In fact, hardships strengthen a genuine social worker in the same way as iron gets to be steeled, when it is beaten upon.
आज राष्ट्रवाद के प्रखर हस्ताक्षर रहे बिपिन चंद्र पाल को याद करने का दिन है। अविभाजित भारत (वर्तमान बांग्लादेश) के हबीबगंज जिले से शुरु हुई उनकी लंबी यात्रा का दुखांत कलकत्ता (अब कोलकाता) में हुआ। 7 नवंबर 1858 को पोइल गांव के जमींदार रामचंद्र पाल के घर जन्मे बिपिन चंद्र पाल के जीवन और कार्यों के अवलोकन से भारत का राष्ट्रवाद स्पष्ट होता है। स्वतंत्रता संग्राम में गांधी के आगमन से पहले लाल बाल पाल का युग था। इस त्रिमूर्ति के तीसरे नायक को उनके जीवन काल में ही भूला दिया गया। हालांकि स्वाधीनता के सपनों को साकार करने में उनकी भूमिका बराबर याद करने योग्य है। ईक्कीसवीं सदी में उनके स्मरण से भारत और बंग्लादेश की मैत्री और प्रगाढ़ हो सकती है।
कांग्रेस के वार्षिक जलसों में उनकी उपस्थिति 1887 से ही मिलती है। लाला लाजपत राय और बाल गंगाधर तिलक के साथ मिलकर उन्होंने गरम दल को परिभाषित किया था। साथ ही इनके कारण भारतीय अस्मिता व्यापक संदर्भ ग्रहण करती है। सही मायनों में उनको 1905 में हुए बंगाल विभाजन के बाद व्यापक स्तर पर सफलता मिली थी। स्वदेशी और स्वराज का यह अभियान अरविन्द घोष का साथ पाकर मजबूत हुआ था। स्वतंत्रता संग्राम के इसी खंड में आयातित वस्त्रों की होली जलाना प्रचलित हुआ। यह क्रम गांधी युग में भी जारी रहता है। संपूर्ण स्वराज, स्वदेशी और बहिष्कार जैसै मंत्र प्रभावी होते हैं। अगले पांच सालों में कलकत्ता से लेकर ढाका और रंगून तक यह अभियान इस कदर प्रभावी हुआ कि 1911 में अंग्रेजी हुकूमत ने झुकने की नीति का सहारा भी लिया। लार्ड कर्जन की यह विभाजनकारी नीति लार्ड हार्डिंग वापस लेते हैं। ‘फूट डालो और शासन करो’ की नीति को खारिज करने का कार्यक्रम स्वदेशी आंदोलन के सफलता की मुख्य वजह साबित हुई। ऐतिहासिक महत्व की इन सभी घटनाओं से आज हमें सीख लेने की जरूरत है। ‘लोकल फाॅर वोकल’ की नीति को कारगर बनाने के लिए पाल और घोष जैसे राष्ट्रवादी क्रांतिकारियों को याद करना चाहिए।
बिपिन चंद्र पाल और अरविन्द घोष के प्रयासों का ही नतीजा था कि हुकूमत के खिलाफ बंगाल में जगह जगह अनुशीलन समितियां सक्रिय हो गईं। राष्ट्रवादी राजनीति का यह क्रांतिकारी इतिहास है। वैचारिक क्रांति और हिंसक क्रांति के इन सूत्रकारों ने वंदेमातरम और स्वराज जैसै पत्रों का प्रकाशन शुरू किया था। इस क्रम में राजद्रोह का एक मुकदमा खूब चर्चित हुआ, जिसमें फिरंगियों ने घोष के विरुद्ध गवाही देने के लिए पाल को बाध्य करने का असफल प्रयास किया। नतीजतन उन्हें छह महीने जेल में बिताना पड़ा। बंगाल में क्रांतिकारी आंदोलन का यह इतिहास अलीपुर बम कांड में अरविन्द की गिरफ्तारी व खुदीराम बोस की फांसी जैसी घटनाओं से जुड़ा है। इन्हीं वजहों से उन्हें क्रांतिकारी राष्ट्रवाद का मसीहा माना जाता है। फिरंगियों ने इस जोड़ी को तोड़ने का भरसक प्रयास किया। आखिरकार इन दोनों क्रांतिकारी नेताओं का राजनीतिक जीवन से मोह भंग हुआ था।
भारतीय स्वतंत्रता संग्राम में गांधी के उत्थान और पाल के पतन का समीकरण साफ दिखता है। उन्होंने गांधी के चरखा और अहिंसा को मैजिक करार दिया। साथ ही तर्कशक्ति के बूते इनका खंडन भी किया। इस दौर में पाल का लाॅजिक और गांधी का मैजिक आमने सामने खड़े मिलते हैं। जमीन की वास्तविकताओं से वाकिफ होकर ही देश की सेवा संभव है। भारतीय राष्ट्रवाद का यह अध्याय चीन और पाकिस्तान के संदर्भ में भी पाठ करने योग्य है और इस कड़ी में लाल बाल पाल के पाल को समझना बहुत जरूरी है।
विभाजन की विभीषिका और आजादी का शंखनाद भारतीय उपमहाद्वीप की वास्तविकता ही है। यह ऐसा दाग है, जिसे नजरअंदाज करने से समस्या का समाधान नहीं होता है। इतिहास के उस कालखंड में भी हिन्दू मुस्लिम समस्या उभरती है। इस मामले में उन्होंने बंगाल की स्थिति स्पष्ट किया था। उनकी इन बातों पर गौर करने से वैमनस्य की राजनीति के वर्तमान दौर में भी आशा की किरणें दिखाई देंगी।
On the World Culture Day, a series of tributes began to pour in as soon as Rajiv Nayan Bahuguna shared about his father on the social media from AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Science) at Rishikesh. It was on the occasion dedicated to the indigenous diversities amidst one of the worst pandemics of modern history. Cartoonist Satish Acharya depicted a saint merging into the two trees engrossed in talks as a tribute to the Gandhian leader Padma Vibhushan Sunderlal Bahuguna (09.01.1927—21.05.2021). The freedom fighter since early teenage, the journalist for prestigious national daily Hindustan (HT), and at last environmental activist, fully active until reduced to illness in the ripe old age, finally lost the long battle to COVID-19.
One can easily cross a thousand words limit in order to explain the creativity all centred around the Gangaputra (Son of the Ganga), the excellent expression depicting the spirit of satyagraha (nonviolent protest) in modern India. I hope it will continue to shine across the Himalayan peaks as long as the traditional forest rights of the indigenous communities are not fully restored.
The public protests to save the Himalayan forests with economic and ecological concerns unfolded in the 1970s with the Chipko (embrace the tree) movement. It has extended further against the Tehri Dam by the following decade. The 12 long decades in its background can be helpful to ascertain the accurate picture. Around the mid-19th century, the great civilisation has started to take the Ganga and the Himalayas in its loop with a couple of projects headed by Proby Thomas Cautley and Frederick Wilson, respectively. The Kingdom of Tehri-Garhwal entered into a contract with Wilson, an absconded British soldier from the Afghanistan War, to exploit all forests of the empire as an economic resource for 400 rupees per annum that later increased to 6000 rupees. The perpetual contract helped him to collect all ancient cedars (deodar) and other such precious Himalayan gems of his choice, whatever was left after the four and a half long decades in 1895, seems to be nothing other than the Chir Pine forests. After that, the kingdom laid certain restrictions on the use of forests by the villagers for the next few years that largely remained disobeyed by the people and intensified the tension that reflects from the Durbar Circular on 31st March 1905 and the revolt when the king Kirti Shah rushed to Khandogi to pacify the public in 1907, when one of his forest officers, Sadanand Gairola was subjected to manhandling.(1) The bone of these contentions rests in the infringement of traditional forest rights of the local community.
In 1930, Garhwali freedom fighter Sridev Suman (AKA Sri Dutt Badoni) went to Dehradun to take part in the Salt protest at the tender age of fourteen and was sentenced to jail for fifteen odd days.(2) The two had their first interaction at the school when Bahuguna was only thirteen years old. After 84 days of hunger strike in the prison, Suman died in 1944. Following his martyrdom, the movement intensified, and young Bahuguna was active as a prominent Congress leader in Tehri district. School of politics based on Gandhian philosophy in the Himalayas, and the struggle for democracy created its history five years after this martyrdom, when the kingdom of Tehri-Garhwal joined the Union of India as a part of Uttar Pradesh on 1st August 1949. These two were eminent figures in the protracted battle for independence. The political economy of these movements in the Western Himalayas is closely connected with the initiatives of these leaders.
Sunderlal Bahuguna, along with his wife Vimla Bahuguna, represents the spirit of the satyagraha in post-independence movements. Former prime minister Indira Gandhi banned deforestation in Uttarakhand for fifteen years in 1980 after the meeting with Bahuguna.(3) Life and works of Babaji, as I used to refer to Bahuguna Ji, remains incomplete in the absence of the beloved Mataji (Vimla Ji). As such, it is better to refer to them as the Bahugunas. She was among the students of Lakshmi Ashram at Kausani near Almora. The role of this institution in the Chipko movement is a fascinating study in itself. An endeavour based on Gandhi’s basic education (Nai Talim) started in 1946 by one of the two well-known daughters of the Mahatma, Sarala Behn (Catherine Mary Heilemann). The Gandhian School of Politics had first manifested regarding the colonial injustice and the grand larceny behind the pine monoculture of this region in 1952 when Mira Behn (Madeleine Slade) wrote the celebrated essay, i.e. Something Wrong in the Himalaya.
After independence, the state government of Uttar Pradesh invited Mira Behn to help with her expertise in agriculture. This was when she was trying to persuade Bapu with the blessings to start her Ashram in North India. Before the foundation of Gopal Ashram, where Bahuguna joined her, she is known to leave Kisan Ashram near Roorkee, Pashulok Ashram and Bapu Gram at the outskirts of Rishikesh.(4) The advent of Wilson in the Himalayas got a response from women after 125 years on 26th March 1974 at Reni village in Garhwal, when Gaura Devi with certain other women launched a protest in solidarity with the forest rights that latter referred to as the celebrated Chipko movement. The communities with its leaders like Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Ghanshyam Raturi and Dhoom Singh Negi in Garhwal, and Sarala Behn and Radha Bhatt in Kumaon played a significant role in it. This was an accidental creative rendition of the five hundred years old Rajasthani tradition, practiced among the Bishnoi community to preserve the sacred Khejri (Shami) trees in the deserts.(5)
A decade after Tehri-Garhwal joined the Republic of India, the Chinese displaced the Buddhist ruler Dalai Lama to declare its occupation in Tibet. Next year, one of the top Gandhian leaders of post-independence, Acharya Vinoba Bhave invited the Bahuguna at Wardha to discuss the Himalayan picture. Here, Acharya referred to him with these words, “You are resting in your village. There is a great danger to India from China. Take Mahatma Gandhi’s message of Gram Swarajya to the remote border villages of the Himalayas”.(6) As such, padyatra (foot-march) started that caused the formation of public groups to look after the forest and village in Garhwal and Kumaon. The Gandhian political philosophy as described in the Indian Home Rule seems to play a key role behind most of these creative works and the satyagraha for forest rights. Sucheta Kriplani, former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, banned liquor in certain parts of the state after meeting with their delegation headed by Sarala Behn before the end of sixties, and it prolonged for two decades in different areas.(7)
The Chipko movement is glorified than most other movements in Uttarakhand. Across the nations, its glorification started in the 1980s itself. Nature and her motherly characteristics helped certain thinkers to draw the ecofeminist version of the public protest. Vandana Shiva can help us here as well, as she delightedly declared, “While the philosophical and conceptual articulation of the ecological view of the Himalayan forests has been done by Mira Behn and Bahuguna, the organisational foundation for it being a women’s movement was laid by Sarala Behn with Vimla Behn in Garhwal and Radha Bhatt in Kumaon”.(8) The seed conservation movement and the initiative to grow organic food led by women definitely deserve words of appreciation. Sadly, the need to focus on restoring the mixed forests in the Himalayas is still missing from public discourse in the age of Chipko glorification decades.
Babaji, the lifelong supporter of Aviral-Nirmal Ganga, invited me to join him on a kind of pilgrimage to Prayag and Meerut in 2008. Allahabad University had invited him to the dialogue series on the Ganga. The week-long companionship offered us certain excellent opportunities to share information, and views too. In addition to Viktor Schauberger’s wisdom on the living water, the success saga of the Chipko movement and the failure of the satyagraha against Tehri Dam were the most discussed topics between us. Indeed, it was horrific to learn about the state sponsored accident in the early nineties that prompted him to repeat what the history witnessed after Chauri Chaura massacre during the freedom struggle.(9) He has visited Mira Behn at the Vienna Woods to share the details of their long battle, not long before her death in the early 1980s.
Satyagraha for the Bhagirathi is an extension to Aviral Ganga Campaign initiated by Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya as a response to the Eastern Ganga Canal. It was the other significant project that Cautley developed for East India Company in six years between 1848 and 1854. One can notice outcome of his satyagraha at Malviya Dweep in Haridwar as manifested at the Bhagiratha Point ever since its creation during World War I.(10) The agenda of the corporate state is an open secret in the 21st century, however, Prof. G.D. Agarwal tried hard to carry it further in the last phase of his life. What to say on the fate of the first member secretary of the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board)? The same AIIMS on 11th October 2018 had witnessed the fate of the other Gangaputra.(11) The Bahugunas often conveyed the message to restore the Himalayan landscape with fruit-bearing trees replacing the pine monoculture as the missing bit of the Chipko movement. One of its outcomes is the rising incidences of forest fire. Leaves that can resist the rain drops are better than the pine needles, no? It can also heal some of the old wounds in the future.
The destruction of Kedar Nath in 2013 and the recent glacier burst at Tapovan suggest something serious. After the new avalanche across the same Reni, the tribal communities in Lahaul Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh intensified the protest against the hydropower projects in their surroundings.(12) Forest Rights that promote the fundamental role of the indigenous communities in its conservation is in the focus since the United Nations cleared its position on this topic. Unfortunately, the political class has surrendered before the ruling class in the post-development period. It is not easy for the Himalayan tribes to dream what is right and just in these trying times.
We the people need to revisit the Chipko movement with his message; however, it is not so easy. The replacement of the pine with an oak or a walnut or an almond in the Himalayan woods is a real challenge before the new generation. However, the king without a crown achieved it in the second half of the 19th century, even in the absence of modern technology. Basanti Devi has been active since the Kosi flash flood in Almora more than a decade ago. She has imparted her basic education at the same shrine (Lakshmi Ashram) in the eighties. In the age of all-pervasive division among the public on religious lines, the Forest Rights Movement is a kind of hope in the mirage. The thin rays of hopes with the next generation of the Bahugunas like Dr. Vandana Shiva and Kishore Upadhayay in Garhwal and Basanti Devi in Kumaon are also in the frame, as they are trying hard to settle the Himalayan blunders.
The Gandhian leaders like Anupam Mishra and the Bahugunas have become more relevant since the “Third Pole turned into a battlefield”.(13) They can invite attention from all corners, and the rays of hopes that can cement the hearts with peace and prosperity rest there alone.
(This tribute to Bahuguna Ji appeared in Gandhi Marg, (English) April-June 2021 as Sunderlal Bahuguna and Sri Dev Suman, and in the First Column of English daily The Pioneer as Bahugunas and the Chipko Movement on 2nd July 2021)
Acknowledgement: The author would like to thank David Hopkins from Lakshmi Ashram at Kausani, and Vinay Kumar Jha to help in the study of Sridev Suman’s next generation Sunderlal Bahuguna and their long satyagrahas in the Himalayas, and also to Siddharth Varadarajan for his valuable suggestions on its first draft.
Notes and References
1. Vandana Shiva and J. Bandyopadhyay, “The Evolution, Structure and Impact of the Chipko Movement”, Mountain Research and Development, 6:3, (1986), pp.133-142.
7. Shekhar Pathak, “Sunderlal Bahuguna: Jinke Kam Logon Ke Jehan Me Hameha Ke Liye Chhape Rahenge” BBC, May 21, 2021, retrieved from:https://www.bbc.com/hindi/india-57202950
8. Vandana Shiva, 1989, op.cit.
9. Kaushal Kishore, “The Disastrous Dams” The Holy Ganga, (New Delhi: Rupa Publication, 2008), pp 236-249.
Kaushal Kishore| Twitter @mrkkjha After the Surat flood in August 2006, The New York Times reported, ‘With water brimming well past the permitted levels at the 350 foot Ukai Dam, according to official records, and the skies showing no sign of relief, the engineers apparently threw open the reservoir’s twenty-one sluice gates. Water then did what water does. It surged downriver, swallowing this city of three million people like a hungry beast. The diamond lanes of India became a warren of muck and ruin.'(1) It was the report of the flood created by the dam a few weeks after the first seasonal increase in water level at the huge dam that was first noticed on 2 July 2006.
The dam, located about eighty kilometres or fifty miles upstream from the city of Surat in Gujarat, was designed with the adequate storage capacity of 7.092 billion cubic metres, when it was completed in 1972, and a comfortable flood cushion of 1.332 billion cubic metres or almost twenty per cent of the reservoir that was intended to remain unfilled until the end of monsoon. Citizens of Surat—a thriving city known for diamonds, silk textiles and interesting cuisine—encountered the most disastrous flood in the history of the city that hit like a runaway train.
I remember the occasions when discussed this issue with Sunderlal Bahuguna, well-known for ecological conservation movement including the Chipko and the Tehri dam satyagraha. He told me about the disaster caused by Vajont dam in Italy on 9 October 1963 killing 2,400 human beings within an hour of the outburst of an unexpected mega-tsunami. The huge wave rose as a consequence of the landslide above the dam producing a 250 metres high mega-tsunami that overtopped the dam and destroyed the villages like Longarone, Pirago, Rivalta, Villanova, Faè in Italy.
That outburst suddenly turned into the death and desolation, when more than 250 million cubic metres of rock, earth and forest plunged off Monte Toc into the reservoir after a series of earth tremors. The resulting displacement of water caused fifty million cubic metres of water to overtop the dam into a high wave or mega–tsunami with the speed of 110 kilometres per hour, and within two minutes the dangerous wave levelled the village of Longarone almost below the dam(2). The huge damage by the air displacement from the immense splash was another outcome in the surrounding villages. Subsequent analysis of the disaster focused on the cause of the landslide, and the case became an issue of the judicial investigation(3). The trial had been celebrated in three phases since 25 November 1968 to 25 March 1971. The case concluded with the recognition of penal responsibility for the mega-tsunami and landslide, and for the multiple homicides without aforethought malice.
The most hazardous and destructive accident in world history that killed more than two lakh people is recorded in the Yearbook of 1975. The water typhoon Nina destroyed the Banqiao and Shimantan dams along with several others. China has promoted the largest hydro-electric dams, as a way to end floods along the river basins and to provide energy to fuel the country’s economic boom. At the same time the Chinese sustained the biggest catastrophe that was caused by the failure of dams. The breaking of Banqiao and Shimantan dams in China reportedly killed 230,000 people in a single shot(4).
The above three incidents of disastrous dams raise an obvious question concerning the Tehri dam, one of the largest dams in India, built on the Ganga. Destruction and tearing down of the dam threatens existence of various places including Rishikesh and Hardwar. As a consequence of such a disaster, there has been no word of survivors from a hundred kilometre stretch of the Ganga after two hundred metres high wall of water topped Tehri dam and raged down the narrow valley. There would be no warning, and no chance to flee, as has already been seen with the Italians and the size of the catastrophe would be far bigger than the case with the Chinese.
The destruction caused by such dams is as much destructive as the damage done by the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. All ashrams, temples and ghats along the river in the holy cities would be buried in mud. The beautiful valley of the Himalayas would flow with the unleashing torrent and become barren.
The construction of the Tehri dam displaced more than a hundred thousand people of the Himalayan valley. These displaced people, especially women and widows, have sustained several unwanted and difficult problems in rehabilitation and compensation. The local people still believe that government’s initiatives proved to be the failure of the system. Several protests against the construction of the gigantic dam have been launched. The Gandhian environmentalist Bahuguna further informed me that by the end of eighties the movement against the dam began to take larger shape with the involvement of the Chipko activists, and then sixteen people had been killed in a preplanned accident allegedly orchestrated by the state administration. As such he has appealed to the activists to stop the movement. He said, ‘Tehri dam will supply drinking water for the national capital that water is the blood and tears of the people of Tehri, who lost their lives fighting against the dam in 1992. The people of Delhi should say that they do not want their water to come from tears and blood.’
The tragedy of displaced people turns out to be a double tragedy because not only have they been uprooted from their ancestral homes but also that the benefits of the dam will go to Suez Grant, one of the multi-national companies dealing in water economy. The MNC has built the Sonia Vihar water plant in East Delhi(5). This water treatment plant will receive 635 million litres of the Ganga water daily, which they will sell in the national capital.
The Tehri dam impounds the Ganga water leading towards a further decline in flow of the river during the lean seasons. The river at Hardwar runs dry in the summer, and in Banaras one could cross the river on foot during the summer. The decline in the flow has serious implications for increasing pollution load and slowing down of the recharge. Thus the killing of the Ganga is also a threat for the great spiritual and cultural heritage of the nation.
The dam induces greater threats of floods. Even without earthquakes, the gigantic dam poses the threat of flooding disasters. The dam will become a mechanism for creating floods, just as the Odisha floods in eighties that submerged a number of villages due to the water release from the Hirakud dam(6).
Seismologists believe there is a serious risk of earthquakes in the valley within the lifetime of the dam. It will destroy the dam and inundate the towns below and around. The earlier experiences of the violent earthquakes of seismic sensitive Himalayas reflect it as a greater problem. The threat of earthquakes due to the dam is a real threat given the amount of stored energy in it (7). The earthquake of 1991, with its epicenter near Maneri Dam on the Bhagirathi River, upstream of Tehri, should serve as a warning. The dam construction was already against the advice of technical experts since the valley is prone to earthquakes and landslides. Seismologists advised that the site was too dangerous, but engineers used discredited data to push ahead with its construction.
There are several large hydroelectric projects planned since independence and many of them are either now completed or under construction. Some of them are on the Ganga and her tributaries, and the largest among them, the Tehri dam, has started functioning after the investment of two billion US dollars that is many times more than its original budget. In independent India, several large dams were built and the same process still continues, however, both—the government and citizens—realised irreparable damages caused by such gigantic hydro projects. Jawahar Lal Nehru, referred to such large dams as the “Temple of Modern India”. During the development of Bhakra Dam he said, ‘The Bhakra scheme is a big scheme and an urgent one, even more urgent than others’. The water control authority has been shifted from the public works department’s irrigation branch known as Derajot Circle to Bhakra Beas Management Board, which was established on the accomplishment of the Bhakra scheme on the initiative of the Central Government.
In the seventies after thirty years of independence, K.L. Rao, the Union Irrigation Minister realised that those who bear the cost get no benefits. He came across an astute observation regarding the intrinsic injustice and said, ‘When the Bhakra Dam was built the village of Bhakra, situated on the bank of the Sutlej, was submerged and the people built their houses on the adjacent hills. The project resulted in great suffering to the people of the village, but nobody took note of the people’s representations. It was many years later, during one of my visits to the dam site, that I found that the new village of Bhakra had neither drinking water nor electricity, and was surrounded by blazing brilliant lights. This was indeed unfair, and I asked the Bhakra management board to supply both power and water to the village. Even then, there were objections. The management board thought that this was not a proper charge on the project. This indeed was an absurd approach.’
The problems created and imposed by such large projects were known to the leaders, and many of them realised these problems afterward. Nehru, who had once raised the status of the dams to temples, confessed latter that he had been victim of the disease of gigantism. The troubles remained unsettled and unsolved and numerous other gigantic projects still continued to be constructed. Rajiv Gandhi, the former Prime Minister, in the mid eighties realised it and said, ‘The situation today is that since 1951, 246 big surface irrigation projects have been initiated. Only 66 out of these have been completed; 181 are still under construction. Perhaps, we can safely say that almost no benefit has come to the people from these projects. For sixteen years, we have poured out money. People have got nothing back, no irrigation, no water, no increase in production, no help in their daily life.’ The development and destruction are the two different sides of the same coin.
The development in architecture and civil engineering drastically changed the shape of the world. Old huts are now forgotten in the urban areas, and they have been replaced by concrete structures. The advent of modern scientific advancement taught proper use of available resources for the betterment of human kind with its basic conviction to achieve the best possible quality of life on the planet. The great rise of scientific and technological advancement extended human capabilities beyond imagination on one hand, and the rise of violence of man versus man and man versus nature, on the other.
The purpose of modernisation lies in sustainable development that makes the world better on little cost. But the storming progress of the decades gone by proved to be hazardous. Hence numerous questions defining the approach towards betterment and cost of development are on the fore, and this cost is not merely confined to the financial or economic paradigm but ecological, social and spiritual loss is now well established. What would development of the advance world look like? Whether it should be growth centered or people centered? There are many such questions that arise in the wake of sustainability of modern euphoria of development.
There is a need to analyse growth centered development and human centered development that establishes a sustainable relation with human life, our planet and nature. Environmental destruction of the developing world is an important question, with disastrous outcomes that stands on the floor of development. Social disintegration is another outcome offered by so called development. In conclusion, it is certain that the dominant institutions of modern society support the so called growth centered development vision.The government speaks of sustainable development while also planning to construct certain new gigantic hydroelectric projects. The definition of such sustainability is unclear and partial, since it is based on so-called economic gains that violate the fundamental convictions of sustainable growth that is centered around people and life.
Ecology and environment related problems are common issues throughout the world. The pollution and ecological destruction of one region affects the quality of environment of the other regions of the world, even though at a great distance from the source of pollution and damage. Since ecology of different regions, at some point, is inter-connected with each other, it is needed to be defined in this perspective as the new world religion. The leadership for the change in human attitude and larger initiatives of development must necessarily come from voluntary citizen action.
In fact there is a need for a sustainable development strategy that would apply to the developing and developed world as well. The increasing alienation with the monetary values of the marketplace causes a multitude of problems. The more dominant money becomes in our lives, the weaker becomes the bond of fraternity and spirituality, which is the foundation of a community and balanced relations with nature.Water is a focal topic of the modern world, since it links life expectancy, food security, ecological sustainability and socio-economic development. The rising demand for water leads to depletion of the natural water resources as well as to increasing competition and conflict between various groups of users. A pragmatic approach to sustainable development and optimum use of natural resources has to be put in place. In this process, the need to come out of the illusion of material world is necessary for everyone. Bahuguna has referred to it as the ecology is permanent economy(8). The nation, along with other institutions at an international level, must place all such economic institutions and individuals at such place and community as to what integrally connects to people in life.
The recent development turned water into a saleable commodity. The government began to sell water from rivers to topnotch national and international corporations. The British agrarian settlements treated land as a saleable commodity, which until the advent of the British used to be held in a high regard as a gift of god by the Indian. Water too may face the same fate. The provincial governments in India are fighting with each other on the issues of water resources of various rivers. The struggle for water is not simply confined to state boundary; various clashes with neighbouring countries are also a reality. The control over the river basin of the Indus by India and Pakistan is one of the potential issues of future conflicts between the two countries. Over the past many years since partition the territorial control over Kashmir has remained the main issue of conflict, but in future water is going to be as crucial as Kashmir.
In India, the situation of economics of water is a curse on the majority of common citizens. It appears in the light of certain facts that population of India is more than a billion, and the number of people paying income tax is approximately fifty-five million(9). More than twenty-five per cent of the Indian population is poor in 21st century. As such the total inhabitants of such poor people in India is a little more than the combined population of four developed nations of Europe i.e. United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy. According to the report of The World Factbook, the details of the population, in 2005, are France 60,656,178, United Kingdom 60,441,457, Germany 82,431,390, Italy 58,103,033 totalling to 261,632,058, which is less than the total population of poor Indians.
The population of India is sixteen per cent of the total population of the world, but the water resource is only four per cent of the total available fresh water. At the current pace the population of India will rise to 1.4 billion in 2025, and till then all the aquifers underneath the surface would be already depleted, which is indeed a critical scenario. In the present situation, these poor people are bound to pay for water so that the flight bills of power holding politicians flying in hyper luxurious aircrafts could be paid with the new source of revenue that comes from selling water. Commercialisation and privatisation of water resources, ineffective legislation and non-enforcement of existing water laws and regulations are plaguing most of water resource of the country. Added to these, large-scale displacement due to construction of huge dams is leading to unrest in these regions. The construction of large hydro-projects with the help of foreign money is going to raise several other questions in the future. This problem is not within India alone, many of the developing countries are going through a similar crisis. The poverty of individuals in developing countries is typically increasing. There must be a focus on the importance of getting control of the resources in the hands of local inhabitants of the area.
The consensus among river ecologists of World Commission on Dams is that dams are the single greatest cause of the decline of river ecosystems(10). The construction of dams alter the natural flow of the river, and as a consequence it affects virtually every aspect of the river ecosystem, including water quality, sediment transport and deposition, fish migrations and reproduction, and riparian and floodplain habitat and the organisms that rely on such habitat.
More than 45,000 large dams, above 15 metres height, have been built around the world to generate electricity, supply water for various purposes, control floods and facilitate navigation, during the last century. The amount invested on these huge structures is estimated to be around 2 trillion US dollars. Many of these dams, mostly in developing countries built on debt from international financing agencies, are not economically viable. Moreover, many such water projects are indirectly administered and headed by the powerful financers of the developed world.
The economics based on natural resources is very complicated. The developing countries have aspirations similar to those of the industrialised and developed world for their present and future development. Money is regularly being borrowed by the developing nations from the world community, in order to fulfill the needs to provide electricity, medical services, housing, food and all other necessities. Many developing countries cannot repay the loans. But still the debt of such countries is increasing. In addition to it these countries are also experiencing rapid population growth. The total debt amount to such countries, in the first decade of 21st century, approximates more than one trillion dollars. The interest payment alone requires large sums of cash. A few decades ago, there was a cash flow of tens of billions dollars a year from the poor countries to the rich in interest. As a natural rule of financial practice the interest increases proportionately as the loan amount increases. One source of revenue for the developing countries is from the sale of their natural resources such as water, timber and minerals. The construction of large hydroelectric projects is a part of the grand larceny scheme that is popularised among common people with certain beautiful phrases like environment friendly hydropower project.
The modern world is widely perceived to be in the midst of a world water crisis. The crisis is commonly believed to be one of scarcity—that the world is running out of water, whereas, the crisis is mainly one of mismanagement, not absolute scarcity. Freshwater ecosystems worldwide have been dammed, drained and pumped dry to supply inefficient and inequitable irrigation schemes, leaky water mains and wasteful over-consumption. There is a common notion that is regularly stressed among people in favour of disastrous dams that the hydropower is clean. According to the experts of International Rivers Network, hydropower dams cannot be considered a clean source of electricity because of their serious social and environmental impacts. In addition, reservoirs emit greenhouse gases due to the rotting of flooded vegetation and soils, aquatic plants and organic matter flowing in from upstream. Emissions of Carbon Dioxide and Methane are particularly high from reservoirs in the lowland tropics. In some cases, reservoirs may have a greater impact on global warming than similar-sized gas-fired power stations.
The hydropower generation industry eagerly promotes dams as climate friendly alternatives to fossil fuel plants, but growing evidence suggests that dams and reservoirs are globally significant sources of the greenhouse gases like Carbon Dioxide and, in particular, Methane. Canadian scientists have made a preliminary estimate that reservoirs worldwide release up to seventy million tons of Methane and around a billion tons of Carbon Dioxide each year. This is equivalent to four per cent of Carbon Dioxide emissions from other sources linked to human activities and about one-fifth of total human related Methane emissions. The table presents data based on scientific studies concerning the emissions caused by such electricity generation projects on greenhouse gases and global warming impact.
There are various other problems caused by gigantic dams. The development of hydropower projects—the large dams destroy the life of people living in the area these dams are being constructed on. The major setbacks of large dams are the costs of dams which have been unacceptable, particularly in terms of impacts to people displaced, downstream communities and the environment. The developed countries of the world realised the problems created by such dam projects. The United States built more than 250,000 dams since the beginning of the damming era. United States Army Corps of Engineers alone responsible for building more than 210,000 dams after its establishment in 1775. As a consequence of such efforts, by AD 1920, twenty-five per cent of total electricity generation of the country was based on hydropower. Later dam building has slowed in the United States, and hundreds of dams have been removed from rivers and creeks across the country. Many necessary projects were also replaced with one or more of the numerous non-structural and low-impact options. Currently in the twenty-first century, only about seven per cent of United States electricity comes from hydropower. Today there is about 80,000 megawatt of conventional capacity and about 18,000 megawatt of pumped storage.
Japan is one of the most heavily dammed countries of the world. Over 3,000 dams have been built across the country, and there are virtually no rivers which have not been dammed. Another 350 dams are being planned or are under construction. However, growing recognition of the problems with dams, declines in water and energy demands, and increasing opposition to dams have made it difficult to construct new dams. The cancellation of eighty proposed dams in the past few years gives reason to believe that the era of dam construction in Japan is gone over.
The water based electricity generation in developing countries is still continues, however, cheap and better alternatives are available. The Ganga basin is highly influenced with such catastrophic development. Recently, there was much opposition against such development by various citizen groups and individuals. These efforts are needed to be effective in order to save the holy rivers from further deterioration.
The leader of Chipko movement, Sunderal Bahuguna, in addition to Baba Naganath and Pr. G.D. Agarwal raised this issue in recent times. Pr. Agarwal launched a series of Satyagraha against construction of dams on the Ganges since 2008. As a consequence, the government has cancelled certain hydro-power projects in Uttarakhand. This is the lone example of success in the 21st century so far as the issue of Aviral Ganga is concerned.
Disastrous Dams Reference:
1. Somini Sengupta, “Often Parched, India Struggles to Tap the Monsoon” New York Times October 1, 2006 https://t.co/lJ43IgxjOT
2. Melissa Petruzzello, “Vajont Dam” Britannica Encyclopedia, February 21, 2017 https://t.co/7r5MAeIlAh
3. Desert Sun, “Dam Officials Convicted Of Negligence, Manslaughter in 1963 Italian Catastrophe” Volume 43, Number 117, December 19, 1969, California p.6
4. Fiona Macleod, “Reflections on Banqiao” The Chemical Engineer, https://t.co/xq0dgrkArL August 8, 2019
6. Farzand Ahmed, “Orissa turns into a land of sorrow as flood engulfs 10 mn people; 57 killed, 42 missing” India Today September 30, 1982 https://t.co/N7kaCnqVBb
7. R. N. Iyengar, “How Safe Is the Proposed Tehri Dam to Earthquakes.” Current Science, vol. 65, no. 5, Temporary Publisher, 1993, pp. 384–92, https://t.co/DZKtbxoLdA
8. George Alfred James, Ecology Is Permanent Economy: The Activism and Environmental Philosophy of Sunderlal Bahuguna. Sunny Press 2013
9. Dipak Mondal, “Keep in mind exemption limit while complaining about few taxpayers: Revenue Secy” Business Today February 9, 2021 https://t.co/bjK33Qb9kk
This essay appeared first in The Holy Ganga (2008) as one of its chapters and reproduced here to remember Gangaputra Bahuguna and the fatal accident of 40 peaceful activists against the Tehri dam in 1992.
The state government has ripped off the financial powers of elected representatives after the recent Panchayat elections in Rajasthan. As a consequence the funds of the Finance Commission will be spent by the bureaucracy with the recommendation of these village heads. Now thousands of representatives of villagers are unhappy. Sarpanch union has started a series of protests under the leadership of Vanshidhar Garhwal. Panchayat leaders from Uttar Pradesh like Ashok Jadaun also reached there to support them. They are shutting the Panchayat offices down. The suspension of the Prime Minister’s announcement to provide funds directly to the panchayats is in focus. Meanwhile the protest of panchayat representatives came to an end in Jharkhand. The elected bodies have completed its term during lockdown triggered by the pandemic. As such the govt. dissolved them without declaring the dates for fresh elections. The three-tier Panchayati Raj institutions became non-functional, and their leaders launched the protest that prolonged for several weeks. Here, the panchayat leaders achieved an unexpected success. The generosity of state government has been in the picture since 7th January when Aditya Ranjan, Director for Panchayati Raj Department issued notification to that effect.
In the first week of January, Hemant Soren’s government has handed over powers to the elected representatives of the villagers instead of the bureaucrats. This is a historical achievement associated with the Panchayat that can render opportunity to rectify the folly that prevails for a long time. The state government has constituted committees under the chairmanship of elected representatives at the district, block and village levels to run the system smoothly for the next six months. As such the responsibility of development in rural areas lies in the hands of the committee. The state officials have also been included as members to ensure mutual cooperation. Plus, the committee will hand over the powers to the newly elected team after the fresh elections. This new hope can strengthen the Panchayati Raj institutions.
The role of Jharkhand can be observed if we look at the brief history of Panchayati Raj institutions in independent India. Pandit Binodanand Jha known to advocate for the panchayat in the Constituent Assembly hails from Deoghar. This was further supported by certain members like Balvantray Mehta from Gujarat. As such it got a place in the Constitution as a part of the directive principles. First legal framework on Panchayat in the history of India was promulgated as Bihar Panchayati Raj Act in 1947 while he was heading the portfolio in the govt. Three years later in 1950, a separate state level autonomous body came into existence known as Bihar Rajya Panchayat Parishad. Again in 1955, he is known to have started monthly magazine highlighting importance of public awareness for betterment of the rural areas. The new initiative of Hemant Soren in Jharkhand can remind his works. In the twenty-first century, the forest rights of the tribes and villagers are accepted on the global platform in order to protect the environment and ecology. If these institutions go ahead while taking this wisdom into the account, the state can lead us in future.
After independence, in 1954 Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan wrote a letter to the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for the decentralisation of democracy that deals with the village. Mahatma Gandhi wrote Hind Swaraj in 1909, and that can be referred to its background. In fact on village and panchayat this is one of the most important literary works of modern India. This attempt to define the home rule is still equally relevant. After three years the govt. of India commissioned the celebrated Balvantray Mehta Committee in 1957. Its recommendation proved to be the basic foundation of the formation of the three-tier Panchayati Raj institutions. The leader of British Labour Party Harold Laski wrote A Grammar of Politics in 1925 that’s treated as yet another significant work on this subject, and that seems to dominate Indian politics. He had focused on the local self-rule instead of Gandhi’s home rule that proved to be instrumental in implementing the central control in a village. S.K. Dey, Rural Development Minister in Nehru government tried hard to carry it forward through community development program. The forces for public works in a village was replaced by the public servants. The weakening of a village Panchayat started with lack of participation of villagers in community services. As such the dream of home rule in Indian villages got surrendered before the technical complexities.
As a consequence of 73rd amendment to the Constitution in 1993, the Panchayati Raj institutions got legal validity. They have been allocated 29 departments. But still remained on the mercy of the state govt. and failed to establish the home rule. Recently the government of Jharkhand has started an effort to empower panchayat as an appreciative move. If this spirit is sustained, it can prove to be a healing effort that will make the villages self-sufficient, and to realise the dreams of home rule as referred in the terms of Hind Swaraj.
The spice adulteration factory functioning at Hathras in Uttar Pradesh came to the light in early December. They were packing donkey’s dung and straw powder in the packets of spices. However, it was not the spice of any well-known brand, still that kind of business is also going on in our country. Before that New Delhi-based Center for Science and Environment (CSE) had exposed Honeygate; the adulteration of honey. The shocking observation of this investigation revealed that most of the branded honey in Indian markets were adulterated. Meanwhile, a factory was caught red handed in Agra that was occupied in making desi-ghee (clarified butter) out of animals’ fat, bones and hooves.
These all are cases of messing up with the public health in order to gain a heavy profit. The figures of food adulteration are increasing day by day despite the efforts of state administration to curb the menace.
The outcome of a series of raids in Uttar Pradesh raised serious concern over the question of adulteration across the country. The owner of this spice factory at Hathras is said to be an office bearer of Hindu Yuva Vahini. Eighteen years ago, this organisation was founded by Yogi Aditya Nath, the current Chief Minister of the state. As such the issue is politicised. A few year back the MLA from Bahujan Samaj Party was found to run a similar Desi-Ghee factory in Agra.
The involvement of public figures in such illegal activities is an outcome of the institutionalisation of the public service. It seems to be impossible to annihilate the food adulteration business with the efforts of state administration alone. The adulteration of milk has been a serious problem across the length and breadth of India since the introduction of white revolution. The boom in the milk adulteration business is noticed every year during the season of winter festivals around Diwali. This kind of fatal experiments are continued on large scale in spite of the administrative strictness. This devaluation of morality in the marketplace is not only in violation of the law, but also causes many fatal diseases. The modernity peals off layer after layer in the interpretation of its political economy.
The team of Sunita Narain at CSE has brought sensational revelations after the tedious investigation about the syrup imported from China and similar products manufactured in India. The institute is being targeted by the top brands of honey and the regulatory authority, as well. Some of these brands can successfully hide the adulteration in the tests prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). As a consequence, the market is full of advertisements claiming the purity of their honey. After taking cognisance of this report, the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari wrote a letter to his colleague Piyush Goyal. The Chairman of Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, Bibek Debroy too referred to the CSE report in his column in a daily newspaper. He also talked about the study of Beekeeping Development Committee released by the Central Government in June 2019. Here he suggested that adding syrup was mandatory in order to make the honey tasty.
India that looks like a bee hive in the map is the eighth largest honey producer in the world. China is on the top in this list. However, there is a great demand for Indian honey in countries like USA, Canada, Germany, Japan and Middle East. In fact the natural honey is beneficial for human health. In this natural process the cycle of life is embedded. There is a proverbial wisdom in the West, “If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years left to live.” The Belgian scholar Maurice Maeterlinck, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1911, wrote a book ‘The Life of The Bee’ in 1901. He said, “It’s actually estimated that more than a hundred thousand varieties of plants would disappear if the bees did not visit them.” After mixing the sugar syrup with the raw honey, the new fluid does not really remain honey. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India should frame rules for the processing of honey while taking care of this fact.
Apart from milk and products made from it, adulteration in spices, honey and other food stuffs is leading to rampant profiteering in the country. Not only the syrup imported from China, but the use of such substances produced in India should be stopped. The state agencies and common people are needed to show sensitivity in order to achieve this goal.
Across The Lines: Kaushal Kishore 