"If someone tells you
he is going to make a 'realistic decision', you immediately understand that he
has resolved to do something bad.
—Mary McCarthy (American,
1912-1989)
Word for the day
Edentate (adj)
Toothless
Malice towards none
Are all armed forces'
officers absolutely beyond any doubt?
First random thought this morning
Sushma Swaraj and Venkaiah Naidu have emerged as favorite BJP
leaders of many opposition parties in recent times. Even Congress leaders have
expressed their liking for both of them.
This could be a strategy to create friction within BJP top ranks
and make Modi-Shah little insecure and incite them to make some mistakes.
The possibility is that opposition parties are preparing for a
Plan B, if BJP gets ~180-200 seats in 2019 and needs their help to form a
government.
It's definitely not development
Three headlines that appeared in
media in past 3days are particularly disconcerting. These news items aptly
highlights some of the malice that have percolated deep down our socio-political
consciousness'.
The first headline proudly claimed
"Under PM Modi's watch, Amarnath and Chardham Yatras
may see highest footfall"
The related news claims that this
year more than 2lac people may visit the holy Amarnath shrine in Kashmir during
the month of Sharavan (July-August). Another 2million are likely to undertake
Char Dham Yatra in Gharwal hills of Uttrakhand during five month period between
May-November. More than 70% of these 2mn visitors will be visiting the holy
shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri in 2months, with most
visiting Badrinath and Kedarnath only.
As someone who had been visiting
these holy shrines since childhood, I know for sure that these places are in no
position to handle so many people visiting in a short span of one month for
Amarnath and 2months for Char Dham. The ecology of Haridwar (Base camp for Char
Dham Yatra) Uttarkashi (Gangotri and Yamunotri) and Chamoli (Badrinath and
Kedarnath) districts has been damaged severely in past one decade.
The politicians have blinded the
local populace with the lure of higher income and employment opportunity from
rising pilgrim tourism. Unmindful construction and unpardonable exploitation of
natural resources is not only endangering the ecology of the region, it is also
jeopardizing the sustainability of all future generation. For, this region is
the source of water to more than 250million Indians.
The government, and especially PM
himself, ought to be deeply concerned over the number of visitor to holy
shrines. He must immediately appoint an empowered commission to regulate the
flow of people and vehicles to the region, rather than boasting about the
crowds and traffic jams in the hills.
I have the following suggestions
to offer:
1. Completely
ban private vehicles in 100km radius of these sacred temples.
2. Allow
only disabled and senior citizens to travel by public buses to the temples.
3. Develop
the traditional pedestrian route to the temples. Encourage youth to trek upto
the temples. Provide tented accommodation with bio-toilets along the way.
4. Ration
the number of pilgrims visiting these temples, and make it compulsory for all
pilgrims to plant one tree each and pay for its maintenance for one year.
5. Ban
plastic totally in the hills.
...to continue
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