No lessons learnt from the past

Politicians of all hues of Uttarakhand have been defending reckless deforestation and dynamite blasting of Himalaya in the name of development. But the mute question is can development be at the cost of Himalaya? Green cover is indispensable for the  existence of Himalaya has been explained by Atkinson  in 1882.

Atkinson  in vol. 1 part 1 pp. 108-109 of Himalayan Gazetter writes about impact of rain on Himalaya in following words.

            “Rains has had even a more constant and penetrating influence on the mountain masses than any or the preceding forms,* for  it has furnished the materials from which the ice has been formed and is more universal in its operations. The salts and acids contained in it have also had a peculiar action of their own. Rains while falling through the air takes up some portion of carbonic acid and when it reaches a rock dissolves and carries away certain portions of its texture. The result of this process is that not only is the rock reduced in bulk by chemical action but what remains also becomes more easily operated on by the mechanical action of falling water in the next shower….For those who have seen the long gneissic range extending from Almora to Deve Dhura in Kumaon, there could not be a better example of the influence of rain or rock then is there exhibited. Along the road on each side  where the rock has been exposed to the  whether, the outer layer is removable by the hand, and at the base will be found a little heap of sand that has been weathered away in the course of time. Many of the more loosely formed shales, especially those that contain alum, speedily decompose on exposure to the atmosphere and it is on this account that in the midst  of rocky formations in the Himalaya it is so often very difficult to obtain good building stone….This waste of rock material has been in progress for centuries and has produced a soil in which trees have taken root and shed  their leaves to produce by decomposition and mixture with the waste rich vegetable mould that overlies our forest clad hills. The presence of these trees has had  the further effect of retarding the removal of the newly formed soil not only by absorbing a portion of the chemical elements carried down by the rain-water, but also by breaking the force with which the rain would otherwise fall on the soft soil. Thus we find that of well wooded hills the depth of useful is considerable and that springs are numerous and abundant. On the other where the hills have been cleared of forests , the finer soils are soon washed away by almost tropical rain. The rocks from which the soils has been formed again appear  at the surface and the rainfall rapidly drains off  leaving so supply for springs, and if the process be continued over any considerable area, cultivation becomes impossible and the climate is essentially altered. What deforesting has done for Almora can be seen in its scanty rain-fall , its barren slopes. And few springs, although the area affected is so small. 

preceding forms,* are glaciers, avalanches, and ice-wedges.

IT IS THE DISESE NOT SYMPOMS THAT NEEDS TO BE CURED.

This years WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY slogan is   Think.Eat.Save. It is said to be an anti-food waste and food loss campaign. Because  every year 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted. At the same time, 1 in every 7 people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of 5 die daily from hunger.  At the same time, the planet is struggling to provide us with enough resources to sustain its 7 billion people (growing to 9 billion by 2050). Food waste is an enormous drain on natural resources and a contributor to negative environmental impacts.The global food production occupies 25% of all habitable land and is responsible for 70% of fresh water consumption, 80% of deforestation, and 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. It is the largest single driver of biodiversity loss and land-use change.(Source: http://www.unep.org/wed/theme/)    While blaming agriculture for many environmental ills the FAO does not take into account the nature of food production. Food produced for marketwould have different impact that food produced for self consumption. All those ills and inefficiencies enumerated by FAO are the ills generated by corporate houses in the food processing and agricultural sector.

 Do these corporate houses permit common people food choices? In the present day market oriented system where one in every seven persons is sleeping hungry at night. Where on the one hand food grains decay in godown and on the other people die of starvation where is the choice of eating organic or gm foods?  If the gm foods are harmful for health and environment than why force the farmers to grow them? Actually before coming to consumption of food we have to focus on growing of food. To grow food land and water is required. We know like the 19^th century gold- rush today the whole world is witnessing land rush.  Corporate houses are leaving no stones unturned to get land for cash crop farming ,or for mining, real estate business or for other commercial purposes.  As far as water is concerned the less said the better. Most of the rivers are either drying or are polluted. The underground water table is rapidly going down and whatever is left is polluted. Rivers are being sold to private parties. With the unprecedented developments in the field of technology, which, in turn is expanding the size and reach of the corporate giants to all nooks and corners of the globe.  The energy needs of these giants have become unfathomable and  they are now tapping the unexplored sources of water. One of such untapped sources is the water of Himalayan rivers. The first step was to reassess the Himalayan potential for hydro-power. It  has been ‘reassessed’ at 500,000 MWe [Megawatt of installed electricity generation capacity. The reassessed country-wise potential is: Pakistan: 41,722 MW, India 108,143 MW;  Nepal 83,000 MW; and Bhutan 16,000 MW. Tibet 250,000 MWe.  Because Tibet is part of China the latter wants to hurriedly tap this energy to quench the un-quenchable energy thirst of its mega industrial houses . India is also no exception. She has also made elaborate plans to harness hydraulic energy potential of the Himalayan Rivers. In the process these governments have not cared to comprehend the irreparable damage would be caused to the Himalayan ecology including Tibet. (Source http://chimalaya.org/2013/05/20/the-himalayas-once-moaning-now-groaning/)

All the Himalayan rivers originate from glaciers. Arun Srivastava writes that the Himalayan glaciers serve as world’s second largest heat sink after the Antarctic and moderate global climate. The 18,065 glaciers spread over nearly 35,000 square kilometers hold about 3,735 cubic kilometers of ice mass making it world’s second largest glacier resource. He quotes Yao Tandong, Liu Shiyan, Pu Jianchen, Shen Yongping and Lu Anxin study published in, Science in China, 2004 and writes that 95% of the statistical glaciers were receding and that water resources in the Himalayas declining. (Ibid) While the dams on Indian side of Himalaya affect the Indian people, damming rivers in Tibet adversely affects the people of south Asia and of South East Asia including Vietnam. Arun Srivastava, says, “ power projects are stealing water, life line for 30 million mountain folks and 3 billion in the Himalayan-water-dependent nations, as far as Vietnam.”( Ibid)

            China's has been taking unilateral decision to construct dams and river diversion projects in Tibet. Since 1989, China has been planning to develop south-north water diversion projects partly driven by internal economic compulsions and partly by the desire to acquire a dominant external position. Dams in Tibet are matter of concern for all the Tibetans residing in Tibet, or outside Tibet. Because the rivers and the lakes China plans to use for energy generation are sacred for them. Secondly, Tibetan land is delicate and it cannot absorb the damming, river water diversion projects, mining and transportation, industrial and other such activities, which would lead to receding of glaciers in Tibet and in the Himalayas. Unfortunately, some of these activities might invite an eco-disaster resulting in the meltdown of Himalayan glaciers, further resulting in the drying of rivers.

            The Tibetan plateau is the world’s largest water reservoir. Asia’s 10 major river systems including the Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Salween and Mekong originate here. Of the world’s 6.92 billion people, it is the lifeline for nearly two billion (29%) in South Asia — from Afghanistan to the Ganga-Meghna-Brahmaputra basin and in Southeast Asia. The lower riparian states have failed to restrain China from unilateral decisions about harvestingTibetan water resources. It is pertinent to note that  China has already built a barrage on the Sutlej. It started construction work to divert the Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) in Tibet in November 2010. Chinese policy of using Tibetan water resources to generate electricity would  affect Nepal too because some of Nepal’s major rivers originate in Tibet before finally merging into the Ganga. Of them, the most important is Karnali (507 km), Nepal’s longest river. Parts of Nepal’s other major tributary systems also originate in Tibet. Similarly, the major tributaries of the Kosi, like the Sun Koshi/Bhote Koshi, the Tama Koshi and Arun originate in Tibet.  Any diversion of waters from Nepalese rivers originating in Tibet would directly affect the Ganga’s flow. Vasudeva  feels that by controlling Tibetan natural resourcesTibet China could dominate the Himalayan piedmont and by doing so it could even threaten the Indian subcontinent and thereby further threaten all of Southeast Asia and by extension all of Asia.  He writes that  because of this reason China has not signed any bilateral treaty in regard to the utilisation of water resources with any of its neighbours and has also not signed the 1997 UN Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Waterways. ( Source: PK Vasudeva ,Tibetan waters crucial for India's future, Nov 15, 2011, 10:15 IST | Agency: DNA http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/1612620/comment-tibetan-waters-crucial-for-indias-future)

In May 1997, when the United Nations General Assembly adopted a Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses, China was one of three countries that voted against it, with Turkey and Burundi. India abstained from the vote.

 The rather mild Convention 'aimed at guiding States in negotiating agreements on specific watercourses.'

(Source:http://www.rediff.com/news/special/chinas-dams-on-brahmaputra-can-be-dangerous-business/20130207.htm

The people and governments all the states of Indian sub- continent, environmentalists, social activists are quite alarmed to learn about Chinese water harvesting projects. There is a strong  anti-dam lobby both in China and India.  Any proposal for fresh dam in any of Chinese rivers receives world wide publicity. Immediately these groups come out with data and various kind of information to show the ill- effects of mega dams on environment , biodiversity, and on the local inhabitants. For example, 263 international NGOs opposed China’s proposals to construct dams on the Mekong River. They criticized  China for using the water resources in Tibet as a political tool and demanded a moratorium on the lower Mekong dams for at least 10 years.( Source: PK Vasudeva ,Tibetan waters crucial for India's future

Tuesday, Nov 15, 2011, 10:15 IST | Agency: DNA

 http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/1612620/comment-tibetan-waters-crucial-for-indias-future)

China's construction of dams also raises the prospect of a race with India to develop hydropower along south Asia's most important river. For example, Jairam Ramesh, the then Indian environment minister, told the Guardian that in order to strengthen our negotiating position with China India needed to be more aggressive in pushing ahead hydro projects on the Brahmaputra [Source: Jonathan Wattsm The Guardian, May 24, 2010qouted by Jeffrey Hays  in Facts and Details, 2008, http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=2276&catid=13) To establish its “lower riparian right” and to create a strong bargaining position to detract China from building mega hydrological projects on the upper reaches of the river  Indian Government has been desperately trying to push the Arunachal Pradesh Government to expedite the development of storage hydroelectric projects on the Brahmaputra.  It was reported in the press that efforts were on to get the State to allot at least one storage hydroelectric project in each of the sub-basins of Siang, Lohit and Subhansiri rivers. The NTPC Ltd has been asked to prepare a feasibility study for a proposed 9,750-MW Siang Upper hydroelectric project. The main hurdle is the Arunachal Pradesh Government’s stand as far as possible to avoid storage projects involving big dams. However, the Ministry of Power has been trying hard to convince the Arunachal Government on the need for storage projects. Strategic analysts also want India to go ahead with hydroelectric project constructions in Brahmaputra's major tributaries to counter China's similar move. They said that the hydroelectric dams on Brahmaputra tributaries should be looked as strategic projects. One of them Brahma Chellaney, says that, “If India harnesses the Brahmaputra in Arunachal through the proposed projects, it will strengthen its case against China's building of a mega-dam at Metog. But, it will have to do it before China does its project. Under the doctrine of prior appropriation, a priority right falls on the first user of river waters,”. (Soure: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/chinas-plan-for-mega-dam-forces-govt-to-fast-track-hydel-projects-on-brahmaputra/article2406778.ece)

While the governments and the experts are thinking about the big issues the local people are worried about the minor problems of existence.(Are’nt the so called big issues dependent on the minor question of safety and security of existence.) Without ensuring the safety and security of existence of the Himalaya, the Himalayan rivers, the biodiversity found there, and the people residing there any talk about protecting India’s strategic interest could be mere academic exercise. Can we really ensure India’s safety and security by competing with China in constructing mega dams? Or are we merely playing in the hands of big dam lobby as China is doing?

Contrary to the approach adopted by the government the people of Arunachal Pradesh are apprehensive about the dam-building spree on both sides of the LAC. Actually over 100 large and small hydroelectric projects were being planned in almost all the tributaries of Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh. Of these 100,  13 are planned in Tawang. Tawang  is the birthplace of VIth Dalai Lama. People of Tawang, who predominantly belong to Monpa tribe, have opposed the hydroelectric project as they claimed many of the projects were located in Buddhist sacred sites. Incidentally, Tibetans have similar complaint against the Chinese government in Tibet. (Source: Race for dams may trigger water disputes between India, China - Times Of India

http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/china/42765-race-dams-may-trigger-water-disputes-between-india-china.html)

On 10 September, 2010, 51 NGOs from north east India sent a Memorandum to the Indian and the Chinese Prime Ministers demanding to ‘let  the Yarlung Sangpo/Siang River Run Free.’This was possible only by stopping dams on Yarlung Sangpo/Siang.

The Memorandum read:

 Several communities in this stretch of river identify it by several names and attaches spiritual, cultural and economic importance to Nature, and they are first users and in fact the defender and protector of the river and its ecosystem. We fear that this being not only one of the finest rivers but also the finest ecosystems on earth, the communities surviving on this ecosystem will be destroyed by the politics of water and energy and the game of one-upmanship of these great nations.

To the Government of India

For a mere 8 – 10 % growth we cannot allow thousands of people to be displaced from their ancestral villages, nor can we allow millions of trees, of medicinal plants, of numerous other fauna and flora to be submerged or perish due to lack of water. We cannot allow thousands of fisherfolks and farmers to suffer for lack of water or live in constant fear of a dam break. We cannot facilitate the destruction of our bio-diversity for the sake of India’s GDP.

India is not only making efforts to building dams in Siang river but is preparing to built more than 100 mega dams in other rivers of the Northeast. Apart from the numerous problems associated with Dams, building dams on the Siang has serious implications. We have witnessed painful conflict between India and China in the sixties and we do not want to see the conflict continue or escalate as ultimately it is the people suffer (like those who live in Arunachal, in particular). We see that there is already an additional conflict brewing due to the dams proposed both by China and India. For this reason both the country must refrain from building any dams in the whole stretch of this river. This will help build peace and trust between the two countries. Building dams on Siang or in Yarlung Sangpo will therefore be considered as seeking conflict.

To the Government of China:

Any blocking of the river either by way of building any kind of dams or by simply diverting it will have irreparable and devastating impact on the ecosystems and the peoples way of life in Tibet, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and also in the lower reaches of Bangladesh.We also fear that India’s efforts to build many dams (including the ones in Lohit and Subansiri rivers) is a way to pre-empt any Chinese dam upstream using the highly illogical view of stopping dams in upstream by building dams in the lower portion of the river. Nor can China build dams because of the unfounded logic that the country downstream is not using its water. Both the logic is problematic for the very fact that this river, its water and its ecosystem are already being used by the people settled along these rivers for generations.

Proposals:

 1. Stop all existing and proposed dam construction activities on Siang River both in China and India.

 2. Collectively agree to hold these river(s) as Heritage Rivers for all future generations to come.

(Source: http://nealliance.net/nepa/memorandum-to-india-and-china-against-dams-on-yarlung-tsangpo/)

The people are concerned because they have suffered flash floods caused by dam break in Tibet. On Jul 10, 2000, a Chinese official confirmed that  dam breach in Tibet caused floods that wreaked havoc in northeastern India, claiming 30 lives and leaving more than 100 missing.  Indian officials also admitted that they had seen images from a satellite that showed flash floods hit the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh two weeks ago after a Chinese dam on the Tsangpo river was breached. The Arunachal Pradesh government urged the Indian Prime Minister and home minister to take up the matter with their Chinese counterparts.  State Minister of Information and Public Relations Takam Sanjay told AFP that "Floods of this magnitude were never ever recorded in our history," and there could be artificial reasons for the river Siang to flood the hills. More than 50,000 people in five districts of Arunachal Pradesh were left homeless by the floods, and  several parts of the state were remained cut off from the rest of the country for a considerable period of time. The death toll was estimated to be 30.The estimated loss of property was more than one billion rupees (22.9 million dollars).

An official of China's Water Resources Department of the Tibet Autonomous Region government in Lhasa told AFP the 60 meters high and 2.5 kilometers wide dam was actually not an artificial dam, but a natural one, formed by a major landslide that occurred on April 9, 2000.  he added  "That landslide, the biggest ever seen in Asia and the third biggest in the world, created a dam in a matter of eight minutes."  He said the Tibet government spent over 60 million yuan (7.2 million dollars) to canalize the river, but couldn't prevent the dam from collapsing recently. The official however, declined to be identified.  (Source:Chinese Official Confirms a China Dam Break Caused India Floods . Reuters, July 10, 2000, Also Indian Express , JULY 11, 2000.)

Unfortunately, both the Chinese and the Indian governments are least sensitive to people’s concerns. Ignoring all the protests and appeals, the Chinese government on Feb 5, 2013,  informed her plan to build three new dams on the Brahmaputra river. China claimed that the new dams on the Yarlung Tsangpo would not have any impact on the flow of water to downstream areas in India.  Because the run-of-the-river hydropower projects on the river would not come in the way of the flood control and disaster reduction efforts in the lower reaches and would not disturb the ecological balance.

China has since 2010 been building a 510 MW hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo at Zangmu in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The proposed new projects at Dagu and Jiacha will have installed generation capacity of 640 MW and 320 MW respectively. The proposed capacity of the project at Jiexu has not yet been made public. (Source: China apprises India of dam plans on Brahmaputra

 http://www.deccanherald.com/content/310177/china-apprises-india-dam-plans.html)

However, the peoples protests continue. On 22 March 2013,

Ms Dhardon Sharling, Co Chair, on behalf of The International Tibet Network Secretariat, Tibetan Women’s Association and Tibet Justice Centre

Wrote to the Environment Ministers of the Governments of India, Pakistan, Cambodia, Laos, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand and Vietnam.

 cc Mrs Irina Bokuva, Director General, UNESCO

IN this letter concerns were expressed about the impact of China’s policies – especially its dam-building programme – on Asia’s regional water security, and to urge your government to join forces with other downstream nations to pressure China to enter into appropriate water-sharing agreements.These Ministers were urged to join hands and bring China to the negotiating table to sign appropriate regional and international water-sharing agreements.(Source: WTN-L World Tibet Network News)

Anupam Nath , Activists hold placards against the construction of big dams as they protest… (/AP )

Plans by China to build three dams in Tibet have rung alarm bells in next-door India, where fears are rising that the northern nation’s thirst for power and water will one day affect the flow of the mighty Brahmaputra River, a lifeline for tens of millions of people. How  these dams deprive the people of their basic needs of life is explained by Brahma Chellaney. He says that Chinese dams on the Brahmaputra pose a serious long-term threat to the livelihoods of farmers, not only in India but even more so farther downstream in Bangladesh. He elaborates by saying that Chinese dam-building follows a well-established pattern that starts with small dams on a river’s upper reaches and eventually moves to mega-dams downstream. There are 12 small dams on the Brahmaputra’s upper reaches and tributaries and one medium-size dam under construction on the river. He  predicts that the next step would be larger dams in spots where the river picks up huge amounts of water and momentum nearer the Indian border.Those dams could not only affect water flows but also remove nutrient-rich silt that helps nourish agriculture downstream. Indian government does not seem to be worried. A government official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said

That New Delhi is not overly concerned. He felt as a rising global power, China has shrinking incentive to unilaterally dam rivers to its neighbors’ disadvantage.

Arvind Subramanian of the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington said tensions could rise as climate change melts the Himalayan glaciers and changes the patterns of water distribution in Asia. The risk is that China then takes a larger share of diminished rivers, magnifying the effects of climate change on downstream nations such as India.And because the upstream power also has military, strategic and economic advantages, many observers say India has minimal bargaining power.“India has very little leverage over China, and this is just one more lever that China is acquiring,” said Harsh Pant of the defense studies department at King’s College London.

Source: Simon Denyer,Chinese dams in Tibet raise hackles in India

Pressure China to enter into appropriate water-sharing agreements, February 07, 2013)

On February 16, 2013,electronic media reported thatArunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki plans to ask the central government to look into China constructing three hydropower projects on the Brahmaputra river in Tibet.  He was much  concerned  because he was not certain about the size of these dams.  Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had also requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take up with China the matter regarding the construction of the three dams on the Brahmaputra.

(Source:http://zeenews.india.com/news/north-east/chinese-dams-worry-arunachal-pradesh_829401.html

Claude Arpi, feels that the solution is definitively not building more dams in Arunachal Pradesh.He gives two examples to show how these dams are security threats. One is thecollapse of the Malpasset dam in France on December 2, 1959. He writes

Shortly after 9 pm, the entire dam wall broke open, with only a few blocks remaining on the right bank. The breach created a massive wave -- 40 metres high -- which moved at a speed of 70 km per hour. It destroyed two small villages, Malpasset and Bozon, the highway construction site nearby and 20 minutes later reached the town of Frjus. The wave was still three metres high. Various small roads and railroad tracks were destroyed on the way and the western half of Frjus town was flooded.

The tragedy claimed the lives of 423 people.

According to a French television documentary, the collapse of the Malpasset dam could have been an act of terrorism by Algeria's National Liberation Front. Apri feels the dam construction should also be viewed in the light of tense India

China relations.

The seismology of the area should also be considered.

Recently, a study by the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore revealed for the first time that in 1255 and 1934, two great earthquakes ruptured the surface of the earth in the Himalayas.Quakes also occurred in 1897, 1905, 1934 and 1950, with magnitudes between 7.8 and 8.9 on the Richter Scale, and caused tremendous damage.Professor Paul Tapponnier of the French Academy of Sciences, discovered that the 1934 earthquake did rupture the surface of the earth, damaging the ground across an area of more than 150 km, in the Himalayas.Building dams in these areas is a dangerous business.

 (Source: Claude Arpi, China's dams on Brahmaputra can be dangerous business

February 07, 2013 22:00 IST Rediff.com)

In view of flood devastations in Uttarakhand Himalaya dam construction projects should be thoroughly reviewed in the Himalayan region.

देवभूमि ही नहीं बचेगी तो देवता कहां पूजोगे?

हिमालय ,पर्यावर्णीय क्षेत्र ,तीर्थयात्री,तिब्बतदेवभूमि ही नहीं बचेगी तो देवता कहां पूजोगे?

परसों(19,06,2013) एक टी वी चैनल में मेधा पाटकर के जब हिमालय जैसे नाजुक पर्यावर्णीय क्षेत्र में तीर्थयात्रियों के लाखों की संख्या में जाने पर हल्के से एतराज करने पर भा.ज.पा.पक्ष रखने आई प्रतिनिधि इतना भड़क गई कि एंकर को हस्तक्षेप करना पड़ा और कहना पड़ा कि इस मुद्दे को साम्प्रदायिक रंग नहीं दें।जब देश का मुकुट ध्वस्त हो रहा हो एक वाजिब चिंता पर ऐसी जानी मानी वकील का इस तरह विफरना हैरान कर गया। साथ ही गांधी की 1909 में हिंद स्वाराज में की गई तथा कांचा इलैया की मैं हिंदू क्यों नही हूं में की गई टिप्पणी याद आगई। हिंद स्वराज में रेल यातायात व्यवस्था की आलोचना करते हुए गांधी कहते हैं कि रेल व्यवस्था आदमी की शैतान प्रवृति को बढ़ावा देती है।इसकी वजह से भारत के पवित्र स्थान अपवित्र हो गए हैं। प्राचीन काल में तीर्थाटन बड़ा मुस्किल काम था। भक्ति में लीन लोग ही जाते थे।हमारे महान पुरुषों ने पैदल या बैल गाड़ी में पूरे देश का भ्रमण किया । रेल के बहाने आधुनिक व्यवस्था पर प्रहार करते हुए गांधी कहते हैं कि अफीम का नशा करने वाले को  उसके नुकसानों का पता अफीम का सेवन करने के बाद ही पता चलता है।पवित्र अपवित्र का तो पता नहीं। लेकिन वैध और अवैध खनन्, डायनमाइट से विस्फोट कर सड़क, टनल आदि का निर्माण, बांधों का निर्माण, अनियंत्रित तीर्थाटन तथा पर्यटन ने हिमालय को रौंद दिया है।

      गड़वाल की अर्थव्यवस्था हमेशा से ही तीर्थाटन पर आधारित थी। लेकिन आधुनिक यातायात व्यवस्था व पर्यटन व्यवस्था के विकास से पहले ये तीर्थयात्री पैदल अपनी जान जोखिम में डालकर तीर्थयात्रा करते थे।उनकी यात्रा से स्थानीय पारिस्थितिकी पर कोई कुप्रभाव नहीं पड़ता था। आज ये सवाल मौजू है कि क्या लाखों पर्यटकों तथा तीर्थयात्रियों के लिए आधुनिकतम सुविधाएं देने के नाम पर जो जोर जबरदस्ती  हिमालय के साथ होरही है उसको कब तक यह नाजुक पर्वत सहन कर पाएगा। अब जब मुस्किल समय आया है तो  राहत व बचाव में होरही देरी का कारण भारत सरकार के गृहमंत्री तथा सूचना मंत्री हिमालय की विषम परिस्थितियों को बता रहे थे। गृह मंत्री ने बताया कि घाटियां इतनी संकरी हैं कि और अधिक संख्या में हैलिकोप्टर नहीं लगाए जा सकते हैं। मनीश तिवारी भी डिफिकल्ट टर्रेन की हवाला दे रहे थे। काश इन सरकारों ने तथाकथित विकास की नीतियों को बनाते समय इन नैसर्गिक सीमाओं का आंकलन किया होता।

क्या इस साल की तबाही प्रकृति का धैर्य चूकने की निशानी नहीं है। तबाहियां पहले भी होती रही हैं। 1970 की अलखनंदा की बाढ़ चिपको आंदोलन की जनक थी। लेकिन स्वार्थी तत्वों को इसकी परवाह नही । हो भी क्यों उनकी झोली तो हमेशा भरती रहती है। मरते तो स्थनीय लोग हैं या पर्यटक तथा तीर्थयात्री ।तीर्थयात्रा का जो जनून पैदा किया जाता है उससे भी तो उसी माफिया की ही झोली भरती जो पहाड़ को लूट रहा है। अब सरकार ने अपनी तिजोरी राहत और पुनर्वास के लिए खोल दी है। मुझे1980 के दशक में छपी पी. साइनाथ की पुस्तक एवरीबडी लव्स ए गुड ड्रौट की याद आरही है। इस किताब में लेखक ने बताया कि किस प्रकार स्वार्थी तत्व राहत और पुनर्वास के लिए आबंटित राशि की लूट करते हैं।

यहां पर कांचा इलैया की टिप्पणी प्रासंगिक  हो जाती है।अपनी पुस्तक में इलैया लिखते हैं कि जो लोक देवता होते हैं उनके मंदिर भब्य या विशाल नही होते। इन देवताओं की स्थानीय निवासियों के हितों के संरक्षण में अहम भूमिका रही होती है। इसीलिये सभी स्थनीय लोग इन्हें अरिष्ट निवारक के रूप में देखते है।इनकी पूजा अर्चना के लिए किसी बिचौलिए की आवश्यकता नहीं होती, न ही प्रार्थना के लिए किसी देव वाणी की। हर इंसान अपनी निजी भाषा में  बिना पवित्रता अपवित्रता की परवाह किये व किसी टीमटाम के बगैर इनकी पूजा अर्चना कर सकता है। गांधी भगवान को जातियों के बीच नहीं बाटते और लिखते हैं कि हमारे पूर्वज जानते थे कि पूजा घर में भी की जासकती थी। मन निर्मल हो तो गंगा घर में ही बहती है। इसलिए तीर्थयात्रा आध्यात्म के लिए आवश्यक नहीं है।

भब्य तीर्थस्थान बनाकर तीर्थाटन को बढ़ाने का भी एक अर्थशास्त्र है। दुर्भाग्य से धर्म के नाम पर चलाया गया यह अर्थशाशास्त्र भी पर्यावरण की परवाह नहीं करता। शायद ही कोई धर्म होगा जो पर्यावरण के प्रतिकूल आचरण को मान्यता देता हो। लेकिन दलाई लामा तथा स्वर्गीय स्वामी निगमानंद को छोड़कर आजकल के किसी धर्मगुरु को पर्यावरण के बारे में चिंता करते नहीं सुना। उल्टे हमारे नामी ग्रामी बापू लोग अपने भक्तों को हैलिकोप्टर से अमरनाथ लेजाकर वहां रामकथा करते हैं। उनको कोई मतलब नहीं कि हवा के प्रदूषण तथा बढ़ते तापमान से बाबा बर्फानी पिघल जाते हैं या नहीं। रामायण  में पर्यावरण को किस तरह देखा गया है इससे उन्हें कोई मतलब नहीं है।मतलब धर्मभीरु लोगों को होना चाहिये। उनको समझना चाहिये कि हिमालय उजाड़ने में लगा माफिया तो इसको लूट कर कहीं और लूटने चला जायगा। यदि हिमालय ही नहीं रहेगा हिमवासी नहीं रहेंगे तो क्या वे तीर्थाटन या पर्यटन कर पाएंगे।

हिमालय की विकट स्थिति को शायद ध्यान में रखते हुए एक अंय चैनल में हृदयेश जोशी सुझा रहे थे कि हमें चीन से सीख लेनी चाहिये और मानसरोवर यात्रा की तरह हिमालय के तीर्थ स्थानों की यात्राओं को भी सुनियोजित तथा सुनियंत्रित करना चाहिये। मन किया कि उनसे कहू हमें चीन से नही हमें तिब्बियों से सीखना चाहिये जो तिब्बत की नाजुक पारिस्थितिकीय(fragile ecology) की दुहाई दे रहे हैं, और उस पवित्र भूमि की संभाल सकने की क्षमता(carrying capacity ) के अनुसार ही वहां आधुनिकता की धमाचौकड़ी करने की इजाजत देने की मांग कर रहे हैं। यह बात अलग है कि उनकी कोई सुन नही रहा है। सुने भी क्यों अपने हिमालय की तरह ही तिब्ब्त भी चीन के लिये सोने का अंडा देने वाली मुर्गी जो है।    

It is the Question of Our Social Mentality

Mrinal Pande in her informative article in Ravivari Jansatta dated 17^th Feb. 2013 referred to traditional Indian mentality governing our attitude towards various aspects of our life. Of late many incidents took place which showed that even in this era of globalization and liberalization when many traditions are giving way to so- called modern norms the typical traditional Indian mentality of inequality and exploitation still reins our attitude to life.

One such incident was the brutal rape and murder of a young women on 16^th Dec. 2012 which shook the capital and the members of civil society were on the roads of capital city Delhi braving police lathis and water canons. But what were we demanding –security from the patriarchal state. We were not asking the State create such conditions which would enable the women to enjoy the Right to Equality enshrined in the Fundamental Rights chapter of our Constitution. Implementation of Right to Equality for women implies that men have to exercise restrain on themselves. In our present days patriarchal set up men think it is their monopoly to move around in any form anywhere and any hour of day and night. Women have to be so called ‘properly clad’ and properly escorted and at the top of it has to venture out during earthly hours only. Therefore, when security was demanded politicians of all hues and shades, religious leaders and even the leaders of the so called cultural organizations came out with their outdated patriarchal comments and sermons that women should mind their limits. The Prime Minister, the Home Minister, supported the demand saying that the prevailing unsafe environment was their concern too. After all both of them were the poor fathers (each having three daughters ). Even in that tense environment nobody took affront to this remark. We all know fathers of three sons do not project themselves as hapless beings. The moral of the story is that we might criticize patriarchy .But we have not shed our patriarchal attitudes.

Secondly it is our traditional mindset to pay back in the same coin. Naturally securing justice according to this mentality the killers should get killed, not creating such environment that in future innocent persons do not loose their life and liberty without any rime and reason. Therefore, the  spokespersons of the movement were demanding new law prescribing death sentence for rape knowing fully well that no law could be applied with retrospective effect. There were enough reports showing omissions and commissions in the implementation of existing laws that gave free hand to the perpetrators of crime. But there was no pressure on the authorities to get the officers responsible for these omissions and commissions punished. They were not made accountable inspite of Verma Commission’s strictures on Delhi Police. Now the whole attentions is on Verma Commissions Report for which the autonomous women’s movement is congratulating itself and the ordinance issued by the Government.

In the traditional Indian society we have the culture of treating some as more equal than others. This was fully reflected here. The anger was on perpetrators of crime  and lower level police functionaries. It was being repeatedly asserted that they come from the same background therefore anti women.(There is enough data to prove that at higher level too insensitivity towards women is rampant.) The difficult conditions in which these lower level police functionaries operate was not their concern. The higher level officers who have all the facilities, and powers were not made accountable for the failures of the lower level ones. One got an impression that it were the poor rural or migrant who made the environment for women unsafe not the alienation of city life.

Another incident which  showed how deep rooted was caste in the Indian mindset was the observation made by Prof. Ashish Nandi at Jaipur literary festival. It is interesting to note that  nobody not even Prof. Nandi justified the words he used. But all of his supporters were trying to cover up in the name of freedom of expression. At the same time protesters were being told that they could not grasp the seriousness and originality of Prof. Nandi’s  ideas.  In this way they were trying to divert the attention from the main issue whether Prof. Nandi  

violated the Act enacted to prevent atrocities on SCs and STs. In the process they completely ignored Article 17 of our Constitution abolishes untouchability. They were by their  arguments indirectly re-enforcing it. Finally Supreme Court advised Prof Nandi to be careful in future. But the supporters still did not give in and continued their defense of Prof. Nandi. In this whole exercise they forgot untouchability . To make this fundamental Right  a reality for the SCs using castist language has been made illegal. How can rights of untouchables get priority over upper castes right to freedom of expression is a moot question. Luckily  the Supreme Court Prof. Nandi not to hurt the feelings of people by his utterances.

It is Continuation of Darbar Culture

This year the whole of North India was under the grip of unprecedented cold wave. There were reports of cold wave deaths from the cities and towns but the news of local governments measures to help homeless people were conspicuous by their absence. These winter months are also seasons for various functions to be hosted by the Central and various state governments. The report of cold wave deaths did not mar the gaiety of these functions While the poor were forced to live and die in open under the sky without adequate blankets or bonfire arrangements, the popularly elected governments of all political parties were holding these functions with full pomp and show. The flowers used to decorate the venues might have cost huge amounts. A little bit of austerity could provide some warmth to a few souls.   ,

The last but not the least of these extravaganzas is the  much hipped Congress Chintan Shivir. This Shivir  was actually formalization of Rahul Gandhi,s number two position in the Party. Except Rahul Gandhi,s speech today there was no chintan about the worsening condition of common Indian in the speeches of either the Prime Minister or the Congress President or of any other leader. Just before Chintan the government did rub salt in the wounds of common Indian by increasing petrol and disel prices. Rahul Gandhi talk about his aim of working for the welfare of common Indian and common Congress worker. Unfortunately this commitment was nowhere reflected in practice. The way the whole city and the venue was decorated, the posters and banners,  and the kinds of VVIP arrangements for the shivir, the celebrations after the already known announcement all over the country showed that it was less about assuming responsibility more about getting enthroned to power. The whole exercise seems a continuation of Darbar culture which the British rulers  used to show their might and affluence to their subjects or the slaves. The Imperial Government held these darbars in 1877, 1903, and 1911. The Durbar of 1877 was held beginning on 1 January 1877 to designate the coronation and proclaim Queen Victoria as Empress of India. It was attended by the 1st Earl of Lytton—Viceroy of India, maharajas, nawabs and intellectuals. In this darbar also Queen Victoria in her Message to the people of India promised  that under our rule all from the highest to the humblest, may feel that the great principles of liberty, equity,  and justice are secured to them. She further stressed that objects of her Empire was to promote their happiness. their prosperity, and advance their  welfare.(taken from wikipedia). In practice we all know this did not happen. India and the Indian people were bled white. The last eight years of Congress rule has virtually bled white Indian people and there is no sign of remorse. On the Contrary the Prime Minister was patting his own back for his achievements. The British has left this country but the Darbar culture at the cost of the people continues. 

Why do the politicians get away with their sexist statements?

Why do the politicians get away with their sexist statement
They might be belonging to ant political party or coming from any region of the country or believing in any religion they vie with each other in issuing anti women statements at slightest threat to their perception of patriarchy.
Though these statements are contrary to the spirit of law, the Constitution and judgments of the highest court of justice but the leaders issuing them never get prosecuted. Their political parties do not take any disciplinary action against them. Rather the top leadership stands behind them and they are made heroes. The most unfortunate thing is they do not get defeated in the elections for adopting anti women posture.
Why? The groups claiming to be working for women's cause must ponder. Women are at least 48 percent of this country's population. Almost all of them in one form or other are subordinated to patriarchy. But the so called lower castes and class are worst victims of both the upper caste patriarchy and the patriarchy of their own caste and community. The patriarchal oppressions are ingrained in our minds from our childhood and we take these oppression as irritants to be tolerated in our day today life. Because of this internalization women did not react to three daughters- syndrome. If we women develop the habit of questioning  these shuttle patriarchal subordination and oppressions, than the men having  the  habit of  uttering anti women words would be careful. Thus slowly an environment would develop in which women could breathe as equal citizens. Such  women would naturally react to the sexist statements made against them by political leaders, and would vote against them . The ball is in our court. If we can create an environment of zero tolerance to all the attitudes and behaviors reflecting inequality and oppression than these political leaders will have to mend their behavior towards weaker sections of the society . Once there is some sort of consensus on giving human respect to weak and vulnerable on the ground of cast, creed, religion and gender, then it would be possible to get punished the stray cases of people humiliating fellow beings on aforementioned grounds. It is a long a slow battle.

तीन बेटियों के बेचारे पिता

16 दिसंबर 2012 के आम महिला तथा उसके पुरुष मित्र के विरुद्ध अमानवीय दर्दनाक हिंसा के बाद हुए स्वतः स्पूर्त जन आंदोलन के दौरान आम महिलाओं के विरुद्ध होने वाली हिंसा के कई मामले सामने आए।साथ ही तीन बोटियों के बेचारे पिता होने के हादसे भी सामने आए। सबसे महत्वपूर्ण बात यह है कि तीन बोटियों के बेचारे पिता होने वाले ये महानुभाव आमजन नही वरन् भारतीय अर्थव्यवस्था, (जीडीपी, बाजार, विदेशी मुद्रा आदि) के कर्णधार व भाग्यविधाता है। यह सारी चीजें सुचारुरुप से चलती रहें इसलिये कानून व्यवस्था वनाए रखने की जिम्मेदारी इन्ही के मजबूत कंधों पर है। पर अचानक आम महिला की (अ)सुरक्षा का प्रश्न उजागर होगया (आम भारतीय की सुरक्षा इनकी प्रार्थमिकता नही लगती है) तो इनको अपनी बेचारगी का इजहार कर जन सहानुभूति बटोरने को मजबूर होना पड़ा। मैं सोच रही थी कि क्या कभी तीन बेटों का पिता किसी कपूत के पिता की दांसता सुनकर अपनी बेचारगी इसी प्रकार सार्वजनिक करेगा। अपनी 65 साल की आयु में तो मैंने किसी माता पिता को बेटे होने पर बेचारे बनते नहीं देखा।

जब खास इतने मजबूर हैं तो आम तीन बोटियों के बेचारे पिता की हालत तो समझ समझ से परे है। अब उन बेचारों की कौन कहे जिनकी छः सात बेटिया ही बेटियां हैं। काश इन तीन बोटियों के बेचारे पिताओं ने सोचा होता कि जब ये अपनी बेचारगी बार बार बता रहे थे हम बेटियों पर क्या गुजर रही थी। पता नहीं इन महानुभावों की बेटियों ने इनकी इस सोच पर आपत्ति जताई कि नहीं।हमें सोचना होगा कि क्या बेटी के लिए दुराग्रह का मूल इसी भावना में तो नही है। जब तक लड़की को माता पिता बेटिया पालना मजबूरी मानते रहेंगे समाज में उसे समानता कैसे हासिल होगी।

      हम बेटियों को ऊपर वाले का शुक्रगुजार होना चाहिये कि हमारी महिला मुख्य मंत्री, हमारे उपराज्यपाल(शायद) हमारे राष्ट्रपति तीन  बोटियों के बेचारे माता या पिता नहीं है। उनको सहारा देने के लिए बेटे हैं। अभी राष्ट्रपति महोदय के प्रबुद्ध सुपुत्र ने आंदोलन में भाग लेने वाली महिलाओं पर अपनी (अ)बुद्धिमतापूर्ण टिप्पणी से समस्त महिला समाज को उद्वेलित कर दिया है। उनकी अपनी बहन ने उनके बयान से अपनी असहमति जताई है।
राष्ट्रपति के सांसद सुपुत्र ने अपने शब्द वापस लेलिये हैं। परंतु इससे व्यवस्था के पितृसत्तात्मक चरित्र (जो हुक्मरानों के उपरोक्त वक्तव्यों से साफ होजाता है) में कोई फरक नहीं पड़ता। इससे यह साफ होजाता है कि आम नारी के लिये इस पितृसत्तात्मक खांचे को तोड़कर उसको इंसानी वातावरण में सांस लेने का अधिकार हासिल करना कितना दुरूह है। जब तक समाज को उसके   पितृसत्तात्मक  दुराग्रहों से बाहर निकालने के लिये आवश्यक कदम नही उठाये जाएंगे तब तक नारी को समान अधिकार तथा अवसर नहीं मिल सकते हैं। पिछले 10-12 दिनों में एक बात बार बार कही जारही थी कि नारी का उत्पीड़न करने वाले तथा पुलिस कांस्टेबल एक ही तबके से आते हैं।लेकिन करीब करीब हर राजनीतिक दल से संबंधित नेता जिस तरह महिलाओं के लिए अभद्र टिप्पणी करते रहे हैं उससे यह साफ हो जाता है कि पितृसत्तात्मक सोच किसी जाति , धर्म, वर्ग या शहर ,या गांव तक सीमित नहीं हैं। समय आगया है कि अब इस जातिवादी, वर्गवादी, शहर या गांववादी सोच से ऊपर उठ कर यह मानने का साहस किया जाय कि समाज के जिस भी कोने में पितृसत्तात्मक सोच विद्यमान है उसको झाड़पोछ कर बाहर फैंक दिया जाय। यह तभी संभव होगा जब सर्वप्रथम राजनीतिक दलों के नेताओं को उनके महिला विरोधी बयानों के लिए सजा मिले। यदि ऊचे तबके के लोग कानून के शिकंजे में आऐंगे तो नीचे के तबके के लोगों तक संदेश स्वतः ही चला जाएगा