As the newspapers, TV channels are showing images and sad
news from different part of the state. Images of damaged Kedarnath shrine on
one side gives feeling that God was in no mood to forgive anyone except its own
temple and few peoples. One can see flying Helicopters above in the sky,
situation looks bad and deep reading of newspapers and inputs from the lucky
peoples coming from the dangers zones at different places but what hurts more
is the aftermath and the mismanagement after the disaster
Bad picture:
Very fist thing is that there is no conclusive data and
report on who died and who are trapped and where. You are watching news
everywhere but each claims different data with regard to the disaster. Though,
it is quite obvious that this is a difficult task in the mountainous and jungle
area and more so in the panic state of after effect of disaster.
Some reports claim death toll as 180 and around 70000
stranded at different places. Given the calamity and the delay in the relief
mangement by the system, the toll will be much higher. Government data as
you know never tell the real picture.
But the question is why there is no accurate data of who
has gone for the Char Dham Yatra or who has entered those places?
Does this a new event in Uttarakhand? Pilgrims comes every
year and the disasters can happen anytime in the sensitive Himalayan zone and
it is known to everyone.
News like CM Bahuguna scolding lady MLA and advising
media not to blow thing out of proportion (when even buses and big vehicles
are not being traceable he was perhaps of the view that nothing is serious!)
PM and the most
powerful lady of India
just doing rubbish useless air tours and then doing announcements (how
much of this would perhaps reach the affected is always issue of debate in our
system).
Delay in the distribution and carriage of the
necessary material for the relief purpose.
No one seems to be in-charge of the rescue operation, just
passing the buck from one department to another and one official to another.
Helicopter carrying the politicians and officers rather
than the army personnel who are dearly wanted for the relief operations.
Peoples raising slogans against the visiting CM and other
high profilers of the Uttarakhand state.
I read in one newspaper that when some excited local youth
somewhere in those affected areas tried to rope in a coming Helicopter for
supply of some material. The pilot bluntly said (as quoted from the newspaper)
that this Helicopter is exclusively reserved for Saket Bahuguna (son of CM)
Hope that the hovering Helicopters above in sky are
saving those hapless peoples only!
Reports also claimed some selfish businessman fleecing
peoples with increased prices of the necessary goods.
Looking into images of broken road and people stranded on
both side. Why these roads snap so easily and almost regularly? Don’t those
engineers foresee such eventuality while making them? Do they really use good material
for building those roads? Have they designed proper safety of the roads on both
sides? Well there are exceptional areas but believe me if the questions of
above answers are satisfactory. Road block and broken images will be minimized
to some extent.
Mind you the picture can be gloomier in the coming months as
this was just trailer of the monsoon. Hope the Yatris will be out of danger by
that time. But what about those native peoples of Uttarakhand who face the
danger every year.
Good Picture:
Some good pictures include the Army Jawans, NDMA or NDRF
teams and ITBP Jawans helping out peoples and some local peoples helping the
deceased and trapped peoples.
Man and material for relief operation and money pouring
in from different states (though it is still to be seen how that much money
is practically reach the needy ones; yes you got it what I want to say).
It was touching to read peoples calling in from far
cities e.g. Dubai
and extending helping hands.
So after enough bashing of the system and its functioning
now come to our own peoples
See as the images of the Ganga ,
Yamuna, Bhilangana, Asiganga, or other rivers just clearing the encroachment
on its sides. The image of Hotel or Dharamshala falling in Uttarkashi, and
the image of a temple being run over by the river water compel me to think
whether they were established after proper clearance of the laws and
safety? I bet the answer will be –“no”.
But here again what the hell those authorities were doing when such
construction work was going on there?
There is beautiful and calm Marine drive near by Ganga River
in Rishikesh. Have you taken a stroll over there especially in the evening? You
will be mesmerized. You know that High court has banned any type of commercial
construction near 200 Ft of the river bank. But you can see many perhaps
illegal constructions within that demarcation.
In fact now some temples are constructed for encroachment
of land.
Above are only few examples, there are many more such
examples.
Peoples (of course not all of those) coming out from outside
mostly from Delhi, UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, etc. are mostly seen as nuisance by
the native peoples (specially those coming for Kanwar Yatra) because of
their eerie driving and littering habit and sometimes creating mischievous
activities.
Most of those road jams during this season are handiwork of
few errands (who need to be taught and treated well by Police!)
Picnic and pilgrimage are or should be little different
thing. Isn’t it?
Pilgrims are supposed to be more sincere and behaving.
Spiritualism and
commercialization are way apart. The camaraderie of both of them in today’s
scenario (where some even sell God), they can’t go hand in hand for long. Spiritualism
has to have an upper hand for the sake of both spiritualism and
commercialization. However what constitutes spiritualism is altogether a
different issue.
What is your say?
Heavy philosophical though Uh!
Though I don’t mean that some one from other states sitting
in the AC rooms and then suddenly coming to gain publicity in the name of
spiritualism…
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welcome.
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