Click
here to read the previous part ….and making hullabaloo to irrationally
stop the much needed projects for state development and employment directly or
indirectly.
There has to be balanced approach and those affected must be
taken into confidence before taking any decision. It is easier to waste
public money in projects and then suddenly stop it for politics.
Imagine if money had been there from their own pocket, no
one would have taken such topsy-turvy decisions. That Allahabad
For one; decision for Uttarakhand peoples must be by our
peoples not outsiders.
It should not be based on the whims and fancies of so
called ‘Saints’ from outside who even don’t know the ground realities and
problems being faced by the local peoples.
See if local peoples can be taken into confidence then they
can be of much help during such devastation also. Perhaps they are more aware
of those cracks in the mountains, part of land about to slide or dangerous
turns prone to accidents, coming “Gaderas”, safety places besides other help in
case of disasters.
Perhaps administration could engage local youth and
volunteers (even pay them for this as one can get many unemployed youth in
our state) as guide and help at different places on the whole route and camps
during start of the Pilgrim seasons or after any such calamity (landslide,
earthquake etc.). They can be given basic training and material for such
situations beforehand.
I would like to quote
Sri Dev Suman, who in a conference (1938) in Srinagar attended by the likes of Pandit
Nehru and Vijayalakshmi Pandit has emphasized the concept of unity of Garhwal when
he said that-
“Agar Ganga Humari
Maa hokar bhi hume apas me milane ke bajaye do hisson me bantati hai to hum Ganga ko kat denge”
If river Ganga, in the capacity of a mother divides us into
two parts rather joining us then we will cut Ganga
apart
.
The literal meaning of the quote can be very upsetting but
not going into that the thing is economic development, stopping migration,
creating employment in is caused by “Electricity, Roads and Water”
in layman’s language. And all these have some repercussions which can be
minimized and managed with proper pre planning and maintenance and timely
action.
Environmentalist and scientist can sit over and rather only
pasting gloomy picture must contemplate on some middle path. It is
easier to criticize (like I do most of the time here) than suggest some
practical concrete measures.
A kind of sustainable
development is need of ours. Cost benefit analysis approach is needed not only
in the monetary terms but in terms of social and cultural perspective.
The views expressed
here are personal and not intended to hurt anyone personally and last but not
least- your comments are solicited.
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