Joshimath: catastrophe in making

Earth does not belong to man, but it is man who belongs to the earth. Nature has time and again proved this fact and have shown- who is the master? Nature maintains balance and replenishes & recuperates itself in its own way; but when the carrying capacity of the Nature/Earth breaches a certain threshold limit it responds in the most brutal manner.

    Joshimath catastrophe is testimony to this universal reality. Joshimath and nearby areas like karnprayag and guptkashi in Chamoli district are experiencing land subsidence and landslides. Buildings, houses, roads and other existing infrastructure developing fissures and cracks. It seems the whole town is sinking.

Causes- 

Immediate cause which triggered the current developments in the Joshimath can be traced to the February 2021 Flood due to glacial lake burst which severely affected and damaged the area. Situation has further worsened since then.

• Natural Causes- 

Joshimath (Chamoli District), located in the foothills of Garhwal Himalayas at an altitude of 1890 meters, drained by Alaknanda and Bhagirathi River, is prone to Landslides, Land subsidence and Earthquakes due to its fragile nature, geological formations and active tectonism (categorised as High-Risk Seismic Zone-V).  Himalayas, the youngest fold mountains in the world are susceptible to high erosion, landslides and earthquakes.

    Furthermore, the area around Joshimath town is located on the layer of loose material and highly weathered gneiss rocks which makes it highly vulnerable to sinking.

    Again, sinking of land may also be caused by depression in the ground occurred due to water flowing beneath the surface.

• Human activities-  

Felling of trees for commercial purposes, road construction, urbanization, increasing population, construction of dams and reservoirs destabilize and weaken the topography and further causes land sinking. 

Joshimath is a gateway to spiritual and tourist destinations like Badrinath, Hemkund Sahib, Auli etc. Due to this factor Hotels, lodging houses and eateries have mushroomed in this area. Commercial activities have increased in the area, which caused increase in the population and overexploitation of under ground water.

Char-dham Highway project and hydroelectric power projects are also being built to improve connectivity and infrastructure. NTPC’s Tapovan Vishnugad hydro power project is also a cause of concern, whose tunnel passes through geologically fragile area below Joshimath. 

All the above developmental activities have made the area further prone to disasters, and the additional burden caused the soil to dip and has led to the sinking of the town. It seems human causes are primarily responsible for the tragedy in Joshimath.

Early warnings by Committees and reports

Earlier, committees and reports have also emphasized this issue and raised alarm bells in view of increasing human activities in the region. 

In 1976, the government-appointed MC Mishra Committee had already warned that Joshimath was sinking and the construction work should be avoided in the area because of its sensitive nature. Furthermore, the “Uttarakhand Disaster 2013 “report by National Institute of Disaster Management identified dam construction as one of the reasons for increasing Landslides.

But irony is that Economic Development always get primacy over sustainable development which leads to major disaster in future.

What is being done-

Joshimath has been declared as a landslide subsidence zone, families are being rehabilitated and relocated to temporary relief centres.

National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad and the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun to conduct study of Joshimath through satellite imagery

Technical support of Geological survey of India, which is a nodal agency for such cases, is also being taken

What is to be done-

Landslides and land subsidence are regular features of the Uttarakhand Himalayan ecosystem. Therefore, prevention and mitigation of the disaster is the only way out. Micro-zonation of the area, and after that micro planning of each zone as per their geology should be undertaken 

Construction activities and resource exploitation should not go beyond the carrying capacity of the area.

Nature has its own tolerance level and limits which should be respected at any cost. As has been said by Gandhi Ji that “There is enough on earth for everybody’s need, but not enough for everybody’s greed”. When greed takes priority over need and natural resources are exploited beyond the permitted threshold, Nature brings to the fore catastrophe like Joshimath land subsidence. Nature’s ire is nothing short of a warning to human beings, which must be heeded if we want to save our own existence.

Trust Narendra Modi: For New and Prosperous India

Dear All (Narendra Modi Supporters and Non-Supporters),

Hope you all are doing well!

            Considering the recent negative ecosystem being created against the personality, policy, approach, capability and intentions of our Prime Minister, I have something to share which you may like or not depending upon your deep seated preoccupations and prejudices against Narendra Modi. You may have your own perceptions. At the same time I also have a right to speak my mind. So here we go….

  

First and foremost thing which I need to mention here that “Do not be so skeptical of the capabilities and intentions of Narendra Modi@narendramodi, One of the most beloved and talked about Prime Minister of India”. #TrustModi, He is more mature, have more political experience, being PM has deeper access to and understanding of confidential and classified information affecting the country than we people have. He knows much better as to when and how to react to a particular situation.

            Anti-Modi lobby including Congress-Left alliance (Some people), Some Media Houses, NGOs (Not all),ISI with its sleeper cells in India, LeT and other Terrorist organizations, Radical Islamists(Not all Muslims) are hell bent to dethrone Modi in 2019 by whatever means. They have moles in almost every nook and corner of India and in every Government Agency including Army and Intelligence.

            Strong chances are that Pakistan in cahoots with these Anti-India forces and some Politicians with vested interests will try to wage a small scale war against India on West Front to destabilize NDA Government and India's economy before 2019 elections. Increasing infiltration and Intensified Cross border shelling testify to this fact.

            In this case China could also open another front against India on eastern sector in collusion with Pakistan to pressurize India to toe it’s line and accept it’s dominance in the region. As bilateral relations are in "sensitive zone" now a days in Post-Doklam Scenario, China has also started consolidating it’s presence in Indian Ocean by cosying up to Maldives and Srilanka; and by  frequently sending it's Submarines, Warships, Frigates to Indian Ocean, a development which is a cause of concern for India. China wants India to accept it's One Belt One Road Initiative. India is opposing this vehemently as China Pakistan Economic Corridor (part of OBOR) passes through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, which is an integral part of India. This is considered by India as a breach and transgression of its sovereignty. Miffed by this stance of India, China has launched a kind of psychological warfare against India on three fronts.

            Considering this scenario, and knowing it very well that actual threat lies inside the country, which could internally destroy and disintegrate the country in case of external aggression,  Modi Government, tactfully, has softened it's stand towards China as evident by recent developments in post-Doklam scenario. Tackling Pakistan and it's supporters of its evil design inside the country is major challenge.

            Modi's frequent visits to UAE; recent visit to Palestine; Iranian President's visit and his address to Muslims in Hyderabad; Jordan King's visit, Modi's breaking protocol and receiving him on the airport’s tarmac; King's address in Vigyan Bhawan criticising Radical Islam all over the world and increasing radicalization of muslim youths says a lot. In the presence of who's who of Islamic Seminaries and Islamic preachers and Sufis in India, Modi's showering praise of contribution of Sufism and Islam in Indian Culture, and exhorting muslim youths to shun extremism and radicalism and contribute in country's growth by telling them to hold Quran in one hand and computer in another hand; Modi's two minutes surprised silence in reverence of Azaan, while speaking in party office after spectacular performance in North East elections.

            All these gestures have deep meaning pointing towards his concerted efforts for unifying and strengthening the country, saving it from the clutches of Radicalization, Extremism, Chaos, Anarchy and Civil War. Main task in hand is to contain the hidden enemies. So trust him, believe in whatever he is doing, you may not like it as an individual but in the larger interest of the country he is doing more than enough which you may not comprehend. A person who has sacrificed his whole life for serving the motherland, who is still toiling hard 24*7 for the betterment of the country deserve your respect as well as your trust. Stand with him and support him in this pious cause of serving and nourishing the country to make a #New India, based upon the principle of #SabkaSaath-SabkaVikaas, in which everyone could live a peaceful, prosperous and healthy life.

Jai Hind-Jai Bharat

# नौकरशाहों की भूमिका #

लोग चर्चा कर रहे हैं कि योगी जी पुरानी सरकार के साथ काम कर चुके नौकरशाहों को ठिकाने लगा कर नए अधिकारियों कि तैनाती क्यों नहीं कर रही है?  पहले की सरकारों ने तो सरकार बदलते ही अधिकारियों को ताश के पत्तों कि तरह फेंट दिया था और अपने चुनिंदा अधिकारियों की तैनाती सचिवालय से लेकर जिलों और थानों में कर दी थी . ऐसा आखिर क्या  ख़ास है इन अधिकारियों में कि नई सरकार उनमे इतना भरोसा दिखा रही है.

शायद आपको पता होगा कि उत्तर प्रदेश सरकार को प्रधान मंत्री कार्यालय से कुछ बेसिक टिप्स दिए जा रहे हैं इसीलिए योगी जी के निर्णयों में मोदी जी के काम करने के स्टाइल कि झलक साफ़ देखी जा सकती है. पुराने नौकरशाहों का इस्तेमाल कैसे करना है और कब तक करना है ये सब पूर्व निर्धारित है और एक योजना के तहत हो रहा है. मोदी जी को "ब्यूरोक्रेटिक मैनेजमेंट" में महारत हासिल है. आप को याद होगा २०१४ में जब केंद्र में मोदी सरकार आई तो मोदी जी ने कई वरिष्ठ नौकरशाह जो कांग्रेस की सरकार के साथ काम कर चुके थे उन्हें उन महत्वपूर्ण पदों पर बनाये रखा और उन्ही से काम लेते रहे. उनमे से कई अधिकारी तो गृह मंत्रालय और वित्त मंत्रालय जैसे विभागों में अभी भी डटे हुए हैं  जैसे राजीव मह्रिषी और शक्तिकांता दास और ज़बरदस्त काम कर रहे हैं. 

मुझे लगता है चूँकि ये अधिकारी पुरानी सरकार के साथ काफी समय से काम कर रहे थे, इसलिए इसमें कोई संदेह नहीं कि ये पिछली सरकार के कारनामो, घपलों और घोटालों से भी भली भांति परिचित होंगे. कौन सी हेराफेरी किसके कहने पे हुई; किसके दबाव में किसको बड़े बजट वाले टेंडर्स दिए गए; किन योजनाओं में कितने बड़े स्तर के घोटाले हुए हैं, किसके कहने पे हुए हैं और कितना कमीशन किस किस ने खाया, ये सारे तथ्य इन अधिकारियों से ज्यादा बेहतर कोई नहीं जानता होगा. इसके साथ साथ इन्हें ये भी पता है की पुरानी वाली सरकार अब अगले १०-१५ साल तक तो आने से रही. अब यही सरकार माई बाप है इसलिए जैसा कहे वैसा करते रहो. ब्यूरोक्रेट कभी किसी पोलिटिकल पार्टी के लिए लॉयल नहीं होता है वो सिर्फ सरकार के प्रति लॉयल होता है और होना भी चाहिए. सभी प्रमुख सचिव और ऊपर के अधिकारियों को ये बात साफ़ साफ़ बता दी गई है की भाई देख लो अगर नई सरकार की प्राथमिकताओं के साथ सामंजस्य बिठा के काम कर सकते हो तो ठीक है नहीं तो नई सरकार किसके साथ क्या क्या कर सकती है इसे बताने की  आवश्यकता नहीं है. मरता क्या न करता वाली हालत है कुछ नौकरशाहों की.  पुरानी सरकार की कारगुजारियों की परते दर परते उधेड़ी जा रही हैं. एक बार ये काम हो जाये फिर इनको भी ठिकाने लगा दिया जायेगा.   

लेकिन ऐसा नहीं है की सारे अधिकारी भ्रष्ट या घूसखोर होते है, इक्के दुक्के ही होते हैं जिन्होंने सबका  नाम ख़राब कर रखा है. ज्यादातर लोकसेवक इस संकल्प के साथ ही सिविल सेवा में आते हैं की उन्हें देश के लिए और समाज के लिए कुछ करना है. दिन में १५-१६ घंटे काम करके वो पूरी लगन से राष्ट्र निर्माण के कार्य में लग जाते हैं; नियम क़ानून से इतर किसी भी काम को करने से साफ़ साफ़ मना कर देते हैं फिर चाहे ट्रांसफर ही क्यों न हो जाये; बड़े जीवट होते हैं ये लोग.

कुछ ऐसे होते हैं जो दबाव में टूट जाते हैं; मंत्री जी अगर नियम विरुद्ध   काम करने को कहें तो ये विरोध तक नहीं करते और बहती गंगा में खुद भी हाँथ साफ़ करने में पीछे नहीं हटते; मलाई मक्खन मंत्री जी के साथ मिल बाँट कर खाते हैं . 

इसके अलावा एक और प्रकार होता है नौकरशाहों का जो कि आपको हर सरकार में बहुतायत में मिलेंगे और ये हर सरकार के चहेते भी होते हैं. ये  नौकरशाहों कि वो प्रजाति है  जिनकी कार्यशैली उत्तम कोटि की होती है, कोई भी काम हो जी जान लगा  के करते है और बड़ी एफीसिएंटली करते हैं.  मंत्री जी अगर इनसे नियम क़ानून में थोड़ा बहुत फेरबदल करने को कहें तो ये उसे कानून के दायरे में रहकर बड़ी आसानी से कर देते हैं. ये प्रजाति मलाई खाने में मंत्री जी कि मदद तो करती है लेकिन खुद मलाई नहीं खाती. 

नई योगी सरकार को प्रदेश में कम से कम अगले एक दशक तक काम करना है और चूँकि ये सरकार बहुत समय बाद सत्ता में आई है इसलिए इनकी अपनी कोई डेडिकेटेड नौकरशाहों कि टीम नहीं है.  फिर अच्छी टीम खड़ी करने में समय तो लगता ही है. #CleanIndiaMission :-)

"अपना काम करने में शर्म कैसी"

अखिलेश बाबू बोल रहे थे - " हमें नहीं पता था कि ये अफसर भी झाडू लगा लेते हैं, नहीं तो मै भी इनसे खूब झाडू लगवाता"

अरे अखिलेश बाबू ये जो आपके अफसर हैं न इनमे से बहुतों ने मुख़र्जी नगर, नेहरू विहार, गाँधी विहार, परमानन्द, ढक्का गांव, करोल बाग़, राजिंदर नगर और इलाहाबाद कि तंग गलियों में छोटे छोटे कमरो में ज़िन्दगी गुज़ारी है. ये झाड़ू लगाने का काम तो इन्हें बखूबी आता है. शायद आपने ही आज तक अपने जीवन में कभी झाडू को हाँथ नहीं लगाया होगा. तभी आप झाड़ू लगाने के काम को इतना हेय और घृणित समझते हैं. क्या आपको पता है गाँधी जी अपने कमरे में खुद झाड़ू लगाते थे और उन्हें इस बात कि कभी शर्म नहीं महसूस हुई. वो तो यहाँ तक कहते थे कि "अपना काम करने में शर्म कैसी" और "स्वच्छता में ही भगवान् का वास होता है"

रोज झाड़ू लगाने से पद, प्रतिष्ठा, सम्मान से उत्पन्न होने वाला अहंकार ख़त्म हो जाता है. आप भी घर में और आस पास रोज झाड़ू लगाना शुरू करिये क्योंकि ऐसा लग रहा है कि रस्सी जल गई पर ऐंठन नहीं गई. अगर आपको अगला चुनाव जीतना है तो इस ऐंठन का जाना अति आवश्यक है.

आपके ये अफसर घाट घाट का पानी पी चुके हैं, इनकी सामर्थ्य का आंकलन आप अभी भी नहीं कर पाए. ये मोदी जी जो छप्पन इंच कि छाती ठोककर विकास पे विकास करते जा रहे हैं, ये सब इन्ही अफसरों कि बदौलत है. अफसरों कि क्षमता तो मोदी जी गुजरात में ही समझ गए थे और दिल्ली में उनका बखूबी इस्तेमाल कर रहे हैं. अखिलेश बाबू अब आप अफसरों को नौकर समझना बंद करिये और मोदी जी से जाके ट्रेनिंग लीजिये कि "ब्यूरोक्रेसी मैनेजमेंट" क्या होता है. अगर आपको अगले १०-१५ साल बाद सत्ता में वापस आने का सौभाग्य प्राप्त हो तो मोदी जी के इस मंत्र का उपयोग ज़रूर करियेगा. हो सकता है कि आप भी कुछ काम करवाना सीख जाएँ. # Swacch Bharat Mission :-)

# Media Should Stop Hate Campaign Against Yogi and Modi #

Even Plato in "Republic" maintains that for better governance only the "Philosopher King" should rule the state. Philosopher king is not prone to corruption and unethical behavior in public life.

Philosopher King means a person having knowledge of both Philosophy/Ethics/Spiritualism and Politics. He further says that Philosopher King should not have his own family (No wife, no children) so that he could dedicate himself completely for the betterment of the state without having any interest on accumulation of wealth for personal gain.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mahant Shri Yogi Aditya Nath has all the qualities of Plato's Philosopher King. Our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi also fulfills the same criteria of being a Philosopher King. And certainly under his able leadership India is rapidly moving towards becoming #IAmNewIndia.

History is being written and we are proud to be a part of it.

# SaveOurTradition #Save Jallikattu

Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, As a concerned citizen of this country i request you to review the ban imposed on Jallikattu. Law must be equally applicable. If involving animals in sports is cruelty;then killing Goats, Buffaloes,Pigs, Cows, Chickens for their flesh is utterly cruel.

Any judgement of the Hon'ble SC must ensure that its essence is equally applicable for each and every individual and customary practices in any society. How can we differentiate two types of cruelty- One involving the animals in a customary sport as part of socio-cultural and religious practice in some southern states; and the other one is related to killing and eating flesh of animals (and for some it is also related to their religion). It's a matter of utter shame that for us latter is less cruel (Infact no cruelty involved) than former just because it satisfies our taste buds. Then my question is that why Cannibalism is also an offence? Is killing and eating animal is less abhor than killing and eating humans? Do Animal's lives have less value than human being? Or we treat them as our slaves (Multipurpose)- Use them not only for our comfort but also...... Oh My God we can also eat them when we please!

Most of these so called Animal Lovers/Activists are Non-vegetarians......They love to eat Mutton, Chicken,Beef, Pork....why do they forget that even in these cases Healthy Animals/Birds are killed.......This is also a cruelty to animals.. I am amazed where their concern/activism go when they eat the roasted/cooked flesh of these animals....where their love for animal vanishes.

Duties are Pious than Rights

Supreme Court recently ordered that National Anthem must be played in all Cinema Halls before screening of a Film and every audience in the Hall must stand up to show respect to the National Anthem, thereby conveying a stern message to the new generation that we must respect National Anthem . 

 Some people like Suhel Seth are opposing this move by Honorable Supreme Court and arguing on CNN NEWS 18 that this is like forcing us to show our patriotism; like forcing us to touch feet of our parents; He contends that SC can not teach us morality.

These foolish people forget that Article 51 A (i) of our constitution which enshrine fundamental duties mentions -"To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem"- as one of our duty. Fundamental Duties are the basis of our citizenship. We are suppose to maintain the dignity of the constitution by not doing anything in violation of the letter and spirit of the constitution. And if someone shows disrespect to the ideals of the constitution i.e. National Anthem, it must be treated as anti-social and anti-national activity as it is like questioning the very existence of a Sovereign Nation.

Again, if someone fails to perform the duties assigned by the constitution, it is the responsibility of the Guardian of the constitution, i.e, Supreme Court, to ensure that citizens of a country follow the duties expected of them by constitution in larger national interest. Yes, sometimes it becomes essential to insist on the observance of morality. Most of the people observe moral behavior because either they are afraid of Law of the Land or they fear that Law of Nature will punish them if they perform some bad deeds or do not follow natural laws. If a child does not touch feet of his parents what is wrong in telling him by his teacher that if he does not do so he shall be punished. 

Elitism laced with ego is clearly discernible in the mentality of these people opposing the move. For a concerned Citizen respect for National Ideals like National Flag and National Anthem should come from within; and if it does not, it is a dangerous symptom for a nation. I am not able to understand why people do not stand up showing respect to National Anthem being played in Cinema Halls? what is it which stops them to do so? For me, something is seriously lacking in their patriotism. These people vigorously demand for their Right to Freedom of Speech and other rights but when it comes to follow the duties they start feeling that they are being forced to do so.

It is pertinent to mention here that there can be no rights in a society where there are no duties. And those disrespecting our National Ideals must be dealt with high handedness. Sometime to maintain order in society and to maintain Integrity and Sovereignty of a nation, it becomes essential to resort to force.