It’s heartening to know that a common consensus is being reached among the various political parties of the state regarding the opposition of delimitation in its present format. So, now one can expect serious protests on this issue in coming days.

But equally disheartening is the launch of another movement, namely “Nadi Bachao Andolan” by some so called aware and concerned individuals. The movement is aimed at raising awareness among the masses regarding the mindless use of the water of various rivers of the state, by the state government and the industry people and in process uniting the masses for an agitation. Noted Uttarakhand poet, Girda, is lending his support to the movement.

Although the objective of the movement is very benevolent, it is doing more harm than good to the people of the state. Not only at present but also future. The reason is simple; this movement is diverting the attention of the people from the more important issue of delimitation. In general it is encouraging a tendency, where every body wants to raise their own issues, instead of supporting a more important cause.

The media coverage to the “Nadi Bachao Andolan” makes this possibility even more pronounce.

Even if the movement is incapable of diverting people, significant enough, to count for much; but at a time when the whole state should stand united in opposition to delimitation, even a single person, going astray is a loss.

I sometimes suspect the intelligence of such people, who raise parallel movements and sometimes do serious damage to the more important cause. One question that I want to put to these people is,” how’re they going to save the rivers from excessive use, when they don’t have adequate voice in the right forums (state assembly and Parliament)? Only morons can imagine of being heard without proper strength in the state assembly and Parliament.

No one will disagree that the rivers are an important resource of the state (and of the country) and they should be conserved, but how’re we going to save these rivers if the power of decision goes to the people who are mere users and are not directly in contact with the river influenced ecosystem. A peasant in Hardwar or Udham Singh Nagar will always want to pump more water out of rivers, why’ll he be concerned with the ecological imbalance in the upper stretches of the rivers. Same is the case for industry people; they’ll always want increasing quantities of water, as that’ll help them make more profit.

So the need of the hour is to stop behaving like morons, and stop launching parallel movements; and strengthen the issues which are important to the present and future of the state.

In a democracy, all the benefits come through the democratic institutions. It is the strength of representation that counts, more than anything else. Every thing can be achieved and every thing can be conserved, if one has sufficient voice.

If the people of the state manage to stall the implementation of Delimitation in its present form (it is not impossible, delimitation in other more acceptable format is implemented in the country in the past), by a united effort, we’ll see all our concerns being heard and resolved to our satisfaction. The need of the hour is that we should restrain ourselves from launching parallel movements.

In one of the media coverage, I saw Girda reciting one of his poems, about rivers, in which every couplet was concluding with the words,

“Bol Byopari Tab kya Hoga”

(Speak merchant what will happen then).

Though I don’t have the kind of poetic skills Girda has, but still I try to say something in his style,

“Agar Delimitation iss roop mein lagoo ho gaya, to Bolo Girda Tab Kya Hoga”,

(If the delimitation I implemented in it present form, say Girda what will happen then).

Below are the linksthat i found quite informtive and thus interesting:

(Copy the links below and paste them on explorer window)

http://andolan.prayaga.org/?p=304

http://andolan.prayaga.org/?p=134

http://www.uttaranchal.ws/issue_delimitation.htm
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