मन व्यथित था, सुकून न मिला
जीवन के अंधड़ में, एकांकी पल न मिला I
बाहर जीवन का कोलाहल है, गहन में श्मशान की निशब्दता है
पंछियों के नाद के पीछे गगन की नीरवता है I
हर मुस्कराते मुखौटे के पीछे, एक अवसाद भरा मन है
एक अज्ञात तृष्णा से त्रस्त अन्तरमन है I
पथ है पर पथिक नहीं, यात्रा है पर गंतव्य नहीं
मंच है पर वक्ता नहीं, संवाद है पर श्रोता नहीं I
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Common Wealth Games 2010
India is patting itself on the back at the seemingly smooth running of the Common Wealth Games 2010, after all the bad and negative publicity it received prior to the opening ceremony. Yes, events have gone on smoothly but was it worth all the effort, time and money that was poured into it? Empty stands, tickets found in a recycle man's bag and not to mention the on going issues, like players experiencing stomach ailments, scoreboards falling off etc. The damage done to India's image is going to stay there for a long, long time to come. The same money could have been utilized to improve infrastructure services, education and accommodation. Perhaps, just like the BJP sponsored hogwash of "India Shining" we want to declare to the world that we are a super power, when in fact, we compete with sub-Saharan nations in poverty, malnutrition and human development. The way Common Wealth Games was preparations were finished, especially the last phase, tells us how the dictatorship and fascism operate. While the big, the influential and the wealthy made millions, the poor labor class was forced to out-stretch themselves beyond humanly possibly limits to complete the work on time and lived under hazardous working conditions. Then, as the foreign athletes, delegates and tourists started arriving, the poor people were rounded up by the police and packed off to their native lands. Instead of spending the money spent on Common Wealth Games, India could have very well carried slum-rehabilitation program, instead they chose to put artificial wall to cut out the sight of dirty, unsightly slums in the national capital.
Anybody, who condones the games has his/her priorities misplaced. Sorry!
Anybody, who condones the games has his/her priorities misplaced. Sorry!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Uttarakhand: Is it ready for another mass movement?
(This write up was published in response to an ongoing thread on a web bulletin board).
[Image Source: Prayaga Org.]
The photograph has in some way, we may not like to hear it, come to symbolize "Pahaad". All one needs is a photograph of a woman in drab outfit with a bundle of wood on her head or a tied up basket on her back stuffed with grass. Nothing else defines a "Pahaad" than a woman or a group of women carrying back breaking load on their heads and their backs and smiling for the photographer. It is my understanding that the progress that a society makes and development that it experiences, is somehow reflected through the life of the womenfolks of that society. We have seen this scene in thousands of myriad photographs taken by hundreds of known and unknown photographers, since the invention of camera and film. While the camera technology has significantly improved since the inception of the photographic technology, the subjects, on the other hand, have remained the same in all the relevant terms of human development.
We must not forget that unlike Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh, Uttarakhand was the result of the decades long struggle waged by the masses without any political party in toe and without any political ideology. What started out as a lone voice emerged as the biggest peaceful mass movement the world had ever seen. The people of the state have been innovative and often relied on community based cooperative actions to build roads, micro-hydroelectrical power plant, planted trees and have done various things together towards greater communal benefit. It is my opinion that a mass movement sterile of any political ideology will falter once the main objective has been achieved. What could be that political ideology would be, I am leaving that to the readers' discretion. I might point it out here as well, that a well intentioned political ideology would have taken care of Uttarakhand and it's needs without surrendering the interests of the people, their language and their culture.
Just read the Comptroller and Auditor General of India's report on Uttarakhand. Out of forty-eight hydro-electrical projects sanctioned in the last 16 years, only 10% of the projects have been completed and that rest are in various stages of construction. Uttarakhand has managed to barely produce some 418.05 MW of electrical generation, out of the projected electricity generation of 2423.10 MW. The CAG report says that 52% of Uttarakhand's own needs are met by its own power resources while it has to import or buy electricity from outside to meet the remaining part of electricity needs. So there goes our "Urja Pradesh" (or Energy State) slogan. It is not "Urja Pradesh" but rather an "Ujda Pradesh" (ruined state). So, sensing that I am going a bit off track, nevertheless I thought to share it with the readers here.
If the delimitation inspire another popular uprising, then it is only inevitable that such a thing would occur. The fighting spirit of the people of Uttarakhand will be tested once again, as they are being cunningly manipulated into the role of lesser important entity. The only saving grace for the Indian nation is, that chances of Uttarakhandis joining hands with anti-India forces is remote, yet they can send enough shivers down the spine of the Indian policymakers sitting in New Delhi. Proximity to China and Maoist Nepal (Darchula in western Nepal is a Maoist stronghold) can run enough scares in New Delhi. It is to be seen, whichever way the Uttarakhandis choose, but whatever be it, it would be borne out of frustration, feeling of being neglected, manipulated and tossed around by all and sundry of national politics.
[Image Source: Prayaga Org.] The photograph has in some way, we may not like to hear it, come to symbolize "Pahaad". All one needs is a photograph of a woman in drab outfit with a bundle of wood on her head or a tied up basket on her back stuffed with grass. Nothing else defines a "Pahaad" than a woman or a group of women carrying back breaking load on their heads and their backs and smiling for the photographer. It is my understanding that the progress that a society makes and development that it experiences, is somehow reflected through the life of the womenfolks of that society. We have seen this scene in thousands of myriad photographs taken by hundreds of known and unknown photographers, since the invention of camera and film. While the camera technology has significantly improved since the inception of the photographic technology, the subjects, on the other hand, have remained the same in all the relevant terms of human development.
We must not forget that unlike Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh, Uttarakhand was the result of the decades long struggle waged by the masses without any political party in toe and without any political ideology. What started out as a lone voice emerged as the biggest peaceful mass movement the world had ever seen. The people of the state have been innovative and often relied on community based cooperative actions to build roads, micro-hydroelectrical power plant, planted trees and have done various things together towards greater communal benefit. It is my opinion that a mass movement sterile of any political ideology will falter once the main objective has been achieved. What could be that political ideology would be, I am leaving that to the readers' discretion. I might point it out here as well, that a well intentioned political ideology would have taken care of Uttarakhand and it's needs without surrendering the interests of the people, their language and their culture.
Just read the Comptroller and Auditor General of India's report on Uttarakhand. Out of forty-eight hydro-electrical projects sanctioned in the last 16 years, only 10% of the projects have been completed and that rest are in various stages of construction. Uttarakhand has managed to barely produce some 418.05 MW of electrical generation, out of the projected electricity generation of 2423.10 MW. The CAG report says that 52% of Uttarakhand's own needs are met by its own power resources while it has to import or buy electricity from outside to meet the remaining part of electricity needs. So there goes our "Urja Pradesh" (or Energy State) slogan. It is not "Urja Pradesh" but rather an "Ujda Pradesh" (ruined state). So, sensing that I am going a bit off track, nevertheless I thought to share it with the readers here.
If the delimitation inspire another popular uprising, then it is only inevitable that such a thing would occur. The fighting spirit of the people of Uttarakhand will be tested once again, as they are being cunningly manipulated into the role of lesser important entity. The only saving grace for the Indian nation is, that chances of Uttarakhandis joining hands with anti-India forces is remote, yet they can send enough shivers down the spine of the Indian policymakers sitting in New Delhi. Proximity to China and Maoist Nepal (Darchula in western Nepal is a Maoist stronghold) can run enough scares in New Delhi. It is to be seen, whichever way the Uttarakhandis choose, but whatever be it, it would be borne out of frustration, feeling of being neglected, manipulated and tossed around by all and sundry of national politics.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
India: World's 3rd Most Powerful Nation
My Underwood is still having some problems. Of late, it has not been typing properly. The ribbon holder does not exactly pushes itself up when the typebar strikes the platen and hence the letters are not getting properly imprinted on the paper.
India third most powerful nation, says US report
Anyway, let me state what I see through this. I do not know what the American think-tank was thinking, when they declared that India is the world's third power after themselves (of course!) and China. Well, they claim to have taken several "insights" from experts from various countries and have conjured up fictional future scenarios to put up the theory. Fictional future scenarios would be as scientific as children's fairy tales. India's ranking in Human Development Index stands at 134. On the Global Hunger Index, India ranks at 66, whereas on that scale Sri Lanka and Pakistan are well ahead of India in rankings at 39 and 61 respectively. The GDP (PPP) per capita ranking of India is at 121 (World Bank) and 128 (IMF). Of course, one could say that India's clout has arisen in the international arena and that India can now boast of 57 billionaires, which in affect shows the that India is progressing and catching up real fast. While, it is true that India has billionaires, the poverty has also increased at alarming levels, especially post-1991 economic liberalization. What good is it to have billionaires affording world class luxuries, while grain is rotting in the godowns and warehouses across the country and people are dying of hunger, malnutrition and have no access to health care, education and accommodation. We have spent some Rs. 3500 crore to organize the Common Wealth Games, most of which has ended up in the pockets of the corrupt ministers, bureaucrats and businessmen. While the budget has shot up by 250% since it's initial estimate, yet nothing seems that will get completed on time. The CWG has come to symbolize how corruption has sunk into the national consciousness and that people hardly care if the likes of Suresh Kalmadi and Co. are making good of their greed. Suresh Kalmadi attacked Mani Shankar Aiyyar when he said he wanted the CWG to fail and called Aiyyar an anti-national. Well, who is the real anti-national here? The whistle-blower or the minister who was writing checks to pay firms that never existed?
A real super power is a country where every section of the society, every individual citizen is taken care of, where every penny every action can be accounted for and justice is dispensed as honestly and as early as possible. We do not find those things in the contemporary Indian context and hence we know that India is NOT global power but a third rate "wanna be".
India third most powerful nation, says US report
Anyway, let me state what I see through this. I do not know what the American think-tank was thinking, when they declared that India is the world's third power after themselves (of course!) and China. Well, they claim to have taken several "insights" from experts from various countries and have conjured up fictional future scenarios to put up the theory. Fictional future scenarios would be as scientific as children's fairy tales. India's ranking in Human Development Index stands at 134. On the Global Hunger Index, India ranks at 66, whereas on that scale Sri Lanka and Pakistan are well ahead of India in rankings at 39 and 61 respectively. The GDP (PPP) per capita ranking of India is at 121 (World Bank) and 128 (IMF). Of course, one could say that India's clout has arisen in the international arena and that India can now boast of 57 billionaires, which in affect shows the that India is progressing and catching up real fast. While, it is true that India has billionaires, the poverty has also increased at alarming levels, especially post-1991 economic liberalization. What good is it to have billionaires affording world class luxuries, while grain is rotting in the godowns and warehouses across the country and people are dying of hunger, malnutrition and have no access to health care, education and accommodation. We have spent some Rs. 3500 crore to organize the Common Wealth Games, most of which has ended up in the pockets of the corrupt ministers, bureaucrats and businessmen. While the budget has shot up by 250% since it's initial estimate, yet nothing seems that will get completed on time. The CWG has come to symbolize how corruption has sunk into the national consciousness and that people hardly care if the likes of Suresh Kalmadi and Co. are making good of their greed. Suresh Kalmadi attacked Mani Shankar Aiyyar when he said he wanted the CWG to fail and called Aiyyar an anti-national. Well, who is the real anti-national here? The whistle-blower or the minister who was writing checks to pay firms that never existed?
A real super power is a country where every section of the society, every individual citizen is taken care of, where every penny every action can be accounted for and justice is dispensed as honestly and as early as possible. We do not find those things in the contemporary Indian context and hence we know that India is NOT global power but a third rate "wanna be".
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
उत्तराखंड की राजधानी के लिए उपयुक्त स्थान
[Editor's note: This write up was first published on a message board in 2009]
उत्तराखंड की राजधानी का मुद्दा बरसों से ठंडे बसते में पड़ा हुआ हैं! उत्तराखंड राज्य और राजधानी का मुद्दा बाकायदा जुड़वे मुद्दा हैं और स्थाई राजधानी का मुद्दा उतना ही पुराना हैं जितना की उत्तराखंड राज्य की मांग का मुद्दा! सन १९९४ में, तत्कालीन उत्तर प्रदेश में समाजवादी पार्टी की सरकार द्वारा गठित कौशिक समिति ने उत्तराखंड राज्य गठन पर अपनी प्रस्तुत रिपोर्ट में भी गैरसैण को उत्तराखंड राज्य की राजधानी के लिए उपयुक्त स्थान बताया था! अब कथित तौर पर हमे एक अध्-कचरा राज्य तो मिल गया हैं, पर राज्य की स्थाई राजधानी का मुद्दा अभी भी ठन्डे बस्ते में पड़ा हुआ हैं! चाहे स्वामी/कोशियारी/खंडूरी की भाजपा सरकार हो अथवा नारायण दत्त तिवाड़ी की कांग्रेस सरकार, सब ने राजधानी के मुद्दे पर टाल-मटोली की! जनता ने समय समय पर राजधानी को गैरसैण स्थानान्तरित करने की मांग की जिसमे श्री मोहन सिंह नेगी जिन्हें बाबा उत्तराखंडी के नाम से भी जाना जाता था, आमरण अनशन करते हुए अपने प्राण त्याग दिए थे! इनका मत यह हैं की अगर राजधानी मुद्दे पर कोई ठोस निर्णय ले लिया तो पहाड़ अथवा मैदानी भू-भाग के लोग भड़क सकते हैं! इसीलिए कांग्रेस की सरकार अपने पूरे कार्यकाल के दौरान 'राजधानी चयन आयोग' जिसको सर्वोसर्वा जस्टिस बिरेन्द्र दीक्षित हैं, उनका कार्यकाल बढाते गए, और यही पैमाना खंडूरी ने भी अपनाया जब उन्होंने नवम्बर २००७ में दीक्षित आयोग को अर्ध-वार्षिक विस्तार दे दिया फिर भारी विरोध के चलते दीक्षित कमीशन ने अपनी रिपोर्ट पिछले वर्ष अगस्त में सरकार को सौंप दी, जिसे आज तक सार्वजनिक नहीं किया गया हैं! और इसी बीच देहरादून में १८ करोड़ रुपये के मुख्यमंत्री आवास की भी नींव डाल दी!
इस संवाद मंच पर भी समय समय पर राजधानी के चयन को लेकर काफ़ी वाद-विवाद हुए हैं, जिसमे सदस्यों ने अपने अपने मत प्रकट किए! कोई देहरादून का पक्ष रख रहा हैं, कोई गैरसैण का, कोई रामनगर और कोई कालागढ़ का! रही बात देहरादून, रामनगर और कालागढ़ की, तो यह नगर मैदानी क्षेत्र में आते हैं, इससे पर्वतीय राज की मूल अवधारण पर ही प्रश्न-चिन्ह लग जाता हैं! देहरादून में पिछले ८ वर्षों से अस्थाई राजधानी हैं, पर उससे राज्य के विकास कार्य का तो बंटाधार तो हुआ ही हैं! अफसर और मंत्री अपने क्षेत्रों में ना रह कर देहरादून में ही अपनी अय्याशी का अड्डा बनाये हुए हैं! पहाड़ की वास्तविक स्थिति से किसी को कुछ भी भान नहीं हैं! कम से कम गैरसैण राजधानी स्थानान्तरित होने से इन सब अफसर मंत्रियों को पहाड़ में कम से कम १५०-२०० किलोमीटर अन्दर जाना पड़ेगा तभी तो पहाड़ की वास्तविक स्थिति का भान होगा! केवल सड़क, पुल, विद्युत परियोजनाएं ही विकास नहीं हैं! आज पहाड़ में खेती-बाड़ी ख़त्म हो रहीहैं, पशुधन भी ख़त्म हो रहा हैं, पारंपरिक उद्योग भी धीरे धीरे ख़त्म हो रहे हैं! जल, जंगल और जमीन से भी जनता को तरह तरह के नियम कानून बना कर बे-दखल किया जा रहा हैं! जल और जवानी का उत्तराखंड से पलायन आज भी जारी हैं! किसी ने ठीक ही कहा की उत्तराखंड का जल और जवानी उत्तराखंड के काम नहीं आते! अगर प्रदेश की सरकारी हुक्मरानों और मंत्रियों को राज्य की वास्तविक दशा देखनी हैं, तो इनको पहाड़ के अन्दर जाना होगा और यह तभी हो सकता हैं जब राजधानी प्रदेश के नादर स्थापित हो न की प्रदेश की मैदानी सीमा पर!
जहाँ तक बात ई-मेल एवं विडियो कोंफेरेंसिंग की हैं, उसमे मैं यह जोड़ना चाहता हूँ की ई-मेल और विडियो कोंफेरेंसिंग सरकारी और प्रशासनिक स्तर पर इनकी भूमिका अहम् हैं! इसमे समय की बचत होती हैं तथा तथा संचार का यह एक अहम् हिस्सा हैं! लेकिन यह कोई राजधानी का विकल्प नहीं हैं! राजधानी का स्थापन गैरसैण में हो होना चाहिए और इस स्थान के अनुमोदन में मैं कुछ बिन्दुओं पर बात करूंगा:
१. पर्वतीय राज्य की राजधानी का स्थापना, पर्वतीय राज्य की मूल अवधारण के अनुकूल , पर्वतीय क्षेत्र में ही होनी चाहिए!
२. गैरसैण, गढ़वाल और कुमायूं मंडलों से सामान्तर दूरी पर हैं!
३. गैरसैण सड़क मार्ग से कर्णप्रयाग, रानीखेत, ग्वालदम, अलमोड़ा स्थानों से सड़क मार्ग द्वारा जुड़ा हुआ हैं!
४. गैरसैण से लगभग ७० किलोमीटर की दूरी पर स्थित गौचर में हवाई पट्टी हैं, जिससे वायु मार्ग द्वारा भी यह स्थान जुड़ा हुआ हैं!
५. ऋषिकेश-कर्णप्रयाग रेल-मार्ग और टनकपुर-बागेश्वर रेल-मार्ग का विस्तार गैरसैण तक किया जा सकता हैं!
६. जीवन-यापन हेतु पानी का स्रोत पिंडर एवं रामगंगा नदियों से लिया जा सकता हैं!
७. आज हमारे शहर बर्बादी के कगार पर हैं तथा उनका आधारभूत ढाँचे धूल-धूसरित होने के कगार पर हैं! देहरादून के अस्थाई राजधानी बनने से क्या हश्र हुआ हैं, यह बात किसी से छिपी नहीं हैं! इसलिए गैरसैण से हमे एक मौका हैं की हम एक सुंदर, योजनाबद्ध तरीके से एक नए शहर का निर्माण करे, जिस पर हर राज्य वासी को गर्व हो!
अधिकतर पहाड़ विरोधी मानसिकता वाले लोग एवं राजनैतिक पार्टियाँ, जिसमे कांग्रेस और भाजपा शीर्ष हैं अपने राजनैतिक स्वार्थों के चलते हमेशा पहाड़ के लोगो को यह कह कर भुलावे में रखने की कोशिश करते हैं की गैरसैण तो केवल एक भावनात्मक मुद्दा हैं जिसका कोई व्यवहारिक आधार नहीं हैं!
जब तक हमारा प्रशासन पहाड़ की तरफ़ रूख नहीं करता, पहाड़ का विकास असंभव हैं! इसलिए उत्तराखंड राज्य की राजधानी गैरसैण में स्थानांतरित करने का मैं अनुमोदन करता हूँ!
उत्तराखंड की राजधानी का मुद्दा बरसों से ठंडे बसते में पड़ा हुआ हैं! उत्तराखंड राज्य और राजधानी का मुद्दा बाकायदा जुड़वे मुद्दा हैं और स्थाई राजधानी का मुद्दा उतना ही पुराना हैं जितना की उत्तराखंड राज्य की मांग का मुद्दा! सन १९९४ में, तत्कालीन उत्तर प्रदेश में समाजवादी पार्टी की सरकार द्वारा गठित कौशिक समिति ने उत्तराखंड राज्य गठन पर अपनी प्रस्तुत रिपोर्ट में भी गैरसैण को उत्तराखंड राज्य की राजधानी के लिए उपयुक्त स्थान बताया था! अब कथित तौर पर हमे एक अध्-कचरा राज्य तो मिल गया हैं, पर राज्य की स्थाई राजधानी का मुद्दा अभी भी ठन्डे बस्ते में पड़ा हुआ हैं! चाहे स्वामी/कोशियारी/खंडूरी की भाजपा सरकार हो अथवा नारायण दत्त तिवाड़ी की कांग्रेस सरकार, सब ने राजधानी के मुद्दे पर टाल-मटोली की! जनता ने समय समय पर राजधानी को गैरसैण स्थानान्तरित करने की मांग की जिसमे श्री मोहन सिंह नेगी जिन्हें बाबा उत्तराखंडी के नाम से भी जाना जाता था, आमरण अनशन करते हुए अपने प्राण त्याग दिए थे! इनका मत यह हैं की अगर राजधानी मुद्दे पर कोई ठोस निर्णय ले लिया तो पहाड़ अथवा मैदानी भू-भाग के लोग भड़क सकते हैं! इसीलिए कांग्रेस की सरकार अपने पूरे कार्यकाल के दौरान 'राजधानी चयन आयोग' जिसको सर्वोसर्वा जस्टिस बिरेन्द्र दीक्षित हैं, उनका कार्यकाल बढाते गए, और यही पैमाना खंडूरी ने भी अपनाया जब उन्होंने नवम्बर २००७ में दीक्षित आयोग को अर्ध-वार्षिक विस्तार दे दिया फिर भारी विरोध के चलते दीक्षित कमीशन ने अपनी रिपोर्ट पिछले वर्ष अगस्त में सरकार को सौंप दी, जिसे आज तक सार्वजनिक नहीं किया गया हैं! और इसी बीच देहरादून में १८ करोड़ रुपये के मुख्यमंत्री आवास की भी नींव डाल दी!
इस संवाद मंच पर भी समय समय पर राजधानी के चयन को लेकर काफ़ी वाद-विवाद हुए हैं, जिसमे सदस्यों ने अपने अपने मत प्रकट किए! कोई देहरादून का पक्ष रख रहा हैं, कोई गैरसैण का, कोई रामनगर और कोई कालागढ़ का! रही बात देहरादून, रामनगर और कालागढ़ की, तो यह नगर मैदानी क्षेत्र में आते हैं, इससे पर्वतीय राज की मूल अवधारण पर ही प्रश्न-चिन्ह लग जाता हैं! देहरादून में पिछले ८ वर्षों से अस्थाई राजधानी हैं, पर उससे राज्य के विकास कार्य का तो बंटाधार तो हुआ ही हैं! अफसर और मंत्री अपने क्षेत्रों में ना रह कर देहरादून में ही अपनी अय्याशी का अड्डा बनाये हुए हैं! पहाड़ की वास्तविक स्थिति से किसी को कुछ भी भान नहीं हैं! कम से कम गैरसैण राजधानी स्थानान्तरित होने से इन सब अफसर मंत्रियों को पहाड़ में कम से कम १५०-२०० किलोमीटर अन्दर जाना पड़ेगा तभी तो पहाड़ की वास्तविक स्थिति का भान होगा! केवल सड़क, पुल, विद्युत परियोजनाएं ही विकास नहीं हैं! आज पहाड़ में खेती-बाड़ी ख़त्म हो रहीहैं, पशुधन भी ख़त्म हो रहा हैं, पारंपरिक उद्योग भी धीरे धीरे ख़त्म हो रहे हैं! जल, जंगल और जमीन से भी जनता को तरह तरह के नियम कानून बना कर बे-दखल किया जा रहा हैं! जल और जवानी का उत्तराखंड से पलायन आज भी जारी हैं! किसी ने ठीक ही कहा की उत्तराखंड का जल और जवानी उत्तराखंड के काम नहीं आते! अगर प्रदेश की सरकारी हुक्मरानों और मंत्रियों को राज्य की वास्तविक दशा देखनी हैं, तो इनको पहाड़ के अन्दर जाना होगा और यह तभी हो सकता हैं जब राजधानी प्रदेश के नादर स्थापित हो न की प्रदेश की मैदानी सीमा पर!
जहाँ तक बात ई-मेल एवं विडियो कोंफेरेंसिंग की हैं, उसमे मैं यह जोड़ना चाहता हूँ की ई-मेल और विडियो कोंफेरेंसिंग सरकारी और प्रशासनिक स्तर पर इनकी भूमिका अहम् हैं! इसमे समय की बचत होती हैं तथा तथा संचार का यह एक अहम् हिस्सा हैं! लेकिन यह कोई राजधानी का विकल्प नहीं हैं! राजधानी का स्थापन गैरसैण में हो होना चाहिए और इस स्थान के अनुमोदन में मैं कुछ बिन्दुओं पर बात करूंगा:
१. पर्वतीय राज्य की राजधानी का स्थापना, पर्वतीय राज्य की मूल अवधारण के अनुकूल , पर्वतीय क्षेत्र में ही होनी चाहिए!
२. गैरसैण, गढ़वाल और कुमायूं मंडलों से सामान्तर दूरी पर हैं!
३. गैरसैण सड़क मार्ग से कर्णप्रयाग, रानीखेत, ग्वालदम, अलमोड़ा स्थानों से सड़क मार्ग द्वारा जुड़ा हुआ हैं!
४. गैरसैण से लगभग ७० किलोमीटर की दूरी पर स्थित गौचर में हवाई पट्टी हैं, जिससे वायु मार्ग द्वारा भी यह स्थान जुड़ा हुआ हैं!
५. ऋषिकेश-कर्णप्रयाग रेल-मार्ग और टनकपुर-बागेश्वर रेल-मार्ग का विस्तार गैरसैण तक किया जा सकता हैं!
६. जीवन-यापन हेतु पानी का स्रोत पिंडर एवं रामगंगा नदियों से लिया जा सकता हैं!
७. आज हमारे शहर बर्बादी के कगार पर हैं तथा उनका आधारभूत ढाँचे धूल-धूसरित होने के कगार पर हैं! देहरादून के अस्थाई राजधानी बनने से क्या हश्र हुआ हैं, यह बात किसी से छिपी नहीं हैं! इसलिए गैरसैण से हमे एक मौका हैं की हम एक सुंदर, योजनाबद्ध तरीके से एक नए शहर का निर्माण करे, जिस पर हर राज्य वासी को गर्व हो!
अधिकतर पहाड़ विरोधी मानसिकता वाले लोग एवं राजनैतिक पार्टियाँ, जिसमे कांग्रेस और भाजपा शीर्ष हैं अपने राजनैतिक स्वार्थों के चलते हमेशा पहाड़ के लोगो को यह कह कर भुलावे में रखने की कोशिश करते हैं की गैरसैण तो केवल एक भावनात्मक मुद्दा हैं जिसका कोई व्यवहारिक आधार नहीं हैं!
जब तक हमारा प्रशासन पहाड़ की तरफ़ रूख नहीं करता, पहाड़ का विकास असंभव हैं! इसलिए उत्तराखंड राज्य की राजधानी गैरसैण में स्थानांतरित करने का मैं अनुमोदन करता हूँ!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
The Planet Venus
[Editor's note: This was originally written for a message board way back in 2004]
Planet Venus is the second planet from the Sun in order of increasing distance. For centuries, it intrigued mankind like no other celestial object. With the re-emergence of scientific outlook during the Renaissance period and with the development of telescopes, the human vision of space and universe plunged into depths of hitherto unknown boundaries.
Venus is considered Earth's sister due to almost the same size, mass and outward appearance, but it is here the similarities end. The Venusian surface is always hidden under the thick veil of atmospheric cloud cover. The atmosphere of Venus is made up mainly of carbon-di-oxide and it has a thick cloud cover of highly corrosive sulphuric acid. Down below at the surface, the conditions are hellish. The surface temperature is about 450 Deg. Cel and pressure is 90 earth surface pressure. Mariner 10 which flew past he planet sent valuable information regarding the cloud contents and ground condition, it were the Soviet Venera series missions, which provided a detailed and comprehensive analysis of surface and atmosphere. Venera 5 and 6 sent landers down on the planet and became the first probes to transmit information from the surface of another planet. Venera 9 and 10 sent back color photographs of Venusian panorama and rocks. Though the last visitor to Venus, that is Magellan orbiter, ended its mission a decade back. It scanned almost 90% of Venusian surface in a period of four years and helped astro-geologist understand the nature of the Venusian geology. Years after the Magellan mission, mystery about Venus still persist. Like, Venus has a very weak magnetic field. Unlike Earth, which has a large magnetic protection shield, by which, harmful radiations from the Sun and other distant stars go round it. At Venus, the sun's radiation strikes directly at the upper cloud layers. Though the radar analysis have shown that the planet rotates at an agonizingly slower pace, a day on Venus is slightly longer than its year. But the cloud cover rotates itself round the planet in just about four earth days. This strange phenomenon is termed as "Super Rotation".No one knows what causes this seemingly strange thing.
Another problem, which has for long perplexed, intrigued the astronomers for a long time is the error in calculating the day of dichotomy of Venus. Venus, as observed from the earth, undergoes the cycle of phases just like our moon. Dichotomy is a phase, when a planetary body is dissected exactly into two halves, like half-moon,dividing the night side and the day side. Calculations for the predicted date of dichotomy is always three to four days apart from the day of actual dichotomy. No one has the answer as to what causes this phase anomaly. The other intriguing characteristic of phase is that at the time of "dichotomy", the terminator line, which divides the day side and the night side, appears to be bent near the polar regions. In a perfect case, the line should be straight line from the north pole to the south pole, but it isn't. It is somewhat bent towards the night side of the planet at the polar regions.
Though, in theory, the age of all the planets in the solar system is estimated to be four billion years, as such the surface of Venus is quite younger in comparison. Radar images show that the Venusian surface is less than 500 million years old. So could there be still some endogenous activity going on in Venus? Could there be active volcanoes on Venus, which are still spewing lava and sulphur gases? The terrain looks less than 500 million years old. So, is Venus continuously undergoing Terra forming at a rapid rate, as the facts seem to suggest. Venus, could well be, the future of the earth or it is reflection of what the primordial Earth looked like. We should remember that billions of years ago, when the surface formed on Earth, it was much like what Venus is today.
Planet Venus is the second planet from the Sun in order of increasing distance. For centuries, it intrigued mankind like no other celestial object. With the re-emergence of scientific outlook during the Renaissance period and with the development of telescopes, the human vision of space and universe plunged into depths of hitherto unknown boundaries.
Venus is considered Earth's sister due to almost the same size, mass and outward appearance, but it is here the similarities end. The Venusian surface is always hidden under the thick veil of atmospheric cloud cover. The atmosphere of Venus is made up mainly of carbon-di-oxide and it has a thick cloud cover of highly corrosive sulphuric acid. Down below at the surface, the conditions are hellish. The surface temperature is about 450 Deg. Cel and pressure is 90 earth surface pressure. Mariner 10 which flew past he planet sent valuable information regarding the cloud contents and ground condition, it were the Soviet Venera series missions, which provided a detailed and comprehensive analysis of surface and atmosphere. Venera 5 and 6 sent landers down on the planet and became the first probes to transmit information from the surface of another planet. Venera 9 and 10 sent back color photographs of Venusian panorama and rocks. Though the last visitor to Venus, that is Magellan orbiter, ended its mission a decade back. It scanned almost 90% of Venusian surface in a period of four years and helped astro-geologist understand the nature of the Venusian geology. Years after the Magellan mission, mystery about Venus still persist. Like, Venus has a very weak magnetic field. Unlike Earth, which has a large magnetic protection shield, by which, harmful radiations from the Sun and other distant stars go round it. At Venus, the sun's radiation strikes directly at the upper cloud layers. Though the radar analysis have shown that the planet rotates at an agonizingly slower pace, a day on Venus is slightly longer than its year. But the cloud cover rotates itself round the planet in just about four earth days. This strange phenomenon is termed as "Super Rotation".No one knows what causes this seemingly strange thing.
Another problem, which has for long perplexed, intrigued the astronomers for a long time is the error in calculating the day of dichotomy of Venus. Venus, as observed from the earth, undergoes the cycle of phases just like our moon. Dichotomy is a phase, when a planetary body is dissected exactly into two halves, like half-moon,dividing the night side and the day side. Calculations for the predicted date of dichotomy is always three to four days apart from the day of actual dichotomy. No one has the answer as to what causes this phase anomaly. The other intriguing characteristic of phase is that at the time of "dichotomy", the terminator line, which divides the day side and the night side, appears to be bent near the polar regions. In a perfect case, the line should be straight line from the north pole to the south pole, but it isn't. It is somewhat bent towards the night side of the planet at the polar regions.
Though, in theory, the age of all the planets in the solar system is estimated to be four billion years, as such the surface of Venus is quite younger in comparison. Radar images show that the Venusian surface is less than 500 million years old. So could there be still some endogenous activity going on in Venus? Could there be active volcanoes on Venus, which are still spewing lava and sulphur gases? The terrain looks less than 500 million years old. So, is Venus continuously undergoing Terra forming at a rapid rate, as the facts seem to suggest. Venus, could well be, the future of the earth or it is reflection of what the primordial Earth looked like. We should remember that billions of years ago, when the surface formed on Earth, it was much like what Venus is today.
Friday, June 25, 2010
What is the origin of the universe?
The "Big Bang" is the most popular theory regarding the origin of the universe. It is said that about 14 billion years ago, the entire Universe as we see it, as we perceive it through our senses, sprang into existence from a point smaller than an atom. This theory was initially proposed by a Belgian priest Georges Lemaitre and it seemed to be in agreement with Edwin Hubble's observation of the spectrum of the galaxies, which he found to be red-shifted and hence postulated that the universe was, in fact, expanding as the galaxies were flying away from each other. So, it was deduced that if everything were to be reversed, the whole "visible" matter would collapse into one place (the point of origin) The term "Big Bang" was coined by Late Sir Fred Hoyle during a radio talk show when he slammed it as the "Big Bang" because in his view the idea reeked of "creationism" and highly illogical scientifically.
1. Stars and galaxies have been found which predate the acceptable time frame for the Big Bang.
2. The Big Bang was not really a bang, as it was originally believed nor it originated from intensely hot and infinitely dense mass of matter, but now it is accepted that it came into existence from a point less than the size of an atom and has been expanding rapidly ever since.
3. The Big Bang theory does not explain why did the matter contained in the entire universe had to "explode". If the matter was contained in the space less than the size of an atom, then wasn't it a universe in its on respect?
4. The Big Bang should have distributed the matter evenly in the universe, yet we find matter packed in "clumps" of irregular size.
5. The clockwise axial rotation of some planets and stars should have been absent, if majority of the stars, galaxies and planets formed from the gases and dust spiraling in anti-clockwise motion.
6. Astronomers have also witnessed stellar collisions of galaxies that came crashing into each other from different directions. If the "Big bang" theory is correct, then the galaxies should not collide into each head on (though one galaxy rear-ending another one is a possibility ).
7. Recently, (as recent as couple of years ago) one observatory conducted a "shadow" test, where they had to detect "shadows" of cosmic microwave background radiation, that would form by the galaxies, stars and gas. In some parts they did find "shadow" effect and in some they did not.
8. Even the concept of "Dark Matter" stands challenged as the scientists have failed to detect any hard evidence.
a. The reason galaxies are flying apart, (attributed to the presence of dark energy) is because of the gravitational waves or ripples created by the "Big Bang". Just like you float a paper boat in a pond and then throw a pebble in water, creating ripples which would push the boat away from the center of the origin of the ripples.
b. The "Red Shift" which is used as an evidence to explain the expansion of the universe, could be the result of "Compton Effect", where in the light particles travelling through the space, interacting with clouds of dust and gas have their wavelengths stretched resulting in "Red Shift".
9. The Big Bang Theory also does not explain what happened before the "event". What surrounded the "space round the that little entity, whose size was less than that of an atom?
In the end, I would want to say "If the Big Bang created matter in the Universe, then what created consciousness?"
1. Stars and galaxies have been found which predate the acceptable time frame for the Big Bang.
2. The Big Bang was not really a bang, as it was originally believed nor it originated from intensely hot and infinitely dense mass of matter, but now it is accepted that it came into existence from a point less than the size of an atom and has been expanding rapidly ever since.
3. The Big Bang theory does not explain why did the matter contained in the entire universe had to "explode". If the matter was contained in the space less than the size of an atom, then wasn't it a universe in its on respect?
4. The Big Bang should have distributed the matter evenly in the universe, yet we find matter packed in "clumps" of irregular size.
5. The clockwise axial rotation of some planets and stars should have been absent, if majority of the stars, galaxies and planets formed from the gases and dust spiraling in anti-clockwise motion.
6. Astronomers have also witnessed stellar collisions of galaxies that came crashing into each other from different directions. If the "Big bang" theory is correct, then the galaxies should not collide into each head on (though one galaxy rear-ending another one is a possibility ).
7. Recently, (as recent as couple of years ago) one observatory conducted a "shadow" test, where they had to detect "shadows" of cosmic microwave background radiation, that would form by the galaxies, stars and gas. In some parts they did find "shadow" effect and in some they did not.
8. Even the concept of "Dark Matter" stands challenged as the scientists have failed to detect any hard evidence.
a. The reason galaxies are flying apart, (attributed to the presence of dark energy) is because of the gravitational waves or ripples created by the "Big Bang". Just like you float a paper boat in a pond and then throw a pebble in water, creating ripples which would push the boat away from the center of the origin of the ripples.
b. The "Red Shift" which is used as an evidence to explain the expansion of the universe, could be the result of "Compton Effect", where in the light particles travelling through the space, interacting with clouds of dust and gas have their wavelengths stretched resulting in "Red Shift".
9. The Big Bang Theory also does not explain what happened before the "event". What surrounded the "space round the that little entity, whose size was less than that of an atom?
In the end, I would want to say "If the Big Bang created matter in the Universe, then what created consciousness?"
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