By Muhammad Salman Khan:

The eighth largest state of India, situated in the southeastern corner of the country is home to around 49.67 million people. Andhra Pradesh is a rich reservoir of biodiversity and natural resources with an estimated total forest area of around 36,914 km²l, which is now unfortunately threatened by deforestation, forest mismanagement and climate change.

At the recent 6th Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaption Forum held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from October 17-19, lessons were shared from what was learned on ground in Andhra Pradesh on how community-led ecosystem adaptation projects can help build resilience and mitigate the threats of climate change.

In the session, ‘Ecosystem-Based Adaptation’, panellists shared experiences of how their organisations in India are working to incorporate ecosystem-based climate adaptation practices into the policy framework of local governments. It was moderated by Nafisa Goga D’souza, Executive Director of LAYA, an organisation which has been working with marginalised communities like the tribal communities of Andhra Pradesh to empower them about their legal rights  of the lands and natural resources which are crucial for their livelihoods and survival.

 LAYA, which focuses its work in the natural resource-rich Eastern Ghats with tribal communities across four districts: East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, West Godavari and Khammam shared its findings in collaboration with the Delhi-based Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC) on the vulnerability of forest ecosystems to climate change and how poorly managed forests is threatening the very existence of the tribals.

From the research which was carried out by LAYA and INECC, it was discovered that 94% of the families which inhabited their research area were involved in the agricultural sector, with the majority of the cash income, the farmers earned coming in due to the advent of the Northeastern Monsoon. It was found that drought and irregular rainfall patterns were responsible for crop loss over a span of 7-17 years.

Rivers are a source of clean drinking water. But despite the increase in the quantity of erratic rainfall, it was found through research that there has been a considerable decline in rain water due to which many of the perennial rivers have dried up and other ground water resources are diminishing in the area.

It was learned that 27% of the indigenous families are involved in collecting and sale of non-timber forest products – NTFPs. But research done in the districts have shown that there has been a considerable decline in NTFPs. A total of 37 species could be collected previously. But it is only possible to collect 26 now. Some medicinal plants which were usually found in the areas with low altitude are now found only in high altitude regions indicating an increase of temperature due to climate change.

Ajita Tiwari, the National Facilitator of INECC, New Delhi went on to add that, “The state action plan for climate change formulated in Andhra Pradesh is hardly being translated into a priority, particularly when it comes to safeguarding the rights of the tribal people and the women of the area. The organisation’s partnership with the local communities and panchayats (village councils) of the four focal districts has always been more fruitful as compared to their work with the government which is less focused on such pressing issues.”

Afforestation practices must be seen as a strategic and crucial part of any community led ecosystem-based adaptation project in Andhra Pradesh. Corporate Social Responsibility – CSR projects must support social forestry and forest conservation projects instead of funding plantations of the eucalyptus tree, silver oak and tea plantations to sequester carbon. Such initiatives can help regenerate decimated forests with help of the tribal communities. The communities can be encouraged to utilise their traditional wisdom for forest conservation.

It has been reported that there has been a significant decline in dense forest cover across India. According to the official statistics, India has a forest cover of only 24 % left and a serious lack of scientific data and academic understanding is proving difficult in measuring the benefits of ecosystem services and implementation of ecosystem based climate adaptation projects in India,” Ms Tiwari said.

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Image Source: LAYA

The post How Climate Change Is Threatening The Very Existence Of Tribals In Andhra appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

By Nishanth Chakkere:

Every year, since my childhood, I have come to dread Diwali for myriad reasons. The celebration of what is perhaps the biggest Hindu festival, Diwali, has transitioned from being a festival of lights to becoming a festival of sound. It is astonishing how people have ‘celebrated’ a festival, in a manner which raises sound and air pollution, coupled with encouragement given to the manufacturing of the biggest crook of the season – firecrackers.

1. Child Labour

It is very evident that firecrackers are polluters, but the hidden story behind their manufacture goes unnoticed and ignored. Hundreds, if not thousands, of children are employed in the racket of producing this very carcinogenic substance and the unethical means of this servitude is appalling, considering episodes of fire accidents in these factories.

2. Untoward Incidents

The newspapers on the days following Diwali are filled with tragic stories of children losing their eyes and being subjected to traumatic respiratory disorders. The monotony and repetition of such news has come to mark Diwali every year. Authorities have taken little, if not no remedial measures to curb such incidents, often blaming it on the carelessness of the victim.

3. Air And Noise Pollution

Air pollution and noise pollution reach record levels during Diwali. They add to the already depleting air quality in metropolises like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The noise emitted by the firecrackers reach, on a usual, 150 decibels, which is 20 decibels over the limit permitted by the World Health Organisation. This is at least twice the level of sound in everyday city traffic (which is about 75-90 decibels). The chances of permanent disability and impairment of auditory senses is taken very casually during Diwali, yet the chances are very much present.

4. Effect On Mental Health

There is another side-effect that is completely ignored. Rising anxiety levels during Diwali pose a serious threat to people dealing with mental health issues. Such increased apprehension may lead to hyper-ventilation with serious life-threatening consequences. It is unfortunate that this issue is not discussed while deliberating on the negative effects of bursting firecrackers during Diwali.

5. Improper Disposal

There are many more consequences of this unwarranted mania for bursting firecrackers. The disposal of residual garbage from firecrackers after the festival is an added burden to our already insufficient garbage disposal mechanism.

The silence of the minuscule population of birds and animals in our cities is a proof to the excess of sound during this festival. It is absolute foolishness to ‘burn money’ only to create irritating noise and polluted air. It is high time we try to celebrate Diwali with consideration given to our environment. The darkness of the evils of oppression and cacophony can be banished with the true spirit of celebration, only if we change the way we celebrate this great festival.

The post 5 Reasons That Should Have Stopped Us From Bursting Firecrackers appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

By YKA Staff:

Diwali just passed and that’s terrible, for more reason than one. Mainly because breathing has become a huge issue with the descent of the post-Diwali smog, something that is a yearly ritual at this point.

While Delhi is not exactly known for its clean air, being ranked second-most polluted city in the world (no great distinction), Diwali takes it to whole new levels. Despite authorities calling for a cracker-less Diwali, the smog that descended on Delhi early morning clearly showed how much that call had been heeded. Reports have shown that pollution has worsened in parts of the metro, with Delhi’s air quality being 42 times more polluted than normal, which is alarming.

Apart from the difficulty in breathing, there was the difficulty in seeing, with early commuters in Delhi roads complaining about ‘zero visibility’ at places and an air quality index indicating a level or 472 or ‘Hazardous’. Which basically means fine particles of soot and dust have increased dramatically (due to firecrackers being burst) which go and lodge in people’s throats and lungs. Also smog (which is what most of Delhi is experiencing right now) actually contains ozone and can lead to anything from burning eyes to severe respiratory problems, even in an otherwise healthy person. For people with a history of health problems, as many of us do, it’s much worse.

Delhiites took to Twitter to narrate their woes, backed up with pictorial evidence.

The problems had already begun last night:

And became much worse early in the morning, with people complaining about ‘zero visibility’:

As the day rolled on, the smog stubbornly persisted:

Crackers don’t just pose a damage to our breathing, they are damaging to pretty much everything – from animals to the very air we breathe. For those who point to tradition, crackers are actually not an age-old part of Diwali celebrations; they were introduced in 1923. At what point do we take a step back and realize how much damage we’re doing to the environment and, if we don’t care about that, ourselves? According to a 2015 report by the World Health Organization (WHO), India has the most number of lung disease death in the world; a sign that no matter how much we insist ‘tradition’ or ‘preserving culture’, it’s neither and we are actively killing ourselves. It’s still possible to celebrate Diwali without crackers and it would be all the better a Diwali for it.

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The post 7 Photos That Show What Firecrackers Have Done To Delhi appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

By Deepak John:

As of today, the Paris agreement has achieved a critical threshold with 86 parties representing 62 percent of the global emissions, ratifying the agreement. This political mass officially pushed the agreement into force. With the major parties on board with regard to the climate agenda and the Paris blueprint laid out, COP 22 at Marrakesh is all set to get the ball rolling towards climate action. The COP is rightly given the moniker of ‘action’ COP.

At COP 22, the task is to cut out, define and develop the finer actionable details into the broader framework of the Paris agreement. The transformative promises delivered at COP 21 needs to be shown as implementable road maps. The modalities, procedures and guidelines (MPG) needs to be assessed and incorporated to meet the ‘Nationally Determined Contributions’ set by the parties.

The new transparency mechanism with established guidelines to verify, measure and report the greenhouse emissions, is under consideration. This assumes even greater importance because the temperature will still rise by 2.7 degrees even if the countries deliver on their NDC promises. Hence, a proper accountability framework has to be built in and undoubtedly, this will be a tough task to meet.

Another sticky issue will be the mobilisation of funds by developed nations. As per Article 9 of Paris agreement, developed nations shall provide financial resources to assist developing countries. As per reports, the flow of climate funds has been dismal with roughly $10.3 billion.

This has been committed to the Global Climate Fund cumulatively in the past six years in contrast to the promised $100 billion annually. Despite the lack of political will, the technical inconsistencies and ambiguities involving the definition and scope of climate finance, are expected to be ironed out.

Also, the neglected area of adaptation efforts may also find place in the financial road map. The COP 22 has a multitude of contentious points to be discussed majorly revolving around technology transfers, global stock-take, clean energy, market mechanisms and trade issues. Unless these issues are rectified and appropriate course correction is taken, it will impede the momentum gained in Paris and slow down the progress towards climate action. Thus the COP gains critical importance and urgency. The successful settlement in these issues will be depending on the interplay of deft diplomacy, motivation levels and self-interest of member states.

Manish Bapna, MD of World Resources Institute has said that India has one of the boldest renewable energy targets in the world, making it destined to be a major player in solar and wind markets. However, its efforts are sharply limited due to restricted means of implementation in the form of finance, technology and capacity-building support. India would achieve its target only if it receives financial support and discounted rates on cutting edge technologies from developed nations. The estimate says that it will require over $2.5tn to meet all its targets.  Hence it is crucial that India makes a pressing statement for a concrete road map towards climate finance and technology transfer in COP 22.

India has experienced erratic weather patterns in recent times which has spelt doom for this major rain-fed economy. The food security situation has worsened substantially. It has also seen increased intensity of climate disaster with 27 out of 35 states being disaster prone. This makes a solid case for reviewing the first year of loss and damage mechanisms. India needs to ensure that the loss and damage mechanisms provide tangible and concrete solutions and do not remain in ambiguity.  This is especially of concern for developing nation and island nations.

It is to be seen how the member states will carry forward the momentum generated in Paris and if the political will would materialise in Marrakesh. Although it is clear that the COP 22 will need to show real urgency and expediency to realise the fairy tale story of COP 21.

The post This Year’s Global Climate Change Conference Has The Boldest Agenda Yet appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

By Sneha Pandey:

As a Nepali, I am suspicious of the likes of Tony Abbott, Theresa May and Donald Trump – influential politicians of developed nations who have thought of obstructing, deliberately tried to block, or at times even succeeded in blocking action against climate change. I am also wary of other seasoned climate change skeptics, whether it be fossil fuel corporations or the think tanks and ‘scientists’ these corporations fund, who have either denied climate change outright or have shrugged off its seriousness at the very least.

Living in a country that is continuously assaulted by climate catastrophes, I, unfortunately, do not have that luxury. Nor do any of the citizens of Nepal or any number of people from climate-vulnerable countries around the world. Climate change denial is a privilege that is enjoyed mostly by the right-wing ruling elites of powerful nations (and the people that they have sway over).

In the Himalayas, as summer temperatures get warmer, glaciers and ice sheets melt to form unstable glacial lakes that may burst at any time and flood settlements downstream to them. On the other hand, during monsoon, as rainfall patterns become more intense, inhabitants of the hills and plains are under constant threats from landslides and floods. Hazards such as these have been responsible for a lot of losses and damages. Many Nepalis have lost their lives and livelihoods, their mental and physical well-being, their properties and cherished assets.

Extensive droughts, which are more common during the dry winter months, are also destructive as they have a huge impact on the agricultural and the hydroelectricity sector – both of which are important aspects to our lives. For example, the winter drought of 2008-09 – when rainfall was fifty percent less than what it should have been -affected the production of two of our major winter crops, wheat and barley, extensively, such that a significant number of the rural Nepali population were left food insecure.

Conversely, the urban and rural populations – both of which rely on hydroelectricity to meet most of their energy requirements – have faced increasing power cuts, due to low river flow. In the past, throughout such dry winter months, blackouts have lasted for as long as eighteen hours per day.

Shifting ecosystems and vanishing flora and fauna in all three regions of Nepal have also had severe implications. This impact of climate change has not only affected the day-to-day life of the rural population who depend on such resources to make a living but also has potential to impact tourism which is a significant source of revenue for our country.

Given the severity and magnitude of the effects of climate change in Nepal, one might think that our contribution to global warming is extensive. But, we are responsible for less than 0.05% of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We have no oil, gas or coal reserves so to speak of. Our electricity is produced mostly from hydropower and the relatively small amount of petroleum products and gas that we use, we import from our neighbor, India. Therefore, fossil fuel companies have no vested interests in our country, whatsoever.

Yet, Nepal – and many other underdeveloped, climate-vulnerable countries like it – have had to bear the burdens of not just our own climate sins but those of the developed and developing world’s as well. A study carried out by the University of Oxford, found that the top three countries with some of the least efficient (read: most polluting) coal-fired power stations in the world were major economies such as China (with 39% of such coal plants), USA (with 21%) and the European Union (with 10%). Since coal is the most polluting of fossil fuels, it is no wonder that these nations are also among the top emitters of GHG – in that same order.

Transnational fossil fuel industries have, often, used their deep pockets to cultivate financial relationships and partnerships with the governments of nations that are either rich in fossil fuels or have a huge market for it. By doing so fossil fuel corporations ensure that they have the power to shape the climate politics of that particular country. For example, during the Bush Administration, according to US State Department papers, US did not sign the Kyoto Protocol – a treaty on global warming – because of pressure from ExxonMobil, the world’s most profitable and powerful oil company. This, effectively paralyzed any significant climate action from the second most polluting country for many crucial years.

Such intimate relationships between polluting industries and powerful governments means that fossil fuel companies wield influence not only over national but also over international climate policies and actions. Last year, during the Paris conference, for example, carbon-intensive companies were not only the official sponsors but were also considered to be stakeholders – and had a say in the formulation of climate policies inside the halls of the UNFCC. This happened mostly because the governments of powerful nations and other policymakers were looking out for the vested interests of such fossil fuel companies.

While the preparation and execution of national climate policies, without outside interference, is the sovereign right of any country, the implications such policies are never contained by borders. Influence spills into international policies and greenhouse gases spills into the weather systems of blameless countries – victimising millions of the poorest in the process.

In Nepal, people of the Himalayas, hills and plains, all live with the perpetual fear of one catastrophe or another – with the proverbial Damocles sword swinging over our heads.  For many still, the sword has already fallen and ripped their world apart. But no compensation has been made, no climate justice achieved.

To ensure that such wrongs are righted and reparations made, among many other actions, fossil fuel corporations must be booted from any policy making arena, including the upcoming COP 22. This must be done to ensure that the steadily rising mercury level is arrested and the dangers associated with such warming is reversed.

The post A Nepali On How Her Country Is Perpetually Threatened By Climate Change appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

By Shikhar Goel for The Happy Light Project: 

While there are many of us in cities and towns who take electricity for granted, there are many others for whom even a few hours of electricity is a distant dream. Happy Light Project, a non-profit organisation, was founded to aid the lesser privileged sections of the society. Its co-founders, Calvin Pinto, Philip Thomas and M. Kishan, believe that it is important to not only provide electricity to a group of lesser privileged people but also help enable them to fulfil their own needs in the long-term.

Philip, who had interned with the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, had seen some of their stellar work with solar electrification. Realising the need for similar work in India, he teamed up with Calvin, a like-minded friend from college and after spending time researching and talking to experts, they identified that Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan were states that were in most need of rural electrification. They zeroed in on Odisha, as they found that while several organisations were working in other states, Odisha had largely gone unnoticed.

Along the way, they brought in their friend, Kishan and formed an association with TERI (The Energy and Resource Institute) which in turn connected them to the Mahashakti Foundation. The Mahashakti Foundation had extensive knowledge about villages in Odisha because of their decade-long presence in the state working on multiple social welfare projects.

With Mahahshakti Foundation’s help, Happy Light Project shortlisted three villages in Odisha where the plan could be implemented. Upon visiting the villages and talking to the villagers, they selected the village of Gotiguda as there existed the scope to create maximum, long-term impact there.

Gotiguda is a small village of only sixteen households, comprising a total of sixty-five people. The villagers are all artisans of the Dokhra metal arts craft. Because of their electricity woes, the villagers can only work during bright daylight and do not have access to polishing machinery that can enhance their products. Had they had such access, they wouldn’t have to sell their artefacts at significantly lower margins. This vicious circle has kept Gotiguda below the poverty line.

Happy Light Project wants to break this circle and empower the villagers by installing a solar micro-grid in the village. This would ensure electricity in all its sixteen households. They would also provide the village with one polishing machine and several lighting solutions.

The villagers would now be able to sell polished products at higher prices or earn a higher margin. The lighting solutions would lead to increased working hours for the craftsmen and create better conditions for children to study in. There would be less dependency and expenditure on kerosene, which in turn will also protect the villagers from the harmful effects of kerosene emissions. In the long run, the youth of the village who migrated to other states for work could return as Gotiguda itself will have opportunities to offer.

The whole solar micro-grid project revolves around the sense of community ownership. It is important that the villagers feel responsible towards the project. Also, the purpose of the project will be self-defeating if the villagers have to rely on external help for minor maintenance. To address these issues, Happy Light Project will set up an electrification committee comprising of few villagers from within the village. The members of the committee will collect a small amount of money from the villagers on a weekly basis for plant maintenance. To ensure it is not a burden, the amount will be less or equal to what the villagers were spending on kerosene. The members of the électrification committee will be trained on minor grid operations, general maintenance and peripheral repairs. For slightly bigger issues, electricians from a neighbouring town are being specially trained. For bigger issues, Mahashakti Foundation will always be available with their onsite support team.

Happy Light Project has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Ketto.org and managed to garner a lot of attention. It has raised more than half of its goal of Rs. 8,11,100/- in a short span of time. You could help empower a village and rescue them from the clutches of poverty. The project, which started in May 2016, is expected to finish by mid-December 2016, provided it doesn’t run short on its expected funding. Happy Light Project is striving for a brighter New Year 2017 for the people of Gotiguda.

You can contribute here.

The post You Can Help 16 Families In Rural Odisha Get Electricity At Their Homes appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

By Anshul Tewari:

We will either be lauded, or vilified by our future generations. That’s the note on which Leonardo DiCaprio ends “Before The Flood” – his documentary with National Geographic. The film hits hard – and proves that the communities that have done irreparable damage to the climate (corporations, lobbyists and political leaders) far outweigh in power than those who haven’t. It shows a scientific community and climate change activists raising facts that are ignored, challenged and made fun of; and a beautiful planet, crying for help – ignored by those who have the power to help.

A report published in the Climatic Change journal proves that just 90 fossil fuel burning companies caused two-thirds of man-made global warming emissions. “Before The Flood” will open your eyes to how these fossil fuel burning companies, the likes of Koch Brothers in the US or Reliance Industries in India, and several others all across the world are a big reason why the world will face devastation – and that it will.

The solution is not as easy as asking these corporations to stop. They fund elections, politicians, policies and lobbying groups. They run civil society fronts which lobby for them under the garb of social good work. They’re worth hundreds of billions of dollars. The solution, as Elon Musk says in the film, is an uprising against fossil fuel consumption. We need a shift in public perception. We need to prove to our political leaders that they will be voted for only if they support policies that can cause less harm – because harm will be caused. It’s only a matter of time.

We’ve all been living in the comfort of our carbon-emitting lifestyles. “Before The Flood” is an eye-opener we need. Because if we don’t wake up today, we’re all fucked.

The post Leonardo DiCaprio’s ‘Before The Flood’ Proves That We’re All Fucked appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

By Sourya Majumder:

It’s been nearly two weeks since Diwali, and Delhi is still suffocating under a thick, toxic layer of smog. A combination of Diwali firecrackers and crop burning in Punjab and Haryana, along with the incoming winter, has contributed to a meteoric and persistent rise in the amount of PM2.5 (microparticles that clog people’s lungs) in Delhi’s already poor air – over 17 times more than the Indian Government’s safe level and 90 times more than that of the World Health Organisation. The Government has been struggling to control the situation, instituting “emergency measures” and even putting out appeals for suggestions on dealing with the crisis, on the internet. Schools have also been closed for 3 days as it becomes increasingly more difficult to breathe.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and if you’re a Delhite feeling the (by now all too familiar) choking sensation in your throat and the slow creeping of smoke particles into your lungs, here are some simple but effective steps you can take that will offer some immediate relief – until the situation improves:

1. Stay Indoors

This should be a no-brainer, but if you’re someone who needs to go out often for any number of reasons, try to cut down on your outdoors time as much as possible. Work from home, take leave if necessary, and postpone those morning walks and exercise sessions for healthier times – try to expose your lungs as little as possible to the toxic air outside.

2. Buy Air Purifiers – Or Clean Your ACs

Of course, even the indoors aren’t completely safe, considering that it’s the same air that’s circulating inside. Invest in air purifiers if you’re prepared to shell out a neat amount (anywhere between ₹ 30,000 – 90,000) to get your entire house outfitted, but considering that you’re more likely to have ACs installed in your home, just take the time to ensure that the inbuilt air purifier in your AC is clean.

3. Make Your Home Greener

If air purifiers are not an option, there’s a whole range of plants you can bring home to make your air a little bit cleaner. Plants like Aloe Vera, Ivy, and the Spider Plant are all great for your home at this time, as they suck up a lot of carbon – and thus a lot of pollutants – from the air. Just be sure that you’re prepared to take proper care of them.

4. Get A Face Mask

Of course, air purifiers and ACs are expensive solutions, and many of us may not be able to stay indoors as much as we might want to. In that case, it might be a good idea to invest in a pollution mask, available at most pharmacies, which filter out particulate matter and help you breathe at least a little easier. The inexpensive ones cost around ₹4 or 5 – or you can invest in stronger, but more expensive, N95 masks.

5. Drink Lots Of Water

With all that capitalism out of the way, let’s come down to simpler and relatively inexpensive ways of keeping clean – like drinking plenty of water (a good idea even on the best of days), which help wash out pollutants from your nose, throat, and lungs (and keep you hydrated – how’s that for a bonus).

6. Stay Covered Up

And not just because it’s slowly but surely getting colder. Studies have found that air pollution has a whole range of effects on your skin – from premature ageing to diseases like eczema. This is the perfect time to put on your winter wear – or to just ensure that your entire body is covered.

As we hold our breath and wait for the Government – or Mother Nature – to finally clear up this crisis, these are just some things we can do to improve our immediate situation. But it’s more important now than ever to reduce our own contributions to these appalling conditions – whether via automobiles or Diwali firecrackers – to at least reduce the need for such lists in the future.

The post 6 Ways You Can Protect Yourself From Delhi’s Poisonous Smog appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

By Suman Das: 

On April 25, 2015, a massive earthquake hit Nepal with a moment magnitude of 7.8 and claimed more than 8000 lives. The last time a natural disaster of this scale hit Nepal, it was 1934.

The earthquake also set into motion avalanches on Mount Everest and the Langtang Valley, respectively. More than 250 people died due to the avalanche in the Langtang Valley.

The national park in the Langtang Valley is the first of its kind in the Himalayas and is located in North East of Nepal. Tourists have been known to throng the Langtang village for the trek that starts at Syaphru Besi and passes through the Lama Hotel, Ghoratabela, and Kyanjin Gompa.

The avalanche that was triggered by the Gorkha earthquake obliterated the beautiful village. I clicked a few photos while I was on the trek. The photos show just how destructive both the earthquake and the avalanche was. 18 months after, this is what walking through the Langtang village was like.

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Image credit: All images have been clicked by the author.

The post In Photos: A Valley That’s Still Devastated 18 Months After The Nepal Earthquake appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

संजय जोठे:

दिल्ली मे प्रदूषण की समस्या की ज़िम्मेदारी न तो पूरी तरह से कानून व्यवस्था से जुड़ी है न औद्योगीकरण से न पूंजीवाद से और न ही शहरीकरण से। आप माने या न माने, ये इस देश के धर्म और संस्कृति से पैदा हुई समस्या है।

किसान खेत में खूंटी जला रहा है क्योंकि यह सस्ता पड़ता है भले ही उसे अगली फसल में ज़्यादा उर्वरक और कीटनाशक डालकर पूरी फ़ूड चेन को प्रदूषित करना पड़े, लेकिन वो ऐसा करेगा क्योंकि पढ़ा-लिखा वर्ग उससे बात ही नहीं करता। किसानों और पेशेवरों सहित नागरिक समाज में संवाद नहीं होता। धार्मिक लोग पटाखे जला रहे हैं, क्योंकि ये आस्था का विषय है। आस्था के नाम पर इंसान तक जलाये जा सकते हैं तो पटाखों की बात ही क्या है? दुनिया के सबसे प्रदूषित शहर में भी पटाखे जलाने वाले लोगों में एक-दूसरे के बच्चों की कोई फ़िक्र नहीं है। क्योंकि इनमें आपस में संवाद और मेल-जोल नहीं हैं, एक-दूसरे की फ़िक्र नहीं है।

शहरों में कारें बढ़ रही हैं क्योंकि जिस समाज में लोगों को या आदमी औरतों को सीधे संवाद की सुविधा न हो, वहां स्वयं को महत्वपूर्ण सिद्ध करने का एक ही तरीका है – बड़ी कार, बड़ा मोबाइल, बड़ा मकान। ब्रिटेन या जर्मनी की तरह साइकिल पर चलने से आप नीच या पिछड़े नजर आते हैं। ऐसा इसलिए क्योंकि समाज मे आपके इंसान होने के नाते या एक सामान्य आदमी होने के नाते कोई इज्ज़त ही नहीं, आपका आपके ही समाज से कोई संवाद नहीं है।

गांव शहर के बच्चे युवक इत्यादि सार्वजनिक शौचालय, वेटिंग रूम, कम्युनिटी हॉल, स्कूल कालेज आदि की खिड़की दरवाजे और टाइल तक उखाड़ ले जाते हैं, सड़कों पर आराम से थूकते हैं, पेशाब करते हैं या कहीं भी कूड़ा जला देते हैं, क्योंकि सार्वजनिक संपत्ति की कोई अवधारणा ही इस संस्कृति में नहीं है। गरीब आदमी को लगता ही नहीं कि ये समाज उसका है या ये सड़क या सड़क किनारे लगा बल्ब उसका है, वो मज़े से पत्थर मारकर उसे तोड़ देता है। क्योंकि उसमें और शेष समाज में कोई संवाद नहीं है, उनका कोई साझा भविष्य नहीं है, साझा जीवन नहीं है।

अब इनका साझा भविष्य या जीवन क्यों नहीं है? क्योंकि इनके भगवान ने इन्हें चार हिस्सों में और चार हज़ार उप हिस्सों में बांटा है। एक ही कुएं, बावड़ी, तालाब, जंगल, सड़क, और बगीचे आदि पर इनकी मालकियत या स्टेक एक जैसा नहीं है। इसलिए न तो ये एक समाज की तरह इकट्ठे हैं, न ही किसी रिसोर्स पर ओनरशिप या स्टेकहोल्डरशिप के अर्थ में समान या इकट्ठे हैं। ये कहीं भी समान और इकट्ठे नहीं हैं। ये हर जगह ऊंच-नीच के साथ घुसते या निकलते हैं। इसलिए इनमे सार्वजनिक सम्पत्ति की साझी चिंता या रक्षा की कोई भावना नहीं होती। इसी कारण अतीत में ये इकट्ठे युद्ध या आत्मरक्षा भी नहीं कर पाए।

इसीलिये मैं बार-बार लिखता हूं, कि इस देश का धर्म ही इसकी सारी समस्याओं की जड़ है। आप ऊपर-ऊपर कुछ भी बदल लीजिये, लेकिन इस ज़हरीले कुएं की आवक जब तक गहराई में जाकर बंद नहीं की जायेगी तब तक कुछ नहीं होने वाला।

The post दिल्ली में प्रदूषण हमारी संस्कृति की ही देन है appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

By Anupam Chakravarti:

Note: This article has been republished from Down To Earth.

The Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi recently intervened and compelled the Himachal Pradesh government to withdraw its appeal filed against National Green Tribunal (NGT) judgment mandating recognition of forest rights of tribal farmers under the Forest Right Act. Despite that, the state government launched a drive to clear ‘encroachments out of the forests’ under the garb of High Court order. Farmers’ and Tribal rights’ groups in the Himalayan state are likely to intensify protests stating that the state as more than 10,000 plots across the state’s forest areas have been identified for eviction.

Scale Of Eviction

So far, according to the Forest Department’s status report accessed by members of Him Niti Abhiyan, out of 10,307 plots in the forest land, eviction has already taken place in 5,143 plots while eviction orders have been passed for 8912 cases. A back-of-the-envelope calculation, assuming average size of plots as 10 bighas, suggests that 3822.40 hectares (ha) of forest land has already been cleared out of 7660 ha of the total plots marked for eviction.

“Under this pretext, forest department has cut down more than 40,000 fruit-bearing apple and other trees and destroyed orchards and farmland of several small farmers having even less than 10 hectare occupation. Many residential houses were demolished in many parts of state. Water and electricity connections were also disconnected in all parts of states, even in tribal areas,” alleged Guman Singh, coordinator of Him Niti Abhiyan, an umbrella organisation for farmers and forest dwellers in Himachal Pradesh.

In an earlier order in February 2016, Himachal High Court granted six weeks to evict people in possession of even less than 10 bighas of forest land and those having police cases against them. Environmental activists contest the court order stating that the government started the eviction process before settling the community and individual rights over forest land in these areas, which takes months. “Unfortunately, Attorney General of Himachal government neither presented before the court the restriction to evict such possessions under the provisions of FRA nor did he refer to the Supreme Court judgment on Niyamgiri which has confirmed that no eviction can take place till the verification and recognition under Forest Rights Act is completed against them within six weeks,” stated Singh.

Court And Government Sidestep FRA

While activists have termed the court pronouncements as anti-people, they still blame the state government for its reluctance to recognise the rights. Incidentally, it was on the intervention of Rahul Gandhi that the Himachal Pradesh government withdrew the appeal filed against recent judgement of NGT that mandated recognition of forest rights of tribal farmers under the Forest Right Act

The NGT had directed the state government to seek gram sabha’s approval for Kashang Hydroelectric project in Kinnaur district. The government had appealed before the Tribunal presenting a case that gram sabha does not have any role to play in diversion of its forest resources to the said hydroelectric project. Till November 2015, the state government had diverted a whooping 12,005 ha of forest land for various industrial and infrastructure projects.

Granting Rights Under FRA

Under the constant pressure of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), state government started the process of granting rights under FRA in 2008 in tribal-dominated region in the first phase. Activists claim that feeble attempts were made in tribal areas with several illegal riders: claimant should not be a government employee and income tax payee. Even as some were considered encroachers, people were allegedly kept in the dark and crucial information regarding these rights was not conveyed.

Guman Singh and several other activists such as R S Negi say that in tribal district of Kinnaur, FIRs under HP Public Premises & Land (Eviction & Rent Recovery) Act, 1971 – the same act that is now being used to clear land from encroachment — were registered against tribals who filed individual claims under Forest Rights Act 2006.

On December 14, 2015, Ministry of Tribal Affairs issued clarification to the government of Himachal Pradesh categorically explaining that settlement rights have to be recognised under the FRA. According to the data with the MoTA, 5409 individual claims and 283 community claims of rights had been filled, of which 238 individual claims and 108 community claims were settled, providing a paltry 0.14 ha (376.74 sq ft only in both Individual and community claims cases) of land.

The post The Himachal Govt. Has Launched A Massive Eviction Drive Against Tribal Farmers appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

मानव सभ्यता के आखेटक खाद्य-संग्राहक काल में खटमलों को इंसानों के करीब आने का मौका नहीं मिल सका। पर जब मानव-जाति ने गांवों और आगे चलकर शहरों में स्थायी रूप से बसना शुरू किया, तो खटमलों को अपनी ‘मुरीदी’ दिखाने का भरपूर अवसर मिला।

खटमल धीरे-धीरे यूरोप और एशिया में फैल चुके थे। इटली (77 ई), चीन (6वीं सदी), जर्मनी (11वीं सदी), फ्रांस (13वीं सदी), इंग्लैंड (1538) भी खटमलों के प्रकोप का शिकार बन चुके थे। खटमलों को लेकर नामावलियां भी विकसित हो चुकी थीं, मसलन, बेडबग के अलावा उन्हें, ‘वालपेपर फ़्लौंडर’, ‘नाईट राइडर’, ‘रेड कोट’, ‘महोगनी फ्लॅट’, और ‘क्रीमसन रंबलर’ भी कहा जाता था। “देखन में छोटे लगे, घाव करे गंभीर” प्रकृति वाले इन खटमलों के लिए, बर्तोल्त ब्रेख्त ने लिखा:
“शार्क मछलियों को मैंने चकमा दिया, शेरों को मैंने छकाया, मुझे जिन्होंने हड़प लिया वे खटमल थे।”

19वीं सदी में औद्योगीकरण और यातायात के साधनों के तीव्र विकास ने खटमलों के लिए अनुकूल वातावरण बनाया। हालांकि यह परजीवी कीट अमीर-गरीब में कोई फर्क नहीं करता, पर दुनिया भर में खटमलों का सबसे ज़्यादा शिकार गरीब और मजदूर ही हुए। फैक्टरी और उद्योगों के इर्द-गिर्द रहने वाला श्रमिक वर्ग खटमलों का आसान शिकार बना, कारण कि मजदूर खटमलों को खत्म करने के लिए अपेक्षाकृत महंगे कीटनाशकों का प्रयोग नहीं कर सकते थे। सड़कों, रेल-मार्गों, जलयानों और हवाई जहाज़ों ने खटमलों को उन सुदूर क्षेत्रों में भी पहुंचाया, जो अब तक खटमल से अनभिज्ञ थे।

1930 के दशक में आर्थिक महामंदी से जूझते यूरोप और अमेरिका में श्रमिकों और मजदूरों की बस्तियों में खटमल की समस्या ने विकराल रूप धारण कर लिया था। दोनों ही विश्वयुद्धों में, सैनिकों का जितना खून युद्धभूमि में बहा, लगभग उतना ही खून खटमलों ने बैरकों और खंदकों में सोते-जागते जवानों के शरीर से चूस लिया। जवानों के हेलमेट, उनके पिट्ठू-बस्ते (बैकपैक), वर्दी और यहां तक कि सेना की कैंटीन तक में खटमल मौजूद थे।

20वीं सदी के उत्तरार्ध में खटमल, सभी सार्वजनिक स्थलों मसलन, अस्पतालों, स्कूलों, कालेज़ और विश्वविद्यालय परिसरों, पुस्तकालयों, होटलों, दमकल विभागों, पुलिस स्टेशनों और तो और शवदाह गृहों आदि में भी अपनी उपस्थिति दर्ज करा रहे थे। खटमलों के खात्मे के लिए बहुत-से नुस्खे और रसायन आजमाए गए। इनमें कुछ प्रमुख थे: मरक्यूरी क्लोराइड, हाइड्रोजन साइनाइड, पाइरेंथरम, केरोसिन, गैसोलीन, बेन्जीन, टूर्पेंटाइन और डीडीटी आदि। (देखें, माइकल पॉटर, ‘द हिस्ट्री ऑफ बेडबग मैनेजमेंट’)

भारत में खटमल:

11वीं-12वीं सदी में रचित ‘कथा-सरितसागर’ में खटमलों की एक कथा आती है। कथा मूल रूप में पंचतंत्र से ली गयी है। कथा-सरितसागर की खटमल-कथा यूँ है:
“किसी राजा के पलंग में एक मंद विसर्पिणी नाम की जूँ छिपकर रहती थी। वहां अकस्मात कहीं से टीटीभ नामक खटमल भी आ गया। उसने कहा, ‘मैंने राजा का खून कभी नहीं पिया है, यदि आपकी कृपा हो तो मैं आज थोड़ा-सा राजा का खून पी लूं’। उसके बहुत अनुरोध करने पर मंद विसर्पिणी ने कहा, ‘अच्छा तुम यहां रह सकते हो, किन्तु जब राजा सो जाए, तब काटना’। जूँ की अनुमति मिल जाने पर खटमल वहीं रहा। रात्रि में ज्योंही राजा खाट पर आकार लेटा, त्योंही खटमल ने उसे काट लिया। राजा एकदम ‘अरे काट लिया! अरे काट लिया!’ कहता हुआ उठ खड़ा हुआ। तब खटमल तो शीघ्र ही वहां से भाग गया पर राजा के नौकरों ने जूँ को पाकर मार डाला। इसलिए हे राजन! टीटीभ के संपर्क से मंद विसर्पिणी जूँ मारी गई।”

औपनिवेशिक काल में खटमलों ने भारतीयों के साथ-साथ उन अंग्रेज़ों को भी काफी हलकान किया, “जिनके राज्य में कभी सूर्य अस्त नहीं होता था।” 1816-18 के दौरान मद्रास प्रेसीडेंसी के एक अस्पताल में सर्जन रहे जेम्स लाडर ने अस्पताल में रोगियों के लिए लोहे की चारपाइयों के व्यवहार पर ज़ोर दिया, ताकि उनमें खटमल न आ सके। (देखें, जेन बकिंघम, ‘लेप्रोसी इन कॉलोनियल साउथ इंडिया’)

इंडियन मेडिकल सर्विस के कैप्टन डब्लू.एस. पैटन, एफ. डब्लू. क्रैग सरीखे चिकित्सकों ने खटमलों और उनसे फैलने वाले रोगों पर शोध किया। 1907 में प्रतिष्ठित ‘साइंस’ पत्रिका में लिखते हुए ए.ए. जिराल्ट ने भारत में कालाजार की बीमारी के लिए खटमलों को एक कारण बताया।

खटमल: साहित्य और सिनेमा में

1730 ई. में (1787 संवत), आगरा के कवि अली मुहिब खाँ प्रीतम ने “खटमल बाईसी” नामक हास्य रस की एक किताब लिखी। मुहिब खाँ लिखते हैं:
“बिधि हरि हर, और इनतें न कोऊ, तेऊ, खाट पै न सोवें खटमलन को डरिकै।
कोऊ न उपाय, भटकत जनि डोलै सुन, खाट के नगर खटमलन की दुहाई है॥”

शायर अकबर इलाहाबादी (1846-1921) ने खटमलों से आजिज़ आकर लिखा:
“इस कदर था खटमलों का चारपाई में हुजूम, वस्ल का दिल से मेरे अरमान रुख़सत हो गया।”

राहुल सांकृत्यायन ने अपनी पुस्तक “एशिया के दुर्गम भूखंडों में” लद्दाख और ल्हासा के दुर्गम क्षेत्रों में भी खटमलों के आतंक का ज़िक्र किया है। ल्हासा के आगे एक गांव द्जङ् के बारे में लिखा है उन्होंने: “सब लोग सो गए। हम भी लेटे। अब सारे शरीर में चुनचुनाहट हो रही थी। उठने में आलस-सा था। लेटे-लेटे सोच रहे थे- पिस्सू है या खटमल! किंतु और देर तक बहलाव करना मुश्किल था। टॉर्च उठाकर देखा- दीवार, सिरहाने लाल-चलित बिन्दुओं से सुशोभित हो रही थी। क्या खटमल दादा तुम पहुंच गए!”

बॉलीवुड ने खटमलों के साथ उतना उपेक्षापूर्ण व्यवहार नहीं किया जितना कि अकादमिक जगत ने। कवि गोपाल दास नीरज ने एक गीत ही लिख मारा खटमलों पर, जिसके बोल थे “धीरे से जाना खटियन में ओ खटमल...” और जिसे गाया था, हरदिलअज़ीज़ किशोर कुमार ने और इस गीत को संगीत से संवारा था सचिन देव बर्मन ने। ‘छुपा रुस्तम’ फ़िल्म (1973, निर्देशक-विजय आनंद) का यह गीत देवानंद और हेमामालिनी पर फ़िल्माया गया, खटमलों को इससे बेहतर की उम्मीद और हो भी क्या सकती थी।

The post ‘धीरे से जाना खटियन में खटमल’- खटमलों का सामाजिक इतिहास appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

ब्रह्मानंद ठाकुर:

प्रख्यात उपन्यासकार/कथाकार मुंशी प्रेमचंद के गोदान का होरी आज भी भारत के खेत-खलिहानो में ज़िंदा है। अपने ज़िंदा रहने की कीमत वह खेतों में माथा और कलेजा पीट कर चुका रहा है। दुलारी सहुआईन, दातादीन पंडित और मंगरु साहू अपना रूप बदल कर बकाया वसूलने उसके दरवाजे पर रोज़ सुबह आंखें लाल करता आ धमकता है। होरी असहाय है और गोबर, बाप से लड़-झगड़ कर अपनी बीबी झुनिया को ले कर शहर चला गया। खेती के दिन प्रतिदिन अलाभकर होते चले जाने के कारण वह नहीं चाहता था कि अपने बाप की तरह वह भी खेतों में मर-मर कर एक पाव दूध और दो रोटियों के लिए खुद तरसे और बच्चों को तरसाए। महाजन की घुड़की बर्दाश्त करे। सो भाग गया शहर, बिना मां-बाप को कुछ बताए। दो साल हुए, कोई खोज खबर नहीं ली बूढ़े-बुढ़िया की। सोना-रूपा छोटी दो बहनों को भी भूल गया, कैसे पीले होंगे उसके हाथ, यही सोच-सोच कर परेशान हैं होरी और धनिया।

जी हां मै आज आधुनिक होरियों की पीड़ा की गाथा सुनाने जा रहा हूं। इस कहानी का एक किरदार मैं भी हूं। छोटी जोत का लघु किसान हूं, चार बीघा जमीन है बाग-बगीचा, असबारी-बंसबारी समेत। 40 साल हुए बैल से हलवाही का ज़माना जब लद गया, तब से दरवाजे पर बैल नहीं रखा। मेरा पांच साल का पोता, जब किसी टायर गाड़ी में बैल को जुता हुआ देखता है तो आश्चर्य मिश्रित खुशी से उछलने लगता है। कभी-कभी उस गाड़ी के पीछे भी दौड़ जाता है। बैल नहीं रहा तो गाय और भैस पालता हूं। एक गाय 18 लीटर दूध दे रही थी, अपने ही गाय की जरोह थी। भूसा, चारा-दाना महंगा हो जाने के कारण उसे बेच दिया, बड़ी सहरोस थी, आज भी उसके गुण भूल नहीं पाया। खैर उसी की बछिया है, दरवाजे पर बीते फरवरी मे बच्चा दिया था। तब 12 लीटर दूध देती थी, अभी दोनों का शाम में तीन लीटर दूध होता है। एक भैंस है और एक उसकी दो साल की बच्ची। आदमी की तरह ही माल-मवेशियों का फूड हैबिट भी बदल चुकी है, अब साल भर भूसा खिलाना होता है। यदि मजबूरी वश पुआल खिलाए तो कई तरह की परेशानी, दूध उत्पादन में भी कमी, सो साल भर भूसे का जुगाड़।

अभी भूसा एक हजार रूपये क्विंटल तौलकर बिक रहा है। गेहूं दो हजार चार सौ रूपये क्विंटल और चोकर का रेट पिछले एक हफ़्ते से 950 रूपया प्रति बोरा (एक बोरा 38किलो) हो गया है। हरा चारा अलग से। कुल मिलाकर एक दुधारू पशु के भोजन के लिए प्रतिदिन 16 किलो भूसा, कम से कम 3 किलो चोकर और 5 किलो हरे चारे की ज़रूरत होती है। ऊपर मैंने चर्चा की है फूड हैबिट की, सो मिनरल मिक्सचर, खल्ली साल में चार बार कीड़े की दवा अलग से। फिर भी बांझपन की शिकायत हो ही जाती है। मैं खुद अपनी गाय का अब तक चार बार कृत्रिम गर्भाधान करवा चुका हूं। अब किसी घर में मिट्टी की ‘कोही’ में दूध से दही नहीं जमाया जाता और जब दही ही नहीं तो मठ्ठा कहां से? मठ्ठे से बना मेहजाऊर और मक्के की रोटी-मठ्ठा खाना तो सपना हो गया।

अब तो बस थान से दूध बाल्टी मे लेकर सीधे रुख करते हैं दुग्ध उत्पादक सहयोग समितियों के दुग्ध संग्रह केन्द्रों की ओर। यहां महीना के अंत में भुगतान होता है। फैट और एसएनएफ के आधार पर दूध की कीमत तय होती है। प्रति लीटर दूध की औसत कीमत होती है 25 से 28 रूपये। मैं खुद अब तक नहीं जान पाया कि ये फैट और एसएनएफ क्या चीज है और हमारे दूध के उत्पादन से इसका कैसा ताल्लुक है? यदि आप शहर में रहते हैं और क्रीम निकाला हुआ दूध खरीदते हैं तो समझ जाएंगे कि किसानों से खरीदे गये दूध के दाम और उपभोक्ताओं से वसूले गये दूध के मूल्य मे कितना बड़ा अंतर है। यही अंतर तो पैदा करता है परजीवी वर्ग को!

आईए अब चर्चा करें धान की खेती की। इस बार हमारा इलाका भयंकर सूखे की चपेट में रहा, फिर भी किसानों ने ‘हरि जू मेरो मन हठ न तजै’ की तर्ज पर धान की खेती की। हाईब्रिड सीड से लेकर जुताई, कदवा रोपाई, निकौनी, 5 से 8 सिंचाई, खाद उर्वरक, कटाई और फसल तैयार करने में औसतन 24 हजार रूपये प्रति बीघा खर्च आया। और यह जान कर दंग रह जाईएगा कि उपज हुई अधिकतम औसत 12 क्विंटल प्रति बीघा। सरकार ने इस बार धान का न्यूनतम क्रय मूल्य 1470 और 1530 रूपये प्रति क्विंटल निर्धारित किया, लेकिन आज तक किसानों को नहीं पता कि इस मूल्य पर वे कहां जाकर अपना धान बेचें। कहीं-कहीं बिचौलिए 1100 रूपये की दर से धान खरीद रहे हैं, जब किसानों के धान बिचौलिए खरीद लेंगे तो जुगाड़ तकनीक से यही बिचौलिए सरकारी क्रय केन्द्रों पर सरकार के निर्धारित मूल्य पर धान बेच माला-माल हो जाएंगे और धान क्रय का सरकारी लक्ष्य भी पूरा हो जाएगा। कम से कम अब तक का अपना अनुभव तो यही बताता है।

इधर दुलारी सहुआईन, मंगरू साहू और दातादीन पंडित के रूप मे डीजल वाला, खाद वाला, ट्रैक्टर वाला, दबाई वाला, भूसा वाला, चोकर वाला, कपड़ा वाला और न जाने कौन-कौन नित सबेरे किसानों के दरबाजे आकर अपने बकाए के भुगतान का तकादा जारी रखे हुए है। कृषि रोड मैप लागू है और किसान माथा पीट रहा है। खेती और पशुपालन किसानों के लिए सांप के मुंह का मेंढक बन गया है, जिसे न निगलते बनता है न उगलते।

लेखक ब्रह्मानंद ठाकुर, बिहार के मुज़फ़्फ़रपुर के रहने वाले। पेशे से शिक्षक मई 2012 में सेवानिवृत्त हो चुके हैं, लेकिन पढ़ने-लिखने की ललक आज भी जागृत है। गांव में बदलाव पर गहरी पैठ रखते हैं और युवा पीढ़ी को गांव की विरासत से अवगत कराते रहते हैं।

यह लेख मूल रूप से बदलाव डॉट कॉम पर प्रकाशित हुआ है।

The post प्रेमचंद की गोदान के किसान आज भी गांव-देहात में बसते हैं appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

Of late, I have been evading my news feed on online news portals because every day I come across the tale of a Bhadra, and her companions being gravely wronged by the inhumane side of ‘humanity’. Yes, I am talking about the alarming rise in incidents of animal cruelty against man’s best friend – dogs.

What happened with Bhadra caused a lot of outrage on social media. A harmless dog was brutally thrown off the terrace of a building in Bangalore, and the two perpetrators proudly filmed the heinous act and uploaded it on social media. The saddest part is that though they were arrested after a lot of pressure from the public, they were easily let-off on bail. The only legal action which our country’s legal system takes against perpetrators of animal cruelty is a mere penalty of ₹50.

Bhadra, as the dog was affectionately named by animal rights activists who came to her rescue is one of many such dogs who has been subjected to extreme acts of cruelty and violence by humans.

A man in Mumbai ran his car over a dog, to take ‘revenge’ on the creature for urinating on his car’s tyres. There have been cases of people killing innocent puppies by stoning them or setting off fireworks in their mouths, or tying them to trees and hitting them. I mean, what possible pleasure can someone derive out of hurting a four-legged creature who can’t even speak for itself? What could compel someone to commit such acts?

The nonchalant nature of our country’s judicial system on the issue of animal cruelty has created a situation where people are living under the impression that they can do anything they want without thinking of consequences.

When it takes ages for people to get justice for the gravest of crimes committed against them, what is the value of the life of a mere stray animal? As I stated above, only ₹50. The offender may be as barbaric as barbaric can get, they may kill the animal, but the person can get an easy bail and has to pay a small penalty of ₹50.

Due to many recent cases, animal lovers and animal rights organisations have tried raising awareness and demanding justice through social media platforms by creating online campaigns and starting petitions. But the only result was the Government suggesting that the penalty be increased from ₹50 to ₹100.

I mean, is that even a proper response? It only shows how ignorant the system and our mindsets are about the lives of animals. We can’t really blame the government, as we ourselves aren’t really able to see beyond our problems and lives. The result: such incidents happen, we read about them, probably like and share online, sign online petitions when there’s outrage temporarily, and that’s about it. It remains a virtual cause, and no proper action is taken.

The government may claim that there’s a street dog menace, but is violence the right way of eradicating the problem? No, it’s just the system’s way of shirking the responsibility of systematically tackling the street dog population.

We are supposed to exhibit maturity and emotion that distinguishes us from other species and use our power and ability to do greater good. And it doesn’t just mean a few activists who raise their voice; it means all of us. Because collective efforts alone can bring about change.

We may not go about on streets shouting protest slogans, or donate all our money to animal welfare, but we can be more determined to sensitise others about it and urge the government to make stringent laws regarding violence against animals. Desi adoption and sterilisation should be encouraged. We can also contribute by volunteering with animal welfare organisations and groups, and stop those around us trying to hurt our four legged friends? But first, why don’t we just start respecting and following the basic principle of ‘live and let live.’

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Image source: Uditha Wickramanayaka, jennyhsu47/Flickr

The post Is ₹50 Even Punishment For Someone Who Threw A Dog Off A Terrace? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

Having said that, the impact that these landfills can have on the air, soil, water and human lives is enormous. In light of a recent proposal by East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) to develop a 150-acre landfill site along with a waste-to-energy plant on the banks of River Yamuna in Delhi, it is imperative for the citizens and the authorities to be aware of the impact a landfill might have on our ground water.

By the sight of it, it is easy to guess that a landfill consists of literally everything that we dispose off ranging from the kitchen waste to medical waste. Every day, about 8360 metric tonnes per day of municipal solid waste created by Delhi finds its way to three landfills in Bhalswa, Gazipur and Okhla. While these landfills are an indispensable part of everyday living, it is essential for us to recognise the long-term threats they pose to our groundwater as well as the surface water. According to a study, landfills have been identified as one of the major threats to groundwater resources not only in India but throughout the world. It has been found that areas near landfills have a greater possibility of groundwater contamination because of the potential pollution source of leachate originating from the dumping site.

In context of the landfills, leachate is the liquid that drains from the waste and contains both dissolved and suspended material.  As the water percolates through the mountain of waste, it picks up a variety of substances such as metals, minerals, organic chemicals, bacteria, viruses, explosives, flammables and other toxic materials.  The highly strong and unpleasant smell of this leachate has volumes to say about its composition. The release of the leachate to the groundwater presents several risks to the environment as well as human health.

Over the last few decades, there have been several examples of how landfills have impacted the groundwater leading to serious health risks. One of the most widely recognised cases of groundwater pollution is Love Canal neighbourhood in upstate New York. Back in 1978, residents of the neighbourhood noticed high rates of cancer, indications of leukemia and an alarming number of birth defects. This was eventually traced to organic solvents and dioxins from an industrial landfill that the neighbourhood had been built over and around, which had then infiltrated into the water supply leading to a man-made catastrophe.

It won’t be an exaggeration to say that considering the current lack of regulations related to the landfills in the cities, there are many more Love Canal disasters waiting to unleash themselves upon the environment and on us. Majority of our natural resources all over the world are currently threatened with over-exploitation, ecological degradation and poor management.

The recent proposal of the EDMC to develop a landfill site on the banks of an already dead river is an open invitation to further degrade the quality of water as well as the lives of the people of Delhi. As a city that is already struggling with the deteriorated air quality, Delhi cannot afford to consciously add another blow to its physical and social environment. A group of concerned citizens have filed a petition on Change.org for the authorities to shift the site of development of landfill on the floodplains. Every signature on the petition will send out a message to the government to stop this disaster. You can sign the petition here.

It is high time that our authorities open their eyes to the reality and recognise that it is foolish to neglect one issue in the pursuit to address another. If not recognised and addressed with urgency, we, as developing cities will continue to expand and our water resources will continue to contract, all over a mountain of waste.

The post The Dangerous Reason Why Delhi Could End Up Drinking Its Own Garbage appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

Consider this:

• Urban India is currently the world’s third largest garbage generator.
• 622 million tonnes of garbage is generated by the 377 million Indians living in urban India every day.
• 45 million tonnes or nearly 3 million truckloads worth of garbage is left untreated or is unhygienically disposed off by India’s civic bodies each year.
• India registers a 1.3% increase in the amount of solid waste it generates on a per capita basis every year.
• By 2030, India will be the world’s largest generator of solid waste.

The consensus is unanimous. Urban India is drowning in its garbage. And the problem is not going away anytime soon. If anything, it’s only going to get worse. Contrast this with the rather unique problem Sweden finds itself in – the country has actually run out of garbage, and is now looking to import garbage from other neighbouring countries to keep its recycling plants going.

So what’s the crucial difference between India and Sweden? Why are we swamped with garbage, while Sweden goes scouting out for it? The difference, it seems, is the way in which the two countries handle municipal solid waste. That Sweden also has a National Recycling Policy is also another differentiator.

Sweden converts 50% of its municipal solid waste into energy, and less than one percent of it ends up in a landfill. In India, most municipal solid waste ends up in landfills where it pollutes surrounding soil and groundwater with toxins.

While in Sweden, the 53% of energy (biogas) produced is used as vehicular fuel, in India we mostly squander away energy generated from solid waste through open air exposure by letting our garbage rot away in the open.

The biggest differentiator though is that unlike India, Sweden has a cohesive recycling policy  that includes prevention (reduce), reuse, recycling alternatives (energy recovery through WTE plants), and lastly, disposal (landfill). This ensures that the recycling system is so efficient that only 1 percent of its household waste actually goes to the landfills.

Private companies in Sweden undertake the task of importing and burning waste and all the energy that is generated from the waste then goes into the country’s heating network that heats people’s homes in the cold weather.

Many bodies, like GIREM (Global Initiative for Restructuring Environment and Management) have in fact have recommended Indian cities like Bangalore (which has been dealing with huge problems of garbage disposal) use Swedish incinerator technology to not only provide lighting to at least 6500 apartments in the city, but also process tonnes of garbage in a day.

Bangalore is facing a huge crisis when it comes to garbage disposal, and the civic bodies have been at a loss of what to do because the sheer amount of waste generated every day. In Delhi, the situation isn’t much better, and three of Delhi’s four landfills are already overdue for closure.

And India has little or no vision when it comes to a waste management. Which is sad, because as the world’s second largest population of humans and the largest population of cattle, the country has immense potential when it comes to efficient waste-to-energy generation.

We, in India, can only hope for our government to take a leaf from Sweden’s success and replicate some of. Else, Sweden can always count on India for its garbage fix. We surely have a lot of it to spare. Question is, will they be interested in importing our garbage? Here’s hoping.

The post Dear Sweden, Can You Take Our Trash Since You Finished Yours? Love, India appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

Trigger Warning

Last winter, my Facebook newsfeed treated me to several images of the Kukur Tihar, a Nepalese festival that celebrates dogkind, with garlands, tikas, treats – the works. The images came only a few months after a tremendous victory for animal rights in the country – the ban on the bull slaughtering Gadhimai festival – and I drifted into 2016 filled with hope. But that hope soon ran out.

Several incidents over the last 12 months showed us the horrific lows to which human beings have sunk. And the unspoken message behind every incident of cruelty is this: non-human animals do not deserve safety, respect, or even the right to be alive.

1. In January, A Bear Was Beaten To An Inch Of Its Life

After several sightings, residents of Chitradurga village in Karnataka cornered and attacked it with sticks and massive rocks. The bear would not have survived had it not been for forest officials, who intervened and rushed the animal to the Adumalleshwara Zoo for treatment. Officials were unable to identify and book those involved under the Wildlife Act.

2. In March, A Woman Killed 8 Defenceless Puppies

A colony of ex-servicemen in Bangalore was left shaken after a woman named Ponnamma killed an entire litter of 15-day old puppies to “teach the mother a lesson” for giving birth outside her gate. She reportedly flung them across the road with so much force that some of them were found with their intestines out. The mother of the litter, a stray dog fondly called Ammu by residents, was devastated, howling through the night, and trying to approach residents for help.

3. Elephants In Temple Complexes Keep Dying

Physical strain, exposure to high temperatures, a lack of care, in general, has spelt doom wherever captive elephants are made to labour. And temples in South India extract a lot of labour from elephants. 12 elephants have died in Kerala this year. By July, three had died in Tamil Nadu, and a Public Interest Litigation filed in Madras High Court also revealed that many temple elephants were malnourished and ill-treated.

4. But Elephants In The Wild Aren’t Safe Either!

The Patanjali food park near Kaziranga in Assam poses a massive hazard. A female elephant and her calf fell into a pit at the construction site. The mother succumbed to internal injuries and fractures, and her traumatised two-month-old calf was only moved from her side after a whole day.

5. In July, Medical Students Flung A Dog Off A Terrace

Gautam Sudarshan and Ashish Paul of Madha Medical College filmed a video of themselves throwing a brown street dog off a terrace. For Fun. Rescued by animal rights activist Shravan Krishnan, the dog was named Bhadra and nursed back to health. But she suffered multiple fractures and will never walk normally again. Sudarshan and Paul were granted bail, and Bhadra still awaits justice under the Prevention of Cruelty To Animals Act.

6. In November, A Leopard Is Killed Right In Front Of Forest Officials

Residents of Gurgaon’s Mandwar village chased and beat to death an adult leopard, filmed it on video, and posed triumphantly with its body before dragging it to the main road. Not only are Indian leopards dwindling in numbers, but human settlements have been encroaching on their natural habitats, and they often cross over into villages and small towns, disoriented. Even more disturbing than the violence meted out to the animal was the fact that forest officials were present and did not intervene.

7. That Same Month, The Brutalised Body Of A Female Monkey Was Exhumed

Investigation found that medical students in Vellore had tied her up, burnt and beaten her. Scroll reported that “a stick had been inserted in her rectum and forced out through the front of her body.” Medical practitioners and animal rights activists alike were shocked by the crime, raising serious questions about the ethics being inculcated by these future doctors.

8. And As Recently As December, A Man Chops Off The Legs Of A Puppy In Dwarka

The man in question, Pramod, had initially offered food to a stray pup that had entered his house. In its enthusiasm, the puppy had scratched him, and for that, he brought out a blade to punish the animal. A case has been filed at the Palam police station under the Animal Cruelty act, but it remains to be seen where is goes.

Despite having many traditions rooted in animism, and an admiration for the natural world, India has not been an easy place for animals. While the realities of  there are incidents happening in our own backyards that we cannot ignore. With every stick or stone used to harm an animal, a part of our own humanity dies.

The post 8 Times Indians Were Horribly Cruel To Animals In 2016 appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

4.58 acres, it’s the piece of land that Jai Singh Murmu (50) has always banked upon. But, the family inherited farmland has not always been kind to this tribal farmer of East Singhbhum’s Sungdi village. In 2007, the land did not support enough crop yields, and Murmu miserably failed to garner money for the treatment of his ailing wife, who eventually died.

It’s 2016, and Murmu still relies on the same 4.58 acres. Today, the land never disappoints him and gives much more than what he expects. Wondering about the turnaround? The answer to it lies in a pond, which Murmu got excavated at an expense of around ₹10,000.

Measuring 200×100 sq. ft., the pond is used by Murmu for raising fish, which is proving much profitable than his generations-old venture of paddy cultivation. “The pond has addressed my financial concerns quite well,” shares Murmu. A long pause follows, probably for some mental maths, and he throws up the figure to back his claim, “It was a mere investment of ₹2,000 over a year ago, and I have already made ₹50,000 from it in a year.”

It may sound nothing less than hitting a jackpot, but Murmu is just highlighting the profitable margins pisciculture is known for.

Murmu’s recent earnings out of the land get reflected in his lifestyle. A gleaming motorbike awaits him at his doorstep. Cold water from a refrigerator greets him after a tiring day. “Both (fridge and bike) are barely two months old,” giggles the class 12 dropout, whose daughter is pursuing MA and son BA.

“Spawn and some fish breeding medicines were bought in ₹2,000. Fingerlings and small-sized fish that I got from spawn were sold for ₹50,000 in phases,” explains Murmu, adding in the same breath, “There’s still at least 3 quintals of fish in the pond. It would fetch close to another ₹40,000.”

Wait, Murmu’s pond economics is yet not over. Earlier left to the mercy of rain gods for paddy cultivation, Murmu is getting more out of the pond, thanks to the creeper veggies and arhar he grows along the banks of the water body. The bottle gourds and arhar he recently sold fetched him another ₹16,000.

Some quick movements of his fingers and Murmu gets lost in thought, again for some calculations that are going in his mind. He resumes the conversation, this time smilingly, “So, all put together, it would come to over ₹1 lakh.”

Interestingly, this income has come from only 10% share of Murmu’s total land—the share given to the pond—and is much more than his annual paddy benefits. “When rains didn’t play truant, I used to have an annual income of ₹70,000 through paddy,” he adds.

Paddy still covers a majority of his land. Earlier, it was cultivated traditionally, but now he follows SRI for the same. With a pond at his disposal, he no longer has to worry about irrigating the paddy field. Nearby farmers, which Murmu put to five, too, fetch use pond for irrigating their fields.
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Images provided by the author.

The post A Small Pond Is Giving This Farmer More Income Than His Rice Field Ever Did appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

In a world where opposition arguments are becoming increasingly redundant (read: Solar cells would suck out all the energy from the Sun), it has become increasingly important for environmental enthusiasts to come up with tangible reasons against obvious disasters for the environment. The burden then shifts from the exploiters to the victims to establish that the opposition is not just an opposition for the sake of it, but stands to guard the entire community against the hazards of unsustainable development.

Such is the case of the proposal by East Delhi Municipal Corporation of creating a landfill on the banks of river Yamuna. While the already miserable condition of the river, which is barely visible under layers of toxic foam, does not induce a sense of urgent clean up in the government and the public alike, the idea of creating a landfill on the banks of Yamuna is an astonishing display of raw stupidity. Here are 4 key reasons, among many more, as to why creating a landfill, in and of itself, is an environmental disaster, more so on the banks of a river that feeds us drinking water, and how it directly affects the main stakeholders – the residents throughout Delhi:

1. Water, Water Everywhere, Not A Drop To Drink

Landfills constitute a fundamental assault on the ground and surface water which surrounds it. Leachate from landfills seeps from the landfill in the form of concentrated poison to drinking water; just 4 drops of this liquid are enough to render more than 75,000 litres of water (an average swimming pool) undrinkable.

The impact of water degradation is best illustrated through the Love Canal mismanagement in the United States. When unsustainable consumerism took over, love disappeared, literally and figuratively. In what panned out to be a massive demolition of an entire neighbourhood, the Love Canal scars the history of the USA as one of the most haunting incidents of environmental mismanagement worldwide. The incomplete Love Canal in New York was part of an up and coming neighbourhood in the Niagara Falls region of New York City. It was subjected to over 22,000 barrels of toxic waste in 1970s, kudos to the preceding 33% population growth in the region. The rising population had an exponentially higher consumption patterns and soon the need for a landfill to dispose off the waste was needed.

Wanting to save the booming Real Estate enterprise, the canal was seen as a myopic solution for the waste disposal of the nearby industrial waste. The results were indications of Leukaemia in the residents who were directly affected by the landfill and a Superfund program which was needed to save the dissemination of waste into nearby water bodies. Unfortunately, the programme failed in doing so, the residents were exposed to impotable water, suffered diseases and eventually, they had to be evacuated and the neighbourhood was demolished. Love Canal wasn’t lovely anymore.

2. Take A Deep Breath. Or Don’t

The air quality of Delhi hit new lows this winter with the magnanimous Diwali celebrations and the crop burning in nearby agrarian states. What better way to add to the mix than to create a filthy landfill! Decaying organic matter within landfills leads to the production of over 10 toxic gases, the most threatening being methane. In a study of over 288 landfills, more than 80% of them reported off-site diffusion of these gases into the neighbouring areas. One of the most potent greenhouse gases, Methane in high concentrations can cause breathing problems.

Constant exposure to such air from landfills can cause defects such as reduced height in children, lung and heart diseases in adults among other respiratory risks. So the time for sitting back and taking a deep breath is long gone; the time for action is here.

3. Filling Away The Land

The idea about contemporary monuments could possibly manifest into gigantic landfills; the attraction, however, is going to be an issue. Dumping waste into landfills to create clean spaces is a myopic move which does not fully take into consideration the final repercussions of the move. While a mirage of cleanliness is created in the posh parts of the cities, the land subjected to thousands of tons of waste is permanently scarred. The high amounts of combustible methane released from anaerobic decomposition of organic matter can catch fire from a small spark, a lit match or a cigarette stub. The Bhalswa landfill site in North Delhi, for instance, is constantly on fire. Similar violations of landfill protocols are observed throughout Delhi; the permissible height of 15-20m is a history in the 48.5m landfill in Okhla and the 40m+ monuments in Gazipur and Bhalswa.

4. Landfill Rights

That civil and political rights are placed above socio-economic rights is the explicit reality of rag pickers in and around Delhi. The extent to which their human rights are violated is beyond measure. The saddening saga in this turns out to be the perpetual domino effect which haunts their lineage; children of these rag pickers are forced to live in inhumane conditions in dingy and densely populated slums and are forced to join the family profession soon.

Early and prolonged exposure to landfills leads to incomplete development – physical, mental and psychological. Such stories are an existential reality of Delhi rag pickers. Their violation of basic human rights, however, lends new lease to the longevity of the life of Delhi. Their seemingly insignificant work plays a more than significant role in separating reusable and recyclable material from the dumps of waste. Such is the irony of the situation – the educated intelligentsia, whose apparent colour blindness of green and blue dustbin, is corrected by the systematically disenfranchised members of the society, the rag pickers.

So, hence, the big question: How do we manage waste in a rapidly developing and over populated city? Enough emphasis cannot be laid on the importance of individual reduction and recycling of waste. Awareness drives, in terms of the direct impacts of over-consumption, need to hit home. Along the lines of state action, decentralisation of waste into regional pits with separation of organic and inorganic waste needs to be planned out. Unplanned landfills aren’t a long-term solution; in this particular case, it stands out to be a short-term disaster as well.

To play your part in the war against this assault on environmental sanctity, sign the petition.

The post Delhi Is About To Have Its Water Poisoned, Unless We Act Now appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

ज़िन्दगी काफी अजीब सी रही है। अजीब से मेरा मतलब कुछ और नहीं बल्कि कुछ विभिन्न तरह के अनुभव हुए हैं, जिनमें से कुछ को मैं आप लोगो के सामने ज़रूर लाना चाहूँगा। इनमें से एक है, अररिया के एक गाँव का अनुभव। यह गाँव नेपाल और बंगाल सीमा से सटा हुआ है। बंगाल से निकटता की झलक आपको यहाँ ज़रूर दिखेगी जिसका वर्णन मैं आगे करूँगा। नेपाल से इस गाँव की दूरी करीब 50 से 60 किलोमीटर होगी, इस भौगोलिक निकटता की वजह से यहाँ के लोगों को काफी सहूलियत होती है। इनमे से एक फायदा तो ये कि गाँव वाले अपने आँखों का, नेपाल के मशहूर और अच्छे अस्पतालों में इलाज करा सकते हैं।

मैं गाँव में एक शोध के सन्दर्भ में गया था, मुझ जैसे इन्सान के लिए जो गाँव में कभी नहीं रहा हो, यह एक  नया और अजीब अनुभव था। खैर जब मैं इन सब से उभरा तो मेरे मन में कुछ सवाल पनप रहे थे और उनके सटीक जवाब ढूँढने की कोशिश में लग गया। जो सवाल मुझे सबसे ज़्यादा परेशान कर रहा था, उसका सम्बन्ध धर्म से था। आगे बढ़ने से पहले आपको बता दूँ कि मैं जिस पंचायत की बात करने जा रहा हूँ, वो हिन्दू बहुल व जातियों के लिहाज़ से मिश्रित जनसंख्या वाली पंचायत है।

(मुझे नहीं पता कि धर्म या जाति मेरे पाठक के जीवन में कितना महत्व रखती है, लेकिन न चाहते हुए भी मुझे जाति शब्द का उपयोग करना पड़ेगा वरना ये कहानी अधूरी रह जाएगी।)

जब मैं इस गाँव में रहा तो मेरा ज़्यादा समय ऋषिदेव जाति के दोस्तों के साथ गुज़रा। जब मैं आस-पास के ऋषिदेव टोले में भी गया तो मुझे एक संरचना काफी विचलित करती थी। ज़रा आप भी उस संरचना की एक तस्वीर बनाने की कोशिश करें। ईट से बना आयताकार मचान जैसा स्थल, जिसके ऊपर सीमेंट के प्लास्टर वाले हिस्से पर तीन गोल आकार के छेद और उन छेदों में तीन अलग प्रकार के बांस के झंडे। यह मेरे लिए बिलकुल नया था और मुझे सवाल पूछने पर मजबूर करता था। जब मैं गाँव के आबो-हवा में ढल गया, तब धीरे धीरे संयम के साथ लोगो से इस स्थल के बारे में जानकारी लेने की कोशिश करने लगा।

गाँव में मेरे जो कुछ युवा मित्र थे, मैंने पहले उनसे ये पूछा की आखिर ये कैसी संरचना है। मुझे जानकारी मिली की ये स्थल एक धार्मिक स्थल है जो दिना-भदरी को समर्पित है।

कौन हैं ये दिना भदरी – धारणाओं का आरम्भ

इन्सान की ज़िन्दगी भी कितनी विचित्र होती है, नहीं? एक सवाल समाप्त हुआ नहीं कि दूसरा उभर गया। आपके मन में भी जो भी सवाल उठा वो मेरे मन में भी उठा कि आखिर कौन हैं ये दिना और भदरी? इनके लिए ये पूजा स्थल क्यों बना है?

आप ये भी जानते होंगे कि जब आदमी सवालों के जवाब ढूँढने निकलता है तो उसके सवालो की जो लड़ी होती है, उसमें से कौन सी गुत्थी पहले सुलझे उसका कोई क्रम नही बना होता है। हालांकि पाठकों की आसानी के लिए मैंनें उत्तरों का एक क्रम बनाने की कोशिश की है, जिनसे आपके मन में उठते प्रश्नों के उत्तर आपको साथ-साथ मिलते जायें।

वापस अपने सवाल पर कि आखिर ये दिना और भदरी कौन हैं? मेरे पास दो रास्ते थे, पहला अपने शोध निदेशक से पूछना की माजरा क्या है? और फिर आपने शोध के मुद्दे पर वापस लग जाना या फिर दूसरा कि इन गाँव वालों से जानने की कोशिश करना। अंततः मैंनें इन दोनों ही रास्तों का उपयोग किया। पहले मैंने दूसरा रास्ता अपनाया, मैं जब भी गाँव वालो के साथ बैठता, खास कर ऋषिदेव दोस्तों के साथ तो मैं कोशिश करता की थोड़ी बहुत दिना और भदरी के बारे में जानकारी ले लूँ। मैं नवम्बर 6 को एक साहब से मिला, जो नवम्बर 5 की रात को आपने गाँव लौटे और इनको बड़ा मलाल था कि ये बिहार विधान सभा चुनाव में हिस्सा न ले सके, क्यूंकि ये पंजाब में मजदूरी कर रहे थे। बात करते-करते एक साहब ने उनकी तरफ इशारा करते हुए बोला, “अरे इनसे पूछिये ये आपको बतायेंगे दिना-भदरी के बारे में।” मैं सावधान मुद्रा में आकर और काफी उत्साह और विनम्रता से उनसे पूछा कि, “भैया ज़रा हमे भी अवगत कराइए न दिना भदरी बाबा से।”

वो भी काफी उत्साह और गर्व से बोले कि, “हमारे सिवा कोई नहीं जानता था, दिना भदरी को इस टोला में। ये सब जो आपके सामने है ये सब तो बच्चा था, इन लोग को क्या पता कि कौन थे दिना-भदरी, हम बताते हैं आपको। हम एक बार एक गाँव गए, यही बगल में है अपने सगे-सम्बन्धियों के यहाँ तो वहा एक सम्मलेन हो रहा था, पूछने पर लोगो ने बताया की ये दिना-भदरी का सम्मलेन हो रहा है, उनके बारे में फिर लोगो ने बताया हमको (लोगो ने उनको क्या बताया यह पूछने पर भी इसका जवाब मुझे न मिल सका)। फिर हम यहाँ वापस आए और यहाँ मात्र 300 रूपया में हम इनका सम्मलेन करवाए, सबको खाना खिलाये, जनरेटर लगवाये, सब इंतजाम हम ही किये थे अकेले, कोई नही था। फिर भी किये और यहाँ के लोगो को बताये दिना-भदरी के बारे में। ये हम अपनी जवानी की बात बता रहे है जब हम 18-20 साल के थे तब की बात है।” (अभी इनकी उम्र 40-45 वर्ष की है।)

मैंने उनसे और पूछने की कोशिश की लेकिन वो इसमें दिलचस्पी नहीं दिखा रहे थे, मैंने सोचा चलिए आगे की कहानी कभी और पता की जाएगी। बूँद-बूँद से ही नदी बनती है साहब।                      (ज़ारी है…)

Zaheeb ajmal is a researcher on the Lives on the Move project.

The post बिहार के एक छोटे से गाँव का एक रोचक किस्सा, भाग-1 appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.