Friday, 21 July 2023 | Gajendra Singh Negi | Dehradun
Chamoli cataclysm
Shocked by the sheer number of fatalities in the tragic electrocution incident in Peepalkoti area of Chamoli district, the Pushkar Singh Dhami government has ordered a safety audit of all the sewage treatment plants and the pumping stations of drinking water in the State. It reminds one about the similar audit of the bridges of the State done after the collapse of an important bridge in Raipur of Dehradun in the year 2021. However this audit and subsequent steps (if any) failed to prevent the collapse of another important bridge on Malan river in Kotdwar recently. Locals point out that just as it happened in the case of the collapse of Raipur bridge, illegal mining of river bed materials proved to be the nemesis of the Kotdwar bridge as well. The reports coming from Chamoli located on the Indo- China border suggest that the human laxity resulted in the tragedy that snatched away 16 precious lives. The actual reason of the tragedy would be known only after the inquiry ordered but the safety audits will continue to be worthless and remain only knee- jerk reactions if their findings are not corroborated with preventive and pre-emptive actions on the ground. Prudent and progressive societies always learn lessons from such tragedies.
RaGa’s plan
In an example of political astuteness, the former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has advised the party’s Uttarakhand unit to focus on the detrimental effects of the Agniveer scheme. In a recent meeting with the top brass of the State unit, Gandhi exhorted the party leaders to undertake a foot march on the lines of his Bharat Jodo Yatra in the Himalayan state. His idea seems to have energised the faction-ridden and disarrayed unit of the State Congress as it has started doing preparation for the politically important padayatra. The Gandhi scion is likely to remain in the State for at least 10 days to participate in the padayatra. His prolonged presence in a State which sends only five MPs to the Lok Sabha shows that he intends to spread the tempo built from Uttarakhand against the Agniveer scheme to other north Indian States where serving the armed forces of the country is a cherished dream of a large number of youngsters.
Paternal protection
Keen to hand over his political legacy to his daughter, a cabinet minister of the Himalayan State is lobbying hard for a ticket to his progeny in next year’s Lok Sabha elections. The minister was in the national capital recently where he met leaders of the saffron party and in these meetings he is said to have pitched for a ticket for his daughter from the Tehri parliamentary seat. Though the minister is being accused by his detractors for engaging in dynastical politics, his supporters feel that his daughter who is the national vice-president of youth wing of the saffron party has got all the qualities of his illustrious father and her success in politics is guaranteed.
