Gajendra Singh Negi | Dehradun
True tribute
With the demise of major general (retd) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri after a prolonged illness, the era of politics of principles in the Himalayan State has also probably ended. After his death, a lot has been written about his illustrious career in Army, his long stint in the parliament, his role in making the golden quadrilateral project a success as the Union minister, his larger than life persona in the Uttarakhand BJP and his strict no nonsense approach during his two tenures as the chief minister of Uttarakhand. The politicians of all hues are paying glowing tributes to him after his death but one should also remember that the institution of Lokayukt which he established in the State in the year 2011 has been deliberately side-lined by successive governments in the last one and half decade. Wary of the powers of the Lokayukt and the system of accountability it brings in the governance, the political system has deliberately kept the post of Lokayukt in the State unoccupied since 2013. The Uttarakhand High Court too has questioned the State government over the long delay on the appointment to the position. The best tribute by the Pushkar Singh Dhami government to the departed leader would be to appoint an independent Lokayukt without any further delay.
Under threat
The shock of the gruesome killing of two tiger siblings by poachers in the Shyampur range of Haridwar forest division should bring the Forest department of the State out of its slumber. After poisoning the tigers, the poachers severed the paws of the majestic predators who probably had strayed into the area from the neighbouring Chilla range of Rajaji Tiger Reserve. The mother of the siblings is said to be still missing and chances are high that she too has met the same fate as her progeny. The instances of human- wildlife conflicts are continuing to rise in Uttarakhand due to the pressure of increasing population, vanishing wildlife corridors and so called development projects. The conflict has resulted in a number of deaths of humans in many parts of the State and in Shyampur, the Van Gujjars killed the tigers to avenge the killing of one of their buffaloes. The apathetic attitude of the authorities towards protecting wildlife and reducing human-wildlife conflict could be understood from prevailing adhocism in the Forest department where the incumbent head of forest force of the state is also holding additional charge of the key assignment of the chief wildlife warden from the last six months.
Moral vigilantism
The recent disturbing incidents in the provisional State capital Dehradun in which some of the Bajrang Dal activists tried to take law into their hands should act as an eye opener for the law enforcers in the Himalayan State. In one incident, employees of a particular community working in a store were harassed while in another, an attempt was made to force a young woman riding a two wheeler to join a roadblock protest against land jihad in the State on one of the busiest roads of the city. The police should act to put a tight leash on the activities of such anti-social elements masquerading as moral vigilantes. The government should ensure that there is no discrimination on the basis of religion, caste, region and ideology and that women safety is not compromised.
