Friday, 12 July 2024 | Gajendra Singh Negi
Canal city
The onset of monsoon and the consequent heavy downpour didn’t just provide relief to the people of the provisional State capital Dehradun reeling under the unprecedentedly long heat wave but also helped a new realisation to dawn upon them that with all the roads inundated, their beloved city now resembles the beautiful canal city it was in yesteryears. The old timers fondly recall that a network of irrigation canals used to crisscross the landscape of Dehradun in the past. But in the last couple of decades, the wise votaries of development chose to dismantle most of the old canal network. Now intriguingly, thanks to the combined wisdom and vision of the multi- crore Dehradun smart city project executioners and the smart and competent babus running the civic bodies, the narrow lanes and crater- laden roads of the city are morphing into beautiful canals whenever it rains. The old world charm of Dehradun seems to return, albeit for a short period, during the bounteous monsoon season.
Trouble shooter
With his innate persuasive skills and imperturbable demeanour, Minister Dhan Singh Rawat has always played the role of trouble shooter par excellence for the saffron party in the Himalayan State. In the prestigious fight of Badrinath bypoll, this seasoned politician has again proved that he is the most competent among saffron camp leaders to help the party sail through tough times. Worried over the reports that things were not easy in Badrinath for the Congress turncoat and local strongman Rajendra Singh Bhandari who had defected to the saffron side days ahead of the recent Lok Sabha elections, the State BJP quite astutely assigned to Rawat the task of putting things in order for party in the mountainous constituency. The sharp-witted politician stayed put for over three weeks in Badrinath during which he tried to soothe the frayed nerves of the local leaders and workers who were singularly reluctant to seek votes for their bête noir of past elections. He also mobilised resources and galvanised the party organisation for the difficult battle of Badrinath which has become a prestige issue for CM Pushkar Singh Dhami and State party chief Mahendra Bhatt.
Name game
The foundation stone laying ceremony of symbolic Kedarnath temple in Burari locality of the national capital and the enthusiasm exhibited by the natives of the State residing in Delhi and others, including some of the MLAs of Uttarakhand, in the ceremony presided over by the State CM showcases the deep- rooted religious sentiments and reverence the Char Dhams evoke among the general people. It is learnt that a temple named after Badrinath shrine is also coming up in the financial capital of the country, Mumbai. Some are not happy though and they are calling these shrine construction ventures and naming them after the hoary shrines, nestled in Garhwal Himalayas, as tantamount to insulting Sanatan Dharma itself. Given the sensitivity the Teerth Purohits and traditional right holders have always shown on issues such as Char Dham shrine board, attempts to decide carrying capacity of Dhams and regulation of crowds in the Yatra, it is interesting to see how they will react to naming temples coming up in other parts of the country after the highly revered shrines.
