The fourth Himalaya Day will be commemorated this year on September 9 with debates on various aspects of the Himalayas with a special focus on the various issues related to the recent disaster experienced in Uttarakhand. Apart from various places in Uttarakhand, the day is slated to be marked in about 300 locations across India by activists and voluntary groups.
Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation (HESCO) founder Dr Anil Joshi said that the recent disaster has elicited focus on the need for understanding the unique environmental, cultural, geological, socio-economic and other facets of the Himalayas.
"There is a need for a separate ministry for the Himalayan region, but sadly vital issues related to the Himalayas are rarely discussed in the Parliament. It is not just for Uttarakhand to focus and debate on these issues, but for the whole nation to be concerned about. This year, the Himalaya Day will be marked in a sober manner in view of the recent tragedy. Rallies, talks and other events will be held in about 300 places across the nation, including at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi, with the participation of the youth, activists, politicians, citizens, scientists and environmentalists, among others," he said.
Replying to a question about allegations of the opinion of locals and Uttarakhand-based scientists being ignored in favour of experts based elsewhere, he said, "We have proposed that scientists of prominent institutions based in Uttarakhand must first work in the interest of this Himalayan State." The event will also be held in institutions like the Wildlife Institute of India, Botanical Survey of India, Indian Institute of Petroleum, Forest Research Institute and Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, among others,
he added.
Senior journalist Rajiv Nayan Bahuguna said that the seriousness of the establishment regarding the Himalayas can be gauged from the fact that authorities ignored warnings of disaster scenarios issued by experts and activists in the past three Himalaya Day functions. "The recent disaster is not local but has a broader effect. People from most States in India either died or were affected in the disaster. The Himalayas have an impact on the global environment and cannot be considered merely a regional issue. There is a need to decide the development patter in the Himalayan region. The destruction in Kedarnath is an example of the skewed construction allowed by authorities in the name of development. The 1,000-year-old Kedarnath shrine was not damaged while buildings made some years ago were destroyed in the disaster because Adi Shankaracharya did not seek monetary commission in the construction of this shrine whereas corruption has seeped into most construction and developmental activities at present," he added.
Activist JP Maithani said that the occasion will be commemorated in Dehradun with a silent rally followed by a meet which will be attended by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and former CM Ramesh Pokhriyal. "One of the issues for debate will be the need to train youth in disaster management because bodies like the Disaster Management and Mitigation Centre receive crores of rupees and claim to spend it on training and equipment but during the recent disaster not even a rope was provided by the centre," he alleged.
Jatinder Kaur of WWF said that the organisation would be marking the occasion in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim apart from Uttarakhand. The Mahila Samakhya organisation will also hold programmes across the State while a programme will also be organised in lucknow in which leaders of various political parties including former Uttarakhand CM ND Tiwari will also participate along with people from various sections of society.