Yamuna was a beautiful river in Northern India. It originates in the Yamunotri glacier at a height of 6400 metres above sea level. You may not remember it, and no, it's not Ganga.
Let me remind you of a picture of the beautiful river here, the river that flows by the Taj Mahal.
Yes, the picture above was real. The river supported a population of 57 million people. It continues to do now. The water was pure. Animals were aplenty. The air was sweet and the birds flocked to the area in thousands. The local forests on both sides of the floodplain were thicker than those in the Amazon and the waters were filled with fish. The standards of conservation of biodiversity was impeccable and often produced as an example to other river management bodies.
Then came Sri Sri. An Indian godman who owned millions to spread his pagan beliefs and something called 'Indian' culture along with the cultures of the world. I mean, who does that in the 21st century? Don't we have the Internet to know about other cultures? Is human to human contact even necessary? Also is it not shameful to compare the rich heritage of China, Persia, Arabia, Greece, etc with that of the caste ridden pit of 'India'?
Anyway, he came, he saw and he devastated. Single-handed. I will post two pictures here below to show you the contrast.
And now see this -
All this to fulfill the requirements of the World Culture Festival. It is a shame that we allowed such an event to take place. There were many environmental activists who tried their best to stop it, at the last moment. They have been too busy all the time, and could dedicate their attention to this even only in the last week.
But we were there. We remember how beautiful Yamuna smelled. We remember the animals bathing in the river, the gentle waves, the smell of flowers and the orchards around. We saw the rapid transformation of the beautiful river into a sewerage drain. And yet we stayed silent.
I hope that we raise our voice against similar events in the future in the vicinity of the river Yamuna. Any permanent structure by it should also go. That does not include the Taj Mahal obviously. Such a marbellous monster can co-exist with nature. We should take a pledge now and make a stand against Spiritual Gurus in India, before it's too late.
Image source:
Source (1) - River in Turkey
Let me remind you of a picture of the beautiful river here, the river that flows by the Taj Mahal.
 |
| That's how the Yamuna river looks! Or rather looked before Sri Sri came. |
Then came Sri Sri. An Indian godman who owned millions to spread his pagan beliefs and something called 'Indian' culture along with the cultures of the world. I mean, who does that in the 21st century? Don't we have the Internet to know about other cultures? Is human to human contact even necessary? Also is it not shameful to compare the rich heritage of China, Persia, Arabia, Greece, etc with that of the caste ridden pit of 'India'?
Anyway, he came, he saw and he devastated. Single-handed. I will post two pictures here below to show you the contrast.
 |
| River Yamuna on May 15, 2014 Source(1) |
 |
| River Yamuna, March 13, 2016 Source (2) |
But we were there. We remember how beautiful Yamuna smelled. We remember the animals bathing in the river, the gentle waves, the smell of flowers and the orchards around. We saw the rapid transformation of the beautiful river into a sewerage drain. And yet we stayed silent.
I hope that we raise our voice against similar events in the future in the vicinity of the river Yamuna. Any permanent structure by it should also go. That does not include the Taj Mahal obviously. Such a marbellous monster can co-exist with nature. We should take a pledge now and make a stand against Spiritual Gurus in India, before it's too late.
Image source:
Source (1) - River in Turkey
Source (2) - Rubbish collects at the edge of the River Amazon
Disclaimer: The two images have been sourced from outside India to maintain neutrality.
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