OPINION

Sometime back Punjab chief minister Captain Amrinder Singh has questioned his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal’s wisdom in claiming that stubble burning in Punjab was solely responsible for the high pollution levels in the national capital. He had wondered how Kejriwal, an IIT graduate, be talking in most unscientific manner. Singh and Kejriwal are political rivals in Punjab and thus the statement was passed off as another instance of political skirmish.

Captain’s dig at Delhi CM, on the hind side, was not without basis. Severe air pollution is a harsh reality that the Delhi government failed to do anything on despite making big claims. The city population has today grown to approximately 25 million with a huge floating population, from 1.7 million people in 1947.

The city has grown manifold both vertically and horizontally with proportionate rise in the density of population. This growth however has been haphazard and unplanned, facilitated by leaders from almost all the political hues. In their eagerness to win over votes, little did they realise the pressure they would be creating on natural resources, which is limited.

The Signature Bridge inaugurated by the Arvind Kejriwal government a day before ‘Dhanteras’ came with the fireworks generally reserved for Diwali. The bad air engulfing the city has had its ill effect on city’s political culture, known so for dialogue and mutual respect between political rivals. The Sunday evening incident sounded the last bugle to such engagements where a city level Congress leader could walk up to BJP’s tallest leader with a complaint against his party men.

The Signature Bridge inaugural, and the two inaugurations before that of the Rani Jhansi flyover and the ITO Skywalk, made news not for the engineering marvel being given to the city but for the political bitter talk. Both Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari, or for that matter Centre’s designated Minister for Delhi Hardeep Singh Puri, in his capacity as the in charge of Urban Development, have little to with the completion of these projects.

They are like the railway gatemen who stand with a flag when a train, in whose running they don’t have much of a role, comes to a particular gate at a given time. Destiny ordained that they would be holding respective chairs when these facilities are inaugurated, so they were there inaugurating them. While the stone plaques bearing their names would fade with time, the history would recall the small talk and ruckus these inaugurations created.

It was a reflection of the changing times that when the carriage carrying the corpse of former Delhi chief minister Madan Lal Khurana arrived at the Delhi BJP office on Pandit Pant Marg, it went off as mostly a non-event. The sorrow on social media did not really converge on the streets of Delhi, where once Khurana ruled the roost.

In the heydays, Khurana was referred to as Dilli Ka Sher or the Lion of Delhi. He won Lok Sabha elections from south Delhi in 1989 and 1991, defeating Subhash Chopra and Romesh Bhandari, respectively, building the momentum for the assembly polls in the national capital in 1993 when it was provided the legislative body. During this period Khurana also played a substantial role in the success of the Rath Yatra that was led by LK Advani in 1992 during the Ramjanmabhoomi movement. The assembly of the huge sea of supporters in 1992 welcoming Advani when he reached Delhi was credited to Khurana.

In Khurana, Congress strongman HKL Bhagat, another Punjabi refugee leader, had found a match. Delhi became the National Capital Territory in 1993. Elections for the state assembly followed with Khurana leading the BJP and Bhagat the Congress. ‘Dilli Ka Ek Hi Lal, Madan Lal, Madan Lal’ resonated in the air. The BJP scored a big victory, Khurana was sworn in as the chief minister in December 1993.

The present day world is passing through a very critical phase. The entire humanity is a witness to a battle between peace, harmony, tolerance, compassion and the forces of violence, intolerance, hatred, instability, terror and destruction. This battle is not peculiar to any one nation or community.

Violent and volatile conditions prevailing in almost all regions and relations right from the Asian to western world is evidence enough of the threats and challenges to the generations to come as well. There seems to be an environment of uncertainty, distrust and mistrust that is being readied to overtake the saner voices of unity and harmony.

Self and self interest on the individual and collective plane is getting deeper in national and international relations both horizontally and vertically. Imperialist and expansionist minds still are operative. Science and technology meant for removing poverty, deprivation and putting good governance in place, is under threat of being abused by the impulses of baser human nature. Why is it happening?

The United Nations has honoured me with Champions of the Earth Award. 'While I was extremely humbled at receiving this honour, I do feel that this award is not for an individual. Instead, it is recognition of the Indian culture and values, which have always placed emphasis on living in harmony with Mother Nature. It was a proud moment for every Indian to see India's proactive role in mitigating climate change being acknowledged and appreciated by the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. António Guterres and Mr. Erik Solheim, the Executive Director of the UNEP.

Humans have a very special relationship with nature. Mother Nature has nurtured and nourished us. The first civilisations were established on the banks of rivers. Societies that live in harmony with nature flourish and prosper. Today, human society stands at an important crossroad. The path that we take hereon will not only determine our wellbeing but also that of the generations who will inhabit our planet after us. Our greed over necessities has led to grave ecological imbalances. We can either accept this, go ahead with things as if it is business as usual, or we can take corrective actions.