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कभी उत्तराखंड कभी हिमाचल: विकास या विनाश? || आचार्य प्रशांत
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2 years ago
Uttarakhand
Environmental Destruction
Development
Char Dham Pariyojana
Religion
Consumerism
Rishikesh
Golu Devta
Description

Acharya Prashant states that currently in Uttarakhand, the construction of more than 200 dams is ongoing, along with hundreds of other so-called development projects. He asserts that all these projects are based on destruction. Additionally, a railway line is being extended right up to the mountains, which involves digging tunnels totaling 30 to 50 kilometers. He lists the various destructive activities: the widening of highways, the construction of railway lines through tunnels, the building of dams, and other development projects. This also includes private sector housing and hospitality projects like hotels and apartments, all of which involve demolition and construction. On top of all this is climate change, which causes excessive rainfall. The speaker questions what is being done, explaining that the vibrations from running trains will loosen the rocks. He uses the analogy that if two things are joined together and shaken daily, they will loosen and collapse, along with everything built upon them. He says all of this is about to happen. The speaker observes that the slogan of 'Dharma' has been chanted more in India in the last 20-30 years than ever before, yet during this same period, Sanatana Dharma has been destroyed more than ever. He describes the kind of religion people want today as the 'NRI' or 'Sooraj Barjatya film' type of religion. This version of religion involves a lot of money, a place of worship at home, and ritualistic prayers, followed by the family eating sweets and dancing together. Elaborate weddings are a central part of this culture, which has become the 'ideal Hindu dream'. However, these people do not know two words of the Gita, but they have memorized some shallow hymns. They are ignorant about Advaita, Sankhya, or Buddhism, yet consider themselves very religious. Their religion, he says, is 'desi cow's ghee'. This 'NRI heaven' is what is being created in Uttarakhand, which has a climate like Switzerland. The speaker laments the degradation of Rishikesh, where meat is now sold in common restaurants, a practice that was not prevalent before. He was told that the visitors demand it. He recalls that in 2016, there was a good vegan atmosphere in Rishikesh because many foreigners would visit who were against animal cruelty and would ask for things like tofu and almond milk. After COVID, when foreigners stopped coming and 'religiosity' in India increased, Rishikesh became very dirty, both internally and externally. He hopes the situation might improve with the return of foreign tourists. He also reads a comment from a resident of Uttarakhand who describes the local practice of sacrificing chickens and goats in the name of a deity, Golu Devta, and then consuming the meat as a part of the ritual. The speaker points out that the Indian Army's counsel has stated in the Supreme Court that the army is 'reluctantly following the political establishment's whims' and that the Char Dham road widening project is not for the army but to 'enable SUVs to race up and down the mountain'. He concludes that this destruction is not for the army or the common man, but for the 'SUV-NRI' class and their pride.