Farmers have become a forgotten tribe in our corporate democracy. The dream to interlink Indian rivers for which then President of India Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam paid lip service in a Republic Day speech had been laid to rest by recent Supreme Court order, reported in The Times of India, reproduced in verbatim below :
Supreme Court had expressed inability to direct the Government of India to pump in 5 lakh crore this year to start the river interlink project.
According to the Stolen Asset Recovery initiative of the World Bank and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime published in 2011, titled Puppet Masters reminds us that Indian rulers are mere puppets and puppeteers are multi-national companies and other mafias.
If only people with conscience can ask, why our stolen assets could not be brought back to finance the river inter-link project it would awaken the rulers from slumber and lethargy. Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam who should have raised repeatedly the inter-link of rivers conveniently forgot once out of power.
Our rivers are diverted by China. Our Himalayan glaciers are melting year after year. North India faces flood fury without fail in every year. Our rivers are emptying in our seas. Farmers have no water left for agriculture.
As per 2003 statistics of World Commission of Dams China tops with 22,000 dams. America follows with 6575 dams, India has 4291 dams and tiny Japan is with 2675 dams. These dams not only cater to agricultural needs but also generate power.
The head waters of most of the major rivers of Asia are in Tibet, so damming them could have implications downstream, said Aviva Imhof, campaign director of International Rivers Org.
Our Brahmaputra starts in South West Tibet as Yarlung Tsango River and flows through Southern Tibet and crosses through Himalayas and reaches our Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh assuming the name Dihang. From South West of Assam valley it is known as Brahmaputra. It has Amouchu, Raidak, Sankosh, Nans, Bhareli, Dibang, Luhit, Burhiding, Dihing, Kameng, Manas, Yamuna, Teesta, Rangeet, Lachung, Darla, Jaldhaka as its tributaries. This Brahmaputra is diverted within Chinese territory as picture depicts. But in spite of that Arunachal Pradesh faces flood fury every year.
To manage the floods in Arunachal Pradesh, India prepared a plan and sought assistance from Asian Development Bank. China raised objections in June 2009 after Asian Development Bank’s Board of Directors and member countries endorsed a Country partnership strategy for 2009-2012 which included Arunachal project. The bank withdrew the project. Our Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, sudden lobbyist of Koodankulam project did not raise any voice even over the Chinese intervention in flood management of Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Our river waters should not be used by our farmers, and Indian rulers have put river interlink project in cold storage, only to redeem it on the day corporate farming catches in India. There cannot be any other reason to be debating beyond 4 decades river inter linking, and the failure of which results in flood furies year after year.
Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam being a scientist will proudly proclaim that astronomers of California Institute of Technology have discovered a mass of water vapour that is 140 trillion times that all of the water in the worlds oceans combined and 100000 times more massive than the Sun, according to Astrophysical Journal Letters.
May be our farmers can take bullock carts and women can carry mud pots to the Quasar APM 08279+5255, which harbours a black hole 20 billion times more massive than the Sun and produces as much energy as thousand trillion Suns.
After the Supreme Court observation that 5 lakh crore could not be spent to inter-link rivers Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam the man who in office supported this project must have spoken, why he remained silent and mouth shut in this matter while openly advocating Koodankulam project, people have right to question his credentials.
The Drivers and Dynamics of Illicit Financial Flows from India: 1948-2008 published by Global Financial Integrity states the total value of illicit assets held abroad represents 72% of India’s underground economy. Estimated around $213 million in 2008 it would be around $ 462 million now.
If this or partial amount of this had been brought back Supreme Court need not have expressed inability to direct the Government of India to cough up 5 lakh crore for interlinking of rivers.
As one who through by 4 decade friend Comrade George Fernandes who got River interlink project inducted into the Election manifesto of National Democratic Alliance and one who first knocked the Supreme Court, which even the Times of India news mentions, I would appeal to great personalities like Anna Hazare, Sri Sri, Ramdev, and our APJ.Abdul Kalam to force the Government to start the river interlink project by bringing back hoarded black money equalivent to two 2G loot to provide water to our farmers and boost our agrarian economy.
N.Nandhivarman General Secretary Dravida Peravai
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