CLEANSING OF THE GANGA AND VARANASI (My open letter to our Prime Minister) Respected Prime Minister Narendra Bai Modiji, You have spoken with awe after your visit to Japan about the marvelous transformation of the river Kyoto in Japan from a dirty stretch of water into a beautiful tourist attraction. You have also voiced a deep sense of responsibility affirming your plans to cleanse the holy Ganga and make Varanasi a much cleaner and habitable place, recalling your election promise to do so. Modiji, you deserve approbation for the thought, and encouragement from us all for the success of the project, which is long overdue. In addition to cleanliness, the city needs better roads, flyovers and other modern ameneties. While I rejoice hearing the news, as would thousands of other devout Hindus, I make bold to offer a submission to you our PM. In modernizing the city and cleaning the river we must not lose any of the sanctity and the devotion we accord to Kasi and Ganga. Just as purity should not be at the cost of sanitation -- which is why this project is essential -- modernity should not be achieved at the cost of desecrating any of the hallowed spots in the city and in the Ganga. To the extent necessary the golden old should be retained untouched. This is a tough call involving delicate decisions. Yes, the overall ancient look of all the 64 ghats along the Ganga nadhi and other holy spots in the city as well should not lose its awesome appearance. I am sure you will entrust this momentous project to people who will understand the sensitivity of the job. They will definitely respond to the need to preserve the holiness of Varanasi and the Ganga, while bringing in the sorely needed freedom from dirt and stench, and the capacity to cope with massive crowds on special occasions. We can therefore look forward to a new era of clean and pure pilgrimages to Varanasi in the foreseeable future!
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 07:53:02 +0000
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