Not isolating but integrating cultural values of Tribal communities to help conserve wildlife in India

Did you ever visit the Indian Metropolitan cities like Delhi, Bengaluru or Mumbai about 10-15 years ago? How good did it feel to visit a city as developed as New Delhi? The amenities such as rising infrastructure, transportation made everyone crave for a piece of land in these urban zones. Compare it with the current situation and you would realize how in the name of modernization we have disrupted the country's natural ecosystem.

The recent initiatives by the government of India thus point towards the involvement of local tribe communities to ensure that humans and animals coexist peacefully.

"We borrowed the idea of national park, thinking it will protect wildlife. But there are a lot of issues about people in national parks," said Aiyadurai, assistant professor of Social Sciences, IIT Gandhinagar.

On the other hand, Sanjay Dalmia, a renowned nationalist, believes that it was the British Empire that caused the stir which continues to this day. To establish their control over the regions like Bengal, Maharashtra, Britishers with their despotic laws and regulations, started transferring tribal land to the outsiders like merchants and moneylenders.

From Santhal Rebellion to the Ramosi Uprising, conservative tribal population decided to retain control over their rights. They fought to eliminate evils and ill-tendencies that existed in the British Era. Modern India does continue to reward their bravery, however the current deteriorating wildlife is a sign of why it is necessary to rehabilitate the modern tribesmen to avert more damage to the wildlife, Dalmia added.

Apparently, the people living in cities take part in conservation drives without knowing the ground realities. They wouldn't know about the realities that forest dwellers or tribal are generally affected by. For instance, a forest dweller needs to collect fuel wood for the purpose of cooking, whereas people living in the cities have access to LPG, a clean cooking fuel. This is one of the many examples and can generally be referred to as the “primitive way of living”.

"Poor people in India are depending on forests for water, fuel wood, and even homes," Aiyadurai said. Rather than isolating these communities, cultural values of these people need to be collaborated with the scientific management.

This old-age fundamentalist idea of ignoring the tribal communities needs to end. The current government has undertaken several progressive steps already. If it can help rehabilitate the tribal community back to national parks, it won't just complement their means of living but would also help in the conservation of wildlife, deems Sanjay Dalmia.

Despite being the world's largest monolithic structure, Why "Kailasa Temple" isn't regarded as one of India's greatest architectural marvel?

If culture and heritage were a currency, we would be the richest country in the world. That said, our land was once referred to as "Sone Ki Chidiya". However years of colonization, conquests and wars led to a decline in wealth, which to this day affects our nation.

Through all of these, one thing that has remained constant is the architectural and artistic prowess. From mighty South Indian temples, to non-corrosive Iron Pillar, Indian architectural marvels have stood the test of time— a testament of great artistry that ancient India possessed.

One such fine example is Kailasa Temple, an ancient Hindu temple in Maharashtra. It has been dubbed as "Cave 16" of the Ellora Caves, and is notable for being the largest monolithic structure in the world that was carved out of a single piece of rock. This beautiful temple is part of the Ellora Caves, which is a religious complex consisting of 34 rock-cut monasteries and temples.

Temple construction:

The construction of the Kailasa temple is attributed to the eighth century Rashtrakuta King Krishna I. In addition to this, the temple also has other influences as its architectural and sculptural treatment show traces of Pallava and Chalukya styles.

As per an estimate, about 200,000 tons of rock were excavated out of a vertical basalt cliff in the Charanandri Hills.

India shouldn't just be known for TajMahal as our country has a lot to offer in architecture and Kailasa Temple is one such beautiful and remarkable sculptural treatment. The temple is designed to represent the sacred mountain of Shiva and the interiors of it exhibit the qualitative and intricate designing skills of ancient India, says Sanjay Dalmia, a renowned nationalist.

The intricate sculptures and carvings:

Where on one hand the exterior designing details of the temple can make any one wonder about the beautiful craftsmanship of ancient India, on the other the interior detailing can leave even the greatest designers and architects astounded.

For instance, in the main courtyard, there is an image of Nandi, the sacred cow of Shiva, who's facing the Shivalinga. Additionally, some of the carved panels in Kailasa temple depict scenes from the two major Hindu epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

There have been numerous attempt made by invaders, especially Aurangzeb to destroy the temple. However, even his ill-fated, evil intentions, which caused destructions of countless Hindu temples in the past, couldn't move this mighty structure, adds Sanjay Dalmia.

India is truly a land of great cultural significance and despite of multiple invasions and loot by foreign invaders, our ancient structures stand to this day. It's because of their timeless beauty, invaluable craft that these structures should be paid more visits by Indians and foreigners alike.

Eccentric case of -60° C & Avalanche: Saga of Indian soldier’s life in world’s highest battlefield

New Year is approaching and within a few days, the Northern part of the country would come under the grip of the coldest month of the year, January. While winters are yet to hit its peak, last few days have rather been about cold-waves, bringing the mercury down to as low as 10 C in North Indian states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Harayana, etc.

The national capital, in general, continues to shiver and as per Regional Meteorological Centre, the temperature was the second-lowest since 1992. Where, on one hand, people are taking every precautionary measure to prevent themselves from catching cold at just 10°c, on the other, we have our soldiers protecting the nation in conditions 10 times harsher than this. One of it is Siachen, the world’s highest battlefield. It is the same place where eggs and tomatoes turn into stones.  

Due to sub-zero temperatures that dip below -60 degrees, coupled with the constant threat of avalanches, crevasses, life is tough at the Siachen glacier. Leave alone fighting and keeping a constant check on the potential threats, a common man wouldn't even be able to sleep in such conditions.

Importance of Siachen:

The glacier demarcates Central Asia from the Indian subcontinent and separates two of its neighbors China and Pakistan. The Saltoro Ridge of the Siachen glacier serves as a divide that prevents direct linking of POK with China, stopping them from developing geographical linkages in the area. "India already faces a huge threat from China Occupied Aksai Chin, and if it weren't for Indian Army, Pakistan would have gained the location advantage here," says Sanjay Dalmia, who is a renowned nationalist and a proud Indian.

He further adds, "Our soldiers continue to lose their lives protecting the glacier from Pakistani sponsored terrorism and just a few days ago, six people, including four Indian Army personnel and two civilian porters, were killed. This shows how difficult the conditions are up there and how we Indians must be respectful and show our gratitude towards such remarkable valor."

Additionally, soldiers deployed in the area are affected by a number of fatal altitude-related ailments like frostbite, hypoxia, hypothermia and white out.

The Legend who secured Siachen for India:

Pakistan was first to see the potential of this strategically-important unoccupied area and had it not for one exemplary and intelligent effort, India would have lost out on a great strategic point. It was owing to the mountaineering experience and sensibility that Colonel Narendra Kumar was able to gain control of the glacier. He is also known as "Bull" Kumar in the world of the Indian Armed Forces. One of the key installations in Siachen is named Kumar Base after him.

Amidst such uncertainties and difficulties, our Veer Jawans are stationed so that our countrymen can remain safe and live peacefully. This selfless, never dying attitude is what makes a soldier, a man of principles.

"You have never lived until you have almost died, And for those who choose to fight, Life has a special favor, The protected will never know!!!"- Capt. R Subramanium Kriti Chakra (Posth).

Efficacy of our democracy: Be conscious of your fundamental rights but acknowledge fundamental duties enshrined in constitution as well!

With India on a transitional phase from a developing to the developed nation, meeting the growing aspirations of people is the foremost priority of the sitting government. From good education, to jobs, to freedom of expression/ opinion, to right to equality, young India demands better all-round development, also referred to as “fundamental rights”.

Criticizing the national policies, questioning the Supreme Court decisions, are all considered to be the traits of Fundamental rights and expression, enshrined in Part III of the Constitution of India. Today's education system is built on the premise that nothing is bigger than your rights, which is true, in fact, everyone should be aware of their rights.

However, there is a fine line between constructive criticism and destructive criticism. What the current Indian generation doesn’t realize is that in the name of freedom of expression, they're also trying to break the principles, ideals and years of sacrifice of the prominent leaders that formed this nation. From not standing up for the national anthem to disrespecting the national flag, to sympathizing with Kashmiri separatist or Maoists, to disrespecting Indian security forces, the Indian media has managed to divide opinions in the name of fundamental rights.

We often hear about activists or common people fighting for their human rights. But what are these rights? And who gave us these rights? Have you ever thought about such factors? It would be interesting to highlight it to the current generation that Fundamental Rights are not god gifted as they were created as a part of the constitution after years of discussion and study by the constituent assembly. They were created to abolish inequality, religious prosecution, among others, in an Independent India. However, the recent misinterpretation by some section of the society couldn’t have any wrong.

That said, one thing that is respected the most by all sections in India is its constitution. The same constitution that also speaks of the Fundamental duties as well. They're incorporated to remind every citizen that they shouldn't only be conscious of their rights but their duties as well. The only clause that separates it from the fundamental rights is that it's not enforceable by law, however if the state wants, it can implement it.

It was the 42nd Amendment of 1976 that introduced Fundamental duties in the Indian Constitution. It strictly holds that it shall be the duty of every Indian citizen to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem; to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom; to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, among others.

If one studies them all closely, they would realize the importance of such duties. Governments may come and go; law implemented today may not remain tomorrow; however one thing that should never be disrespected is the country. It’s the very soil that supports 1.3 billion people of the world, the same soil which despite encountering multiple invasions and years of repression, remains fertile and continues to channel fresh water sources, says Sanjay Dalmia, a renowned nationalist.

Law should be equal for all; every Indian citizen has a constitutional right to ask questions to the government and scrutinize its policies in every possible manner. However, the same approach shouldn’t be extended to the National Anthem, National Flag, as these are few of the things that continue to unite our nation, despite of co-existence of people from different caste, creed, ethnicity, religion, etc.

Don’t compromise on the national identity. The government, judges, police, they all are a part of the same society and they all come from us. If there is something wrong with them, then it is perhaps our own approach to life, where we always look for shortcuts to resolve the matter. Respect the nation, be conscious of your fundamental rights and do acknowledge your fundamental duties as only then can this nation avert prospective threats and prosper in the long run.

Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!  

Vijay Diwas: When Indian Armed Forces liberated Bangladesh from clutches of Pakistani tyranny

While people of East Pakistan were rejoicing at their victory over West Pakistan, it was a proud moment for the Indian Army as well. It was on 16 December 1971 that the Indian Army liberated Bangladesh from the clutches of Pakistani tyranny and exploitation with its valor and courage.

The end of war brought different dimensions as subsequent secession of East Pakistan into Bangladesh proved to be rather decisive in the South Asian region. Due to this, every year on 16 December, India pays rich tributes to the soldiers who laid down their lives during the war.

How seeds of war were sown?

Though the war between the two countries started when Pakistan launched air strikes on 11 Indian airbases, seeds for it were sown long time ago. Following the partition of India, the new state of Pakistan represented a geographical anomaly, with two wings separated by 1,600 kilometers of Indian Territory. The wings were more separated culturally than geographically. People of East Pakistan were considered to be inferior and impure.

Slow reaction to the 1970 Bhola cyclone, ban on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Awami League and reported killing of about three million of East Pakistanis by General Yahya Khan (Operation Searchlight) led to widespread protests and attacks by Bengali.

When Indian Armed Forces came into action:

When millions of East Pakistanis were indiscriminately being killed by Pakistani military, India finally made a choice to save lives. The latter quickly responded to Pakistan Army's movements in the East and captured around 15,010 kilometers of Pakistan territory. The 1971 war was concluded in just 13 days, one of the shortest wars in history— testament to the courage, valor and spirit of the Indian Armed forces.

On 16th December 1971, the chief of the Pakistani forces, General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, along with 93,000 troops, surrendered to the allied forces of Indian Army and Mukti Bahini. Sanjay Dalmia, a renowned nationalist and a proud Indian, says that if it weren't for our Indian Army, millions of lives more would have been lost in Bangladesh. He further adds, in spite of limited sources, our Jawans fought together, to liberate Bangladesh from the clutches of Pakistani tyranny.

Many soldiers laid down their lives during the 1971 war. Vijay Diwas is a constant reminder of the sacrifice and morality of our Jawans, who have and can do anything to save our country, and if the need be, its neighbors as well— a true example of the moral and ethical values of  our Armed forces!

Chhatrapati Shivaji: A courageous Maratha who fought for India first, and then his kingdom

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Chhatrapati Shivaji? A Marathi icon who was great with guerrilla warfare tactics. Is that it? Unfortunately, no historical figure has been so disfigured by his so-called followers as Shivaji. He has been regionalized by Marathi politicians and reduced to a “Great Maratha Ruler” rather than acknowledging his pan India contributions, which include how he braved both Mughal and British Empire.

Shivaji didn't strive for an independent Marathi Kingdom, but fought for Hindavi Swarajya, or self-rule. It would be thus important to highlight his genuine position that he deserves, in regards to his contributions in Indian history.

Though Islam came to India in about 8th Century, it was limited to the Sindh province. Our history books often glorify the Islamic Invasion by pointing towards how Muslims ruled India for over 1,000 years. However, the truth is that only the northern part of India came under Muslim domination.

Shivaji was one such 17th C.E Indian stalwart, who posed a great threat to both the Mughal and British Empire. Thus, it was always in their interests to play down the Marathas.  In one of his Historical Essays, Lord Macaulay described Marathas as a formidable race, who if wanted could dominate the entire region in India.

Chattrapati Shivaji contributed towards revolutionizing the art of warfare in India. His concept of war was much different from what followed in the preceding 1,000 years. It is sad that his Dharma Yudha (war for the righteous case) was reduced to an individual glory. If someone who has studied and scrutinized history well, they would realize that he was truly a Maratha who fought for India first, and then his kingdom, believes the renowned nationalist Sanjay Dalmia.

Shivaji was a great statesman, who always fought against the misrule of the Muslim sultans and emperors. That said, he was never partial towards a particular religion as he had sizeable number of Muslims to his side. Against the fanatic Aurangzeb, he found an ally in Bahamani Kingdom of Golconda. It's due to some of these reasons, that Shivaji is regarded as the founder of the modern secular state of India.

He ensured that all the Muslim shrines and scriptures are well protected. Additionally, Shivaji, didn't allow any form of extremism in his kingdom and expected the same in return from others as well in the neighborhood. It's for these reason, when Aurangzeb re-started the hated Jizya, Shivaji regretted it. He wrote to him: "In this land Muslims, Hindus, Christians and other people have stayed together without any problem. Your imposing of Jizya would lead to hardships. The Quran is God's revelation and it doesn't make any distinction between God's children.”

He relied on swift movement and discarded war elephants. Additionally, for strengthening maritime security, he even laid the foundations of the fort at Sindhudurg-Maratha navy headquarters.

Shivaji realized that English people were here to maximize the benefits no matter what the cost. He was amongst the few Indians who understood the long-term threat posed by the British. His last fight was also with British, which was meant to keep their ill-intentions in checks. Unfortunately, we didn't have more people like him at that time, otherwise, India would have gained more prominence at the world stage, way before 1947, says Sanjay Dalmia.

It's for the resistance, smart and secular thought process that Shivaji should be remember for. There is a lot that can be covered and instead of reducing his contributions to Maharashtra, we should highlight his contributions towards Hindavi Swarajya.

How legislative bombing by Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt changed the course of Indian Independence movement?

It was like any other day in the unruly British Raj, they were busy, trying to implement stringent rules and policies to make the life of Indians, a living hell. However, it wasn’t going to be similar as something big, something that would shake the British Empire forever were to take place soon. It was their regular meeting, when all of a sudden people sitting in the Central Legislative Assembly witnessed a small-scale explosion. It was on April 8, 1929, two brave Indians, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt decided to take an action in form of Delhi Central Legislative Assembly Bombing against the passing of atrocious bills, the Public Safety Bill and the Trade Dispute Bill.

Bills that led to the Bombings:

People were tired and wanted freedom, for this they were abiding by and following the footsteps of Gandhian liberalism. However, the continues repression and passing of repressive bills, gave masses an idea of how irrelevant it was to remain liberal against the forces whose penultimate aim was to extract maximum wealth from India and treat its citizens as second class people. 

Thus, about 90 years ago, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt took an action. Our history books often acknowledge the contributions from Mahatma Gandhi, Jawahar Lal Nehru, which is significant however, it was these small efforts as well, that led to the freedom. One significant effort was from Bhagat Singh, as he was certainly responsible towards giving freedom movement a new trajectory.

He was an avid follower of Mahatma Gandhi, for him like most other Indians Gandhi was the one, who could get rid of the evil British forces. However, soon these hopes were destroyed, when in 1920, Mahatma Gandhi launched Non-cooperation movement. Bhagat Singh, though, was just around 13 years old, decided to be a part of the movement and showed immense interest by burning all of his books that were authored by the British writers. Little did he knew that Gandhi would call off the Non-cooperation Movement after Chauri-Chaura incident?

Upset with the decision, Bhagat Singh lost all of his faith in non-violence. The young man then joined the Young Revolutionary Movement that believed in getting rid of the British Empire by means of force. “The movement of Indian freedom which was looking sluggish got a new life after the emergence of revolutionary leaders like Bhagat Singh, Chandrasekhar Azad, Sukhdev Thapar, etc.,” says Sanjay Dalmia, who is a renowned nationalist and a proud Indian.

The Judgement Day:

The bombing was carried out by the two rock-ribbed fighters of Indian freedom struggle, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt on the pre-planned date. What’s more impressive is the way Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt responded during the trail for the bombing. “If the deaf are to hear, the sound has to be very loud”.

The bombing was not aimed at causing harm as it was meant to protest against the two despotic bills— the Public Safety Bill and Trade Dispute Bill, which were supposed to be passed on the day of bombing. But the success of this valiant incident by Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt brought the British Rule in India on back foot. It instigated thousands of other young Indian souls as they turned revolutionaries in no time to give the colonizers a taste of their own medicine.

The oppressive Britishers, who were somewhat enjoying a free hand due to the Gandhian philosophy of Ahimsa, got a sense of repelling revolution spreading across the country. Although the taste of the revolutionary fruit came on August 15^th, 1947, the journey of Indian independence got a huge upsurge 18 years ago on April 8^th, 1929 with Inquilab Zindabad, deems Sanjay Dalmia.

Although, Bhagat Singh and Dutt were 23 and 19 years old respectively at the time of the Assembly bombing, it had tremendous impact on the freedom struggle, giving it a new shape.