Blurring the Boundary - To What End Will Local Traditions be Ignored
People visiting DC Office in Kullu to register their protest against eco village (courtesy: ETV Bharat) In the cacophony of daily news, once again stories that we would be concerned about have been buried. Stories that should have gained attention and made you wonder if it is okay to test the boundaries and limits on bending traditions in the name of development rarely get discussed in the national media. Asking questions of late have become a matter of abuse and vilification of people of the region, with accusations of selfishness coming forth. Protests have started in Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh against an upcoming tourist resort in Kasol. The bone of contention is the diversion of the water from the natural hot springs of Manikaran towards this “eco park” , a harebrained idea that only a typically deracinated system and its machinery can conceive. Ecological challenges are clearly not thought of, but what is worse is that the hot springs, believed to have associations with Shiva...