PM's package
Sir,
It
may look imprudent to reject outright the
rehabilitation package for migrants announced by
the Prime Minister of India, Dr Man Mohan Singh,
on 25th April, yet, one can not fail to realize
that the package, seemingly well-intentioned,
lacks in content and falls woefully short of the
expectations of the community. The spirit of a
holistic rehabilitation of a community, torn from
their roots and braving it in exile for 18 long
years, is missing. The measures announced are not
only half hearted but also devoid of any credible
modalities of putting them in place.
Any
return and rehabilitation package should start
with a bold infrastructural framework that would
guarantee a compact and secure rehabilitation in
an environment free from discrimination and the
fear of violence, with viable economic and
political empowerment for the exiled community.
This has not at all been addressed in the Prime
Minister’s package.
Everyone
knows that the Pandits are dying to return to
their roots in the valley but they cannot be
coaxed or coerced with paltry economic incentives
which will not even buy them a roof back home not
to speak of a home. The security scenario of the
valley continues to deteriorate with the
terrorists striking at will and the numerous
separatist as well as mainstream political
parties keeping the country hostage to their
obsession with self rule, autonomy, joint
control, and accession to Pakistan etc. If the
government of the day can not take care of the
few thousand residual Pandits in the valley how
does it propose to guarantee the safety, security
and retention of the whole exiled population?
More
importantly it is not just a question of
providing a few measly sops to 55 thousand
families. It is the question of a whole minority
community having been driven out of their
centuries-old habitation and thrown to the winds
of exile dying for the restoration of their right
to their land and their roots. A massive
repatriation of men women and children suffering
from deportation from their homeland for 18 years
cannot be left to individual enterprise but
demands a serious national effort and engagement.
Addressing
the fundamental issues of rehabilitation would
call for a bold new vision of creating for the
whole community of exiled Pandits a geo-political
dispensation starting with a sprawling township
with a broad institutional framework that would
address the social, cultural, political,
spiritual, educational and vocational needs and
urges of civil society that make a community
vibrant and provide it the necessary impetus to
contribute to civil society. Such an arrangement
would not only address the numerous existential
problems of all the sections of the exiled Pandit
community but also encourage it to engage
fruitfully in building a new and prosperous
Kashmir.
The
Pandits want to put their best foot forward in an
endeavor to recreate the composite ethos of
Kashmir, to give Kashmiriyat a new lease of life,
and to put their shoulders to the wheels of
progress and change in Jammu and Kashmir.
Yours etc...
Dr K L Chowdhury
Roop Nagar
Jammu
Purpose of yoga
Sir,
'
Purpose of yoga ' by Shalija Dhar fulfils the
dire need of the day. She has rightly described
the real importance of yoga for physical fitness,
mental awakening and spiritual upliftment of our
inner self .Her depiction of three Gunas was
interesting . It is solely with the help of
Yogsadhna that man can achieve ultimate triumph
of Satvaguna over Rajo and Tamoguna. Lord Krishna
has emphasized the need of yogsadhna in all the
eighteen chapters of the Holy Bhagvad Gita for
evolution of soul (Atma).
Ashtang
Yoga ,the eight steps viz; yamas, niyamas, asnas
pranayama, prayahara, dharna, dhyan and samadhi
have been described by Maharishi Patanjali to
lead to eternal peace (Parmananda). While yamas
are meant for rectification of the society at
large ;niyamas are meant for self morality, asnas
for physical fitness; pranayama for concentration
and positive thinking; pratyahara leads to self
control over our karamendriyas, gyanendriyas and
mana; dharna (concentration/goal ) dhyana
(meditation). Thus all the eight steps adopted
together in our life eliminate all our miseries,
ailments and troubles. It changes our behaviour,
our thinking ,our approach to life. With thew
bliss of Yogsadhna we find ourselves completely
transformed (Yoga Chitta- vritti nirodha).
Yours etc...
Dr. Suresh Gupta
Jammu
|
