Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 31: The “Tawi Bachao Andolan” gained a new momentum today when a massive rally comprising of about 200 cars and 70 motorcycles and scooters, displaying yellow flags, banners, and scarves was taken out in the city this morning, under the leadership of Chander Mohan Sharma.
People in large number assembled at the starting point of the rally which was addressed by Kavinder Gupta, Speaker, Gagan Bhagat, MLA, Kanta Andotra, Ex-MLA, Chander Mohan Sharma. The rally started from MA Stadium and passing through Jewel Chowk, Gumat, General Bus Stand, Hari Market, Raghunath Bazar, City Chowk, Purani Mandi, Raj Tilak Road, Parade Ground, Fly Over, Bakshi Nagar, Canal Head, Bhagwati Nagar, New Tawi Bridge and Bikram Chowk, culminated at MA Stadium.
The rallyists were shouting slogans urging the powers that be to save the Suryaputri (river Tawi) from garbage and encroachment. Speakers on the occasion pointed out that by saving the Tawi we would be able to positively impact the environment, ecology and economy of the area through which the ancient sacred river flowed. The Tawi, which finds a conspicuous and reverent mention in the ancient scriptures, and is hailed as the Heavenly Daughter of the Sun God, is a symbol of the all the traditional values of purity, love of humanity, tolerance and peaceful co-existence for which this land of Duggar is known.
It is a symbol of the identity of the Dogra region. But, today, due to the deliberate apathy of the previous Governments, and well-planned loot and encroachment by the unscrupulous element, this holy river is dying a slow death. Not only this, its banks have been converted to garbage dumps, whereas all attempts at beautifying the river are deliberately cold-shouldered by the Kashmir-centric power-circles. The recent attempts at shelving the Tawi lake project are glaring examples of such vicious mindset.
The speakers said that today’s mammoth rally is a proof that the people of Jammu have woken up to this systematic vandalizing of the treasures of the Duggar region and will not be taken for ride now.
It is pertinent to remember that recently, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, had opined that the Tawi lake Project was not feasible, in spite of the fact that the project had been cleared by various experts.
In the evening, the Tawi activists also organized a well-attended Tawi Arti on the banks of the river.
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