Good luck Ashish  Butail; now let’s together nurture and groom  Palampur                            

 The sojourn is over. And it feels wonderful to be back to my blogging ways. Back to be amidst you and be a part of you. To share my thoughts, joys, sorrows, anger and agony over all that impacts lives: mine and yours. And trust me I missed you all so much.

 Much water has flown down the Neugal khud since my last blog post of 17 November ’17. Elections have been won and lost and a fresh, young and new BJP government has come in place. For Palampur, we have a young leader Ashish Butail as our MLA. In  many ways, Palampur’s care and development is now in his hands. He is aware of its most pressing needs: a state-of-the-art, non-polluting waste disposal plant, parking lots, traffic management, assured potable water supply… to name a few. But he will need to marry development with environmental preservation and ensure that the natural assets of Palampur are no longer sacrificed on the altar of ‘development’. He has the necessary wherewithal (except for the handicap of being in the opposition) to deliver and steer the ‘chai nagri’ along the right course.  I hope he will not stand on prestige, would rise above party politics and even  seek Shantaji's active help and support in  executing the agenda for Palampur's development. That would only enhance his stature in the eyes of the public. 

I rather hate the word ‘development’. It has come to mean jungles of concrete, encroachments, illegal and unsafe buildings, congestion, traffic chaos and pollution- all at the cost of environment. Therefore we expect our new MLA to nurture and groom Palampur with tender care and a loving touch. Palampur has to stay clean, green and beautiful. And not just the MLA, but we all have to be proactive to make it happen. Hark what Gandhiji  said: "Let us be the change that we wish to see in the world." Therefore, let us be the Palampur that we wish to see and leave behind; for, Palampur belongs to us and we belong to Palampur. Do we want it to be a grey, barren, noisy, ugly, choked town disfigured by unplanned concrete structures everywhere? Do we want it to be a town where passing through the bazaar is so scary and hazardous- both for the pedestrian and the carwalla? Do you want it to be a town bereft of its majestic deodars, pines and tea gardens? ... A town with its Neugal khud mined to death and turned almost dry? ; its cool gurgling waters – which attract tourists in hordes - turned dirty and brown with silt and mud; its banks soiled and spoiled by garbage dumps?

Friends, the stakes are high. And the choice is yours: whether you want to remain indifferent and unconcerned or step out and have your say; whether to not  look beyond the four walls of your home or ready to stick your necks out.

I am  being 'teachy-preachy' but let’s remember:

Who lives if Palampur dies?







                             

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Being personal with Ashish Butail

On a personal level too I  wish Ashish Butail success in his new innings. I am sure he will take the NGOs, the environmentalists, and enlightened citizenry along as he starts on  ‘agenda of (green, holistic) development’ of Palampur with a fresh, new vision. In turn, it is for us to strengthen his hands. I am sure being suave and sober, he shall be receptive and open to constructive suggestions and new ideas, and gracious enough to view in right perspective should any of us point out any lapses on his part in the 5-year-long debut innings of his. We all have to work as a well-knit team above personal biases and prejudices and petty differences to take Palampur forward. 

Good luck Ashish. Palampur looks at you with hope and expectations.

                                                         



                                                                    

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Last word

Development must

But environment first

So

Let's all forget all greed and lust 

And welcome what is fair and just

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