The rally for rivers campaign has been in the spotlight for quite some time now and more or less everyone is aware of the die hard try of the Jaggi Vasudev, popularly known as Sadhguru, to save the depleting rivers in India.
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has initiated a revolution to save the depleting rivers across the nation. The main motive to initiate this campaign is to bring to the notice of the masses the deteriorating conditions of the river. Even the rivers that were perennial have become seasonal rivers and the Isha Foundation under the guidance of Sadhguru has launched this Rally for River campaign across 60 cities across India. The campaign is no march or protest or demonstrations, it is just a peaceful way of making the people aware of the conditions of the depleting rivers in the nation.
He began the campaign from 1 Sep, where people holding placards reading rally for rivers with a number on it for a missed call, could be seen all over the roads within a distance of 50 meters. The only logic that the Sadhguru is trying to explain and implement is to plant trees in the area of 1 km on either side of the banks of all the rivers across India. This initiative will help save the rivers and also increase the income of the farmers four to five times.
This campaign has hit the media, internet, press, television everywhere and almost everyone is aware of the great initiative taken by Sadhguru to save the rivers, but is it really so? Is everyone really aware of the campaign and what actually it means and aims to achieve? This doubt was raised when a programme was organised in Jaipur, Rajasthan on 28 Sep, where thousands of students and adults gathered to attend the show, which was to be addressed by the Sadguru himself and the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje.
Gopal Lal Baberwal a lecturer at government secondary school in Hirapura in his statement to the press admitted that they had received orders from the district officer to bring at least 100 students from their school from class 9 to 12 to attend the Rally for River programme. He further informed that the government had also provided buses, for the transportation of the student. The orders read that, “100 of our students from class 9 to 12 along with two teachers have to compulsorily attend the ‘Rally for Rivers’ event on September 28, ” he told.
Around 3000 students had assembled at the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Centre in Sitapura, to attend the campaign and almost all of them unaware of the reason for them attending the programme.
According to the sources, similar orders were issued to 24 other government and private schools in the Jaipur, that were sent to government secondary school in Hirapura. When asked to the students that why there had come there, they only replied that they were not aware of the occasion but were informed by the teachers that they will have the opportunity to attend a function event in front of the godman and chief minister Vasundhara Raje.
Rahul Bairwa, a class 12 student from the government secondary school in Vatika. who was performing at the event admitted that she was asked to give a solo performance by her teacher and his classmates were asked to recite a poem.
Not just the students, but hundreds of women from four districts of Rajasthan Dosa, Tonk, Ajmer and Jaipur, associated with the women self-help groups were also asked to attend the event. They were brought to the venue by the Department of Panchayati Raj and urban development.
Praveen Kumar, a professional resource person at the department in his statement to the press said that “we had orders to bring at least 1000 women from villages of four districts for the event.” Vimlesh (45), a female SHG worker from Bagru municipality in Sanganer, when questioned why she had come to attend the event, she replied that she had no idea but she was sure that this is a good work done by the Sadhguru and they should extend their support to him.
Ironically none of this compelled participation of students and adults was mentioned by either Vasundhara Raje or Sadhguru. Instead, their addresses spoke something different quoting, “This is first such movement, after Independence, which is seeing people participating as one, raising beyond their class, caste, religious and cultural differences. For the first time, people are demonstrating at such a large scale. Men, women and children from schools, colleges and offices, across all age groups and backgrounds, are participating in the rally in large numbers.”
Trying to defend that the audience was forced to attend the event, Ratan Singh, district education officer accepted that the collector had given the orders but the reason behind the orders was not forcing anyone. Instead, the collector had taken this decision to ensure proper exposure of the students in such events. ” You should encourage us in our endeavour to make the students active in public life instead of making it an issue,” he snapped.
Though he refused to answer anything when asked if the collector frequently gave such orders.
While addressing the gathering Sadhguru said that the only way to save the depleting rivers is to support the rally for river campaign. He urged the people to do only three things, “You all should do three things to save our rivers. First, give a missed call to 80009-80009. Second, make sure that everyone you know gives a missed call at this number and third, make sure that everyone you don’t know gives a missed call at this number.”
Reacting to this Jagdish Narayan (50), a resident of Sanganer said that he did not understand whether all this concept of giving missed call was for saving the rivers or was a propaganda for the publicity of the Sadhguru. Expressing his frustration on the whole drama about the event he questioned that “without our participation, will the policymakers not realise how important this issue is? And if our participation is compulsory then why is it just for rivers? There are so many issues in this country that need to be addressed.”
Dinesh Kumar, superintendent engineer of Rajasthan’s watershed development and soil conversation department also criticised the initiative of the Sadhguru. He said that the godman believes that water shortage is the only serious problem that needs immediate attention, but he is not concerned about other issues like pollution, river-linking and other water conversation techniques.
Meanwhile, Sadhguru the man behind the entire initiative to save the rivers, while addressing the gathering said that a team of 27 scientists from different fields concerning different topographies are preparing a 700-page scientific document. This document will be submitted to the government and it will explain in detail the process of the campaign, how it will be implemented, what will be its results and how much time it will take. He also commented on the proposal of linking all the rivers so that they cannot reach to the ocean. He said that all the rivers cannot be linked and this decision should be left over to science.
Rajasthan Chief Miniter Vasundhara Raje extended her full support to the rally for rivers. She also said that Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan aimed at water conversion in rural areas will plant around 1 crore trees around water retention structures.
The initiative of the Sadhguru to save the depleting rivers is commendable and is widely appreciated. But the fact that people are compelled to attend these events and give missed calls, how far is this correct? There is nothing wrong in starting a nationwide programme educating the people about the need to save water and how important it is to save the rivers and take action now, but forcing the people to be a part of this is wrong.