DEV BHUMI & GOD’S OWN COUNTRY

What is common between Uttarakhand and Kerala, you may wonder! 

Part of Ayravarth, Hindi speaking, BJP ruled, Himalaya bordered, predominantly vegetarian Uttarakhand and Dravidian cultured, Malayalam speaking, Communist ruled, Arabian sea bordered, predominantly non-vegetarian Kerala could easily qualify as antithesis to each other. 

But there are commonalities.

The first is that both states have a Godly connection. Uttarakhand, part of the Himalayas, with its high mountains, is considered as the abode of Gods, particularly the ‘Mahadev’ (Shiv)! Thus, the  state calls itself a ‘Dev Bhumi’! Kerala has a ‘coined’ description of it as ‘God’s own country’, that has to do with the myth about Lord Parshuram, an avatar of Vishnu, reclaiming Kerala from the sea by throwing his axe into it. 

The next commonality is the rivers, while there is no comparison of the mighty Ganga/Yamuna with the short rivers of Kerala, the fact is, both states have a river culture and river based economy. 

Both states had high forest cover that is depleting due to encroachers, poachers and the politician controlled forest mafia. 

The power generation in both states is hydel based, that has to with excess water availability due to lavish rains that occur there. 

Another connect is the renowned and venerated Badrinath Tempe of Uttarakhand, consecrated by Adi Shankara from Kerala during 8th century CE, where the puja is performed by Malayali Brahmins, even since.

Now comes the negative  commonalities. 

Both states continue to suffer from disastrous landslides associated with incessant rains that has unseasonably increased every year, due to climatic changes happening across the country/world. 

Every year, we read about heavy floods, high number deaths and loss of property that go unabated in both states.

And, the governments of both states haven’t done anything proactively to mitigate the sufferings of people from floods and landslides, which need strong and forceful methods. The unplanned ‘developmental‘  activities without taking the nature into consideration; such as construction of roads, dams, power stations, urbanisation and all, is adding to the nature’s agony. The inaction is due to vote bank politics and the forest mafia influence. The clever politicians would not want to disturb franchise equations of the state . 

All that both governments do is, lip service. The question is, how long will they continue this way? 

Till both the states are ravaged by nature’s fury and completely destroyed ???