AJEET COUR’S LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA July 6, 2009
1. Can I have 4-5 minutes of your precious time
2. Many years back, I and my first cousin Sqn. Leader Manmohan Singh Mitwa came across, 500-years-old trees,
branded with hammer-marks. Beyond Mashobra, near the Gumma catchment area from where water is pumped to the whole of Shimla,About 400-500 of them ! Huge giants, standing in eternal prayer for the welfare of humanity, branded as goats for ‘kurbaani’ for Bakrid. Standing there, mute and silent, waiting to be slaughtered! The poor ignorant people of village Baldean told us, with tears in their eyes. ‘These have been identified to be chopped off !’ We wrote to the then Prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi, “If this thick forest is molested and slaughtered, the catchment area will eventually get dried up. “Shimla will go thirsty, and will eventually die”.On the third day, one Mr. Lamba arrived in Shimla, and said he had been deputed by the Prime Minister, to personally inspect the situation.
He was in tears when he touched a couple of those wounds of the forest.
In a day, the local authorities were summoned, the scandal of the land mafia – in connivance with the officials, as always – was unearthed, and verbal message of Prime Minister was delivered to the then Chief Minister of Himachal : “Even if one tree goes, his government would go !”
The result ? Trees are still standing there, erect and in eternal prayer !
3. But here, in Delhi, NOBODY LISTENS ! NOBODY BOTHERS !
We, the concerned citizens, have been writing to all the authorities.
No response from the Chief Minister, because she is intoxicated by the ‘GLAMOUR’ of Commonwealth Games, and Sonia jee adores her !
No response from the Lieutenant Governor, though I have known him since 1972.
Silence is the order of the day !
Even Supreme Court has finally said, “We will see after the Games”, in response to Harish Salve’s and M.L. Lahoty’s plea that ancient forests which have been chopped off should be REPLANTED, here in Siri Fort Area.
The 23 acres of ancient forest, chopped off, IN EXCESS of the requirement of the so-called Badminton Court