Narmada Seva Inspiring Experience: Yatris
With every fresh halt of ‘Namami Devi Narmade’-Seva Yatra, one gets to know of a new story, specialities and social life related to the specific place. This morning when the Yatra proceeded towards its next destination from Boras village of Raisen district, two Narmada Yatris happened to meet at the Shaheed Smarak of Boras. Connecting with the Narmada Seva Yatra, they are satisfied with the fact that they have been able to improve their physical health. It had become difficult for them to go for a walk daily and so was exercising and physical labour. When Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan commenced this Yatra with the objective of conserving and improving the environment, people like Jagdish Vishwakarma and Suraj Giri were inspired to connect with the Yatra. Jagdish Vishwakarma who hails from Hoshangabad has been a part of the Yatra since the last 60 days. It is not that he is not attached to his family. He talks to his wife and children every day on his cell phone. After understanding the importance of Narmada Yatra, he felt that he too should give his share of ‘Ahuti’ to this ‘Rashtra Yagya’. Thus he left for the Narmada Yatra. On the other hand, Suraj Giri of Ujjain took some time to decide whether he wanted to connect to the Narmada Seva Yatra. When he came to know that several sadhu-sants were also a part of the yatra, he reached Pipariya and joined the yatra following his spiritual inclination. Carrying his ‘jhola’ all equipped with items for day to day needs, says Suraj Giri – “I have not joined the Yatra to fulfil any desire; I just wish to move on in life.” Both the Yatris not only use the vehicles that move along with the Narmada Seva Yatra, but whenever they get a chance, they start walking barefoot covering almost 5-6 kms from one village to another. Both the Yatris lauded the arrangements made for the yatris during the Yatra.
Make separate budgetary provision for Narmada says Chief Minister
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has issued instructions to the departments related to Narmada Seva Mission to make separate budget provision for Narmada Seva. He was reviewing the proposed work-plan of Narmada Seva Mission at Mantralaya on Tuesday. Instructing all departments to make work plans for Narmada conservation and service, Chouhan said Narmada Seva YATRA had become the world’s biggest river conservation campaign. He said a detailed work-plan of Narmada Seva Mission would be announced on May 11 at Amarkantak during the conclusion of Narmada Seva Yatra. Chouhan said the Narmada Seva Samitis being constituted in every village would be entrusted with the responsibility of conservation of Narmada. He issued instructions to prepare the manual of Narmada Seva Mission.
Narmada Sewa Yatra : BJP leaders to gather in Shahganj for 2018 poll strategy
With an aim to connect with 1.5 crore voters of 16 districts
through river conservation programme, the ambitious Narmada Sewa Yatra, which began on December 11 last year from its origin in Amarkantak, is poised to witness a gala congregation of saffron party leaders in Shahganj, the hometown of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on March 27. The much hyped campaign is BJP's another major political plank to work in the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachchta Abhiyan and initiatives taken by the NDA government for environment conservation and public welfare. More important is the saffron agenda of social equality, de-addiction and poverty alleviation, which have been given importance in tribal areas by chief minister Chouhan and received a thumping response. "We need to save our environment and initiate massive plantation across the banks of river Narmada to save soil degradation. I have started the drive and involved people from across the world for support and I am overwhelmed that the campaign has received such a huge response'', said Chouhan while addressing a gathering, on Saturday. Chief minister Chouhan's participation in this campaign has attracted a high level of interest from voters. Chouhan has so far attended 32 rallies and public meetings during the Yatra from the beginning and made 20 major public announcements, which included developing the origin of river Narmada as a major pilgrimage, anti-alcohol and deaddiction drive in all villages situated on the river bank, removal of liquor shops, construction of crematoriums, public toilets, sewage plants, diversion of gutters, plantation of fruit trees and development of ghats and changing rooms for pilgrims. "BJP leaders will gather in village Jait, the home of chief minister, and join Narmada Yatra with a message of awareness. The programme is more social rather political but, almost all the state office-bearers, cabinet ministers and union ministers from Madhya Pradesh have given their consent to join the massive campaign'', said BJP state vice-president Vijesh Lunawat. Sources, in the party said that state leadership will also plan its main strategy for the assembly election slated for November 2018. The leaders will also try to get the pulse of voters, in case there is anti-incumbency and decide political solution for the same. The campaign will run till March 28, they added. The Yatra has so far touched more than 3 crore people in 584 villages of 409 village panchayats in 48 blocks. A clear message from the BJP government to financially support farmers for planting fruit saplings and cease using fertilizers in the area has been lauded by the environmentalists across the country. So far, 37,349 saplings have been planted in 882 village panchayat areas by 1.18 lakh families of farmers in 1.44 lakh hectare area, said officials in Mantralaya. A team of 50 volunteers, experts, social workers and public representatives is travelling with the Yatra to spread the message of water, forest and environment conservation, bio-farming and pollution control, said officials in the Mantralaya. On Saturday, the Yatra covering a distance of 2,444 kms entered Sehore district on 97th day through chief minister's assembly constituency Budhni to reach Bandrabhan, a local pilgrimage where Chouhan welcomed Yoga and meditation expert Satguru Jaggi Vasudev of Isha Foundation. Satguru has inspired the chief minister to set up a happiness department in the state for the well-being of the society which is said to be another socio-political agenda of RSS-BJP government. To increase public participation and awareness, the government has involved 518 public representatives, social workers, experts and renowned personalities and 100 more have promised to join the sacred campaign. To name a few included spiritual leaders Awadheshanand Giri, Sri Sri Ravishankar, environmentalist Rajendra Singh, filmmaker Prakash Jha, Sadhvi Ritumbhara, film director and actor Chandra Prakash Dwevedi, Anupam Kher, singers Anup Jalota, Anuradha Paudwal, Alka Yagnik, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Brahmakumari Bhavna Didi. Personalities like Uma Bharti, Swami Satyamitranand, dansuse Sonal Mansingh, social workers Anna Hajare, Sunita Narayan, vocalist Pandit Jasraj, Talat Aziz, Kailash Kher, Padma Vibhushan Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, actor Manoj Bajpai, politician Satpal Maharaj, religious narrator Morari Bapu, union minister Narendra Singh Tomar and actor Vivek Oberoi have also given their consent to join the Yatra. The campaign will run for 118 days across 1077km stretch of Narmada river, beginning from Amarkantak (district Anuppur) and culminating in Sondva (district Alirajpur), which is 82.24% of river's total length. A total 2,930km area will be covered involving 962 villages, 51 blocks and 16 districts, said the officials. During the Yatra, Chouhan also reiterated state government's ambitious schemes such as subsidised food scheme `Deendayal Thali', Kanya Vivah and Nikah Yojana, scholarship to meritorious students and pattas to all who were born in Madhya Pradesh.