Smart City : Introduction and Manthan for Aligarh

My city Aligarh was selected as a smart city in the list of 100 smart cities of my country. I was invited to give a presentation on the same and am very happy that my long experience in Europe was of some help to my birthplace.

Frankfurt has regulaily featured among top 5 livable cities of the world and i gave a introduction of a smart city to the administration and people based on my travel and stay in Europe. 
I was lucky to have top administration of Aligarh including ex Mayor and Nagar Aayukt on the podium.

Following were the areas on which i touched in my presentation. My presentation is available to anyone who wants to have a look. Please contact me for that.

Some characterstics that may be a part of smart city are

1. Robust public transport : A person should be able to go to location of his choice using public transport and dependence on private transport should be minimum. You will find good public transport in almost all cities of Europe however in USA dependence is more on private transport. US is also bigger and less populated as compared to Europe. This will also help in minimising the time people spend on travel and make them happy. We also save on petrol and diesel costs which ultimately brings our oil imports down and help improving Indian economy. We also save heavy emissions which are released in environment. Government earning revenue and providing employment to people is icing on cake.

2. Wide Roads , Footpaths , Cycle Track : Wide roads ensure that cars move swiftly and their is no traffic jam.
Footpath is for use of citizens who wish to walk / run for health.
Cycle track is for people who cycle. To tailor this to needs of Aligarh we can have seperate track for Rikshaw on either side of roads.
Possibility of parking cycle at bus stands and near tram stops (Tram is local railways) which can be underground and above ground also.

3. Electricity Underground : Well lighted streets and electric cables are underground. Reliable electricity 24x7.

4. Garbage disposal :  In Europe and USA cost of polythene bags is high , 15 euro cents (almost 12 Rs for one bag). This ensures that people dont throw polythene here and there. Every building has a garbage dumping area where people throw garbage after putting it in bag. Garbage is divided into degradable and biodegradable. Bags are taken away by municipality and processed outside the city and recycled.

Garbage is like treasure and can be used to make manure and natural gas for fuel, other can be recycled. Polythene usage can be minimised by motivating people to use bags and by increasing the cost of bottles. In Europe Bottles can be returned for money. 25 euro cents for a plastic bottle.

Liquid waste from house is managed underground. In my 4 years stay and travels i never saw a single open garbage drain.

5. Greenery , Parks , Sporting complex : In every city its important that citizens can enjoy in company of nature. Children should have a place to play outdoor games. We have a naqvi park in Aligarh but many more are needed.


Exhibition ground is another park but lack of grass maked it counterproductive for health as flying dust can lead to harmful diseases. 


6. Parking complex : Every shopping complex should also have facility to park vehicles and task of parking vehicle should be effortless and citizen should be happy.

7.  Preserving Cultural Heritage :  If a city has some cultural touch like Varanasi, it can be preserved which will create a seperate identity for the city. Aligarh fort can be developed as historical place for Aligarians to see and reconnect with their past. This caters to cultural needs of citizens.

8. Use of E-Services : For saving time of citizens which is spent in standing in Queues and travelling for submission of bills. There should be minimum need for a person to visit a bank or electricity company, he should rather visit park or museum or meditation centre.







#SmartCity #Aligarh

Because This is YOUR COUNTRY

After spending almost 20 days in Himalayas as i was returning by bus from Uttarkashi, i took the window seat near the entry gate. The window, gate and the wide driver screen offered me almost full view outside and i was lost in appreciating the Himalayan beauty and inhaling fresh air which i miss in New Delhi. A grey haired man who should be approximately 45 – 50 yrs, was sitting in a nearby seat in front and was discussing politics with a fellow traveller. I was enjoying the mountains but few words about him blaming government not taking new initiatives and not constructing new road routes entered my ear from time to time. He was continously telling and complaining about what government should be doing and what's not being done properly.

It was a long journey of almost 6 hours and as the moving bus negotiated a turn somewhere, i observed some movement in his hand and saw something falling from the bus. After almost a second i realised that the same man has thrown the empty plastic bottle he used outside. I was aghast and said spontaneously but respectfully “Aap sarkaar ko gaali de  rahe ho aur yahan himalaya ko ganda kar rahe ho. Kaun saaf karega yahan jungle main? ” translated means, You are blaming government for everything and here you are making the himalayas dirty. Who will clean here in Jungle?”.I am usually careful when i proffer advice of any kind so that i dont trample on someone's ego as it will defeat the purpose. However i think that he realised his fault, for the rest of the journey he was silent and didnt speak a word. (I presume these were moments of introspection for him).

Some days later as i was travelling from Delhi to Aligarh in a bus, during the night. Most people were consuming groundnuts and throwing shells on the ground. I also had groundnuts at a halting station but threw the groundnut shells only in dustbin although the whole area outside too was full of shells. My fellow seatmate was looking at me with surprise as perhaps he thought it was meaningless. However small drops make up an ocean and someday perhaps the seeds of cleaniness will bear fruit.


Based on my experiences in Europe for years, i have concluded that, that part of world is cleaner because the people there are responsible and garbage is thrown only in dustbins. People and governments there are partners in making their country clean and tidy. If we consider our country to be dustbin and throw garbage wherever we like, it will become like dustbin. Its our country and if we wish to make any success in the direction of clean India, we have to inspire the mind of people to stop piling garbage and to make efforts to see that country is clean. Educated youths should skip no opportunity to provide the gyan daan of inspiring people, every such thought will be like samidha (material for yagya) in the mission of clean India and will be great service to mother India. 

Lets Educate without any anger and with Humility for instructions hit deeper. I wish you all the best in your service to Mother India so that your children inherit a clean India. Jai Hind !

Lakshman Gita

The story of Lord Rama is widely known not just in Indian subcontinent but also in
nearby countries like Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Indonesia among others. Infact Laos is named after lava, son of Lord Rama. Ramacharitmanas written by Tulsidas, is widely known as devotional text for aide of Bhakti Yogis who seek God realization by devotional practices. While being replete with devotion, Ramcharitmanas also contains most abstruse wisdom in simplest of language.



 

 There are number of places in Ramcharitmanas, where mind stops on its own to marvel at skill of Tulsidas to make understand the highest truth of life in simple words. One such place is Lakshaman Gita of Ayodha kand (Ayodhya canto of Ramcharitmanas). After Lord Rama, prince of ayodhya goes to forest to fulfill the pledge of his father Dashratha. On seeing that Lord Rama the crown prince is sleeping on ground and has matted hairs like yogis , Nishadraaj (Tribal king) felt distressed. Sorrow soon turned into anger towards kaikeyi (who used an old promise to oust Lord Rama from kingdom to make his son as King). Lakshaman who was wise on watching sorrow ridden face of Nishadraja speaks in compassion.



1. Kau na kou sukh dukh kar data, Nij krit karm bhog sab brhata
(Ramcharitmanas, Ayodhyasopan) 

 No one is the source of delight or pain for other, Everyone bears the fruits of his past actions. Srimad Bhagvatam notes various previous events associated with Lord past incarnations and one can get a hint about the present leela of Lord Rama. The present reality as we see for us, is a result of our past actions and desires. Just as origin of dream can be traced to desires or actions of a man during waking state , one's present reality can be traced to the past lives.

 2. joga biyoga bhoga bhala mandå, hita anahita madhyama bhrama phandå. janamu maranu jaha° lagi jaga jålμu , sampati bipati karamu aru kåalu dharani dhåmu dhanu pura parivårμu, saragu naraku jaha° lagi byavahårμu. dekhia sunia gunia mana måhi ° , moha mμula paramårathu nåhi ° .. 

Lakshman further says Nishadraj ,Union and separation,pleasurable and painful experiences, friends, foes and neutrals - snares of delusion are these. Even so birth and death, prosperity and adversity, destiny and time and all the illusion of the world; lands, houses, wealth, town and family, heaven and hell, and all the phenomena of the world; nay, whatever is seen, heard or thought of with the mind has its root in ignorance: nothing exists in reality The highest knowledge which is present in advaitic texts like Yoga Vashistha can also be found above in ramcharitmanas which is primarily assumed to be devotional text. Life is compared to a long dream like the one we see at night. After one is awake, one realises that all what he felt was unreal and creation of his mind. Similarily when one awakes from this life dream, one realises that he whatever he saw is due to the mind. 

 

3. sapane hoi bhikhåri nripu ranku nåkapati hoi jåge° låbhu na håni kachu timi prapa≈ca jiya° joi Suppose in a dream a beggar is crowned king or the lord of paradise is reduced to the state of a pauper; on waking, the one does not gain nor does the other lose anything. So must you look upon this world 

 4. Asa Vichari nahin kijiye rosu , kahuh badi na deia dosu moha nisa sabu sovanihara , dekhia sapana anekaprakara ehi jaga jamini jagahi jogi,

 paramarathi prapancha viyogi, janiye tabhi jeeva tab jaaga, jab sab visaya vilasa viraga 

 Reasoning thus be not angry nor blame anyone in vain. Everyone is slumbering in the night of delusion, and while asleep one sees dreams of various kinds. In this night of mundane existence it is Yogis (mystics) alone who keep awake. Yogis who are in quest of the highest truth and remain aloof from the world. A soul should be deemed as having awoke from the night of the world only when he develops and aversion for the enjoyments of the world of sense.


One should therefore not blame anyone for his present misfortune as is perceived by him, Everyone is asleep and is propelled to perform various actions according to individual Gunas. One thinks of himself as a doer however its the Gunas which perform all activities while the individual is merely a witness. Like in presence of sun, all happenings happen in earth (Seasons, rains and movement of rivers). One should be considered as having awake from this dream if he loses all taste for enjoyment of objects of senses and thus his perception will be free of their impressions. He will thus perceive the reality as it is.

#LakshmanGita

Durga Pooja in Delhi

Having attended durga pooja in Frankfurt year after year which was organised by Frankfurt bengali association with great devotion and planning, i was missing celebrations this year being in Delhi. I decided to go to chittaranjan park Durga pooja which is residential place for Bengali community settled in Delhi after partition. After the partition of India, many migrants from east pakistan (present Bangladesh) settled here. The area was named after deshbandu Chittaranjan  das one of the great freedom fighter.

Durgapooja is the most important festival for bengali community and is celebrated with pomp and splendour. Festive mood of calcutta during this festival is second to none and resembles “mahashivratri of Kashi” or “Holi of Vrindaban”. 

The theme this year was “Ancient Rural Bengal” and the pandal was made using bamboo and jute sheets. The clay idols of devi Durga wore thermocol ornaments. Even the color used was natural colors to prevent environmental degradation after immersion of idol. 

Bengal has contributed immensely to India in the past and it was said that “What bengal is thinking today, India will think 50 yrs hence”. Many spiritual and intellectual giants took birth in this land. Sri Ramkrishna paramhansa was one of the greatest devotees of Mother Kali (One of the forms of Mother Durga) and teachings and work of his foremost disciple Swami Vivekananda resulted in spiritual and political resurgence of India. Netaji Subhash chandra bose led the armed freedom struggle against the british. Aurbindo ghosh was another spiritual giant.

I hope to visit the holy land of my country at Bengal soon.