A new team has taken over the management of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The new chief executive officer Retd. Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra took over today at the temple complex. Jitendra Mishra said, he served the nation for 43 years when he was in the Indian Air Force, and now he would be spending his life in the service of Lord Shri Ram.
The Trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri has taken over as the general secretary replacing Champat Rai. Delhi businessman and VHP activist Mahesh Bhagchandka will be the new treasurer. The decision to appoint ‘Operation Sindoor’ fame Retd. Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra is a sensible one. Ram Mandir was embroiled in political controversies when it was found that some counting staff members were stealing temple donation money.
With the appointment of a decorated Air Marshal as the CEO, none will have the courage to indulge in politics over his selection. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav refrained from commenting on the decision. The retired Air Marshal was selected through due process and in a transparent manner. With the baton in the hands of a retired Air Marshal, I hope people will regain confidence in the working of the Trust.
The decision to install Govind Dev Giri as general secretary is a good one. It will ensure continuity. I personally know the new treasurer Mahesh Bhagchandka. He is a successful businessman. He knows how to keep track of finance and won’t let anyone mess around. The loyalty, capacity, and skill of the new team will be beyond question.
The team has a big challenge ahead. It is, how to restore the trust of the common man after the image of Ram Mandir was dented.
Madrasas in Uttarakhand: Science, computer too
Madrasas in Uttarakhand are being modernized. Chief Minister Prakash Singh Dhami has initiated a policy to give recognition to only those madrasas which will impart education in mathematics, science, computer, etc. as per modern syllabus, apart from religious Islamic teachings.
Yesterday, 26 madrasas were given recognition certificates, and the total has gone up to 33. Registration of madrasas will continue till September 30. There were 452 registered madrasas in Uttarakhand when the madrasa board was functioning. Many of the madrasas are yet to decide about incorporating modern syllabus.
Twelve years ago, Narendra Modi had said in my show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’, “I want to see Muslim youths carrying the Holy Quran in one hand, and a computer in another”. Muslims youths will benefit if they get education in science, mathematics, computer and other modern subjects. They can acquire skills to compete in the modern world. Many of them can later become doctors, engineers or scientists.
Those who have vested interests in madrasas want to restrict instructions to religious Islamic teachings only. Owners of these madrasas may get advantage, but students will find their paths closed when they grow up. Modern education is a necessity for youths studying in madrasas.
Ladakh L-G V. K. Saxena’s miracle
The Lt. Governor of Ladakh V. K. Saxena has done a miracle. Only Rs 10,000 were spent to transform rocky and infertile soil into cultivable land. A glacier in Ladakh had huge storage of water-bearing ice, but most of them melt in summer and the water flow into rivers.
In Stok village, 15 km south of Leh, nearly 9 crore litres of water used to go waste daily by flowing into the Indus river. Many villages in Ladakh have dry and infertile land, not fit for cultivation. Saxena decided to stop this wastage of water. He directed the irrigation and flood control department to make a web of small drains to channelize water flowing from the glacier to the river. Using JCBs, nearly 200 metres long small channels were created linking the drains within a span of two days.
Out of the 9 crore litres of water that was going waste, nearly 8 crore litres of water was diverted to Igoo-Phey irrigation canal. It is a 43-km long irrigation project on the left bank of Indus river. Twelve villages connected to this canal are now getting water daily. Water flowing from glacier is now being utilized and more than 1,500 acres of land is getting water for irrigation in 12 villages.
The surprising part: Only Rs 10,000 was spent in two days to achieve this. The Lt-Governor’s effort deserves praise. Foodgrains and vegetables can now be grown on land that was lying barren, without any use of chemicals, through organic farming. The ultimate beneficiaries will be our jawans guarding the borders who will be getting food and vegetables grown here.