TIRANGA MARCH TAKEN OUT BY JOSHIMATH POPULACE IN JOSHIMATH TOWN ON REPUBLIC DAY DEMANDING CLOSURE OF NTPC AND BYPASS PROJECTS

When the nation was celebrating 26 th January the Republic Day at Rajpath in New Delhi – HUNDREDS of residents of Joshimath holy town took out a Tiranga March in Joshimath Nagar on the Republic Day raising slogans hailing Indian Constitution and registering their protest as well demanding immediate stoppage to NPC Hydropower Project and bypass to Badrinath, early resettlement and rehabilitation of the Joshimath catastrophic vctims, construction of prefab houses to start with for the displaced families and immediate adequate financial compensation etc. The TIRANGA MARCH primarily led by Atul Sati and Harish Maikhuri with the immense participation of women of Joshimath holding Tricolor flags in their hands the protestors were raising slogans hailing Our Constitution and demanding immediate closure of NPC n Road Bypass projects holding them directly responsible for subsidence of Joshimath. Confronting chilling cold at the height of 6215 feet the residents of Joshimath were in full spirits protesting in the holy town on Republic Day hailing constitution and celebrating the special day as well by holding Tricolor flags in their hands in large numbers.

It may be recalled that the sufferers of Joshimath are protesting since the last three weeks sitting on Dharna in support of their demands holding daily congregation with leaders of Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samittee addressing the assembled crowd with maximum attendence of women. Two days ago the leader of Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samittee Still Dati had expressed apprehensions that he had come to know from some sources that the government is thinking of arresting him by imposing NSA. There was tremendous resentment among the local populace as well as outsiders who asked : how can fighting peacefully for their fundamental rights to live amid ecological disaster in Joshimath invite draconian laws like NSA.

It may be recalled that about 900 or more houses in Joshimath has, developed cracks which are further widening including four big hotels being dusmantled by the authorities. In Vietnam if the snowfall n rains the risk has further enhanced with water in large quantity further seeping inside the cracks that may have future severe consequences. The union and state governments are doing its best to evacuate the victims and their families to safer places in a phased manner and the chief minister Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami having assured to adequate resettle and rehabilitate them.