The Observer
An IIJNM publication
Vol. 21, Issue 24
Ban not only for Azaan but for all the religious institutions in the state, says CM Basavaraj Bommai | Credit: Saumyangi Yadav
Muslims upset at row happening during Ramzan
By Saumyangi Yadav
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midst increasing communal disharmony in Karnataka, a debate over azaan has sprung up where right-wing extremist groups have called for a ban on the use of loudspeakers in mosques during prayer. They say loud noise from loudspeakers disturbs people who live near mosques. When The Observer reached out to some of these people, they said it is not really a problem for them. Anusha P, a political researcher who works at an office beside Modi Masjid on Queens Road, said: “I work here from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the loudspeakers do not bother me. Azaan is played 2-3 times while I am in the office and it doesn’t really affect my work. There are festivals of other religions like Ganesh Chaturthi where they take out loud processions. It doesn’t make any sense to target just one community.” Even people who have lived in the area for a long time agree the
loudspeaker volume is not very loud. A housekeeper who has been working in a house near Modi Masjid for over six years said: “They play the azaan on medium volume. I do not think it is a nuisance to anyone.” Recently, a report by The Mint quoted Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai as saying: “It is not only for azaan; it is for all speakers. So we will take a call.” Mohammed Ashraf, secretary at Char Minar Masjid, Shivajinagar, is bothered about the issue happening amid the Ramzan month. He said that they will follow court orders if something comes up. “We pray five times a day starting from 5 a.m.” In March 2021, the Karnataka State Board of Auqaf issued a circular to all the mosques and dargahs in the state prohibiting the use of loudspeakers between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Recent reports say Bengaluru city Police Commissioner Kamal Pant has instructed jurisdictional police to take legal action against violators. The police have started issuing notices to all religious places, including mosques and dargahs for defying the order on noise pollution. ►Continued on page 3
https://twitter.com/ observer_weekly Epaper: https://issu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs Website: http://www. theweeklyobserver.in
Fasting is an efficient way to regulate weight and stay healthy, say dieticians and nutritionists | P3
Students unhappy with the state’s decision to transfer Ukraine-returned medical students | P2
Azaan is not a problem, say people living near mosques
Thursday, April 7, 2022
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Congress blasts al-Qaeda for its praise of Muskan over hijab row Maken says BJP raising non-issues to divert attention
By Tina Freese
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he Congress on Thursday condemned the remark of the al-Qaeda on the hijab controversy in Karnataka. “The al-Qaeda is a terrorist organisation; it is a banned organisation. It has no business commenting on our country’s internal affairs.… We condemn the statements of the organisation,” AICC general secretary Ajay Maken said at a press conference in Bengaluru. Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-
Maken blamed BJP for the fuel price hike | Credit: Shubhangi M. Zawahiri had, in a video, commented on the hijab row praising Mandya student Muskan, who chanted “Allah hu Akbar” when she was hounded by a group of men on her college campus. Calling her “a noble lady”, al-Zawahiri asked the Muslims of India to react to the “oppression”. Maken blamed the BJP government for the inflation and
Mumbaikars decide to keep their masks on
By Swarali Bodas
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onfused whether the XE variant of Covid has entered their city, Mumbaikars have decided to play it safe by continuing to wear masks. The first case of the XE variant in India was reported in Mumbai on Wedneday, April 6, the Bruhanmumbai Municipal Corporation said. The Union Health Ministry denied this and said present evidence does not suggest that it is the new variant. Mausam Gala, 22, a marketing associate from Mumbai, thinks that since almost everybody is vaccinated, there is no reason to worry. “People have become conscious about their health, so even if this variant is a big deal, we should be able to fight it,” Arun Harchandani, a working professional, spoke about the spirit of Mumbai and Mumbaikars. “We will go with the flow and accept all of the challenges that come our way.” The World Health Organization has said that the latest mutant may be more transmissible than the previous ones. However, this finding requires further confirmation. XE is a “recombinant”, a
mutation of the BA1 and BA2 Omicron strains, said the UK’s Health Security Agency. Recombinant mutations emerge when a patient is infected by multiple variants of Corona virus. “I think government’s decision (to remove all Covid restrictions) is valid,” said Manali Sawant, a law intern at the Bombay High Court. “But people in the city are still paranoid. It isn’t mandatory, but everyone at the High Court is wearing masks.” People taking precautions is better than them being careless. Sanket Garud, a law graduate from Mumbai, informed The Observer: “Cases in China and Europe are rising again. It is only a matter of time that spread begins in India. I believe the Mumbai administration has worked efficiently so far, but we should be careful and avoid unnecessary large social gatherings.” ►Continued on Page 2
fuel price increase hike in the country. The government is using communal issues like the halal and azaan row to divert people’s attention from real issues. Maken urged the BJP to not polarize people as it will affect businesses in the state. “Why do you think these issues are coming up now? . . .They want to divert people’s attention from their failure; they want to divert from fuel price hikes, corruption and unemployment.” He announced a nationwide protest against spiralling motor fuel prices. He blamed the BJP for the rising prices. “We have to tell the citizens that we have launched a nationwide protest against the Modi government,” tina.f@iijnm.org
News Briefs
Arms, ammo seized on International Border The BSF seized arms and ammunition on the Akhnoor International Border in a special operation. The operation was launched near the sub-sector Pargwal. The recovered arms included an AK47 rifle, 20 AK-47 pistols and 40 pistols from smugglers.
Jo Wilfried Tsong will retire after French Open
Former world No. 5 tennis player Jo Wilfried Tsong has announced he will retire after the 2022 French Open. It will be the 15th time the player will be competing as a professional at the tournament. He is an 18-time tour titelist and has also won as many as 467 matches.
Delhi-Moscow AI flight cancelled over insurance
Air India has cancelled its twicea-week flight from Delhi to Moscow as it was unable to secure insurance coverage because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the threats involved. All the Air India flights are insured by international agencies. Air India is among the few carriers to use Russian’s airspace after the country launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine.
UKRAINE CRISIS
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The Observer Thursday, April 7, 2022
Pupils back from Ukraine not keen to go to state colleges Say they would rather continue online classes
By Saumyangi Yadav
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ndian students back from Ukraine’s medical colleges are unhappy with Karnataka government’s proposal to accmodate them in the state’s medical colleges. They fear that the decision will disrupt their studies and education. On March 21, Health and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar announced the Karnataka government would accommodate around 700 Ukraine-returned medical students in 60 medical colleges across the state. Although the decision was taken in favour of the students who would miss out on their education due to the ongoing RussiaUkraine war, they seem to have many doubts and confusions about the arrangement. The Observer reached out to some students to find out their problems and concerns. Vavilthota Yuktesh, 18, a first-year medical student at the Kharkiv National Medical University, said: “I will be happy if the government does something about it, but I do not think it is really feasible. There are a limited number of seats in medical colleges in India.”
Across the City
Sunburn Arena ft. Alan Walker, Music Show, Bhartiya Mall of Bengaluru, Friday, April 15 at 4:00 PM Pottery Workshop, Lahe Lane, Thursday, April 7 onwards Danny Avila Live, Music Show, XU Fashion Bar Kitchen, Bengaluru, Saturday, April 9 at 7:30 PM French Dessert Tour, Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts, Bengaluru, Saturday, April 9 at 11:00 AM
Quiz
1. What do antioxidants neutralize? 2. A person with diabetes produces an insufficient amount of what in the body? 3. What is another name for vitamin B5? 4. What is the more common term for odontalgia? 5. What is the correct term for the inflammation of one’s gums? 6. What organ is responsible for regulating metabolism? 7. The most common type of Diabetes is? 8. Who discovered penicillin? ► Anwers on page 3
Expensive medical colleges in India prompt students to study in medical colleges outside the nation | Courtesy: Anushka Pant Ukrainian universities have been conducting regular online classes for over two weeks, and the students are hopeful that the situation will improve soon. “I still want to go back to Ukraine and continue my education. But if they do offer seats here, I wouldn’t give it a second thought,” Yuktesh added. The government has not provided details of how the students will be accommodated. Prakash Lingegowda, media adviser to the Karnataka Ministry of Health and Welfare, said: “The idea is to temporarily accommodate the students in colleges around the state. We are ensuring that their education and course continues until there is more surety about the whole situation. Right now, we are not
sure how this is going to work out. There is a committee that will decide all the details of how the process will go.” The government will not offer permanent seats; the students will only be unofficially accommodated in the colleges. They will not even need to pay any additional fee, he added. Shwetha Kumar, 21, a medical student of the Kharkiv National Medical University, said: “The syllabus and curriculum of our college are very different from those of Indian colleges. It is especially harder for medical students as medicine is a very complicated degree. with our studies the same as before. Several factors contribute to the fact why it can be hard for the students to transfer colleges
in the middle of their course. Dr Yogita Sulaxane, a professor at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Jalgaon, explained: “Of course, the curriculum is very different. What they learn in the first year of their course we teach our students in the later semesters and vice-versa. Secondly, it also depends on the kind of medical equipment and technology that is available...That is why students from foreign universities are required to clear a test before they are able to practise medicine in India.” Ukrainian universities have been trying to make arrangements for their students. Hritika Joshi, student from the Sumy State University, said her university has considered transferring some of the students to colleges in Hungary. “Colleges in Hungary cost a lot more. The average tuition fee for Hungarian medical colleges is somewhere around US$10,000, which is similar to what you pay for Indian medical seats. In Ukraine, it was $5,000-6,000 (Rs 3.5-4.5 lakh) at the most,” Hritika further added. The MBBS fee for private colleges can range anywhere from Rs 20 lakh to more than Rs 1 crore. With a limited government medical seats in India, many medical students prefer going to Ukraine’s colleges owing to its affordability . saumyangi.y@iijnm.org
Indian students are worried about their Ukrainian friends Say it is tough to lead normal life in India
SPOILS OF WAR
By Tina Freese
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ndian students evacuated from Ukraine are worried for the safety of their Ukrainian friends in the war-torn country. Vavilthota Yuktesh, 18, a student at the Kharkiv National Medical University who was evacuated from Ukraine, informed The Observer: “I am back here safe, but I feel really bad because of what happened there. The people there are very good and I am worried. I get dreams about the place about what had happened there. I get annoyed when people talk about the situation over there.” The evacuated students had friends, neighbours and teachers still stuck Ukraine. Anushka Pant, 22, a student at Kharkiv University, has had
Experts say that feeling anxious is common after facing war-like situation | Courtesy: Pexels a difficult time coping with the stress. “We are back now, safe, but our friends and teachers are still back there and it is very worrying. Thankfully, most of our teachers migrated to remote areas where there is no bombing,” she said. Yulia Koshova, a Ukrainian teacher at Kharkiv University, managed to escape the country, shared: “It is great to see the support the world is offering us.
►There have been a total of 1834 civilian casualties. 691 people have been killed and 1,143 got injured ►Every three in ten people residing in Ukraine need lifesaving humanitarian aid ►Crude oil prices reached a record high of $140 a barrel in March and will surpass its record high of $147.50 a barrel sooner I had to leave the country to find a safer place. I am now giving online classes.” Experts consider it normal for the people to get anxious after going through awful experience. Dr Mahesh Gowda, a consulting psychiatrist said: “People who faced traumatic situations are prone to anxiety. tina.f@iijnm.org ►Read full report on www.theweeklyobserver.in
Citizen’s Voice
Religious intolerance will hurt economy Recently, the Hindu Right has repeatedly tried to attack the religious practices of a minority community in Karnataka. However, the ruling BJP has not taken any action to discourage the attackers. As Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said, these actions will hurt Karnataka’s economy as investors would not like to invest in a state lacking social stability. Sourasis Bose
Govt driving a wedge between communities
Delhi’s INA Market being shut down is another instance of Muslims being targeted. The reason given by authorities is that Navratri is going on. But to look at the other side of it, Ramzan has also started. Banning hijab and raising objections to halal meat are leading to a communal divide created by people in authority. Questions like why halal meat or hijab are such big issues are generally left unanswered. But this silence speaks loud enough. Simran Sharma
Olivia strikes a chord with Gen Z
When the 64th Grammys were announced, one name stood out: Olivia Rodrigo. The 19-year-old singer won three Grammys for her debut album, ‘Sour’. It feels like there will always be that one artist who gets the mood of an era. Olivia’s ‘Driver’s Licence’ was the heartbreak anthem the young generation was waiting Vinaya K.
Not the right time to take off masks
►Continued from page 1
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inad Gadre, 21, a student, said information about new variant is not known yet. “We don’t know much about it. BMC said one thing, but the Centre is saying something different. I still wear masks everywhere.” He further said: “People used to wear masks fearing fines from BMC, but now since it is revoked, people are not wearing them anymore.” Dr Tushar Joshi, a physiotherapist at Wockhardt hospital, Mumbai said people should not panic over the new variant. “It needs to be investigated and then decisions should be taken.” On government’s decision to revoke all Covid restrictions, he said: “I don’t want to comment on this but I don’t think it is good to take off masks.” Mumbai reported 108 new Covid cases and seven deaths on April 6, 2022 and the total number of active cases in Maharashtra stood at 1,873. swarali.b@iijnm.org
CITY
The Observer Thursday, April 7, 2022
Eat less to stay healthy, say dieticians and nutritionists
It has a positive effect on the gut & skin By Chhavi Vohra
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hristi Sharma, 22, used to eat whatever she craved. She ordered food every alternate day. There was no control over the number of calories she consumed. Now, she eats between noon and 8 p.m. and fasts for the rest of the day. Fasting has helped her to regulate weight while keeping her stomach full. “Fasting has been beneficial for me. I have obtained good results so far. I am not starving myself, but am still staying healthy,”
World Health Day
Shristi informed The Observer. Like Shristi, many people say fasting has helped them lead a healthier life. Nutritionists and dieticians also talk about the health benefits of fasting. Shivani Kaul, 23, said she hates exercising and has looked for many other ways to stay healthy without exercising. “Fasting has been the key for me. I fast on some days to maintain my weight and eat whatever I like on others,” she said. Fasting helps heal the skin.
Quiz answers
1. Free Radicals 2. Insulin 3. Acid 4. Toothache 5. Gingivitis 6. Thyroid Gland 7. Type 2 Diabetes 8. Alexander Fleming
Twitterati Talk
@WHO 829,000 people die from diarrhoeal disease every year caused by polluted water and poor sanitation #HealthierTomorrow
Team Observer Editor: Tina Freese Reporters: Saumyangi Yadav, Tina Freese, Swarali Bodas, Chhavi Vohra Copy-editors:Anwesha Singh, Saumyangi Yadav, Chhavi Vohra Page Layout: Anwesha Singh, Tina Freese, Saumyangi Yadav, Chhavi Vohra, Swarali Bodas Photo Editors: Saumyangi Yadav, Chhavi Vohra, Tina Freese, Swarali Bodas, Anwesha Singh Supplement: Arshreet Singh, Kashish Sharma
Intermittent fasting can improve health conditions | Credit: Chhavi Vohra According to an article on healthshots.com, fasting improves the health of the gut so that the systemic inflammation of the skin reduces. Lowered inflammation in the gut makes the skin look younger, healthier, and clearer. Rhea Rawal, 22, shared: “My skin has been... so much better since the time I started fasting. My face acne has completely vanished. I have a new glow and radiance on my face. I no longer need to hide my acne with makeup. And the most important thing is that , I feel healthy now. I used to feel sick in my stomach when I used to eat the entire day. Now I feel lighter.” Dieticians and nutritionists
agree that eating less contributes to being healthy. Somya Agarwal, a nutritionist, when asked if fasting can help one being healthy, said: “Definitely.” She explained: “Fasting tends to cleanse the body by detoxifying the liver, the kidney and all other vital organs. This primarily happens because of the restrictions in the diet that are to be followed while fasting. In India, the most usual pattern of fasting is cutting wheat (gluten) and salt from the diet for 12 or 24 hours. This time window is enough to initiate the body’s cleansing and detoxification. “I recommend intermittent fasting (an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting) to my clients. The reason is that research has proven to be the safest and most efficient form of fasting.” Research shows that intermittent fasting can lead to improvement in health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers and neurological disorders. According to Diet Den, an Instagram Page for nutrition and diet tips: “Fasting does have some benefits. It’s known to reduce weight as one consumes fewer calories on fasting days. However, it’s much more important to have a check on how one breaks the fast, as many people tend to consume more calories
the very next day. This should definitely be avoided.” However, dietician Ruchita Maheshwari doesn’t agree that fasting leads to a healthy life. “Eating less or going on low carbs or high protein does not mean staying healthy. It is just a myth which has been revolving around these days on social media and other places. “Fasting for a longer run can lead to body damage and low metabolism. A person who is diabetic or suffering from any other major disorder should definitely not fast. ” she added. Fasting is a big part of the Indian heritage, being prevalent in a range of cultures – from Ekadashi to Karwa Chauth among Hindus; to the Yom Kippur for Jews; Paryushana among Jains; Ramzan among Muslims;. The practice of Hara Hachi Bu- no eating after being 80% full (Calorie restriction) led to an exceptional number of healthy centenarians in Japan. These strategies have been examined in studies on rodents and humans. When followed strictly, these practices have been shown to prevent obesity and protect against oxidative stress and hypertension. They also mitigate and postpone the onset of several age-related diseases. However, daily monitoring and expert advice are very essential chhavi.v@iijnm.org
Rise in child poverty causes worry Helpline, new observatory launched By Chhavi Vohra There has been an increase in child poverty by 10 per cent with 100 million children being pushed into it. More than 10 million girls are vulnerable to harassment, gender violence and child marriage, said Sri Prosun Sen, Communication, Advocacy and Partnership Specialist, UNICEF, on Thursday. Speaking as the chief guest at the launch of the Karnataka Child Rights Observatory (KCRO) Activities, 2022, he said 600 million children have been affected due to closure of schools during the pandemic. “The pandemic exposed gaps in our social security system, we weren’t prepared for this. It also impacted the physical and mental health of children. What we’re working towards now is building resilience and trying to reach more marginalised children, as they are the most impacted due to the pandemic. We are redesigning our education program for meeting these chal-
lenges. Technology should be incorporated into the education system,” he said. KCRO, along with UNICEF, is working towards addressing key child rights issue in Karnataka. This includes launching a helpline to help children in distress and promulgating ways to increase girl child education. They have also launched a programme called IMAGE ( Initiative for Married and Adolescent Girls Empowerment) as 25 out of 100 marriages of girls below 18. Moreover Sen insisted that education should reach each and every child even in emergency situations. “Today we are inflicted with Covid-19; tomorrow it’ll be something else.” Mary Priyanka Francis, Director of Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of Karnataka, said: “NHFS shows that child marriage data hasn’t changed since 2019. We’re trying to change it. We need to provide girls something to engage with so they don’t have to be married so early.” Dr Vasudev Sharma NV, convener, KCRO, said Karnataka has fallen behind on a lot of parameters related to children. KCRO is revisiting the acts related to children. “We’ll monitor children who have been or-
phaned due to Covid-19 virus and hence take steps for their welfare. We’ll check yearly data for how children are responding. Learning levels are also going down, and so many children have forgotten how to read or write. Cyber-bullying has increased…. Teachers also bully children online. There has been a constantly increasing dropout rate among students. Trafficking activities are also high.” Justice Shashidhar Shetty, Member Secretary, Karnataka State Legal Service Authority, said there is a need for immediate rescue operation. They have requested the government to rescue children from trafficking and malnutrition. “There should be one place for the safety of children in each state, but there isn’t one in Karnataka. A procedure for child adoption needs to come up so that children don’t have to go through trauma later. There are a lot of petitions on children left orphaned by Covid-19. There is a need for paralegal monitors for these children. Currently, there are more than 4000+ paralegal monitors across the state, but only 1000 have functioned so far, they will change the team due to the same.” he said. chhavi.v@iijnm.org
3 This day That year
The World Health Organization, a specialized agency of the UN, was formally established. WHO is responsible for the international public health. Its Constitution states its main objective as “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health”. Its headquarters are at Geneva, Switzerland.
Quote of the day
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” — Maya Angelou
Weather
Maximum temperature: 34°C Minimum temperature: 20°C Humidity: 45% UV Index: Very Strong Wind: 8 km/hr Precipitation: Nil
Disharmony is not our agenda: BJP
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►Continued from page 1 n the wake of Hindu activists launching a campaign against azaan, security has been tightened near religious places lke temples and mosques. M.G. Mahesh, a BJP spokesperson, said: “The High Court of Karnataka has strategically mentioned that it (the noise) should not cross the 75 dB limit. But some of the mosques are crossing even 200 dB…. This issue is not created by BJP. Society itself looked into the matter and wanted the government to do something about it. It is not the agenda of the party to create any disharmony. In the halal case, in the hijab case, whatever has been going on for the past two months… is not our agenda. It is being created by the Muslim community in the state.” The azaan controversy started when MNS chief Raj Thackeray last week said his party workers would play Hanuman Chalisa in front of mosques if the government does not remove loudspeakers outside mosques”. His comments were countered by the Shiv Sena and the NCP saumyangi.y@iijnm.org
Travel/Education Did your tutor skip reprod’n chapter?
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The Observer
SUPPLEMENT
Thursday, April 7, 2022
Why the chat about birds and bees is kept hidden away in the classrooms of Indian schools, Kashish Sharma questions
popular reel on Instagram has become the new hum for many. It goes like this: ‘let’s skip to the good part’; and represents a quick transition from one situation to another. The song perfectly describes the state of sex education in India. While most biology teachers in school are happy to teach various systems of the human body at length, they avoid entire pages or break off sentences when it comes to teaching the human reproductive system. Much like other forms of knowledge, learning about sex and sexuality also requires a strong childhood foundation. However, the subject is taboo in class rooms. Elsa Philips, Biology teacher at St George’s College, a missionary school. She has been in the profession for more than 25 years and feels that the problem arises when the reproductive system is taught as an isolated system and not as any other regular system of the human body. “I have never made my students feel that this system is special or less than special in any way. For me, it has always
Even if teachers want to teach the chapters about sexual reproduction, they are made to feel guilty | Credit: Shutterstock been like teaching about the nervous system or the respiratory system,” said Philips. Phillips went on to narrate a story about how in the early days of her career, she was approached by a group of girls who had shared their discomfort in studying the reproductive system in a joint class with boys. Creating secrecy around the chapter, he says, will make them more curious and suspicious.
Teachers hesitate to teach about sex in class as they fear being personified in the minds of students who giggle behind the books, Philips says. The dilemma of how much to share with the students often troubles the teachers, she says. As per the current curriculum, just one chapter is designated for sex education in Biology textbooks all across the education boards of the country. The chap-
ter is usually introduced in class 7 or 8 and the depth escalates as one goes higher in the grade. Experienced teachers like Phillips believe that if the subject is introduced earlier, it would not only save children from searching for answers online from inappropriate and wrong sources but will also protect them from childhood sexual abuse. Pavitra, Biology teacher at St George’s college talks about how, unlike other teachers, she teaches the reproductive system in great detail despite the giggle by the students in the class. “It makes me sad that students have to purposefully hide their feelings of excitement while the chapter is being taught to them. They pretend as if they are not interested,” said Pavitra. Pavitra further says that many teachers skip teaching the elaborate anatomy of the reproductive system. Those teachers who do are made to feel guilty for oversharing. Instead of normalizing the chapter, she says, teachers often send a wrong message that creates secrecy around the topic and even if the topic is taught by
the teacher, the approach is very cold and distant. Many students shared that the quantity of time spent by teachers on the subject differs significantly. Students are taught plant reproduction system in great depth, whereas human reproductive system is dispatched within one class. Nishika Chandok, a class 10 student shared how in a co-ed school, girls are often taken to a separate room for menstruation talk. Most students who spoke to The Beat said that they were uncomfortable naming the genitals in front of their elders. Sania Khan, student from class 12 remembers how she never asked questions while learning reproduction as she was scared of being judged. Dr Vandana Kalra, a senior doctor from Agra said that the lack of proper sex education in the beginning years of a person prevents early detection of diseases like breast cancer or cervical cancer as people are not familiar with scientifically exploring their genitals. kashish.s@iijnm.org
How Tourism ruined a heaven: Kasol F
Mass influx of tourists in the sleepy village of Kasol in Himachal, has caused a heaping trash problem, writes Arshreet Singh
orty kilometers from Kullu, nestled in the Parvati Valley, the village of Kasol was largely undiscovered till the 90s. It had fewer than 10 families and its people lived in abject poverty with little food — owing to infertile land and inadequate sunlight. Today, overnight buses full of tourists arrive here from Delhi every single day. Prem Kumar, the owner of the Turquoise Hotel in the village center, can remember when Israelis discovered the hamlet back in the 90s. “Kasol looks nothing like it did back then, or even 10 years ago. Everything has changed,” he said. One, it does not resemble a village anymore. It is now a touristtown bustling with hotels, cafes and eateries. Satellite villages around Kasol, usually a short trek away, are also teeming with hotels and cafes helping absorb the influx of tourists. The tourists come mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. Redbus, an app used for booking long-haul buses, showed 15 buses from Delhi to Kasol on Thursday. Assuming one bus fits 40 people, that adds up to 600 tourists every day. This does not include tourists from other cities in India, or tourists who travel in their own vehicles. While it stays rather busy throughout the week, the population swells on weekends when thousands of twenty-somethings
Localites see great difference between the old Kasol and the new one. While the influx of tourist may have given them business it has destroyed the natural beauty of the place. | Credit: Arshreet Singh come to the village to party and ‘let-go’. Kasol is infamous for its rave parties which, in turn, has given currency to the term `drugculture’ in the area. “Tourism industry has definitely brought prosperity to the locals, but it has also totally ruined the environment,” said Kumar. One cannot miss piles of trash burning around the village, the stench gives it away.
Treks leading to nearby villages are also littered with broken beer bottles, food packets and Coca Cola cans thrown carelessly. Kulwant Singh moved to Kasol five years ago from Rajasthan and now runs a homestay. He said that he has definitely seen an increase in the amount of trash in the village, which has corresponded perfectly with the increase in tourists.
Grahan river, which passes through Kasol to merge with the Parvati river, has essentially become a dump site for the riverside cafes. Due to the lack of a proper garbage disposal system, “Restaurants dump their waste in the river late at night when no one is looking,” said Kumar. “It is the same river from where we get our drinking water. The pipes are laid directly in the riv-
er without any filters. The water ruins our geysers and gets disgusting in the monsoon.” Kumar says he never imagined that water from this river would become undrinkable for the locals. Arjun Thakur of the Trout Conservation and Angling Association, an organization which did a clean-up drive in Kasol in 2018, blames the lack of a proper dumping site for the garbage in Kasol. “Garbage will increase with tourists. They stay for a short amount of time and use a lot of packaged material and sachets. Whatever garbage is collected has to be taken to the dumping site in Manali (75 kilometers away) using trucks which is expensive and adds to the pollution problem,” said Thakur. The new deputy commissioner of Kullu, Ashutosh Garg, started a new initiative. Kumar explained that restaurants are now charged ₹1000-₹1200 to have their non-biodegradable trash collected by a vehicle that comes once in a week. “Unfortunately, a third of restaurants still don’t pay and continue throwing trash in the river,” said Kumar. The only solution, he says, is to have a proper dumping site, a demand that is ignored. “We don’t even have a sewage system which was supposed to be built after Kasol was included under the Special Area Development Authority in 2006,” he said. arshreet.s@iijnm.org