Keep Kids Safe...Page 4 SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2020 INTERNET EDITION : www.dailyexcelsior.com/magazine Opportunity to manage...Page 3 Tourism Development

Rajan Gandhi installed with a food point just opposite to it. Once one gets on the walkway two round mov- A trip from Jammu to Mansar leaves one ing swings are there along with a vendor selling mesmerized with the picturesque zigzag roads, hats and dresses again questioning the logic of chugging trains at number of points, pine, silver On Papers Only closed main complex where shops of photogra- oak, wild trees, bushes, wild hens, old ponds, phy, food points and utility items can be easily sand and mud rocks, chirping birds and many opened providing employment to locals and rev- more scenic things, too much for a person living enue to Development Authority. Quality of so in the hustling bustling cities with almost no called these fun games is really pathetic and it's greenery leave alone natural ambience. God has better not to have these there and let tourists really bestowed its best natural resources to this enjoy nature's beauty. Two JKTDC huts are area and one can feel it in abundance but the available along with eight rooms Dak Bungalow facilities during journey and infrastructure at with restaurant. Two restaurants are also func- lake sites just leaves one dejected due to condi- tional one at Boat Club and another one tion of the water bodies and infrastructure. Lajawaab on main road. With no master plan for SURINSAR both Suriansar and Mansar in place its scarcity First water body of this tourism belt is Suri- of land for development work which is a big hin- ansar and the pathetic patches of road where drance to the extent that even parking cannot be ever small villages like Cooper, Bajalta, Aitham expanded. Here also no solid waste management come enroute really states the sorry state of plan, no sewage treatment plan adds to the pol- affairs. Things become more complicated with lution of lake. It seems only cosmetic patch the presence of number of sand and stone crush- works are projected and done. A Zip Liner across ers just on the highway causing dust pollution the lake was proposed and even tender was float- in kilometers of area along with mud and stone ed but ultimately no sanction from Wildlife gravel from crushers coming directly on the Department as usual shelved the project. Now highway. With the JCB machines and heavy even one ropeway is projected but will it also see dumpers frequently carrying construction the same fate in the end remains to be seen. material roads at these points are bound to be With not much efforts being put up for devel- damaged. One really wonders how these crush- opment or sightseeing one wonders for what ers are there on highway itself and doubts purpose Development Authorities are in fact whether any of these observations have been conceptualized at very first place. Scarcity of taken into account while giving permission to engineering staff is a major issue as Surinsar these crushers. Mansar Development Authority has to look after Though some View Points have been made Uttarbehni and Parmandal also in addition to enroute but without any maintenance or plan- these two lake areas and with only two sanc- ning. Wild grass is the only vegetation at such tioned JE Civil works post of which only one is points with no flowering, no drinking water, no doors and things scattered here and there just board depicting 'Say No To Plastic' by Director board of Amphi Theatre is visible but with a posted right now making task of site survey, toilet or for that matter no dustbin. With no eat shows how sincere is administration towards Tourism meant to greet and educate public but locked gate with rocks and mud in the premis- plans, designs and DPRs to be a herculean one. point of tourism or toilet facility from Develop- promotion of tourism and public money. Only with plastic bottles lying around it shows the es. One artificial rock climbing project along Absence of Master Plan is the major issue as ment Authority on the entire route right from utility which one finds of this place is people actual sanitation situation at Surinsar. There is with Zipliner is also proposed. Boating has been despite numerous proposals sent to Civil Secre- Sidhra to Surinsar one can imagine the plight of coming for their Kuldevtaas (deities) and cook- no proper parking place and haphazardly parked allowed in the lake and one hopes it becomes an tariat no plan has been passed till now. Is admin- tourists with families especially small kids. Only ing for community lunch for their own gather- vehicles on main road just gives a feeling of shab- added attraction for visitors. Also proposed is istration serious about these things, doesn't eatables available at one of these view point is ing and ultimately leaving the waste in the prem- by patch on natural beauty of the place. repair of Jetty (wooden viewing deck of the lake) seem so. Short tenure of CEOs with interruption Maggi and in fact people have named that point ises itself. Dogs and cows greet tourists in the and protection work of the boundary wall of the in continuity raises practical hindrances. as Maggi Point. Just when we are entering Surinsar lake itself is with algae and weeds lawns of premises with ultimately cow dung and lake. Also proposed are artificial breeding place Samba to Mansar road is also full of potholes Surinsar a narrow lane type dilapidated road now visible in the vast patch but no de-weeding dog poo on the grass are the other visible things. for lake tortoises on the far of bank of the lake. and problem is further complicated due to dou- stretch is there from where even two cars can- or algae removal efforts are in place. There is no Broken lawn lights and electricity meter with A servo voltage stabilizer has been commis- ble lane parking of Kashmir bound trucks result- not pass in parallel leave alone two buses. Why proper dumping site, no solid waste manage- wires cut from the pole itself is just too much of sioned recently and four of the five fountains in ing in frequent traffic jams and even if open at no efforts have been made till now to remove this ment plan or sewage treatment plan in place the reality of much hyped tourism push in the the lake have been made functional. Also pro- snarling speed. It seems nothing is planned by bottleneck by respective Development Authori- resulting continuous pollution of the lake but Jammu division. No residential accommodation jected in the next year is floating Jetty if sanc- any department and all talks of making these two ty, can anyone explain? Locked gates of only again no visible efforts are there on ground to is available right now despite the TRC building tioned under Capex budget. A paragliding proj- picnic spots as main tourist attraction of Jam- available Government Tourist Reception Centre address these issues. Authorities seem to be least and two rooms of Tourism department on the ect is also in pipeline at Aitham when will it start mu region are just plans on papers only with (guest house/ restaurant) welcome tourists. perturbed by these grave lapses. Further up back of this TRC building but everything is under nobody knows. nothing tangible on ground. With practically six Inaugurated in 2008 by Director Tourism of that another park is there with swings and slides for lock right now. children. With no signage, front gate is locked. MANSAR directors in last six years in Directorate of time, was being run for some time by Tourism Tourism, Jammu, much delay in appointments Department and then left to be outsourced to A walk around the periphery reveals further One tea-coffee, snacks shop has been built in the Situation at Mansar also depicts same cal- muck of the reality. There is no separate walk- park but like TRC building it is also locked rea- lousness and attitude. Dilapidated main gate of Project Management Consultants no one local vendors. But exorbitant reserved price of seems to be serious about Jammu tourism around six lakh yearly is a big deterrent as way around the lake, practically it's just tiled sons better known to authorities. It seems every with closed main block shops and scattered junk road which pedestrians along with all vehicles available local employment opportunity has along with rusted iron shutters of closed shops despite this particular area being in PMO con- monthly rental expenses of around fifty thou- stituency. Will administration act now to put sand in addition to electricity and staff expens- use right now. Instead of a proper coal tar road been continuously wasted deliberately. One toi- greet the tourists. All shops have been leased for and separate walkway, so called experts have put let block is there adjacent to park but without long term on a meager rent of five hundred to extra efforts to streamline things or scuttling of es is too much for such a place with not so much Jammu Tourism Projects will continue despite footfall right now. Year after year it's lying tiles as if it is pavement or on foot walkway and electricity. Only saving grace seems to be one near and dear ones who never intended to open not main road. This tile road practically is not recently installed water cooler. the shops. A toilet block is definitely there but BJP Government at Centre and State, only time defunct with electricity connection cut; genera- will tell. tor lying in open for rusting, broken glasses of meant for heavy vehicular traffic which results Further walk towards Suriansar town, a just adjacent to it is air filled sliding game in broken and bumpy road with lots of dust. A

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Maharaja Greatest Leader In World History Kanwal Singh had one of the most modern Sikh Khalsa armies tiful thrones in the world. It is now part of the but yet he never abandoned the old traditional priced collections of artefacts in Queen Victoria In a recent poll conducted by the BBC Histo- techniques inherited from the ancient Sikh mar- Albert Museum, London. ries Magazine among it's 5000 readers, the tial artforms and the legacy of Nihang warriors. He never forced Sikhism on Non-Sikhs and founder of , Sher-E-Punjab(Lion of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was born on Novem- created an atmosphere of religious tolerance for Punjab) Maharaja Ranjit Singh has been voted as ber 13, 1780 to Maha Singh, chief of Shuker- all communities. The empire which he ruled had the Greatest leader of all times. In world history chakis, a Sikh Group, in , now in Pak- Sikhs in minority and Muslims in majority. As he is often known as a Ruler with great adminis- istan. As a child he suffered from small pox and per noted strategist expert, Sushant Sareen, “The trative and modern military skills along with reli- lost his one eye. But despite loosing one eye he first surgical strike across the rice fields in Bal- gious toleration. Defeating great leaders like had the vision of establishing a Great Empire. akote was carried out by the then Sikh Army Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln, Maharaja Ranjit Singh was leader par excellence. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was declared as the under the command of the bravest General of He fought his first battle at the young age of 10 Maharaja Ranjit Singh, . world's greatest among the twenty leaders nom- and at the age of 17 he blemished the attempt by inated by Modern Historians. He received 38 Maharaja Ranjit Singh also sanctioned expedi- Zaman Shah Durrani, the king of Afghanistan to tions led by Dogra Commander, General Zorawar percent of the total votes cast in the poll. invade India. Under his reign, the Durranis faced Maharaja Ranjit Singh was nominated by the Singh, that extended Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s many defeat in the battles of Amritsar and Northern territories to Ladakh. In 1821, he came great academician and historian, Mathew Lock- Gujarat and couldn't cross the Northwest Fron- wood, who is working as an Assistant Professor of down from Lahore to Akhnoor Fort for the Raj tier, which is today's Khyber Pass. Young Ranjit Tilak of Maharaja Gulab Singh and appointed History at the University of Alabama. According Singh captured Lahore in the year 1799 and he to Mathew Lockwood, Maharaja Ranjit Singh him as the Raja of Jammu.” was crowned as Maharaja in the year 1801. The His undying legacy includes a 22 feet long founded the world's most prosperous empire on capture of Lahore is believed to be the most sig- the principles of toleration and openness, regard- statue erected in the Parliament of India in the nificant point in Sikh Military History. The year 2003. Also, in 2016, in the French Town of less of caste or religion. His period is often marked Lahore Darbar of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was sec- as the golden age for Punjab and North West India. Saint Topez a bronze statue of Maharaja Ranjit ular and it allowed men from different religions Singh was installed as a mark of remembrance of He was a greatest conquerer and formed the to rise to ministerial or commanding positions. a Great Leader. Many Military schools across the world's most "Modern Empire of Toleration" said His Army had many officers and generals from world includes the reign of Maharaja Ranjit the Historian. Mathew further added that though Europe. The foreign officers trained his Army into Singh as one of the most important subjects in Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a imperialist but his modern military methods and thus they fought training modules. Because of his untimely ill- concept of nation state or state building represent- well in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, now in ed inclusiveness and Pluralism. Pakistan. Many of these European officers had ness, he died in the year 1839, and thus began the With the rise of the Great Maharaja, Punjab also served under Napoleon-1. He had one of the downfall of Sikh Empire. Maharaja Sher Singh saw the consolidation of various small fragile and most modern artilleries of his times, remenants was appointed as the next King. But inner line fractious "Misl" (Sovereign States) into one great of which is still part of the collections in Queen treacheries and betrayals resulted in downfall of empire which halted the Afghan invasion into the Victor Albert Museum, London. the Sikh Empire. North West Frontier. From economically weak The expanse of his empire can be traced to As Mathew Lockwood quoted: This golden and splintered region, Punjab saw a change modern day Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and age would not survive him. "After his death in under his command. In his entire period as 1839, Ranjit Singh's empire of toleration unrav- Maharaja, no capital punishment was awarded. parts of Republic of China. He also managed to have a agreement with elled. The British invaded, the Sikh empire col- As noted Writer Kushwant Singh quoted- lapsed and instability returned to the region,". "Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the first Indian in the then British Empire, which was on a rise in India. In 1806, he signed a treaty with British and Under his military organisation the Sikh Millennia who turned the tide of invasion back empire was successful to beat back the Afghans into the homelands of the traditional conquerors agreed to expel Maratha Force, which had taken to the mountains, and blocked the invasion from of India, the Pashtuns (Afghans). His great Sikh refuge in Punjab. Before engaging with British in Khyber pass. Where many of theFirst World Empire at its height of power, extended from the Anglo-Sikh Wars, his empire at its height of pow- Khyber Pass in the northwest to the Sutlej River er was the last empire in India to challenge the countries with their modern high tech armoury in the east and from the Kashmir region at the British regime. and weapon system failed to contain it, Mahara- northern limit of the Indian subcontinent south- Besides restoring many Sikh Historical Gur- ja Ranjit Singh achieved this in the early 18th ward to the Thar (Great Indian) Desert. dwaras, Maharaja Ranjit Singh also issued coins Century. He was a stubborn infantry Soldier, as Despite being illiterate, the literacy rate under struck with images of Sikh Gurus. steady under fire as he was eager for a charge. his rule was above 70 percent and despite being a He had some of the most priced possessions Maharaja Ranjit Singh being voted as the world's Sikh Raaj, the official language of Lahore Darbar including the Mountain of Light, the Kohinoor greatest leader is a proud moment for the entire was Persian. Still you'll find use of Persian as a lan- Diamond. His Golden throne built in the shape Country. It's indeed a tribute to Sikh Military guage in Punjabs official and legal documents. He of a lotus is considered to be one of the most beau- Legacy.