Gar Firdaus bar rue zameen asto; Hameen asto, hameen asto, hameen ast

Even as the US gears up for attacks on Nigeria's Boko Haram militants, the crisis continues unabated in Ukraine, Turkey mourns the loss of its mine-workers and the world's largest democracy is about to witness the results of its recently concluded biggest festival, I feel quite contented with residing in my cubicle in the quaint town of Dehradun in the Shiwalik hills of Uttarakhand (the hill state carved out of Uttar Pradesh in November 2000). I call Dehradun a town, even when it technically fulfils all the provisions of being called a city and has a municipal corporation too, because it is still a town in its essence. The almost-deserted roads after 2130 hrs, the pristine blue sky, the vast variety of flora and fauna, and the mostly unassuming people are a testimony to this assertion. In the past, the unparalleled beauty of the mountains and the unpolluted ecology (largely untouched by the ill-effects of the anthropogenic measures of 'civilization') compelled the chhayavadis (romanticists) to write poetries in praise of Nature, e.g., Manbhaavan Saawan (Mesmerizing Monsoon) by Sumitranandan Pant.

The word 'Dehradun' (or Dehradoon) is composed of the two root words 'dera' and 'doon'. In the medieval times, Sikhs from Punjab (Sri Guru Ram Rai among them) migrated to this quiet 'doon' (the term for the low Shiwalik hills of the Himalayas) valley and set up their 'dera' (camp) here, hence the name Dehradoon (or Dehradun). Still, vast tracts of land in the town belong to Sikhs and Punjabis. These people are engaged in philanthropic activities too and have established educational institutions and hospitals in Dehradun and in some nearby towns as well.

Dehradun district is one of the most populous districts of Uttarakhand. Politically, Dehradun comes under the Haridwar parliamentary constituency. Being the erstwhile state capital of Uttarakhand (till the much-awaited hill capital at Garsain is established), Dehradun is the legislative as well as the executive centre of the state. Dehradun district also encompasses a portion of the Rajaji National Park (named after Chakravarti Rajagopalachari). The main town is home to some of the best schools in the country, such as the Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC), the Doon School, St Joseph's Academy. It also houses the premier military establishment—the Indian Military Academy (IMA)—of the country, which is the cradle of future warriors of the Indian Army. Dehradun also has the forestry establishment Forest Research Institute (FRI) of the Indian Council of Forest Research and Education (ICFRE), the zoological establishment Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the geological establishment Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology. Mussoorie—whose sub-part Landour is the home to Ruskin Bond and Tom Alter—is a hill-station, which is located about 35 kilometres away from the Dehradun bus station. It is locally referred to as the queen of hills. The development body of Dehradun and Mussoorie city areas is the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA). During winters, the Dhalipur Lake reservoir of the Asan Barrage (which falls on the way from Dehradun to Shimla) becomes a temporary halting place for the migratory birds from Siberia and other colder regions of Russia. Agriculturally, Dehradun is famous for the production of basmati variety of rice and of Dehradooni litchis. Dehradun is also the seat of many Buddhist monasteries (the Mindrolling Monastery-in-Exile) and temples.

Over the past decade, Dehradun has witnessed increasing levels of demographic burden and pollution. The state creation in 2000 led to a large amount of investment—an exorbitant increase in the presence of industries and big showrooms in the state capital—which caused an escalation in the cost of land. This triggered a large-scale migration of real estate developers to the state. New offices started being established in the city, which again prompted a decrease in the supply of available land. The increased demand for the land led to a further rise in the prices of land which in turn made investment in land more profitable and attractive, thus setting up a positive feedback mechanism. This had its socio-economic effects—the migration of a large number of people from other states as well from the interior towns and villages of Uttarakhand (who came in search of employment and better residential places) towards Dehradun city. The rehabilitation of the people, affected due to the inundation of land by the reservoir of the Tehri Dam, in Dehradun district has aggravated the problem of shortage of land. There has been an increase in the number of slum-dwellers in the town. There have also been drainage problems due to clogged drains during the monsoons. Then, there has been an increase in the instances of crime in the city as a fallout of the unequal distribution of resources.

The sociological side-effect of this model of economic development is an increase in the consumerist mentality among the previously simple hill-people. The youth is attracted to the aggressively-marketed products offered by the fast-food multinational corporations, which becomes the underlying cause of a large number of lifestyle-related diseases. According to various studies, junk food consumption has the same effect on the mind as drug addiction—due to the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which gives a feeling of 'pleasure'. With time, the body gets conditioned to a certain level of intake of such foods, which induces more consumption for experiencing the same level of 'pleasure'. This leads to a cyclical action. These junk foods are high in salt and sugar content, a prolonged addictive consumption of which leads to hypertension and diabetes respectively, which ultimately has a high probability of culminating into Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)—the cause of a large number of deaths worldwide. Junk foods are deficient in the vital micronutrients needed for a healthy growth of the human body. Even if utilitarian thinking (and not the usually perceived 'westernization' and 'degradation of cultural values' discourse) is resorted to, the long-term utility of consumerism is much less as compared to simple living and high thinking.

The environmental ill-effects are in the form of the increased vehicular pollution (more so from the diesel-guzzling 'Vikram' autorickshaws plying on the roads) in the city as well as the strain on the present resources. Industrial air and water pollution is another cause of concern. There have also been instances of illegal sand mining in the district. In addition to these, the locals of the Vikasnagar town of Dehradun district have raised their concerns over the proposed govt. acquisition of land for setting up a Coca Cola factory—which (according to the locals) will pose an environmental threat to their water streams and ground water and will adversely affect their sustenance. Then, the city is witnessing higher levels of pollution from non-biodegradable waste. The littered garbage is responsible for a large number of diseases. A reduction in the forest cover due to pollution is causing wild beasts, such as guldaar (leopard), to stray inside human settlements and devour the cattle as well as the pet animals of the residents.

It is not that Dehradun is presenting a dismal picture. This vintage town is still one of the best cities to reside in India. However, to those from the older generation—the septuagenarians and the octogenarians—the town is rapidly losing its earlier charm. Even progressive measures, such as the ban placed by the district magistrate on the use of polythenes in the town, seem to fall on deaf ears. The school-going children and non-governmental organizations have set-up an example in front of the residents. They create awareness among the people through rallies and slogans aimed at protection of the environment. An initiative Making A Difference by Being A Difference (MAD) of certain school-going and college-going youngsters of Dehradun periodically tries to organize cleanliness drives, by volunteers, in various parts of the city. The government is also trying to sustainably rehabilitate the displaced people at places which are nearest to their original area of stay. Strict vigilance by the Dehradun Police is trying to curb the instances of crime. The industries being developed by the State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Ltd. (SIIDCUL) are helpful in providing employment to the youth of the state. The industries are being established outside the periphery of the main city to avoid pollution. However, for setting up new industries, a thorough environmental impact assessment and social impact assessment needs to be done.

It is to be noted that while the govt. is always made accountable for ill-occurrences, even the residents have some responsibilities towards the city. One of the fundamental duties enlisted in the Article 51A of the Constitution of India obliges the citizens to protect and improve the natural environment and the wildlife of the country. The residents can maintain cleanliness in their houses, workplaces, etc. by throwing their garbage only in the municipal corporation authorized garbage vehicle and by not leaving stagnant water bodies near their houses/offices untreated. The people can ward off lifestyle-related diseases by having a wholesome diet (those who can afford to have it but are not presently having it) and through physical exercise. Next, the residents of the city can lessen socio-economic problems by social recycling—giving old and unused items of clothing, stationery, furniture, etc. to the needy. Then, the town—which is famous for its reputed school education establishments—needs to set an example in front of other cities in India by de-ostracizing the transgenders and other sexual minorities. A slew of measures can be innovatively devised to solve the other problems, because self-help is the best help.

Amir Khusrau had once said about Kashmir—"Gar Firdaus bar rue zameen asto; Hameen asto, hameen asto, hameen ast"—if there is any heaven on earth, it is this, it is this, this is it! I can say with equal zeal that the same statement is applicable for Uttarakhand as well. We the residents of Dehradun must consider ourselves endowed with the responsibility of understanding the town's value and of protecting its rich and varied heritage.