INDIA: CIVIC UPRISING IN VRINDAVAN

PACIFIC PROTEST MARCH AGAINST BUILDING
OF BRIDGE WHICH THREATENS THE KESHI GHAT

VRINDAVAN, India (IANS) Eco-activists and environmentalists marched in a procession Friday afternoon to protest the construction of a new bridge in Vrindavan, around Keshi Gath. During the past months, the central government of India is building a huge big and it has risen a lot of criticism from local environmental activists. According to the environmental activists, the building is against the will of all the local residents in Vrindavan, and it threatens Vrindavan's heritage the Keshi Ghat - the only remaining ghat in Vrindavan. The activists points out that the governor of the state of Utthar Pradesh is doing this without consulting anyone and not revealing the plans to anyone. Local residents mantains that the building of a big bridge across the Yamuna would seriously affect the river’s flow along Vrindavan’s banks, and it will obscure the magnificent panoramic view of the Yamuna River, “Keshi Ghat, which happens to be the last ghat of Vrindavan from where river Yamuna flows through, is being endangered,” they said.

Yesterday, several Vaishnava Missions and representatives of the World Vaishnava Association marched in a procession to the Yamuna and made a public pacific protest. This ceremony was called bridge breaking ceremony. It was about breaking symbolically a part of the bridge. Along with them, many eco-activists led by former director general of police K.P.S. Gill and working under the Save Yamuna to Save Vrindavan campaign have demanded rethinking on building a new bridge at the heritage Keshi Ghat. “The new bridge will also increase the level of pollution in the river,” an activist said. A sadhu said Yamuna was the lifeline of Braj Mandal. “The river has to be saved at any cost.” The representatives of the WVA expressed that “This new bridge project is an ecological disaster, unethical and anti-aesthetic. The bridge brings a freeway in front of the sanctuary. As hundreds of activists are against this we are having a civic uprising with the presence of respectful leaders, citizens and schools students. We only see economic interests of some politicians behind this bridge.” Kids of the Sandipani Muni School of Vrindavan joined the pacific march with dancing art. Environmentalists also invite many people to join them in their claims by signing their petition and giving support to their protest in this internet address: http://www.petitiononline.com/NObridge/petition-sign.html. Up to now, many foreign and Indian religious people have joined the signature campaign to stop the construction of bridge, which they considered utterly unnecessary.

You can watch a video of the event here:

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Śrīla Rupa Gosvami has written this song: "If you still desire to amuse yourself with your friends, you should not go to Vrndavana. And if you go to Vrndavana, you should especially not go to Kesi Ghat. There is a danger lurking there. What is that danger? It is Sri Hari, Krishna Himself, who has taken the form of Govinda, Govinda vigraha dhari. The danger is that if you go there and see Him, if you have a vision of Govinda, you will not be able to return to the customary amusements of your ordinary household life. ... Unfortunately, we go to Vrndavana and still come back. We do not have such devotion. If anybody truly had the greed for Govinda, he could not return to his mundane life. His worldly relations would be destroyed. Greed for devotion is developed by associating with the pure devotees of the Lord. By their grace it becomes possible for us to attain Krishna prema, divine love for God, the ultimate goal of life.

Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Mahārāja :
“Suddha Bhakti” - Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math
Bhaktivedanta Memorial Library -http://bvml.org/SBBTM/