© 1998 VNN
| WORLD November 10, 1998 VNN2486 Eco Further Suggestions for Seva to Vrindavan BY SWAMI B.A. PARAMADVAITI INDIA, Nov 10 (VNN) — Eco Further Suggestions for Seva to Vrindavan Offered humbly by Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti of Vrinda and secretary of the World Vaisnava Association WVA-VVRS to the DM of Mathura SDM and MVDA secretaries. Vrindavan Municipality and all NGO organizations and individuals who care for the service of the holy place of Vrindavan and Vraja Mandala. Dear respected District Magistrate, authorities and Sadhus and all other dear Ladies and Gentlemen, Being invited by the respected SDM to propose further ideas for the improvement of the Vrindavan situation, I submit the following points for your consideration and, if accepted, prompt action. 1. We have to have a permanent board of absolute transparency to oversee and audit all proposed projects and finances from start to finish. This board shall have the DM as secular chairman and must include voting members representing the: (A) Representatives of NGO's (Non Govermental Organizations) who work in Vraja Mandal. (B) Representative of the Local Business community of the respective area where the improvements are being done. (C) Representative of the Vrindavan municipality. (D) A representative for archaeological restoration from the Government department. (E) A local historian who knows, from the Vrindavan Research Institute, the historical significance of the places of Vrindavan. 2. They should meet once in a month. 3. They should have an office with a public accounting department, newsletter to publish project reports to all donors and interested parties, a treasurer and secretary who responds to the board. 4. There should be more power for the authorities to remove dangers and eye- sores from Vrindavan arising in mismanagement of private properties. 5. Cleaning Vrindavan should become a competition by local business people working together with the board. Places where nobody shows any interest should be put up for adoption by NGO's or private people to keep clean. 6. Parks, Ghats and other special areas shall be located and put up on a map. The places should be investigated by the SDM with local people to see if they can be offered for adoption to private parties, and also to see what rights and duties will appear separately for each site for the local residents and for the adopting party. 7. Such approved adoption places shall be made known to potential donors in and outside of India, both civil and religious. The Vrindavan homepage is very helpful for this. 8. I want to stress that serious work with many parties will not start unless this board is actually working with power and enthusiasm. Potential donors will not give to any bureaucratic, inefficient or untransparent situation or organization. Projects shall be reported with a good analytical study of cost and advantages. Then, after approval, they shall be carried out -once the full funds are available - to not get stuck with projects halfdone. 9. Noise pollution is one of the worst things in Vrindavan. All speakers destroy the privacy of others and their meditation. 10. Car owners have to recognize that Vrindavan streets were NOT made for these vehicles. One car meeting another on a narrow street stops all movements even for the rickshaws. A holy place must be peaceful on the streets, scooters and cycles at high speed are a danger, an offense and a damage to he image of Vrindavan. Senior citizens can only move in extreme danger since they cannot jump when one of these fast offenders race along. 11. People of Vrindavan have to be taught that this situation will not change but become worse if we do not work hard to apply discipline. 12. Vrindavan Solutions Education shall be made a must for all the schools, and meetings shall be conducted - for the same purpose - with the other elder population. Only a movement of civic action and civic consciousness will change the situation, will change things like (for instance) plastic being everywhere. 13. Offenders of noise pollution, littering and speeding etc. shall be obliged, in addition to the fine, to assist a week of civic education which must be permanently established. They also should be obliged to do a few hours of Vraja Seva as part of their repentance. 14. To realize all these ideas, a group of Ecological and pilgrim police must be trained to control, educate and implement these projects. 15. If we are not more careful with our water and waste waters we will destroy the future of Vrindavan. We must give priority to this over all projects. Where there is a will , there is a way. Thousands of impediments are on this path, making it easy for us to lose our enthusiasm; however, we cannot fail this opportunity to do Seva to the holy abode and thus help to establish as well the Hindu Dharma as A WORLD RELIGION with the concern of people around the globe who have all received the blessings of the message of Sri Krishna. A holy place should be of the highest standard of cleanliness and social behavior. If money is the problem that can be solved. But if mismanagement on the local level is the cause not even money will come or could solve these problems. It is not our intention to make life more difficult for others. On the contrary it is our purpose to serve all the Brijbhasis and pilgrims who live in - or visit - the holy Land of Srimati Radharani and Vrinda devi. |
