सुभाषचन्द्र बोस (23 जनवरी 1897 - 18 अगस्त, 1945 विवादित)

सुभाषचन्द्र बोस (23 जनवरी 1897 - 18 अगस्त, 1945 विवादित)

नेताओं के इस हुजूम में जहां हर राजनितिक दल का नेता नेता जी के नाम से संबोधित किया जा रहा है , जहां यह शब्द ढोंगी , पाखंडी ,लोगों का पर्याय बन गया है ,वहीं इस शब्द से पुकारे जाने वाले महान सुभाष चन्द्र  बोस का स्मरण हो जाता है , जिन की आज जन्म तिथि है। .

१९४४ में अमेरिकी पत्रकार लुई फिशर से बात करते हुए, महात्मा गाँधी ने नेताजी को देशभक्तों का देशभक्त कहा था। नेताजी का योगदान और प्रभाव इतना बडा था कि कहा जाता हैं कि अगर उस समय नेताजी भारत में उपस्थित रहते, तो शायद भारत एक संघ राष्ट्र बना रहता और भारत का विभाजन न होता। स्वयं गाँधीजी ने इस बात को स्वीकार किया था।

नेताजी सुभाषचन्द्र बोस का जन्म 23 जनवरी, 1897 को उड़ीसा के कटक शहर में हुआ था। उनके पिता का नाम जानकीनाथ बोस और माँ का नाम प्रभावती था। जानकीनाथ बोस कटक शहर के मशहूर वकील थे। उन्होंने कटक की महापालिका में लंबे समय तक काम किया था और वे बंगाल विधानसभा के सदस्य भी रहे थे।

देशबंधु चित्तरंजन दास के कार्य से प्रेरित होकर, सुभाष, देशबंधु के साथ काम करना चाहते थे। इंग्लैंड से उन्होंने दासबाबू को खत लिखकर, उनके साथ काम करने की इच्छा प्रकट की। रवींद्रनाथ ठाकुर की सलाह के अनुसार, भारत वापस आने पर वे सर्वप्रथम मुम्बई गये और महात्मा गाँधी से मिले। मुम्बई में गाँधीजी मणिभवन में निवास करते थे। वहाँ, 20 जुलाई, 1921 को महात्मा गाँधी और सुभाषचंद्र बोस के बीच पहली बार मुलाकात हुई। गाँधीजी ने भी उन्हें कोलकाता जाकर देशबंधु के साथ काम करने की सलाह दी। इसके बाद सुभाष कोलकाता आ गए और देशबंधु से मिले। देशबंधु उन्हें देखकर बहुत खुश हुए। उन दिनों गाँधीजी के असहयोग आंदोलन में  दास बाबू इस आंदोलन का बंगाल में नेतृत्व कर रहे थे। उनके साथ सुभाष इस आंदोलन में सहभागी हो गए 1922 में दासबाबू ने कांग्रेस के अंतर्गत स्वराज पार्टी की स्थापना की। विधानसभा के अंदर से अंग्रेज़ सरकार का विरोध करने के लिए, कोलकाता महापालिका का चुनाव स्वराज पार्टी ने लड़कर जीता। स्वयं दासबाबू कोलकाता के महापौर बन गए। उन्होंने सुभाषबाबू को महापालिका का प्रमुख कार्यकारी अधिकारी बनाया। सुभाषबाबू ने अपने कार्यकाल में कोलकाता महापालिका का पूरा ढाँचा और काम करने का तरीका ही बदल डाला। कोलकाता के रास्तों के अंग्रेज़ी नाम बदलकर, उन्हें भारतीय नाम दिए गए। स्वतंत्रता संग्राम में प्राण न्यौछावर करनेवालों के परिवार के सदस्यों को महापालिका में नौकरी मिलने लगी।

जवाहरलाल नेहरू के साथ सुभाष ने कांग्रेस के अंतर्गत युवकों की इंडिपेंडन्स लिग शुरू की। 1928 में जब साइमन कमीशन भारत आया, तब कांग्रेस ने उसे काले झंडे दिखाए। कोलकाता में सुभाष ने इस आंदोलन का नेतृत्व किया। साइमन कमीशन को जवाब देने के लिए, कांग्रेस ने भारत का भावी संविधान बनाने का काम आठ सदस्यीय आयोग को सौंपा। पंडित मोतीलाल नेहरू इस आयोग के अध्यक्ष और सुभाषबाबू उसके एक सदस्य थे। इस आयोग ने नेहरू रिपोर्ट पेश की। 1928 में कांग्रेस का वार्षिक अधिवेशन पंडित मोतीलाल नेहरू की अध्यक्षता में कोलकाता में हुआ। इस अधिवेशन में सुभाषबाबू ने खाकी गणवेश धारण करके पंडित मोतीलाल नेहरू को सैन्य तरीके से सलामी दी। गाँधीजी उन दिनों पूर्ण स्वराज्य की मांग से सहमत नहीं थे। इस अधिवेशन में उन्होंने अंग्रेज़ सरकार से डोमिनियन स्टेटस माँगने की ठान ली थी। लेकिन सुभाषबाबू और पंडित जवाहरलाल नेहरू को पूर्ण स्वराज की मांग से पीछे हटना मंजूर नहीं था। अंत में यह तय किया गया कि अंग्रेज़ सरकार को डोमिनियन स्टेटस देने के लिए, एक साल का वक्त दिया जाए। अगर एक साल में अंग्रेज़ सरकार ने यह मॉंग पूरी नहीं की, तो कांग्रेस पूर्ण स्वराज की मांग करेगी। अंग्रेज़ सरकार ने यह मांग पूरी नहीं की। इसलिए 1930 में जब कांग्रेस का वार्षिक अधिवेशन पंडित जवाहरलाल नेहरू की अध्यक्षता में लाहौर में हुआ, तब ऐसा तय किया गया कि 26 जनवरी का दिन स्वतंत्रता दिन के रूप में मनाया जाएगा।
26 जनवरी, 1931 के दिन कोलकाता में राष्ट्रध्वज फैलाकर सुभाषबाबू एक विशाल मोर्चा का नेतृत्व कर रहे थे। तब पुलिस ने उनपर लाठी चलायी और उन्हे घायल कर दिया। जब सुभाषबाबू जेल में थे, तब गाँधीजी ने अंग्रेज सरकार से समझोता किया और सब कैदीयों को रिहा किया गया। लेकिन अंग्रेज सरकार ने सरदार भगत सिंह जैसे क्रांतिकारकों को रिहा करने से इन्कार कर दिया। भगत सिंह की फॉंसी माफ कराने के लिए, गाँधीजी ने सरकार से बात की। सुभाष चाहते थे कि इस विषय पर गाँधीजी अंग्रेज सरकार के साथ किया गया समझोता तोड दे। लेकिन गाँधीजी अपनी ओर से दिया गया वचन तोडने को राजी नहीं थे। अंग्रेज सरकार अपने स्थान पर अडी रही और भगत सिंह और उनके साथियों को फॉंसी दी गयी। भगत सिंह को न बचा पाने पर, सुभाषबाबू गाँधीजी और कांग्रेस के तरीकों  से बहुत नाराज हो गए।

अपने सार्वजनिक जीवन में सुभाषबाबू को कुल ग्यारह बार कारावास हुआ। सबसे पहले उन्हें 16 जुलाई 1921 में छह महीने का कारावास हुआ।

1925 में गोपिनाथ साहा नामक एक क्रांतिकारी कोलकाता के पुलिस अधिक्षक चार्लस टेगार्ट को मारना चाहता था। उसने गलती से अर्नेस्ट डे नामक एक व्यापारी को मार डाला। इसके लिए उसे फॉंसी की सजा दी गयी। गोपिनाथ को फॉंसी होने के बाद सुभाषबाबू जोर से रोये। उन्होने गोपिनाथ का शव मॉंगकर उसका अंत्यसंस्कार किया। इससे अंग्रेज़ सरकार ने यह निष्कर्ष किया कि सुभाषबाबू ज्वलंत क्रांतिकारकों से न ही संबंध रखते हैं, बल्कि वे ही उन क्रांतिकारकों का स्फूर्तीस्थान हैं। इसी बहाने अंग्रेज़ सरकार ने सुभाषबाबू को गिरफतार किया और बिना कोई मुकदमा चलाए, उन्हें अनिश्चित कालखंड के लिए म्यानमार के मंडाले कारागृह में बंदी बनाया।

5 नवंबर, 1925 के दिन, देशबंधू चित्तरंजन दास कोलकाता में चल बसें। सुभाषबाबू ने उनकी मृत्यू की खबर मंडाले कारागृह में रेडियो पर सुनी।मंडाले कारागृह में रहते समय सुभाषबाबू की तबियत बहुत खराब हो गयी। उन्हें तपेदिक हो गया। परंतू अंग्रेज़ सरकार ने फिर भी उन्हें रिहा करने से इन्कार कर दिया। सरकार ने उन्हें रिहा करने के लिए यह शर्त रखी की वे इलाज के लिए यूरोप चले जाए। लेकिन सरकार ने यह तो स्पष्ट नहीं किया था कि इलाज के बाद वे भारत कब लौट सकते हैं। इसलिए सुभाषबाबू ने यह शर्त स्वीकार नहीं की। आखिर में परिस्थिती इतनी कठिन हो गयी की शायद वे कारावास में ही मर जायेंगे। अंग्रेज़ सरकार यह खतरा भी नहीं उठाना चाहती थी, कि सुभाषबाबू की कारागृह में मृत्यू हो जाए। इसलिए सरकार ने उन्हे रिहा कर दिया। फिर सुभाष इलाज के लिए डलहौजी चले गए।

1930 में सुभाषबाबू कारावास में थे। तब उन्हे कोलकाता के महापौर चुना गया। इसलिए सरकार उन्हे रिहा करने पर मजबूर हो गयी।

यूरोप में सुभाषबाबू ने अपनी सेहत का ख्याल रखते समय, अपना कार्य जारी रखा। वहाँ वे इटली के नेता मुसोलिनी से मिले, जिन्होंने उन्हें, भारत के स्वतंत्रता संग्राम में सहायता करने का वचन दिया। आयरलैंड के नेता डी वॅलेरा सुभाषबाबू के अच्छे दोस्त बन गए।

1934 में सुभाषबाबू को उनके पिता मृत्त्यूशय्या पर होने की खबर मिली। इसलिए वे हवाई जहाज से कराची होकर कोलकाता लौटे। कराची में उन्हे पता चला की उनके पिता की मृत्त्यू हो चुकी थी। कोलकाता पहुँचतेही, अंग्रेज सरकार ने उन्हे गिरफ्तार कर दिया और कई दिन जेल में रखकर, वापस यूरोप भेज दिया।

1938 में कांग्रेस का वार्षिक अधिवेशन हरिपुरा में होने का तय हुआ था। इस अधिवेशन से पहले गाँधीजी ने कांग्रेस अध्यक्षपद के लिए सुभाषबाबू को चुना। इस अधिवेशन में सुभाषबाबू का अध्यक्षीय भाषण बहुत ही प्रभावी हुआ। किसी भी भारतीय राजकीय व्यक्ती ने शायद ही इतना प्रभावी भाषण कभी दिया हो।

अपने अध्यक्षपद के कार्यकाल में सुभाषबाबू ने योजना आयोग की स्थापना की। पंडित जवाहरलाल नेहरू इस के अध्यक्ष थे। सुभाषबाबू ने बेंगलोर में मशहूर वैज्ञानिक सर विश्वेश्वरैय्या की अध्यक्षता में एक विज्ञान परिषद भी ली।

1938 में गाँधीजी ने कांग्रेस अध्यक्षपद के लिए सुभाष को चुना तो था, मगर गाँधीजी को सुभाष की कार्यपद्धती पसंद नहीं आयी। इसी दौरान युरोप में द्वितीय विश्वयुद्ध के बादल छा गए थे। सुभाष चाहते थे कि इंग्लैंड की इस कठिनाई का लाभ उठाकर, भारत का स्वतंत्रता संग्राम अधिक तीव्र किया जाए । गाँधीजी इस विचारधारा से सहमत नहीं थे।

1939 में जब नया कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष चुनने का वक्त आया, तब सुभाष ने खुद कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष बने रहना चाहा। लेकिन गाँधीजी अब उन्हे अध्यक्ष पद से हटाना चाहते थे। गाँधीजी ने अध्यक्ष पद के लिए पट्टाभी सितारमैय्या को चुना। रविंद्रनाथ ठाकूर ने गाँधीजी को खत लिखकर सुभाष को ही अध्यक्ष बनाने की विनंती की। प्रफुल्लचंद्र राय और मेघनाद सहा जैसे वैज्ञानिक भी सुभाष को फिर से अध्यक्ष के रूप में देखना चाहतें थे। लेकिन गाँधीजी ने इस मामले में किसी की बात नहीं मानी। कोई समझोता न हो पाने पर, कांग्रेस अध्यक्षपद के लिए चुनाव लडा गया।

सब समझते थे कि जब महात्मा गाँधी ने पट्टाभी सितारमैय्या का साथ दिया हैं, तब वे चुनाव आसानी से जीत जाएंगे। लेकिन वास्तव में, सुभाषबाबू को चुनाव में 1580 मत मिल गए और पट्टाभी सितारमैय्या को 1377 मत मिलें। गाँधीजी के विरोध के बावजूद सुभाषबाबू 203 मतों से यह चुनाव जीत गए। गाँधीजी ने पट्टाभी सितारमैय्या की हार को अपनी हार बताकर, अपने साथीयों से कह दिया कि अगर वें सुभाषबाबू के तरिकों से सहमत नहीं हैं, तो वें कांग्रेस से हट सकतें हैं। इसके बाद कांग्रेस कार्यकारिणी के 14 में से 12 सदस्यों ने इस्तीफा दे दिया। पंडित जवाहरलाल नेहरू तटस्थ रहें और अकेले शरदबाबू सुभाषबाबू के साथ बनें रहें।

1939 का वार्षिक कांग्रेस अधिवेशन त्रिपुरी में हुआ। इस अधिवेशन के समय सुभाषबाबू तेज बुखार से इतने बीमार पड गए थे, कि उन्हे स्ट्रेचर पर लेटकर अधिवेशन में आना पडा। गाँधीजी इस अधिवेशन में उपस्थित नहीं रहे। गाँधीजी के साथीयों ने सुभाषबाबू से बिल्कुल सहकार्य नहीं दिया। आखिर में तंग आकर, 29 अप्रैल, 1939 को सुभाषबाबू ने कांग्रेस अध्यक्षपद से इस्तीफा दे दिया।
3 मई, 1939 के दिन, सुभाषबाबू नें कांग्रेस के अंतर्गत फॉरवर्ड ब्लॉक के नाम से अपनी पार्टी की स्थापना की। कुछ दिन बाद, सुभाषबाबू को कांग्रेस से निकाला गया। बाद में फॉरवर्ड ब्लॉक अपने आप एक स्वतंत्र पार्टी बन गयी।

द्वितीय विश्वयुद्ध शुरू होने से पहले से ही, फॉरवर्ड ब्लॉक ने स्वतंत्रता संग्राम अधिक तीव्र करने के लिए, जनजागृती शुरू की। इसलिए अंग्रेज सरकार ने सुभाषबाबू सहित फॉरवर्ड ब्लॉक के सभी मुख्य नेताओ को कैद कर दिया। द्वितीय विश्वयुद्ध के दौरान सुभाषबाबू जेल में निष्क्रिय रहना नहीं चाहते थे। सरकार को उन्हे रिहा करने पर मजबूर करने के लिए सुभाषबाबू ने जेल में आमरण उपोषण शुरू कर दिया। तब सरकार ने उन्हे रिहा कर दिया। मगर अंग्रेज सरकार यह नहीं चाहती थी, कि सुभाषबाबू युद्ध के दौरान मुक्त रहें। इसलिए सरकार ने उन्हे उनके ही घर में नजरकैद कर के रखा।

नजरकैद से निकलने के लिए सुभाषबाबू ने एक योजना बनायी। 16 जनवरी, 1941 को वे पुलिस को चकमा देने के लिये एक पठान मोहम्मद जियाउद्दीन का भेष धरकर, अपने घर से भाग निकले। शरदबाबू के बडे बेटे शिशिर ने उन्हे अपनी गाडी से कोलकाता से दूर, गोमोह तक पहुँचाया। गोमोह रेल्वे स्टेशन से फ्रंटियर मेल पकडकर वे पेशावर पहुँचे। पेशावर में उन्हे फॉरवर्ड ब्लॉक के एक सहकारी, मियां अकबर शाह मिले। मियां अकबर शाह ने उनकी मुलाकात, कीर्ती किसान पार्टी के भगतराम तलवार से कर दी। भगतराम तलवार के साथ में, सुभाषबाबू पेशावर से अफ़्ग़ानिस्तान की राजधानी काबुल की ओर निकल पडे। इस सफर में भगतराम तलवार, रहमतखान नाम के पठान बने थे और सुभाषबाबू उनके गूंगे-बहरे चाचा बने थे। पहाडियों में पैदल चलते हुए उन्होने यह सफर पूरा किया।
काबुल में सुभाषबाबू दो महिनों तक उत्तमचंद मल्होत्रा नामक एक भारतीय व्यापारी के घर में रहे। वहाँ उन्होने पहले रूसी दूतावास में प्रवेश पाना चाहा। इस में नाकामयाब रहने पर, उन्होने जर्मन और इटालियन दूतावासों में प्रवेश पाने की कोशिश की। आखिर में ओर्लांदो मात्सुता नामक इटालियन व्यक्ति बनकर, सुभाषबाबू काबुल से मॉस्को होकर बर्लिन पहुँचे।
बर्लिन में सुभाषबाबू सर्वप्रथम रिबेनट्रोप जैसे जर्मनी के अन्य नेताओ से मिले। उन्होने जर्मनी में भारतीय स्वतंत्रता संगठन और आजाद हिंद रेडिओ की स्थापना की। इसी दौरान सुभाषबाबू, नेताजी नाम से जाने जाने लगे।

आखिर 29 मई, 1942 के दिन, सुभाषबाबू जर्मनी के सर्वोच्च नेता एडॉल्फ हिटलर से मिले। लेकिन उन्होने सुभाषबाबू को सहायता का कोई स्पष्ट वचन नहीं दिया।

कई साल पहले हिटलर ने माईन काम्फ नामक अपना आत्मचरित्र लिखा था। इस किताब में उन्होने भारत और भारतीय लोगों की बुराई की थी। इस विषय पर सुभाषबाबू ने हिटलर से अपनी नाराजी व्यक्त की। हिटलर ने अपने किये पर माँफी माँगी और माईन काम्फ की अगली आवृत्ती से वह परिच्छेद निकालने का वचन दिया।

अंत में, सुभाषबाबू को पता चला कि हिटलर और जर्मनी से उन्हे कुछ और नहीं मिलनेवाला हैं। इसलिए 8 मार्च, 1943 के दिन, जर्मनी के कील बंदर में, वे अपने साथी अबिद हसन सफरानी के साथ, एक जर्मन पनदुब्बी में बैठकर, पूर्व की तरफ निकल गए। यह जर्मन पनदुब्बी उन्हे हिंदी महासागर में मादागास्कर के किनारे तक लेकर आई। वहाँ वे दोनो खूँखार समुद्र में से तैरकर जापानी पनदुब्बी तक पहुँच गए। द्वितीय विश्वयुद्ध के काल में, किसी भी दो देशों की नौसेनाओ की पनदुब्बीयों के दौरान, नागरिको की यह एकमात्र बदली हुई थी। यह जापानी पनदुब्बी उन्हे इंडोनेशिया के पादांग बंदर तक लेकर आई।

पूर्व एशिया पहुँचकर सुभाषबाबू ने सर्वप्रथम, वयोवृद्ध क्रांतिकारी रासबिहारी बोस से भारतीय स्वतंत्रता परिषद का नेतृत्व सँभाला। सिंगापुर के फरेर पार्क में रासबिहारी बोस ने भारतीय स्वतंत्रता परिषद का नेतृत्व सुभाषबाबू को सौंप दिया।

21 अक्तूबर, 1943 के दिन, नेताजी ने सिंगापुर में अर्जी-हुकुमत-ए-आजाद-हिंद (स्वाधीन भारत की अंतरिम सरकार) की स्थापना की। वे खुद इस सरकार के राष्ट्रपति, प्रधानमंत्री और युद्धमंत्री बने। इस सरकार को कुल नौ देशों ने मान्यता दी। नेताजी आज़ाद हिन्द फौज के प्रधान सेनापति भी बन गए।
आज़ाद हिन्द फौज में जापानी सेना ने अंग्रेजों की फौज से पकडे हुए भारतीय युद्धबंदियोंको भर्ती किया गया। आज़ाद हिन्द फ़ौज में औरतो के लिए झाँसी की रानी रेजिमेंट भी बनायी गयी।
पूर्व एशिया में नेताजी ने अनेक भाषण करके वहाँ स्थायिक भारतीय लोगों से आज़ाद हिन्द फौज में भरती होने का और उसे आर्थिक मदद करने का आवाहन किया। उन्होने अपने आवाहन में संदेश दिया तुम मुझे खून दो, मैं तुम्हे आजादी दूँगा।

द्वितीय विश्वयुद्ध के दौरान आज़ाद हिन्द फौज ने जापानी सेना के सहयोग से भारत पर आक्रमण किया। अपनी फौज को प्रेरित करने के लिए नेताजी ने चलो दिल्ली का नारा दिया। दोनो फौजो ने अंग्रेजों से अंदमान और निकोबार द्वीप जीत लिए। यह द्वीप अर्जी-हुकुमत-ए-आजाद-हिंद के अनुशासन में रहें। नेताजी ने इन द्वीपों का शहीद और स्वराज द्वीप ऐसा नामकरण किया। दोनो फौजो ने मिलकर इंफाल और कोहिमा पर आक्रमण किया। लेकिन बाद में अंग्रेजों का पगडा भारी पडा और दोनो फौजो को पिछे हटना पडा।

जब आज़ाद हिन्द फौज पिछे हट रही थी, तब जापानी सेना ने नेताजी के भाग जाने की व्यवस्था की। परंतु नेताजी ने झाँसी की रानी रेजिमेंट की लडकियों के साथ सैकडो मिल चलते जाना पसंद किया। इस प्रकार नेताजी ने सच्चे नेतृत्व का एक आदर्श ही बनाकर रखा।

6 जुलाई, 1944 को आजाद हिंद रेडिओ पर अपने भाषण के माध्यम से गाँधीजी से बात करते हुए, नेताजी ने जापान से सहायता लेने का अपना कारण और अर्जी-हुकुमत-ए-आजाद-हिंद तथा आज़ाद हिन्द फौज की स्थापना के उद्येश्य के बारे में बताया। इस भाषण के दौरान, नेताजी ने गाँधीजी को राष्ट्रपिता बुलाकर अपनी जंग के लिए उनका आशिर्वाद माँगा । इस प्रकार, नेताजी ने गाँधीजी को सर्वप्रथम राष्ट्रपिता बुलाया।

द्वितीय विश्वयुद्ध में जापान की हार के बाद, नेताजी को नया रास्ता ढूँढना जरूरी था। उन्होने रूस से सहायता माँगने का निश्चय किया था।

18 अगस्त, 1945 को नेताजी हवाई जहाज से मांचुरिया की तरफ जा रहे थे। इस सफर के दौरान वे लापता हो गए। इस दिन के बाद वे कभी किसी को दिखाई नहीं दिये।

AN INTERESTING READING... Om Prakash Chautala: Rise, fall, rise and downfall

AN INTERESTING READING...
Om Prakash Chautala: Rise, fall, rise and downfall
by MUKESH BHARDWAJ Indian Express.

Charges petty and serious, terms short and full

His crime record shows him as having allegedly smuggled watches as a young man, having been indicted as an accessory to murder, and now as being convicted for corruption. His political career has seen him as Haryana chief minister for varying periods, ranging from a low of five days to a full term of five years, with a five-month debut between the extremes.

Om Prakash Chautala, Indian National Lok Dal chief and once Haryana strongman, has been convicted along with his elder son Ajay for the manner his government had appointed 3,206 teachers. The sentences are likely to be pronounced on Tuesday.

When he was allegedly caught smuggling watches at Delhi airport, he was disowned by his father Devi Lal. But when Devi Lal went to Delhi as deputy prime minister in the Janata Dal government, it was his son who inherited the chief minister’s chair on December 2, 1989. Needing to win an election, he ended up contesting three. Two of these were in Meham, dominated by his community of Jats. The first byelection there was countermanded following allegations of booth capturing by the Chautalas. The second one was again countermanded, now because of the death of Independent candidate Amir Singh. Chautala was simultaneously contesting Darba Kalan in his home district, which did elect him.

In 1996, the Justice K N Saikia Commission indicted Chautala as an accessory to the killing of Amir Singh. Because of the shadow cast by the killing, his party was forced to bring in another chief minister, Banarsi Das Gupta, ending Chautala’s five-month term. Gupta himself survived only two-and-a-half months, with Chautala snatching back the crown on July 2, 1990. But pressure from the party forced Chautala to quit again five days later.

Eight months later, new chief minister Hukum Singh had to make way for Chautala again. This time, Chautala lasted from March 2 to April 6, 1991, before rebellion toppled him and sent the state under President’s rule.

Chauatala wouldn’t come back to power for the next eight years. He did so in 1999 by toppling the Bansi Lal government, having got the BJP behind him. It began the first time he would complete a term. He took his party to elections in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh and Delhi, only to get a drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections. In fact, the party hasn’t won a Lok Sabha seat even in Haryana for the last two elections.

The year that term began was also the year of the teachers’ recruitment scam, Chautala’s eventual undoing.

With Chautala and his sons Ajay and Abhay acquiring an image of being arrogant and losing connect with supporters, the party lost heavily to the Congress in the assembly polls. It re-emerged stronger in 2009, restricting the Congress tally and forcing Bhupinder Singh Hooda to take the support of Independents before he could form a government. But the foundation for Chautala’s downfall had been laid during Hooda’s first term.

A chargesheet prepared by a group of Congress leaders had listed assets disproportionate to Chautala’s known sources of income, backing these with pictures of his bungalows and farmhouses. It was given to the CBI that is currently probing a case of disproportionate wealth. It pegs the family’s combined income at Rs 1,467 crore. The CBI’s own chargesheet lists 80 properties owned by the Chautalas across the country, and the Congress alleges these were procured in the period 1993-2006.

Other than the JBT scam, Chautala has been named in a case of dubious selections in the Haryana Civil Services too. The CBI has recommended registration of cases against Chautala and several former officers for recommending ineligible officials. The matter is pending in the Supreme Court.

The JBT scam has come at a time when the Chautalas were eyeing a return to power in the 2014 elections. Their party, which won 31 seats in 2009, has been holding hugely attended rallies and the conviction comes amid hopes of consolidation. If Chautala and Ajay are sentenced for more than two years, they cannot even contest.

Not named in FIR, but that didn’t help

When the special CBI court included the name of O P Chautala among those to be tried in the JBT teachers recruitment scam, the former Haryana CM made a futile bid to argue that he could not be tried because he had not been named as an accused in the FIR.

IAS officer Sanjiv Kumar, another convict, too had sought to gain from the fact that he was the whistleblower in the case. The 1985-batch IAS officer was the complainant and his name, therefore, could not have been in the FIR.

Also, both Chautala and Kumar had accused the CBI of bias during the trial. But it failed to convince the court, which trashed the argument that Chautala could not be listed as an accused as his name did not figure in the FIR because the preliminary enquiry had not found anything against him.

The judgment declared the probe had been fair and without bias. It mentioned that barring Chautala, his son Ajay, Sher Singh Badghami, Vidya Dhar and Sanjiv Kumar, all the other accused alleged that they had fully cooperated with the investigating officer who they claimed had assured them that they would be made witnesses in the case.

They said they had been prosecuted despite informing the investigating officer about the pressure exerted on them during the recruitment. It did not cut much ice with the court. “My attention has been drawn to the testimonies of PW16, PW23 and PW26 which show that CBI had shown their statements u/s 161 CrPC before they entered the witness box. I disagree with this submission because truthfulness of these witnesses has purged this defect,” the judge said.

“It is, therefore, argued that the accused persons in this case have been prejudiced in their defence even during the trial. I disagree with these submissions. The FIR is not an evidence; rather, it is a starting point of the investigation. It appears (the) name of Chautala was not written in the FIR because he was a respectable political leader holding the highest post in the state of Haryana and it appears that at that stage the story of Sanjiv Kumar about the involvement of (the) chief minister in the scam might have been taken by the CBI with a pinch of salt,” he said.

“However, further investigation revealed the involvement of Chautala to be true. Similarly, Sanjiv Kumar was petitioner in his writ and has presented himself to be a victim and had called himself a whistleblower,” the judgment said, adding that this appears to be the reason for him not being named as an accused.

The judge also showed some leniency towards the CBI as the probe was launched three years after the scam, which he said could result in “limitations”. “However... I would say the investigation was fair and there is nothing on record that it was biased...for any reasons including the political one,” he said.

SCAM TO SENTENCE

Nov 1999: Posts of 3,206 junior basic trained teachers advertised by

OP Chautala govt

April 2000: Rajni Sekhri Sibal appointed director, primary education

July 2000: Sanjiv Kumar made director, allegedly on understanding (CBI chargesheet) that he would do the bidding of the Chautalas in the appointments

June 2003: Sanjiv Kumar moves Supreme Court alleging corruption in appointments; he has apparently fallen apart with the Chautalas

November 2003: CBI probe ordered

December 2003: CBI preliminary inquiry

May 2004: CBI opens case against Chautala, son Ajay, govt officials Vidya Dhar, Sher Singh Barshami, others

February 2005: CBI books Sanjiv Kumar in disproportionate assets case, puts him under scanner in JBT scam

May 2008: CBI concludes appointments were made on basis of a fraudulently prepared second set of interview scores

June 2008: CBI charge-sheet in special court

July 2011: Charges framed against 61 accused, a 62nd is discharged

January 2013: Chautala, Ajay, Dhar, Badshami and 51 others convicted by Delhi CBI court; other six have died

Mystery of Sarsavati River

Mystery of Sarsavati River

Missing of a prominent river from the map is not a mystery; it is quite natural and is attributable to environmental changes. Judged in the broader perspective of geological evolution; disappearance of rivers, shifting of their courses, capture of one river by another, slow drying up of river beds, are all normal responses to tectonism, earthquakes, climatic changes and other natural events. Some recent examples are; Oxus river in central Asia has disappeared, Jordan river no more flows through Jordan as it dries up before entering Jordan, Jhelum changed its course in 1552-55 AD and Beas changed its course during 1996 flash floods. However, upto the middle of 20th century, in the absence of any credible scientific research reports, history of India was being written on the basis of linguistic theories and guesswork and our historians just presumed that Sarasvati river was only mythical, a mere imagination. However, methods based on linguistics and politics are progressively giving way to methods based on science and technology e.g. satellite imagery, archaeology, geology, geophysics, glaceology and oceanography etc. and the role of ecology in the rise and fall of civilizations/ creation and disappearance of rivers is being increasingly accepted and appreciated.
The results of scientific research carried out during last 40 years have proved, fairly beyond doubt, that Sarasvati River was not a myth but a reality and that it was a mighty river which originated from the Himalayas and met the Arabian Sea in the Runn of Kuchchh after flowing through Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan & Gujarat states of India and Bahawalpur & Sind districts of Pakistan. These scientific evidences gathered include: -

1. Study of global climatic changes – Ecological dynamics model, which gives ecological reasons for origin, development and decay of Sarasvati river.
2. Pictures taken by LANDSAT(USA), Indian Remote Sensing Satellites [IRS-1C], French SPOT Satellites and Radar imagery from European Remote Sensing Satellites (ERS ½), which provide evidence about the flow, migration and decay of Sarasvati River.
3. References in most ancient Sanskrit manuscripts indicating different phases of development, migration and disappearance of Sarasvati River, which corroborate the satellite imagery.
4. Geological and hydrological evidences gathered by the geologists – listing the palaeochannels reflecting different stages of migration and decay of Sarasvati river.
5. Research reports from geophysicists, geomorphologists, climatologists, oceanographers and glaciologists etc.
6. Archaeological reports including marine archaeology reports.
7. Research carried out by the Rajasthan State Groundwater Board for assessing groundwater potential in Rajasthan through Hydrological drilling and dating.

The scientists have explained the origin, development, decay and disappearance of Sarasvati river through ecological dynamics model. The last ice age ended around 10000 BC; with the rising temperatures releasing waters from the ice caps. Such melting of glaciers resulted in the discharge of enormous quantities of water into the Indian subcontinent which flowed in the form of numerous rivers and streams which included Sarasvati, Drishtavati and Sutlej. Such phenomenon is abundantly recorded in Vedic hymns; e.g. – “you Indra ! have set free the rivers arrested by Ahi, i.e., sepantive glaciers” [Rigveda – 4:17:1]. Further names of 10 such rivers are recorded sequentially from east to west, namely Ganga, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Sutlej (Sutudri), Ravi (Purushni), Chenab (Asikni), Manivardavan, Jhelum (Vitasta), Sohana (Sushama) and Vyas (Arjikya) [Rig Veda (10:75:5)].

Out of these ten rivers, seven are still flowing and located in the same sequence but 3 have dried up and their relicts can be seen in the form of palaeochannels. These rivers brought prosperity to north-western India, giving rise to most advanced ‘Vedic’ civilization. Sarasvati was then the mightiest river, having several tributaries, flowing from the mountain to the sea. Over the following several thousand years, the accumulated supply of water from the Himalayan Glaciers came to be depleted. Further due to tectonic movements and earthquakes Sarasvati got disconnected from its source. Thus, it became a non-perennial river and then dried up between 3000 to 2000 BC.

Thus, it was due to ecological reasons that Sarasvati river originated, became a mighty river on account of swelling water volumes and then slowly disappeared/dried up, leaving its traces in paleochannels of Ghaggar, Hakra and Nara.

Satellites Imagery :

There is an overwhelming evidence from remote earth sensing pictures taken by LANDSAT (USA), IRS-IC (India), SPOT (France), ERS-½ (Europe) that prior to 3000 BC a mighty river, described as Sarasvati in the Vedas, flowed from the Himalayas through the present Ghaggar Hakra bed in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Bahawalpur (in Pakistan) and then through the Nara bed in Sind (Pakistan); making delta in the Runn of Kuchchh before flowing into the Arabian Sea. More than 7000 years back it was the mightiest river, having Yamuna & Sutlej as its tributaries and was flowing along the Aravalli Hills. Due to northward movement of the plate of Indian subcontinent, tectonic upheaval of the Aravallis, basement structural high of Delhi-Hardwar ridge, Sarasvati river kept on migrating towards west and northwest. Its two tributaries, Yamuna and Sutlej, migrated in opposite directions – Yamuna moved eastward to join the Ganges later-on and Sutlej moved westward and was flowing as an independent river upto the sea for hundreds of years and thereafter joined Beas, a tributary of Sind River. Studies of LANDSAT imagery have revealed that there were seven main stages of this migration of river Sarasvati. Bakliwal and Grover have described these seven stages in their book “Signature and Migration of Sarasvati River in the Desert”. In the first stage it was flowing along the foothills of Aravalli, in the 3rd stage through Bikaner and Ramdevera meeting Luni near Tilwara. In the 5th stage Sarasvati passed through Jaisalmer Runns and Gad Road to reach the Rann of Kachchh and in the seventh stage it flowed through the present dry bed of Ghaggar, through Hakra and then flowed through Nara to meet Rann of Kachchh. The differences and discrepancies in study reports of archaeologists/geologists are because they have been studying the dry channels of Sarasvati river in different stages of its north-westerly migration.

Yashpal et al studied the LANDSAT imagery of palaeochannels (Refer – “Remote sensing of the Lost Sarasvati River (1980)” and deciphered these as under :-

[Present river system and the major palaeochannels as deciphered from LANDSAT imagery (after YashPal et at-1980)]– pg 123 of Memoir 42 of GSI, Bangalore.

The study led to the description of present drainage system and palaeochannels of Sarasvati and its tributaries and it supported the following conclusions :-

(i) The Sutlej once flowed into the present Ghaggar (Sarasvati) river bed and was probably joined by the Yamuna.

(ii) The Sutlej has a sharp westward right-angled bend near Ropar suggestive of its diversion due to change in the river course.

(iii) There is a sudden widening of narrow Ghaggar valley at Shatrana (25 Km south of Patiala) indicative of a major river joining Ghaggar bed here.

(iv) Another channel which corresponds to the Drishadvati (present Chautang) joins Sarasvati (Ghaggar) near Suratgarh.

(v) That the Yamuna probably flowed into the ancient Sarasvati before joining Ganga through Chambal.

(vi) Physiographically, there is depression westward (elevation less than 230 m msl) and a corresponding uplift eastward (elevation more than 250 m msl) of the old Sutlej bed, which might have forced its westward migration.

(vii) Near Anupgarh Sarasvati bifurcates and both channels come to an abrupt end at Marot and Beriwala (in Bahawalpur Distt of Pakistan) from where Sarasvati is likely to have extended through the Hakra/Nara bed to the present Runn of Kachchh.

As per Ghosh, Kar & Husain, LANDSAT imagery has revealed hitherto unknown abandoned courses of the former Sarasvati River in Jaisalmer District of Rajasthan (“The lost courses of Sarasvati river in the great Indian Desert”). Based on study of remotely sensed data of IRS-IC Ramasamy & Verma have concluded that there are plenty of paleo-channels with well sprung-up tentacles throughout the Thar Desert which reveal the traces of mighty Sarasvati river which once ruled the desert (Remote Sensing & River Migrations in Western India). The river kept on shrinking in size due to change of course by the tributaries and finally due to some major tectonic upheavals in the Himalayas, the glacier connection of the river got severed converting Sarasvati into a non-perennial river dependant on monsoon rains. Sarasvati’s march to oblivion commenced around 3000 BC; bereft of water, the Sarasvati remained here and there as disconnected pools/lakes e.g. Didwara and Sambhar etc and ultimately got reduced to dry channel beds e.g. Ghaggar and Hakra. Thus, the satellite imagery corroborates the findings of ecological dynamic model.

Literary Evidence :

These different stages in the northwest migration of River Sarasvati do get broadly reflected in the hymns of Vedas and other ancient manuscripts – the early stages agree with the description in Rigveda, Middle stages with the hymns of Yayurveda/Atharvaveda whereas the last stages coincide with the description in Mahabharata.

In Rig Veda, Sarasvati is described as the mightiest river – “Seven sistered, sprung from three-fold sources” [6:61:12]. Again it is described as “Saptathi Sindhumata” i.e., mother of seven rivers strongly flowing and swelling in volumes (7:36:6). Prayers are offered to ten rivers including Sarasvati, the names are mentioned sequentially– “O Ganga, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Sutlej, Ravi, Chenab, Marudvrudha, Jhelam, Sohana and Vyas and other rivers listen to our eulogy (10:75:5)”.

In later part of Rig Veda, Sarasvati, Sarayu and Sindhu are worshipped as three mighty rivers [10:64:9].

Therefore, it does not appeal to reason that only one out of seven rivers, one out of ten rivers or one out of three rivers would be imaginary and mythical whereas others were and are a reality. It is true that the descriptions of Sarasvati river in vedic literature are intervined with mythological events but so are the descriptions of Ganges. Therefore, instead of denying the existence of Sarasvati river, we should separate the poetic imagination from hard facts.

In Yayurveda, it is said that five equally celebrated rivers merged with the mighty Sarasvati. The same Sarasvati got divided into five glorified flows in the country. Five tributaries were Drishadvati, Satudri (Sutlej), Chandrabhaga (chenab), Vipasa (Vyas) and Iravati (Ravi). The five distributaries are named in Skanda Purana as Harini, Vjrini, Hyunk, Kapila and Sarasvati. Thus, whereas Sarasvati had 7 tributaries, including Yamuna, during Rigveda era, it was left with only 5 tributaries (minus Yamuna) by the time Yayurveda was compiled.

Mahabharata gives a clear geographical account of Sarasvati becoming a non-perennial river vanishing and re-appearing in the deserts [3:80:118 & 9:36:1], surviving in the form of a number of lanes e.g. Brahmasar, jyotisar, Kaleswar (in Haryana), Katasar, Pandusar & Ravisar (in Rajasthan). Kurukshetra is described as located in the south of Sarasvati and north of Drishadvati [Mbh. 3:81:115]

Thus, pictures taken by Remote Earth Sensing Satellites Corroborate the references to location and course of Sarasvati River in ancient Vedic literature.

Climatic changes and geotectonic movements have led to migration and abandonment of several rivers and drainage systems. Geological, hydrological and archaeological evidences support the satellite imagery of paleochannels which correspond with the course of ancient Sarasvati river. Glaciological record indicates that more than 12000-10000 years back there were glaciers all around in Himalayas which began to melt due to the warming of climate. The melting of glaciers released the pent up waters that flowed into mighty river channels, which included Sarasvati and its tributaries like Drishadvati, Sutlej and Yamuna.

According to geological and glaciological evidences, a stream of Sarasvati was supposed to have originated in Bandapunch massif. Even today Sarasvati flows from the South of Mana pass which meets river Alakananda, 3 Km away in the south of Mana village. Descending through Adibadri, Bhavanipur & Balchapur in the foothills to the plains, the river took roughly a southwesterly course, passing through the plains of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and finally debouched into the Arabian Sea at Great Rann of Kuchchh. Research reports prepared by geologists have concluded that at one time it had at least 3 tributaries, Shatadru originating from Mt Kailas, Drishadvati from Shiwalik Hills and the old Yamuna. They flowed together along a channel, presently known as Ghaggar in Punjab, Hakra and Nara. Research reports by geologists have revealed that the drainage systems/ paleochannels of this area came into existence more than 8000 years back as is indicated by the age of waters trapped beneath the desert in Jaisalmer of west Rajasthan.

As per Valdiya and Sridhar, ancient India had four main drainage systems, namely – Indus, Shatadru, Sarasvati and Drishadvati. All these rivers originated in the Himalaya foothills and after traversing the vast expanse their mouths came quite close to one another as is suggested by the paleo-delta complex showing three deltaic river mouths in the Great Runn of Kachchh :-

This reconstruction of rivers, based on geological surveys, corroborates the LANDSAT imagery showing that at one stage Sutlej flowed independently from the mountain to the sea after getting disconnected from Sarasvati river.

Celebrated geologist R.D.Oldham wrote about the lost river Sarasvati stating that the river got dried up due to the diversion of waters of Sutlej and the Yamuna [journal of Asiatic Society, Bengal, 1886 V55-322-343]. A little later in 1893, C F Oldham (Journal of Royal Asiatic Society, 1893 – V34. PP. 49-76) had also described Sarasvati river as flowing from the mountain to the sea. He also made references to the changing courses of river Sarasvati propounding the view that the vedic description of Sarasvati agrees with its ancient course (identified through paleochannels) whereas the description given in Mahabharata coincides with its later position. As per Oldham, Ghaggar is the other name for ancient Sarasvati and that 7 miles east of Sirsa is another old bed of Sarasvati and Sirsa gets its name from the ancient fortress of Sarsuti (Sarasvati). He goes on to say that when Sutlej changed its course to the westward, and abandoned the east arm of Hakra, the Sarasvati was left in the possession of the deserted channel, in the sands of which its waters were swallowed up. After intensive research and analysis, Oldham also came to the conclusion that Rann of Kuchchh was once an estuary.

NEARCHUS reconstructed the Water Network Map of Hakra Channel (Yamuna-Sarasvati-Sultej) in 1875 as under after conducting extensive geographical/geophysical surveys.
Thus, even in 1874 when drainage and palaeochannels network was reconstructed on the basis of geological surveys, Sutlej and Drishadvati were shown as the tributaries of Sarasvati, whereas Ghaggar and Hakra were described as its dried up palaeochannels, corroborating the satellite imagery.

Archaeological excavations and research reports further corroborate the geological findings and satellite imagery. More than 1200 ancient settlements on Sarasvati river basin have been dug out giving clinching evidence of existence of a mighty river, which sustained maritime civilization and metal-based economy prior to 3000 BC (S.Kalyanaraman in journal of Geological Society of India No.42, 1`999 PP 25-33). It has been concluded that it was possible to travel on the Sarasvati river from the gulf of Khambat to Mathura via Lothal, Dholavira, Granweriwala, Kalibangan, Banawali, Paonta-Doon, Rakhigarhi and Indraprastha. Based on the evidence gathered through exacavations, the Arachaeologists have concluded that between 7000 BC to 2500 BC an advanced civilization, vedic in nature, was flourishing along Sarasvati and Indus rivers. When Sarasvati started drying up, Vedic Aryans moved towards west beyond Indus, east beyond Ganges & south beyond Godavari. It was the continuation of Sarasvati-Indus Civilization, which was given the name ‘Harappan’ probably because the first town excavated was Harappa. Archaeological Survey of India has dug out more than 2400 settlements at the ancient Indus-Sarasvati river basins but no ancient settlements have been found along the present day course of Yamuna or Sutlej.

As per V.S.Wakankar, who is known as ‘Bhisham Pitamah’ of Archaeology, extensive excavations carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India have revealed that :

(i) Harappan and Pre-Harappan Civilizations developed along ancient Sarasvati and therefore these may be more appropriately described as part of Sarasvati-Indus Civilizations.

(ii) Most of the Rishi Ashrams described in Ramayana and Mahabharata were lined along Sarasvati river.

(iii) Perforated pottery jars and fire altars (µÖ–֍ãÓ›) are found in most of the 1200 settlements excavated along Sarasvati river indicating that civilization which flourished was vedic.

(iv) Land was fertile and barley etc were cultivated in the Sarasvati region even 7000 years back and same style of cultivating the fields continues till date in areas like Rajasthan & Haryana. [Atharvaved (6:30:1)]

(v) It is unhistoric and unscientific to say that Vedic Aryans migrated from any other region to India. They belonged to India & compiled Vedas in settlements along Sarasvati River.

The same culture and civilization continues till date, as has been convincingly described by Dr. B.B.Lal, Director General (Retd.) of Archaeological Survey of India, in his book “The Sarasvati Flows on – the continuity of Indian Culture”.

According to Prof. Max Muller, “the loss of Sarasvati is later than the Vedic age, and that during vedic age, the waters of Sarasvati reached the sea.” There are great details, in our ancient books & manuscripts, of earthquakes, volcanic activities and tectonic movements which led to decay/disappearance of Sarasvati e.g. in Mahabharata it is stated to have disappeared in Vinasana (somewhere near Sirsa). Recently water has sprung out from underground in Kalayat (Kaithal in Haryana), which relates to ancient Sarasvati river as per the Geological Department of Kurukshetra University because scientific analysis of the water revealed presence of Zircon, christolite, termaline, sterolite & chloride etc which are found only in paleochannels of very old dried up rivers which originated from the Himalayas.

Geophysical and geomorphological studies carried out by wilhelmy, Bakliwal and A.K.Grover (Records of Geological Survey of India, 1988, V 116, PP 77-86) have revealed that migration of Sarasvati was caused by tectonic disturbances, shifts due to the rise in Hardwar-Delhi ridge zone, Luni-Sukri lineaments causing severe earthquakes and Kachchh fault facilitated by climatic variations. The stream piracy of Sutlej by Beas and of Yamuna by Ganges at later stage is responsible for the drying up of the Sarasvati. The groundwater, and geophysical data corroborates these findings. The presence of older alluvial plains with medium textured soils below the sands of Thar desert indicates activities of some mighty rivers in the past. The geophysical surveys in Ganganagar, Bikaner and Jaisalmer areas have revealed several zones of less saline under-ground water which is dated more than 5000 years old. (Refer reports of Rajasthan Ground Water Board). Instead of denying the existence of such water zones due to same kind of inferiority complex, research work should be intensified in order to identify sources of groundwater and possible locales for rainwater harvesting.

Histo-geographical studies carried out by M.L.Bhargava (The Geography of Rigvedic India) have revealed existence of Sarasvati (Ghaggar is the relict) and Drishtavati (Chautang is the relict) and that between the two was located Brahamavarta, the original home of Aryans. Sarasvati is supposed to have joined the sea near Prabhasa , i.e., Somnath. Based on the study of paleodrainage of northern India, Wilhelmy concluded that prior to Alexander’s invasion in 325 BC,
Studies in Sea level fluctuations, climatology, Radio carbon and isotope dating of groundwater have corroborated that from 8000 BC to 4000 BC, there was abundant supply of water to the Sea. The climate started drying up from 3000 BC onwards and reached an arid phase around 2000 BC. Isotopic study of groundwater in Jaisalmer and Ganganagar districts of Rajasthan by Nair and Rao has concluded that shallow groundwater was 2000 to 6000 years old and deep seated groundwater was 6000 to 12000 years old confirming that these were paleowaters, apparently indicating that these were part of Sarasvati river which became non-perennial and slowly dried up around 5000-4000 BC. R.V.Athavale of National Geophysical Research Institute has culled out evidence of 12 earthquakes from archaeological and geomorphological records of excavated Harappan (Vedic) sites. He concluded that an earthquake around 3100 BC may have resulted in Sarasvati losing Yumuna (which shifted eastward). Again due to an earthquake in 2500 BC Sarasvati might have lost Sutlej which moved westward. In 2001, during earthquakes in Gujarat, cracks appeared in dry land of Katchchh and the water sprung out, which, as per the geologists and scientists, was more than 4000 years old and related to Sarasvati River.
Sarasvati in a sense is like modern India, having forgotten its heritage of Himalayan proportions, it has lost itself in a featureless desert! Nevertheless, it is still hidden and is capable of restoring the past glory. Scientific evidences based on satellite imagery, archaeological, geological, geophysical, glaciological, oceanographical research have proved that to consider Sarasvati as mythical is unhistoric and unscientific. In fact ancient wisdom and modern technology should now combine to trace step by step evolution of mighty river Sarasvati and to remind India, particularly Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Uttranchal areas, that the greatest and most ancient vedic civilization flourished in these areas more than 5000 years back when Vedas were written in the settlements along the course of Sarasvati river and its tributaries. Reverence for this glorious past is a necessary element of patriotism. Allowing propagation of a false view of one’s own cultural heritage is not tolerance but self-betrayal. The scientific evidences gathered indicate that our motherland, land belonging to India as well as to Pakistan was home to the oldest a well as the greatest civilization, which flourished alongwith the Sarasvati-Indus rivers. As custodians of this great tradition it is our duty to lead the efforts in working out more accurate view of our history. In the settlements along these rivers Vedas were composed, which are the source of invaluable & profound knowledge and which are common heritage of Hindus as well as of Muslims, of all the people who live on this land, because the history is that of the land, which has seen the rise and fall of several civilizations.

यह ज़रा ज़रा सी बात पर

यह  ज़रा ज़रा सी बात पर


यह  ज़रा ज़रा सी बात पर
तरह तरह का अजाब क्यूँ ,
जो किसी से भी खफा न हो ,
मुझे उस खुदा की तलाश है .

मुझे लगजिशों पर हर घड़ी ,
बार बार कोई टोकता है ,
जिसे कर के दिल को दुःख न हो ,
मुझे उस खुदा की तलाश है .

बिना हमसफ़र के कब तलक ,
कोई मुसाफतों में लगा रहे ,
जहां कोई किसी से जुदा न हो ,
मुझे उस राह की तलाश है .

मुझे देख कर जो एक नज़र ,
मेरे सारे दर्द समझ सके ,
जो इस क़दर हो चारा - ए - ग़र,
मुझे उस निगाह की तलाश है ...

त्रिवेणी में सरस्वती

त्रिवेणी में सरस्वती 
इलाहाबाद में कुम्भ मेला चल रहा है .इसे विश्व का सब से बड़ा धार्मिक समागम कहा जाता है . हिन्दू धर्म के सभी पंथ , इस स्थान और अवसर पर एकत्र होते हैं , और आपस में विचार विनिमय करते है . यह अवसर हर 12 वर्षों पर आता है . इलाहाबाद का प्राचीन नाम प्रयाग है . प्रयाग का शाब्दिक अर्थ संगम होता है , जहां पर नदियाँ मिलतीं हैं . इलाहबाद में दो मुख्य नदिया गंगा और यमुना मिलती हैं , और यह दोनों नदियाँ भारतीय संस्कृति की पहचान हैं अतः इनके संगम को प्रयागराज कहा जाता है . मान्यता है , इन्ही के साथ सरस्वती भी मिली है,, पर सरस्वती की कोई धारा यहाँ नहीं दिखती है . लोग सरसवती को एक काल्पनिक नदी के रूप में देखते हैं . जब कि यह भारत की सबसे महत्वपूर्ण नदी किसी समय में रही है . वेदों की न जाने कितनी ऋचाएं इसी सरस्वती के तट पर कही गयी है .

हिमालय से निकलने वाली बड़ी नदियों में , जो पश्चिमी हिमालय से निकली थी .उन में सरस्वती , सिन्धु ,शतद्रु ,जिसे सतलज कहते हैं ,विपासा (व्यास ), वितस (झेलम ). परुषणी ,(रावी ). असिकनि (चेनाब ), यमुना , दृषद्वती , और लावन्वति नदियाँ हैं .इनमें से ,सरस्वती , दृषद्वती और लावण्यवती यह तीन नदियाँ अब लुप्त हो गयी है . गंगा इस तरफ से नहीं बल्कि, पूर्वी गढ़वाल क्षेत्र से निकली है . सरस्वती के किनारे प्राचीन समय में ,300 नगर और उप नगर बसे हुए थे , जिने सिन्धु सारस्वत सभ्यता के रूप में जाना जाता है . व्यास , झेलम , रावी , और चिनाब नदियाँ सिन्धु के साथ साथ बहती हुयी अरब सागर में गिर जाती हैं। जब कि सरस्वती और उस की अन्य शाखा , यमुना , सतलज , दृषद्वती और लावान्यवती , अलग माध्यम से , हिमालय से निकल कर , अरब सागर में गिरती थीं .सरस्वती इतनी विशाल नदी थी कि , उस का पाट कहीं कहीं 10 किलो मीटर का हो जाता था . बहुत प्राचीन काल में यह नदी कच्छ के रन में गिरती थी ,बाद में जब रन उथला हो गया तो यह अरब सागर , खम्भात की खाडी में गिरने लगी थी 1500 इसा पूर्व में यह नदी लुप्त होने लगी . इस का मुख्य कारण ज़बरदस्त रेतीली आंधियां और भूगर्भीय हलचलें रही हैं .

यमुना जो गंगा से इलाहबाद में मिलती है , वह पहले पूर्व की ओर न बह कर पश्चिम की ओर बहती थी और सरस्वती नदी में पोंटा साहेब , जो अब सिक्खों का एक महत्वपूर्ण तीर्थ स्थल रहा है , में मिलती थीं . बाद में भू गर्भीय परिवर्तनों और विशाल धूल भरी आँधियों के कारण , यमुना का मार्ग परिवर्तित हो गया और वर अपने साथ सरस्वती की एक शाखा को सम्मिलित करते हुए पूर्व की ओर मुड़ गयी ऐसा इस लिए भी हुआ कि , उत्तर वैदिक काल में जबरदस्त भूकंप आने और अरावली तथा हिमालय के टेक्टोनिक प्लेट्स के खिसकने के कारण सरस्वती की दो प्रमुख सहायक नदियाँ शतद्रु यानी सतलज और यमुना क्रमशः पश्चिम और पूर्व की ओर खिसक गयीं . इन नदियों के अलग हट जाने और इन के सरस्वती में न मिलने के कारण सरस्वती का प्रवाह मन्द पड़ गया और लुप्त होने लगी . इसी प्रक्रिया में सरस्वती की एक क्षीण धारा यमुना के साथ मिल कर पूर्व की ओर बह गयी .और जब यमुना प्रयाग में मिली तो सरस्वती की उस शाखा के उस में सम्मिलित होने के कारण , यहाँ 3 नदियों का संगम हुआ ..

सरस्वती वैदिक काल की सब से महत्वपूर्ण नदी थी , उसके किनारे अनेक नगर बसे थे . उसके लुप्त होने के कारण , नगर उजड़ने लगे और पूर्व की तरफ लोगों ने पलायन किया जिस से गंगा यमुना दोआब में एक नयी सभ्यता का विस्तार हुआ . इसी प्रकार पश्चिम में जो पलायन हुआ , वह सिन्धु के किनारे हुआ और वहाँ भी सभ्यताएं विक्सित हुईं . सरस्वती जैसी विशालकाय, एवं प्रवाहमयी नदी धीरे धीरे अतीत बन गयी .आज घघ्घर नाम से एक बरसाती नदी सरस्वती के उसी सूखे पाट में बहती है .

Mayan date political, not about 'end of days'

Mayan date political, not about 'end of days'

You may now proceed with your New Year's Eveplans on December 31, 2012 - the world isn't really ending, even if you subscribed to that so-called Mayan prophecy.

The second known reference in Mayan culture to the alleged "end of the world" on December 21, 2012, has been deciphered, and archaeologists found out that it is actually a reference linked to a politically turbulent period in their history.
The said reference to December 21, 2012 was discovered in a 1,300-year-old text, at the La Corona site in Guatemala, between April and May this year. Designated as Hieroglyphic Stairway 2, the block of Mayan hieroglyphics contained "a number of important historical information about La Corona's political history," as well as a "curious" reference to the now-infamous date, said Dr. David Stuart, professor of Art History at The University of Texas at Austin. Approximately two centuries' worth of La Corona's "political history, its allies and its enemies, and it is the longest text ever discovered in Guatemala," UT Austin said in a press release.

"The monument commemorated a royal visit to La Corona in AD 696 by the most powerful Maya ruler of that time, a few months after his defeat by a long- standing rival in AD 695," Stuart was quoted as saying.

"It was a time of great political turmoil in the Maya region, and this king felt compelled to allude to a larger cycle of time that happens to end in 2012."

"This text talks about ancient political history rather than prophecy," Marcello Canuto of the Tulane University's Middle American Research Institute said.

"In times of crisis, the ancient Maya used their calendar to promote continuity and stability rather than to predict apocalypse."

"While perhaps disappointing to some, the newly found inscription has no prophetic message regarding what will happen in 2012. So why only mention the date but say nothing directly about its meaning or significance? Because it’s a future station of a big calendar cycle and so it was seen as worthy of mention in its own right," Stuart wrote on the "Maya Decipherment" blog. "Ancient Maya scribes liked to record the comings and goings of various periods in their calendar, including future ones, because they were intimately tied to their political and religious life.

In two texts they tied this future bak’tun ending to their contemporary world, mostly because of interesting numerological patterns that seemed cosmically relevant," he added. A bak'tun is a measurement in the Maya Long Count Calendar, equivalent to 394.26 years, of 144,000 days. The current bak'tun, the 13th, is set to end on December 21, 2012.

The more famous Mayan reference to the December 21, 2012 date is the one in Tortuguero Mexico, found in the site named Monument 6, which has been known since the 1980s.

The La Corona Regional Archaeological Project started in 1997, with the first expedition to the fabled classical Mayan city and its surrounding jungle in Guatemala. It gained fame due to the number of important relics that were lost or damaged by looters.

The Hieroglyphic Stairway 2 was among the parts that were left untouched. The findings were announced by Stuart, along with Canuto and Tomas Barrientos of the Universidad del Valle Guatemala, on Friday, June 29, in Guatemala City.

Pakistani military accused of massacre as protesters tighten noose around parliament

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