Man Ki Baat: PM Modi talks about Assam, Arunachal; doesn't address Baghjan, Dibang Valley issue

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday talked about Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in his Man Ki Baat, on his weekly radio programme but he did not address the Baghjan oilwell Blowout issue of Assam's Tinsukia district and Hydroelectric project of Etalin of Dibanvalley districts in eastern Arunachal Pradesh. 

Both in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are the two of the eight northeastern states that have Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments. Arunachal shares its border with China. " mujhe Assam se Rajni Jee ne likha hai ki unhone purvi Laddakh me jo kuchh bhi hua vo dekhne ke baad ek pran liya hai, pran ye ki vo local ke liye vocal bhi honge. ( Rajni from Assam has written me that he has taken pledge after what happened in Laddakh that he will purchase only local and will be voal for it.)

PM Modi strongly advocated local productions during the programme. After the border dispute with China recently, twenty Indian Jawans were martyred in Laddakh which led to a boycott of Chinese productions. Further, in his address, he appealed the citizens to remain alert to defeat coronavirus pandemic. He said that every month we watch or read such news which makes us emotional and reminds us how each and every Indian are prompt in helping each other. He said, "I got read such a story from Arunachal Pradesh in media which is inspirational. A unique work was done by the villagers of Mrigang of Siang district which has set an example for entire Bharat. The people of this village live abroad and do jobs. When the villagers saw them returning during Corona pandemic they took the decision to make Quarantine for them. They constructed 14 temporary cottages together for them in the outskirts of the village and made available everything for them during the quarantine. This group efforts and awareness obviously drew the attention of entire India. "The prime minister also talked about Ganesh Chaturthi, a festival of Hindus to be celebrated on July 8 and appealed to use eco-friendly statues during puja for the sake of nature, environment, water and aquatic animals".

Also read: India: Covid19 recoveries exceed active cases by more than 1 lakh

PM Modi addressed many good areas but unfortunately talked nothing about Baghjan Oilwell blowout which started on 27th May, caught fire on 9th June and even after 39 days it is still burning. Hundreds of aquatic animals including Gangetic dolphins, avians, domestic animals and amphibians died in Dibru river and Maguri Motapung Beel, Dibru Saikhowa National Park and hundreds of villages in Tinsukia district. The air and water are getting polluted due to that.

"We hoped Modi dangoriya would say something today on the burning issue but disappointed", the people living in at 12 different relief centres at Baghjan told the Inside NE. The Baghjan witnessed great damage of lives and property including its flora and fauna after the blowout. Two firefighters lost the lives and thousands are living in relief centres including children, elderly people and pregnant women. However, Oil India Limited, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Army, District civil and police administration and all the concerned authorities of the state and central government are constantly trying to cap the fire but bad weather and several other factors are hampering the efforts. 

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan also visited Baghjan and step up necessary actions. On the other hand, many environmentalists expressed their disappointment over the programme for not addressing Etalin Hydro project which is also posing threat to lakhs of trees and hundreds of rare species of wild animals. 

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