Protecting the Protector of India

 By now the Meghadoots of Monsoon must have covered Peninsular India. Another Kalidas Masterpiece which describes the end destination of the Monsoon Clouds becomes relevant now. This is also the destination of high-altitude trekking that happens around the time of year. That sets in Nostalgia for those separated to India reminding them of days spend amidst the Mountains, Valleys, Glaciers, Villages, peaks all of which is an experience called the Himalayas. The romance of a Himalayan trek is magical.   The entire transformation from plains to the British-built hill stations through winding romantic mild mountains then the mystery of fold Mountains as you climb amidst flora and fauna to the higher reaches and finally, you have misty glaciers and snow-clad peaks.   

Kalidas writes at the beginning of KumaraSambhava as translated from Sanskrit: There is in the Northern Direction, the supreme lord of mountains, possessed of a divine nature by name Himalaya, who has plunged into eastern and western Ocean, stands as if he is the measuring rod of the Earth. KumaraSambhava celebrates the love story of Shiva and Parvati, whose love results in the birth of their son, the young god Kumara.  The story begins with a description of the birth of Parvati, in the Himalayas the poem proceeds and her courtship with Shiva. It plays out their tale on the immense scale of supreme divinity, wherein the gods are viewed both as lovers and as a cosmic principle

This immortal description of the Himalayas has certain Keywords to highlight. ‘Devatma’ means a divine soul who is the protector of India. The Himalayas protect India from the chill icy blasts blowing from the arctic region as well as from the destructive incursions of invaders. The Himalayas further protect India through the origination of great rivers like Sindhu, Ganga, Yamuna, and Brahmaputra perennially fed by melted ice irrespective of the monsoon rains.  The other keyword is 'Manadanda". This means the pride of Indian Civilization to be a standard against which other human civilizations can be compared and tested in the past, present, and future.

Kalidas has described various types of trees, herbs, and several flowering plants growing there in KumaraSambhava. He mentions many Himalayan trees such as Devadaru and Sarala (Pinus)with a specific environment in which they grow.  It is interesting to note how the poet has shown the Inner Himalayan plants like Bhurja (Betula utilis) growing in the vicinity of low-level flora of Nameru (Mammea Longifolia). He also shows Kasturi Mriga (musk-deer), an animal exclusively of very high elevations (above 2,500 m above sea level), also cohabiting near Nameru trees.  

The entire story of the Himalayas is intriguing. In ancient times, there was a vast shallow sea named the Tethys that existed where the Himalayas is today. The submerged landmasses on both sides started pushing towards each other giving birth to the Himalayas Mountains. This was a relatively recent occurrence according to the geographical time frame. It only proves to show that the Himalayas can be considered to be a young and fragile land formation. Scientists studying these mountains speculate that the entire process took about five to seven million years.  The Himalayas has risen about 6,600 feet in the past 20,000 years and continues to rise at the rate of 3 to 4 inches a year. No other mountain range can boast of having peaks of 26,000 feet. The Himalaya has 14 such peaks and hundreds of summits with over 23,000 feet high above sea level including Everest. The Himalaya Mountain range stretches 1,700 miles across an area between Assam Himalayas and Kashmir. At the east, Namche Barwa stands as sentinel and the west part is guarded by the awesome Nanga Parbat .

Having protected the Indian Subcontinent from Icy winds and Invaders for Centuries we have new threats looming across the Himalayas.   Recently our neighbors across the Himalayas have threatened us in Ladakh, which our brave soldiers have fended off. They have been trying that since 1962. But the current regime is more expansive in nature strengthened by the economic success of the China Model worldwide.  To add to the military threat, the viral threats they have posed have rendered us vulnerable.  The first wave was brutal for America under Trump, Europe, and other parts of the world. The second wave has hit India badly. Though there are a lot of conspiracy theories going around definitely there is more to the nature of this Virus that needs a lot of unbiased investigation.

The biggest threat to the protector of India itself is the uncontrolled urban and tourist growth which was one of the contributing factors to the tragedy at Kedarnath in 2013. We need to really have a handle on sustained development. Another threat is in form of Climate change and Global Warming.  Researchers indicate that the temperature is rising at a higher rate in Nepal and the Chinese regions of the Himalayas compared with the rest of the Himalayas. A declining trend of monsoon in the western Indian Himalayas and an increasing trend in the eastern Indian Himalayas have been observed, whereas increasing precipitation in many parts of the Tibetan Plateau is noted. Glaciers in both the eastern and western Himalayas are mostly retreating, but the majority of the glaciers in the Karakorum are either stable or advancing slowly. Expansion of glacier lakes is reported, with the highest rate in Nepal and Bhutan. Research predicts increases in temperature and monsoon precipitations and decreases in winter precipitations in the future thereby leading to monsoon flooding and increased sediments in streamflow.  The reduced rainfall and shrinkage of glaciers will lead to a shortage of water supply for power generation and irrigation in winter, particularly in highly glaciated basins. Projected economic impacts of glacial lake outburst floods can be substantial on the developed river basin with infrastructures and population centers.

Thus we the people of India should lead our defense against Global warming and Climate change more than anyone else who dare the world community with empty words and theatrics.