Over 20,000 people attend Rally for Rivers culmination event at Delhi in the presence of Hon’ble Vice President, Environment Minister & Sadhguru. 2nd October, Delhi: Conceived by Sadhguru, Rally For Rivers flagged-off by the Union Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan on 3rd September completed its course from Kanyakumari to the Himalayan foothills covering 9300 kms crossing 16 states and over 125 events on the way. The rally reached Delhi past midnight yesterday to a grand reception at India Gate, New Delhi.
A grand event for Rally for Rivers was held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium today evening at 5.30pm on 2nd October, Gandhi Jayanti in New Delhi in the presence of Hon’ble Vice President of India Shri Venkaiah Naidu; Hon’ble Minister of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Dr Harsh Vardhan and Sadhguru. Singer & Composer Sonu Nigam, Bharatnatyam and Kalaripayattu by Isha Samskriti, speed painter Vilas Nayak and Sounds of Isha performed at the event.
“Rivers have always been the bedrock of civilization and have been the lifelines, We have to preserve them. Devastation of these, spells disaster for a billion strong population. Let us all join together. We should not simply leave it to the government. Our contribution in this is very important. Dont miss to give a missed call to 80009 80009. “Be part of the change you wish to have” – this is what Mahatma Gandhi also said. Life has no meaning without water, we cannot sustain without water. Its an alarming situation today. We have successfully destroyed the rivers and many are non existent. Population is increasing and need for water is increasing. we have 75% less water per capita today since independence. If we don’t act now it may be too late.” said Sri Venkaiah Naidu, Hon’ble Vice President of India.
Sadhguru said, “Today is Mahatma Gandhi’s Jayanti, 75 years after Independence. this man – I am calling him a man. I dont want to make him a Mahatma because you think he came from somewhere. By using the word Mahatma don’t distance yourself from the possibility of being one. Mahatma’s acts are very simple but precise and clearly pointed in one direction. At the Sabarmati ashram, I looked at the classic picture of Mahatma picking up a fistful of salt – this fistful of salt melted the whole great empire into surrender. So your missed call – do not underestimate it. This is not an online river – its a real thing. Your missed call is similar to the fistful of salt, a very small act. If it is precise and focused in one direction, we can have our rivers flowing again.”
“When it comes to mountains, forests and rivers we must think in 500 years. “The people who are in different places of responsibilities in the government are not your rulers but your representatives, its our duty to tell them what we want. The draft policy recommendation that is 700 pages, made in consultation with 27 environmental scientists and in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, is ready and will be handed over to the Government, Media and the environmental authorities of the world tomorrow.” Sadhguru said.