Public Announcement

8 December 2019 – 12h00 – Traveni Ghat, Rishikesh

By

Rishikesh Animal and Social Welfare Society

Pamela Tosh & Kavita Kandwal

Just as it is the right of India’s cows to have food and water, so it is the human right of every individual suffering on the streets to receive care, medical attention and basic necessities.

Founding members of Rishikesh Animal Welfare, local Tapovan resident Kavita Kandwal and South African Pamela Tosh, would like to highlight the need for urgent attention to a Directive of Principles to be initiated promptly to help the lives of the homeless and neglected at Traveni Ghat, as well as other welfare related concerns needing quick assessment, and efficient solutions based project planning.

It is imperative that the Central Social Welfare Board recognize the importance of implementing a census and medical camps to help the desperate situation of homelessness in Rishikesh and disintegration of the slum community housing needing a swift and effective development programme.

There is a state of severe neglect amongst the lives of the elderly living at Traveni Ghat, who have sought refuge under a permanent building structure, with two open air spaces and a tin roof exposed to the elements. The concrete floor has been sectioned into mat sized living spaces for many individuals and families who are already feeling the intensity of the cold this winter. Many suffer from at least one illness and deformities are common. There is little hope for those with low immune systems to fight off sickness during this time. The consistent complaints include breathing ailments, lung and  chest infections, digestive disorders, cataracts and blindness, lice amongst the children, scabies during Monsoon season and more.

We are appealing for vacancies in ashrams and state-owned institutions to open their spaces and be compassionate in offering warmth, care and nourishment to those in need.

Rishikesh Animal Welfare unites a body of local and foreign people dedicated to saving, serving and improving the lives of all living things. The group operates as a communications forum keeping up to date with animal, social, environmental and yoga related issues and concerns in Rishikesh.

There is an urgent and long pending need for an adequate shelter space for animals, stray dogs and cows in Rishikesh. A sanctuary that can serve all animal NGO’s and provide a base for emergency recovery and rehabilitation for injured, sick and dying animals.

Life orientation and skills development can be incorporated into an education programme for individuals who can be reintegrated into society and live a functional life with integrity. By understanding the ‘laws of abundance’ Rishikesh can be restored to balance and Spiritual splendour.

We believe that the best way forward would be to inspire a full time locally managed welfare society and volunteer programme uniting many selfless and serving individuals, community organizations and NGO’s operating in Rishikesh. By recognizing and understanding each one’s offering and services we can enhance our communication with one another. We can begin to accurately start statistical research per capita, economic indicators and do environmental studies. The need for governmental context when it comes to the commercial sector in relation to the status of Rishikesh as a spiritual and yoga centre must be taken into account. Yoga schools and ashrams should be incentivised with tax subsidies to be used for community initiatives.

These considerations must take into account the overall interest of the public as well as foreign tourism to remove socio economic hypocrisies which become a burden for travellers and onlookers. Many who have made sacrifices for India’s ‘children’ are not supported by any economic policy whilst they fight for the promotion of social justice and equality in a land that offers ‘freedom’ to all. It is not one individual’s responsibility but a collective humanitarian obligation in a diverse environment brimming with creative potential.

Life orientation and skills development must be incorporated with a social welfare initiative to find long term solutions, to avoid a growing population of defenceless individuals with no identity, living with no dignity, they are a lost generation, walking dead.

Kavita Kandwal, a respected leader within the local society, has been involved in various initiatives to improve and support her community. Her selfless actions, determination and passion for women’s empowerment and child safety amongst the poorer and rural communities unites her with many loyal followers.

Kavita’s connection to western tourism has now given her on opportunity to integrate her initiatives on a platform hosted by Pamela Tosh, the administrator of Rishikesh Yogis Community, and co-founder of Rishikesh Animal Welfare. Pamela Tosh also known as Karma Yogi IndiPam, has spent the past six years doing Karma Yoga – selfless service on the streets of Rishikesh – at regular intervals providing specialist foot care, first aid, personal hygiene care and more. With a career in public relations and communications Pamela is using her skills to find ways to improve the landscape of Rishikesh for all, encouraging sharing and collaboration, union with one another and the environment.

Rishikesh Yogis Community Facebook includes travellers and yogis from around the globe, a strong local Indian business presence and like-minded spiritualists totalling 11 000 members. Besides offering basic travel and yoga related advice and information it is becoming a platform for awareness of all kinds of welfare and yoga concerns.

Rishikesh has everything it needs to become a smart and sustainable city once it realizes the need for both east and west to work together in this highly multi-cultural, international and expansive environment.

The constitution declares India a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, assuring its citizens justice, equality and liberty, and endeavours to promote fraternity. If we are to ensure that yoga and Spiritualism are to prevail in Rishikesh we most certainly need to abide by the intentions and rules of our forefathers, to honour and serve our fellow man and create unity amongst ourselves.

Rishikesh Animal Welfare and Rishikesh Yogis Community, together with like-minded individuals, yoga teachers, healers and lightworkers are unanimously ready for change in India’s yoga capital, to work together, to unite residents and business owners and begin strategic deadline driven planning and implementation of the directives according to the Constitution of India.

For more information contact Pamela Tosh – email pamela@indipam.com.

Be the change you want to see in the world – Gandhi

Serve, love, give, purify, meditate, realize – Sri Swami Sivananda

Saving, serving and improving the lives of all living things – Rishikesh Animal Welfare

What we ‘do’ and who we ‘touch’ has a rippling effect – IndiPam

EDITORS NOTES:

The Directive Principles of State Policy of India (DPSP) are the guidelines or principles given to the federal institutes governing the state of India, to be kept in citation while framing laws and policies. These provisions, contained in Part IV (Article 36–51) of the Constitution of India, are not enforceable by any court, but the principles laid down there in are not considered in the governance of the country, making it the duty of the State^[1] to apply these principles in making laws to establish a just society in the country. The principles have been inspired by the Directive Principles given in the Constitution of Ireland which are related to social justice, economic welfare, foreign policy, and legal and administrative matters.

Directive Principles are classified under the following categories economic and socialistic, political and administrative, justice and legal, environmental, protection of monuments,peace and security.

The directive principles ensure that the State^[1] shall strive to promote the welfare of the people by securing a social order in which social, economic and political justice is animated/informed in all institutions of life per Article 38 (1).^[6] Dr. Ambedkar clarified as given below in the Constituent Assembly debates on Article 38 highlighting its inevitable implementation.

… The word ‘strive’ which occurs in the Draft Constitution, in judgement, is very important. We have used it because our intention is even when there are circumstances which prevent the Government, or which stand in the way of the Government giving effect to these Directive Principles, they shall, even under hard and unpropitious circumstances, always strive in the fulfilment of these Directives. That is why we have used the word ‘strive’. Otherwise, it would be open for any Government to say that the circumstances are so bad, that the finances are so inadequate that we cannot even make an effort in the direction in which the Constitution asks us to go.

Also, the State shall strive to minimise the inequalities in income and endeavour to eliminate economic inequality as well as inequalities in status and opportunities, not only among individuals, but also among groups of people residing in different areas or engaged in different vocations per Article 38 (2). The State shall aim for securing right to an adequate means of livelihood for all citizens, both men and women as well as equal pay for equal work for both men and women. The State should work to prevent concentration of wealth and means of production in a few hands, and try to ensure that ownership and control of the material resources is distributed to best serve the common good. Child abuse and exploitation of workers should be prevented. Children should be allowed to develop in a healthy manner and should be protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment per Article 39. The State shall provide free legal aid to ensure that equal opportunities for securing justice is ensured to all, and is not denied by reason of economic or other disabilities per Article 39A. The State shall also work for organisation of village panchayats and help enable them to function as units of self-government per Article 40. The State shall endeavour to provide the right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, within the limits of economic capacity per Article 41 as well as provide for just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief per Article 42.

The State should also ensure living wage and proper working conditions for workers, with full enjoyment of leisure and social and cultural activities. Also, the promotion of cottage industries in rural areas is one of the obligations of the State per Article 43 The State shall take steps to promote their participation in management of industrial undertakings per Article 43A.

Also, the State shall endeavour to secure a uniform civil code for all citizens per Article 44 and provide free and compulsory education to all children till they attain the age of 14 years per Article 45. This directive regarding education of children was added by the 86th Amendment Act, 2002.^[9] It should work for the economic and educational upliftment of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other weaker sections of the society per Article 46.

The directive principles commit the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health, particularly by prohibiting intoxicating drinks and drugs injurious to health except for medicinal purposes per Article 47. It should also organise agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines by improving breeds and prohibiting slaughter of cows, calves, other milch and draught cattle per Article 48.^[10] It should protect and improve the environment and safeguard the forests and wild life of the country per Article 48A. This directive, regarding protection of forests and wildlife was added by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976.

Protection of monuments, places and objects of historic and artistic interest and national importance against destruction and damage per Article 49 and separation of judiciary from executive in public services per Article 50 are also the obligations of the State as laid down in the directive principles. Finally Article 51 ensure that the State shall strive for the promotion and maintenance of international peace and security, just and honourable relations between nations, respect for international law and treaty obligations, as well as settlement of international disputes by arbitration.

 

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