6000 people were killed, found
missing or presumed dead. 4200 villages were affected. 9200 cattle/livestock
were lost. 3320 houses were completely damaged due to the floods.
Over
1800 days have passed since the June 2013 floods in Uttarakhand. But the scars
are still fresh. It was a disaster that shook not only the hill state but also
the entire nation. It affected not only the 4200 villages or killed only 6000
people; it killed an entire nation. It made all of us ponder over one fact:
why? Why is it that so many people who had gone to meet Him, to pay their
respect to the Almighty, killed? Why is it that little children who could not
even say “Mumma-Papa” left alone? Why
is it that the government, which is supposed to bring development to an area,
was a major reason behind all these deaths?
These
questions cannot be answered. We cannot change the past but we can definitely
alter the future. We can definitely put our lives before a dangerous
pilgrimage. I think it’s time we start valuing our life. I think it’s time we
put a pilgrim before a pilgrimage.
We
cannot calculate the value of a life. We can never buy or sell a life. Why?
Because we are a creation of the Almighty himself. He created us so that we
could lead a world. He is the one who decided to make us so that we could work,
eat, sleep etc. He created us so that we could value the most precious thing:
life.
“Live
as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Mahatma
Gandhi said these beautiful words which many people still live by. These are not just a bunch of motivational
words but; they hold a deeper meaning. Gandhi understood the value of life. He
understood that you may not see the sunrise tomorrow or you may not even wake
up tomorrow. So, why leave everything on tomorrow? You want to meet someone you
miss? Go meet them now. You want to do something amazing? Do it now! Today is
THE moment. This is your life. Make every day count.
It
is very important for many religious people to go to the sites of pilgrimage.
Many people make wishes there with a promise to return when that is fulfilled.
It’s good. It’s great rather; to do something good and to have that feeling of
satisfaction. But, are the places safe?
The
government has been sanctioning projects to be done in these places so as to
provide better transportation, electricity, communication etc. But the way
those projects are being carried out is not safe for the long run. Various
mountains are being cut at a steep angle, thousands of trees and being uprooted
and the paths of various streams are being blocked. This is causing a havoc.
The nature is getting bewildered by the way we are acting with it. The streams
don’t have a path anymore and as result they are flowing on the roads causing
floods. Due to heavy rainfall the mountains that are cut at a steep angle are
causing landslides. Due to unavailability of the trees, the soil is left in the
open and is causing erosion.
Do
you think that you should still visit a place like this? A place which has no
certainty of being safe? A place where any boulder can fall on you at any time?
I don’t think I will. I would not want to go to a place from where I may never
come back. I really love to stay with my family. And I really love my life. I
would never, I repeat, NEVER intentionally put my life in danger.
Not
everyone is fortunate enough to be born into this world. Think about all the
people who die very young. Or who get crippled because they were in an
accident. Think about the people whose life slows down because they had a
chronic illness. Think about the son who went to office today but didn’t come
back. Or the little kid whose van met with an accident. He didn’t do that
intentionally. He didn’t put himself in danger. He wanted to live. He wanted to
come home for lunch. He didn’t know that he might die if he would go out today.
But, you would. You would know that you might never return from that holy
place. You do know that you might never get back home for that lunch.
#YOLO#Youonlyliveonce
Thanks
For more such insights of life, contact Life coach Vivek Gupta Personal coaching
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