- Gujarat is known as “Jewel of the West”
- Gujarat has borders with 3 states of India – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, and 1 of Pakistan – Sindh state.
- Gujarat enjoys ban on alcohol since is statehood year of 1960
- Ancient cities of Gujarat are Lothal, Gola Dhoro and Dholavira
- Gujarat had contacts with ancient Greeks, Romans and Persians, and countries Egypt, Behrain and Sumer
- Guiarat word comes from Sanskrit words Gurjar Rashtra
- First Greek invasion in to Gujarat was by Demetrius
- Surat was the only Indian port facing westward
- Nav Nirman Andolan is the first and only movement of independent India that ousted an elected Government
- Geography
- Boarders with Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Diu & Daman, Dadara Nagar Haveli, and Pakistan
- Dharm:
- Somnath is considered 1st Jyotirlinga
- Udvda Fire Temples of Parsis
- Bhalka Teerth (last day of Krishna)
- Buddhist edits in Junagadh
- Monuments:
- Statue of Unity
- Sardar Sarovar
- Sun Temple in Modera
- Rani Ki Vav in Patan
- Vallabhi (now Prabhas Patan)
- Ratnakara (Caves of Pandava)
- Animals
- Only place outside Africa where lions are found
Saving wildlife while we drive
The Committee – bringing peace
committee will identify proposed road projects cutting through tiger corridors, study their impact on tiger dispersal and suggest mitigation measures
The current state of affairs
Road kills by speeding vehicles have taken a toll on wildlife, leading to demands for mitigation measures like underpasses and overpasses being incorporated in the designs of road projects.
In December 2017, Bajirao, the dominant male of the Bor tiger reserve died after being hit by a vehicle on the Nagpur- Amravati highway.
In April 2018, a leopard was found dead on the same highway after being run over.
- In January 2018, tiger ‘Jaichand,’ the offspring of Maharashtra’s iconic tiger Jai, had a lucky escape he fell into the main canal of the Gosikhurd dam near Paoni in Bhandara.
What’s at stake from Humans is Development
- Projects for construction of new roads in the Vidarbha landscape, which has most of the 203 tigers recorded in Maharashtra, had led to fresh concerns.
- Similar concerns have been raised about other projects like irrigation canals and Greenfield and expansion of Brownfield railway lines.
Cow slaughter help turns down to cow smuggling in Congress raj
Secularism
Differences in how Hindutva leaning Govt works as compared to current “secular” Govt of Congress are showing up one by one.
The “motive”
When cases are registered by police, motive is a key fact to look for. Like, in this case of cows being transported, the motive has been not even looked at. Most times the motive is to supply those for cow slaughter, which is illegal. The culprits should have been also charged with help in cow slaughter attempt by working as supplier. Without the supplier, slaughter won’t be possible. However, the “guidance” the police has plays a key role in this intuition, which, sadly, changes with changes in Govt.
Future of cow protection
However vigilant are the cow protectors, no support or criminalisation of cow protection efforts by “guided” police will put the country back in to old days when a cow lover was solely responsible for his act of trying to save the cows, and even for applying state law which makes cow slaughter illegal.