Government, Private and People are the 3 sectors in any society. Coming into Himchal Pradesh from Jharkhand, I cannot help seeing the strong contrast in the report cards of the 2 state governments.
In Jharkhand, we see deep-seated poverty in the tribal people. Despite the fact that Jharkhand has plentiful of minerals from copper to uranium, vast expanse of forest and agriculture land, the wealth of the land is not distributed to its population. Many villages are not even served by roads, electricity, safe drinking water, and medical and basic amenities. People live primitively in mud huts, always malnourished, penniless and illiterate. Girls are married off at a child age of 13 years and suffer a lifetime of hard labour. Schools are in so short supply that many children remain uneducated. Where there are government schools, we learnt that they are rarely in session! While the principals and teachers continue to draw their salaries, the students remain as names on registers and stay at home. Everyone is suspicious of the government officials whom they despised as being corrupted. When the people stare at hopelessness, they turn angry and resort to revolt and violence, and the region quickly became a hotbed for Naxalite activities. While staying in Ghatsila, we didn't get the opportunity to freely roam about the vast and beautiful landscape and visit the tribal villagers due to the danger posed by the Naxatiles. You see, almost every tribal villager is so disillusion that almost everyone could possibly be a Naxalite. By 4pm daily, it would be safest to keep off the roads in the remote village areas for fear of being ambush or shot at, accidentally. Such is the life in Jharkhand - pretty dim and suffering.
In Himchal Pradesh, the tribal people are happy, peaceful and prosperous. They are proud of their government for ensuring that the infrastructural provisions are in place. Despite that the tribal villages are in small clusters and scattered all over the valley hillsides at great distances from one another, roads are continuously built, winding up to the very top of each hill. Every house is provided with electricity. As most houses on hillside are accessible only on foot from the roads, the government provided an ambulance that responds swiftly to emergency call. A government primary school is available every 5km, and the literacy level here is high. The government also launched a homestay incentive to encourage local villagers to host tourists so as to partake in the tourist income. Another law that really impressed us is the ban on plastic bags. Store owners will be fined if they are caught supplying customers with plastic carriers. The locals are proud of this law to protect the environment. State-run buses ensure that people are able to commute across the entire mountainous region and therefore private sector can thrive. As a result, we observe that people here are so much more wealthier than their counterparts in Jharkhand.
I appreciate to a stronger degree how important it is to have a clean and efficient government to create, on behalf of the people, an infrastructure and a fair condition for the people to live in and for private sector to thrive in. It's also crucial for the government not to over-govern and over-step into the turf of the People and Private Sectors as it would result in curtailing the freedom of its people to live and express themselves fully. I also believe that a happy outcome is only possible when the government serves the people by identifying with them and not above them. When a government starts to position itself higher than the people, thinks and acts in a proud manner that it knows better than its little people, it would result in disconnectedness and alienation. I can't help feeling that this might be the case in Singapore at present and the voices heard during our recent general election seem to bear symptoms to a brewing aloofness between government and people.
22-24 May 2011 - Shoghi, Himachal Pradesh
Shoghi was our first stop in Himachal Pradesh, on our way to Kaza. At an altitude of 2,200m, Shoghi offered a temperate climate, cool and nice with unpolluted natural mountain fresh air.
Since we were informed that the Manali-Kaza route was still closed due possibly to snow and landslides, we decided to take it slow and easy for 2 weeks, after 2 months of pretty intensive seva work. As Robyn has never travelled to altitude of 3,000m, it would help us all to acclimatize as we gradually moved from homestay to homestay before we arrive higher up to 4,000m villages in the Spiti Valley. Besides altitude, we probably would need acclimatization to the cold too.
Veer Garh Homestay is so delightful a place to stay. Perched on the hillside overlooking a vast expanse of the valley, our balcony offered a superb view. Our room was well furnished and spacious, and we got to watch cable movie for the first time in 3 months. We spent 3 days relaxing here.
View from Veer Garh Homestay.
Spacious interior of Veer Garh Homestay.
At over 2000m in altitude, the climate here was cool and nice. For the first time in India, we used our warm clothing. We enjoyed the 1km stroll to Shoghi town for breakfast and appreciate the wonderful natural scenery.
Shoghi town centre comprises of a main road with a row of shops at one side and cliffside on the other. On the left is the taxi and bus station.
Our neighbour at Veer Garh Homestay was a family of 3 from Delhi on a 5-day driveabout in Shimla region - Atanu Chakraborty, Anaya and 10 yr old Aranya.
The Shoghi train station.
Station master with train control mechanism.
On 24 May, we took the local bus from Shoghi to Shimla to look-see the busy town, and to find out the bus schedule from Shimla to Aut, where our next destination would be.
Shimla is a hilly thoroughfare, crowded with shops and people. We enjoyed a lunch of chowmien there.
25 May - 7 Jun 2011: Tirthan Valley, Himachal Pradesh
We found Tirthview Homestay on the web. Actually its website offered very little info and its location seems to be in the middle of nowhere, between road and the Great Himalayan National Park. But that was precisely what attracted us. Our desire was to get to a place in the middle of nowhere, and spend some quiet time in nature, and also to complete some of the outstanding seva projects for DKP and Tribal School Project.
On 25 May morning, Atanu kindly gave us a lift in his car from Veer Garh Homestay to Shoghi town centre where we took a bus to Shimla ISBT bus terminal. There we caught a bus to Mandi at 11am. We arrived at Mandi at about 5pm and changed to another bus bound for Kullu but alighted at Aut.
Hari Singh and Ashish met us at Aut and took us by car to the Tirthview Homestay, yet another hour's drive towards the Great Himalayan National Park, along the majestic Tirthan River.
Tirthview Homestay is that green roofed house in this photo on the right. >
A close-up view of Tirthview Homestay taken from across the valley on our trek to the Hippo Fall just outside the Great Himalayan National Park.
Even closer up view of the lovely Tirthview Homestay. We were so honoured to learn that it was newly completed and that we were its first guests!
The Tirthan Valley
Breathtaking valley scenery of the Tirthan Valley, with snow-capped peaks peeking from afar in the Great Himalayan National Park.
The Tirthan River flows in the middle with Goshaini town at the bottom right of the picture. The Tirthview Homestay is situated on the left hillside but just out of the view.
Peaks in Great Himalayan National Park.
Zoom-in to the right corner of the photo on left.
People who took so good care of us at Tirthview Homestay:
1.
Hari Singh - the always so caring and attentive host.
2. Dipu - son of Hari who assisted his father so ever diligently.
3. Hari's mother-in-law - the chef who fed us so well. Her Aloo Gobi was Robyn's all time favourite dish.
26 May 2011 - Driveabout in the Tirthan Valley
Thanks to Dishu who drove us around the valley, we got to enjoy many beautiful sights and meet many wonderful friends, and taste some local eateries' offering.
26 May: Dishu drove us around the valley.
We had tea at home of Rimple, Ishan and Prakash.
Boss of Icy Spicy, Rajeev and son.
Robyn with the daughters of a campsite owner.
27 May 2011 - Tirthan River
Tirthview Homestay is perched on the valley hillside with the Tirthan River raging just 200m below, which provides a continuous gushing melody to mesmerize us even as we sleep. On this day, Hari led us down a trail to enjoy a close-up experience of the river. The water was crystal clear and freezing cold. Trout are aplenty in this river but we didn't manage to spot any.
Hari and Robyn at the Tirthan River.
Jin at the Tirthan River.
28-29 May - Overnight Camping at the Hippo Fall
The Hippo Fall is a lovely campsite situated 6km from Goshaini, just outside of the Great Himalayan National Park entrance. Ashish organized a trek for us there with overnight camping led by Murali and assisted by Dipu.
The trek follows the river towards the Great Himalayan National Park. It was an easy walk with breathtaking scenery along the way.
Jin and Robyn trekking to the Hippo Fall.
The trail passes by some villages.
We rested here for tea.
Great view of the raging river.
This was our first trekking trip since we got to India so the 12km to-fro distance was a good warm up for more trekking to come. We even bought a pair of shoes each since we came to India only in slippers!
Last rest stop before the Hippo Fall.
Bridge across to the campsite.
The Hippo Fall.
Do you see the Hippo?
Old scout and young Brownie pitching tent.
A lovely campsite.
A close-up experience of the raging Hippo Fall.
Robyn 'Om' with the Hippo.
Alvin and Jin yoga with the Hippo.
Robyn the elastic girl.
The Yongs on the rock.
The Yongs at the river.
Maggie dinner by the starry night.
Sure it'll burn...?
Campfire burning beautifully.
Experimental photography!
Brushing teeth by the stream.
Examining a hollow tree.
Tirthview Homestay in background.
The overnight trek and camping had been a most wonderful adventure for us in the Tirthan Valley. It was a new experience for Robyn to take in a raging white water river up close, drink from it, brush teeth by the stream, prepare a campfire and enjoy a magical starry night sky by a warming campfire.