Development should be environment friendly n pro people says Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi. People greet him on his 86th birthday in New Delhi

The former union minister , Home and Human Resource Development Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi is of the strong view that any development that harms our environment and leads to long term disaster to lives and habitats should be avoided and instead development that is environment friendly should be executed/ implemented.

A former freedom fighter, student leader of Allahabad university and professor of Science ( Phd in Physics)  Dr. Joshi was the president of Allahabad University Students Union during the fifties/ sixties who later on held various significant positions in the party as well as govt.

He was also the president of BJP, including union minister several times n played a pivotal role in making the party cadre based n strong at the grass roots during his tenure as its national chief.

Dr. Joshi was speaking to newsviewsnetwork.com informally at his residence 6 Raisina Road, on the ocassion of his birthday celebrations amid the folk music n dances of Uttarakhand.

Expressing his serious concern over the massive felling of trees under the guise of development in the Char Dham Yatra routes Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi said about 70 thousand fully grown pine trees and 763 villages are being allegedly uprooted in the process thus leading to gigantic harm to the lives n environment of the Himalayan state.

Dr. Joshi was catagorical in saying that playing with the ecology n environment, displacing a vast population n cutting thousands of trees is no solution in the name of development n should have been avoided at all costs.

The interaction with Dr. Joshi was quite casual/ informal but his concern towards the increasing environmental degradation in the name of so called development in the Char Dham areas of Uttarakhand  to increase road connectivity through the prime minister’s over ambitious Char Dham project of all weather roads was openly felt.

Sitting on a sofa with commandoes encircling him with his well wishers sitting on chairs facing him Dr. Joshi acknowleged bouquets n garlands from his followers n accquaintances wishing him good luck n long life on the ocassion of his 86th birthday.

Traditional folk musicians in Uttarakhand’s colourful traditional attire were dancing on the mesmerising folk tunes on the sprawling pitch green lawns at his residence in New Delhi .

The Parvatiya Lok Vikas Samittee led by its chief senior journalist Dr. Surya Prakash Semwal n Uday Sharma alongwith others garlended Dr. Joshi and wished him long life amid applause from the audience.

The union minister of state for textiles Ajay Tamta also wished Dr. Joshi on his birthday by presenting him a bouquet.

Prominent amongst those present on this ocassion were the former Councillor n senior Delhi state leader Jagdish Mamgain, Rakesh Dhasmana, former councillor Satya Joshi, advocate n activist Sanjay Sharma, national spokes person of AAP Harish Awasthi, Jagdish Bhatt, sr journalist Data Ram Joshi, Vinod Nautiyal of India Greens, Uday Sharma, poet Neeraj Bawri, president of Uttarakhand Journalists Forum Sunil Negi, social activist Bhanu Tiwari n several others.

Sweets were distributed to all those present by the staff of Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi. Dr. Joshi was present amongst his well wishers for more than two hours n happily accepted the good wishes interacting in an affable gesture.

The Parvatiya Lok Vikas Samittee chief n news editor of Punjab Kesari also presented a momento of mother Saraswati to Dr. Joshi wishing him good luck on his birthday.

A magazine titled HIM UTTARAYINI edited by Dr. Semwal dedicated on the life, achievements n contribution of Dr. Joshi in the freedom movement n the country’s development as union minister was also released on this ocassion. Dr. Joshi is also the recipient of coveted honour Padmvibhushan.

Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi is the tallest political stalwart in BJP having contributed tremendously in party affairs for more than five decades . He is these days in a sort of political oblivion while in the ruling party as the member of the politically defunt so called Marg Darshak Mandal alongwith the former deputy prime minister n party president L K Advani.

Everybody know how these two tallest stalwarts of the ruling party have been singled out in the name of being over aged n therefore not fit in active politics.