Dr. Bhupinder's Letter to The Chief Ministers of East (India)  and West Punjab (Pakistan) for Opening Fazilka-Mcelodganj Railway Link with Pakistan

The Chief Ministers of East Punjab and West Punjab

World Punjabi Conference,

Patiala

[December 1-3, 2004]

Honorable Sirs,

We the residents of the Fazilka Tehsil of Firozpur District appeal to the restart of the Rail link between Fazilka –Mcelodganj of NWR that was in operation till 1947, till it was snapped by Radcliffe line.

Mr. Pats Vans Agnew installed this town in 1844 on the banks of the river Sutlej near the present Suleimaniki Head works. It was a prosperous town providing transfer of packed ginned cotton and wool from hinterlands of both Punjabs as far away as erstwhile Bahawalpur and Bikaner states. The town got a set back when the rail link running from Ludhiana to Karachi was truncated to make Fazilka a rail terminus. Even with Steam locomotion, the products of this region would reach Karachi for transfer to Europe in short time. The town named after Mian Mohd. Fazil, the chief of this area has been waiting for wisdom to prevail between the governments of these two sovereign states

We have been waiting anxiously for the restart of this rail link even if for transit of goods traffic so that the products can reach interior and Northern Europe via Bandar Abbas in Iran. There is talk of the gas pipeline from Turkmenistan requiring huge installation bill, while the rail link between Fazilka and Mcleodganj will require retrofitting of only 10 km of rail track to enable the goods trains loaded with CONTAINERS to reach the seaport at Karachi on the way to Europe enabling this town to again hum with trading activity. .

We humbly appeal to your honorable Sirs to kindly sanction and bring to life this rail route for bringing prosperity to the people residing near the Beit area of Sutlej from Fazilka in India to Mithankot in Pakistan

We remain,

The well-wishers of the people of Punjab
Fazilka

November 29, 2004

^Top^

Lecture Delivered By Dr. Bhupinder Singh at Rotary Club Fazilka
"FAZILKA-THE TOWN AND PEOPLE"

Highlights

        Most of the towns and villages in this region take their names from the habits of people living in the particular region. There are villages with names like “hamlet of the bitter people” (Kaurian-wali) and the “hamlet of the chiefs” (Paincha-wali). And of course there are villages with silly names like” where the asses got drowned” (Gaddon-doab) took place. Fazilka is of course the town of the learned people (‘Fazil’ in Persian means learned person).

The present town has its in origin in 1844, even though this region on the left bank of the longest river Sutlej of the Punjab was on the route of caravans coming from central Asia via Multan since ancient times. The present town is well planned right-angled cross layout right from its inception. Le Corbusier planned the modern capital of the Punjab in 1950’s while this town had well planned layout and sewer system in 1850’s, (100 years ahead of the present times) The democracy came to Fazilka in 1867 in the form of a directive of elected members for the municipality of the town with well defined wards for election purposes........

Read/Download the full lecture (.doc format)

^Top^

BADHA LAKE SAD STORY

THE DAMAGED ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT OF FAZILKA REGION

       The prosperous town of Fazilka and the on in this Tehsil of Firozpur district of the Punjab is irreparable in terms of lost water bodies which were there in the form of horse-shoe lakes which had grown by natural processes in thousands of years. The pen of Radcliffe built an un-natural boundary across this fertile land irrigated by five perennial rivers of over lakh of years. This unnatural boundary cultivated at the instance of leaders of the land caused damage, which cannot be corrected. The so called water commission which decided the distribution of these so called new sovereign states, not only caused migration of races and tribal which inhabited these plains, also caused damage to the terrain due to corrupt political attitudes. The international laws for using water of rivers, which pass through several political domains known as Riparian laws, were not followed and the result is the suffering of the people of the region who live on the newly formed tail of river Sutlej just ahead of Suleimanki Head Works (1910 vintage). The cultured societies in Europe, where river Rhine flows understand this business. The political leaders of these European countries understand what river means. They use the water and after it has performed its function, the water is fed back to the river in the same quality at which it was pumped from Rhine.

Major Losses to the City

• More than 2 Lakhs hand pump become obsolete due to fall in Ground water Level (Picture 1 & 2)

• A man around 50 Year of Age has become handicapped due to Fluorides in Ground Water (Picture 3)

Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3

• Increased TDS (Total Dissolved Solid) in the ground water caused efflorescence (Salt Deposition). Picture 4 shows the external wall dried up with salt deposition after construction in year 2003.

• Submersible pumps are the only alternative left for farmers (Picture 5)

Picture 4	Picture 5

• The Unorganized Entrepreneurs are struggling to survive

  • The True Punjabi Spirit of doing honest work : Prantha maker on cart (Picture 6)

  • The Vegetable sellers have to reduce expenses by resorting to footpath selling (Picture 7)

  • Vehicles are loaded fully with the men and materials to extract the oil energy : Increasing Pollution level (Picture 8)

  • The obsolescence of irrigation system of Yore : Dried Wells (Picture 9)

Picture 6	Picture 7
Picture 8	Picture 9

1. The Central Government of India that devised the schemes for sharing the waters of the ancient five rivers of the Punjab through its agency known as Water Commission
2. The state Government of Punjab for not pleading for the International Riparian Laws
3. The Beas and Bhakra Management Board for over and ill use of stored water without an effective and long range algorithm
4. The government of Rajasthan and Mariana who wish to take away water of the Punjab rivers without any rights and not able to support with grains for the country due to mal management of the water and cropping schemes.

WHAT ARE THE RECTIFYING STEPS?

1. The feeder for supplying water to the now dried up lakes at Badha and Asafwala near Fazilka town for replenishing the eco system.
2. The enlivening the Sutlej stream domain from Firozpur to Fazilka for optimised discharge for the farmers of Beit lands inhabited by tribes who can not even use the river for disposal of dead bodies as they were doing for ages.
3. Funds for recovery of damage done to the eco system with well managed plantations.
4. Distribution Piping system for dispensing potable water to the residents of the town
5. Provide mass scale Primary Education to educate the newly born generation to understand the conservation of resources.

(Article By Dr. Bhupinder Singh, Roorkee, 2005)

^Top^

A Dream Come True

The work on the Fazilka-Abohar rail link is likely to be commenced soon. A rail link anywhere on the planet brings the people nearer, and creates opportunities, which have not been possible with any other means of transport. Independence of India would have not been possible if there were no railways in India. Fazilka­Abohar rail link should have been the first project in free India as it would have coupled this border town to Southern States, but as we say "Deir aye Drusat aye", the news about this rail link being executed by Ministry of Railways is welcome. What it means to people in Fazilka region and to some remote hamlet in Kerala is described in this dream?

Read/Download Full Story (.pdf Format)

^Top^

Dr. Bhupinder Singh's Message to Fazilka Citizens

On the occasion of Fazilka's First Art, Culture and Food Festival, Mehak Sarhad Di-2006

^Top^