NDA has put fear of God in social movements: Jairam Ramesh.
In ‘Indira Gandhi: A Life in Nature’, former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh has attempted to cast Indira Gandhi in a new light, as an environmentalist who was content in the midst of nature.
When I was environment minister, I was informed about Indira Gandhi’s contribution to preserving the environment.
There have been many biographies chronicling the life of Indira Gandhi, but nobody has focused on her as an individual.
She depended on a few selected friends — Salim Ali, Billy Arjan Singh, Duleep Matthai, and her officials.
If there is one figure who influenced her the most, it was Salim Ali.
During Mrs Gandhi’s tenure, she halted projects that threatened the environment.
Indira Gandhi was the first and last prime minister whose head and heart was committed to the environment, I have no hesitation in saying this.
All social movements have been suspect in the last three years, the fear of God has been put into them.
Today the voice of civil society has been completely muted.

Somalis Hold Special Prayers for Rain as Severe Drought Continues.
Thousands of Somalis gathered in the capital of Mogadishu to offer prayers to God Thursday to send down rains and end the country’s three-year drought, which has pushed it to the brink of famine.
Video Pleasure usapost.org In attendance were a large number of dignitaries, including Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheyre, senior government officials, several Muslim clerics, and the student community, Shabellenews reports.
The gathering, which was held at the Isbaheysiga Mosque, was also attended by citizens.
The Muslim clerics who led prayers called on Allah to send down rain on the Somali people affected by the drought while urging the public to turn to God, “repent,” and offer more prayers.
Poor rainfalls in the last three consecutive years in Somalia and much of the area around the Horn of Africa has led to a drastic drop of water levels in rivers, streams, and other bodies of water.
Meteorologists say the El Nino weather phenomenon, which has affected much of east and southern Africa, is partly responsible for Somalia’s current drought.
Somalia is one of four nations the UN considers to be at risk of extreme hunger and famine — along with Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen.
The authorities have already declared a famine in South Sudan.
The BBC reports that in addition to the lack of food caused by the drought, cases of dehydration are widespread and deaths have been reported due to cholera, which is often spread due to lack of clean drinking water.