DEVELOPING LUMBINI AS EPICENTRE OF WORLD PEACE

Developing Lumbini as Epicenter of World Peace

(Published in The Kathmandu Post, June 9, 2016)

                                                                                           Sandhya Regmi

sandhyaregmi2000@gmail.com         

Recently, the third International Buddhist Conference in Kathmandu on 19-20 May, followed by the 2560^th Buddha Jayanti celebration in Lumbini concluded, with the central theme: Lumbini as the birthplace of Buddha, the fountain of Buddhism and world peace.

Its participants included venerable monks and respectable nuns, professors, educationist, cultural experts & archaeological, artists, research scientists, dignitaries, Buddhist scholars, devotees, enthusiasts from over 32 countries, and the government-level delegations from 28 states.

Discovering the Epicenter of World Peace

The conference was special in many ways. Based on the archaeological evidences, and historical facts, and relying on the scientific principles, the event reaffirmed Lumbini as the birthplace of Buddha, and origin of Buddhism and the fountain of world peace.

Presenting his research paper “New Archaeological Discoveries in Nepal’s Natal Landscape of the Buddha”, Professor  Robin Coningham of UK’s Durham University concluded—based on the historical facts and their calibration with other contemporary archaeological evidence—that Buddha was born in Lumbini. He revealed that in 1896 General Khadka Shamsher and Dr. Anton Fuhrer had uncovered in Rumindei in the Terai a stone pillar with an inscription carved in early Brahmi script that read: “Beloved of the Gods, King Piyadasi (Ashoka) when 20 years consecrated came to worship saying here the Buddha Sakyamuni was born.” Belonging to the corpus erected by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka across South Asia, the pillar’s inscription confirmed the site as Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha.

Another research paper on the birthplace confirmation was presented by Professor Anil Shakya - Bhikshu 'Sungandha' - of Thailand’s Mahamakut Buddhist University. In proving the case, he highlighted the fact that the inscription engraved on the Lumbini pillar in 5 lines consists of 93 Brahmi characters, which includes: ‘HidabhagavamjatetiLumminigame: Lumbini village where the Buddha was born.’     

The participants converged on the point of oneness of Buddha and Buddhism, and considered Lumbini to be the epicenter of world peace.

Being a deep admirer of Buddha’s teachings & philosophies, and being an artist of Buddha portraits, I felt privileged to take part in the conference. Besides, this conference provided me an opportunity to display my creations of Buddha portraits on canvas in the grand conference hall of Soaltee Crown Plaza.

The conference concluded in Lumbini on 21^st May with a 10-point Declaration, endorsing a plan to promote Lumbini as the centre of Buddhist faith.

Tasks Ahead

The greatest challenge ahead is the effective execution of the Lumbini Declaration. At its core lies the issue of how to achieve the timely implementation of Lumbini World Peace City Master Plan. While the funding sources and investment modalities are expected to play critical role in shaping the process, importance of the following matters should not be underestimated.

1)     Conserving Lumbini’s Environment

First and foremost, Lumbini should be free from environmental hazards. The main threat comes from the proliferating carbon emitting factories—particularly, cement, brick and steel industries—in the periphery. The emissions are putting both the social and the natural environmental health under serious threat of degradation in general, and the temples, monasteries and the 20 century old Ashoka pillar, in particular.

A comprehensive air quality assessment conducted at the Lumbini World Heritage Site and its vicinity by the WHO in 2013 showed that the PM2.5 (fine particles) touch unhealthy level of 270 µg/m3 which is 11 times higher than the WHO permissible level. The noise pollution too exceeds the standard of 50 dB and 40 dB at day and night-time respectively. The solid waste is ever increasing in Lumbini. As an Environmental Engineer, I am convinced that these conditions pose serious health hazards especially the respiratory and heart diseases on human beings and threats to biodiversity, and the ancient monuments.

Immediate and stringent legal actions should be thus taken by government, concerned ministries and Lumbini Development Trust to exclude all carbon-emitting industries established within the Lumbini Protected Zone - which is the region covering a 15 km aerial distance from the Lumbini Project Area. Furthermore, less polluting technologies, such as solar PV and electric vehicles should be promoted in the heritage site.

2) Globalizing Buddhist Education System

Buddhism’s another unique attribute to the society is education. In fact, the heart of Buddhism is education, and Buddha is synonym to Teaching.

The Lumbini declaration endorses to promote Lumbini as the centre for International Buddhist studies with Lumbini Buddhist University as an international centre for its excellence. 

Lumbini should be developed as an academic hub, establishing institutions covering studies and researches on Buddhism. Besides, it should be made obligatory to include Buddha and His Teachings in the curriculum of the educational institutions throughout the world, starting from the primary level. This would help induce and enhance students’ high moral principles.

Buddhist teachings go beyond formal educations in universities and institutions—where one earns degrees merely for bread-and-butter and for comfortable and luxurious physical life. In contrast, the Teachings have their own philosophy of holistic education that help understand the whole process of life through the inner-intelligence. They are solutions to ever-increasing human sufferings. Buddhism shows a secular and universal path to mankind in the most scientific approach for establishment of sustainable peace, happiness and prosperity. Albert Einstein once said - “If there is any religion that could respond to the needs of modern science, it would be Buddhism.”-

3)     Promoting Buddhist Culture and Heritage

 

Buddha was arguably the first scientist in the world to give scientific vision to humanity. To sustain Buddha’s teachings we have to promote and protect the historical sites, and also preserve them for the future generation.

Nepal should promote more academic researches, archeological excavations, restoration and conservation works and scholarly engagement in Lumbini, Kapilvastu, Devdaha, Ramgram, Tilaurakot and all the Buddha-related religious historical places, and develop them as tourist destination.

Besides, co-operations and coordination throughout the world are needed to preserve and promote Buddhist temples, monasteries, pagodas, sculptures, libraries, museums and art galleries. Most importantly the state needs to have strong political commitment and allocate necessary funds for these purpose.

More interactions, communications and events organization in collaboration with the international communities are needed. This could include seeking UN’s endorsement for celebrating Buddha Jayanti day and organizing international Buddhist conference annually in Nepal, and developing Lumbini as the Mecca of Buddhist Pilgrimage.

(The author is the founding Chairperson of Buddha Harmony Academy)R

POLLUTION HAZARD AT YOUR DOORSTEP

Pollution Hazard At Your Doorstep

(Published in The Kathmandu Post, Ma6 , 2016)

                                                                                           Sandhya Regmi

sandhyaregmi2000@gmail.com         

Environmental-pollution-induced health hazards in Kathmandu are only getting uglier. Kathmanduties are facing ever-bulging health issues due to continued attack from all the three fonts: air, noise, and water pollutions.

Recently, Kathmandu was tagged as the world’s third most polluted city-slipping down two places from its 2015 position, as reported in the Kathmandu Post. This tag is consistent with the Clean Energy Nepal’s 2014 report. It revealed that the city’s aerosol in core urban places like Putalisadak, during the rush hours in dry season, carries PM2.5 as high as 260µg/m3, which is over 10 times the WHO’s set limit of 25µg/m3. PM2.5 is the particulate matter suspended in the air that are smaller than 2.5 micron, which is small enough to enter our lung while breathing.

Health issues created by unhygienic drinking water that the city’s residence have been compelled to use over the decade has the story of its right.  Less talked about but equally dangerous devil damaging our health is the noise pollution.

The major culprits behind the air and noise pollution in the city are the vehicles and the diesel power generators, both of them have been growing exponentially. Vehicles count has multiplied over threefold within a decade—according to the data from Department of Transport Management—in Bagmati Zone, which accounts for 45% of the total vehicles registered in the whole country.

Thanks to the persistent load shedding induced by the state’s reckless energy policy, the valley is facing threat  from another, otherwise avoidable, major culprit—diesel power generator. To make the matter worse, the generator is more active during the dry season, when the load shedding hits 18 hours a day, synergizing the pollution effect. According to a study by Clean Air Network Nepal,  59% of the total diesel volume sold in the city—during the fiscal year 2011/2012—were consumed by the generators alone. Over the past four years since that study, use of the generators have likely multiplied. For,  around my own neighborhood alone, the generators population has consistently been growing. 

These pollutions are directly linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, damaging our health and threatening our lives. A WHO study in 2009 estimated 1,926 cases of premature deaths annually. Clean Energy Nepal reported in 2014 that the number of hospitalized Chronic-Obstructive-Pulmonary-Disease (COPD) patients is highest during the dry season, when air pollution is at its peak.

The other day, I, myself landed in the ICU bed of Om Hospital & Research Centre in Chabahil. There I found myself with my arms tangled in four types of drips with the nurses continuously monitoring the data from all the four sides for BP, heart rate, temperature, and oxygen flow to my lung. I had to be hospitalized to treat against the extreme flare-up of my bronchial asthma, as a direct consequence of the worsening pollution in the Kathmandu valley.

Like any other Kathmanduties, I too am a direct victim of air pollution, water pollution, and noise pollution. Ironically, my physical suffering is compounded by mental anguish that springs from my underlying training and consciousness on environmental matters.

When I returned to my homeland with specialization in Environmental Engineering from National University of Singapore and after conducting research in Clean Energy from the University of Tokyo, I had a dream to contribute to the sustainable development of this beautiful Himalayan nation, restoring and preserving its green, and pollution-free environment. I knew we had to walk miles and that it takes more than individual initiative to materialize this beautiful dream. I had, and still have, the determination to contribute my share to that end. But little did I know the harsh reality that I have to face the environmental pollution at my own doorsteps.

From one side, we are tortured by Amol Cyber’s generators in Dhobighat, which operate non-stop during the load shedding hours, producing loud noise and emitting poisonous fumes—of black carbon and carbon monoxide—facing directly to our garden. The little piece of garden where we could breathe morning’s fresh air has turned into a chamber of poisonous gas and irritating noise.  Victimized by this pollution, my octogenarian bed-ridden parents have become patients of bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, hyper tension, depression, insomnia and loss of hearing. Besides I am worried about fire or explosion that may erupt anytime due to lapse of safety standard in operating that generator. 

And from the other side, we are continuously distressed by Dhobighat’s ‘Mirror Club and Lounge’ that runs disco every night, from 11pm till 4am. Its unfettered loud noise during the prime sleeping time flouts any rational standard, depriving the neighborhood of sound sleep, and of the right to live peacefully in own house.  

My attempts to fight with these polluters have remained futile. The Amol Cyber owner refuses to believe that using silencer and providing chimney to the generators is his duty. The issue with the ‘Mirror’ is more complicated. Many in the neighborhood are scared even to raise this noise pollution issue.  Attempts by neighborhood police box to regulate the pub has failed. The bar’s illegal activities are being protected by some invisible powers associated with the state authorities. 

Do I have the right to breath in clean air, and to live in pollution-free environment in my own home? On paper, yes. Nepal’s Constitution has enshrined this as a fundamental right of its citizens. It even promises to punish a polluter and require to compensate its victims. So, unless I am living in the failed state, it has the constitutional duty to ensure that right and to punish the polluter. Considering the state’s continued assertion that it is functional, I should not be facing any problem in exercising the basic right to breath clean air and to live in peaceful environment. 

If the state has not failed in discharging its constitutional duties or is colluding with the polluters, then owes me an answer. When will the state arrive in my locality to regulate the polluters, and how long do I need to continue to live in such suffocating environment?

(The Author is an Environmental Engineer)

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/printedition/news/2016-05-15/pollution-at-your-doorstep.html