‘WORLD CULTURAL FESTIVAL’, held during 11-13 March 2016, on the floodplain banks of river Yamuna, New Delhi, by ART OF LIVING FOUNDATION......

I and my wife watched fully, the inaugural (1^st day: 11^th March) and concluding (3^rd day: 13^th March 2016) sessions of ‘World Cultural Festival’ organized by the ‘Art of Living Foundation’ of spiritual Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji..., held on the floodplain banks of river Yamuna in New Delhi and broadcasted live by DD Bharati (1^st day) and Samskar (3^rd Day) TV channels. The sessions, a grand and impressive display of varied Indian and world cultural programmes, were a memorable treat to the eyes and minds of those who participated in person or saw them fully. Thousands of artists performed varied cultural events on a single sprawling platform. Honestly, two eyes were not enough to watch the event......! As the programmes unfurled continuously for more than 3 hours each day in the evenings, I sent SMS to a number of my friends and relatives and asked them to watch because it was a rare treat to witness, perhaps once in a life time....!. Thousands of people, from 171 nations across the globe, from all walks of life which included traditional artists, intellectuals, politicians and ardent followers of AOL participated in the event.....!

As curtains were drawn for the programme yesterday late evening, I was baffled to note that all prime TV Channels and leading news papers of our country didn’t care to broadcast or report on this unique and grand world cultural fete, with a positive mind-frame! How come this became a non-event or controversial to these broadcasters...?  Our Honorable Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modiji inaugurated the programme, in the august presence of Deputy Speaker of Rajya Sabha and a host of cabinet ministers and numerous world leaders.  The concluding session was presided over by the Honourable Chief Minister of Delhi Sri Arvind Kejriwalji, again in the august presence of Speaker of Lok Sabha and a host of cabinet ministers and numerous world leaders.... Each and every cultural event, fond messages read by numerous world leaders and the divine address of Sri Sri Guruji are recurring in my mind today with positive energy.....   

Whole last week and prior to commencement of World Cultural Festival, almost all prime TV channels (except Zee TV) cried foul so loudly that the event will destroy the ecology and biodiversity of river Yamuna and its floodplain surroundings. The National Green Panel and a number of activists made a hue and cry on this issue. Everyone spoke so authoritatively on the possible destruction of ecology and biodiversity in the floodplains of river Yamuna. I was confused because it is my knowledge that such an event will not destroy the ecology so easily and NGP’s objections were to some extent unfounded. Any naturalist, with basic but holistic knowledge of ecology will realize that a few trees and shrubs growing sporadically in a given ecosystem do not constitute the overall biodiversity. In fact, it is the trillions and trillions of microorganisms, i.e. bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes and a vast array of microscopic to small-sized worms that make the bulk of biota of the region’s biodiversity. It is not possible to destroy the ecology so easily by a 3-day festival event. The National Green Panel didn't peruse the issue in its totality and they looked only from an angle of plant community. Instead of objecting, the NGP should have taken the request of AOL as an advantage to restore the floodplains with greenery, after the WCF event. In any case, Sri Sri has assured that AOL will assist in the restoration of the greenery along the river Yamuna...

What is the net effect of WCF? Let us look at this passionately...... The vast knowledge of our culture and heritage is widespread across the globe through those attended the programme. People will go back with fond memories of the event. I appeal the prime TV channels and main news papers to broadcast our heritage showcased through cultural extravaganza such as the world cultural festival fully, at least in the future.... We have many good things to tell to the rest of the world...... 

D. Jayarama Bhat