E-Paper
To quench birds’ thirst, Rajasthan BJP puts up ‘saffron’ water bowls
Party plans to install 5,000 such parindas across Jaipur; it will also set up ‘kamal water huts’ in all 91 wards of city
With summer at its peak, the ruling BJP in Rajasthan on Friday launched a programme to quench the thirst of birds and commuters. Under the initiative the party will install 5,000 parindas (water bowls for birds) and set up several pyaus (water huts) in each of the 91 wards of Jaipur by Sunday.
The party has got these parindas and pyaus painted in saffron and green — the BJP colours, leading to accusations from some quarters of ‘saffronising’ a humane campaign.
Assembly elections in the state are just months away.
Chief minister Vasundhara Raje inaugurated the campaign by installing a water bowl at Jawahar Circle Park. A water hut was also set up at Airport road. The BJP workers will run the water huts that have been named ‘Kamal Pyau.’
Mayor Ashok Lahoti said that the plan was to install 5,000 water bowls across the city and at least one pyau in each ward. While the party leaders have termed campaign as social service, the attempt is also to derive political mileage by painting the pots in saffron colour and using the lotus motifs — BJP’s poll symbol — at the water huts.
“It is a good initiative by the government which will quench the thirst of birds and people. But unlike humans, birds don’t recognise colour. So the motive is clear,” animal activist Babula Jajoo said.
The RSS has also been running a campaign in Rajasthan to install the parindas. As part of the campaign launched in April, a number of water bowls for birds have been installed in villages in Jaipur district.
At part of the campaign, parindas were installed to offer water to the birds on the trees in each of 64 houses in village Keshavpura in Chaksu near Jaipur.
About a year back, the BJP-run government had begun distributing bicycles painted orange to schoolgirls in a bid to reduce the dropout rate. The Congress had then termed it an attempt to “saffronise” education.
Rajasthan Health Minister Kalicharan Saraf said the plan to set up `piaos’ for birds and people will be extended from Jaipur to the entire state very soon.
WITH PTI
