Spiritual Himalaya Diaries

Who Really Benefits from India’s Development Projects That Cut Trees? Who Really Benefits From Development Projects That Cut Trees in India? India is a country of extraordinary natural wealth—dense forests, rich biodiversity, fertile river valleys, wildlife corridors, tribal homelands, and ecosystems that have taken thousands of years to evolve. Yet, for the last few decades, the pace at which forests are being cut in the name of development has drastically accelerated. Roads, dams, hydropower plants, railway lines, mining projects, expressways, industrial corridors, smart cities, ports, airports, tourism zones—each one of these requires land. And in a land-scarce country like India, the easiest land to acquire is often forest land . Why? Because forest land belongs to the state, and displacing trees is considered simpler than displacing people from cities. Mil...

Caste System in India: From Four Varnas to Thousands of Jatis & Today’s Reservation Politics Home All Posts Caste System in India Caste System in India: From Four Varnas to Thousands of Jatis & Today’s Reservation Politics By Khem Raj 14 November 2025 Introduction When we talk about the caste system in India, most people immediately remember the famous four-fold Varna system mentioned in ancient texts – Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. But if we look at real Indian society today, we do not see just four groups. We see thousands of Jatis (endogamous caste groups) – different in every region, language and profession. Scholars estimate that ...

India’s Air Apocalypse: Why Himalayan States Like Himachal Are Now Breathing Unhealthy Air Home › Environment › India’s Air Apocalypse India’s Air Apocalypse: Why Himalayan States Like Himachal Are Now Breathing Unhealthy Air #Himachal #Pollution #Climate #Tourism By Khem Raj • Updated today For decades, Indians treated the Himalaya as a backup pair of lungs. When the cities soured, the hills were our sweet escape. That story is cracking. Shimla, Manali, Kullu, Dharamshala, Solan, and especially the Baddi–Nalagarh belt now flash “Unhealthy” AQI far too often. This isn’t a random bad season; it’s a pattern built by how we travel, build, burn, and govern. This report maps the whole maze in plain words and hard logic, then lays out a fix that can start this month. Table of Contents Today’s Snapshot: ...