Arunachal's PRI inspires war-hit Afghan Valley

Itanagar, Oct 21 (UNI) The Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) has inspired the rebuilding of the Bamiyan province of war-torn Afghanistan, where huge Bamiyan Buddha statues were demolished by the Taliban, according to former Canadian Minister Flora Isabel MacDonald.

The 80-year-old Future Generations chairperson, who has received the Padmashri Award, said Abdullah, an Afghan refugee and an active member of the international NGO, was impressed with the PRI system during his visit to Arunachal in 2003 and convinced the Afghan villagers to form village councils.

Seventy-five Village Councils and a Great Council were formed to bring back peace. The Great Council had unanimously resolved that no villager would have gun for fighting and killing and no poppies would be grown. Any violation would invite mandatory penalty, she informed adding the success story had drawn attention even of the UN. ''Arunachal could be an example of peace and harmony to the rest of the world, particularly Afghanistan and Egypt,'' Ms MacDonald added.

She had persuaded Abdullah, who had taken refuge in Canada after his family members, including his wife, were killed in the war, to return and help rebuild the Afghan society, the chairperson said.

Ms MacDonald, visited various places in the state and interacted with various sections of the people. She said the people of the state and Tibet have same lifestyle, culture and impressively rich bio-diversity, flora and fauna.

Major rivers like Yangtez, Mekong, Indus and Tsangpo flowing from Tibet Valey have been providing water resources to 1/5th of the world population.

Development has to progress slowly while protecting environment as there cannot be conflict between development and conservation, she commented while responding to a question. High dams have caused massive damages to the environment, she said citing the example of such a dam over Nile in Egypt.

Disapproving such high dams, she said that Canada, which have the largest fresh water resources in the world, generates electricity from the Niagara Falls that lights New York.

UNI UPB JYN DKB MSJ RN1323