By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
Three years ago, Indian PM Narendra Modi and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which was popularly called Kashi-Kyoto agreement. The MOU, signed by Mayor of Kyoto Daisaku Kadokawa and Ambassador of India to Japan Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa, called for an exchange of ideas over education, research, conservation of historical monuments, city’s modernisation and enhancement of city’s culture.
However, this ‘exchange’ was supposed to be more beneficial for Kashi, than Kyoto. The MoU was meant to serve Modi’s constituency in aspects of water, waste, sewer and transport systems through a steering committee which was formed especially for this MoU.
The 11-member steering committee was headed by Secretary (Urban Development), Government of India. The other members of the committee included, Director General, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary concerned of the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Joint Secretary level officers of the Union Ministries of Culture, Human Resource Development, Finance, External Affairs and Urban Development besides Mayor and Municipal Commissioner of Varanasi and Chairman/Commissioner, Varanasi Development Authority.
However, except the student exchange program between Banaras Hindu University and the Kyoto University of Japan, nothing has been achieved so far. Even the agreement between these two universities was signed at least a year after Modi’s agreement with the city.
When Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Varanasi on December 12 along with the Indian PM, it started rumours that this visit might boost development. But apart from cosmetic changes like bringing in LED and solar lights, it did nothing else.
The MoU had also involved the Kyoto’s municipal corporation, and to materialise this deal between these two cities, a delegation comprising city’s Mayor Ramgopal Mohle, District Magistrate, some MLAs and others did visit the Japenese city on several occasions.
At present, Varanasi has not developed any aspect other than LED lights which are still being installed in corners of the city. With Yogi Adityanath in the state, it is being speculated that things may get back on track soon. But after three years of the agreement, the state and centre are yet to implement the direct involvement of city of Kyoto into several projects of Varanasi.
The interesting fact is that BJP MLAs of the city do not know about the works being done in the city, and also about this across country agreement of development. MLA Ravindra Jaiswal said that he did not have much knowledge about the agreement, and he did not know the works done under this agreement. Jaiswal said that he needs to go through it before talking about it. A couple of other MLAs which have been newly elected in the recent assembly elections also had the same reaction.
Varanasi’s municipal commissioner Nitin Bansal did not know much about the content of the friendship treaty. But for Bansal, things are new as he took charge in the first week of July. Bansal said, “Sewage treatment plants and other projects are underway, but I don’t know if they are mentioned under the agreement.”
A convention centre designed and developed by Japan is proposed in municipal corporation and that is proposed to be functional from June 2018. And this convention centre could be the first concrete proof of the agreement, which Varanasi people would witness.
As per a source in the Varanasi’s municipal corporation, many proposed projects from Kyoto side are yet to pass through official channel because the corporation is itself fighting with already assigned works. We tried to contact city’s mayor Ramgopal Mohale, but despite several attempts, TwoCircles.net could not reach him.
The agreement between the Kashi and Kyoto has also faced criticism from residents of Varanasi. Chief priest at Sankatmochan Temple and IIT-BHU Professor Vishwambhar Nath Mishra remarked, “Kashi is culturally rich and more prosperous than Kyoto, why it should be limited and developed like that,” he said in a public gathering a week back.
May be it is the idleness of the state or the laziness of the official channel, but three years after Modi promised to turn Kashi into Kyoto, the truth is that people of Varanasi are still crossing streets through knee-deep waterlogging during the monsoon season.