The first phase of the Uttarakhand Panchayat Polls went off smoothly except for the odd hiccup, including an attack by a candidate’s followers on a polling official. One official died while trekking up to a remote location. However, what is significant is that the ongoing monsoon rains did not deter either the election machinery, or the voters, from performing their respective duties. It was a healthy turnout, all things considered, touching seventy percent by present estimates.
Significantly, Uttarakhandis who are registered to vote in their ancestral villages but live in other parts of the country turned up to exercise their franchise in large numbers. The mostly abandoned villages witnessed a reunion of families and communities even if only for a day. One group reportedly even arrived in a helicopter to vote!
What does this enthusiasm indicate? First, in the present day of social media interaction, people are keeping in touch with the issues involving their state and villages. There is a desire to bring about the hoped-for development that could make these places ‘livable’ from the point of view of present-day requirements. This perhaps portends an inclination to return home at some point in their lives. There are already many examples of senior government officials who have retired to these remote areas. The late former Chief Secretary RS Tolia was among the first to have done so.
In fact, ever since the work from home alternative has become available, a significant number of young people have already settled in the hills, and invested their earnings in resorts, homestays, agricultural and horticultural start-ups, etc. They are tired of the metropolitan lifestyles that require long hours of commuting, facing pollution, and which provide little time for the self. With improved connectivity by road and air, they can dash off for meetings or other activities when required. It also proves less expensive.
It is only natural, therefore, for such people to feel vested in improving conditions in the hills, which also requires participating in local politics. The choice of village pradhan, in such a situation, becomes very important. If the public representatives at this level begin to do their job well, with a broader vision and in sync with government schemes, conditions can be created that could bring about the much hoped for reverse migration. It will also help disperse the concentration of population being witnessed in the cities and towns of Uttarakhand’s plains. So, the vote needs to be cast.
