Integrate J&K and segregate Uttarakhand! Some fifty years ago, it used to be said that 22 families were in control of Kashmir and, not so long ago, this number had decreased to about four. This was one of the fallouts of Article 370. The demand being raised in Uttarakhand for a land law that will keep out the ‘capitalists’ and a domicile law that will turn a section of society into ‘outsiders’ flows from similar such ambitions among some. They are hoping to cash in on the insecurities of the general populace for their own political benefit.
Come election time and such interest groups become particularly active. These include wannabe politicians and a class of NGOs seeking to become even more influential. Mainstream politics has to indulge their demands so that some sentiment is not triggered and upsets electoral calculations. Opposition parties, of course, including those that should be more responsible, jump in without thought of the future. A great message sent out to those global investors with whom MOUs seeking investment worth lakhs of crores of rupees have been signed!
These demands are getting traction among the public, first, because there are issues that do need to be addressed. This, however, cannot be done through blanket laws that will throw the baby out with the bathwater. It must be noted that Himachal Pradesh, which has had laws denying property rights to outsiders, today has the highest unemployment rate in the country. It has failed to build on its potential, even though it may have benefited culturally and socially to some extent. Climate change is already impacting the horticulture sector, which is likely to make things worse. Uttarakhand does not need to repeat the same mistake. Ensuring the local culture and social security are not harmed can be done through better governance and enforcement of existing laws.
It seems that, for a section of society, the most fulfilling days were those of the agitation for a separate Uttarakhand. They miss that sentiment of being associated with a higher cause and would like to be back as the centre of attention. Marching crowds and clashes with the police are not the need of the hour. The state’s requirements are much more complex and there is the future of the youth at stake. Uttarakhand provides leadership in many sectors, both, nationally and internationally. Let it not be reduced to an insular concept that denies it the numerous opportunities offered by a rapidly changing world.
