Veteran Cong leader attends Mehalchauri Fair, accuses govt of betraying Gairsain
By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Gairsain (Chamoli), 30 Oct: Former Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Harish Rawat today attended the four-day folk, cultural and agricultural development fair at Mehalchauri in Gairsain block as the chief guest on the third day of the event. The fair committee welcomed him with a memento and a shawl, extending a warm felicitation for his presence at the occasion.
In his characteristic style, Rawat declared that he has vowed that he would not become old till he would one day serve Mandua biscuits and Jhangora to US President Donald Trump. He also noted that Trump is these days very much in news in India and in across the globe.
On this occasion, Rawat also dropped hints about positioning himself as the Congress party’s principal face for the 2027 Assembly elections. Addressing the large gathering at the fairground, he observed that such fairs serve as the nucleus of a region’s cultural vitality and that they provide platforms for social interaction and for local talents to exhibit their skills. Praising the traders for their active participation in the agriculture fair, he described the Mehalchauri fair as a true reflection of regional unity and cultural harmony.
Taking a swipe at the Pushkar Singh Dhami Government on this occasion, Rawat claimed that, since 2017, Gairsain has not moved even an inch forward from where he had left it during his tenure as the CM. Expressing concern over the rampant sale of land in Uttarakhand, he lamented that even the sacred lands of the local Deity Bhumia Devta were being sold to make way for grand buildings. However, he commended the people of Chamoli for their awareness, as the district continues to witness fewer land transactions.
Rawat urged that the collective dream of developing Gairsain must be fulfilled with unity and commitment, accusing the present government of deceiving the people of the region. Rawat called upon citizens to safeguard the essence of “Gairsainiyat” and the identity of Uttarakhand.
During the fair, he also felicitated noted personalities of Gairsain including Lakhpat Singh Rawat, Jagdish Dhoundiyal, Prem Singh Rawat and Surendra Singh Rawat. He later also sought blessings from Baba Prakash Giri Maharaj at the Mehalchauri temple.
Harish Rawat is these days on a tour of Garhwal. It may be recalled that, yesterday, he had also participated in the agriculture and cultural fair in Jakholi in district Rudraprayag where he had felicitated renowned Jagar singer Pritam Bhartwan. Yesterday, Rawat had also uploaded a video ‘exposing the poor conditions’ of the road in the hills and had criticised the officials of PWD for claiming that 95 percent roads had been repaired across the state after the monsoon period.
