Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 28 Nov: A Vimarsh programme on Security, Environmental Challenges and Tourism Prospects in Uttarakhand was organized at the Raj Bhavan auditorium, in which the Governor, Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd), participated as the Chief Guest.
In his address, the Governor said that today we must resolve to serve as the second line of security sentinels in Uttarakhand, to protect the environment by conducting ourselves like the ancient sages of Dev Bhoomi, and to embrace the ethos of Atithi Devo Bhava for the promotion of tourism. He emphasized that the youth and ex-servicemen, in particular, should take this pledge with firm determination. Everyone must understand that only when the nation thrives will society thrive, and only then will families flourish. He cited how the Mughals and the British attacked India’s self-respect and values, stressing that collective unity and harmony are essential to achieving national development and the goal of a developed India. For this, we must understand our challenges, our strengths, and our limitations.
Lt Gen Singh said that since 2014, the country’s top leadership has taken strong and decisive steps toward building an Aatmanirbhar, strong, and prosperous India. Today, we have effective leadership, the manpower of youth, and hardworking citizens. Therefore, we must have no hesitation about building a developed India. For Uttarakhand’s holistic development, he highlighted the need for five revolutions—Honey Revolution, Aroma Revolution, Millet Revolution, Self-Help Group Revolution, and Homestay Revolution.
LT Gen AK Singh, speaking on security implementation in the specific context of Uttarakhand, said that the China-Pakistan nexus, Bangladesh’s increasing proximity to Pakistan, smuggling along borders, cyberattacks, negative social media, anti-national toolkits, and hostile propaganda are major threats to both external and internal security. To counter internal threats, he urged Indian citizens to remain trained, educated, aware, and committed to loyalty, dedication, and service to the nation.
Padma Shri awardee Kalyan Singh Rawat, founder of the Maiti Movement, addressing on environmental issues, said that the bānjh (Himalayan oak) tree is central to Uttarakhand’s ecology. The British felled oak trees for charcoal production and introduced exotic chir pine for resin and industrial needs. As a result, oak forests have shrunk to around 14 percent, while chir pine has expanded to over 27 percent. The reduction of oak trees has dried natural water sources in the mountains, lowered forest moisture, and deprived wildlife of greenery and drinking water, pushing animals toward human settlements and increasing human-wildlife conflict. The invasive spread of chir pine is causing the disappearance of native species. Forest fires are also largely caused by chir pine, and the soot (black carbon) produced accelerates glacier melt, forming unstable high-altitude lakes that pose seismic hazards.
He recommended allowing local communities to fell chir pine trees on the condition that they plant oak in their place. Where banyan, peepal, neem, and other indigenous species can grow, these should also be planted. Speaking about the spread of lantana and congress grass, he said these invasive plants have wiped out local grasses and shrubs. He also noted that wild boars have begun to appear in fragile alpine meadows (bugyals), uprooting soil and threatening medicinal herbs, which could increase landslides in the future. Referring to the Maiti Movement, he said that if every bride and groom planted and protected even one tree at the time of marriage, a large number of trees could be planted annually, significantly contributing to re-greening efforts. He appealed to people to join the Maiti Movement emotionally and wholeheartedly.
Commander Deepak Khanduri, speaking on tourism prospects in Uttarakhand, presented the various rapidly developing dimensions of tourism such as rural tourism, ecotourism, lake tourism, wellness tourism, spiritual tourism, adventure tourism, angling tourism, and wildlife tourism. He noted that most tourists remain concentrated in Nainital, Mussoorie, Haridwar, and Rajaji National Park, overloading the carrying capacity of these regions and posing challenges in traffic management, safety, and crowd control. He stressed the need for tourism diversification, saying new tourist destinations must be developed across the state to distribute visitors more evenly. He added that with support from the Central Government and persistent efforts of the State Government, rapid and high-quality improvements are being made in ropeways, roads, air, and rail connectivity. Numerous tourist sites around the state have been identified and are being developed. Many master plans and tourism circuits are also underway to make Uttarakhand the number-one tourism state in the country.
The inaugural address was delivered by Lt Gen (Retd) BK Chaturvedi, President of the All-India Ex-Servicemen Council, and the concluding address was delivered by Col (Retd) Ajay Kothiyal.
The programme was attended by SS Negi, Vice-Chairman of the Uttarakhand Rural Development and Migration Prevention Commission, along with several retired military officers including CK Ahluwalia, Pradeep Joshi, and a large number of ex-servicemen and school students.
