By Dr. Satish C. Aikant
It is celebration time in Uttarakhand as the state completes twenty-five years of its formation. To reinforce the celebratory spirit, it seems, the authorities had included among other programmes a three day ‘comedy show’ for the Doonites to keep them in good humour. The event presumably ensured that not a shadow of grimness would mar the state festivities. The comedy show, of course, came at a price – Rs 2500 for a ticket. Since not many of the common folks would have been willing to pay this amount to get tickled, we should know who all had the last laugh.
The humour aside, isn’t it time for some serious introspection while taking stock of the achievements and failures of the state which has certainly come of age? Issues were debated in a three-day special session of the state assembly to mark the silver jubilee. An independent member raised the question of the permanent state capital. It is well known that both BJP and Congress have been dithering over the issue avoiding to make any firm commitment either way. The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal which had spearheaded the movement for the state had made it a core issue that once statehood was achieved Gairsain will be made the capital. Well, as the power went to the BJP and the Congress alternately, both showing reluctance to move away from Dehra Dun.
When the state of Uttarakhand was formed, it was hoped that it would set up a model in governance. Indeed, the very rationale for creation of the new entity was that it would meet the regional aspirations of its people in a much more effective manner than was the case when it was part of the larger, rather unwieldy, state of Uttar Pradesh. Alas! The promise has remained unfulfilled. For the people in the hills Dehradun, the present capital of Uttarakhand, is as distant as was Lucknow, not just in a spatial sense but also in terms of sentimental estrangement.
The issue of the capital is bound up not only with a particular place but also has a great symbolic significance. Its central location would have been a signal that our rulers and planners do care for the common people who have been living, perforce, on the fringes, and have remained isolated from the centre of power; neglected and almost forgotten.
Gairsain, the mid-point of Garhwal and Kumaun, and easily accessible to both regions, is the ideal choice for the state capital. The successive surveys have shown that the public in general is overwhelmingly in favour of it. Virendra Dixit Commission was set up in 2001 to recommend a location for the state capital. It submitted its report in 2008 while the BJP was in power. The Commission in its report stated that Gairsain was people’s choice for the permanent capital. The recommendations have not gone down well with the political leaders for obvious reasons. The successive governments have been sitting on the Commission’s report and have taken no action nor made up their mind. Neither any of the political parties nor the bureaucracy is interested in respecting the popular sentiment. Most of the top leaders in politics and bureaucracy have investments in land and bungalows in Dehradun which they cannot give up for the backwaters. Periodically the charade of holding an assembly session in Gairsain is enacted which may last from two to four days. The Assembly building which has come up in Gairsain serves as a retreat for the legislators, and the place today looks more like a recreation centre. ‘This Assembly Session is a joke on us. It’s all a drama in the name of the capital. They came for a picnic and returned,’ say the local residents. The residents allege that Gairsain has been virtually rejected by the political class in favour of the real estate opportunities available in the plains of Dehradun and Haridwar.
Fortunately, there is a consensus among the people of Garhwal and Kumaun for Gairsain, which is a great advantage. Symbolically it signifies the blending of two cultures of Garhwal and Kumaun who are all emotionally attached to the place and would like to have the state capital there. One needs to rise above party affiliations and endorse the people’s choice. The BJP, which is in power both in the state and at the centre, has a historic opportunity to make it happen and declare Gairsain as the state capital, without further delay.
This is not to argue against the development of Dehradun and other big cities in Uttarakhand. Dehradun has pride of place in the state. It is fast growing as a metropolitan city and needs matching infrastructure to cater to its burgeoning population. But there is hardly any need to spend crores of rupees to spruce it up in the name of interim capital. Residents of Dehradun are sceptical about the decision to make it a ‘smart city’ fearing large scale ecological degradation. Dehra which was once called a city of ‘green hedges and grey heads’ is now the residents’ nightmare. Since at present it is the seat of power, and has been pampered with all sorts of amenities, it has become a new focal point for the people from all other places, adding to the problem of migration of the rural populace to cities, a trend that should have been checked with the creation of the new state, but the process has only accelerated.
Ironically, it is the masses, mainly from the hills, who had provided strength to the movement for the separate hill state and had made sacrifices in its cause, have been conveniently forgotten. Their voice should have set the ‘development’ agenda for the state; but it is just otherwise, since such people count for nothing in the reckoning of those in power. Sometimes village artists and performers may be brought down to Dehradun for some Mahotsava or cultural event, to be exhibited as ethnic and exotic items to entertain curious tourists and onlookers, and then packed off to their obscure villages. They are, and have been, mere pawns in the game of showcasing culture, so to say.
The main reason for the out migration from the hills to the cities like Dehradun and Haridwar is that there is utter lack of basic facilities of health, education and livelihood means in the rural parts. The conditions have only worsened as the Himalayan landscape that nurtures the hills of Uttarakhand and which is a rich reservoir of immense biodiversity and ecological sustainability has been systematically destroyed. One of such assaults is the Char Dham road project that involves construction of 900 kilometres of roads that will run through and connect the four holy shrines of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, for quicker access from the plains. The narrow roads which served well in the fragile mountains are recklessly being widened scarring the landscape beyond repair and the ravages are already showing. The proposed Rs 6,200-crore elevated road project over the Rispana and Bindal rivers in Dehradun has been facing strong opposition as it is feared that it would worsen environmental issues like pollution and water shortages by impacting the rivers’ ecosystem besides displacing thousands of residents.
One may rattle off statistical data to highlight the state’s GDP and per capita income, industrial development in terms of micro, small and medium enterprises, a significant expansion of highways network and rural roads, Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Project and the Delhi-Dehradun expressway for faster accessibility. Yet not enough attention is being paid to unplanned urbanization in major cities leading to overcrowding, increased crime, drug abuse and social discontent, and above all, to the growing disparity between the rich and the poor.
Glittering Malls, posh colonies and high-tech enclaves cannot hide the stark reality of the poor unable to make both ends meet. On the one hand there are expensive private schools for the rich middle class in the cities, and on the other, majority of children in small towns and villages are forced to relapse into illiteracy. One cannot turn a blind eye to such disparities. Government schools and health services are in a shambles.
Gandhiji had once remarked: ‘I will give you a Talisman. Whenever you are in doubt; or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test: Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj for the hungry and spiritually starved millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away.’
Shall our leaders, who are never tired of swearing by Gandhi ji, heed his advice?
(The author is former Professor and Head of the Department of English, H.N.B.Garhwal University and former Fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla)
