The Ruin of Uttarakhand

THE HEDGE THAT EATS ITS OWN LAWN – THE UTTARAKHAND GOVERNMENT

We, Dangwals, who hail from the village of Khasetti in the Bhilangana valley, in Ghansalli tehsil of Tehri Garhwal are like many others from Uttarakhand, who have migrated from the hills to the plains, many years back. Albeit, the migration still continues, only because the reason for doing so continues to remain and torment the young and the old, alike. Development, as one understands its apparent and implied meaning has not touched the heartland of Uttarakhand, in the manner and content it should have, since the inception of the State. The empty and hollow promises that were made and given to the credulous people of the hills for carving out Uttarakhand from Uttar Pradesh, were just but slogans, motivated by  political expediency, than genuine concerns which impacted life and living in the mountains.

 A commission into the Army and the Garhwal Rifles in 1971, just prior to the momentous war fought in erstwhile East Pakistan and the Western Front, gave me an opportunity to understand and serve with the ‘Bhullas’, who hail from the interiors and hill regions of the State. These boys and men are tough, simple, docile, God fearing, intelligent and morally righteous people, who pride their integrity and honesty with an exceptional sense of propriety. My own roots and the penchant to discover my background, enthused me to take as many opportunities as I could to travel and live with the villagers in Garhwal. Moreover, my father’s occupation as a forester in the Indian Forest Service and his many postings in Pauri, Chakrata, Haldwani, Nainital, Utarkashi and Mussoorie had already given me an exposure to living here, though in the comforts of bungalows and rest houses and with the perks which attend upon a Forest officer. Thus, I am privy to life and living in the higher reaches of Garhwal and understand the trials and tribulations of its people.

It was while I was attending a mountaineering course in the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi, that I got a firsthand look into the construction of the controversial Tehri Dam, which was conceived as early as 1950 and was one in the series of Nehru’s ‘Temples of Modern India’. Tehri township was to be submerged and obliterated from the landscape, in a watery burial. The road from Rishikesh, Narendra Nagar, Agrakhal and Chamba was a continuous flow of heavy trucks and material, descending upon the Dam site. Excavation, blasting, digging, transportation  and construction activity was happening on a 24 x 7 mode, to the extreme discomfiture of all those, who knew what a blunder it was in the making and at the cost of the people, life and its habitat. The run of the water dams which had been built and were operational upstream on the Bhagirathi near Uttarkashi, had already disrupted the ecology of the region. But, the government and its administration was too hardnosed about yielding to any pressure from the environmentalists and giving a rethink to its flawed understanding of making rock filled dams of such size and proportions as the Tehri Dam, in a fragile eco system, such as obtains here. Notwithstanding the makings of a future disaster in this region, what sunk into my psyche and understanding was the manner in which the people of this region had been sucked into the quagmire of insidious corruption, which was flourishing and prospering under the guise of development. The local people, who were till now not involved in the shenanigans of the woolly practice of the contractor – engineer nexus, that prevailed and proliferated exponentially, were diabolically seduced into the money game of ill gotten wealth. The local farmer, wet behind the ears entrepreneur and small time shopkeeper gravitated into the whirlpool of easy money, which was available for plunder and loot from the government’s kitty. Most had been rubbed off by the unethical practices of cheating, corruption, venality, lack of rectitude and probity in business dealings. The change was happening and it was for the worse. The people of this region were reprehensibly impaled by deviousness and their character took a beating from the happenings which had engulfed the hills in the wake of the Hydro Electric Projects, that were mushrooming all over the valleys of Bhagirathi, Bhilangana and the Alaknanda . What took centuries to make and carve was now being destroyed by the lure for lucre, irrespective of the means to it. Not only was the topography of the region changing, but the character and moral uprightness of its people, which stood out as its distinguished feature had been scarred and dented in every which way. The generation which was witness to this rampant change in the mind set of the hill people, became the custodians of the government’s writ, which ran through its bureaucracy and officialdom in most aspects of public institutions. This has made Uttarakhand a haven for corruption, which works from the panchayat, tehsil, block and district level upwards to subsume the pathetic vision and functioning of the State government. Today, Uttarakhand has the disgusting and ignoble honour of being the second most corrupt State, after Uttar Pradesh in the country.

The stink and nausea of brazen corruption in almost all functions of the revenue, law enforcing and justice dispensing authorities in the lower level bureaucracy, who provide interface to the people with the government , is beyond cleansing. The situation has become quite hopeless and there is despair in the people. Not only has the ecology of the Himalayas been incontrovertibly fiddled with and destroyed, but the character of its people been permanently assailed and manipulated to horrendous and pathetic levels of acceptance. Greed when practiced as a State policy at the cost of symbiotic and sustainable development, not only kills but it destroys the culture and character of its people. What Uttar Pradesh could not do to the integrity of the Garhwalis and the Kumaonis, the government of Uttarakhand has managed to do in little less than 14 years of its existence. Like the ecology of Uttarakhand, the character of its people has taken a severe beating at the hands of the Neta – Babu – Contractor nexus, never to pride itself on its sterling quality of strength of Character, its once embellishing trait. The manner in which the huge aid and finances will get utilized in the rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes, in the aftermath of the situation which prevails in Uttarakhand, will be a telling testimony to my analysis. Utarakhand today requires President’s Rule under an able administrator, who can reconstruct and resurrect it to its glory.

Brigadier S D Dangwal

5339, W 64 Street

Ridgeway Drive

Edina

Minneapolis

Minnesota, 55439

U S A

Tele 612 -747 -5738

The Ruin of Uttarakhand

MY HEART CRIES FOR MY PEOPLE AND MY UTTARAKHAND

The humongous tragedy that has struck the affected districts of Uttarakhand is the beginning of the end of the Congress party in the State. While in the political system which obtains in the country, the alternative to the Congress is a Hobson’s choice, and is the BJP. Not that it is any better than the existing Party, which comprises the government of Uttarakhand. But, in a morbid political system which abounds in the country and the States, politics is no more a people’s thing, that provides good governance and serves the needs and interests of the people. It is about power, arrogance, venality, self and plunder of the country’s resources, behind the veil of a republican democracy.  This is the manner in which the National and Regional political parties have interpreted the meaning and purport of democracy, and have hoodwinked the rural and semi urban masses by playing the card of religion, caste, creed and faith to ensnare them into exercising their ballot in favour of one party or the other. Political empowerment without social and economic empowerment has been the bane of this country. The Congress which has been in power and has formed the government in the Centre as also the States, for a greater part of the 65 years since we became independent from British rule, is the main perpetrator of this imbalance and has further exacerbated the situation by its flawed policies and a completely subjective interpretation of secularism in a pluralistic polity. Politics in India has not evolved but instead either remained stagnant or else deteriorated to abysmal levels of muscle and money power, which gets factored into the matrix of a populous vote bank strategy.

When Uttarakhand was given State hood in 1999 and Dehra Dun became its interim Capital, there was a complete vacuum in political leadership.  The able bodied or else those who were capable and had found their various callings in the country’s  mainstream activity in commerce, industry or public and private service were pre occupied and far removed from the opportunity that thus arose. Those who were left behind to dabble in kitchen, local, panchayat and municipal level of politics were thrown up by a quirk of fate to take centre stage and guide the destiny of Uttarakhand.  Thus, the quality of the political leadership which emerged was inadequate and challenged in its perception, about what should be the centre of gravity for the inclusive and wholesome development of Uttarakhand. The bureaucracy which side stepped from the Uttar Pradesh cadre was average and unaware of the demands of a hill State. The mix of these two categories of people who were responsible for and entrusted with the governance of Uttarakhand, made a complete mess of their charge and planned for its covert  destruction.

Real estate and property which had by now established itself as the main source of wealth elsewhere, in other developing and progressive States of the country, became a catchment for wealth in Uttarakhand too. And this is where the combined avarice and lust for lucre in the political class and the bureaucracy manifested itself. The Neta, Secretary, Collector, Developer and Builder nexus mushroomed and proliferated in an exponential manner, virtually raping the natural resources and putting a mix of iron and concrete where there was none earlier. Sustainable and symbiotic development in an environmentally and ecologically sensitive zone/area should have been the bottom line for all developmental work, but who cared? It was the money which was pouring into the coffers of the government’s representatives, from the spout of the land and construction mafia, which mattered. This is all that was of concern to this category of public servants, who have today become the merchants of death of the thousands who have lost their life in the present deluge and catastrophe. The topography of the Bhagirathi, Bhilangana and Alaknanda valleys has been permanently and irreversibly changed by the construction activity, which has besieged these areas; and all this in the name of generating hydro electric power from the river waters for the industrial demands of India. Uttarakhand and its people are paying a huge price for this demand; by their life and livelihood. How callous and hardnosed can the government be to those very people whom it has vouched to serve and protect.

While it is not my brief to canvass for the political fortunes of any political party, but the two governments which were headed by Narain Dutt Tiwari and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, as also the present one of Vijay Bahugana, are guilty of the crimes of culpable homicide and of destroying the livelihood and culture of Garhwal, for which they should be proceeded against in either the courts of the country or else the people’s court.  My heart cries for my people and I appeal to those who feel similarly, to strengthen social activism against corruption and plunder of natural resources in Uttarakhand.

Brigadier S D Dangwal

5339,W 64^th Street

Ridgeview Avenue

Edina

Minneapolis

Minnesota 55439

   

The Ruin of Uttarakhand

WILL THERE BE A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL IN UTTARAKHAND?

While the most degenerating thing about time is its capacity to destroy the moment, yet its most profound quality is to recreate the past. It was during the hill people’s agitation to demand statehood for itself, from the administratively unmanageable and geographically abundant Uttar Pradesh, that the then Chief of Army Staff, late Gen Bipin Chandra Joshi had brought the matter about the atrocities committed by the State administration upon the agitationists, to the notice of the Raksha Mantri. The reason for doing so was to urge the Minister to intervene and persuade the UP Chief Minister to allay the fears and foreboding in the minds of the vast numbers of soldiers who hail from the region, about the safety and security of their kith, kin and brethren, who live in the villages of the hill districts of Garhwal and Kumaon, to which they belong. It was the Chief’s view that, should the situation not be handled in a politically correct and compassionate manner, there was a very likely possibility of the troops from the hill districts deserting their posts and units en masse, to be with their people in their time of distress and need. While that did not happen and political sagacity prevailed in the Centre and the State governments respectively, Uttarakhand was carved out from the eight districts of Garhwal and Kumaon region of Uttar Pradesh and Nitya Nand Swami became its first Chief Minister. There was a sense of great joy and celebration among the people, who thought this to be the first step towards the alleviation of their woes and miseries. The political decision which was forced upon the people of the hills by making it a part of the State of Uttar Pradesh had to an extent been redressed. There was new hope for these people, which was rooted in their belief that the political leadership which now emerged to fill the void, would be driven by a sense of service and empathy towards those causes, which  midwifed  the birth of Uttarakhand. But that was not to be, as politics in India is driven more by double speak, hypocrisy, corruption and a vote bank strategy, which subsumes and destroys all ideology and waters down party manifestos. The politics which emerged in Uttarakhand was no different and expediency rather than rectitude and probity took centre stage, to further exacerbate the pitiful condition, which continues to abound in the villages in the higher reaches of the State. Poor infrastructure, scarcity of water and power, paucity of worthwhile schools and colleges, absence of quality hospitals and medical facilities, a committed bureaucracy, continuous migration of the youth from the villages in search of employment, want of vision in the local civil authorities to regulate wanton construction activity under the garb of development and failure on the part of the government to promote sustainable growth and capitalise on the intrinsic potential of the region for pilgrim, adventure, cultural and eco tourism,  have been the  bane of  Uttarakhand

It was social activism, which saved the forest cover of the State that stands at 65% of the total land mass and gave to the country its environment and ecology driven revolution, under the name of ‘Chipko Andolan’ . In the ecologically sensitive and fragile Himalayan Region, deforestation can bring about disaster of mammoth proportions. Had the ‘Chipko Andolan’ not happened, one can well imagine the gravity of destruction that would have visited the regions, which have been badly affected in the recent deluge. It is an interesting observation, which one can make in Uttarakhand that in those areas of economic/commercial activity where the government has no business to be in, it is and where it should be effective and exercise regulation, it is absent. The Garhwal and Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigams are a testimony to this and have bulwarked quality development of tourism, in its many ramifications. There is no regulatory authority in the State which oversees land use and construction activity, which is the biggest money earner for the politicians and the bureaucracy. The pressure of construction activity in the ecologically fragile region of the hills has made these areas extremely vulnerable to any weather or else seismic occurrences and the government is party to this chaos which is unfolding itself in Uttarakhand. The politicians as also the bureaucracy of the State are in cahoots to siphon as much money as they can from the various mafias, who have transferred their many illicit operations from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh into Uttarakhand. The bureaucracy, which is largely imported from the parent State and is neither competent or else passionate about the well being of Uttarakhand, is comfortable and secure with the thought of making hay while the sun shines and then reverting back to their places of domicile, on superannuation on retirement.  

I can only think of the state of mind of the soldiers who hail from the hill districts of Garhwal and Kumaon,in the wake of the disaster that has visited Uttarakhand. Would it be any different from what General Joshi had thought it to be then? The only difference being that it was Mulayam Singh Yadav who was Chief Minister then and now it is Vijay Bahuguna, a son of the soil and son of Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna. This is the Uttarakhand, which the people thought then would be a panacea for most of their problems, but instead has been worse than what it was. Will we see a light at the end of the tunnel in Uttarakhand? I doubt.

Brigadier S D Dangwal

5339, W 64 Street

Ridgeview Drive

Edina

Minneapolis

Minnesota, 55439

United States of America

001-612-747-5738

The Ruin of Uttarahand

STAND UP FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE HILLS OF UTTARAKHAND

It’s an early morning here in Minneapolis and with the time zone difference of 11 ½ hours between here and India, it would be sometime in the evening there. We are in touch with the local news about happenings in Dehra Dun and Uttarakhand, in particular. The early arrival of the monsoons in North India and the fury with which it heralded its coming, lashing out with unmitigated ferocity in the five districts of the State, causing great loss to both life and property, is indeed unfortunate and a matter of serious concern for its people. The unpreparedness of the State Administration and the much talked about Disaster Management Organisation, to cope with the situation as and when it occurs, is appalling, to say the least. The government and its machinery is more than aware of the huge disarray rains cause to public life during the pilgrim season, which loosely speaking coincides with the onset of monsoons in North India. But, there is no dearth of excuses, which is belted out by the elected representatives, who are given a mandate to govern and administer as also to safeguard the interests of the masses. With more than 50,000 pilgrims stranded and caught up in traffic snarls and jams on the roads, which service the four centres of Hindu pilgrimage viz Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamnotri located in the Garhwal Himalayas; is the worst publicity for the fledgling State, which has fallen woefully short of realising the purpose of its creation. And, this has more or less become a recurring feature of the State Government’s failure to plan, prepare and engage with the situation arising from a natural weather phenomenon. There seems to be no political will to address the foremost responsibility of its leaders, which for sure must and should be aligned to protect and promote the interests of its indigenous population, which resides in the hills and villages of Uttarakhand. The implosion which is round the corner in the few cities of the State, that have been bequeathed by the State Government to real estate prospectors and land sharks, is another testimony to the avarice of our politicians, cutting across party lines and political ideologies. There seems to be a huge mental deficit in the perception of the State’s Bureaucracy, to understand the manner and design in which to bring about development, that lends itself to the geography, ecology,  topography and culture of Garhwal and Kumaon. Things as they are today can only predict for itself a disaster, which is waiting to happen in the higher reaches of Uttarakhand, where the fundamental principle of symbiotic existence has been long discarded in the subterfuge and stupidity of development practices; which better serve regions as are distinct and different from what obtains and exists here.

The State of Minnesota and the twin cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, in which we presently are to be with our son and family is a verdant expanse that embraces both; concrete co located with gardens, parks, open spaces, state highways, city roads, commercial centres, numerous water bodies and well planned and laid out housing avenues, that enhance beauty and celebrate nature in its abundant glory. This is what memory helps me to recollect from within the deep recesses of my mind and draw a somewhat broad comparison with the once upon a time Dehra Dun, with its forest cover, orchards, streams and swathes of open spaces in which children played and gamboled towards adulthood. That has been ruined by those who wrested Statehood from Uttar Pradesh for its people with the conviction of “Meeting the Aspirations of the Hill Folks”. Fertile land with productive top soil has been sold out for profit, only to create jungles of concrete instead. The avarice of the political leadership in the State coupled with the crass hunger for money in the ethically and morally challenged colonizers and developers, who have eked out hugely profitable deals for themselves through the practice of crony capitalism; has transformed the city’s landscape into a visual monstrosity and a cesspool of corruption. The revenue officials, MDDA and Municipal authorities, middle and lower rung bureaucracy, real estate agents and all those who can manipulate and manoeuvre the system to accrue an advantage for themselves, are laughing all the way to their banks and caches of slush money at the expense of what is left of the natural beauty of Dehra Dun and other cities, towns and villages which are its distinguishing feature. One truly wonders where all this unabated construction activity, which is happening in the absence of any committed and honest regulatory mechanism to oversee the same and stall the plunder of nature and its many trappings, will lead the State in the very near and immediate future.

The anger and despondency of the people, at the state of affairs, which the State is besieged with, must come out with full force and measure in every aspect of public life and demand their right to a secure and dignified living. This is the time when the people of the economically vibrant and developed cities must come together on a common platform with the people of the hills, to give a voice which is in unison with that of the latter. When the interests of the burgeoning middle class, which makes a life and living in towns, cities and metropolises are affected, the streets, roads and plazas must witness an ocean of human agitation. But, the same should also happen when their own countrymen, women and children are marginalized by the callous hearted political leadership and the cringing bureaucracy, that only knows how to bulwark it’s own turf and interests. This should become an inclusive cause of all people of Uttarakhand and not just those who are afflicted by the indifference and misgovernance of the State Government. It is then and only then that, there will be a hope to prevent the situation from becoming a human tragedy of immense proportions, which will engulf all and without exceptions, in the years to come.

Brigadier S D Dangwal

5339, 64^th W Street, Ridgeview Drive

Edina, Minneapolis

Minnesota, 55439

USA

Telephone No 001 612-747-5738