By Suresh Nautiyal
IT is 23 years since the state of Uttarakhand has been formed on 9 November 2000. Twenty-three long years in which the inhabitants of the state and those who had shed their sweat, tears, and blood during the days of the Uttarakhand Movement have waited patiently for answers to their two most important issues. The first issue, which primarily deals with the fair and rightful apportionment of the shared wealth between Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, is a clear-cut example of a big brother state snubbing down on its younger sibling, hence the delay in this regard is somewhat understandable. However, the major question yet to be answered and which still remains the thorn on the side of anyone associated to the Movement or truly attached to the soil is regarding the declaration of Gairsain as the permanent state capital.
To say that there has been no progress in this regard would not be true because as recently as on November 3, 2012, the Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna held his Cabinet’s meeting at Gairsain and officially declared that the state Vidhan Sabha Bhavan (State Assembly House) will be founded there. This is indeed a commendable and praiseworthy step because, apart from setting up panels and committees to check on the feasibility of Gairsain as the state capital, the previous governments of the past eleven years have not been able to accomplish anything on this count.
Had Gairsain been declared as the permanent capital on November 9, 2000 at the time when the state was formed, it would have not only saved on the millions of rupees that the newly formed state had spent on the constitution of such panels.
Having said that, it would, indeed, not be just if we do not appreciate Mr. Bahuguna for the valour that he has shown by taking this brave and historic step. Now, for the benefit of those who might not be familiar with the background of the Uttarakhand Movement or quite frankly are not quite sure of what the matter is all about, here is a quick time capsule.
For long, Gairsain has been an idea, an ideology, a concept, and a political thought – philosophy in fact — that had brought the people of the two halves namely Garhwal and Kumaon together in the days of the Uttarakhand Movement. This was not just an outcry based on some whim and fancy but on sound logic that one, Gairsain is in the centre of the state thereby more accessible by the people in any part of the state. Two, it would eventually lead to the overall development of the state as the place is in the midst of the state and would also connect to rest of the state and the national capital with a new perspective if it is declared as the state capital. Three, since Uttarakhand is a hill state, its capital has to be in the mountains as well. Four, it is a politically emotional concept, which cannot be ignored.
It is noteworthy that like Gairsain, Mr. Bahuguna’s move of having a Cabinet meeting in Gairsain is also an idea, and the declaration of setting up of the Vidhan Sabha Bhavan there is a concept as well. It should also be noted that by conducting the Cabinet meeting and declaring that the Vidhan Sabha Bhavan would be constructed in Gairsain, Mr. Bahuguna and his government have acknowledged the worthiness of Gairsain as the permanent state capital of Uttarakhand and have also accepted Gairsain at the conceptual level, at least. To substantiate this thought further, Speaker of the state Assembly, Govind Singh Kunjwal, further added that it was quite understandable that the Vidhan Sabha Bhavan would be where the state capital was.
In the midst of all these statements, it would not be wrong for us to consider that the government has acknowledged this long pending demand of the people and in due course Gairsain would indeed be declared as the permanent capital.
The step taken by the Bahuguna Government was miniscule as compared to the initial demands of those who were a part of the Uttarakhand Movement, yet it is historic and we should not act miserly while praising this epic move. The succeeding governments and the chief ministers have not moved further in the real sense either.
However, Gairsain remain the true capital in the hearts of those people of this state, who cried, yearned and bled for their own state.
( The writer is a senior journalist and the views in this article are his personal)
