LEGENDARY MOVEMENT LEADER OF HIMALAYA BASAAO AND UTTARAKHAND MOVEMENT SUNDRIYAL REMEMBERED AT UTTARAKHAND SADAN
Representatives of various socio cultural and political organisations paid their respectful tributes on the anniversary of a legendary movement leader for Himalaya Bachao and Basao, Uttarakhand separate state, anti liquor movement and formation of Garhwal University during the sixties and seventies Rishi Ballab Sundriyal on June 30 at Uttarakhand Sadan organised by the cumulative efforts of Abhivyakti Karyashala, Creative Uttarakhand, Myar Pahar n Kumaoni Bhasha Sahitya avom Sanskritik Samittee.
Initially a staunch follower of the founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh Balraj Modhok having been been associated with RSS Rishi Ballab Sundriyal an epitome of relentless struggle and an outstanding orator was a “Sanghi cum Socialist” who converted to Socialist leader after 1965 to 67 when they formed a Uttarakhand Rajya Parishad and he was nominated as its General Secretary having organised impressive rallies at Boat club with the slogan of Himalayan Bachao aur Himalaya Basaao thereafter giving a strong fillip to separate Uttarakhand movement as well which was further lead by the then member of parliament from Tehri Garhwal Tripen Singh Negi with several arrests at boat club n Rajpath.
Before commencing the tribute event cum seminar on the subject ” Burning issues of Uttarakhand and its solutions” some of the prominent citizens led by literateur Ramesh Ghildiyal paid floral tributes to Rishi Ballab Sundriyal and his proactive Trade unionist son late Prem Sundriyal in the Uttarakhand Sadan hall.
Two cultural activists Kiran Pant and Ramesh Upreti with the clappings of all present sang a song ” UTTARAKHAND MERI MAATRABHUMI, MERI PITRABHUMI paying their singing tributes to the father and the son duo, both social fighters to the core.
Throwing light on the life journey of great legendary struggler and thinker Rishi Ballab Sundriyal who played a vital role in giving a call for HIMALAYA BASAAO after the 1962 war after coming in contact with Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, an iconic socialist leader and thinker, journalist and activist Charu Tiwari said that Rishi Balabh Sundriyal was born in a small ( nondescript) village of Chaundkot from where he was later on sent to Gurukul in Haridwar for middle n intermediate studies. The socio political journey of Rishiballabh Sundriyal primarily started from Bijnaur where he also fought for SUGAR CANE Peasants in support of their demands meeting his tragic end there only, probably in 1975 , his death being a mystery always.
Rishi Ballab Sundriyal gave a slogan of Himalaya Basaao during the sixties and thereafter held number of meetings in Delhi’s Lodhi Road n other localities in which the then Jana Sangh leaders Balraj Modhok, Lal Krishna Advani and Atal Behari Vajpayee addressed including Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia appealing to the people of Uttarakhand living in Delhi to repatriate to Garhwal n Kumaon and make them their permanent residences in view of security threats from expansionist China etc.
Today the issue of massive migration is the biggest challenge for Uttarakhand as not heeding to Rishi Balabh Sundriyal’s appeal in the sixties today about three thousand villages have become vacant termed as Ghost villages.
In 1970 he was highly instrumental in a movement for establishing the Garhwal University along with several other activists including the then communication minister at the centre H.N.Bahuguna’s elder sister Durga Khanduri.
In 1974 he struggled relentlessly for the demands of Sugarcane farmers in Bijnaur and died mysteriously after he allegedly came out of a police station after holding deliberations with the SHO with his body having turned blue in Bijnaur leading to widespread outrage with people demanding a CBI probe.
There were demands for the CBI enquiry but all in vain. Sundriyal also worked in close proximity with Choudhary Charan Singh said Charu Tiwari throwing light on the great contribution of late Sundriyal in people’s movements.
Among the prominent people who expressed their views on the relevant burning topics in the seminar organized were Ramesh Ghildiyal, Dinesh Mohan Ghildiyal, Kusum Kandwal Bhatt, Rohit Sundriyal, Ajay Bisht, Manu Panwar, Kiran Pant, Manoj Chandola, Chandra Mohan Papanai, Chandan Singh Gusain, Sunil Negi, President, Uttarakhand Journalists Forum and editor UKnationnews, Brij Mohan Upreti, Pawan Maithani, Bhagat Singh Rawat, Kamal Kishore Bhatt, Lalit Prasad Dhondhiyal, Uday Mamgai Rathi, Dev Singh Rawat, Bahadur Singh Bisht, Kuldeep Bisht, Manoj Pandey, Mahesh Upadhyay, Prativimba Barthwal, Virendra Singh Gusain, Dig Mohan Negi, Chandra Singh Rawat ‘Independent’ , Sheetal Arya, Dr. Bihari Lal Jalandhari etc. majority of them while lauding his immense socio political contribution to Save the Himalayas said that Rishi Ballabh Sundriyal was certainly associated with the Bharatiya Swayamsevak Sangh, but his ideology was socialist.
Giving total credit to Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, a renowned Socialist leader and Rishi Sundriyal majority of the speakers said that while Ram Manohar Lohia was the one who started the Himalaya Bachao Andolan, Rishi Ballabh Sundriyal was the one who provided fillip to it and also contributed as an agitator associated with farmers and labourers, especially the Sugarcane farmers of Bijnaur finally giving his life for their just cause.
Many speakers one of them being theatre activist Manoj Chandola said that we have been hearing lot in Delhi’s air conditioner halls big talks n rhetorics but have done nothing in ground zero. Let’s start from here going to villages of Uttarakhand to do something concrete for which these legends struggled all their lives, then only in true sense would their principles be brought into practice this giving them true tributes.
Today he is being remembered on the strength of his work. It was said that if China and India survive, it is because of the Himalayas. If the Himalayas survive, the culture of the country will survive said majority of the speakers. The programme was anchored by Neeraj Bavari.
