With a very less time left in the electoral celebrations in Uttarakhand, we are seeing a number of issues popping up in Uttarakhand. Some guided and directed by political parties while the others are being asserted by the people themselves. A divine place of natural beauty, Uttarakhand is called as Devbhoomi where God resides in each and every place of the land. The saddest thought in our mind emerges due to the migration of people taking place to the lower region of the state. The Migration of people from the hills have led to the villages becoming abandoned and turning into ghost villages. The migration has taken place due to reasons like lack of basic amenities of health, employment and education. Though this central problem of migration has been there for the last two decades, the state has not yet seen a constructive response as a solution to this problem. Elections pass by, the issue is always raised and after the elections, the issue goes to hibernation. Recently, A reverse migration initiative was initiated by the government under the name Raibaar.
For this election, this issue of migration holds a definite significance. The assembly constituencies of Vidhan Sabha for the hilly regions were reduced after the delimitation in 2012 leading to the increase in the number of seats for the plain areas of the state. This was due to the less population and the migration of people in the hilly areas. People fear that when the delimitation process would begin maybe in 2026, the seats for the hilly regions would further reduce. Due to this Migration problem, there have been many concrete demographic changes in the state. These demographic changes are likely to change a lot in the years to come if not controlled in time. Migration has led to many changes in the state. A lot of the population from the hilly regions has come down to the capital Dehradun or to their nearest city area. The thing that will go unnoticed in this election is the way Migration will further reduce the seats of the hilly region in the future.
This fear has though, let many people search for a way out or raising voice. Despite Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of Pahad ka paani aur pahad ki javani, pahad ke kaam aani chahiye, this election would be a direct result of the new vision of Uttarakhand on this call. The incumbent chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami has focused on the schemes of Self- employment. Yet it’s just a milestone and we have to walk for a long time. Uttarakhand has seen many changes with respect to cultural and traditional revival. Prime Minister’s dream of rejuvenation of Kedarnath as well as the all weather road has somewhere brought a hope that everything would be in a right direction.
To implement the central government schemes properly, it’s important that the incumbent government repeats. There have been plans for ropeway facilities to Kedarnath and reduce the time travel between Dehradun and Delhi. With a hope that Migration is stopped and there is reverse migration, public would vote for future of Uttarakhand. This election is important for the people of Uttarakhand to decide the future course of their way. The more the parties focus on the issue of migration and show what they will do, if voted to power, there might be a result in their favour.
Even in the extreme cold temperature in Uttarakhand, the elections have increased the political fervour. Migration needs to stop. Uttarakhand needs to come out of the becoming a swing state in order to endorse development and constant growth.
