Massive torchlight procession in Dehradun to pressurise the state govt to declare Gairsain as permanent state capital

In Dehradun today hundreds of thousands of people marched to the state secretariat with torchlights in their hands demanding Gairsain as the permanent capital of Uttarakhand.

Volunteers from all the 13 districts of Uttarakhand and several parts of the country especially Delhi also participated in this torch light procession. The uniqueness of the Gairsain related movement is that its spontaneous and self created, initially launched by a handfull of journalists and activists in Rudraprayag, this time, finally taking the shape of a wild fire with eminent anti corruption crusader Anna Hazaare too backing the demand forcefully and outrightly.

The women power, students, youths, intellectuals, scribes, social activists of all ideological shades are openly participating in this movement barring the BJP though its rank and file is also emotionally attached and associated with Gairsain demand as others.

The way this movement is picking up potentially with a renewed vigour and vitality it looks that the day is not far when the BJP’s central and state leadership will finally have to relent and declare Gairsain as Uttarakhand’s permanent capital despite all challenges and odds.

The way Uttarakhand separate state movement created credible momentum during the nineties, movement for Gaursain capital too is adopting the same character and dimensions with cross sections of the people in and outside Uttrakhand across party and ideological lines prepared to do or die.

Believe me, Gairsain movement today has assumed proportion of an extention of the Uttarakhand movement under which not only are the people expressing their anger and furiousness against the incumbent state government for their all the ills and exploitation of Uttarakhand and its people but also demanding Gairsain as its permanent capital as they think that Gairsain is the ultimate remedy to cure and purify all these ills and sins of our past rulers.

They are of the strong opinion that Gairsain is not only symbolic of decentralised socio economic and all round village level development of the 18 year old battered and exploiyed state running in 40000 crores fiscal deficit but will also ensure the outright emergence of a new economically self reliant Uttarakhand the actual concept for which this himalayan state was actually created after the pivotal sacrifices of 43 valuable and precious lives.
SUNIL NEGI