PARITOSH KIMOTHI | Dehradun
Prem Chand Aggarwal using an objectionable term for Pahadis during the recently concluded Vidhan Sabha session and the strong objection it elicited from politicians and some organised sections of the public, forcing him to resign, is being seen as a victory by some. However, the Pahadi intelligentsia considers this to be a political gimmick, a diversion and a chance used by political wannabes to gain limelight, even as the actual issues of the mountainous areas remain as they were when Uttarakhand was formed more than two decades ago.
Talking to The Pioneer from his village in Kumaon where mobile phone calls are not clear, historian and academician Shekhar Pathak said that the ruling party had to send a message and hence Aggarwal resigned. Pathak said, “He has resigned but has that resolved issues like Ankita Bhandari’s murder, the land subsidence issue in Jyotirmath, the disappointing land act and the continued failure of the government to enable land consolidation in the mountains? Aggarwal’s statement was objectionable but has his resignation affected Uttarakhand’s socio-political and economical situation?” The politicians have divided the people repeatedly and now they are doing this on Pahadi and Desi lines. This will not really ensure the welfare of the State and its people, he said.
Educationalist and former principal of Army Public School, Lansdowne, Vasundhara Maikoti said that this scenario is nothing but a political gimmick. “What he said is not good but then do we as Pahadis feel ashamed about the pathetic education and health system in the mountainous areas? Why do we not feel ashamed for not speaking our language, forgetting our culture and leaving the mountains? I and all in my generation have studied in schools in the mountains but what is the situation of the education system now? This issue is basically some people wanting to gain space in the media without doing anything for the actual welfare of the Pahadis,” she said.
Maiti movement founder and Padma Shri recipient Kalyan Singh Rawat said that what Aggarwal said as an elected public representative in a constitutional institution cannot be accepted. “However, what about the Pahadi ministers who have done nothing for development in the mountainous regions so far. Such non-performing ministers should resign- the people will respect them for that, instead of them continuing on a post without doing what is needed.”
Across Garhwal and Kumaon, those not politically aligned believe that the Aggarwal episode is not really a major deal because apart from theatrics, the situation is expected to remain the same after his resignation.
