Former IAS officer and others support youth on hunger strike seeking permanent capital in Gairsain

PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun

A relay hunger strike demanding that Gairsain be declared the permanent capital of Uttarakhand intensified in Dehradun on Saturday with activists warning that the agitation could escalate if the demand remains unaddressed. The protest is being held at the designated protest site in Ekta Vihar under the guidance of former IAS officer Vinod Prasad Raturi as part of a campaign called ‘Pran Se Praan Tak’. Journalism student Parth Raturi who is 18-years-old, has begun an indefinite relay hunger strike from March 13, saying that the demand for a permanent capital in the mountains has remained unresolved since the formation of the state.

Speaking at the protest, Raturi said that the political leaders often highlight that the Congress government led by the then chief minister Harish Rawat held an Assembly session in Gairsain in 2014 and that the BJP government under the then CM Trivendra Singh Rawat later declared it the summer capital. He said that these decisions should not be portrayed as political favours. According to him, the demand was built on years of struggle by activists during the Uttarakhand statehood movement. He said that 42 activists and martyrs carried out long protests and hunger strikes to push for Gairsain as the permanent capital but their role is often overlooked.

Protesters also alleged that the condition of the designated protest site remained poor and unhygienic despite complaints to local authorities.

The agitation gained attention on March 14 when activist Sunil Jadli arrived from Delhi and joined the relay hunger strike wearing an oxygen mask. He stated that the gesture was intended to highlight the rising pollution and pressure on infrastructure in Dehradun, arguing that relocating the capital to Gairsain could alleviate the burden on the city.

Protesters said that the movement will continue and may include plans to gherao the Assembly and approach the courts if the demand is not addressed.