The hunger strike by three activists demanding declaration of Gairsain as a permanent capital of Uttarakhand entered its ninth day on Friday. Admitted forcibly in the Government Doon medical college hospital, these activists blame successive State Governments for exploiting the sentiments of the people of the mountain State in the name of Gairsain, garnering votes but actually doing nothing in the last 17 years on the most important issue.
Lying on his hospital bed, 68-year-old Ram Krishan Tiwari, rubbished the talk of Gairsain being made the summer capital. “Are we such a big or prosperous state that we can afford two capitals? The government has already spent close to Rs 600 crore in Gairsain and it should be declared permanent capital of the State. Gairsain was the soul of Statehood movement and the sentiment of the people of the state should be respected by the government,’’ he said. With an air of determination in his demeanour, the old activist declared that he will shun even water in the coming days if the apathetic attitude of the government continues.
Another activist Mahesh Chandra Pandey (60 years) said that the people of the State have realised that both Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress parties have done only politics on Gairsain. Youngest of the trio- Pravin Singh blamed the Mitra (friend) police of Uttarakhand for using unwarranted force and claimed that abuses and expletives were hurled on them by the policemen.
The trio started their hunger strike at Gairsain on December 7, the day when the winter session of state assembly started at Bharadisain. On December 11, the police forcibly lifted them and took them to Srinagar Base hospital from where they were brought to Dehradun.
The activists claimed that the Government could have admitted them in the Government hospital of Chamoli, Karnprayag or Srinagar but fearing a public backlash, transported them to Dehradun.
They accused the police of using foul language and manhandling. Pravin Singh said that on December 13, they planned to march to the residence of State Chief Minister but a sizeable police force was deployed to prevent their movement. “What threat did these two old men and I pose? We were then put into a police vehicle and taken to the police lines,’’ he informed. The administration then took them to the residence of State Chief Minister where after a long wait one of the Officers on Special Duty (OSD) took their application. “Yesterday Swami Darshan Bharti met us in the hospital and said that cabinet minister Satpal Maharaj will meet us but today we have learnt that he had left for Nainital. We are determined to take our struggle to logical end now,’’ he said.
The hunger strike of the activists is getting support of many organisations and large numbers of people are visiting the hospital to express their solidarity with the cause. One such woman, Renu Singh said that relay hunger strikes are going on in places like Gairsain, Karnprayag, Chamoli and Rudraprayag and the agitation is gaining momentum. The president of Uttarakhand Mahila Manch and statehood activist, Kamla Pant said that the organisation is with activists on the issue.