Uttarakhand Movement: The Perspective of Political Parties and from the Eye of Media

Abstract

In the post-independent period of India, most of all the political parties have involved in some form to affect the claim of separate hill state Uttarakhand from the Uttar Pradesh because of its specific topographical circumstances, economic activities, the exceptional cultural uniqueness of region, existence, practices and many more. Subsequently understanding the many grounds which controlled to the Uttarakhand separate state movement, it is authoritative to recognize the contribution of political parties in the identical. Major focus of this paper is to analyse the role of several national/regional political parties in the Uttarakhand separate state movements which intended at the demanding of separate for this specific region. In late decade of eighties, mass movement for state for hilly Uttarakhand selected up push and question of separate state again came into the priority position. In the year of 1994 when the Uttar Pradesh state government stated 27 percent reservation for the Other Back Classes in government jobs and education, there were youth agitation all over hills against the reservation. By way of the OBC represents only 2 to 3 percent of the hill region, the step to save 27 percent seats for OBC, was consideration baseless and unpractical. The matter of reservation for the OBCs converted in mobilizing youth to backing the call for a separate Uttarakhand state. The very first time in the demanding of the mass movement youths involved in such record numbers, till now they were perceptible by their absenteeism. The demand to call back 27 percent reservation for the O.B.Cs quickly transformed into the reservation to whole of hilly region. Finally, all the issues remained into the background and the require of statehood ship came into front in the entire mass movement. Males were all the time involved in the movement but the questions which needed bigger demand for women were employment opportunities, choices for their children and the increasing usage of liquor by men in the hills. These were the issues which directly involve the happiness of their families. Since 1952 three models of separate governmental setup for Uttarakhand have been suggested from time to time: first, a complete state comparable to other states in Indian Union; second, an autonomous Uttarakhand and; third, Union Territory type. The first form initiates support with the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal. The second was advocated by the C.P.I. and the Uttarakhand Sangharsh Vahini till 1989. The Indian Congress party had constantly favoured Union Territory category for Uttarakhand (Pathak 1989:40-47).