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As Uttarakhand celebrates 25 years of its formation with grand events in Dehradun, anger simmers in the hills. In Karnaprayag, locals are staging protests demanding Gairsain as the permanent capital. Why are people still fighting for this dream after 25 years?
Protests in hills as demand for permanent capital intensifies
Karnaprayag: While the state government is celebrating the silver jubilee of Uttarakhand’s formation with great enthusiasm in Dehradun, discontent is brewing across several hill districts. On the occasion of the state’s 25th Foundation Day, protests erupted in Karnaprayag and adjoining regions, with residents demanding that Gairsain be declared the permanent capital of Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in November 2000 under the State Reorganisation Act, becoming the 27th state of India. Since then, Dehradun has served as the temporary capital. Despite repeated demands and movements, the decision on a permanent capital has remained pending for 25 years a delay that has sparked frustration among residents of the hill districts.
The protest on Saturday took place near the old bus stand in Karnaprayag under the banner of the Sthayi Rajdhani Gairsain Manch (Permanent Capital Gairsain Forum). The movement was led by former IAS officer and ex-Uttarakhand government secretary Vinod Raturi, whose call for a peaceful protest drew large participation from locals, including youth and women, as well as supporters from Delhi and Dehradun.
Protests on Uttarakhand Foundation Day
Raising slogans against the state government, the protesters said that despite two and a half decades of existence, Uttarakhand still struggles to find an administrative identity that represents the aspirations of its hill people.
Vinod Raturi, the chief convenor of the forum, said, “It is unfortunate that even after 25 years, Uttarakhand has not been given a permanent capital. This is a betrayal of the very spirit of the Uttarakhand movement.”
He recalled the sacrifices made during the separate state agitation, particularly that of Baba Mohan Singh Uttarakhandi, who died after a 42-day hunger strike in 2004 demanding that Gairsain be declared the capital. “The souls of Baba Mohan Singh and the 42 other martyrs who dreamt of a permanent capital in the hills will never forgive us if we remain silent,” Raturi added.
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Demonstrators accused successive governments of neglecting the hill population and centralizing development in the plains. They pledged to continue their agitation until the government formally declares Gairsain as the permanent capital of Uttarakhand.
“The people of the mountains have always been deceived,” Raturi said. “Now is the time to unite and ensure that Gairsain gets its rightful recognition. Our movement will continue until justice is done.”
As Dehradun hosts a grand celebration attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the contrasting scenes from Karnaprayag highlight a deep divide between celebration and dissatisfaction between the government’s vision of progress and the people’s lingering demand for justice and representation.
