Mamta Kalia

on the basis of a new model. This new
model can end the intelligentsia’s isolation
and alienation from its toilers and bind
the two into new ties. It can also
encourage nationalistic elements outside
the region to look at Uttarakhand’s
development as a national task and help
in taking it up in that spirit. If this
happens this great effort of today will
be linked with the great effort of the
period of the national struggle which
had given rise to the vision of
“Uttarakhand of my dreams” to its
intelligentsia.
Today’s effort, by turning into the
great effort to make this dream a reality,
will succeed in giving to the present
anger, discontent and dissent in
Uttarakhand a constructive, positive
turn. In order to give this effort legitimacy
and strength the Union Government can
make Uttarakhand a separate state like
Himachal Pradesh and, if that is not
immediately feasible, it can in the interim
initiate the process of forming an
Uttarakhand autonomous development
council as it has done in the case of
the Darjeeling area of West Bengal which
has full financial and administrative
powers. Or it can convert Uttarakhand
into a centrally administered territory
with a legislative body and executive
authority of its own. By taking such steps,
which fulfill local aspirations, the
confrontation and schism between
localism and nationalism, accentuating
over the decades, can be removed. At
the same time, through such an initiative
this tension can be transformed into a
healthy and constructive partnership of
harmony and cooperation. This will bring
back the memories of the national
movement when localism and nationalism
supplemented each other.
At the end it will be quite relevant
to say that Rahulji too had conceived
of a bright future for Uttarakhand in
this integration of localism and
nationalism. Today, we can meet the
challenge of the tendencies and attempts
to aggravate the conflict between localism
and nationalism by drawing inspiration
from his philosophy which itself was a
gift of the national movement.
Dr. Puranchandra Joshi, born 1928 in Almora, is an eminent sociologist and
academician. His areas of specilisation range from culture, literature, political
ideology to rural development, communication and economic growth. Some of
his well known books are: Bhartiya Gram, Parivartan aur Vikas Ke Sanskritik
Ayam, Azadi Ki Adhi Sadi, Avdharnaon Ka Sankat, Mahatma Gandhi Ki Arthik
Drishti, Sanchar, Sanskriti Aur Vikas and ‘Yadon Se Rachi Yatra’. His memoirs
in hindi quarterly ‘Tadbhav’ have been highly appreciated. He has received life
time achievement award from Indian Social Science Council along with other
honours elsewhere. He lives in New Delhi.
April-June 2010 :: 47