2nd September, the day written in golden letters in the history of Uttarakhand

Today is the black day and has been registered in the history of Uttarakhand. The 1.25 crore inhabitants of the 17 year old state could never forget 2nd September, 1994 when the merciless, most inhuman and barbaric police without any provocation, fired from point blank range and killed innocent separate state movement activists Belamati Chouhan and Hansa Dhanai and four others namely Balbir Singh etc who were democratically raising anti establishment slogans and demanding separate state out of undivided Uttar Pradesh then ruled by the anti people and erroneous  Samajwadi party and its chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. Mussourie was the epicentre of outstandingly spontaneous Uttarakhand movement after Pauri where for the very first time Uttrakhand’s Matra Shakti ( women power) Belamati Chouhan and Hansa Dhanai the relentless women fighter n four other andolankaries were brutally martyred from point blank range and hundreds of others injured by the reckless anti people and ruthless police thus mobilising the movement in whole of Uttarakhand and nationally.

The notorious murderous police were so high-handed and brutal that those who opposed their illegal and reckless actions were also dealt with severely and the then DIG Umakant Tripathi was also horrendously killed from the point blank range. Twenty-three years ago on this day, Mussouri had become the ground of blood bath where six innocent demonstrators were mercilessly lynched in broad day light as if anarchy prevailed in Mussouri. As a result, the news spread like wild fire and the movement gained tremendous momentum at Pauri where hundreds of thousands of Uttarakhand activists demonstrated at the district magistrate’s office and courted arrest. Hundreds of activists were lathi-charged and put behind bars. It was Mussouri’s lynching that later on gave Uttarakhand movement a national character finally leading to the fulfilment of the Separate Uttarakhand demand on 9th November 2000. But sadly after the sacrifice of Belamati Chouhan, Hansa Dhanai, Balbir Singh and three others and those martyred at Khatima, Dehradun and Mujaffar Nagar Rampur tri-junction on 2nd October 1994,  Uttarakhand has not fulfilled the aspirations and expectations of those who’d sacrificed their precious lives for achieving separate statehood. Eight chief ministers in merely 17 years and the state witnessing more than thirty lakh villagers migrating to cities, towns and metropolises for want of jobs, health and educational options and facilities. State literally sold out to liquor, land and mining mafias. Politicians filling their bellies’ with wealth. Nepotism at its peak and corruption taking the front seat. Women, youths in total disarray. State in a fiscal deficit of 37 thousand crores and politics of Aaya Ram Gaya Ram gaining ground than resolving core issue of peoples’ concern.

People of the state while extending their most revered heartfelt tributes to these brave and courageous martyrs wonder what did they really achieved after so much of sacrifices? Corruption, politician, liquor, mining  mafia and thekedar nexus, a huge fiscal deficit state bereft of employment opportunities, lacking health and job avenues, locks in 2 lakh village houses, Uttarakhand with 32 lakh migrations and closure of more than three thousand village houses finally pronouncing it an UTTARAKHAND OF RICH POLITICIANS CONFINED TO LOOK AFTER THE INTERESTS OF THE PLAINS NOT THE VILLAGES. What do you say, friends?