Garhwal Hiteshini Sabha’s election on 1st April, Hectic campaigning on

The national capital Delhi has a sizeable population of Uttarakhandies in Delhi, roughly around 30 to 35 lakhs and therefore tremendous amount of electorates to influence the Delhi elections.

Though every political party have been sidelining the Uttarakhandi voters by not giving enough representation to its candidates in assembly and elections to local bodies but this time all political parties have ensured that at least 10 to 11 candidates are accomodated in the corporation elections held two years’ ago. The impact of the unity of Uttarakhandi electorates in Delhi resulted in AAP government financing the traditional Uttarayini festival of Uttarakhand in Delhi this time at 70 various places. The point is, the awareness for community unity was the result of the increasing social activities of various Uttarakhandi organisations and socio political frums in Delhi incessantly fighting for their rights of assertion and a feeling of recognistion.

As a sequel to this, the demand for establishment of the Academy of Uttarakhandis in line with other academies like Punjabi and Bhojpuri academies also came to the fore with deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia giving a public assurance in a massive rally of Uttarakhand last year to form an Uttarakhand Academy in Delhi.

When will that actually happen, however, only time will tell but sources say that the AAP government of Delhi seems to be serious on the matter. Anyways, my point is that behind every such effort of unification of Uttarakhandies is a main representative body called Garhwal Hitaishini Sabha (Regd) formed by the earstwhile Garhwalies and our forefathers in 1923 at Panchquin Road that finally took shape as Garhwal Bhawan.

It’s the largest organisation of Uttarakhandies, particularly the Garhwalies in Delhi having the membership of about 4500 active members. Its elections are no less important than the elections of MPs or MLAs. Garhwal Hithaishini Sabha is recognised as the largest representative body of Uttarakhand in Delhi and is purily a social organisation having nothing to do with politics or any favour to any political parties. Its elections are held every year to the posts of President, Vice President, General Secretary, Treasurer and good number of executive members perhapsnumbering 18.

This time as well the election of this body are slated to be held on 1st of APRIL, 2018 at Garhwal Bhawan premises. The issues in the election are primarily to enable evacuation of the upper story of the Bhawan where there is a showroom of garment’s sale, the case of which is in the honourable court of law and other issues of transparency in accounts and giving the Garhwal Bhawan premises a new face lift etc.

Three panels of contestents are in the fray and the election has become triangular with contestents reaching every nook and corner of Delhi in order to establish contacts with the voters scattered in various distant locations of Delhi.

The three presidential candidates are Anil Negi, Secretary of Garhwal Heroes Football Club of Penal number one, Mohabbat Singh Rana, a trade unionist with Panel number 3 and Sajwan a former treasurer with panel number 2. All the candidates carry behind them a good n impressive following and are busy, tremendously to ensure their victory promising voters to do the best if they are elected.

Garhwal Hitaishini Sabha being the main representative body of the Garhwalies and Uttarakhandies in Delhi holds immense social significance for them as it also reflects the passionate link between the hill people in Delhi and the authorities concerned .

The organisation has a healthy budget and organises good number of socio cultural and other functions to keep the Uttarakhandi people together. Several former office bearers of this organisation became MLA and held political offices in the state assemblies and local bodies.

Conclusively, people of the hills in Delhi are associated with GHS emotionally as it’s ranked as one of the significant social, cultural organisation of Paharies in the capital of India.

It’s considered as an important body to connect Uttarakhandies living in Delhi with each other socially, culturally and emotionally and Garhwal Bhawan an umbrella of the uniy of Uttarakhandies in Delhi. Lot’s of prestige and energy is involved in this election including the human power. What’s your take friends?
SUNIL NEGI