Statistical jugglery on migration from Uttarakhand villages is no solution to the problem

When there were claims, earlier about massive exodus to the cities and metropolises of the country from the villages of Uttarakhand, particularly during the last 18 years after Uttarakhand gained the separate state existence, the successive state governments led by the two national parties, the Congress and BJP used to deny these charges as frivolous and biased, based on figment of imaginations, as these accusations brought bad name to their political reputations.

Though every politician and those at the helm of the government did knew that the massive migration to plains during the last 18 years is the hard fact but they always denied, as the blame sqaurely put on them for their total imcompetence having failed to provide the decentralised development of the state at the block and village levels, thus compelling people to migrate towards cities and towns due to the lack of hospitals, minimum medical care facilities, quality education, employment avenues and adequate agricultural inputs had always brought bad name to their political credibility.

Even the bureaucrats and politicians including the ruling CM and ministers had few days ago outrightly disputed the migration figures claiming that they are false and over exaggerated.

But after the establishment of the Migration Commission in Uttarakhand with its headquarter in Pauri, Garhwal the officials of the commission completed the latest survey which was released just two days ago by the Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat and others. The survey itself puts the current government and the previous Congress government’s claims into jeopardy who’d been disputing the figures of increased exodus of Uttarakhandi villagers branding them as fabricated and concocted.

Even if we believe the recent revelations of the PALAAYAN AAYOG of Uttarakhand, though its a known fact that these statistics are not hundred percent correct and quite low in actual numbers, about 5 lakh people of the state has migrated to the cities, towns and metropolises of the state and the country during the last decade.

According to the interim report which puts the number of the migratory population to merely 5 lakhs in a decade, unambiguously gives the impression that either the government is trying to save itself of the massive exodus accusations of the opposition and the people or is trying to clearly misled the people of the state by disputing the usual claims of 30 lakh people having migrated to plains during the last 17 years, which actually seems to be genuine) The point is how can a survey be completed within months when its takes several months and years to actually physically visit every village and blocks of Uttarakhand which is geographically so vast and distant.

Only God knows the actual fact but one thing is for sure that at least the report of the MIGRATION COMMISSION OF UTTARAKHAND had the guts to admit that the inhabitants of Uttarakhand had been compelled to leave their villages in view of the absolute dearth or non availability of basic avenues like health, educational and job facilities. This puts the government and the state bureaucrats in utterly accusing position or in spot and questions them as to what had they been doing during the last 18 years for having completely failed on these pivotal fronts thus compelling the state electorates leave their houses thus making their villages as Ghost villages and defying the basic concept for which Uttarakhand was achieved after so much of the prolonged struggle.

The report says that after the 2011’s population count about 734 revenue villages have become completely vacant thus coming under the catagory of ghost villages. There had been unstable migration from 3 lakh 84 thousand Gram Panchayats whereas about 4000 Gram Panchayats have witnessed complete migration.

While the reason for the exodus had been lack of medical, educational and job avenues about 70 percent migration had been interstate and only 30 percent villagers had crossed the state boundaries thus migrating to cities n metropolises outside Uttarakhand.

However, the chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat is still too confident that by 2020 this pattern of migration would considerably stop and reverse migration will enhance but has no definite plans, only optimism.

It may be recalled the enhanced exodus of village population to the cities due to lack of the employment opportunities and various other factors such as health n quality education has reasulted in dethroning of every political party in Uttarakhand, simultaneously.

Finally the BJP government was compelled to assuage the peoples’ feelings and establish the headquarter in Pauri, Garhwal and the urgent release of this report of mere 5 lakh migration is yet, another attempt to befool the people of the state as there have been talks of more tha 25 lakh people having moved out of villages during the last 18 years.

The point is releasing reports and getting photos click in media would not resolve the issue but doing something concrete and credible on the ground would improve the situation which as on date is highly worrying and explosive. Statistics is nothing but an act of jugglery to save oneself. What’s your take friends?