Uttarakhand seems to be irrelevant in the central politics?

SUNIL NEGI

The latest cabinet rejig and expansion that included several new faces and elevations of the few, had no place for states’ like Uttarakhand, particularly the Garhwal region that gave India Victoria cross winners like Gabar Singh Negi and revolutionary freedom fighters late Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali who during the pre independence days, risking his own life as well as the lives of several other Garhwali soldiers had not only refused to fire on the  Pathans in Peshawar led  by the then Frontier Gandhi Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan by openly violating British orders but also underwent 14 years of solitary confinement in the dreaded Jail of the Andaman& Nicobar along with other hostile Garhwali soldiers. It seems that either prime minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief devalue the member of parliaments of Uttarakhand due to their incompetence either in Parliament or in BJP or in their eyes a small state of Uttarakhand with just five MP’s having a population of 1.15 crore hold no relevance politically in the making of the central government. Currently BJP has five member of parliaments from Lok Sabha, all won in 2014 with a handsome majority viz. Major General BC Khanduri from Pauri and Maharani Rajya Lakshmi from Tehri Garhwal. The former Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Bhagat Singh Koshiyari represent Haridwar and Nainital seat respectively whereas the lone state minister of textiles representing entire Uttarakhand at the center Ajay Tamta represents the Almora reserve constituency. It is pertinent to mention here that the Tehri Garhwal seat currently represented by Maharani Rajya Lakshmi was earlier held for five terms in succession by her late father in law  Maharaja Manvendra Shah, the erstwhile Tehri Maharaja on BJP ticket later on to be wrested by Vijay Bahuguna of Congress. Though we blame the BJP high command for this misrepresentation but the fact of the matter is the internal bickering within the various BJP factions in Uttarakhand is the primary reason for a minister of state slot going in favor of Ajay Tamta, a dedicated RSSite and a non controvertial dalit MP. Moreover, two former UK CMs and present MPs Major General Khanduri and Bhagat Singh Koshiyari have already crossed 75 and are therefore not eligible for minister ship as per the criteria fixed by Narendra Modi. Now, Uttarakhand is left with Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Rajya Lakshmi Shah from Haridwar and Tehri Garhwal respectively and both of them are two term MPs. Keeping in view the previous equitable representations of Garhwal and Kumaon in the union cabinet, the utterly poor representation of Uttarakhand in the union cabinet has annoyed one and all in the Himalayan state, particularly the electorates of Garhwal region who feel completely betrayed despite their according( giving) such a huge mandate in both the elections of the state legislature as well as the center to the BJP. What’s your take on this post, friends?