Job reservations and various benefits for select Statehood activists are provisions created by politicians and some people of Uttarakhand post State formation. Many opine that this will result in the welfare of a select few to the detriment of the State, its culture and the majority of its residents.
Similarly, politicians and bureaucrats together with some people who stand to benefit, have developed a scenario wherein the focus of the State is on ‘religious tourism’ mainly as a source of income generation. It is not as if the arrival of pilgrims did not result in income for the locals ages ago when the ancient shrines in the State attracted a considerably lesser number of devotees.
In those days, the arrival of pilgrims resulted in cultural exchanges, development of environment friendly infrastructure and some income for the locals. It was not as if the region’s economy was dependent mainly on pilgrims. However, it is the increased importance being accorded to income generation that may make ‘religious tourism’ an unwelcome concept especially in the manner it is being encouraged in Uttarakhand.
Recently there were reports in various newspapers including The Pioneer about the report submitted in 2013 by the then Divisional Forest officer of the Kedarnath wildlife division on the detrimental effect of indiscriminate helicopter flights on the flora and fauna of Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary.
The report had stated that scores of helicopter flights carrying visitors to the Kedarnath shrine through the wildlife sanctuary every day had scared the wildlife —including the State animal musk deer —away from this area.
It had also stated that birds and butterflies shifting out of the area due to the noise pollution generated by the choppers was threatening pollination and seed dispersal of various flora. Not surprisingly, the chief wildlife warden has recently questioned the scientific basis of this report and has said that he would like to go for a proper scientific study before taking any action in this case. Physical observation and common sense will tell you that considerable noise pollution is one of the damaging outcomes of a large number of low flying helicopter flights through an environmentally rich and sensitive area.
Some years ago when the State had started encouraging operation of commercial chopper services for pilgrims to Kedarnath, many locals and public representatives had protested against it citing the noise pollution while many traders dependent on the pilgrim traffic had also pointed out that pilgrims travelling by air do not result in income for various small and medium trades that are plied specifically for the visitors. A better and scientifically constructed road network would be more beneficial not only for pilgrimage, than regularising an aviation network in the mountains.
Some experts opine that successive State governments failed to capitalise on the adventure and nature based tourism potential of Uttarakhand and hence shifted their focus on developing ‘religious tourism’ since devotees from across the nation and beyond have been visiting shrines in Uttarakhand for ages and are expected to do so in the future. Per se, pilgrimage is a positive activity especially in Uttarakhand where traditionally the native life has been pervaded in its various aspects --mundane and spiritual-- by deities. Even though income generation has always been one of the outcomes of pilgrimage, it was generally not considered to be the main aim for facilitation of pilgrimage which is fuelled mainly by the strength of faith.
The major focus on income generation has caused changes in the mentality of the people as prominent environmentalist Jagat Singh Chaudhary ‘Junglee’ points out when he says that people of this mountain State who were in the past afraid to even speak a lie have changed so that many of them are now eager to do what it takes to make money even at the cost of their culture and environment.
Many radical changes have taken place in the priorities of the people in the past few decades. While many in the mountains had resisted construction of roads fearing the impact on agriculture and traditional way of life during the Chipko movement, most are now seeking the construction of motor roads till the last site possible.
One cannot imagine Dev Bhoomi sans spiritualism and pilgrimage. However, it is also hard to imagine Uttarakhand without its rich culture of simplicity wherein divinities including Nature have a vital place and are accorded much more veneration and importance than income generation.