Villagers staging protest for some days now in support of the demand for issuance of a Government order declaring the Joshimath area in Chamoli district a backward area lambasted the State Government for remaining apathetic towards their “valid” demand. Having received no response or assurance from the State authorities, the protesting locals and villagers congregated and burnt the Chief Minister in effigy at the main intersection in town on Sunday. Office bearers of the Sangharsh Samiti heading the demonstration reiterated their decision to boycott the Vidhan Sabha elections slated for 2017 in case the State Government does not ensure the issuance of the Government order being demanded by the agitating public.
It is worth mentioning here that for about four decades now, residents of Joshimath and various villages in the region have been supporting the demand for declaring Joshimath a backward area. Though assurances were received from the authority by the public in the past, but so far the State administration has not issued the necessary Government order to this effect which has fueled discontent among the protesting members of the public.
As a result of the lack of concrete action towards meeting the long standing demand of the protesting citizens, they recently resumed the staging of a protest in the Tehsil compound here. As part of the demonstrations which have been going on for some days now, villagers from most villages in the Joshimath development block have been taking out protest marches in the town and staging a sit in. Expressing dissatisfaction at the local administration ignoring their issue and the Government not doing the needful to meet their demand, the villagers and Sangharsh Samiti members on Sunday gathered at the main intersection in town where they burned the State Government effigy while raising slogans against the authorities before settling to continue their protest in the Tehsil compound.
The Sangharsh Samiti office bearer Ramesh Chandra Sati said that if the State Government continues to maintain its mute stance on the “biggest”issue being raised in the region, the people will boycott the Vidhan Sabha election to be held in 2017.