Migration turning several villages into ghost ones, devoid of habitation, with the villagers leaving them in search of better livelihood facilities elsewhere, the villagers of Karakot at Kot in Pauri district had hit upon a novel plan to bring back the migrants to their native places at least once in a year.
Virendra Juyal, a resident of the village, said that Srimad Bhagwat Mahapuran that had been hosted last year had brought the natives from 12 villages, settled near and far, to their villages. This year too, the same would be held and the people would come in greater number, he said. “The last year’s even was a huge success. The people of 12 villages participated in it enthusiastically. Besides, many from other villages came too in their hordes,” he said. This year, the event would be held in the same village under Kot block, staring from June 5 and it would continue till June 12. Dr Durgesh Acharaya Maharaj would do the katha path on Srimad Bhagwat during the congregation. Juyal, who is also BJP activist now based in Delhi, said that the trend of migration must be stopped if Uttarakhand is to see development. “The mountainous districts are being emptied of people to the detriment of national security. And to check it, nothing can prove a better instrument than organizing a spiritual event that enjoys an irresistible appeal for those who have migrated. It drew people in huge number last year and this year, the footfalls would be even greater as people from at least 50 villages are expected to visit their native villages to attend the event. Some development works would be undertaken before and during the event. Health camps would come up. A Sanskrit school would also be opened in the area. Besides, the migrants have started taking care of their ancestral properties. This is no small achievement in view of the present dismal condition prevailing here,” he said.
He further said that to lend social significance to the religious event, students of eight educational institutions located in the area would be felicitated on the occasion who scored high in the high school exams held under the Uttarakhand Board and also the inter examination 2016. These institutions include those located at Kaleshwar, lawali, Ujjayari, Ojjali, Kot, Masangaon and Bhuneshwari. “This would help the religious event turn into a social congregation too involving the students and the youths who would feel that they are being taken care of by their societies, something that would deter them to leave their native villages when the time would come for them to earn living on their own,” said Juyal.