Uttarakhand foundation day: Almora residents write letters in blood, know why

Dehradun, Nov 9 ‘Devbhoomi’ is celebrating Uttarakhand Diwas, the day commemorating the establishment of Uttarakhand as a separate state.

Saturday marked the 24th anniversary of the formation of the state, also known as ‘Devbhoomi’ (land of gods) because of its several Hindu pilgrimage spots.

Amid the celebrations of state foundation day, some letters written in blood addressed to the top Constitutional offices of the country created alarm and panic in the government machinery.

The members of Gevad Vikas Sangharsh Samiti in Chaukhutiya development block wrote letters in blood, addressed to the President, Prime Minister, Chief Minister, Governor of the state and the Supreme Court.

The letters have been handed over to the District Magistrate of Almora. The motive behind this was apparently to draw the attention of state and Central authorities towards problems, plaguing the block for many decades.

The representatives said that despite Devbhoomi attaining ‘adulthood’ upon completion of its 24 years of existence, it remains burdened with several fundamental problems. These include education, roads, medical facilities, fire stations, Kendriya Vidyalayas, lack of college and more. All these problems have been mentioned in the letter.

Hundreds of people, including men and women also assembled at the Krantiveer Chowk with placards in their hands and raised slogans.

Gevad Vikas Sangharsh Committee President Gajendra Singh Negi, revealing the reason behind letters in blood, said: “We have written this because we have met the Chief Minister five times in the last one and a half years. During this time, we have mentioned all the problems of Gevad to him. We have demanded to give the status of degree colleges to all the colleges.”

“We have met the Chief Minister regarding 30 issues, calling for urgent attention. But, every time, we found assurances and no headway. We thought that if we write such letters, then perhaps our problems would be heard,” he added.

Source: IANS