A tragic incident in Uttarakhand has highlighted the dire state of basic infrastructure in the state’s villages. Gopal Jung Basnet, a 1971 war hero, had to endure a harrowing final journey after his death. Residents of Danijala village, located near Haldwani, had no option but to transport his body across the raging Gaula River using a makeshift trolley due to the absence of a proper bridge. This incident paints a grim picture of the state’s neglected villages, where even basic facilities remain a distant dream.
Despite being just a few kilometers from Haldwani, a major city, Danijala lacks essential infrastructure like a bridge, which has been a long-standing demand of the local community. Villagers have repeatedly appealed to the government for decades, but their requests have fallen on deaf ears. The situation in this village reflects the plight of many other areas in Uttarakhand, where the government’s promises of development remain unfulfilled.
Basnet’s death under such conditions has sparked outrage among locals, who point out that their village is not in a remote location but still suffers from a lack of basic amenities. “If this is the condition in a village so close to Haldwani, one can only imagine the state of truly remote areas,” a resident lamented. The incident has become a stark reminder of the government’s failure to provide even fundamental infrastructure in areas that have a proud history of military service.
The villagers, many of whom have served in the armed forces, feel betrayed by the government’s indifference. The community has a rich history of military service, with many residents having served in both the British and Indian armies. Currently, over a dozen young men from the village are in active service. Despite this legacy of national service, the village remains devoid of basic infrastructure like a simple suspension bridge, making life difficult for its residents.
While the Uttarakhand government frequently claims that the state is witnessing rapid development, incidents like these tell a different story. For many villagers, the “Vikas ki Ganga” (river of development) that the government boasts of seems like nothing more than empty rhetoric. The case of Gopal Jung Basnet serves as a poignant reminder that the true measure of development lies in the well-being of its people, not in hollow proclamations.
