By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 26 Oct: Renowned historian and environmentalist Shekhar Pathak delivered a compelling keynote address on the concluding day of the Valley of Words Literature and Arts Festival at Hotel Madhuban here today. Speaking on the theme, ‘The Past, Present and Future of Uttarakhand’, Pathak traced the historical, cultural and ecological journey of Uttarakhand over the past three thousand years, while also offering a critical assessment of the state’s achievements and challenges during past 25 years since its formation. The session was chaired by former Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand, N Ravishankar, while it was moderated by activist Anoop Nautiyal. The partner organisations in the keynote address were the Doon Library & Research Centre and DIT University.
Sharing his opinion, Pathak asserted that while he is not totally disillusioned with the achievements of the state and its journey as a separate state, he is not very happy with it either. In his address, Pathak narrated how the earliest phase of Uttarakhand’s history was shaped by tribal-Austroasiatic and Khasa migrations, forest-based economies and small agro-pastoral communities that thrived in high-altitude zones. These early societies, he noted, laid the foundations of the unique mountain culture that continues to define the region.
Over the centuries, principalities such as the Katyuri and Chand dynasties in Kumaon and the Garhwal kingdoms emerged, each influencing the social and spiritual fabric of the mountains. Pathak observed that centuries of interaction between humans and their natural environment produced a resilient society rooted in ecological balance and community cooperation. He also noted that early settlements in Uttarakhand were uphill and not on the banks of the rivers, as the people and the then rulers did not take risk of flooding. Even the early British led settlements followed this principle which has now been violated grossly. This has led to landslides and loss of lives.
Pathak also touched upon the Gurkha invasion of Uttarakhand in the late 18th century, describing it as a dark yet defining period in the region’s history. He noted that after the decline of the Chand and Garhwal dynasties, the Gurkhas extended their rule over the hill territories and established control through force and heavy taxation. According to him, the Gurkha administration, though efficient in certain respects, was marked by harshness and exploitation, which led to immense suffering among the local population. He said that while the Gurkhas built roads and forts to consolidate their hold, their oppressive policies alienated the mountain communities. The Gurkha rule of Uttarakhand was military feudalism which differed from feudal rule of local and ethnic kingdoms of the state. He stated that the people of Uttarakhand have endured many rulers, from the Katyuris to the Gurkhas to the British — but what remained constant was their resilience. He observed that the British, who eventually defeated the Gurkhas in 1815 after the Anglo-Nepalese War, not only ended their rule but also brought the region under colonial control, introducing forest laws and administrative systems that would have long-lasting consequences for the hills.
However, the colonial intrusion of the nineteenth century marked a profound rupture, introducing forest exploitation, timber extraction, road building and the coolie-begar system, which disrupted traditional livelihoods and triggered large-scale migration. His research, he said, revealed how colonial forest policies in reality alienated mountain people from their resources and noted that this injustice continues in many forms even today.
He also mentioned the role and presence of media and the press during colonial rule and mentioned that publications like Garhwali and Yugvani and several others played a crucial role in shaping the society of Uttarakhand but lamented that the present role of the media has been largely restricted to the praise of and servility to the government in power. He also criticised the lack of sensitivity of media in the Ankita Bhandari case and claimed that the media largely chose not to question the government in this case seriously.
Reflecting on post-independence Uttarakhand, Pathak reminded that the e statehood movement was born from a vision of “jal, jungle and zameen, belonging to the people. He asserted that, in the first twenty-five years of Uttarakhand’s existence, the core promises of statehood have not been fully realised. While acknowledging improvements in road connectivity, women-led enterprises, tourism and industry and cultural revival to some extent, he cautioned that these developments have often come at the cost of ecological degradation. He also remarked that while the history of Uttarakhand can be traced to 3000 years, the last two centuries brought more changes than the entire 3000 years and that the decade since 2014 has brought more changes to Uttarakhand than the previous five decades combined, not all positive changes. He also lamented lack of adequate public support to regional parties like Uttarakhand Kranti Dal which could have been more sensitive towards the native needs and sensibilities.
Pathak used his experiences from the Askot–Arakot Abhiyan of 2024 to illustrate this paradox. He observed that remote villages now have wide roads and mobile connectivity, but schools and hospitals remain underfunded, and migration continues unabated. He argued that the current model of development prioritises short-term infrastructure over long-term sustainability, threatening both the ecology and the cultural identity of the hills. He said that governments come and go and have little role to play in shaping society, but it is the people and the communities that ought to play a greater long term role.
Pathak criticised the persistence of the colonial-era system of state control over forests, which has marginalised local communities and, now, even the fodder comes to the hills from the plains and much less wood is collected for kitchen fires as majority of people have LPG connection. Even then the forests are not being protected. He said that the water bodies inside the forest traditionally played the role of fire-lines but now that does not happen. He pointed out that while government-managed reserved forests dominate the state, the traditional Van Panchayats. community-managed forests, occupy only a fraction of the area, despite being better protected against fires and degradation. He argued for creating Van Panchayats in every village of the hills.
Pathak appealed for a fundamental rethinking of Uttarakhand’s developmental and environmental vision. He argued that without restoring community ownership of natural resources and ensuring that the voices of local people guide decision-making, little would happen.
