With the picturesque Himalayan ranges on one side and the Gangetic plains on the other, the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand encompasses breathtaking valleys, snow-capped peaks and a large number of historical temples. While the pristine natural beauty is the highlight of the district, it can now boast itself as the powerhouse of India’s politics and defence.
After the appointment of Trivendra Singh Rawat and Yogi Adityanath as the newest Chief Ministers of the states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh respectively, the quaint hill district of Pauri Garhwal has caught the attention of everyone in the nation as a lot of people hailing from the district are now sitting in top decision-making positions.
Trivendra Singh Rawat and Yogi Adityanath (birth name Ajay Singh Bisht), Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh trace their roots in the villages of Pauri Garhwal. While Rawat is from Khairsain, Yogi hails from Panchur village.
Even in the newly-appointed cabinet of Rawat’s government, three out of nine ministers, namely, Satpal Maharaj (Chaubattakhal), Harak Singh Rawat (Kotdwar) and Dhan Singh Rawat (Srinagar) represent constituencies in the Pauri Garhwal district.
It is not just the politics of the two northern states that Pauri Garhwal has a stronghold on. In recent times, defence personnel hailing from the district have also grabbed top spots in India’s security establishments. The National Security Advisor (NSA), Chief Of the Army Staff (COAS) as well as the Director of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) have their roots in the district.
NSA Ajit Doval, COAS General Bipin Rawat and RAW Director Anil Dhasmana belong to different parts of the district and have spent their childhood in Pauri Garhwal’s villages.
While Doval (Dobhal) hails from Banelsyun village, Gen Rawat belongs to Saina village and Dhasmana is from Toli village in the district.
Historically speaking, Pauri Garhwal has given four Chief Ministers in the past, namely H.N Bahuguna (CM of undivided UP in 1973), Major Gen. B.C Khanduri (Uttarakhand-2007), Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank (Uttarakhand-2009) and Vijay Bahuguna (Uttarakhand-2012).
These success stories can be attributed to the relatively higher literacy rate (82.02% compared to the national average of 74.04%) in the district. Speaking of the district’s achievements, Pauri Municipal Chairman Yashpal Benam said,
“It is a matter of pride for the people of Pauri that politicians from the district went on to become Chief Ministers and held major Cabinet berths.”
Pauri Garhwal has certainly become a force to be reckoned with, as people from the district are making their presence felt at the top decision-making posts. It is also a source of inspiration for a majority of Indians living in rural areas as all of these people belong to modest backgrounds and have grown up in small towns and villages.
Let’s hope their success stories inspire many others in the nation.