Himachal Pradesh celebrated its 54th statehood day today with a sweet and sour journey of development, and socio-cultural and political changes since 25 January 1971.
Founder Chief Minister of Himachal, Dr YS Parmar, who was known for his simplicity, had a great perspective on developing the state and he talked about ‘apples and roads’ in the hill state in those times.
Therein, former CMs Shanta Kumar, Thakur Ram Lal, Virbhadra Singh, Prem Kumar Dhumal, and Jai Ram Thakur, all have contributed to the state’s progress in their way. They took the state to the path of progress and prosperity, in continuity.
The present Congress CM, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu too is carrying it forward in a different style, what he calls ‘Vyavastha parivartan’ (change in the system) for better governance and results on the field.
“We are indebted towards the stalwarts who have led Himachal Pradesh to zenith among all hilly states. A special tribute to the resilient and hard-working people of the state,” said CM, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, addressing the public at the 54th statehood day function in Dharampur in Mandi district.
Sukhu said the unwavering commitment of the people of Himachal deserved heartfelt recognition on this momentous day. “Himachal’s journey is not just a narrative of leaders but a saga written by its people,” he added.
As it is, Himachal Pradesh can now take pride in getting recognition as a model state so far as progress is concerned, especially in the road network, education, health and welfare sectors compared to other mountain states, yet serious issues have also cropped up over the decades for various reasons, including the policy flaws and populist approach of political leadership.
Shanta Kumar, who became CM twice, in 1977 and 1990, was probably the only leader, who did not follow the populist politics in HP. The present Congress CM, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who completed one year of this tenure last month, is seemingly trying to come out of the trap of populist measures.
The state is currently reeling under the debt burden of over Rs 80,000 crore at present, and all governments over the last two decades said loans had become essential to run the government and pay off previous debt.
There is no denying the fact that there has been very little effort in resource mobilization or even austerity, at least in the last two decades.
Himachal has more than 3 lakh employees in different government and semi-government boards and corporations and other semi-government organisations. The government set-up is functioning with thousands of vacancies (around 50,000), especially at the lower level, making it difficult for the offices to run smoothly. And that’s the only thing where one can feel that the government is facing financial constraints.
Nothing has been done in the name of cutting down expenses on the facilities of bureaucrats or other high-ups, so far. In 2001, the then Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal had decided to take a small step of austerity by deciding to pool the vehicles of bureaucrats and other officers.
He had to roll back the decision within no days with the entire bureaucracy up against it.
Also, the state has not been able to work on building professionalism in functioning far. Being a very small state, people are so much connected to the local politicians, or even the ministers and chief ministers, and have easy access to them.
This has led to political interference in every sphere of routine functioning and vice versa, where people have high expectations from politicians to sort out their day-to-day issues.
This is one reason that Himachal Pradesh has seen a change in state government every five years over the last three and a half decades.
“We do have clean governance in Himachal, barring some exceptions, compared to other states. Still, the culture of political recommendations in every sphere and the red-tapism in routine development works has emerged as a main problem here,” said PR Mohan, a retired professor in Shimla.
There is a general feeling now that the state needs to change its development vision and work culture. “Along with Vyavastha (system), the state needs parivartan (change) in its development perspective too,” said some old-timers.
“There are enough roads, highways and even link roads connecting the interior of most villages even in tribal areas of Himachal.
The need of the hour is to revisit the development model in HP in line with the essence of mountain topography, not plains. Unfortunately, the policymakers have closed their eyes towards this aspect,” said septuagenarian environment activist, Kulbhushan Upmanyu, who heads the Himalaya Niti Abhiyan in HP and was a party of the Chipko movement spearheaded by Sunder Lal Bahuguna in the 70s in Tehri.
He said the state should be developed in a way that protects the greenery and environment.
“The government must develop Himachal as a tourism state by retaining its beauty with minimal infrastructure rather than making it an industrial hub with massive and mindless construction by endless felling of trees,” Upmanyu said.
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