Gairsain was in the TV News Channels captions since Oct. 02, 2004. The print media did follow its coverage subsequently, following the deteriorating health conditions of two fasting activists of Uttarakhand Mahila Manch- Dr. Uma Bhatt and Smt. Dhooma Devi.

How does media collect information from Gairsain, which is the centre of action and not accessible by phone (STD has been de-activated since Oct 4), disconnected by road from Karnaprayag due to a minor landslide near Simli. One has to really visit Gairsain to know the ground reality.

On Oct., 8, it was reported that both the starving activists were arrested. But, the reality was that the police force could not identify Dr. Uma Bhatt and instead arrested Puja Mehra from the Ramlila Ground, Gairsain, where the MANCH is holding mission permanent capital of the state at Gairsin and fasting unto death.

To know what was going on there, I went to Gairsain on Oct, 9, reached Gairsain through Haldwani-Ranikhet-Dwarahat-Bhikyasain at 11PM. There were about 10-15 activists on the spot. Shri Rajendra Dhasmana, human right activist and media expert was with me. So, we met Smt. Dhooma Devi at Sushila Tewary hospital at Haldwani and heard her statement and the hardship and humiliation by AAPKI MITRA UA police before and after her arrest.

On Oct 10, at 6 AM, as I woke-up, over 100 strong police force was heading their way to the DHARNA ground. The activists made a quick announcement by the loudspeaker and appealed to the people, including the media personnel who had reached there to avoid repetition of what happened on Mujaffarnagar in 1994 and also the human rights violation of democratic way of protesting by them. One policeman hit the electric wire connecting the stage. There was clear indication of aggression and his action was uncalled for. Another arrested Dr. Sekhar Pathak who was taking photograph and had come to see the condition of his wife Umaji.

SDM- Chamoli, Mr. Uday S Rana and Co. Commandant K R Bhatt forced their way to arrest Dr. Uma Bhatt. They could not get entry amid strong protest. The situation could be saved by intervention of Press and eminent people who had come from Delhi, Lucknow, Nainital, Dehradun and Almora. SDM Rana was requested to send back the police back to their Cantt. Which is really a scene to be seen at Gairsain.

There were abt. 10 policewomen who in the meantime, kept trying to make their entry for Dr. Bhatt's arrest and failed. Co. Comt. Bhatt once again tried and was thrown away by Puja Mehra and others.

Finally at 7:40, amid shouting slogans against NDTewary, RS Tolia, DM Ajay Nabiyal and police SP of Chamoli Ashok Tamta (reportedly coming drunken to arrest Dhooma Devi on Friday) the Dr. Uma Bhatt was taken in an ambulance to Ranikhet.

Sh. Dharam Singh Rawat, IAS (Retd) who had sit on a hunger strike in 1986 against his own un-accountable Govt. system in Lucknow announce that the Govt. can not ignore the demands of fasting activists and decided to sit on fast till 16th of Oct., Smt. Kamla Shah, another local women also decided to sit on fast unto death. I accompanied Umaji to hospital. The story of hospitals and facilities will open yet another chapter, hence I would like to cut short by stating that Ranikher CMO, Surgeon, and Physician referred her to Haldwani because there is no pathologist there. Three private pathologists give different reports for the same test, hence not credible.

According to Dhasmana ji, after the 2nd arrest, the agitators took out a protest rally and tried to mob the DM, Chamoli who has made his temporary H/Q at Gairsain. The rallyists came back to the venue and had meeting chaired by R S Dhasmana and attended by Dr. SS Bisht, Sh. Rajiv L Sah, Sh. D S Rawat, Mrs. Kamla Pant Sh. P C Tewari and others. University Student union leader D V Naithani also announced that they will mobilise villages to really intensify the movement.

Chandan Dangi

---

Dear all,

The govt. today arrested both the hunger striking women activists Dr. Uma Bhatt and Smt. Dhooma Devi from Gairsain. They are being taken to Ranikhet civil hospital and fed by forced and treated there.

Before the police swung into action this morning, there was stiff resistance by the Satyagrahis and their supporters, which lead to a lathi-charge by the police.

Chandra Kala Bisht, another prominent activist of 1994 movement, who had suffered a lot, has now sit on hunger strike and the movement is picking up momentum.

-- Chandan Dangi

Fast unto Death in Gairsen by Dr. Uma Bhatt and Srimati Bhooma Devi is a drastic decision by Uttarakhand Mahila Manch. The move comes close on the heels of the sad demise of Baba Mohan Uttarakhandi, who sacrificed his life on 9th August 2004.

It is shameful that Uttaranchal Government is not paying heed to the basic demands of Uttarakhand movement. Four years have elapsed since the state came into existence, but culprits of the horrendous Muzaffarnagar incident are still roaming free. The question of the permanent capital of Uttaranchal has not yet been resolved subsequent upon which the activists are impatient to redeem their fetters of patience.

The Cabinet Committee which was constituted before the Uttarakhand Movement in 1994 gave its verdict in favour of Gairsen after wide consultations with different segments of society. The tilt was towards Gairsen because of its central location in Uttaranchal. It is intriguing and a matter of surprise for the people that B.J.P. led government at the centre did not put the provision of a capital in U.P Reorganisation Act 2000. This issue of permanent importance was left to the wisdom of the new state  to decide. The caretaker B.J.P. Govt. of Uttaranchal and then the elected govt. under the leadership of Mr. Narayan Dutt Tewari, instead of declaring Gairsen as the capital,  constituted another commitee to settle this problem under the presidentship of retired justice Virendra Dixit. Justice Dixit has not yet given his final report to the govt., but has confirmed that the peoples' first choice is Gairsen and this site is geologically safe.

Activists right through the state are agitating on this issue. On 9th August 2004, on the 38th day of his hunger strike Baba Mohan Uttarakhandi demanding Gairsen as the capital, died in Karnprayag in police custody, after he was forcibly removed from Benital, where he was fasting. His untimely death added fuel to fire and the two ladies, Dr. Uma Bhatt, who is a Reader in Hindi Deptt. in Kumaun University and is editor of women's magazine 'Uttara' and Srimati Bhooma Devi, who is a social worker in Gairsen, have started fast unto death from 2nd October, which incidently happens to be the 10th anniversary of infamous Muzaffarnagar incident.

We appeal to you that if you support this cause of Uttarakhand activists, please send letters/Fax of support to the C.M. of Uttaranchal and ask  him to accept the demands of these women activists. You can hold meetings, circulate letters and mobilise the people for this noble cause. If you do not support Gairsen as the capital of Uttarakhand, still you can appeal to Mr. Narayan Dutt Tewari to resolve this matter immediately and save the lives of  the activists. Hope you will not muffle your voice at this moment of crisis.

-- Girish Tewari 'Girda', Poet and cultural activist
Rajiv Lochan Sah, Editor, Naini Tal Samachar