The Indo-Chinese border in Uttarakhand has remained a hot topic in terms of violations and intrusions by the Chinese forces. The Indian Armed Forces keep a close eye on the region despite inclement weather conditions. However, the local population are the eyes and ears of military intelligence and have been very instrumental in preventing and reporting intrusions. But a worrisome phenomenon threatens to derail this arrangement, providing a huge security challenge for India. It is the consistent exodus of the local population from the high altitude rugged mountainous regions of Uttarakhand that form the buffer zone that prevents intrusions up to the mainland.
According to the latest Census of India (2011), Uttarakhand's three districts bordering China —Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Pithoragarh — had decadal population growth rates of 11.7 percent, 5.6 percent and 5.1 percent, respectively, much lower than those of lower-altitude districts of Uddham Singh Nagar, Hardwar and Dehradun that had decadal growth rates of 33.4 percent, 33.2 percent and 32.5 percent, respectively. This indicates a strong tendency among people of the underdeveloped mountainous border regions towards comparatively urbanized areas.
Among the plethora of reasons behind this grim situation, the most prominent one is the Indian Government's policy of not developing its areas bordering China in order to make it inaccessible to intruders. However, the policy has severely backfired as the local population are leaving their homes in search of better education and employment opportunities.
Member of Parliament Tarun Vijay told Sputnik, "The Himalayan border areas are facing an acute problem of exodus because the old people are unable to do farming and their children want good education and facilities like medical help, electricity, communications and good schools. For this reason parents either move to better places or send their children to cities like Dehradun, Delhi, Bangalore etc. That is causing the villages on the border to become less and less populated."
Data from the 2011 census shows 33 villages no longer exist on the state's map, while another figure from the government's statistics department suggests about 1,065 villages are completely desolate and uninhabited and have turned into ‘bhutiya gao' or ghost villages. Many villages of Pithoragarh, Darma Valley, Vyas Valley, Johar valley, Tak, Gonia, Semal, Kalsaniya and Poth frontier areas are also almost completely abandoned.
"It's a dangerous situation because the defense line needs a friendly population on borders. Hence, I have demanded a special commission to provide better infrastructure and facilities for the border people to stop their exodus in the interest of people and national defense," Tarun Vijay said.
