Backward thinking… This one is to provoke the thoughts of people of Uttarakhand living outside…to begin thinking about turning backward…towards home. I saw a picture post on facebook today the sight and idea of which popped up a thought in my mind. The picture showed singer Gajendra Rana, musician Sanjay Kumola and two other fellow at New-Zealand Airport. I read it in Mussoorie Times, 20th April issue that Uttarakhandi talent Reshma Shah, Gajendra Rana and their team are flying to New-Zealand for some show. This is indeed one big leap for the music and culture of Uttarakhand. And this is not the first time that culture of Uttarakhand is reaching overseas, artist from the state have been bedazzling foreign lands with their performance since over a decade now, or may be more than that. That simplifies the equation of rise in the number of people of Uttarakhand living abroad and hence the rise in the mass migration back home. It is good to learn that the otherwise humble and innocent mass is far more informed and skilled now. The youth, in particular, have been successful in breaking the norms and excelling in professions like IT, banking, hospitality, travel, media and fashion, just to name a few, and the location has out-grown from the metros and cosmopolitans to well deserving global addresses. They are, both men and women, among the best styled and groomed ones and are driving fancy cars, but when talks of Himalayas, Buraans or Kaafal surfaces they turn nostalgic…sometimes even in tears. Thankfully the roots are still very strong, it is only the young shoots which need some moistening and pampering may be with sweat and tears. Some mature hands are needed to join together to shade and insure the young shoots from the harsh and burning reality so that the future could nourish and flourish at home and before aging eyes. The elderly of recent past were, and still are, very innocent and to a great extent less-informed but times has certainly changed rapidly, the present elders have well adapted themselves to the changing global times. Since the mutual family understanding has always been very liberal parents have always supported and encouraged new dreams. Earlier we lacked opportunities in the mountains so migration was the only option but not anymore, the world is in your palm now. Make your homeland your base and I promise the sky would be the limit. Go see the world, gain experience, attain expertise and come back home to implement it. I have known many youngsters from Uttarakhand (that includes all and not just Garhwali or Kumaoni) who are successful running their enterprise staying home after a couple of years or decade spending and experiencing in cities. Sharing rooms, feasting on pizza, commuting through hectic traffic jams, thronging Cineplex, partying at pubs and discs can be as fuss as fun. On the other hand, nothing like the feeling of leading and shaping a life in homeland with ageing elders. And yes…party, picture and pizza is no more a ‘city-life delight’, our own Dehradun is a fast emerging metropolitan city and our own ‘momo’ has scaled up to the level of pizza. We got it all here now, what we don’t have is you. So come back home…lets join together and build a life in the mountains for us and for the future generation to come. For elders I dedicate these lines said by H.H. the Dalai Lama, “Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back and reason to stay.” While for youth I would appeal to evaluate and analyze the idea…give it a ‘Backward thinking’.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Apr 2014 09:06:18 +0000
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