Satpal seeks divine intervention

Harish Chandola
The Hindustan Times
September 11, 1999

Title: Satpal seeks divine intervention
Author: Harish Chandola
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: September 11, 1999
URL: http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/110999/detELE08.htm
Contact: htedo@nda.vsnl.net.in


Satpal seeks divine intervention
Joshimath, September 10

IN THE Darkness of night, sounds of “kirtans” (hymns in praise of Gods) can be heard coming from a hill.

You can be sure that it is a party of Satpal Maharaj’s disciples leading people in the singing of these kirtans. Satpal Maharaj is the Congress candidate from Garhwal parliamentary constituency. He is using this novel way of reaching village voters of this almost entirely Hindu constituency. The small Muslim votebank is limited to the towns.

Satpal Maharaj is a respected religious leader. His kirtan parties visit villages in the evening. Everyone gathers in a house and Satpal Maharaj’s disciples lead them in singing songs in praise of deities that are revered in these mountains. After hours of singing, at the end of the session, the disciples remind the congregation that Satpal Maharaj is standing for election and people vote according to their conscience.

This correspondent travelled to several villages accessible through steep and narrow paths. These include Karchyun, Tugasi, Upper Raini, Lata and Subayin.

They had all been visited by Satpal Maharaj’s kirtan parties.

The BJP, renowned for its religious fervour, has in the election become a totally political organisation. It is engaged in combating the popular charge that the government it had headed failed to create a separate hill state. Its leaders had assured the people that they would do so within three months of coming to power.

To retain this seat, the BJP is asserting that it alone can create a hill state. There are few takers for this. Its candidate is retired Major General B.C. Khanduri.

For the hill people, Uttarakhand is not the issue in this election. This is because by now they know that no political party at the national level is sincere in its creation. A hill state however continues to be an issue for the leaders seeking votes. For the people, there are other important issues. Like their children going to schools with no teachers, rehabilitation of last year’s landslide and this year’s earthquake victims, failure of crops, unemployment etc.

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