BJP MP Baluni plays Holi in ‘ghost village’, seek return of ex-residents | India News
New Delhi: Garhwal MP Anil played Baluni as part of the campaign to restore settlements hit by the deportation of locals in Uttarakhand. holi With current and former residents of Dhur village while visiting the constituency. Several former residents returned briefly to the village to play the festival of colors to give the almost empty village a vibrant feel, reminiscent of a bygone era before they migrated to different towns in search of livelihood. “Since childhood, I have seen villages become deserted as people seek a better life in the cities. Today many of them are called ghost villages. But now, with improved roads, electricity, water and other facilities, it is time to return to our roots, where our heritage truly thrives,” said Bale.Baluni, who was a Rajya Sabha member before being elected to the Lok Sabha in 2024, is leading a campaign to revive traditional festivals, a call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and bring former residents back to their native villages to restore the old way of life in this remote, mountainous region that has suffered stagnation as people leave.Once vibrant with laughter and cattle, hundreds of these villages across Uttarakhand are now abandoned, their rooftop fields overgrown with weeds and houses locked and dilapidated, he said. Immigration has had an impact on the region, he added. Baluni said that before Puri there were eight assembly constituencies but the number has come down to six and may further decrease after the next “arrangement”. He said that several districts of the hill state are facing the same crisis. Amidst splashes of color and bursts of laughter, Holi was celebrated with a handful of families still far away. They were joined by many former residents who had returned from distant towns for the occasion. Baluni has been visiting such villages repeatedly in an effort to revive them. As part of his efforts, the BJP The leader also launched the “Apna Vot Apne Gaon” campaign, urging people to register as voters in their respective villages.
