Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced a campaign to rehabilitate villages that were evacuated during the 1962 India-China war. Speaking at a public rally in Harsil, Uttarakhand, he highlighted the government’s efforts to revive these abandoned settlements and transform them into thriving tourist destinations.
Referring to two villages in the Uttarkashi district that were vacated in the aftermath of the war, PM Modi said, “People might know that when China attacked India in 1962, these two villages of ours were evacuated. People have forgotten, but we cannot forget. We have launched a campaign to rehabilitate those two villages and are moving towards making them major tourist destinations.”
Emphasizing the strategic and cultural importance of border villages, the Prime Minister asserted that they should not be seen as the last outposts of the country but as its first line of settlements. “Our effort is that the border areas of Uttarakhand should also get special benefits of tourism. Earlier, these villages were called the last villages. But we changed this thinking and declared that they are our first villages. Under the ‘Vibrant Village’ program, we have initiated their development, and 10 villages from this region have already been included in the scheme.”
Highlighting the rapid infrastructural development under his administration, PM Modi underscored the advancements made in Uttarakhand through the ‘double-engine’ government, a term he frequently uses to describe BJP-led governments at both the state and central levels working in tandem. He pointed to projects such as the Chardham All-Weather Road, modern expressways, and expanded railway, air, and helicopter services as evidence of Uttarakhand’s transformation.
He further announced the Union Cabinet’s approval of the Kedarnath Ropeway Project and the Hemkund Ropeway Project, which aim to significantly ease travel for pilgrims. “After the construction of the Kedarnath Ropeway, a journey that used to take 8 to 9 hours will now be completed in about 30 minutes. This will make the Kedarnath Yatra easier for the elderly and children,” he stated.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi flagged off a trek and bike rally in Harsil after offering prayers at Maa Ganga’s winter residence in Mukhwa. He was accompanied by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. The Uttarakhand government has also launched a Winter Tourism program, which has already seen thousands of devotees visiting the winter seats of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. The initiative is designed to promote religious tourism while boosting the local economy, homestays, and tourism businesses.
