Former CM Harish Rawat Extends Support to the Youth for Truth Campaign in Kausani
On Monday, former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Harish Rawat, visited the sacred grounds of Anasakti Ashram in Kausani. There, he met with senior Gandhian thinkers and youth from across the country participating in the Youth for Truth campaign. Lending his full support to their demand to shut down liquor shops in the region, Mr. Rawat made a bold announcement:
“If the government fails to close the liquor shop within a month, I will personally come and lock it myself.”
Speaking from the public gathering, Mr. Rawat also made a direct phone call to the District Magistrate of Almora, urging for immediate action to close the shop and warning that any delay would compel him to take direct action.
This intervention followed the peaceful protest held a day earlier, on Sunday, where youth activists, senior Gandhian thinkers, women, and social workers from all over India marched from Pant Marg to the Kausani tri-junction. They raised strong slogans and staged a peaceful demonstration in front of the liquor shop.
The demonstrators emphasized that Kausani is a land of great spiritual and cultural significance. It is where Mahatma Gandhi wrote his commentary on the Bhagavad Gita (Anasakti Yoga), where Sarla Behn dedicated her life to social service, and where Sumitranandan Pant, a celebrated poet of the Chhayavaad era, was born. Allowing liquor shops in such a sacred place is not only disrespectful but a direct threat to its values.
Senior Gandhian Ram Dutt Tripathi remarked:
“On one hand, the government honors Radha Bhatt with the Padma Shri, and on the other, it allows liquor shops that contradict her ideals. This is an assault on Kausani’s cultural and spiritual heritage.”
Prominent figures present included: Sudarshan Iyengar, Siby K. Joseph, Ashwin Jhala, Hemant Kumar Shah, Ashok Kumar Sharan, Bhuvan Pathak, Satyendra Kumar, Varun Mitra, Jagrati, V.K. Pant, Rajeev Lochan Shah, Vipin Joshi, Gopal, Satyavrat, Vijay Shankar Shukla, and many others. Youth for Truth was strongly represented by Vivek Kumar Saw, Akhil Tiwari, Leelu Kumari, Bipasa Raina, Ajay Poddar, and sisters from Lakshmi Ashram including Swadha, Kamal Singh, Neeraj, among others.
While a few individuals tried to justify the liquor shop, the demonstrators stayed calm and peacefully reaffirmed their commitment to total prohibition in Kausani.
The Youth for Truth collective firmly stated:
“This movement will continue until every liquor shop in Kausani is shut down.”
