Hill state must take 3 urgent steps as faith, governance and credibility collide
Abhay Jeet Singh Akela
For decades, Himachal Pradesh enjoyed a reputation as a peaceful, God-fearing state. Faith and simplicity anchored its culture, and temples were revered as places of devotion, not revenue. But today, the lines between religion, politics and power appear blurred and dangerously so.
The government’s growing control over temples has altered the landscape. The idea of “VVIP darshans”,once alien to Himachal, is now an accepted practice. Temple funds, once sacred, are increasingly treated as financial assets. The Shikari Devi ropeway episode stands as a stark reminder: despite the belief that the Devi herself disapproved, political will triumphed. In this case, state ambition silenced faith.
Equally troubling is the bureaucracy’s declining credibility. A viral video of devotees dragging a Tehsildar before local deities and forcing an apology was not just an embarrassment, but an expression of lost trust. This comes on the heels of other blows: SDMs accused of crimes as grave as rape and upright officers like Vimal Negi paying with their lives for refusing to compromise. Each such episode chips away at public faith in the very institutions meant to safeguard justice and order.
The malaise does not end there. Corruption in the awarding of contracts, inefficiency in disaster management and nepotism in appointments have created a widening gulf between the rulers and the ruled. Himachal’s monsoon disasters and landslides reveal not just nature’s fury but also the state’s unpreparedness. While ordinary citizens rebuild homes and lives with resilience, the government machinery often appears more interested in photo opportunities than real rehabilitation.
The youth, watching all this unfold, are restless and disillusioned. Politicians, meanwhile, are busy with foreign trips or filing FIRs against those who dare to dissent. Law and order drifts rudderless, trapped between political expediency and administrative inefficiency. The simmering frustration among young Himachalis, many of whom migrate for jobs, is fast becoming a ticking time bomb.
Himachal, once a symbol of calm, is caught between two forces: politicians hungry for control and a bureaucracy struggling for integrity. What was once its proudest identity, peace, is fast becoming a myth. The hill state risks losing not only its reputation but also the trust of its own people.
Suppose the state is to reclaim its character. In that case, three urgent corrections are necessary: respect for faith without political interference, accountability for bureaucratic misconduct and a political class willing to prioritise the public good over personal benefits.
A transparent use of temple funds for social welfare, strict action against corrupt officials, and policies focused on youth employment and infrastructure can help rebuild confidence. Without these, the gods may remain in our temples, but governance will remain absent from Himachal.
The question is not whether Himachal will remain peaceful, it is whether it can remain just. Peace without justice is merely silence before a storm.
Abhay Jeet Singh Akela
(Views are personal)
