“Last year, the development officers of Himachal Pradesh visited our village 3 to 4 times. The pace of development was all right, however, now the speed is gradually slowing down. I don't think the money for the development of this place is really reaching us.
Where a lot of development has taken place, people have started ignoring their culture and traditions and are adopting cultures mostly coming from the West. For instance, the local food is being replaced by the kind of food that we get in big cities or towns.
I think the new generation will have much more options apart from tourism and agriculture. They will have access to higher education and professional courses. They will also be able to explore the world for a future beyond the hills. Majority of people use mobile phones today. Travel has become easier. Villages where you had to trek for a whole day, are now connected by roads. People have started using cement for constructing houses. Most of the new buildings are made using cement. The mud houses are getting replaced. The roads are open even during winters, which would have been closed earlier.
There should be an airport in the near future and the main road should be connected to the National highways. There should be a college for higher education and some institutes offering professional courses should be set up. The government should encourage winter sports. A ski village should be developed.” |
