Filling the vacuum in Uttarakhand

In Uttarakhand, the “fauji factor” is as much a part of the political equation as caste in many other states in India. Nearly 40 per cent of the population of the hill state comprises soldiers, former army officers, their families and service voters. Ex-servicemen can make or break the fortunes of established political players. Probably recognising this, former Chief of Army Staff, Gen V K Singh, visited Dehradun recently at the invitation of Gen T P S Rawat, who is an active politician. At a meeting attended by around 180 former servicemen, Gen Singh found representatives of seven organisations claiming to represent them. There are at least 11 more.

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