A campaign to revive a traditional Uttarakhand festival, which has lost its popular connect over time, has gathered pace with several noted citizens of the hilly state promising on social media to observe the auspicious occasion in their villages.
BJP MP Anil Baluni, who had given the call to revive Igas Bagwal, celebrated 11 days after Diwali, said the campaign will help connect people to their traditional culture by bringing them back to their villages, many of which have suffered from depleting population as residents left them for employment.
Central Board of Film Certification chief Prasoon Joshi, also a lyricist, and noted mountaineer Bachendri Pal have put out videos, lending their support to the drive.
Official sources said Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat, who is from the state, may also join the campaign.
A number of artistes from Uttarakhand have also joined the campaign, which has found support from a number of ministers of the state government.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi often asking BJP leaders to take up social causes, Baluni's drive is part of such an exercise as he believes that it will bring resident back to their villages, many of them called "ghost villages" due to migration of all of their residents.
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