By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
After taking 15 days leave from active politics, veteran Congress leader Harish Rawat on Saturday firmly rejected suggestions that he should quit politics.
In a social media post, Rawat said he would undertake a political yatra across Uttarakhand from April 15 to understand what is right for his political future.
Rawat wrote: “My decision to take earn leave was a very ordinary, minor personal choice. I made this decision solely to find peace for my restless mind. Statements were issued, comments were made, discussions took place, and questions were even fired at me. In light of this, a major question has emerged: why did we lose the 2017 election—the election that took place while I was serving as Chief Minister? Why did we lose election in the 2022 when I was the Chairman of the Campaign Committee? Generally speaking, these elections were contested under a collective leadership; yet, today, the questions are being raised solely against me. Questions are also being raised as to why I lost. All these questions are being posed with the implicit suggestion: why shouldn’t I simply quit politics now?
“A profound question is also stirring within my own mind—one that can only be answered by the brothers and sisters of Uttarakhand. After much deliberation and extensive consultation grounded in thorough study, I articulated a vision of syncretic nationalism — rooted in localism (specifically local culture, dialects, attire, cuisine, handicrafts, and indigenous produce) — to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Hindutva-based nationalism, the power of which lay in dividing people. This vision is what we commonly refer to as Uttarakhandiyat. Why did we suffer defeat in election after election? I was the foremost standard-bearer of this ideology; why did I face defeat so consistently? Why did our narrative fail to resonate with the people?
“If the standard-bearer of the State of Uttarakhand and of *Uttarakhandiyat* suffer defeat, it raises a monumental question—one to which only the *Janata-Janardan* (the people, in whom the divine resides) can provide the answer. In search of this answer, I intend to undertake an extensive tour, which will be conducted in several smaller phases. I wish to commence this journey on April 15, 2026, by studying the ground realities along the Gangotri Highway and in Dharali, located within the Uttarkashi district.
“Following April 20, 2026, I also intend to visit and engage with the victims of natural disasters in the Tharali and Kanalgarh valleys. I will endeavor to ascertain from them—by way of comparison with the reconstruction and rehabilitation work we undertook during the disaster of 2014–15—where they perceive themselves to stand today.
“During this period, I will also seek the blessings of Gwel Devta and my family deity in my native village Mohanri on April 27. Subsequently, I will also visit Haridwar, the region where I carry out my work,” the former chief minister said.