Migration from Uttarakhand’s Border Districts and its Strategic Implications: A Study of District Chamoli

Abstract

The movement of people towards urban areas from villages is a notable issue in Uttarakhand. Although it has historical roots, currently, many villages are uninhabited in almost all hill districts of Uttarakhand. It becomes a security challenge when the bordering villages get depopulated. The state shares an international border with two countries, namely China and Nepal. This paper looks at the strategic implications of migration from the Chamoli district, which borders China. China uses the salami-slicing strategy to capture the grazing grounds in border areas. This is an applied exploratory research which seeks to build foundational empirical knowledge from hitherto unexplored perspectives of the impacts of out-migration from Himalayan borders. The Primary data was taken from government sources, whereas secondary sources include Journals, Books, and websites. It attempts to deconstruct how out-migration from border districts of Himalayan states can become a security challenge for India.