The Hindu : Relocation for electoral gains: Congress

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 25, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Relocation for electoral gains: Congress

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JAN. 24 . Describing the ongoing relocation of slum clusters from Yamuna Pushta here as "politically motivated'', the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, today accused the Union Government of dislocating the poor in the middle of an icy winter with just electoral gains in mind.

"This (relocation) is being purposefully done (to gain electoral benefits),'' she alleged speaking to reporters after her sudden visit to the Holambi Kalan resettlement colony in North-West Delhi, where slum dwellers from various parts of the Capital are being rehabilitated during the past two and a half years.

After hearing their grievances, Ms. Gandhi asked: "Kahan Hai Udai Bharat? (Where is India shining?)'' During her hour-long visit to the resettlement colony, residents, mostly women and youngsters, complained that they have lost their jobs after they were shifted here and there was no proper transportation linking the place to main parts of the Capital. They had to bribe officials to get their ration cards made, and had to shell out one rupee every time they used the community toilet complex, besides the scarcity of water and non-availability of electricity also haunted them.

"At least for these people, India is not shining. Then for whom is it shining?'' asked Ms. Gandhi, who was `visibly upset' after listening to their grievances unmindful of the fact that majority of these problems related to the Delhi Government that was ruled by the Congress.

During her hour-long visit, despite security concerns raised by the intelligence agencies, Ms. Gandhi freely mingled with residents enquiring about their well- being and entered a few dingy JJ units sanitised and covered by the security forces as precautionary measure. "She did not promise anything, but asked about the problems being faced by me,'' said Gayatri Devi, outside her small jhuggi in front of the colony drain. Accompanied by the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, Ms. Gandhi opened the black plastic cover of the jhuggi to ask about her well-being. "My husband does not have any job ever since we were shifted from Indira Camp in Naraina some 45 days ago. Life has become hell for us. People are charging money even for toilets,'' rued Gayatri, sitting on the broken cot along with her two daughters Savitri (10) and Kamla (seven). "Now they are not going to school,'' she complained.

Having not much idea who Sonia Gandhi was, except that she was the daughter-in-law of the former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, she said: "Ms. Gandhi has come to my house, I will vote for the Congress party.'' A large number of people also submitted their list of woes to the Congress leader, which were handed over to Ms. Dikshit.

Slogans of "Sonia Gandhi Zindabad'' were raised during her interaction with the people on the campus of a yet-to-be inaugurated Government school. A large number of women and children, standing in the front rows felt jubilant after shaking hand with Ms. Gandhi. "This is a life time opportunity,'' said Savitri. "I was so happy to touch her hands that I forgot to share my miseries with her,'' she said.

Later talking to media persons, the AICC member and in-charge of Delhi, Ahmed Patel, alleged that the relocation of slums from Yamuna Pushta was a political move by the Union Government just before the Lok Sabha elections. "Why are people from slum clusters from a particular Parliamentary constituency being shifted now?'' he asked.

"We are not against relocation. We want the directive of the Delhi High Court in this regard be adhered to. But before shifting these people to a new place, we expect that the people are provided with bare minimum basic facilities,'' he said.

Mr. Patel alleged that the Slum Department of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi was carrying out the relocation exercise at the pressure of the Union Urban Development Ministry.

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