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Friday, Feb 18, 2005

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The `other' face of Punjab in Ajnala

By Sarabjit Pandher

AJNALA (AMRITSAR), FEB. 17. The remote villages of this Assembly constituency, which is currently witness to intense politicking in the run-up to the lone by-election in the State, are a pathetic story of people still surviving on the fringe of civilisation and democracy. Amid criminal neglect by the powers-that-be, they speak volumes about "another Punjab'' existing in the dark shadows of deprivation, completely untouched by the State's legendary prosperity.

Says Sucha Singh Namardar, "We have always been at the receiving end since 1947, when our villages were devastated and later suffered on being caught in the crossfire during terrorism. We watch helplessly as our petty little belongings perish before the fury of floods, which are a regular feature. These villagers have borne the brunt of the wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971 as well as the recent heavy army deployment.''

The proverbial "silver lining'' is the ruling elite from the mainline parties have set up camps in the remotest villages. The spotlight of media could not have been far behind. But would it provide the much-awaited opportunity, when assurances are translated into action on the ground, remains the moot question.

Meanwhile, voters accept in private that driven by extreme poverty it was a practice to sell their right to franchise when the constituency witnessed four Assembly and two Lok Sabha elections in the last 10 years, deflating any attempt at building "political pressures'' forcing performance by the rulers. The prices in the past have ranged between a bottle of liquor to Rs 500 for a single vote and a television set to a motorcycle depending on the status of a group leader.

In the era, when the "brighter'' Punjab debates issues like the need for preparing to meet the challenges by the WTO regime, diversification in agriculture by launching the "second push'', promoting Information Technology (IT) and Biotechnology, need to encourage tourism, continuous stretches of villages are yet to receive their basic telephone connections. Mobile phones have kept these areas "out of range''.

The only connection these villages have is through the narrow and serpentine link roads, which too are badly damaged at most places. Former Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, who now heads the opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), was surprised that live electricity wires had been clamped to the walls of houses in Rajian and Jheri villages, as the authorities had not erected poles while extending the electrification facilities more than three decades ago. Many have been electrocuted, but nobody has bothered.

Shock and disbelief writ large on the face of the Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, when residents of Bhindi Saida, led by a former headman Amarjit Singh, highlighted prolonging of their miseries despite village records indicating Rs 9 crores grant having been allotted to this one of the biggest villages in constituency, which the previous government promised to develop it into a "mini Chandigarh'' under the then "model gram scheme.'' The visible development works include construction of the building of an elementary school, repairs of the guesthouse and recarpeting of the circular road around the village, which could not have cost a few lakhs. This forced Capt. Singh to abandon his customary speech that focuses on his vision of building a "modern Punjab'' and promise that he would have it inquired as to where did the grants disappear.

Equally taken aback is Independent legislator, Jeet Mohinder Singh, who has come all the way from Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district to campaign. "Ours is a very backward area. But this is worse. Cannot believe this is Punjab,'' he says shaking his head as he is more surprised that people still have hope that their lot would improve.

People from other villages clutch on to their treasured representations, which carry series of thumb impressions, exposing widespread prevalence of illiteracy in the region. Their tragic narrative revolves how in successive years grants just vanished into thin air. Either there are no schools or dispensaries. If a rare one has a building, then the posts of teachers and doctors have been lying vacant for decades. While teachers manage to reach some places, doctors and paramedical staff hardly attend duty. Many even complain that they do not have properly demarcated funeral grounds or dharamsalas (community centres).

A group of women, who were waiting at an election rally to plead their case with the Chief Minister, rue that the denial of basic amenities has made their lives most miserable. With no provision of covered toilets or sewerage they still have to go to the fields, either before sunrise or after sunset. Many women have died as no maternity facility is in the vicinity. The private practitioners, who in most cases are not properly qualified, are either not skilled enough or do not have the required women in their para-medical staff.

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The `other' face of Punjab in Ajnala