Beautifying Varanasi? Displaced residents remind Modi of promised rehabilitation

By Rosamma Thomas*
“Democracy is not a system but the natural tendency of India,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the 82nd session of the All India Presiding Officers’ Conference over a video call. This apex body of the legislatures of India celebrates its 100th year this year. Meanwhile, in Prime Minister Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi, people displaced for various beautification projects have been appealing for the rehabilitation earlier promised.
On Wednesday, as the prime minister spoke of Indian democracy in glowing terms, a fresh complaint was registered on the website of the Prime Minister’s Office from the people displaced. The 120 families displaced in Khidkiaghat have not been rehabilitated as earlier promised – only 21 families have received a government-provided home.
Residents of Sujabad have seen their hutments demolished twice over – once during a visit of the prime minister to the area in February 2020 as a memorial was being inaugurated for Deen Dayal Upadhyay, and a second time for Deepavali celebrations in November 2020.

The residents received no prior notice, and there was no rehabilitation plan in place, says Saurabh Singh, who had appealed to the governments several times in this matter. In all, about 500 people were rendered homeless in Sujabad and Khidkiaghat of Varanasi.
“On the night of November 29, 2020, over two dozen government officials visited the displaced families … before the Dev Deepawali celebration and assured them that they will be receiving land papers and proper rehabilitation in two days,” Singh’s complaint on the PMO website says.

It adds that the officials stayed with affected families all night, and then took them a kilometer away to Rajghat Bridge early the next morning. The residents were kept under observation all day there, without food or water, and only let free after the PM departed by 9 pm that day. It was cold that night, and one elderly person did not survive that ordeal.
Since then, these homeless people have been running from pillar to post for the rehabilitation the government had promised. Among those living in the open are young, adolescent girls. There are no medical facilities for them.

NGO Inner Voice Foundation has been providing them ration kits and blankets. Sharda, who lives in Khidkiaghat, said, “We are not educated and cannot expect government jobs. We get by with labour, we make some vessels for sale… but it is hard now that we are also homeless. It would be great if the government could offer rehabilitation. We have waited over a year now.”

Gulab, who has been waiting for rehabilitation at Sujabad said, “We have received a great deal of help from Inner Voice Foundation. Our families have little support, and it would be good if the government could help rebuild our homes.”
A call to the office of the chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh seeking a response on this matter was not put through to the senior bureaucrat. An email has been sent, and this report will be updated if a response is received.
---
*Freelance journalist based in Pune

Comments

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

'Anti-poor stand': Even British wouldn't reduce Railways' sleeper and general coaches

By Anandi Pandey, Sandeep Pandey* Probably even the British, who introduced railways in India, would not have done what the Bhartiya Janata Party government is doing. The number of Sleeper and General class coaches in various trains are surreptitiously and ominously disappearing accompanied by a simultaneous increase in Air Conditioned coaches. In the characteristic style of BJP government there was no discussion or debate on this move by the Indian Railways either in the Parliament or outside of it.

Why convert growing badminton popularity into an 'inclusive sports opportunity'

By Sudhansu R Das Over the years badminton has become the second most popular game in the world after soccer. Today, nearly 220 million people across the world play badminton. The game has become very popular in urban India after India won medals in various international badminton tournaments. One will come across a badminton court in every one kilometer radius of Hyderabad.

Faith leaders agree: All religious places should display ‘anti-child marriage’ messages

By Jitendra Parmar* As many as 17 faith leaders, together for an interfaith dialogue on child marriage in New Delhi, unanimously have agreed that no faith allows or endorses child marriage. The faith leaders advocated that all religious places should display information on child marriage.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Ayurveda, Sidda, and knowledge: Three-day workshop begins in Pala town

By Rosamma Thomas* Pala town in Kottayam district of Kerala is about 25 km from the district headquarters. St Thomas College in Pala is currently hosting a three-day workshop on knowledge systems, and gathered together are philosophers, sociologists, medical practitioners in homeopathy and Ayurveda, one of them from Nepal, and a few guests from Europe. The discussions on the first day focused on knowledge systems, power structures, and epistemic diversity. French researcher Jacquiline Descarpentries, who represents a unique cooperative of researchers, some of whom have no formal institutional affiliation, laid the ground, addressing the audience over the Internet.

Article 21 'overturned' by new criminal laws: Lawyers, activists remember Stan Swamy

By Gova Rathod* The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Gujarat, organised an event in Ahmedabad entitled “Remembering Fr. Stan Swamy in Today’s Challenging Reality” in the memory of Fr. Stan Swamy on his third death anniversary. The event included a discussion of the new criminal laws enforced since July 1, 2024.

Hindutva economics? 12% decline in manufacturing enterprises, 22.5% fall in employment

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* The messiah of Hindutva politics, Narendra Modi, assumed office as the Prime Minister of India on May 26, 2014. He pledged to transform the Indian economy and deliver a developed nation with prosperous citizens. However, despite Modi's continued tenure as the Prime Minister, his ambitious electoral promises seem increasingly elusive.

Union budget 'outrageously scraps' scheme meant for rehabilitating manual scavengers

By Bezwada Wilson* The Union Budget for the year 2024-2025, placed by the Finance Minister in Parliament has completely deceived the Safai Karmachari community. There is no mention of persons engaged in manual scavenging in the entire Budget. Even the scheme meant for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers (SRMS) has been outrageously scrapped.

Search This Blog