While Poorvanchalis form a whopping 35 per cent population of Delhi, the interests of the community have been neglected for long. Poorvanchalis have been given short shrift by the successive Governments in Delhi for long.However, during last few years, as the two main political parties realized the numerical strength of Poorvanchalis in Delhi and their potential impact on their political fortunes in Delhi, they began making efforts to outdo each other in proving themselves as the bigger champion of the cause of poorvancalis. However, a closer evaluation of their actions vis-à-vis their promises to the cause of poorvancalis may indicate that their actions are merely symbolic in nature and their commitment to the cause of poorvanchalis is still lacking in substantial way.They would make loud demands/promises regarding regularization of “unauthorized” colonies; however when it comes to implementing the same, they would be found to be dithering on the same. They would talk about improving the basic civic amenities related to Drinking water, proper drainage/cleanliness, proper roads, power supply etc in these “unauthorized” colonies; however conditions remain almost the same for the people(who happen to be mostly poorvanchalis only) in these colonies.One political party, with limited power in Delhi, would declare Holiday on the eve of Chhath Puja, other political party at the helm of affairs, in order to deny any credit to its adversary political party, would put spanners on the way of its implementation.
While the “real actions” of the political parties towards ameliorating the conditions of Poorvanchalis in above mentioned areas continue to lack in substantial way, they are found to be absolutely lacking in their willingness to provide representation to Poorvanchalis in Political Power Structures in Delhi.
The “step motherly” treatment to Poorvanchalis begins at the university Level only. While Poorvanchalis have been making their presence felt in main campus of Delhi university in terms of their numerical strength as well as their academic excellence in very substantial way during last three decades; however student wings(NSUI & ABVP) of these two political parties rarely nominate Poorvanchalis as their candidates for DUSU elections.During assembly and parliamentary elections also, these political parties consider hardly a few from Poorvanchal as their candidates and the result is, today there is a lone MP and couple of MLAs from Poorvanchal, a very meager political representation in proportion to their population in Delhi.
Given the above discriminatory representation to Poorvanchalis in Political System of Delhi, there has been simmering discontent among them. Aware of this situation,Political Parties had publically acknowledged this “step motherly” treatment and had been making promises to resolve this anomaly through their future actions. In fact , during the last couple of years, the way, they were trying to woo poorvanchalis, and the way they were aggressively trying to develop their support base among poorvancalis, there were “heightened” expectations among poorvancali leaders (operating at the local level), that finally two main political parties would give them their due representation during the MCD Elections 2012.However, that wasn’t to be.Final lists declared by the two main political parties have given a rude shock to the aspirations of poorvanchalis.
Out of 272 candidates, Congress has only 6 poorvanchali candidates.It happened despite having very strong voice of a Poorvanchali MP in the tickets distribution.While this MP mayn’t have influenced the decision for the MCD wards of other parliamentary constituencies, however considering numerical size of poorvanchali population in 40 MCD wards of his constituency(on the basis of which he was chosen by his party to represent this parliamentary constituency); one would have expected a very large representation to poorvanchali candidates for Congress at least in 40 MCD
Wards from his parliamentary constituency.However that didn’t happen. It appears that his love for poorvanchalis seems to be limited to poorvanchalis from his family only. Out of 6 seats given to Poorvanchalis; three candidates are from his family only.While ,this treatment by Congress to Poorvanchalis may be harsh but that wasn’t wholly unexpected too. Given the attitude of the CM of Delhi, who sometime back considered Poorvanchlis as law and order threat, huge burden on the limited resources of Delhi and who also circumvented the decision of MCD to declare Holiday for Chatth festival, this kind of harsh treatment to Poorvanchalis has been logical only.
Compared to Congress, treatment by BJP to Poorvanchalis may appear to be far better; however may still be considered far from expected and desired.BJP has given tickets to 25 Poorvanchalis during these MCD Elections.While this figure of 25 may be slightly better from party’s previous standards(last time 23 poorvanchali candidates were given tickets by the party); however in the backdrop of recent political posturing by the party,this kind of treatment was shocking and wholly unexpected. Ever since, assuming the presidentship of the party, couple of years ago; state party president had been doing a lot to bring poorvanchalis in the mainstream of the party.He tried to re-invigorate moribund cell of Poorvanchalis by changing the leadership of the cell. The new leadership of the cell had taken enough no. of political initiatives and organized several political programmes in order to align poorvanchalis to the mainstream of the party.Most of the leaders of this cell had really worked very hard during last two years towards inducting lakhs of poorvanchalis under the party’s fold. The culmination was marked by enrolling one lakh poorvanchalis as the members of BJP and organizing a huge congregation of Poorvanchalis in Delhi, addressed by all the top leaders of the party from the state and central team. All these leaders during their address sang paens to Poorvanchalis for their intelligence, sincerity,hard work,political wisdom, and massive contributions towards development of the Delhi.During their address, they also lamented on calling Poorvanchalis as
outsiders,considering them as law and order threat and denying Holiday on
the eve of Chatth Puja by their political adversay Congress. These two events were organized in the month of February , just before hitting the MCD Elections campaign. Idea was to give a loud message to the Poorvanchalis that party stands for their cause and upliftment.
Given the above recent political posturings by the party, there was a heightened expectation among the Poorvanchali leaders of the BJP that after long they were going to get their due representation in the party. However that wasn’t to be.Poorvancali leaders of the BJP were in for a rude shock at the stroke of the midnight of 24th March,when the final list of the candidates was announced,only 25 poorvanchalis could manage entry into the final list, out of which seven were sitting councilors.Analyzing region-wise, although, there was some semblance of respect for the poorvanchalis in East(9 poorvanchali candidates got the tickets for 64 seats) and North(11 poorvanchali candidates got the tickets for 104 seats);however most humiliating was treatment meted out in South Region wherein only 5 Poorvanchali candidates got the tickets for 104 seats in this region. Considering the overwhelming presence of Poorvanchalis in the wards of west Delhi, Najafgarh, Mehrauli and Karol Bagh(parts of Southern region of corporation), wherein Poorvanchalis make up almost 50% of the voters; this is a very harsh treatment to Poorvanchalis.
It appears that party leaders, who earlier were making public display of their support for the cause of Poorvanchalis,when it came to ticket distribution for the party, they showed their allegiance to the “Son of the Soil” theory. It appears that state party president, who would often emphasize “Nobody can claim to be original resident of Delhi and Poorvanchalis as much belong to Delhi as other communities” seems to have buckled under pressure of party leaders subscribing to “Son
of the Soil” theory. “Son of the Soil” theorists seem to continue to live in the past. They continue to believe that communities, who earlier mattered for them on the basis of their numerical strength continue to matter for them even now. Despite being out of power for almost thirteen years from Delhi, They have failed to see through the
changing composition of voters in Delhi. During last one and half decades, they seem to be ignorant of the fact that Poorvanchalis really form a very significant chunk(almost 35%) of voters in Delhi and if they fail to align them to the party by meeting their political aspirations, they would be doing grave dis-service to their own party. By again meting out “ step motherly” treatment to poorvanchlais, party leadership has missed a great historical opportunity to bring a significant population of Delhi under party’s fold and reap high dividends in future struggle for power with other political parties in the region.Now that BJP has missed the bus,other political parties viz. JD(U),SP, RJD, LJP etc. having regional affiliations with Poorvanchalis, would try to bring them in their fold and in the long run BJP would emerge out to be a big loser on this count.
In a nutshell, two political parties in Delhi continue to pay “lip service” to the cause of poorvanchalis without doing much for their upliftment in Delhi.Poorvanchalis in Delhi are watching out this discriminatory situation for them with dismay and now they seem to be in a decisive mood of snapping their all ties with both and fight their own battle independent of the two main political parties.
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