VILLAGERS DECIDE TO BOYCOTT ELECTION IN PROTEST AGAINST THE INDIFFERENT ATTITUDE OF THE MP TOWARDS THEIR PROBLEMS

VILLAGERS DECIDE TO BOYCOTT ELECTION IN PROTEST AGAINST THE INDIFFERENT ATTITUDE OF THE MP TOWARDS THEIR PROBLEMS

31-MAY-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA------------------------------The people of Ara Parliamentary Constituency have sent 9  MPs to the lower house of the parliament since 1952 but no one paid to the problems people are facing here and the traffic jam and dilapidated condition of roads are the one of the most important problems here. Not to speak of towns, these problems are in villages too. Several villages under the Ara parliamentary constituency do have even basic facilities but the people representatives have turned a Nelson’s eye towards these problems and so the people are least interested in election this time despite the Bhojpur district administration made every endeavour to increase vote percentage. And a glaring example of people’s representative indifferent attitude is Barap village where condition is pathetic. Barap is a part of Garhani Gram Panchayat Samiti of Bhojpur district Council comprising 7 villages with 7 thousands voters. Many generations have passed demanding construction of road but even one kilometer of road could not be built so far. Fed up with the apathy of the people representative, the residents of Barap village have decided to boycott the election saying that if there is no road, there is no vote and this decision has created ripple in the administrative circle.

Villagers vent their anger against the local MP Raj Kumar Singh and said that the entire village used to vote for the NDA but despite the support the road was not built and now they are adamant on getting the road built through protest. They stated that this condition of the village where the MP is a minister at the Centre exposes Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tall claims of being a developed village.  

In Bhojpur district the entire town and even villages from main roads bylanes are crying with traffic jam most of the time daily. Pollution is also increasing due to traffic jams. The residents of the town say that the local MP Raj Kumar Singh has not prepared any road map to meet the traffic jam and pollution problem. The drain problem is common. If the road was in good condition, there would have been some relief. Again they said that Bhojpur district is a big hub of sand mining. The mining mafias deal with sand on a large scale and get the mining done. Illegal business of sand is also causing the problem of traffic jam. Due to this, the number of trucks has increased. Long lines of trucks are seen in the areas adjacent of the sand Ghats at Koelwar, Babura, Sahar, Sandesh and people are not able to get relief from the traffic jam. It also increases graphs of road accident. The level of pollution is increasing due to smoke emitting from the trucks and the sand falling on roads. People met the MP and Union Minister Raj Kumar Singh several times regarding the solution of the problems but in vain. It is alleged that no plan has een made to sort out the problem.

Quoting the tall claims of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi that each and every village of the country is being development but the ground realities belied his tall claims. Residents of Barap village said that he and his MPs should come to their village and see as to how much development has taken place. They said had the work done as promised in election, the condition of entire village would have changed.

Gudia Kumari, a school going student of the village narrated her woes and said that it is difficult to walk on one kilometer link road connecting the main road to the village. People felt that their legitimate demand is being ignored. She further said that communication on this road so cumbersome, she and other students like her get so tired that they are not able to study. She has injured her leg several times and the time is not far away that she might be compelled to leave her study but due to pressure of her family, she continues the study in adverse situation.

Another student Nisha Kumari said that due to lack of road, the students had to walk about two kilometers every day and get tired while going to school. There is no transport in the village. Even schools and coaching centres refuse to send vehicles on such roads and if the roads were good, there would be less problems. The entire road is in dilapidated condition and villagers get injured their legs and the children are unable to even ride on bicycles on a such a road and family members are afraid of providing bicycle to their children.

Villagers said that their age has passed by walking on such roads when the country has reached far and wide but they could not even get a road. Generations have passed demanding roads. Now the new generation is in the queue demanding roads. They said that when the government wakes up on this village. One green grocer Sohrayi Singh said that there is no such road in the village through which one can go by bicycle and many businessmen like him who have go out of the village everyday on foot. They have living like this for 20 to 22 years. They wanted an MP who could do development but every time they were cheated. The leaders make promises but do not come tote field after winning. The villagers further said that if two kilometer road was built, the village would have developed. The elderly persons of the village said that they go on foot but now they do not have stamina and they are afraid of falling. The village is very small and backward and people from outside face a lot of problems. If the MP has paid attention, development would have taken place but it seems that they have been left in a lurch.

A driver Dhanesh said that drivers are reluctant to run their vehicles on this road because whenever a vehicle is brought, it must have to take to garage for repair.

One Ashok Kumar Singh said that the problem is not of today but persists for 26 to 27 years. A brick soling was done but the brick had been uprooted. The entire village is waiting for the road since long. Earlier this village was in Buxar Parliamentary Constituency but now in Ara Parliamentary Constituency. Whenever an MP or MLA comes to this village, they demand only a link road through which they could go to the hospital, school, college and anywhere else. The villagers further said that they are not boycotting the vote for any party or candidate but for their legitimate demands. They are tired of demanding construction of road. Till now they supported and seen that the road has not been built and now they are protesting and boycotting the vote and hoped it might work and the road could be built.

One Sonu of the village said that vote politics is going on here. it seems as if this is a part of Afghanistan and we are cheated every time in the election. The government is formed not on the road but on the basis of the votes from the village. The villagers said that the MP is a minister at the Centre and they demanded several times from Raj Kumar Singh but the demand fell into deaf ear. They went to New Delhi and visited his official residence there but that too bore no fruit. They questioned as to why they shout vote when they have to say. What is the existence of people of that village where there is no road. They are cheated in every election with false promises of the leaders. Perhaps the leaders thought them useless and so they never cared for them.

The villagers questioned the MP as to why they vote when he never cared for them. He made promises during elections but forgot after winning. If they are not getting facilities, they do not even think about voting. The MP is not concerned with their problems. Every time they reminded him of his promises but in vain. They villagers stated that they have the same right as that of town but neglected every time and so they have decided to boycott the election for the fulfillment of their justified demand. Villagers said that they were borne in an unclaimed village and so no one bothers to extend helping hand. If anyone fall ill at night, it is very much difficult to take them to hospital. We are talking about giving assurance of victory in the election but this time they have decided to boycott. Not a single vote of any caste will be cast in the village. The village is not protesting against the elections because of any party candidate, their protest is against the system and the people representative. The entire village voted for the NDA but the MP betrayed and did not fulfill the promise he had made during the last election.

Elections should be held on local issues but this time there is no issue. Candidates are not allowing it to become an issue. In such a situation, it is difficult to elect an MP. If the MP asks for the votes by counting the work of the State government, it is against the people. There is a fraud with the electricity that Nitish Kumar has given. The MP claims 24 hours uninterrupted electricity, said a senior journalist Rajiv Nayan Agrawal and added though there are 14 candidates in the Ara Parliamentary Constituency, the contest will be in between the NDA and the INDIA Alliance. This time local issues are missing in the election. People and leaders are talking only on national issues. This is not right regarding the selection of candidates in the elections. If seen as an MP, Raj Kumar Singh is not able to answer where his funds of MPLAD are used. Wherever he is going, he is being asked about the funds and work and every time he returned without giving answer. He had adopted the Gundi village in the year 2014 but till date there has been no progress in that village.

A renowned physiotherapist of Ara said that getting a job is not development. People should get employment and Raj Kumar Singh developed electricity , railway and roads and he got the road bridge built across the river Sone at Koelwar. A lot of development work has taken place in the last 10 years of the NDA government.

The local BJP MLA here has also not done any work. MP Raj Kumar Singh is an administrative officer and he pulled out the old files from the shelves and got the work done. When it comes to work, they take the name of Railways which is not done from the MP fund. Ara generates maximum revenue next to Patna in Bihar and the railway minister is bound to provide all facilities. The roads also belong to the NH and the MP has no role in it. The Ramana Maidan at Ara is converted into a lawn by the NTPC. Now the children are devoid of playing in the field. There is no special arrangement for electricity, sewerage and health education. The work of the State government is also claimed as its own. This is unfortunate. There are many such problems which have become a curse for Ara.