Bengal
Junglemahal voters don’t expect change
The Statesman
- 06 May 2014
Higher turnout likely as Jhargram goes to polls on 7 May
Biswabrata Goswami
biswabrata@thestatesman.net
Jhargram, 5 May
Most people in tribal-dominated Jhargram parliamentary constituency, which was once the hotbed of Maoist insurgency are not quite aware of the “real power” the Constitution has bestowed on them, yet they will turn up in large numbers to vote on 7 May.
Obviously, this Junglemahal constituency is expected to witness a high percentage of voters, though not many tribals expect things to change after the elections.
Mr Ambar Tudu of Kantapahari village is ready to cast his vote, but he does not have much expectation from the new MP.
“Voter par keu ekhane asbena, tabe vote na dile, ora amake mrito bole ghosona karbe (After the polls, no one comes here. But if I do not vote, they would declare me dead),” said Mr Tudu, adding that if his name got deleted from the voters' list, he might not get the benefits of the various welfare schemes.
In the hinterland of Kantapahari, many like Mr Tudu, vote just for the sake of it.
A trip to the remote villages of this constituency reveals that the Mamata Banerjee government has tried to reach the doorsteps of many villages with various development schemes but there are numerous villages like Kantapahari spread across the constituency which are still untouched.
“Unnayan to hoeche, tabe prayajaner tulanai kam (Development has not been as much as was needed),” said Mr Manoj Soren, a Santhal youth from Belpahari.
A no-industry zone, this constituency has witnessed years of violence triggered by Maoists. In 2008, Junglemahal attracted nation-wide attention because of killings and encounters between Maoists and security force personnel. For nearly three years since then, the region has been on the boil. But the turning point came with the death of Maoist leader Kishenji in November 2011. Junglemahal has seen no incidents of murder or abduction by Maoists in the last two years.
Restoration of peace in Junglemahal has raised expectations in the Mamata Banerjee led Trinamul Congress that the party may be able to improve upon its tally of Junglemahal seats in this election. Today, with peace restored, life is back to normal in this region. There is no fear of violence of police raids, or bandhs.
Peace has also brought in a frenetic pace of development activity to the area.
Colleges, schools and community halls are coming up. Ponds are being dug under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).
A Rs 60 crore bridge is being built from Lalgarh to Aamkola to reduce the distance to Jhargram subdivision by 12 km. People call the bridge a fantasy, an impossible dream coming true. What is interesting is that though a major chunk of the funds comes from the Centre, credit goes to the state government.
The state government has also employed more than 10,000 youths from the region in the police department. “Till today, we are receiving applications from Junglemahal youths who are very keen to join the police force by ignoring the Maoist threat,” said Mr Sukumar Hansda, minister for development of western region.
Nearly 40 per cent people in the Jhargram constituency are tribals and 28 per cent belong to Scheduled Castes. Though the CM’s scheme of Rs 2 a kg of rice per week to all communities in Junglemahal has made an impact.
But, a contrasting picture emerges in several gram-panchayat areas including Belpahari, Silda, Nayagram, Gopiballavpur and Binpur.
Many people here are landless and belong to the Scheduled Castes and other backward castes. There is a severe shortage of water for agriculture.
There are no wells or ponds and only one hand-pump for two villages.
Sukdev Soren, a young resident of Nayagram, said, “The villagers are very poor. To survive, everyone is forced to work as labour. I don't know how to express my pain. There is no help from any side. Political leaders come during the elections and promise to do this and that, but no one does anything.”
The Jhargham seat is reserved for the Scheduled Tribes. Sitting MP Dr Pulin Baske of the CPI-M has blamed the Trinamul government for lapses in implementation.
He said, “In the last 10 years I have done a lot of work during my tenure in the panchayat as a Zilla Parishad Sabhadipati. I have got the National Award also for literacy movements, sanitation campaigning and rural development. The TMC government has been in power for three years, but the result is nothing.”
Ms Anita Hansda, a Congress candidate, however, feels that Maoist menace had stalled the development initiative in this region. Her party would only be an alternative to give pace in the ‘real’ development works.
Dr Uma Soren, a Trinamul Congress candidate said, “I will be trying to fulfil Mamata Banerjee's dream to make Junglemahal a showpiece.”
But, peace in Junglemahal has brought hope and opportunity for some. The challenge will be to reach the unreached.
Biswabrata Goswami
biswabrata@thestatesman.net
Jhargram, 5 May
Most people in tribal-dominated Jhargram parliamentary constituency, which was once the hotbed of Maoist insurgency are not quite aware of the “real power” the Constitution has bestowed on them, yet they will turn up in large numbers to vote on 7 May.
Obviously, this Junglemahal constituency is expected to witness a high percentage of voters, though not many tribals expect things to change after the elections.
Mr Ambar Tudu of Kantapahari village is ready to cast his vote, but he does not have much expectation from the new MP.
“Voter par keu ekhane asbena, tabe vote na dile, ora amake mrito bole ghosona karbe (After the polls, no one comes here. But if I do not vote, they would declare me dead),” said Mr Tudu, adding that if his name got deleted from the voters' list, he might not get the benefits of the various welfare schemes.
In the hinterland of Kantapahari, many like Mr Tudu, vote just for the sake of it.
A trip to the remote villages of this constituency reveals that the Mamata Banerjee government has tried to reach the doorsteps of many villages with various development schemes but there are numerous villages like Kantapahari spread across the constituency which are still untouched.
“Unnayan to hoeche, tabe prayajaner tulanai kam (Development has not been as much as was needed),” said Mr Manoj Soren, a Santhal youth from Belpahari.
A no-industry zone, this constituency has witnessed years of violence triggered by Maoists. In 2008, Junglemahal attracted nation-wide attention because of killings and encounters between Maoists and security force personnel. For nearly three years since then, the region has been on the boil. But the turning point came with the death of Maoist leader Kishenji in November 2011. Junglemahal has seen no incidents of murder or abduction by Maoists in the last two years.
Restoration of peace in Junglemahal has raised expectations in the Mamata Banerjee led Trinamul Congress that the party may be able to improve upon its tally of Junglemahal seats in this election. Today, with peace restored, life is back to normal in this region. There is no fear of violence of police raids, or bandhs.
Peace has also brought in a frenetic pace of development activity to the area.
Colleges, schools and community halls are coming up. Ponds are being dug under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).
A Rs 60 crore bridge is being built from Lalgarh to Aamkola to reduce the distance to Jhargram subdivision by 12 km. People call the bridge a fantasy, an impossible dream coming true. What is interesting is that though a major chunk of the funds comes from the Centre, credit goes to the state government.
The state government has also employed more than 10,000 youths from the region in the police department. “Till today, we are receiving applications from Junglemahal youths who are very keen to join the police force by ignoring the Maoist threat,” said Mr Sukumar Hansda, minister for development of western region.
Nearly 40 per cent people in the Jhargram constituency are tribals and 28 per cent belong to Scheduled Castes. Though the CM’s scheme of Rs 2 a kg of rice per week to all communities in Junglemahal has made an impact.
But, a contrasting picture emerges in several gram-panchayat areas including Belpahari, Silda, Nayagram, Gopiballavpur and Binpur.
Many people here are landless and belong to the Scheduled Castes and other backward castes. There is a severe shortage of water for agriculture.
There are no wells or ponds and only one hand-pump for two villages.
Sukdev Soren, a young resident of Nayagram, said, “The villagers are very poor. To survive, everyone is forced to work as labour. I don't know how to express my pain. There is no help from any side. Political leaders come during the elections and promise to do this and that, but no one does anything.”
The Jhargham seat is reserved for the Scheduled Tribes. Sitting MP Dr Pulin Baske of the CPI-M has blamed the Trinamul government for lapses in implementation.
He said, “In the last 10 years I have done a lot of work during my tenure in the panchayat as a Zilla Parishad Sabhadipati. I have got the National Award also for literacy movements, sanitation campaigning and rural development. The TMC government has been in power for three years, but the result is nothing.”
Ms Anita Hansda, a Congress candidate, however, feels that Maoist menace had stalled the development initiative in this region. Her party would only be an alternative to give pace in the ‘real’ development works.
Dr Uma Soren, a Trinamul Congress candidate said, “I will be trying to fulfil Mamata Banerjee's dream to make Junglemahal a showpiece.”
But, peace in Junglemahal has brought hope and opportunity for some. The challenge will be to reach the unreached.
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