Hand of misery: Despite being a VIP constituency, growth eludes Raebareli and Amethi
Even after decades of national and international attention as the "VIP constituency" of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, these twin towns of Uttar Pradesh, separated by a distance of 45 km, are awaiting their redemption.
It is a tale of two cities, but unlike the Dickensian narrative, which is also about hope, the story of Raebareli and Amethi is that of enduring darkness and despair. Even after decades of national and international attention as the "VIP constituency" of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, these twin towns of Uttar Pradesh, separated by a distance of 45 km, are awaiting their redemption.
The constituencies struggle to meet even the basic requirement of their residents such as electricity and education, lagging behind some of the poorest districts in the country.
The anger spilled out in the open, last Thursday, when residents of Raebareli gathered at the gate of the National Thermal Power Corporation in Unchahar demanding at least 14 hours of power distribution.
Fame Factor
Amethi also saw a similar protest on the same day by its women residents demanding power in its Utelwa village. Meanwhile, a routine inspection by the Basic Education Officer Ram Sagar Pati Tripathi in primary schools in Raebareli, also on Thursday, revealed low attendance rates despite high enrollment figures. At the district's Lalganj Primary School, for instance, out of the 50 students enrolled only 36 attended classes. Similarly, in the neighbouring Parispur Primary School out of the 152 enrolled, only 56 were present at the time of inspection. The story is the same in Amethi as well, which registered a below 40 per cent attendance in schools due to the lack of infrastructure facilities.
The district Congress chief Uma Shankar Mishra, however, defends his party saying that Congress President Sonia Gandhi has created enough awareness in the constituency about the importance of education. "We will ensure that more students attend by Piyush Srivastava classes," he says.
While Raebareli has been in the hands of the Gandhi family since 1951, when Feroze Gandhi became its first MP, the dynasty's presence in Amethi begins with the victory of Sanjay Gandhi in 1980. Except on a few occasions, when Raj Narain of Janata Party defeated Indira Gandhi in 1977, and later in 1996 and 1998, when Ashok Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won from the constituency, Raebareli has always been with the family. The Congress president herself is a fourth time MP from the constituency.
Amethi, too, has remained with the Congress barring 1998, when Sanjay Singh won from there on a BJP ticket. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has been representing the constituency in Parliament since 2004.
But despite such high profile candidates, what accounts for the twin constituencies' backwardness?
Official statistics shows that Raebareli and Amethi fall below even Jhansi and Etawah, regarded as among the poorest regions in the state, in the terms of literacy rates and social development indices.
Ram Bahadur Verma, a former professor at Firoze Gandhi Degree College in Raebareli believes it is due to a misplaced sense of priorities. "The local people are as poor as ever. But despite the situation, they crave for national and international fame for their constituency rather than growth," says Verma. "This is why in Lok Sabha elections, people prefer MPs who can bring respectability and international fame to their constituency. While in assembly and local elections it is the caste that decides their votes," explains verma.
Mohammad Naseer, panchayat chief of Bahadurgarh in Amethi, agrees. "It is a strange thought process. But people from both the constituencies think that they will lose their identity if the members of the Gandhi-Nehru family do not represent them in Parliament," says Naseer. "They are happy living in misery just because Sonia, Rahul or Priyanka sometimes visit their village and hold meetings with them," alleges Naseer.
This electoral approach has made the state administration led by Samajwadi Party (SP) to adopt hands off approach when it comes to developing the constituency as they fear the credit for development will anyway go to the Congress.
"The easiest escape is to blame the state government for the lack of development," says Gayatri Prasad Prajapti, mining minister in the UP government and an SP leader from Amethi. "Out of the 65 years, Congress ruled the state for 34 years. They were also in power at the Centre during these years. Lip service doesn't bring development," he says.
To say that Congress hasn't done anything for the constituency may not be entirely true. When Indira Gandhi first came to Raebareli in 1967 there was no means of irrigation or power in the district, says Verma, the former college professor. There was only one express train, 'Punjab Mail', which used to stop here. People used to migrate to Kolkata in search of works. There was no degree college in the district. Gandhi started irrigation projects and set up electricity lines. She also brought Nandgaon Sugar Mills, Indian Telephone Industry (ITI), Spinning Mill and a Thermal Power Plant.
In Amethi, Rajiv Gandhi started lifeline express for the treatment of poor people and established industrial areas. When his son Rahul came, he proposed an educational and industrial hub along National Highway 56. He also launched a number of institutes including Hindustan Paper Mill, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Institute of Hotel Management and IIIT.
"But the irony is one has to be educated and clear examinations to get a good job in these establishments. Most of the locals can't do this," says Verma. "Those who got jobs were hired at the lowest rungs," says Verma.
How the twin towns stack up
LITERACY RATE
Raebareli: 68 per cent
Amethi: 64 per cent
Jhansi: 75 per cent
Etawah: 78 per cent
BPL FAMILIES
Raebareli: 3,29,000
Amethi: 4,07,000
Jhansi: 72,000
Etawah: 1,12,000
GOVERNMENT ENGINEERING COLLEGE
Raebareli: 1
Amethi: 0
Jhansi: 3
Etawah: 1
GOVERNMENT MEDICAL COLLEGE
Raebareli: 0
Amethi: 0
Jhansi: 1
Etawah: 1
Interview with Ram Bahadur Verma, Former Head, Political Science, Feroze Gandhi PG College, Raebareli
Why do you think Raebareli and Amethi are still backward?
These areas belonged to local zamindars who were traditionally exploiters. They deliberately kept the people backward for centuries. Although the members of Nehru-Gandhi family did some work here after Independence, they didn't take enough interest in improving the lot of the people.
Has the tussle between the Congress and UP's ruling parties added to this backwardness?
When the Congress was in power at the Centre, the ruling political parties in Uttar Pradesh didn't oppose developmental works. But when the Congress lost the Lok Sabha elections, the state governments stopped all the works which were initiated by the Congress. It is also true that the members of Nehru-Gandhi family have been doing only limited work for the people. But people vote for them in Lok Sabha elections for a national identity.
Why do you think the industries which opened shop here eventually left the place?
They came here at the behest of the Nehru-Gandhi family and also for subsidised land and other things. But since their intention was not good right from the beginning, they left after getting all the benefits. Lack of commitment from people's representatives towards social development is yet another reason behind the backwardness and poverty of people living in the area.
What according to you is the single biggest challenge the region confronts?
There is no job opportunity for the youths of Raebareli and Amethi. The average land holding is not enough to run a family in these areas. Ironically, the politicians don't take any interest in generating employment opportunities here.