JOIN USFour women lynching a neighbour is undoubtedly shocking news to many. More so if the murder is found to be a result of brawl over water. This is a real life story scripted out in the western periphery of the national capital.
Welcome to Palam – not much known site of swanky Indira Gandhi International Airport but the Assembly constituency which consists of warrens of unauthorised colonies and cluster of slums.
And, it was in one of those unauthorised colonies where four women, with the help of a man, beaten a retired sub inspector Ranbir Singh to death a few months ago following an altercation with him over collection of water from a government-run tanker at Raj Nagar Part-II.
Brawl over collection of water from Delhi Jal Board tankers is a regular phenomenon in the densely-populated areas of Palam as getting it from a private supplier would mean spending at least Rs 500 for filling a 500 litre tank.
Though water pipelines have existed in the Palam village since 1964, none of the governments could ever ensure water supply to the residents of the area.
As people depend on Delhi Jal board and also private players for the supply, water scarcity is the biggest poll issue for the residents of Palam Assembly constituency after choked sewer system in many of its areas.
“A private supplier charges at least Rs 500 for filling a water tank of 500 litre capacity. People fight with each other to collect water from government tanker as it costs much lesser than what is charged by the private suppliers. We will vote for the candidate who will provide us drinking water,” Pinky Sharma, a resident of Mahavir enclave, told Deccan Herald, refusing to disclose which party she favours.
According to an estimate, Palam has five per cent Jat, 15 per cent Pundit, 10 per cent Scheduled Caste, five per cent Uttarakhandi, five per cent Yadav, 55 per cent Other Backward Castes and 10 per cent middle-class voters.
The BJP candidate and a Jat leader Dharam Dev Solanki, sitting MLA from Palam is confident of winning the seat for yet another time as Haryana government recently agreed to supply water to Delhi through the Munak canal. The release of water from the canal is expected to cater to the needs of Dwarka and its adjoining areas including Palam.
“Water is no more an issue now here. It has been solved by the Modi government and Haryana people in Palam will soon get water once BJP wins the elections and forms its government,” he told Deccan Herald. But people in the constituency still doubt if the Palam will get its supply.
“Both Congress and BJP have ruled Delhi but Palam is still thirsty,” said 35-year old Satyabir Choudhary.
“The water supplied here is so hard that it is not even fit to wash clothes. So people are forced to either buy water from private suppliers or bribe Delhi Jal Board tanker drivers. BJP is promising but who knows the situation will now change here,” said Choudhary, suggesting that people need “a change now”.
Residents of Palam, who posed much faith on Solanki and elected him in the last three consecutive Assembly polls since 2003, are divided over the choice of candidate this time. Bhavna Gaur has emerged as a stronger candidate fielded by the Aam Aadmi Party against Solanki.
“Jhadoo (broom) is the only hope this time,” said Mahender Rawat, a small-scale business man, who resides in Indira Park.
K K Choudhary, 67, who deals in constructions materials, said he supports Congress but the party’s candidate Madan Mohan would only stand third in the list of winners this time, as “the real fight is between Sonaki and Gaur.”
Given the situation, winning Palam seat may not be a cakewalk for Solanki. Having won the last elections, defeating Gaur by over 8,000 votes, the Jat leader is facing a divide among his supporters as the district unit president of the party Vijay Pandit wanted to contest.
“Solanki ji should have brought Pandit also on board,” one of the BJP workers said.