WE THE PEOPLE
How long demands of thousands of Villagers of Nargistan, Watanar, Gurtu and Bangdar shall remain unaddressed?
They don't ask for moon but need drinking water, electricity and road connectivity to meet their basic needs
By: Uzair Khan
Srinagar: It seems the basic concept of e-governance has yet to be understood by those, who rule the roost as, otherwise, thousands of villagers living in Nargistan, watanar, gurtu and Bagandar would not be craving for basic necessities of life today. The Authorities must know that rural segments comprise of about 65% of total population and these remaining neglected and denied basic necessities of life speak volumes. The villagers lack basic necessities of life and their voices continue to remain lost in the din.
It was in this backdrop that the government of India launched the Bharat Nirman Programme with a thrust to improve physical and social infrastructure in rural areas. It was proposed to change the basic infrastructure in villages by the year 2009.But it appears that spirit of Central Scheme has not penetrated down the line as thousands of people living in the villages of Wanta Nar, Nargistan, Gurtu, Bangdar and Gujrat continue to remain denied the basic necessities of life and are reeling under long shadows of darkness with no immediate relief in sight. Being mostly illiterate and unaware of the Poverty Alleviation and other Developmental Programmes, are facing severe hardships. They seem to be destined to consume raw and untreated water. They lack health-care facilities and the villagers are forced to travel to Tehsil and District Headquarters even for ordinary ailments. It is alleged that several pregnant mothers have lost their lives so far as they do not get timely Medicare. The case of cattle is all the more disgusting. The poor villagers are reported to have suffered huge losses due to major fatalities of cattle, as there is no proper Vet-facility available in the said hamlets. Non-availability of electricity has made lives of residents quite miserable. It has affected student community quite adversely and they are reportedly forced to migrate to other places where they are able to prosecute their studies. No parallels are available to such a scenario in our contemporary times. The condition of the main road connecting their villages with the Tehsil Headquarter is all the more pathetic. It is full of ruts and corrugations and the owners of Private bus services have abandoned this route, forcing thereby the residents to foot long distances.
" The tall claims of the State Government having achieved targets in all sectors of development get negated by the denial of basic requirements of life to us for the last several decades. We are just twenty kilometers away from Tral Tehsil Headquarter and this is no distance during the present space age, but all of us are nursing apprehensions that the past and the present rulers have written us off. The District administration is on record to have been dishing out long lists of achievements, but our hamlets seem to be missing on their long canvas of publicity. We have been approaching the bigwigs to look into our genuine demands, but with no output and thousands of people continue to remain neglected and ignored. If Central authorities launched Bharat Nirman Programme in 2005 to bring basic facilities to the doorsteps of the rural population, the why state authorities have turned a Nelson's eye towards us? We are within our rights to place the concerned officials in Public Dock so that such a callous and step-motherly treatment is not repeated in future. Pertinent to mention that our villages have tremendous tourism potential, which has remained unexplored and unharnessed so far. Our valley has remained in the backyard of industrial arena and it is only scenic beauty that has to be harnessed to attract more and more tourists. Exploitation of scenic spots shall have strong bearing on local products, which have earned name and fame at international forums," said a group of elderly persons of the said villages.
Hence, it is high time that the present coalition government takes cognizance of the quandary in which thousands of villagers of above cited hamlets stand placed since long. They don't crave for luxuries, but demand basic necessities of life, which cannot be denied to them under any law of the land. They don't ask for moon but need drinking water, electricity and road connectivity to meet their basic needs. Let them get their due before it is too late!
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