Inhuman conditions make them curse their fate
ALLAHABAD: Pura Padain is a largely dalit slum cluster in Allahabad. Its residents have deep roots here as even their ancestors lived in this settlement which has not seen much by way of civic amenities. In fact, unhygienic conditions have been their constant companion.
It is inhabited largely by Sonkars and some Muslims since the pre-independence era. But they still do not have a single toilet, ration card, legal electricity or water connection, access to school and government health centre.
The settlement is located in the heart of the city on Cantonment land. It is barely four kilometres from the district headquarters on Cantonment land.
The slum residents, comprising around 1200 people both young and old, live in unhygienic conditions.
Rafiqul, 70, a mother of five grownup children, says: “Every election, white kurta pyjama-clad netas come and seek votes with several schemes to be implemented for us. We cast our vote after standing in long queue for many hours only to return to life in the same shabby conditions. We have nothing in the name of facilities. I curse my fate every time I remember losing three children to an epidemic when I was young. After over five decades, the basti does not have a toilet for women. The women and young girls are forced to defecate and bathe in the open,” she says.
Similarly, Guddi, 35, mother of six children, is upset with the government machinery. She is yet to get a ration card despite filling up the form for it last year.
“The local corporator has not visited the slum even once after winning the election a couple of years ago. This time I will not cast my vote as it has got me nothing in the past,” she complains.
Sukhbiri, 70, looks annoyed when asked whether her family has a ration card. “Forget ration card, my husband passed away due to lack of treatment around 10 years ago. When I took him to nearest health centre in Daraganj, no doctor or any other staff was present, except for the sweeper. If he had received timely medical attention he would have been with me now,” she says. The slum has existed on cantonment land since the pre-independence days, says City North MLA Anugrah Narain Singh. During the Mahakumbh in 2001, the Army authorities wanted to get the land vacated.
“A PIL was filed in the high court by the Sangam Shetra Malin Basti Sangh. The court granted a stay order. On July 27, 2010, the court directed the central as well as the state governments to get the residents rehabilitated. Almost six years later, both the governments have done nothing, forcing the residents to live in inhuman conditions,” he says.