E-Paper
We are not vote-bank: Muslims
It will not be easy for RJD chief to retain the Muslim-Yadav combination this time in Phulwarisharif, reports Pallavi.
Irfanuddin, a teacher by profession, is furious, and this time around, the setting up of a Central School in Phulwarisharif has spurred his resentment.
The school, meant for the constituency, has ironically been set up around 20 kms away Phulwarisharif.
None of his children have got themselves enrolled in the school because of the distance. Irfanuddin said, "The Phulwarisharif Central School is so far away in the interiors that it's much easier to travel to Patna thrice a day than attend classes there".
Irfanuddin's discontent is rising, and so is the list of woes of many others against their two-time MLA and RJD candidate, Shyam Razak in this Muslim-dominated constituency.
Poor civic amenities, escalating crime, corruption and unemployment are a few of their perennial grievances. With impending assembly polls, the voters are also recalling unfulfilled promises.
A Ahmad, a retired LIC official, is disappointed with the way a dream hospital project in Phulwarisharif is gathering dust in the corridors of power.
Interestingly, the foundation stone of Rs 300 crore Loknayak Jai Prakash Narain hospital here, modelled after the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at New Delhi, was laid down in January, 2004 by Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
Since then, the work is stalled. Ahmad blames it all on the bitter rivalry between political parties.
"If a project is needed for development, it should continue irrespective of the change of government in the state or at Centre. But political parties, in pursuance of their vested interests, forget to work for us. Since the project was inaugurated by the NDA Government, its successor chose to ignore it. There can be no other reason why the project is lying in cold storage," he gripes.
But if the minority community's displeasure stems from unmet promises, they also resent being identified as the "Muslim votebank" of RJD chief Lalu Prasad. Irshad Ahmad, a trader, lashes, "What has he done for us? While the rest of the society has progressed, Muslims have receded further into neglect."
