Most backward of all,yet it’s community that counts

The district has no highways,no railway network,no industrial set-up. Most of the population depend on agriculture,which in turn is rain-fed for want of water for irrigation. Government-aided and private schools have come up but the three degree colleges offer only BA.

Carved out of Bahraich in 1997,Shravasti,voting on Wednesday,has two Assembly constituencies,Bhinga and Shravasti,the former the more backward in spite of being the district headquarters. Yet voters of the district are more aware of their caste and religion identities than their needs for development.

The last poll in Bhinga was close,with the BSP’s Daddan Mishra scraping through by just 91 votes against the Congress’s Mohd Aslam Rayni,because of the party’s Brahmin-Dalit social engineering. Mishra went on to become Ayurveda Minister.

“There has always been a Hindu-Muslim division in this region and it plays an important factor in elections. Even this time,the factor has come into play,and the contest is a triangular one between the BJP,the Congress and the SP,” says Dr A P Singh,principal of Raja Dhirendra Kant Singh Degree College,Bhinga.

Mishra,this time denied a BSP ticket,is contesting for the BJP. The BSP candidate now is Rahim Khan; the Congress has again fielded Rayni; the SP has fielded Indrani Verma,a block pramukh. Three of these four,interestingly,have declared assets in crores of rupees.

Although all candidates are talking development,the underlying community loyalties remain strong. “After the way I have been treated in the BSP,my winning the elections has become a dharm yuddh for my people,” says Daddan Mishra.

Rayni,in turn,targets Mishra,saying that the most important issue is to “oust the candidate who does not belong to the constituency and elect a local.”

While all four candidates agree that the district is backward,none seems to be aware that it scores so low on various indicators.

Each has his or her own set of promises. “Tubewells for irrigation,a rail network,and making Jamunaha (a large block in Shravasti) a tehsil,” are Rayni’s promises,while Khan too talks of tubewells,besides other “projects that the government will plan.” Verma promises irrigation water and schools. Mishra claims he did all the development that was possible,but tubewells would be his priority in future.

“All candidates in the last 20 years have promised tubewells and irrigation water,but irrigation remains a problem. The second major problem is that even the mandi where we can sell our produce is far away,in Bahraich,” says Aslam Khan,a resident of Banthiva village.

“None of the candidates promises a hospital here,though we need one,” adds Jaan Mohammad Khan,another villager. “If children fall ill,we have no paediatrician or a good general doctor in the area,we have to travel to Bahraich,which is not always easy.”

Because of the absence of a gynaecologist,Badrun Nisha,now 30,had to deliver all her six children at home,with local help. In fact,most babies in the village,about 12km from Bhinga,are delivered at home.

With many schools offering only up to class VIII,most children drop out after junior school. “I wanted to study further. But there wasn’t enough money and no school for girls after IX,” says Ayesha Begum,now 23,who has again got herself admitted to high school after a gap of three years after her husband found a job in Mumbai recently.

Yet,Kamaruddin,a villager,said he will vote for the Congress,“because Aslam bhai is one of us”.

In Tharu village,where Ram Kishun’s dream of becoming an engineer has died in the absence of a science college,he says said his vote will still go to “Mayawatiji; after all,she stands for SCs/STs”.