Dikshit in grip of foot in mouth disease

Amitabh Shukla

New Delhi, May 9

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Wednesday opened a can of political worms saying that “people from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other states” are creating pressure on the resources of Delhi.

Soon after the statement, made during foundation stone laying ceremony of three flyovers on outer Ring Road, politicians from the two states, cutting across party lines assailed Dikshit for the alleged “regional” remarks. “She should resign immediately. Is she the protector or the destroyer of the people hailing from Bihar and UP who constitute a sizeable population in the city,” said Congress MLA Mahabal Mishra. Fellow Congress MLA Bheesham Sharma joined him in the tirade. “This is unfortunate,” Sharma said.

Interestingly, the Economic Survey of Delhi for the year 2005-06 which was released in November last year, pointed out that of the total migration in Delhi between 1991 and 2001, UP sent 40.05 percent of the migrants followed by Bihar with 19.09 percent. Since then, the officials involved in planning say that migrants from Bihar have outnumbered those from UP.

“Every year, thousands of people come from Bihar, UP and other states and more power, water, roads etc. are needed for them,” Dikshit said in the morning. Pointing to the Engineer-in-chief of PWD, who is from south India, Dikshit said he would not go back to his state due to excellent infrastructure in Delhi.

After the political furore, Dikshit made amends later in the day. “I apologise, if I have made any remark inadvertently,” she told Reporters. She claimed she herself was from UP. The CM alleged the statement was “politically twisted”. But soon, she sounded irritated. “Isn’t it true that five lakh people come to the city every year and there are 50 lakh vehicles in Delhi. We need more roads, flyovers, water and power for them,” she said, adding, “when facilities are so good, people do not want to go back to their state”.

Nirmal Pathak, President of Poorvanchal Gana Parishad, said the pressure on the cities is more because of the wrong economic policies of the government. “Money is being pumped in cities like Delhi whereas the villages remain as neglected as ever,” he said. Pathak said taking the name of two states of UP and Bihar is offensive. “Delhi comprises of people from all states – south India, MP, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana,” he said, asking, “tell me the name of any single state from where people have not migrated to Delhi?”

“This is a racist and communal comment,” said JNU Professor and analyst, Pushpesh Pant. People from Poorvanchal contributed to the green revolution in Punjab and form the economic base of cities like Delhi and Mumbai, he said. Pant said Dikshit herself is from Punjab and was married to a prominent family of UP. “How can she forget the contribution of the Punjabi refugees post 1947 in the development of the country. Even the present Prime Minister came from west Punjab (Pakistan),” he said.

The Delhi BJP described the statement as “objectionable, shameful and mischievous”. “Around 40 lakh people from Poorvanchal are permanently living here and they are the lifeline of Delhi. It is due to their hard labour an d talent that Delhi has turned into an important city,” he said.