Caste overrides development in Bundelkhand

Politics is certainly not going to be the salvation of the drought-ridden Bundelkhand region in central Uttar Pradesh. If the caste-based and factional politics on display in the ongoing general elections is anything to go by, development is also likely to be a long time coming.

Five consecutive years of drought, farmer suicides and gross underdevelopment seem to be non-issues for contesting parties and candidates here.

The much publicised Ken-Betwa Link project, conceived as a panacea for the drought-prone region, has been delayed for four years now because of paucity of funds. The Sumerpur industrial area of the region is set for imminent closure, whereas the Centre’s ambitious farm loan waiver scheme has failed to benefit the farmers here, as most of them possess above two acres of land in this barren region.

Despite the media attention that Congress MP Rahul Gandhi got for his visits to Dalit homes and Chief Minister Mayawati fuelling the separate state issue during her visit last year, caste considerations continue to dominate. The major contenders for the four LS seats of Bundelkhand — the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) — have finally come round to resting their hopes on the traditional comfort zones of caste-based politics.

The ‘Sarva Samaj’ concept bearing the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has also relied on caste equations by floating Bhairav Prasad Mishra, a Brahmin candidate from the constituency, which has a large number of Brahmins. Mayawati’s close aide and state minister, Nasimuddin Siddiqui, has held two rallies in the region in a bid to capture the minority Muslim vote, which may prove to be the decisive factor in case of a close contest.

According to BJP candidate Amita Vajpayee, the issues of economic recession and terrorism do not cut ice with the local voters. The basic issues plaguing the region are still poverty and unemployment.