“Mujhe maa Ganga ne bulaya hai” — these words by Narendra Modi, as he announced his intention to contest from Varanasi, have been played and replayed several times over. When he first uttered them at the busy Dashashwamedh Ghat during the famous Ganga Aarti, the rank and file of the BJP was emboldened.
In the days to come, he would make several pronouncements and promises, both before and after the elections. But none of them have been actualised so far: neither the metro construction, nor the cleaning up of the city.
New age, not Herit-age?
Plans to rebuild Varanasi have ignored the fact that the temple city has several iconic buildings and monuments. In reality, the city needs expanding, but towards its tail-end, and on the outskirts.
Throttling by Traffic
A major part of the city bears humongous traffic jams. The proposed plans to rebuild or expand the city will need to take of this into account. What’s the point of development if it results in dug-up roads for months or years, which will make the traffic problem even worse?
Caught between Centre-State Crossfire
Any talk of development in the city will need to address the fact that there is a three-layered system governance — local, state and central. If Narendra Modi, the MP, has to develop the city, he has to show that he has the will to tackle the ground realities. The state’s SP-government is ideologically different from the BJP.
The Cleanliness Drive
The Prime Minister famously took the spade at the Assi Ghat to start the clean India campaign. He also announced his Navratnas — a group of eminent personalities related to Varanasi — but after that date neither they, nor the BJP’s party-members have adopted even one area. Ghats have been adopted by corporate houses, but the rest of the city looks like an overflowing garbage dump.
Announcements Galore, but no Action
In the past one year there have been regular announcements by ministers. A plan for weavers was touted as the PM’s dream project but it hasn’t taken off. In November, a Trade Centre worth Rs 200 crore was inaugurated but nothing has come up so far. The project has been embroiled in state-centre disputes.
Varanasi is one of the busiest cities in India as it plays host to pilgrims and travellers. It struggles for even basic services. The PM’s words have brought hope, but one year on, there’s little change that can be seen on the ground.
(Utpal Pathak is a senior journalist from Varanasi.)
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