| Mubarak Mandi Complex becomes thorn in locals' flesh | | Residents rue official apathy, insensitivity | | Abodh Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 18: People of Mubarak Mandi residential locality, that falls on the hind side of Durbargarh complex and is inherited predominantly by those who were once significant staffers of Maharaja's durbar are today in deep hole- thanks to the insensitive district administration.
For over three weeks now, the locality has literally been put under siege. Barbed wires and barricades have been raised to restrict the movements of the residents and they have been forced to dump their vehicles without even giving them any prior notice or alternative parking space and the school going children, old and the ailing have been fraught with untold miseries.
"It started with Jammu festival that was organized during the last week of the previous month, when suddenly a large posse of traffic policemen appeared on the scene along with cranes and without any notice started towing away our vehicles. After four days, during which people celebrated Jammu festivals and we were subjected to confinement, just as life seemed to return to normal for the people of oldest locality of the city, came the Lohri mela, for which we were subjected to another period of confinement and now, again we are told that the Chief Minister is likely to visit and the barricades have been erected for third time in three weeks," said a local narrating tale of his woes.
People of this locality who share a special relationship with the Durbargarh as predecessors of most of the present day residents have been part of its heritage; yet the restoration project of the complex has become thorn in the their flesh because of an insensitive administration which imposes illogical and unreasonable restrictions on the residents at the drop of the hat. "Administration has started taking us for granted as they unilaterally impose restrictions on us so frequently," said Suraj Prakash, a resident.
The residents told that they were promised a dedicated parking lot at Panjtirthi, but administration failed to fulfill its commitment and continued to harass them by denying them entry in their own locality which they have inherited for ages. "After a representation was made to the Divisional Commissioner in this regard, we were issued vehicle passes after scrutiny of our residential qualification, but the administration failed to keep the vehicles of non residents at bay and in the process harassed genuine local who were issued the passes," said RK Khajuria, another resident.
Pushed against the wall by official apathy, the residents of this heritage locality are now mulling a civil disobedience moment against the administration if it continued to harass them by putting unwarranted restrictions on them in the name of VIP visits and festivals. |
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