 Early Times Report
Jammu, July 24: Sumitra Devi, who is popularly known as 'Sumitra Madam' among the people of Qasim Nagar near Bahu Fort is a very strong and fearless lady who has been continuously working selflessly for the development of the area.
In an exclusive interview with Early Times, Sumitra, who is in her seventies, shared her experiences as a social worker and her fight for the rights of the marginalized Boria community of whom she is also the member. According to her this community has been residing in Jammu for the last 100 years since the Maharaja's period.
"We settled in Qasim Nagar during nineties when Jammu experienced worst flood disaster due to which our colony, which was near Exhibition Ground was washed away and later we shifted to this place. At that time there was nothing except forest. It was totally an arid area," she said, adding that Jammu Development Authority developed this place in planned colony and allotted plots to the affected families.
"There are more than 500 houses in this colony where families of all religions, castes live together and peacefully. Qasim Nagar is also an epitome of communal harmony where all festivals are celebrated together," she informed.
Talking about her struggle to get OBC category for Boria community, she said, "This community has a population of 20,000 in Jammu and we fought for 22 years to get OBC category and our demand was accepted just last year. We all are State Subject holders, but not even a single person of our community is in government job, which is the main reason of the backwardness of this community."
Besides this, she raised numerous local issues of Qasim Nagar. Expressing her strong sentiments over the dismal condition of graveyard for children, which has been converted into garbage dumping yard by the locals, she said after lot of efforts they got boundary wall constructed through the assistance of government which could not stay long and collapsed.
"We had requested to the government to cover the area of graveyard with concertina wire to stop any trespassing which was not accepted due to which people create nuisance and litter here in this place," she said.
Raising the issue of sewerage line, which was laid this year by digging road in the centre, she said that work had not been carried out with perfection as lot of lacuna have been left during its construction, a huge negligence was adopted by the contractor as huge stones boulders fell into the sewerage which created blockage hampering free flow of the sewer. "We talked to Municipal authority in this regard but till date no action has been taken to clear off the sewer," she said further adding that some people have raised platform by the covering road space and authority should take action to dismantle them.
The road of this area is in dilapidated condition. "The blacktopping on roads doesn't stay long and wash away with rain water. We request to the government to use tiles instead of macadam," she said.
Pointing out the lack of transportation facility in this area, Sumitra Devi said that although Qasim Nagar is just 3.5 kilometres from Jewel Chowk but there is no transport facility, which has become a major problem of this area. "At least 2-3 passenger vehicles should be deployed by the government. A lot of our women folk go to Jammu city for job and they had to face huge difficulty to reach the workplace and their return. They had to wait for hours to cover just few kilometres of area," she said.
Talking on the cleaning, she said Municipality has installed a Garbage bin in the entrance of this colony which is totally full but nobody comes to lift it. "We want that more such garbage bins should be installed in the colony for the convenience of the people and concerned authority should regularly come to lift it," she maintained.
"Absence of street light has raised very serious issue. It becomes difficult to walk in the night hours and moreover the youth of this area has fallen in drug addiction, who generally seen in the night wandering here for drugs. They take safe shelter in the dark. Street Lights should be installed across the area," she informed further adding that the lone Government School is in shamble no maintenance has been done and this building is used by the drug addicts. Raising the issue of PDD power cables, she said that these power cables are totally worn out and continue to break down posing threat to the human life and these should be changed. |
