Tarique Anwar, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: With assembly elections fast approaching, residents of North East Delhi continue to face enduring issues such as inadequate infrastructure, poor living conditions and “unfulfilled” political promises. The struggle highlights the contrast between election-time rhetoric and the real needs of the people.
A certificate of appreciation, acknowledging Vakeel Hasan’s role in saving 41 workers trapped inside the Silkhyara Tunnel in Uttarkashi, hangs on a wall erected to hide the rubble of his demolished home at Shriram Colony.
The wall has allegedly been built by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which razed the house to the ground on the pretext of “illegal” construction soon after the 46-year-old hit headlines for his heroic rescue operation. But instead of receiving support and recognition for his bravery, Hasan now lives with his family of five in a rented one-room house.
As political parties make promises ahead of the elections in the national capital, Hasan feels abandoned. “They just gave empty words and promises,” he said.
With visible disappointment on his face, he recalled, “Calling my house ‘illegal’, the Central government’s DDA demolished it. But it left all other structures in the vicinity untouched. Now, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party – the principal Opposition) talks about providing housing. Is that not hypocrisy? The AAP (Aam Aadmi Party – which is governing the city) made the demolition a political issue, but where was their action? Had they been so concerned, they would have given me a shelter anywhere in the city. The Congress only sent Imran Pratapgarhi for a photo op. None of them care about people like me.”
Hasan asked, “What is the worth of political promises if they do not help those in real need?”
Inside his small rented room, close to where his home once stood, his wife Shabana Hasan was making tea. Still hopeful, she waits for some sort of help to rebuild their life.
“When the DDA came to demolish our house, neither my husband nor I were available. I was at my parents’ place, and my husband had gone somewhere else. Only my two children were there. The DDA officials, accompanied by the police, broke the door open and came inside. Our house was reduced to rubble in two hours,” she narrated the horror, her eyes moist. “Even the police did not help us.”
“My husband saved 41 lives in Uttarakhand, but this is what we got in return. Our house was destroyed, and no one helped us. The Delhi government, the BJP, the Congress — all of them do politics at election time. When it is time to act, they are silent.”
Taking note of the demolition, BJP MP from North East Delhi, Manoj Tiwari, had said that Hasan would get compensated. “I have investigated the matter and will ensure Mr. Hasan gets compensation under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana,” he had said.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena too had promised a house and compensation. “They will be given a house. We will compensate,” he had then said.
But Vakeel Hasan is still waiting. “It has been a year since they demolished our house. No one has contacted us since,” he says.
With elections knocking on the door, he adds, “Even now, there is no sign of help.”
Delhi will go to the polls on February 5. Shriram Colony is part of the Karawal Nagar assembly constituency, where BJP’s Kapil Mishra is facing off against AAP’s Manoj Tyagi. The Congress has fielded Dr. PK Mishra.
Karawal Nagar is part of the North East Delhi parliamentary constituency, where unplanned infrastructure development has taken place over the past two decades. Despite good metro and road connectivity, the area continues to struggle with traffic congestion, dilapidated roads, drinking water problems and poor health and education facilities.
Located along the Yamuna River and bordering Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad district, North East Delhi is home to a diverse population of urban and semi-urban areas. It is mainly inhabited by a significant Poorvanchali population (migrants from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar).
The region also has a large Muslim community. Unauthorised colonies have sprung up haphazardly in the area with narrow and congested streets. These neighborhoods, including Jaffrabad, Mustafabad, Seelampur, Karawal Nagar, Jhilmil and Shahdara, are a mix of industrial, commercial and residential spaces.
“Though we get electricity, the water quality is very bad. It is contaminated. We have to purchase water for drinking and cooking. It costs us between Rs 30 to Rs 50 daily. You yourself can see the condition of drains here. It is overflowing everywhere. The roads are in poor shape. We hope the next government will prioritise these basic issues and resolve them,” said MM Haque, a resident of Khajuri.
In Karawal Nagar, Abhishek Singh, who runs a soft drink shop, reiterated the same concerns and highlighted a variety of issues such as poor living conditions, lack of greenery, inadequate parking and cramped lanes.
“When it rains, the main road gets flooded. The drains are choked. There is no proper drainage system. Since there are no trees and greenery, the pollution level is high in our locality. The lanes are narrow, and it results in parking issues,” he explained.
He complained about sitting BJP MLA Mohan Singh Bisht, who has been representing Karawal Nagar since it was established as an assembly constituency in 1993. “After winning elections, he never showed up. He has been our MLA for decades, but has done nothing. Bad roads, water logging, garbage dumps and poor infrastructure are common sights here.”
“With the growth of population, the production of waste is also increasing. It is creating significant challenges. Climate change is also not being adequately addressed. All these issues are impacting the community,” he further said.
The population in areas like Sonia Vihar has risen sharply in the last decade. But infrastructure has failed to keep pace.
Ritik, a Sonia Vihar resident, said, “The distance between Sonia Vihar 2nd Pushta and Nanaksar is three kilometers. Using this stretch is nothing less than a nightmare because of severe traffic jams. The road is only 30 feet wide. Ideally, it should be 70 meters. We complained about it to our elected representatives, but there is no solution so far. There is similar traffic at Wazirabad Road, which links the area to Ghaziabad.”
Areas located close to the Yamuna River suffer from major waterlogging issues, which worsen during the monsoon season. Since these areas are low-lying, heavy rains flood them, causing hardship to locals.
“Water from the main roads floods our lanes during rains. As a result, our homes are submerged. After making promises ahead of elections, no politician comes to solve our issues,” said Anil Singh, a resident of Gamri.
Other neighborhoods of North East Delhi, such as Mustafabad, Jaffrabad, Maujpur and Seelampur, are also densely populated. These localities house many small-scale industries. A major concern here is the lack of educational facilities, especially for girls. Locals say there is no government-run women’s college in these areas, leading many young women to quit higher education after high school.
Faheem Baig, general secretary of the Jaffrabad Residents Welfare Association (RWA), said, “This part of Delhi has no women’s college, and it results in at least 7,000 to 8,000 girls dropping out after class 12. Many of these girls belong to poor families who cannot afford private education and send them to colleges far away. We have been requesting a women’s college here for a long time. The Delhi government had years ago announced that a polytechnic college would be established here, but that turned out to be a mere statement. The land allotted for the college is now being used as a parking lot.”
Poor healthcare infrastructure is another pressing issue. Although North East Delhi has two major hospitals, Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital and Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, both of these facilities are overcrowded. Patients from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh also seek treatment at GTB Hospital, further burdening the staff and resources.
A resident of Yamuna Vihar, Ajit Kumar, said, “GTB is functioning beyond its capacity. Since it is close to Ghaziabad, people from there also come here for treatment. It results in overcrowding in the hospital. The hospital lacks enough resources to effectively handle such a large population.”
2020 Communal Riots: Not an Issue Anymore?
With a voter base of more than 24 lakh, North East Delhi also faces the strain of communal tensions, which erupted violently in the region in February 2020. The impact of these tensions has made the area politically sensitive.
For Sachi Khokar, a resident of Khajuri Khas, which comes in the Karawal Nagar Assembly constituency, issues like civic infrastructure or economic challenges are less important than Hindutva. “Survival comes first,” he says, supporting BJP’s Karawal Nagar candidate Kapil Mishra. He views him as a protector of the Hindu community. “He stood firmly with Hindus during the riots,” Khokar said, emphasizing that Karawal Nagar will “teach the AAP a lesson in this election for betraying Hindus.”
But Piyush Sharma disagrees with Khokar. “It is not Hindutva that will work in the upcoming election. Local issues too will have an impact,” he said. He believes the local population shares responsibility for the violence. “Why did people allow themselves to be carried away by inflammatory speeches from politicians? Why did they turn against a community with whom they had been doing business for decades? Now, both of them are bearing the brunt,” he said.
Sharma believes the road ahead for Kapil Mishra is not so easy, as his opponent, Manoj Tyagi from the AAP, is giving him a tough fight. “Tyagi is the sitting councillor, and he has worked a lot. He is always available when people need him,” he said.
Ritik, a moneylender from Khajuri Khas, proudly claims to be an ardent BJP supporter but minced no words in supporting the AAP candidate. “He is a good candidate. As a councillor, he has done a good job. And therefore, he deserves a chance to get a bigger role,” he explained.
When asked about Hindutva and communal violence, he said Hindutva is a political card that politicians play to secure votes. “The riots of 2020 created a deep divide, and Karawal Nagar was its epicenter. While I was actively involved in defending my community during those times, I firmly believe that violence never benefits any community.”
However, a large section of society seems to have moved on from the past. Babu Khan, a resident of Mustafabad who lost his two young sons, 28-year-old Amir and 17-year-old Hashim, in the violence, says the riots are no longer an issue for them. What they want now is peace and holistic development of the area.
“Hashim lived in Garima Garden with his wife and three daughters. Amir had gone to pick up one of Hashim’s daughters from school to drop her home when tensions in the area started escalating. It was then that the riots broke out,” said Khan, walking down the memory lane. The family asked Amir to stay indoors at his brother’s place for safety.
As the violence began to subside, both brothers went to visit their ailing grandfather in Ghaziabad. On their way back, Hashim had accompanied Amir to drop him safely. When they reached Gokalpuri, Amir called one of his friends and said he would be home in five minutes. However, that did not happen, and his phone was switched off. His family became worried for their safety and dialed 100 to inform the police.
The following morning, they received a call from the police PCR, who informed them that three bodies had been brought to the Gokalpuri police station. The bodies were fished out from Bhagirathi Vihar drain. When Babu Khan went to the station, he found that two of the bodies were his sons. He recalled, “That moment shattered my life. We lost both our sons in one brutal blow.”
Now suffering from lung issues, Khan, who once had a thriving innerwear business, suffered huge losses after the riots divided the society along communal lines. His livelihood has nearly collapsed after the tragedy. Apart from a compensation of Rs 15 lakh from the Delhi government, he said they received nothing. In addition to his own health struggles, he now has the added responsibility of caring for Hashim’s family.
He said he has no choice but to vote for the AAP despite the party’s and its leadership’s questionable role in making attempts to contain the violence. “The Congress is losing its existence; we cannot vote for the BJP; then the AAP is the only option,” he said.
Md Naseem Khan, a property leader in Mustafabad, also believes that people have moved on and that the violence won’t impact their voting patterns. “We should move ahead as there is no benefit in living in the past. The gap has almost bridged. In the aftermath of the riots, Hindu landlords were not giving their shops to Muslims on rent. But now, it is generally not happening,” he said.
Migrants from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh hold political significance in North East Delhi. The Poorvanchali community has become decisive over the years, and all political parties now field candidates from the community.
These migrants live in overcrowded, unauthorised colonies and struggle with inadequate infrastructure and lack of basic amenities daily. Many feel marginalised and hope for the regularisation of their colonies and better opportunities for work.
Muslims constitute approximately 57% of the total population in Seelampur. In Mustafabad, the community forms 39.5% of the voter base.
