Anger simmers in Kutch, they’re just waiting for Clinton to go back
MILIND GHATWAI

BHUJ, APRIL 2: If the Gujarat government is not embarrassed by the angry residents of the quake-hit Kutch when the former US president Bill Clinton arrives this week, it should be grateful to them.

Anger and frustration are simmering in the areas where life struggles amid debri and memories of death and destruction. The efforts by the government to please the residents of Bhuj, Anjar, Bhachau and Rapapr on the eve of the visit of Clinton is boomeranging.

Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel’s announcement that his government will come out within 20 days with a relocation/reconstruction package has further dented the government’s image as the residents were expecting a time-bound plan.

But people are willing to wait till the guest goes. The affected residents and the opposition Congress have decided not to make a public demonstration of their anger in front of a ‘‘foreign national.’’ ‘We don’t want to embarrass the government before a foreign guest,’’ declared Bhuj Congress unit president and former MLA Mahesh Thakkar, ‘‘Maybe, non-governmental organisations can take their representation across to the visiting dignitary.’’ Group 2001, a group of professionals from Anjar, has also decided to take out a ‘‘padyatra’’ only after Clinton’s departure.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party today began a ‘‘kar seva’’ to win back the people’s confidence but tactfully kept away from areas where anger is more visible.

The ‘‘kar seva’’, which began today, will last a month. About 1.5 lakh kar sevaks, including 3,000 engineers, are expected to contribute in rebuilding Kutch, the party claims.

BJP media cell in-charge Mahendra Parmar claimed that about 30,000 kar sevaks from different parts of Gujarat had already arrived in Kutch. But even at Sukhpar, where the Chief Minister made the announcement, drew not more than 50 BJP workers.

‘‘Why do they indulge in such nautanki? If they are serious, they should employ partymen to remove debris from Bhuj. They operate from AC cabins in Gandhinagar, leaving us to fend for ourselves in the sweltering heat,’’ fumed Anil Thakkar, who took part in the traders’ rally in Bhuj. He put up barricades in the middle of the road to block traffic in protest.

In Sapeda village, about 10 kms from Anjar, a group of kar sevaks were seen resting. ‘‘I haven’t eaten a morsel of food or taken a drop of water since morning. If this continues for some more time, I will return to my village,’’ said Situbhai Nakla from Limbani village of Chhota Udepur.

Speeches delayed the schedule, leaving kar sevaks hungry. While the party claimed that construcion material had already reached the chosen villages, kar sevaks at Sapeda say they haven’t seen any. ‘‘Maybe, we will hang around for seven more days if material does not arrive,’’ said a kar sevak.

In Sukhpar, half an hour after the programme addressed by Keshubhai Patel and Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu was over, no kar sevak was around. ‘‘We know even if 60 per cent of what they promised comes true, we will be lucky,’’ a resident said.

Copyright © 2001 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.