Vijay Kumar Gaba

 A recent visit to Jehangirpuri in North Delhi was enlightening in more than one way. It is a colony inhabited mostly by poor workers, consisting of unskilled and semi-skilled factory workers, security guards, auto/taxi drivers, daily wage earners, small vendors selling fruit, vegetable, meat, snacks etc. The elite population of the area includes class IV employees of Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi government. There is a sizable population of motorbike riding youth, working mostly as delivery boys for ecommerce and food delivery platforms. There are numerous unregistered workshops and cottage industries running from houses built illegally. A large majority of the 1,00,000 population of this colony are immigrants from various parts of the states of UP, Bihar and West Bengal. 

Before 1975, Jehangirpuri was a small semi-rural habitation on the outskirts of Delhi. During the Emergency, a resettlement colony comprising a few thousand studio apartments was built here to relocate the dwellers of the slums (mostly immigrant laborers) removed from various locations of Delhi. Over the last 47years, the population has expanded manifold as the employment opportunities around the area have developed. The largest fruit and vegetable market in Asia (Azadpur Mandi), a transport and logistic hub (Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar); Delhi’s largest Garbage Dump (Bhalswa), and an Industrial cluster (Burari) are in the vicinity of Jehangirpuri. The area now has an abundance of unauthorized and hazardous construction.

In fact, in most sense it could be compared with the more popular Dharavi of Mumbai – a small world within itself. Though economically residents of the locality mostly fall in the bottom quartile, socially the population is diversified. It has a good mix of religion – Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian. Caste wise though SC, ST, OBC and MBC are in majority; there is decent presence of upper castes like Brahmins from eastern UP and Bihar, Rajput from Rajasthan etc. It is commonly believed that the locality has a decent number of illegal immigrants. It was in the news a few months ago for the wrong reasons (communal riots).

A short 2-3hr visit to Jehangirpuri would give you a good insight into the current socio-economic condition of the country. The local residents come from various parts of the country; work all over the city; and interact with the entire spectrum of population. They are smart and fully aware. They are a good representative sample not only for learning about the latest in social, economic and political issues; but also for finding simple solutions to many of the problems.

The following are some of the interesting highlights from my discussion with the local residents:

·         Even the rich people living in large bungalows are showing concerns about rising prices of fruits and vegetables. Service class people are buying much less quantity. Sale of expensive imported fruits has fallen.

·         The instances of people living in the same locality sharing a taxi have increased due to sharp rise in fares, especially during peak hours.

·         The demand-supply gap for delivery boys is widening. Many young boys are now working for multiple vendors delivering food as well as other merchandise. Motorcycle financing had eased during Covid, but has tightened again now. Getting a driver’s license is also becoming tougher in Delhi. Most youth are taking DL from home towns, which is relatively much easier.

·         There has never been communal tension in the area post 1984 Sikh massacre. Even during 1992-93 Babri demolition unrest, the area was largely peaceful. Almost every resident believes that the local politicians are to be blamed for recent violence.

Incidentally, there are frequent riots in the area over water. For most of the summer, a substantial part of the population in this area depends on “tanker water” for their daily need. Violent clashes at tanker sites are a common occurrence.

·         A group of women demanded, “if US government can give cash to its citizens (referring to California government proposal to give US$1050 to families for meeting higher cost of living) why Indian government cannot give it to poor.” Incidentally most families have been beneficiaries, direct or indirect, of free ration, free health insurance (Ayushman Bharat).

·         People here talk more about local politics of their respective states and Delhi rather than the national politics. The Chief Ministers of UP, Bihar, Delhi found more mention than the Prime Minister.

·         Most of the women living in the area work and contribute to the household economy. The level of gender equality in the area is however pathetic. The crime against women, especially domestic violence and sexual exploitation, are rampant. Most middle aged women accept this as fait accompli; but the young girls are resentful.

·         The residents do not seem to be according any significant importance to the law of the land. For them survival is the top most priority. For police every resident of the locality is a perennial suspect. There are numerous accused, under trial, and convicts in the area. But I could find only one very small NGO operating in the area that helps them in legal matters.

·         The youth of the locality are much more liberated and uninhibited in their personal and social conduct as compared to the middle class neighborhoods in the city.

·         Lot of workers who left the city during Covid, and went back to their respective hometowns, are yet to return. Despite shortage of workers, not many employers are willing to increase wages materially.

·         The awareness about educating children is rising. Most children below 12yrs attend school. While the government schools are preferable, there are many “convent schools” and coaching centers operating from houses. The dropout rate is higher especially amongst the children of migrant workers.

·         The people of Jehangirpuri celebrate all festivals with fervor and gaiety. But the knowledge about religion and spirituality is close to nothing. Most people claim to be deeply religious but their understanding of religion is mostly based on folklores and misinformation. I guess this could be true for a large majority of the Indian population in general. But I found it relevant to discuss in the context of the current environment of hate and intolerance.

·         Unfortunately, a locality that is inhabited by numerous workers engaged in the work of cleaning houses, offices, streets, vehicles etc., is full of filth. The local people and administration are showing no initiative in keeping their own locality clean.

·         Most important, and perhaps most disturbing, learning was that the youth of the area is happy living by the day. None of the young people I spoke to is aspiring for something big. In fact they are too angry and cynical to think anything big. This makes them vulnerable to manipulation by organized criminals and unscrupulous politicians.

I intend to revisit the area during Ramzan and Diwali to gain more understanding of the social fabric and economic strength (or otherwise) of the area.