Politics, not drought, is choking Bundelkhand's common man

Much has been said and written about the devastation looming large over the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh, where the onslaught of drought is threatening the lives of common people.

But there is more lip service as against any concrete measure to grapple with the problem that continues to ravage the southern end of the country's most populous state almost every year.

Even that lip service is laced with political undertones that are blatantly aimed at scoring a brownie point that could eventually translate into some kind of notional political gain for a party.

The war of words gets more coloured when it is between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s saffron brigade and Samajwadi Party's green brigade. The intended message from both sides is loud and crude - largely aimed at playing only their caste or religion card. And in doing so, neither hesitates to cross the limits.

That was exactly what was becoming vividly visible in the ongoing battle against drought in the seven districts of Bundelkhand where a shabby game of one-upmanship was being played between the Narendra Modi and Akhilesh Yadav governments.

Even as Akhilesh said "no" to Modi's offer to send trainloads of water in the same manner as it had been done in the drought-torn Marathwada region of Maharashtra, railway minister Suresh Prabhu chose to send a rake of ten tankers to Jhansi from where Akhilesh's official machinery was expected to take it forward for distribution in water-scarce areas.

But to everyone's shock, the train was as dry as the parched fields of Bundelkhand.

Amidst all kinds of lame explanations doled out by the railway ministry, came a bigger goof-up by the UP government. While ridiculing the Narendra Modi-led government for sending a dry "water" train, UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav went to the extent of claiming that his government did not want water as UP's dam reservoirs in Bundelkhand had sufficient reserves to feed the drought affected masses.

He went on to explain that a water train was of no use to Bundelkhand as trains would not be able to reach remote villages where water was needed. He further went on to add that what his government needed more was large number of road tankers, that could reach water right down to the affected villages.

And before the central government could start thinking of mustering up tankers, the chief minster hastily clarified that funds to purchase road tankers could solve the problem.

Evidently, the UP government's initial refusal to accept central government-sent water was prompted by political considerations as Akhilesh was advised not to be seen as dependent on the Modi government.

What he, however, failed to realise that as chief minister of the state, his concern should have been more on the need of the people than on scoring a political point.

This one goof-up was followed by yet another when he went about claiming that there was more than enough water in the reservoirs of various dams in Bundelkhand.

A reality check by some TV channels exposed the hollowness of this oft repeated proclamation as the dams in the worst affected areas of Mahoba district were found to be absolutely dry. Locals confirmed that one of these dams had no water for the past four years.

Sure enough, the chief minister cut a rather sorry figure. His media managers moved heaven and earth to cover up the lies by claiming that the visuals were taken in one corner of the reservoir where there was less water.

And putting up a straight face, barely 12 hours later, Akhilesh Yadav went on to urge Narendra Modi to dole out 11,000 crore rupees "to enable the state to purchase 10,000 tankers".

Interestingly, the state on its own had deployed only 500 tankers to quench the thirst of millions of people living in Bundelkhand where inadequately bored tube-wells and hand-pumps dry up as a matter of routine every year and fresh funds are sought in the name of "repair" or "new purchase".  

In keeping with the past, this time again, no effort was initiated from either side to work out a permanent solution to the perennial issue of drought in the rocky terrain of Bundelkhand.

Neither has the UP government cared to go into the rampant corruption that was at the root of keeping 40 per cent of its tube-wells in the region in inoperational, nor has the Centre sought to know why it suits the state government to seek funds year after year instead of looking for a one-shot long-term solution.

Why all the craving to seek more and more funds money from a government whose water was "not acceptable", could also be anybody's guess. Notorious for their skills in pilfering funds, UP "babus" and "netas" could not have found a more opportune time - than a natural disaster - to plunder.  

It would also be no surprise if Modi chooses to display his generosity by doling out handsome funds. After all, he too needs to make up for the faux pas by his blue-eyed Suresh Prabhu's railway ministry of sending a dry "water" train, that had to eventually make a retreat.

Ironically, however, the plight of the starved common man in Bundelkhand continues. Who cares?