Bottom Line: While the interest and intervention of Noida MLA Pankaj Singh against garbage dump yard in Sector 137 is welcome move, it is time to apprise him that vested interests with political motive & media limelight in mind are trying best to hijack the cause and sabotage it.
Dear Mr Pankaj Singh
As a journalist and socially conscious citizen of the city, I would welcome your interest and intervention for shifting the garbage dump yard from Sector 137, Noida. However, I would also like to bring certain ground realities on the table over the issue that has been brought to your notice in the guise of civil society initiative.
The fact today is that the cause itself has been relegated to the sidelines where some vested interests with political motive and media limelight in mind are gradually taking the center stage. The fact is that there is a fierce infighting among the leading faces of the shift dump yard campaign and I feel I must apprise you against getting motivated by these forces.
After all, the MLA should be least bothered with the dirty mohalla (locality) politics as he presents the entire constituency and not a selected set of self-styled representatives.
The fact is that the socially concerned citizens of the 8 housing societies who initially took up the issue and mobilized the masses are nowhere in the picture today. They have been working silently on the ground thus far and suddenly the media orchestrated vested interests jumped into the fray. Most of the characters probably lack social recognition in the world at large and hence they are finding a solace in the ten minutes of media fame within the mohalla politics.
This probably is the reason why the so-called activists are least bothered to get the issue of shifting the dump yard immediately. If the issue would be settled so early where would they go for recognition?
A case in point is Track2Realty last story “NGT stay likely on Noida Sector 137 dump yard”. A section of these so-called activists jumped into action to immediately question and contest the story vehemently as if saying, “Oh my God! How can it be solved so early”. This is despite the fact that the story is only talking about a likely scenario (as shared by a source with the NGT) and also puts pressure on the NGT and the other government agencies.
I would urge you sir to look into the following points before entertaining only a small set of people that has completely turned off a large section of people residing in the 8 housing societies of the sector:
Q. Whether a small group of people who come to you as representatives of the entire sector have the sanction of the respective societies to represent them?
Q. How many of these so-called representatives of the sector are elected office bearers of the respective apartment owner associations?
Q. How many of them have even contested the elections of the respective apartment owner associations, forget any sector level association?
Q. Will they still be active for socially relevant causes if there would be no media spotlight tomorrow?
Q. What legal action has thus far been initiated before roping in the media and the political establishment?
Q. Can selfie driven representation to MLA and Noida Authority solve the problem of dump yard in the vicinity?
I know you have many close aides in this part of Noida and if you look for an honest answer to the above queries/points raised, you will realize that only one side of the picture has been shown to you thus far. I would request you to look for complete picture and help the residents of the sector 137 Noida in a broader perspective.
Instead of entertaining a closed coterie in the name of Sector 137 representation, it would help you to get a pulse of the masses if you come to respective housing societies and meet everyone in general. There are a number of socially conscious citizens and senior citizens who could then bring to the table the real issues and could also be willing to assist you (beyond selfie sessions) in getting it addressed.
Furthermore, the 8 housing societies of Noida Sector 137 are only a fraction of the local population. There is a greater share of rural population, which is legally represented by the Gram Pradhans, but their involvement is not up to the desired extent. Despite the fact that they are the real voters of the constituency and hold more influence they have hardly been given the due voice in this campaign.
The bottom line is that, and coming from a political family you must understand that, the grass root connect works better and longer than connecting with a coterie of limelight hungry characters who are more interested in ten minutes of media fame.
Needless to say, most of the so-called voices of shift dump yard campaign in Sector 137, Noida are today least bothered with the cause. I rest my case sir and hope you understand the dirty politics behind a social cause that is now dragging you in the guise of civil society intervention. I have anyway some more expose ahead on the subject.
By: Ravi Sinha
