Newstrace

Politics. Feature. Environment

NEWSTRACE April 2014

Inside the issue

02 Chulha tax may cease in Delhi Chulha tax, imposed by the british empire tends to be lifted in Delhi soon.

Life-guard of Yamuna

Photo: Shadab Nazmi

Shadab Nazmi

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Election Special, 2014

04 Recycler’s prototype

It was 6:15 p.m. The strong smell of chlorine rushed into my head. I resisted and dived again. The water was dark and I sensed two small fish tickling my toes. I thought I lost them. And then I saw two heads, drowning deep down the river. He was roughly 16 years and she was 14 years old. I took them out of the water, slapped these teenage children who tried committing suicide and later handed them to the police”, says Mohammad Sadiq, in his weary denim jeans and a T-shirt which says lifeguard.

Mohammad Sadiq has been a diver since 1982 at Kalindi Kunj Barrage, south Delhi. He gets up early and starts his day patrolling around the ghats of Yamuna.

He doesn’t dive to collect pennies or to catch fish. His job is to look out for people who try jumping into the river.

He claims at least one or two suicide attempt cases are registered every week at local police station of Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. The cases are registered, but are never dragged to the court.

Fighting against the social anathema of getting criminal charges stamped to their faces, the families of the perpetrators push an envelope with torn edges, containing notes of 500 and 1000 rupees to the police.

He gets 1200-1300 rupees depending upon how rich the bait is (Richer families mean higher revenue).

“I know the water is dirty but my work is as clean as goddess ‘Parvati’(wife of Lord Shiva),” adds Sadiq.

He came to Delhi with his father when his family business of cotton started to decline in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. He was a young boy when he started to enjoy swimming in the river. First, it started as a hobby and then it became his source of livelihood. “Twenty two years ago, this river was as clean as a mirror. Drop a coin and you could see it vanish slowly down the river. “ He adds that the water has gone dirty with a strong smell of chlorine and sewage, which flows from every part of the city and accumulates there.

Sunil Deshbandhu, a constable at Gautam Budh Nagar police station denies that cases are covered up. Meanwhile, Sadiq calls it as a secret business which he and his boys know. “Tell me one thing, if I can sustain for 22 years just doing this work, how can’t it have a big profit margin? I have six boys who work under me and if the luck goes by our sides, we all go home with money”, says Sadiq with a smile on his face.

Like Sadiq, there are hundreds of such divers across the city who sustain their lives by saving others’ lives. Farooq is a 16 year old boy who used to work with Sadiq.

He has now shifted to Kashmere Gate, north Delhi. “ Kashmere Gate is a good place to make money. Last Chatth(a Hindu festival), I saved two young girls from drowning, and their parents gave me 1000 rupees as bakshish(tip). I work as a rickshaw puller in the afternoon and post lunch, I sit around ghats”, says Farooq.

Sadiq looks towards the ghats and says, “ It feels bad to see so many teenagers who try to end their lives. Afterall, humanity is beyond livelihood.”

Story of local scrap-dealers across Delhi

Cut-throat competition in Ghaziabad. Elections 2014 special. Pg 03

NEWSTRACE

Chulha tax may cease to exist in Delhi Sharib Suhail

Photo: Indiaplaza.in

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handrabhan Singh, 52 years, a resident of Todapur village, East Delhi went to ask for a loan in a well known bank. His request for loan was denied.

He says, “The bank denied because I have nothing to give as a bank guarantee.” He instantly adds, “I still do not own my house.” Chandrabhan does not have ownership right of his house and this is the story of every resident of Todapur village.

Todapur is one among five villages which comes under the category of the Chulha (traditional Indian stove) tax payers. The concept emerged when the British shifted the Capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi. “Todapur and Dasghara were among the villages from where the British acquired land after Delhi was declared as the new Imperial Capital in 1911,” informs a Delhi Development Authority (DDA) official.

The British had acquired the land on paper but the villagers were not asked to leave. Later, Todapur was merged in the Ridge area (then called Southern Ridge).

Each house that counted as ‘one chulha per family’ was put on a list. All such people had to pay tax - the chulha tax. The tax was nominal one, ‘Aana’ (Indian currency back then). The Valmiki community (Indian caste which was previously treated as untouchable) were exempted from paying this tax.

A draft policy for regularization of the chulha tax villages was sent by the Ministry of Urban Development (MOUD) for Central Government’s approval in 2008. Due to long flux of time, these residents were made to settle in these villages by the government on payment of chulha tax. Therefore, these villages could not be considered as unauthorized. Vice Chancellor (VC) of DDA was of the opinion that it is preferable to grant free hold rights rather than granting perpetual lease rights as government agencies are converting the lease hold rights into free hold rights.

Regularization of these villages will be on the following points: VC has asked further discussion with finance and other wings to finalize the cost, considering other developmental changes to be levied.

The Land Management Department will conduct a survey about the plot size

which will be allowed to each settler. They will also check the payment details of Chulha tax by consulting the land department, DDA, finance and legal planning.

Proposed charges levied should be different and should be based on different parameters.

After partition, the number of families in those villages had grown up to 20,000 and had started to extend their lands. The Chulha tax continued to be levied. But in 1954, the tax was revoked. The Government of India framed a policy in 1975 which stated that the tax payers as well as their descendants will be given land to settle. The criterion to give the land will be 165 square per meter.

Along with it the government decided to take development charges. However, this policy didn’t do much good. The policy of 1983, enacted by the Government of India was similar to its previous policy. This policy included tax on unauthorized sale and purchase of land.

“Policies are being reframed. We have to settle the people for their welfare,” says Rajendra Prasad, Tehsildar, Assistant Collector-G.P 2. He adds that ownership rights will be given on the basis of tax which will be decided in the coming time.

Chaudhary Vijendra Singh who works in DDA says, “People residing in these villages should be given land rights.” He further states that they will be divided into certain categories and accordingly will be asked to pay. These categories will include the original chulha tax payers, their descendants, encroachers and who have purchased land in these villages from the existing chulha tax payers.

Sooraj Yadav, a resident of Todapur village says that it is a good initiative which is being taken up by the government. “We will be happy if this comes into practice as our house is everything to us,” he says.

But another resident of Todapur, Raghuveer Singh says, “Fake promises are being made by the government. This is not the first time that they are trying to scrap chulha tax.” He adds that only official documents are made but nothing comes into practice. He has been living in this village since his childhood but still cannot claim this house as his own.

Todapur

Among one of the villages where the tax was imposed.

Other villages are :

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8 Arakhpurbagh Mochi 8 Dasgarah 8 Jhilmil Tahirpur 8 Nangli Razapur

NEWSTRACE Top contest in Ghaziabad.

Election 2014 Muhammed Faisal K.

General Vijay Kumar Singh (Bharatiya Janata Party)

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t has emerged as one of the Uttar Pradesh (U.P)'s most sought-after constituencies, with a contest raging between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate General VK Singh (retired), Congress's Raj Babbar and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s Shazia Ilmi.

One of the oldest industrial townships in U.P, Ghaziabad is plagued by a number of problems - irregular power and water supply, negligible infrastructure, lack of public transport and a high crime rate owing to years of alleged neglect by its legislators including sitting MP Rajnath Singh of the BJP. Nomination papers of a massive 22 candidates from among 38 who had submitted applications to contest the election from the Ghaziabad Lok Sabha seat were rejected by poll officials in the district. The applications were rejected on different technical grounds after a thorough scrutiny of all forms. The rejections have ruled out more than 57% of prospective candidates from entering the poll fray for the seat in which Congress, BJP and AAP have fielded star candidates.

"There were 16 candidates in the last general election as well. But with three important candidates this time, the fight for votes is expected to be intense," says, a senior politician based there.

Ghaziabad Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in U.P state in northern India. This constituency came into existence in 2008 as a part of the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies.

General Vijay Kumar Singh, is a retired Indian Army officer who served as the 24th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army. He was the first commando to be promoted general and was also the first serving Indian military chief to take the government to court. Singh retired as Chief of Army Staff on 31 May 2012. Subsequent to his retirement, Singh showed support for the anti-corruption movement of which Anna Hazare is a figurehead. Singh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on 1 March 2014.

The BJP was actively considering the name of Muzaffarnagar riot-accused Sangeet Som's name for the seat, but Gen Singh's name finally found favour with the party leadership.

Asked about his candidature, Gen Singh had said, "I will contest elections from wherever the party would ask me to."

With his political debut, BJP is hopeful of winning upper caste votes based on his Rajput credentials. He says, “My transition from the Army to politics has been very smooth”. On his candidature, he adds, “Issues need to be looked at in a holistic manner and not individually. There are issues of potholed roads, power and water among others. But they need to be addressed collectively.”

The scale, however, seem tipped in General Singh's favour, who has a strong administrative background to his credit, coupled with the fact that a majority of the populace is now perceiving Narendra Modi as their beacon of hope.

"There needs to be a general betterment of the system. As far as Ghaziabad is concerned, we need an integrated development plan," says Singh.

Raj Babbar Bollywood actor and Congress MP from Firozabad, Raj Babbar is confident of a win from Ghaziabad. Babbar, considered as an "outsider" by local party, says, “Ghaziabad is my Karnabhoomi. I fought for the farmers here in 2006-07 when their land was being acquired by the UP government for a private project. I have even gone to Jail for them and people remember that.”

Babbar, in the capacity of Congress spokesperson, created controversy in 2013, by stating that Rs.12 is sufficient to get a full meal for common man in Mumbai, which drew severe criticism. He also said that a poor person in India can get two square meals a day, within Rs.28 to 32 and opposition parties termed his statement as shameful. Later, he regretted his comments. Now, Babbar has been holding ‘padyatras’ (walks-on-foot) in the constituency each day, reaching out to voters. He is mobbed by animated residents as he moves along the narrow bylanes of the rural and industrial pockets in Ghaziabad. He says, “I am happy that the Congress decided to contest me from here.”

Shazia Ilmi The AAP announced names of 55 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and named Shazia Ilmi as its candidate from Ghaziabad constituency.

Shazia Ilmi is a social activist turned politician. She was previously a television

Raj Babbar (Congress)

Shazia Ilmi (Aam Aadmi Party)

journalist and anchor at Star News. She was a spokesperson for the India Against Corruption movement led by Anna Hazare in 2011 and 2012. She led a media campaign for an anti-corruption bill (to institute an Ombudsman popularly known as Jan Lokpal Bill) which caught the imagination of millions of Indians and became a widespread protest across the nation.

“Ghaziabad is our Karmabhoomi. It is an extension of my home. The origin of AAP’s anti-corruption movement lies here. I am very comfortable fighting from here,” says Ilmi.

Ilmi will contest from Ghaziabad although the party initially wanted her to take on Congress President Sonia Gandhi in Rae Baireli but she declined to do so. She was reportedly unhappy that she was not considered for New Delhi seat, prompting the party to give her Ghaziabad constituency.

While Ghaziabad, with its proximity to Delhi was rapidly becoming a strong vote bank for AAP, the Arvind Kejriwal government's exit from Delhi turned the party's political fate on its head.

“AAP is a people’s party. We are dedicated to their cause and people know that. I have been holding roadshows and door-to-door campaigns and I am getting a positive response,” says Ilmi.

“It doesn’t matter what gender bracket you belong to as long as you are a deserving candidate. I am thankful to the party for considering the eligible,” says Ilmi. She adds that Ghaziabad will vote for her because of the ‘stepmotherly’ treatment given to the constituency by Rajnath. “It’s right next to Noida and Delhi. But when you step into Ghaziabad, it’s like stepping back. I want development in Ghaziabad,” she says.

In 1962, Congress leader Kamla Choudhary had won in the general elections here to become the first woman MP from Ghaziabad. After Choudhary, it was another Congress leader, Reeta Singh, who contested the Lok Sabha elections for this seat in 1996. But after her loss in that exercise, no woman candidate has entered the Lok Sabha poll fray from Ghaziabad before AAP handed the ticket to Ilmi.

Meanwhile, the Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) candidates are optimistic that the outsider tag will work against the three heavyweights.

“Ghaziabad might be close to Delhi, but here the politics is very different. People like knowing their candidate. They like knowing that they can go to their sansad’s house if there’s a problem,” says the SP candidate, Sudhan Rawat.

BSP candidate Mukul Upadhayay reminds you that his sister-in-law had defeated Babbar in Fatehpur Sikri. While filing his nominations, Upadhayay says that the BSP’s performance in the assembly elections in 2012 made him certain of victory. He would look to work “for the poor and the disenfranchised” in the district.

The BSP had successfully manipulated caste equations in the district, winning four of its five assembly segments. By garnering both Dalit votes and Muslims votes in the district, BSP had managed to stop the Samajwadi Party ‘wave’ that eventually saw Akhilesh Yadav being elected chief minister.

But Ghaziabad City is only one of five assembly segments where victory in the constituency has been traditionally decided by the rural voters. Sensing this, Raj Babbar plans to campaign from the rural, Muslim-dominated Loni segment. “We want to give the people here an option. Raj Babbar will meet people in Loni and even though he’s not from Ghaziabad, his work in the past speaks for itself,” said a close aide, who added Babbar’s victory over Dimple Yadav in Firozabad too will benefit him.

The three-way fight among Raj Babbar, VK Singh and Shazia Ilmi will be an interesting one as all three are from different walks of life. Babbar's close association with Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi can be a game changer as during 2009 by-elections, Rahul had extensively campaigned for Babbar in Firozabad, that led to his victory against SP's Dimple Yadav. V K Singh's army background and his clean image may garner him votes. Ilmi's winnability can be seen in the fact that Ghaziabad has emerged as a working hub of AAP with its headquarters situated there and also the AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal resides there.

Though the decision remains in the hands of the voters, this constituency will be closely followed.

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NEWSTRACE

Recycler’s Prototype Jayashree Narayanan

“Kabaa di waaala!” “Kabaa di waaala!” he voice of the kabadiwala or scrap dealer resonates in the early mornings on the streets, as he goes about his business. Dressed in a soiled white shirt, Shammir Khan, 45 years, says “scrap dealing provides a livelihood to sustain my family”. A glance over his beavered hands throw light on the 22 years he has spent in the profession.

For years, ‘kabadi’ or scrap dealing has been a traditional profession of recycling dismantled materials. It has been a familiar sight in Indian towns and cities. The scrap dealers go door-to-door, collecting all kinds of household waste from newspapers to plastics and glass bottles. They pay a certain amount to each household depending on how much they collect.

These scrap dealers are workers in the informal economy who recover recyclable materials from waste thrown out by offices and homes. They seem to be working silently long before the climate and environmental protection initiatives focussed on the buzzwords, ‘reuse, reduce and recycle’.

“These men come to our doorstep and find value in things we throw away.

They are the original and true green entrepreneurs,” says Mathew Jose, founder and CEO of a Chennai (Tamil Nadu) based non-government organisation named Paperman. The organisation connects households with the local scrap dealers across the city.

An insight by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) reveal that, every day, urban India generates 188,500 tonnes of Municipal Solid Waste, 68.8 million tonnes per year and waste generation increases by 50% every decade.

Around 20% waste will be recovered by an army of informal recyclers like scrap dealers, in large cities according to the Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group and less in smaller cities. However, more than 80% reaches open dumpsites where it damages public health, the environment, and causes climate change.

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Recycling?

When waste is eventually discarded, segregating items for recycling from other waste is important. Recyclables include glass, newspaper, aluminum, cardboard etc. “Once we collect the items, we categorize them according to their respective types”, says Anurag Asati, Founder and CEO of online door-to-door service, THEKabadiwala.com.

B.L Chawla, Senior Environmental Engineer, DPCC explains that the 20% recyclable scrap is eventually sold to godown owners who buy it to further segregate recyclables from the non-recyclables. These are ultimately sold to recycling companies or units who can use the raw materials to make something else.

One major fashion outlet, Fab India, uses old newspapers to make carry bags. “This is a wonderful system, because it works on economics and environment at the same time”, says Sayantani Raghu, a customer.

For a country, with a large but poor population making the best of everything is an obvious way to ensure sustainable living. But, it points to a simple fact that change begins at the basics. The dealers might not be organised or regulated, and not be making millions but, they manage to contribute towards greener cities.

“I remember my grandmother collecting all the waste and waiting for the kabadiwala. Now, with changing times, there is no more connectivity and the numbers of such kabadiwalas has gone down,” says Jose.

Photo: Jayashree Narayanan

“Discrimination from authorities, extreme bargaining by customers, harassing for bribes are some of the problems that have affected our business,” says scrap dealer, Khan. Also, the number of children working in this sector is huge and there is no health or safety consideration for anyone.

But recently, there have been attempts to improve the working conditions for those in this sector and private businesses are attempting to introduce some organisation through seeking inspiration. Saroja Sethuraman, a resident of Sreevats Gardens, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) shares the fact. Four years ago, in collaboration with ITC Limited, her colony’s Residents Welfare Association started collecting scrap from the local residents and recycling them. The success of the initiative lies in the households, trying to emulate the scrap dealing system.

Future streams Recycling as a system provides sustainable growth options while sustaining livelihoods. The recycling process by the scrap dealers is inextricably linked to saving up on the energy resources of the country. Jose says that such a cultural and economic exchange like kabadiwalas helps in keeping the environmental aspects in check. “The need is to ensure scrap dealers, customers and the recycling industries are at equidistance,” sums up Jose.

Recycling conserves resources When we recycle, used materials are converted into new products, reducing the need to consume natural resources.

Recycling saves energy Using recycled materials in the manufacturing process uses considerably less energy than that required for producing new products from raw ones.

Recycling helps protect the environment Recycling reduces the need for extracting (mining, quarrying and logging), refining and processing raw materials all of which create substantial air and water pollution.

As recycling saves energy it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which helps to tackle climate change.

TEAM MEMBERS

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Sharib Suhail

Mohammad Faisal.K

Shadab Nazmi

Jayashree Narayanan