Rahul takes a detour to Dalit cluster

Anugraha Narayan Singh,the lone Congress MLA from the city who accompanied Rahul,said: “I had discussed rehabilitation of the basti residents with him three days ago. He had agreed (to visit) but the SPG was not informed about it. We were supposed to take a left turn to go to Jhunsi,but we went straight. The escort vehicles,which were ahead of us,took a while before joining us.”

Singh said the rehabilitation work had begun following an Allahabad High Court order. The residents wanted to be resettled in an area close to the basti as their livelihoods revolved around the area. “He assured the residents that he would take up the issue with the Defence Ministry as this area is defence land,” said Singh.

At the seminar on “Dreams of neglected communities in a democracy” at Gobind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute in Jhunsi,Rahul spoke on various aspects on why Dalit representation in politics was inadequate.

Prof Badri Narayan,head of the Dalit Resource Centre at the GBPSSI,which organised the seminar,said: “Gandhi talked about issues like ticket distribution,where just a few people at the top manage things. He said such practices will not ensure adequate and proper representation. He also dwelt on issues of migration as a necessary requirement for the development of any section of society,including the Dalits.”

Rameshwar Pawan of Bahraich,who participated in the interaction,said: “Rahul clearly pointed out that,be it Samajwadi Party or the Bahujan Samaj Party,only one or two people decide the tickets. In Congress,there are four to six people at the state level. He said this will have to change but it would take time.”

Earlier in the day,Rahul inaugurated a children’s ward,equipped with latest equipment to treat children afflicted with cancer,at Kamla Nehru Hospital. At Swaraj Bhawan,he interacted with a delegation of National Students’ Union of India.

Media and local leaders were kept out of the function at Kamla Nehru Hospital.

At the Bamrauli airport,however,state Congress president Rita Joshi and District Congress Chief Shyam Krishna Pandey paid a courtesy call.

‘UP not easiest place to run a hospital’

Allahabad: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Wednesday expressed dissatisfaction over the health care system in Uttar Pradesh,saying “running a hospital in the state is more difficult than any other part of the country.”

“Uttar Pradesh is not the easiest place to run a hospital,and operating a hospital here is more difficult than in most other parts of the country,” Rahul said.

At Kamla Nehru Memorial Hospital here,the Congress leader said: “I feel proud to see such a hospital functioning in Allahabad,I am aware of the difficulties you faced in bringing the hospital to its current shape.”