Salaya hopes to shed ‘smugglers haven’ tag

Since its association with BJP the town has seen inflow of about Rs 45 crore in form of RCC roads, street lights, drinking water facility and drainage system.

Salaya, the Muslim town in Jamnagar that saw a major turnaround in its politics a year ago when its people elected an all-BJP municipality, is no longer fighting bad roads and knee-deep sludge. Instead, it is flying the saffron party’s flag high in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, with hopes of ridding the town of its smugglers’ haven tag.

A town where Samata Party leader George Fernandes had become a household name, saw a sea change in 2008 when Salaya dumped its decade-long association with Samata Party and became a Congress bastion. Then, in a sudden shift five years later, 36,000 eligible voters in the town chose 27 BJP members — 24 of whom were Muslims — in its nagarpalika election, bringing an end to the Congress domination in this coastal town where 95 per cent of its population are Muslims.

Since its association with BJP, this town, where fishing is the sole means of livelihood, has seen inflow of about Rs 45 crore in form of RCC roads, street lights, drinking water facility and drainage system.

“Our attempt is to set an example and make Salaya a model town. The town has long been infamous for smuggling and other criminal activities. We are fast changing this image,” claims Salemamed Karim Bhagaad, president of the Salaya Nagarpalika.

“Not long ago, we used to wade in knee-deep sludge during monsoon. Not any more,” said the leader, crediting the turn-around of the town to the Modi government’s decision to open up the state coffers for the development of this town.

“We have nothing to do with Modi’s association with post-Godhra riots of 2002. For us, BJP is a party that will uplift this town. Since we joined the party, the police do not bother us. Earlier, people used to be rounded up, detained and interrogated for weeks.
Now, the scenario has changed,” Bhagaad said, while sitting at his party office, planning campaigns for BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate from Jamnagar Poonam Maadam.

Interestingly, Bhagaad — an opinion-maker and influential personality in the town — was first a local Samata Party leader, before shifting alliances to Congress and then to the saffron party. The politics of the town has also shifted accordingly. “We are aware which side of the scale is heavier,” Bhagaad said.

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In the 2004 LS polls, Salaya saw about 700 votes being cast for the BJP. The numbers went up to 2,300 in 2009. “Is baar karishma hoga (This time, a miracle will happen),” Bhagaad said, while indicating that the majority of the town will once again vote for BJP.

“Apart from infrastructure issues, Salaya has been battling a number of social problems, none of which have been addressed by either the Congress or Samata Party. For instance, Hindu youth do not get wives from neighbouring towns and villages, because of its notoriety. Even today, passports are not issued to youths, because their father or kin have had a past association with smuggling. We feel BJP can help bring about a change in this perception,” said Kamlesh Shah, a member of one of the 400 Hindu families here.

However, the tag of being a town associated with smugglers refuses to leave them. Last week, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials busted a smuggling attempt in Gandhidham (Kutch) located on the other side of the Gulf of Kutch. One of the main accused was from Salaya, that has been notorious for smuggling from the ‘60s through the ‘80s. The officials managed to seize 46 kg gold, worth about Rs 14 crore. DRI officials say this brings back memories of Salaya’s infamous past.

Earlier, boats full of slabs of gold used to land at Salaya port, to be sent to receivers across the country. There had been numerous cases of smuggling, many of which are still pending in the customs’ records, officials point out.

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“The recent seizure took place after a long time. The crime rate has definitely dropped in the town,” said Navalsinh Jadeja, assistant sub-inspector of Salaya Marine Police Station.

Meanwhile, Poonam Maadam describes Salaya as a “model” that can be associated with BJP’s unbiased governance. “This time, Congress is in for a shock. The minorities will be voting for the BJP. Salaya is one of the best examples to be showcased to one and all. We have turned around the infrastructure of the town and we have shown that we are not biased against Muslims,” said Poonam.

The lone Congress worker who mans the party’s election office in the town also admits that the Congress did little to help the town. “Be it in providing basic facilities or helping the town change its poor image, Congress as a party did nothing. Even I don’t like being with the Congress. I am here only because I have personal relations with Vikram Maadam (Congress Lok Sabha candidate),” says 65-year-old Saleh Mohammed Subhania. a retired army personnel who is now a Congress worker in Salaya.

“People in this town vote for one man, not for a party,” he adds, referring to Bhagaad.

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