It was a small obscure shack that passed off for a tea stall and two men were quietly sipping their tear. At that moment the dull sound of a rumbling crash from outside filtered through the jumbled voices of the tea stall, the blaring song from “Vivida Bharati” blaring in the back ground. The person in the next table coughing his tea. As the rumble went a little louder, one of the tea drinkers leapt to his feet,
“what’s that” he asked.
“Shaanth ho jao” the tea vendor said, “they haven’t started yet”
“Bhagwan ke kripa” was the customer’s observation relaxing.
“Where do you live?” enquired another customer
“Near Turkmen Gate” came the answer.
“Oh! Then probably its your house being knocked down” the tea vendor said. “What!?!” the customer responded looking around wildly “my house is being knocked down, and here I am drinking tea peacefully”
“It would not make a difference, at this stage” commented the tea vendor, “since you are out of your house you are alive else you would have been crushed too”
This was the scene in the capital of the country1976 when Sanjay Gandhi the default power of Delhi decided to clear Delhi off its slum.
Delhi a city of 7 forts and 52 gates of which Turkman gate is one. This is named after the Sufi saint Shaha Turkman Bayabani. The residents of Turkman gate refused to move out as they lived there since the Mughal days. People protested and there were riots, in came the Crown prince the first ever Bulldozer Badshah that India had, Sanjay Gandhi razed houses, that were illegal, 10 bulldozers were used. This was followed by riots and police firing.
His query was, “Do want another Pakistan here?”
“You will Pay for supporting Jan Sangh” he thundered. Isn’t this echoed by Adityanath when he declared, “it’s sending a message to anyone who does raise their voice they will have a very person cost to pay. Not just you going to jail but your entire family will suffer”
Somewhere I wonder if he had a premonition. Isn’t it strange that one Gandhi who divided the nation is bone of contention when it comes to ownership between various faction, while other Gandhi who alerted the nation of “Pakistan” is disowned… never mind that I’m still confused how a dying nation like Pakistan can be a threat to a much bigger country but that is another thought train all together.
From the forgotten history of 1976 when the Bhogi Bulldozer Badshah ruled let’s come to the present-day in 2017 when yogi Bulldozer Baba took over. By 2020 properties belonging to various criminals and politically backed gangsters were demolished using bulldozers, the Samajwadi party used “Bulldozer Nath” as jibe, and he wore it as a trophy, declaring that, “he was high on development and tough on criminals. That his government would bulldoze houses of anyone even thinking of perpetuating crime against women and weaker sections of the society”
The claim is about Rs.1,900 crore worth of property which illegal constructions were demolished. Foundation for 75 houses were laid on the alleged recovered land. If UP had its Bulldozer Baba, MP had a bulldozer mama (Shivaraj Singh Chauhan) used bulldozer to raze property belonging to mafia, and other criminal accused like rape accused, rioters, kidnapping accused etc. the swiftness of taking action is really wonderful 16th March the Shahdol rape incident happens and 22nd March the accused person’s house is razed.
Suddenly Bulldozers have replaced the police and army as law-and-order keepers. Post riots in Hubbell the right wing was asking for bulldozer kind of action.
Ironically when the nation was celebrating External Affairs Minister Jaishankar battling the “US bullying” on human rights 9 bulldozers razed 20 structures down at Jahangirpuri. Street carts, and some registered buildings were razed too.
While bulldozers are urban equipment and of course backed by real estate sharks. The reaction has been a warning from the Farmers movement if the government does not put an end to this bulldozer tactics the farmers would stop them with tractors. … here is to quote crime patrol,” yeah vidwamsh ke dastak hai… the signs of civil unrest.”
Of course, dirty linen was washed by ‘News Laundry” the Indian media watchdog. Media professionals got their TRP by climbing on to the bulldozer and questioning the unfortunate bulldozer driver who only obeys orders for his daily bread.
Honestly most of us are apathic, including me I was blissfully unaware that the JCB which I see as a symbol of environment destruction, is also the champion of law and order not to mention the saviour of real estate sharks. Just a few questions that pop up to me…
- Do these people serve notices before demolishing giving enough time for the occupants to relocate? – justice Ms. Grover says the notices were conjured and bulldozers appeared when the period of appeal was still on.
- Are alternate arrangements made for relocation?
- Most of the illegal encroachment of public land, is directly linked to vote banks of course cloaked in the cloak of religious affiliation.
- We seem to ringing in retaliation and revenge with gang wars between political entities being played through demolishing and riots.
The government really needs to take a call which Gandhi it wants adopt, the passive-aggressive Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi or the in-your-face aggression of Sanjay Gandhi.
Looks like the Indian politics have taken Scott Morrison rather seriously he had described himself as “bit of bulldozer before the federal elections.
Cantadora - The keeper of stories. 
Sanjay Gandhi’s reincarnation in the shape of a Yogi?
maybe why not?