Karnataka - Bangalore   

Slumdwellers are in demand

Bangalore: If the film “Slumdog Millionaire” was the toast of Hollywood a few weeks ago, slumdwellers in the country have now become the darling of all political parties. Slums are abuzz with activity with candidates from almost all political parties making a beeline there to seek votes. The situation is no different in the slums of Bangalore.

Bangalore has at least 10 per cent of its population living in slums and parties have realised the advantage of “capturing” slums by luring people with cash and gifts. The three parliamentary constituencies of Bangalore — North, South and Central — have a number of slums. In all, Bangalore has over 650 slums with more than 7 lakh people, from out of the city’s estimated seven million population, living there. Candidates and their agents are busy hiring youth to campaign for them. If some of them like Rashid and Velu of Nakal Bande, a slum located on a quarry near Jayanagar 3rd Block off 23rd Cross, are taken as errand boys, Angamma who lives near a slum in Tilak Nagar is engaged by a political party to keep the campaign office clean.

All the three admit that they are getting paid much more than what they usually earn. Angamma has taken leave from work as a housemaid for a fortnight so that she too can earn some extra money. “I earn Rs. 2,000 by working as a housemaid in two apartments in Byrasandra. I have taken leave and will go back to my work once the election is over,” she said.

For Vittal, a coconut vendor, election means extra business. Sales has picked up with people frequenting the Congress office on 27th A Cross in Jayanagar 4th Block East.

Mantesh, a person with disability, and several of his friends, are ready to take up the cause of any party provided they are given the daily “batta” of Rs. 150 along with meals and coffee. They are willing to work for the candidates for the entire day for that amount.

On their part, parties and candidates have realised that slumdwellers form a solid vote-bank. Apart from luring them with goodies, candidates and their agents hire them to do odd jobs hoping that it would help them gain a vote more.

However, none of the slumdwellers “cares” who will be voted to power and many of them do not even know how many candidates are in the fray. All that they know is that they are the “cynosure” of the political parties and this demand will continue till the votes are cast. “We will cash in on this demand till then. We know that the candidates shake our hands when elections are around. Once it is over, they shake our lives. Jai Ho,” they cry as they disappear in the maze of the Bande roads that even a city guide would not dare to venture.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Sarod maestro honours musicians
Gopinath hopes his kite will fly high
Beating 85 to race away to glory
Sir MV’s dream is yet to be realised
‘BJP, Congress have not addressed issue of Centre-State relations’
Twelve officials suspended
Award
No heart for art now Life in recession
Bhargava’s family decides to approach Chief Minister
Congress candidate touches the right chord in Jayanagar
Science classes
Water supply likely to be hit today
Exploiting a loophole in the law
Three of family hacked to death
People urged to reject BJP
‘Ananth Kumar using children for campaigning’
Over 3.95 lakh students take IIT-JEE examination
Slumdwellers are in demand
Chief Minister writes to Union Home Minister
Sharief, Sangliana pay tribute to Rajkumar
Bangalore today

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu