For all purposes, slums are more important from a politician’s standpoint as they serve to further his career more than anything else
Slums are blights on urban settings which no town-planner would ever envisage in his wildest of dreams. But then, that is the harsh reality!
Large expanses of urban landscapes turning into visages of myriad dwellings which do not conform to any standard architectural plans but are built on the ‘accommodating’ needs of the occupiers with no boundaries demarcating one from the other; slums, over a period of time, manage to gain permanent addresses in localities where they spring up.
It is well known that the ‘permanent’ stature that they acquire is largely due to the patronage extended by the political class which believes that nurturing such ‘pockets’ helps pay rich electoral dividends.
The extensiveness of this dependence has however been mutual with both the politicians and the slum dwellers alike reaping the benefits of the ‘association’. Hence any disturbance in this ‘equilibrium’ is bound to disturb both the parties.
Once despised as residential areas with substandard housing which are overcrowded and poorly serviced, and therefore considered unhealthy, unsafe, and socially undesirable, today slums are an essential component of a political equation where their very presence has magnified their worth ‘n’ times over for the political class.
While the contention that slums are a natural development of the country’s economic and political structure has been hotly debated, it however cannot be denied that the proliferation of slums has been a direct consequence of that strategy orchestrated by politicians which allows them the luxury of an easy and uninterrupted access to ‘numbers’ which can add to their vote tally.
But as to whether this ‘loyalty’ has translated into ‘comforts’ for the slum-dwellers does however raise a huge question mark with the temporariness of the whole show casting a shadow of uncertainty over it.
However, slums today are more than places which provide cheap labour. They are emerging power centres around which the politics of the region evolve. The mere advantage of large numbers help slums occupy that position of power from where each of the informal settlements of migrants can dictate terms.
For that matter, the tag of ‘informal’ settlements no longer hangs around them, as slums have gone on to encompass a vast magnitude of existence, so to speak. As vote-generators for politicians, they are indispensable, a compulsion of sorts. As assurances of comfortable electoral mandates, slums will continue to feature high in their priorities for politicians.
“The term ‘vote bank’ was coined by the Indian sociologist M N Srinivas. He introduced this concept in the context of Indian politics to describe the practise of political parties garnering support from specific social groups or communities to ensure electoral victories.” (Kalyan Chandra, Political Consultant)
Realizing the importance of mobilizing different sections of the society to win elections, politicians have been identifying and wooing particular groups of voters based on their caste, religion, language, regional identity, economic status, or other demographic factors.
“Initially this involved appealing to voters’ economic interests and aspirations, with political parties promising to deliver development and improve the people’s living conditions.” (Kiran V, in the ‘Political Marketer’)
In Goa however, it has been a story of local political leaders not only fostering the growth of slums but also holding absolute sway over them. Ear-marking them as their personal spheres of operation, the political leaders have been quite hostile to the idea of ‘intruders’ straying into their territories.
Slum dwellers have so far remained steadfast in their support for the leaders helping them earn ‘representational rights’ every time elections have been held.
However, with the gradual upsurge in a new corps of young leaders expressing their displeasure over the status quo being maintained where, despite all the odds being in their favour, the reluctance shown by the elders to drive home the advantage on various issues, tending to the affairs of the slum no more remains the privilege of any single political leader.
Besides, with a multitude of political entities ready to throw their hats into the ring, we now have the ‘shanty towns’ receiving attention from various quarters with the sole aim of winning over the confidence of the residents. This in turn has created small pockets within the slums, each owing allegiance to a particular political leader.
One can well imagine such a situation in Dharavi where the vastness of the area compels its own brand of politics to be played out by dwellers in what has been described as the world’s largest slum for their very existence. At a time when native Goans are feeling threatened by a probable loss of identity in their own land in the face of the incessant migrant assault, local leaders have been conspicuous by their patronizing ways towards them.
“Although on a smaller scale, slum settlements in states such as Goa tend to be integrated with other residential and commercial developments. These slum-dwellers are socially marginal, but tend to be located in, or next to, prime space.” (From ‘ScienceDirect.com’)
The hundreds who have settled in the periphery of various industrial estates in the state have further attracted a lot many intent on bettering their living standards.
These, over the years, have become natural vote-banks for the local leaders. No matter what the pressures; doing away with such ‘advantages’ is too gracious a gesture that no politician in his right mind would dare attempt.
Slums in and around major urban habitats serve much the same purpose for politicians! Hence for all purposes, slums are more important from a politician’s standpoint as they serve to further his career more than anything else.
While it is true that improving the living conditions of people living in slums needs to be given top priority; slum rehabilitation in Goa, according to multiple reports, is widely considered a ‘distant dream’ due to a lack of concrete action from the government, complex land ownership issues, political hurdles, and a lack of proper identification and notification of slum areas.
