My friend Munna: true story.

मुन्ना की कहानी – झूठे लोकतन्र का घिनौना सच [“Why worry? People like Anna and Munna can be tackled by police, income tax, enforcement

directorate, criminal cases, slander campaign and communal riots. If Munna and others trouble much

pay the Bangladeshis to start communal riot. We will send police to evict people like Munna and flood the

Jamuna flood basin by releasing extra water from Haryana. You can get some banya tran (flood relief) tents

constructed on the road bunds with Delhi government help, and earn gratitude of the flood affected people.

Yeh sale, humse banchke jayega kaha? “ ]

“Anna and Munna” represents unfortunate comman man of this country. Read this true

story!

Friend Munnalal lived in village Kanakhali in eastern Bihar. He owned two bighas of land, two cows, two

buffalo, had a wife and three kids. In off season he made baskets with split bamboos and sold in the market.

In 2008 flood he lost two cows and his home. Flood sand had covered his land and he did not have the

money to rebuild his shack and remove the sands from his field. Munna approached the gramsabha. The

pradhan had received some fund for relief works in his village. After several visits, the pradhan offered Rs.

30.00 to Munna and took a thumb impression on a receipt of Rs. 300.00. The money was well spent for daily

needs that lasted for a few days.

Munna was advised to approach the Panchyat Pradhan to help him with a certificate that he had lost his

cattle, home and land in the flood. The PP demanded bhet (graft) of Rs. 50.00. Munna sold the nathni (nose

ring) of his wife and borrowed Rs 30.00 from the sahukar (loan shark) and paid the PP. After obtaining the

certificate Munna visited the BDO’s (Block Development Officer) office and after paying Rs. 5.00 bhet to the

chaprasi reached the BDO after seven days. Mahamahim (His greatness) BDO examined the documents and

jotted down on a paper that Munna could get Rs. 5000.00 from Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Griha Nirman

Yojana (rural house building scheme), but his name was in the waitlist. He should come after three months.

As he emerged out of the office the chaprasi caught him. He advised that grant could not be availed

without spending some bhet. To whom? Simple arithmetic, the Chaprasi declared. The bhet should be

offered at several levels. Rs. 1000.00 for him, Rs. 1000.00 for the baboo and Rs. 1000.00 for the

sahib. You agree to pay and I would get your grant in three days. Munna calculated in his fingers and

concluded that he would be left with only Rs. 2000.00. How could he build a shack with that

amount? Out of Rs. 2000.00 he would have to pay Rs. 30 + 20 as interest to the Sahuhar. He would have to pay Rs. 200.00 to an affluent neighbor with whom he had pawned his buffalos. He would

have to bear the expenses of visiting the nearby dispensary at a distance of 5 km to get some medicine for

his daughter suffering from malaria. That would cost him nearly Rs. 300.00. He would be left with only

Rs. 1000.00 for rebuilding his home. Munna decided to avail of the grant, live under plastic sheets and

decided to spend at least Rs. 150.00 to remove the sand cover from his field. There ended the story of

Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Griha Nirman Yojana.

Munna retrieved his land after two months hard labor. In late June he decided to plant paddy. He

borrowed Rs. 300.00 from the mahajan @ 50% annual interest. Munna hoped with a good harvest

he could pay back the loan and have enough grain for the family. He purchased seeds and some fertilizer

with the borrowed money and irrigated the land by drawing water from a well. That year monsoon failed in

Kanakhali and surrounding areas. Feet long paddy plants did not survive despite irrigating through well

water. The well also nearly dried up in late August. The earth cracked, the plants wilted and Munna was

back to where he was, burdened with extra loans. The mahajan of Kanakhali, Ravidas impounded the

land of Munna for failing to pay back the loan amount and the interest. Thus, Munna had no roof on his

head, his buffalos were gone and his land was impounded by mahajan Ravidas. He was on the streets

with his wife and three kids. He pitched a tent under a mango tree outside the village.

Some neighbor advised him and his wife Kamla to visit the school ground of next village Sitapur to hear the

big minister from Delhi visiting their area in a flying bird (helicopter). Few thousand villagers had

assembled near the school ground of Sitapur Raja Vikarm Singh Higher Secondary School. Helicopter

seemed like a heavenly bird to the villagers. As the rotor blades churned air with sounds the villagers looked

up. From a tiny dot it gradually materialized to a flying machine bird and landed in a specially prepared

helipad, which was surrounded by a posse of armed policemen. Over one thousand policemen were

deployed in and around the ground. The big minister from Delhi stepped out from the chopper. With a well

starched pajama and a white kurta and a heedful of pepper-salt long hairs he looked like a film star from

Mumbai. He was escorted to the podium by local MP Sangram Singh, the district collector, SP and a minister

in the state government, Jagvilas Paswan.

The minister from Delhi looked around and was nauseated by the dark mass of crowd clothed in some bare

cloths and most having no upper apparel on their bodies. They were stinking. His nausea was partly

removed when a group of nicely dressed school girls performed a dance and sang a few eulogia songs.

Sangram Singh and Jagvilas Paswan announced on the microphone: Dearest villagers. Our honorable

minister has come all the way from Delhi to remove your poverty. Now onwards you will not have

any problem with your two square meals, roof on your heads, drinking water, irrigation water,

medical care and schools. You will have enough clothes for your women. Wait, the minister has

some special declarations to make.

The honorable minister Sanchar Nigam started with a eulogistic speech praising Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit

Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and said that the legacy of Gandhi-

Nehru-Gandhi was the most valuable contribution of Gandhiji. He had driven out the British Raj

and had handed over India to Nehru-Gandhi Raj. From 1920 onwards the Gandhi forces fought

the British and the Gandhi family was still committed to fight for the improvement of the poorest

of the poor in the country. He elaborated on several Yojanas (schemes) adopted for the rural poor by the

Gandhi Raj; named after Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and other Gandis of the Gandhi Royal family.

NREGA, Sampoorn Gramin Rozgar Yojana, National Food for Work Yojana, Swarna Jayanti Gram

Rozgar Yojana, National Service and Assistance Programme, Diksha, PURA, Bharat Nirman,

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Rural Housing, Rural Water Supply Programme, Central

Rural sanitation Scheme, Indira Awas Yojana and Priyanka Priyadarshini Balika Yojana etc. He

asked the villagers to wait for Sonia Kanya Vivah Yojana. Sonia Ammaji will grant Rs. 10,000 for

each daughter’s marriage. Rahul Siksha Yojana will provide free schooling in all villages. Nehru

Swayatha Rakhsha Yojana would give free medical care to each villager. All these Yojanas were

being implemented to lift up the rural people to the level of people living in Delhi, Hilli and other big cities.

Garibi (poverty) would vanish in the air. People would be able to bathe in milk and eat cakes,

sausages and pizzas. Children would go to school; girls would be married out at government cost.

Gandhi Raj would usher in Swarg Raj.

The minister’s speech pumped in some fresh hope in Munna and Kamla’s minds. On advice from some

neighbors they went to the BDO office, stood on queue for 5 hours and enrolled in the NREGA scheme,

which ensured 100 days work in a year. Kamla opted to join the Sampoorn Gramin Rozgar Yojana.

Munna was directed to meet the field officer who supervised NREGA in his area. Vishal Yadav, the

supervisor, noted down the details of Munna, checked his muster roll and shouted back. Munna was a cheat.

He was already enrolled as a NREGA beneficiary and was drawing Rs. 300.00 per month for last

one year. It was news to Munna. Yadav showed him the list and left thumb impression as proof. Munna, he

said, would be handed over to police for cheating the government. Munna was illiterate and he was not

aware of uniqueness of finger prints of different people. Mere threat of calling the police sent Munna

urinating in his tattered dhoti.

“Hujur mai baap,” Munna begged, “Sher ko bolana cahte hai to bola lijiye. Police mat bulaiye. Galti

muaf ho sarkar” (You are my father and mother. If you want to call a tiger, please do. Don’t call the police.

Pardon my mistake.)

Munna was not aware that Yadav and his higher formations had employed 5000 villagers from the

constituency of Thakur Sangram Singh. For five thousand people Sangram managed to get Rs. 15 lakhs

per year. Out of those only 500 supporters of Sangram and few lackeys of the district and block officials

were paid for 100 days in a year. Rest of the master roll was faked and the allotted amount was divided

amongst Sangram, the officials and local self government representatives.

“Fine. I can give you a job in Swarn Jayanti Gramin Rozgar Yojana.” Yadav offered him Hope. He

explained that Munna would have to work for three months in a year in road construction and canal digging

works. He would be paid Rs. 1,500 for the job. Out of that he would have to pay 1000 to him,

panchayet pradhan, sahkari samiti (cooperative body) as their share. He could take rest 500.

Yadav explained that if he worked one full year he could earn Rs. 2000. Rest Rs. 4000 he would have to

pay as taxes to the providers. He simplified the matter by explaining that to please the gods people

offered flowers, sweets and other costly items. Like gods these money suppliers were very

important. It was a give and take situation as it was prescribed in Hindu dharma. Munna was convinced

and enrolled as a privileged worker in the SJGRY, locally pronounced Segi Rai.

Kamla had a different experience with the Sampoorn Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY), locally pronounced

swargy (divine). Panchayet pradhan Budhan Kewat was surrounded by a group of women seeking SGRY

employment. Budhan explained that they would have to work in some local spinning mills, dyeing the

threads and handing the same back to the spinning mill manager. They would work all seven

days a week and would be paid Rs. 300 per week. Monthly income would be Rs. 1200. Out of that

700 hundred would have to be returned back to the pradhan as work guarantee money. Once they

left the job they would be given back the guarantee money. If they were ready they should put thumb

impression on a paper against their names. Kamla, like other women in the group, signed up. Both Munna

and Kamla expected to earn a neat income of Rs. 8000 to 10000 in a year. That would cover up the

cost of atta, some lentil, salt, chili and onion. They could also invest some money to maintain a

buffalo. Once the kids grew up to eight years or so they could also be pressed into the services of affluent

villagers. Sitting under the shade of their plastic tent Munna and Kamla calculated that in another few

years they could pay back the mahajan and get their land back, cultivate and grow some grains.

He could purchase a dhoti and a sari for Kamla from the local haat (market) in another six months. It

should be possible to purchase a frock for the daughter and two knickers for sons, who roamed about

with makeshift langotis.

Munna’s problem was compounded when one evening Kamla did not return home from the spinning

mill. Munna visited Budhan Kewat and enquired of his wife’s whereabouts.

“Have I taken contract for your wife? Look at my attendance register. She came in the morning and left at

about four. I’m not a cowherd to run after cows like Kamla.” Budhan rebuffed Munna and threw him out.

Kamla had another tryst with destiny. About 30 years old Kamla was known in Kanakhali area as a beautiful

lady. In happier days she used to wear a choli and blouse and cotton saris. Her oiled and groomed hairs

were shining. Her youth was attractive. Even in these days of drudgery and poverty she had not lost her

luster. Budhan had allured Kamla to the residence of the mill manager and advised her to do some domestic

work if she wanted to retain her job. That night manager Chotelal Kurmi ravished Kamla and left her only in

the morning. Worried Munna and the children had spent the night under the mango tree. Kamla did not

share with her husband that she was raped by manager Chotelal. She silently prepared some roti and

locally collected green leaves with salt and chili. The kids went to sleep.

Kamla shared the tragedy of being raped. She told Munna that earning a living in the village was

impossible for poor people like them. Flood and drought were their constant companions. The Yojanas

were meant for sahibs, baboos and pradhans. They should better go to the sahar (town) for earning

some living. Munna had no idea about a sahar. Kolkata and Patna were big cities. But what would they do

there?

“Look at Mahavir. He was like us in Kanakhali. He went to Delhi. Now he is a rich man. He is constructing a

brick house in the village. His kids in Delhi go to school.”

“Should we ask him?” Munna was yet undecided.

Kamla pushed him. Mahavir was in the village. He advised them to come to Delhi. He would arrange some

jobs for them and a jhuggi to stay with monthly rental of Rs. 300. One fine morning Munna, Kamla and

the children went to nearby station Sitapur and boarded a train for Delhi with only Rs 100.00 in their

kitty.

Mahavir rented one of the 500 jhuggis to Munna, set up by him on government land in an east Delhi locality.

Mahavir had to pay Rs. 600.00 to MCD officials, Rs. 400.00 to electric company and Rs. 400.00 to

Jal Board supervisor for maintaining his jhuggi cluster. In addition he charged Rs. 20.00 per family for

the Sulabh Sauchalaya facility set up in the cluster. In fact, Mahavir was a landlord, who purchased all

services from government officials to run his empire. However, he could not provide an instant job for

Munna. Again Mahavir came to his rescue. He offered a rickshaw pulling job to Munna. He was required to

take out a cycle rickshaw out of 300 owned by Mahavir, all parked overnight on PWD roadside. For the

parking space he had to pay Rs. 500.00 to the havaldar of the area and Rs. 500.00 to the PWD supervisor.

At the end of the day Munna had to deposit the rickshaw and pay Rs. 40.00 in cash to Mahavir. Hardworking

Munna earned about 200.00 per day.

Kamla started with cleaning and washing job in nearby apartment blocks. For three hours she charged Rs.

400.00. Her monthly income was about Rs. 1,500.00. Gradually Munna and Kamla dreamt of sending their

kids in a local primary school. The Headmaster interviewed Munna, Kamla and the children. He demanded

Rs. 2000.00 for admitting the three kids. After acute bargaining they settled on Rs. 1000.00. Munna

and Kamla paid up and purchased the dress and school bags after cutting corners and reducing some

kitchen items.

That was not the end of Munna’s tryst with the law and procedure enforcers. One evening a police constable

cornered Munna and asked him for identity card. What was that? Prove that you are not Bangladeshi.

How to do that? Do you have a ration card? Do you have a voter ID card? Do you have a MCD token number

for plying a rickshaw? Huzoor mai baap, how does one get all that? The constable forced out a gratis of Rs.

20.00 and asked Munna to approach Mahavir.

Mahavir scratched his head and said that all these documents could be obtained in seven days. But Munna

would have to spend Rs. 500.00 for the ration baboo, Rs. 200.00 for the PDS owner, Rs. 200.00 for

MCD token and Rs. 400.00 for the voter ID card. By spending Rs. 1300.00 Munna could prove his

legal existence as an Indian. Mahavir was sympathetic to his village pal. He agreed to realize the amount

in three installments. An employee of Mahavir took Munna and Kamla to different offices and spent some

money on ‘chai-pani’ of the baboos and finally they became proud possessors of identity proof and the right

to draw ration from the PDS and plying a rickshaw. Munna’s neighbor was Abdul Naskar, a Bangladeshi

national. Mahavir had performed the same trick in his case too. Naskar was turned to a proud Indian citizen.

After about eight months a Congress leader accompanied by the municipal councilor and local leaders was

ushered in by a huge gathering organized by Mahavir. He directed all the jhuggi dwellers to enroll as his

party members and vote for him in the next election. He promised to construct drainage system, brick

paved lanes and Jal Board drinking water pipe to the jhuggi cluster. On his direction an employee of the

municipality affixed identity plates before every jhuggi and promised them 70 sft lands in a new

development area for construction of their own homes. The municipality issued token cards to each jhuggi

dweller. That would be the basis for claiming land in the new location, when offered.

Mahavir acted very fast. He collected all the tokens from jhuggi dwellers like Munna for safe custody and

liaising with DDA baboos. Surreptitiously he contacted a builder, Bharat Sundar and sold the tokens to him.

His formula was simple. He would take from the builders Rs. 2. 5 lakh for each plot and the jhuggi dwellers

would be given only Rs. 5000.00 as compensation. They were advised to visit the DDA office to enroll for the

promised plots. The DDA baboo demanded Rs. 500.00 from each jhuggi dweller for registering their names.

He pumped in some hope that they would soon be eligible for land allotment.

The election fever also inspired Munna to mobilize voters for the Congress leader. He won with a

comfortable majority with support of about 30,000 jhuggi dwellers, 50,000 Bangladeshis and etc

votes. After a few weeks of celebration, a DDA official visited the jhuggi clusters and announced that the

unauthorized juggis would be demolished in four weeks time. The dwellers, having valid token and

names registered with the DDA would be allotted land at Zundli phase III. Mahavir also delivered a lecture

that he would invite top leaders to prevent demolition. He even arranged a rally headed by a retired union

minister who declared that the demolishing forces would have to walk over his body. Finally, DDA demolition

bulldozers started demolishing the jhuggis and the residents were thrown out. Mahavir turned out with a

crowd, but they were driven away by armed Rapid Action Force personnel.

Someone, from an opposition party, gathered the dislodged Jhuggi dwellers and organized a demonstration

before the Deputy Director of the DDA. He heard a delegation of the uprooted jhuggi dwellers and finally

disclosed that these unauthorized land grabbers were not entitled to have land at Zundli phase III. These

cheats had already sold their jhuggis and lands to a builder called Bharat Sundar.

They all turned to Mahavir. He expressed helplessness. The jhuggi dwellers had sold their tokens to

Bharat Sundar for consideration money of 70,000 per jhuggi. However, he was not a cruel person. He

paid Rs. 5000.00 in cash to each of the former jhuggi dwellers.

Bharat Sundar paid Rs. 20 lakhs to DDA, Rs. 20 lakhs to MCD and Rs. 10 lakh to police and floated

Indira Gandhi Awas Yojana at Zondli phase III. He constructed 400 apartments on the land

earmarked for allotment to the jhuggi dwellers and sold each flat for Rs. 45 lakhs.

Mahavir constructed another three storied 30 roomed building at Rajiv Gandhi Nagar and rented out each

room for Rs. 3000.00 per month.

Munna again turned to Mahavir:

Mahabir bhaiya, where should we go?

Don’t worry Munna. I am here to protect people like you. I have constructed 300 new jhuggis on the

Jamuna flood-basin land. Out of Rs. 5000.00 I paid you, you pay me only 2000.00. It is a special

consideration, because we are from the same village. For others I’ll charge Rs. 4000.00.

How is that place?

Fine, open space, Jamuna water near you. And in spare time you can grow vegetables and sell in the

market.

Munna had changed. He understood the entire charade of Mahavir. Only relief was that in the village the

mahajan exploited him and the mill owner raped his wife. City brought a big change in him. The

debauchery of the system was unfolded to him after he was cheated several times.

On a day in mid August Munna and few others like him picked up small national flags and went to Ramlila

ground to offer satyagrah on the call of Anna Hazare. Finally he realized what corruption meant.

He had an opportunity to ask Anna: Anna Bapu Lokpal se corruption khatm ho jayega?

Ummid rakho aur larte raho. Mashal jal utha, abhi nahi nivega. Main to tumhe larne sikhna chahta hu. Ees

andherako hatao. Roshni ekdin aayegi.

Mahavir visited the Jamuna jhuggi clusters with a gang of five.

Hai Munna tu neta ban gaya?

Nahi bhaiya. Main khetihar majdoor se rikshawala ban gaya, aur larne sikha. Hamare iha mat

aao. Lathi hamare ghar me bhi hai.

Mahavir retreated.

What would happen to him if people like Munna start shouting against corruption with a national flag in

hand? He called on the Congress MP.

Mahavir, forget these rats, said the MP. They will shout for a few days, but we will continue to

rule. This royal family cannot be displaced by a donkey called Anna. I have decided to give you a

ticket in the next municipal election. Start campaigning now. Election is our strength. Right from

municipal council to sansad we will have our royal sovereignty on the nation. Why worry? People

like Anna and Munna can be tackled by police, income tax, enforcement directorate, criminal

cases, slander campaign and communal riots. If Munna and others trouble much pay the

Bangladeshis to start communal riot. We will send police to evict people like Munna and flood the

Jamuna flood basin by releasing extra water from Haryana. You can get some banya tran (flood

relief) tents constructed on the road bunds with Delhi government help, and earn gratitude of the

flood affected people. Yeh sale, humse banchke jayega kaha?

Mahavir was reassured. The royal family was there to protect him. He took out a procession near the

residence of the royal family and shouted slogans wishing: jug jug jiyo maharani.

****

Source: blog of Maloy Krishna Dhar, a former Joint Director, Intelligence Bureau

http://maloykrishnadhar.com/