Carpet industry in tatters

Darpan Singh
Bhadohi, April 24

Politics in Bhadohi, nowadays, contributes more to crime and corruption than the world famous carpet industry it is known for. No wonder, the industry, in which lakhs of people are involved, is in tatters.
Sample this: SP MLA Vijay Mishra, who represents Gyanpur constituency, has more than 40 criminal cases pending against him. Bhadohi MLA Dinanath Bhaskar (SP) also ‘boasted’ some cases. But they have now been withdrawn by the Mulayam government.
And now a dubious distinction. SP MLA from Aurai Uday Bhan Singh was the first legislator to have been disqualified by the state assembly. He was disqualified in 2004 following his conviction in a triple murder case that took place in 1999. After his disqualification, his wife Rita Devi contested the by-election and lost to Rangnath Mishra (BSP). She is now contesting Aurai seat as an Apna Dal candidate.
To add to the list, Local BSP MP Narendra Kumar Kushwaha was among the MPs caught taking bribe on camera in 2005.
And there is bandit-turned MP Phoolan Devi who also represented Mizrapur-Bhadohi Lok Sabha seat before she was gunned down. Now, another bandit queen Sima Parihar is joining Bhadohi politics to ‘complete the work left unfinished’ by Phoolan. Sima, who has also acted in a movie loosely based on her life, is contesting the Mirzapur-Bhadohi by-election.
According to a district administration source, out the 40-0dd candidates in fray for the three assembly seats of the district going to the polls on May 3, most of them have criminal background. An aspirant from Gyanpur said, “Merely being accused in criminal cases does not make one a criminal. All governments in UP will fall if you disqualify what you call tainted people.”
However, locals are not impressed. Prakash Mishra, a grocery shop owner, said, “When the MLAs resort to crime and corruption and patronize criminals, the society is well and truly left to the mercy of God.” Police records show that gang wars, extortion, threats, murders and kidnappings are quite a routine here. It was a great shame when Kushwaha was exposed through a sting operation, quipped Mishra.
A carpet exporter Zafar Iqbal said, “With police looking the other way, it is the carpet industry which is feeling the maximum heat.” He cited several recent instances where exporters were butchered and kidnapped when they dared to refuse to ‘oblige’ local goons owing allegiance to one MLA or the other.
A top cop in Bhadohi, however, refused to term the situation as ‘very bad’ but admitted that there had been a mushrooming growth of security agencies over the years whose services were chiefly being availed by terrified exporters. He said, “Some people, who do not believe in police machinery, are trying to buy peace by paying up to these agencies. But with criminals patronized by the local politicians calling the shots and the annual turn over of the carpet business running into crores of rupees, can the hapless exporters really be blamed?