Development has eluded Bhargo Camp

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 11

The air at this place is dense and heavy with thousands of stories of Partition. When future was hazy and every hope of living was dying many times in a single day, Bhargo Camp was the area which first provided survivors of this tragedy a place with shelter.

In 1947, hundreds of people came here after suffering tragic losses, but they slowly found some relief in this area. Now, after 70 years, the families of a few of the survivors might have gone to other places in the country or even abroad and achieved big, but some families here still seem to be in need of help.

Due to the closure of hundreds of micro and small-scale manufacturing sports and surgical units in recent years, thousands of workers, primarily migrants, have become unemployed.

There is nothing in the name of the development in Bhargo Camp. The area has only been used by the politicians to seek votes because this is a big vote bank.

This is a place where women are seen lying on cots outside their houses and using hand fans to save themselves from the scorching heat. Elderly are sitting outside parks, playing cards and discussing the “halaat” of Bhargo Camp, which was made after the name of Dr Gopi Chand Bhargva, the then Chief Minister of Punjab.

A man in his 80s, while talking to The Tribune, summarised the situation of Bhargo Camp in one line. He said, “Ki hai ethe? Na bimaran de layi hai kuch, na padhaayi hai, bache nashe karde hai, kamm hai nai, hor dasso ki sift kara Bhargo camp di?”

Bhargo Camp in the Jalandhar West constituency area has the highest vote bank of around 40,000, but the area is without development, as when one walks down the streets, one hardly sees any.

Some women engaged in conversations said, “Sada tan card bhi nhi baniya, (they refer to blue cards), kinney chakkar laaye ne, kuch nahee hoiya,).”

Before 1949, some barracks of 12 quarters each were set up here in the camp, one quarter was10 ft wide and 35 ft long. Sardari Lal, 85 who was one of the members of the allotment committee that would provide the survivors with “atta” and food said that at that time, there was no water, electricity and toilet.

After some years of setting up of Bhargo Camp, two dispensaries, one of Municipal Corporation and another Civil Hospital’s dispensary and two schools were opened and sewerage system was laid.

Now, residents say both dispensaries are not working and no new schools or college has been started. The girls’ school here doesn’t have the medical and non-medical stream.

As this reporter headed further, a group of elderly are seen sitting outside a tea stall and are engaged in discussions and have accepted their fate to live in this situation. On the grave situation of drugs and liquor, they lament: “Jinna Bacheya de naam asi rakhe si, oh nashe karan khatam ho gae.”

Haaley tk tikaney nhi lge (still we have not reached the destination) says 83-year-old man. He was referring to the journey that was started after Partition for a better place.