Jalandhar: Basti voters want end to drug menace, joblessness

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Jalandhar, June 1

Elderly people living in Basti areas of the city said today that they had voted to see an end to the menace of drugs and unemployment as these had been troubling them for long. They said they were fed up and had cast their votes in the hope that the elected lawmakers would take some steps in this regard. Youngsters on the other hand said people should not vote for ‘dharam’ and ‘jaati’.

The Tribune visited Basti Nau, Basti Danishmanda, Basti Guja and Basti Sheikh, the oldest, congested and heavily populated areas of the city. The voters came out in huge numbers and long queues were witnessed in these areas. The booths in the bastis are always considered vulnerable due to the high number of voters. Paramilitary forces had also been deployed inside every booth.

A first-time voter, Divya from Basti Guja, said she felt unsafe in her own area as the youngsters were falling prey to drugs. “It feels very unsafe and we girls cannot even get out of home in our own colony in the evening. You can see in what kind of environment we are living in. Besides, the politicians also don’t do anything in this regard,” she said.

A woman in her 40s of Basti Danishmanda area also laid emphasis on the drug issues. “Sabton pehlan eh kam khatam hona chahida hai (First of all the drug menace should be checked). It is scary and problematic,” she said.

A 24-year-old youth from Basti Sheikh, who holds an MBA degree, said, “Unemployment in today’s time is one of the major issues, but it is sad that people are getting inclined towards other issues like ‘dharam’ and ‘jaati’.”

Another Basti Sheikh area resident, 32-year-old graphic designer Danish, also wants the Central and state governments to ensure jobs for the youth of the country.