Displaced Over Power Plant, Yadav-Majority Village Shifts Political Stance in Hope of Better Times

Prayagraj: Sanjay Yadav recalled the state police’s brutal crackdown on the residents of Salaiya Kalan village in March 2014.

Sanjay was part of the agitation against the setting up of the Meja Urja Nigam Private Limited (MUNPL), a thermal power plant that was proposed in the region.

The MUNPL, a joint venture of the  National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Uttar Pradesh Rajkiya Vidhut Nigam Limited (UPRVNL) had displaced hundreds of people living in the region, without fair compensation, Sanjay alleged. 

“Our non-violent movement continued for over two years. But one fine day, the state police, then under the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government, and UP’s Provincial Armed Constabulary (a paramilitary force) beat all the protesters up so badly that it broke our spirit. All we wanted was better compensation, We had lost everything,” Sanjay said. 

“Such violence had never been seen before,” he added.

The state government later said that the security forces were compelled to use force after a few protesters threw stones at some of them and at MUNPL officials who had arrived to begin construction of the ash dyke for the thermal plant. 

The movement ended but the whole of the Yadav-majority Salaiya Kalan village turned against SP. Villagers have been voting for Bharatiya Janata Party since 2014.

The Meja Urja Nigam Private Limited thermal plant. Photo: Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprashasta

With a population mostly comprising the Other Backward Classes, the region broke its caste preference for the SP and instead fervently voted for the saffron party in the 2017 assembly polls.

By the time the 2022 assembly elections rolled on, Sanjay said, the village was back to supporting SP. "The BJP government in the state had proven to be worse," he said.

Salaiya Kalan is a part of Prayagraj’s Koraon assembly seat, reserved for Adivasis, and will vote on February 27. All the parties in the fray have fielded the numerically strong Kol Adivasi candidates. BJP MLA Rajmani, who is battling a wave of unpopularity, is seeking a re-election, while SP candidate and former legislator Ram Dev “Nidar” has emerged as her primary challenger. Congress has also fielded ex-MLA Ram Kirpal who has mounted an attention-worthy campaign. 

But for many like Sanjay, the contest is between BJP and SP. “Akhilesh perhaps has realised his mistakes and has shown signs to correct them. He is talking about education, jobs, and farmers’ welfare. BJP, on the other hand, has only made our conditions worse,” he told The Wire. 

Sanjay Yadav (centre) and Manmohan Yadav (left). Photo: Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprashastha

“Our original village was Panwar ka Pura. Salaiya Kalan is a new village that the thermal plant gave us as compensation. Come and take a look at the problems here,” Sanjay said.

He pointed out unplastered 40 by 48 square metre houses, a single hand pump to service the village that was not working, an empty water tank, a community hall which was in an abysmal condition, an out-of-order light pole, and finally, vestiges of a non-functional sewerage.

“We had much bigger houses in our previous village. It had all facilities. It was full of foliage. Unlike in this village, we got drinking water from the ground there. The NTPC promised us so much but nothing materialised in the last five years. Whatever you see now is the bare minimum the plant gave us back in 2014,” said Sanjay’s friend Manmohan Yadav. 

Salaiya Kalan village. Photo: Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprashasta

Even accessing basic facilities is a daily struggle.

“All of Salaiya Kalan is rocky. You will find water only at the depth of 400 feet. The hand pump has dried out as a result. The plant built us a water tank but there hasn’t been a single day’s supply since we moved here. On most days, the village pools funds to buy water from private tankers,” Sanjay said. 

Salaiya Kalan residents said that there were around 300 families in Panwar Ka Pura, each owning anywhere between two to five acres of farmland. “All of it was acquired by the thermal plant. Now we are landless and without jobs,” Manmohan said. 

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He added that the plant gave Rs 90,000 per bigha (0.6 acres make 1 bigha) to all residents but all of it was spent because villagers had no permanent income since they were displaced.

“The plant promised that it would sponsor one man from every family to do a polytechnic course, following which he would be given a job at the plant itself. But only a few have got jobs after completing their course...But even those jobs were given on a contractual basis at a salary of around Rs 8,000 per month," Sanjay said.

“How can a landless person survive on Rs 8,000 when everything has become so expensive?” chipped in Manmohan.

Salaiya Kalan village. Photo: Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprashasta

Conditions have thus forced villagers to rethink their electoral preference for BJP. 

“The BJP had promised to improve conditions of Salaiya Kalan and all other rehabilitated villages which are trapped in the same situation. But nothing happened. Yogi ji (chief minister Adityanath) is only concerned about Hindu-Muslim issues, while our MLA didn’t pay us a single visit through her five-year tenure. She never leaves her kothi (bungalow) in Koraon town,” said  Sandeep Patel, one of the few Kurmi residents of Salaiya Kalan. 

To a question about the government’s “free ration” scheme, Sandeep said, “We are a family of five. Will you be able to survive on the free ration? You tell me. It doesn’t even last five days properly.”

“Our children have to travel two kilometres for school. If anyone falls ill, we rely on private clinics as the only government health care facility doesn’t get medicine supplies. Moreover, there is not even one doctor in the facility. These are the bigger of our problems,” Sanjay said. 

The community hall in Salaiya Kalan village. Photo: Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprashasta

With no farmland left, Salaiya Kalan residents feel that securing sustainable jobs is the only way out the misery into which they have been thrust. “The government claimed that a thermal plant will develop the region. But it has pushed us into greater penury,” Sanjay’s mother Lilavati said.

“Vikas (development) should be such that it brings more prosperity for us. Not the contrary,” said Rani, Sanjay’s sister who had to leave her studies after graduating from higher secondary school.

“At least Akhilesh Yadav is talking about education and jobs. Why not take a chance?” she asked.   

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