Rampur Valmiki Basti still matter of contention

RAMPUR: The story of the 800 Valmikis who sought to “convert” to Islam in a bid to prevent the demolition of their homes has not quite ended yet. The men had sported skull caps on April 14 and claimed to have converted to save their homes, because the homes of Muslims in the area had not been marked out for demolition. The matter was settled as authorities later assured them that their homes would not be bulldozed.The Valmikis had later claimed that they had not converted; theirs was just a desperate bid to keep the roofs over their heads.
Now, aides of state urban development minister and SP leader Azam Khan, whom the Valmikis had earlier alleged was the force behind the demolition drive, have sought an explanation from local authorities on why the demolition has been called off.
Azhar Khan, a local Samajwadi Party leader and chairman of the Rampur municipality, has asked the district magistrate under which provision he had entered into a compromise with the residents of Valmiki Basti, who had occupied government land illegally.
Asim Raja, member of the state minorities commission and city president of the Samajwadi Party said the local administration appeared to have entered into an agreement with “Muslims”, not “Valmikis”.
On Saturday, aide of Azam Khan and Rampur Nagar Palika chairman Azhar Khan, in a five-page letter to district magistrate Chandra Prakash Tripati, sought to know the details of the agreement entered into with residents of Valmiki Basti at Topkhana Gate area.
Azhar Khan asserted that the municipality, and not the district magistrate, under law, could take a final decision on the demolition of any structure encroaching on its land. He quoted Section 124 of the Nagar Palika Act, 1966. Azhar alleged that the district magistrate appeared to be working against the state government.
State minorities commission member Asim Raja, at a press conference at the Topkhana Gate office of the Samajwadi Party, of which he is a member, said, “The administration should confirm whether they made an agreement with Valmikis or Muslims.”
Vice-chairman Raj Kumar Verka of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes told TOI, “I have written a letter to the chief minister in this matter of the enforced conversion of the Valmikis.” Verka said title of ownership would be granted to all Valmiki Basti residents, and cases registered against them would be withdrawn. He asserted that the agreement in the matter had been signed on April 16 in his presence. He said the chairman of the SC commission PL Puniya had summoned the district magistrate and the IG of Bareilly before the commission on April 21.
District magistrate Chandra Prakash Tripati was not available for comments in the matter.