Rajasthan: Dhariawad awaits development while youths seek tribal reservation

DHARIAWAD: Even an outsider can tell Dhariawad hasn’t changed a bit in the past more than a decade. Its roads are still broken, its houses and markets bear no mark of modernisation and people attired in rural outfits drudge around leisurely, failing to see any exciting future.“I have come here after nearly 12 years but there appears no change in this town,” says Rajesh Kumar, a Gujarat-based marketing guy, as he sips tea near a hand-pulled cart at Dhariawad old bus stand. Thavarchand Damor, who works at a nearby onion wholesale trading shop, concurs. “Different party governments have been formed and fallen but Dhariawad has seen no development. We still lack teaching staff at college, doctors at the health centre and even a Nagar Palika to look after the town’s sanitation,” he says, while laughing at the promises made by politicians.A part of the problem could be because of bureaucratic apathy. Created in 2008, Dhariawad is probably Rajasthan’s only assembly constituency that is spread across two districts, Pratapgarh and Udaipur, hence governed by two collectors and two superintendents of police. Locals point out the missing administrative coordination and politicians say it's tough to deal with “too many” bureaucrats.The constituency reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates is once again witnessing elections as sitting legislator Gautam Lal Meena’s demise due to covid last year has necessitated the bypoll, which is scheduled on October 30. Seven candidates are in the fray, but the fight is mainly between ex-MLA Nagraj Meena of Congress, Khet Singh Meena of BJP, Ganesh Lal Meena of Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP) and Thawarchand Damor, a BTP rebel.BTP, a relevantly new party, has made it tough for Congress and BJP by attracting the rural youth on tribal reservation matter as unemployment remains the main election plank here. The constituency criss-crossed by hilly terrain and forests has 80-82% tribal population, yet the non-tribal, which are barely 20%, enjoy 50% quota in government jobs. “Since 2013 we have been fighting for 100% tribal quota in Tribal Sub-Plan areas as envisaged in Constitution’s Schedule V, but successive Congress-BJP governments have ignored us,” says BTP MLA Rajkumar Roat. Businesses are controlled by non-tribal residents in the constituency. Hundreds of tribal men and women routinely gather outside Dhariawad cooperative society building to be hired as daily wage labourers in agriculture farms. During non-agriculture seasons they either work as construction labourers or migrate to nearby Gujarat in search of livelihood. Maybe that’s why Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a favourite despite the rising inflation in the remote area.BTP may affect rural youth but Congress and BJP have deep roots in Dhariawad, which comprises three panchayat samiti areas—Dhariawad, Lasadia and Jhallara. BJP has a strong foothold in Lasadia, which was home to late MLA Gautam Lal Meena, while Congress has an upper hand in Lasadia. Dhariawad, which has the constituency's maximum voters, has become unpredictable since it is home to Congress, BJP and BTP candidates. Tribal votes appear divided because of BTP and its rebel, bringing into prominence the non-tribal voters for whom BJP has roped in deputy leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore and Congress is banking on former seed corporation chairman Dharmendra Rathore to clinch the tribal seat.