The society is made up of mostly Bharwads and Thakors who come in the Other Backward Caste (OBC) category
Mangalmurti Society near Popat Chokdi looks like any other tenement complex that dots Viramgam. But the similarity ends there. The housing society has no roads, overflowing gutters and drinking water problem so severe that residents prefer to pay for water.
The society is just a stone's throw away from where Rahul Gandhi addressed a public hearing recently. Apart from the usual bureaucratic and political apathy, the residents have another explanation for their condition- caste.
The society is made up of mostly Bharwads and Thakors who come in the Other Backward Caste (OBC) category. They believe the fact that they are not as prosperous and as educated as the Patels, the other dominant caste in the area is the reason why their problems are not addressed.
"The gutters overflow and it stinks. Drinking water is so bad that we let it flow for half an hour before filling our tanks and we never drink it. The society has a road that ends within 20m of the entrance," said Mangubhai Thakor. He takes this correspondent to his residence to show the muddied water he gets.
If there is one thing common to all households in the society, it is the blue water jug. Each and every of the 200 household in the society have the water jugs brought from private water suppliers. "There is no way but buy these. Our water is undrinkable," said Nathusinh Chauhan.
Chauhan, who interestingly happens to be a BJP worker, is also a senior citizen who runs around to get the water and solve gutter problems of the society. "It is made up of OBCs and most of them are not very educated. They don't know much about how to approach politicians and bureaucrats and know where things are stuck. The other societies that have a majority of Patel population don't face these issues.They have money as well as the education to know how to get things done. They also have the political backing," said Chauhan matter of fact.
He says his being a BJP worker was also not of much use as the nagarpalika has been sending him from door to door. The nagarpalika is ruled by the BJP.
Residents allege that the grants meant for the roads and water works have been diverted some other place. That no political leader has visited them so far. "We can threaten to boycott the election but that can happen only when someone visits us. They have not bothered to visit us either," said Thakor.
Chauhan said they have made representations to Tejashree Patel, the current MLA who belonged to Congress but shifted to BJP in 2017.
Kanubha Patel, the chairman of the nagarpalika under which the society comes said the overflowing gutter problem is because it is yet to be connected to the sewage treatment plant. "As for the roads, we have done some work there,"s aid Patel. When reminded that the society has just a patch of road at the entrance, Patel said more work will be carried out once elections are over.
"They have made representations to me and we will make roads but right now things have come to a stop because of model code of conduct," claims Patel. He professed ignorance about the water problems stating that no one has ever complained to him.
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