‘No parks, no new infrastructure — my village has been the same for the past 15 years:’ At Delhi’s polling station No.1 in Lampur village, discontent simmers

From the seat, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded Dinesh Bharadwaj, replacing sitting MLA Sharad Kumar. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Raj Karan Khatri and the Congress campaigner is Aruna Kumari.

Outside the superior school, a radical of farmers, dressed successful woolen sweaters, sermon everything from harvest yields to section authorities arsenic they hold to vote. Their conversations amusement a simmering discontent.

Pointing to the barricades, Prem Singh Saini, says, “Bas ek kilometre dur hai Haryana. Aur yahan humare halat dekh lo. (Haryana is conscionable a kilometre away, but look astatine our information here).” He is referring to amended civic amenities crossed the border, arsenic compared to Delhi.

The 65-year-old, who owns 5 acres of land, adds, “We’ve been facing immense losses due to the fact that of unpredictable weather. There’s nary security for rootlike crops. When a hailstorm destroyed my harvest 2 years ago, I received nary assistance from the ruling AAP.”

The village, predominantly dominated by Sainis, is simply a representation of neglect with its crumbling infrastructure and glaring deficiency of development.

“The roads are each broken,” says 49-year-old Anil Saini, who has lived successful Lampur each his life. “AAP built a assemblage hallway here, but it’s been lying vacant for years. There are nary parks, nary caller infrastructure. My colony has been the aforesaid for the past 15 years.”

Navigating the pothole-riddled roads to scope the polling station, 55-year-old Choti Devi and her daughter-in-law Taravati could beryllium seen covering their faces with their saree pallus. Taravati, 32, touched the feet of her elders earlier heading to vote. Her hopes, similar those of galore women successful the village, remainder connected promises yet to beryllium fulfilled.

“I enrolled successful some the Mahila Samman Yojana by AAP and the Mahila Samridhi Yojana by BJP,” Taravati says. “Dono ka paper bhara hai, dekhte hai ab konsa milega (I filled forms for some schemes; let’s spot which 1 comes through).”

For Choti Devi, the deficiency of basal amenities overshadows immoderate predetermination rhetoric. “We haven’t been capable to marque ration cards for years, and nary person has helped us,” she says.

“When it rains, the roads are intolerable to question on. And due to the fact that we’re adjacent the border, determination are information concerns too.”

Adjusting her pallu, she says with a resigned sigh, “Vote daal toh diye, ab sab bhagwan ke haath maine (We’ve formed our votes; present everything is successful God’s hands).”

The deficiency of a secondary schoolhouse for girls successful the colony is different pressing issue. “Our girls person to spell to different colony to study. We privation a schoolhouse present truthful they tin beryllium safe,” Choti Devi says.

The vexation with the deficiency of improvement isn’t confined to roads and schools. Vimla Devi, 56, a housewife, points to the breached sewer lines successful Dal Mill street. “All the sewers are open, and the sewage is flowing successful the streets,” she says.

Like the others, she is disillusioned by the section leadership. “If nary 1 listens to america this time, I won’t ballot successful the adjacent election,” she insists. The farmers successful the colony are besides frustrated by the deficiency of authorities enactment for their crops.

Ten km distant is the Singhu border, a stark reminder of the year-long farmers’ protestation betwixt 2020 and 2021 erstwhile thousands of farmers, chiefly from Punjab and Haryana, marched to Delhi to request the repeal of 3 contentious agriculture laws.

For Lampur’s farmers, the protests symbolised anticipation — and eventual heartbreak.

“MSP hataoge toh kisaan fasal kaise ugaega?” asked Prem Singh, referring to the government’s minimum enactment price. “No enactment is genuinely listening to us.”

Surender Saini, 58, who cultivates 8 acres of wheat and vegetables, held a contrasting view. “Yeh aandolan bas rajneeti tha (the protests were each political). I’ve stopped paying attraction due to the fact that I’ve mislaid hope.” He adds that his net person dropped by Rs 1,000 per quintal compared to erstwhile years.