Nestling amidst the posh localities of Jorbagh, is the BK Dutt Colony, a locality which served as home to refugees from Pakistan, post Partition in 1947.
At a walking distance from the Jorbagh Metro Station, the pleasant environs and clean surroundings of the place can tempt any passerby to take an evening walk in the parks of BK Dutt Colony. While the local residents seem extremely convinced of the overall facilities and comforts provided by the government in the ‘03’ area, frequent tensions over inter-religious issues seem to mar the seemingly tranquil nature of the area.
Occupation of parks, using them as dumping grounds of waste, not allowing school children to play in these parks and untimely public meetings are some of the disturbing factors which often hamper the privacy and the daily routines of the residents of this area.
Sunil Bhandari, a central government employee, has been residing with his family in the ‘K Block’ of the colony for almost 50 years now. “We came here in the 1970s and never did we come across these uncalled for disturbances. It is only in the past five years that mild tensions have arisen between the communities that live here,” he tells Metrolife.
With reference to the area being home to refugees from Pakistan since the days of Partition, he adds, “I feel there is this sudden realisation of land ownership amongst the young generation, which instigates them to take such steps. Even though tensions are very rare, they do create certain obstacles in our daily routine.”
While the general issues that one faces in a residential locality are those of unavailability of parking space, or frequent traffic or pollution just outside one’s home, residents of BK Dutt Colony seem very content with the overall
atmosphere of the locality.
“I sometimes feel very lucky to be living in a locality where I can conveniently drive and park my car,” says his son, Rajat Bhandari.
“My office is in East of Kailash,” he continues, “and the lanes are very narrow over there. People spend most of the time fighting over space to park their car and traffic levels are also very high. I feel this relief every time I enter the vicinities of my colony,” Bhandari junior tells Metrolife.
A locality which makes its residents yearn to get back every day, simmering communal tensions such as these take away its regular charm and essence.
Karamveer Singh Nagar, a businessman, also a resident of the colony, says, “This land officially belongs to Land and Development Ordinance and I feel that the constant urge of grabbing the land by some people is just to create a situation of panic.”
While two to three public meetings and lectures with loud speakers are a regular fixture every month, the residents of the colony suffer many sleepless nights and
the studies of children also gets affected.
“Delhi Police has tried its best to quell the situation but the concerns of the minorities are always to be considered,” adds Nagar.BK Dutt is just like any
other colony in Delhi, with its pros and cons. However, with these minor conflicts and
arguments, the daily lives of the people does get adversely affected.
“With our new government recently completing its first anniversary, let’s hope things turn for the better soon,” says another resident.