Padmashree Ajoy Kumar Dutta is a social worker based in Guwahati. A former municipal councillor of Guwahati Municipal Corporation, he also represented Guwahati East constituency. Sidharth Bedi Varma got in a candid conversation with Dutta for an episode of Guwahati Connection -- a podcast series by GPlus.
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Sidharth Bedi: What do you think is Guwahati’s biggest challenge or issue today?
Ajay Dutta: A severe lack of farsightedness. An editor phoned me the other day saying that the government is planning to disassemble and redevelop the city. It is a damn foolish mindset; it’s like the mentality of Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
They are planning to relocate Fancy Bazar to North Guwahati. Please don’t do it. North Guwahati was constructed by the Ahoms and it is a cultural heritage. Secondly, we are not against the construction of flyovers. We are against the waterlogging that rises from these flyovers. If you do not first think of facilitating a way to divert the water that comes flowing down the hills, what will you do once the flyovers are completely built?
Maligaon is suffering from drainage floods right now. First focus on building a proper underground drainage system, and then work on the flyovers. There is no ‘smart city’ without a well-planned and well-executed drainage system.
Bedi: Do you think this issue is going to persist for the next decade? Or everything may turn out for the better?
Dutta: It’s getting worse. All that has been done till now has only worsened the situation. My request to the government: Please plan the development ahead. I have some sense of belief in the chief minister. He should confide in those who believe in him. His decisions should be controlled by a body of thinkers; people who can orchestrate sensible decisions to him. There should be no petty politics involved in Guwahati’s development.
Bedi: Do you think the city’s development has degraded over time?
Dutta: The Refinery started in ‘59, so you can say that degradation started from 1960. Another mistake that the government made was shifting the capital to Guwahati from Shillong. It was a bad decision altogether. Architecture wise, the High Court looks like a mall; temples in Guwahati have tiles instead of rocks; they look like bathrooms. We have forgotten to maintain our heritage. We have destroyed it instead.
Bedi: Do you think Guwahati needs a flyover from RBI to Noonmati?
Dutta: Unnecessary. Some have been pivotal though, like the ones in Sarabhatti, Super Market, and Zoo Road. But take a look at GS Road’s foot overbridges. How many people use them? Look at the railway station. The overbridge was extended to reach Paltan Bazar. Does that happen in any other city? No one wants to raise an issue on that matter.
Bedi: One bad thing that you would want to change about Guwahati.
Dutta: The first priority would be addressing drinking water issues plaguing the city, and then, removing the artificial drain water. We have been suffering from these issues for a long time. The JJM arrived and they have given us one thing for sure; the bursting of water pipes. When has that ever happened before? Why can the pipes not tolerate the water pressure?
We are worried about gas pipes, too. Besides, Guwahati lies in an earthquake-prone area. Who is giving permission for the construction of 22-storey buildings? This is dangerous.
Bedi: Your earlier memories of Guwahati.
Dutta: Previously, nature made Guwahati heaven. The view from Bhubaneshwari over the entire place was so different, so nice, and so well-arranged. I have visited many countries, but none of them came close to Guwahati’s landscape.
Bedi: Given that the city has always emerged as a centre of visual attraction across different timelines, do you think that it has lived up to its reputation?
Dutta: No. And this happened because of the British. When they came, they orchestrated Guwahati’s development but lacked proper planning. Roads sprung up within a short span that connected the city from one point to another, but they also led to the filling up of a lot of scenic water bodies in strategic locations. For example, the Directorate of Fire Service had a beautiful lake; it used to be called ‘Paltan Pukhuri.’ Police Field had a large pond as well, even New Field from Cotton Collegiate and Collegiate School had another.
Bedi: You were one of GMC’s first ward councilors...
Dutta: Yes, RG Baruah was Mayor then; we brought him from Congress and built a new progressive front. It was the first non-Congress association from where he was elected. Needless to say, I was the first councillor to be elected as MLA. It was like an acid test for me; that council election was crucial for me because it was a turning point in my life. The trust and support that the Guwahati people offered for me; it was everything. When you feel that people believe in you, and they believe that you are the one to take their society forward, you feel grateful. Like I already told you, the people of my time were quite open hearted.
Bedi: How different is today’s GMC compared to your time?
Dutta: Totally different. I’ll tell you one thing for sure. RG Baruah was a good friend of President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed. The latter did not do much for Assam, but he had given us the nod for a drain and sewerage project once. When RG Baruah fell ill, I was chosen to represent Guwahati at the meeting with the World Bank. They gave us 78.8 crore for an underground plan, and an extra 6 crore for a contour survey, the first of its kind.
Even though we faced several political upheavals, we did not give up on that dream. All of a sudden, when Ahmed fell ill, the Assam government asked us to transfer the money, claiming responsibility for completing the project. Do you know where that money went? It returned to Hyderabad, where they revamped the whole system of the municipality overnight. If we would have been able to complete this project during that time, Guwahati would not have been suffering from artificial floods today.
Bedi: What do you think about the Mayor, performance-wise?
Dutta: He’s my brother. But I would like to say, he doesn’t understand what his position is. A Mayor is the first citizen. He is the key-holder to the city. Whenever any dignitaries come to Guwahati, he should be the first man to receive them; that was the norm. Nowadays, I find the mayor lingering at fourth place. First comes the Governor, then the Chief Minister, then Minister Singhal, and only after him, the Mayor.
He should know his position. He should act like it. The mayor is a very high designation since it is part of a local self-government.
Bedi: You were a legislator once, and you won by a huge vote margin. Why did you leave politics?
Dutta: It was due to the situation in 1983. The year was a holocaust. So many killings of women and children, the burning of several houses; after that, I thought I had seen enough of politics. I will only endure to serve the people.
Bedi: What is your legacy? Not many people who adore Guwahati like you do exist anymore.
Dutta: No, I am not the only one. There are others too. Due to the power of social media, I have seen the local youth come to know and understand a lot of things. They can differentiate between the angel and the devil, they know Guwahati’s history better, and they will keep its cultural heritage alive.
If you’re born for the motherland, you must have it within yourself to raise your voice for the motherland. Protest against all the wrongdoings, and do it with the power of your voice, not by taking up arms.
