Original English text
16
Social Harmony
Tribal: Sir, I am an illiterate person. Some people in my
village advised me to meet you to get justice. That is why I have
left my village for the first time in my life and come to meet
you.
Shri Narendra Modi: Tell me what your problem is.
Tribal: Sir, as per the instructions of the collector and
Mamlatdar, my friend in Wadhwaniya village, Dhansukhbhai
Ramanbhai Halpati was given the contract of building my house.
He has started the work, but instead of sand, he uses this inferior
material (shows some from his bundle) and very little cement.
Also, he has broken down all the doors of my house and is now
pressurizing me to provide new doors. How will I get more
doors – I have no money. They are making a raw and inferior
house. If I protest, they threaten to get me thrashed by the police.
Shri Narendra Modi looks at the TV screen and asks the
Surat Collector, “What is this matter?”
(On behalf of the non-Gujarati Collector of Surat his
assistant replies. The Chief Minister and the complainant can
listen and watch on the TV screen).
Assistant to Collector: Sir, the house was in his son’s name
and was built by the Halpati Housing Construction Board. It
was demolished in 1996-97 following a dispute over the open
land beside the house. Later, after a settlement between the
parties, the Talati Baburbhai Dahyabhai Chaudhari and the
husband of village lady Sarpanch Dhansukhbhai Ramanbhai
Halpati had started rebuilding the complainant’s house. But the
construction quality was not good. The complaint had been
lodged for the demand of doors and windows. The Halpati
Housing Construction Board has visited the site and reviewed
the situation. The answers of the applicant and Talati-cum-
Secretary Baburbhai Dhyabhai Chaudhari and Dineshbhai
Ranchhodbhai Halpati, the complainant’s son were noted. After
examining the details of the complaint it seems that there was
external pressure to demolish the complainant’s house.
Shri Narendra Modi took strict action on the Talati. Is
harassing poor people part of his duty? Secondly, the samples
show the inferior quality of material used, which will never
