Migration mirrors poor social infra, rising crimes

Chief minister Vasundhara Raje’s claim of pulling out all backward regions of Rajasthan doesn’t hold water when it comes to Karauli.

Instead of the number of schools getting increased to take education to the masses, their count has actually come down. Similar is the situation with colleges, hospitals and industry. To make matters worse, caste tensions have surfaced with serious law and order implications, leading to mass migration and social unrest.

The mass migration claim is backed by a government report, which reveals that the district had 2,572 schools with 2.9 lakh enrollments in 2012-13. Ideally, it should have added 5-7% enrollments every year, if not schools. But the number of schools fell to 2,200 along with enrollments, which dropped to 2.78 lakh in both government and private schools in 2016-17, indicating a slower population growth compared to the state-wide average. Experts say it’s a clear case of migration, not tepid growth in population.

“Isn’t it strange that schools in Karauli are closing down? This is contrary to the claims made by chief minister Vasundhara Raje in all her political rallies that Rajasthan stood second in National Achievement Survey and also improved in learning outcomes. Either she is misguided or misguiding people,” said Reema Kapoor, a social activist based in Karauli.

The population of Karauli as per 2001 census was 12.09 lakh which jumped to 14.58 lakh in 2011 registering a growth of 20.55%, while the average rate of population growth in the state during the same period was 21.44%, again suggesting that migration has quickened in recent years.

The district, which came into existence in 1997, probably has the highest number of historical monuments. But today, most of them are remain dilapidated and untapped for tourism in a state that is a leading destination for tourists.

None of the 18-22 historical sites including 13th century Timangarh Fort and Buddhist landmarks of Ashokan era have been looked at for preservation and promotion by the state tourism department. Locals said it’s a ‘colossal waste’ as upkeep and promotion of these sites would have created economic opportunities for a large segment of its population.

Lack of job opportunities, education facilities and gainful employment have been one of the main reasons why the number of crimes in the district has shot up. The incidents of land grabbing by mafia, kidnappings, sand mafia and frequent caste disputes between Gujjars and Meenas have contributed to the migration.

“The high rate of crime, caste tensions, and declining mining industries have left no option for the aspiring youths and the middle class families than to migrate to cities like Alwar, Jaipur, Agra and Delhi,” said Ram Kumar Singh, a businessmen based in Karauli.

His family shifted to Jaipur in 2008 as he was looking for a better social life and wanted to give quality education to his children. The residents of the old city areas like Chatpara, Tambe Ki Taure, Chatekna, Chowepara now wear a deserted look as many have moved out to other cities.

What nails the law and order problem situation in the district is the history sheet data of Rajasthan Police. It shows Karauli has 231 repeated offenders which is higher than any of Jaipur’s four Commiserate segments.