Ramlila Maidan on the eve of Delhi CM-designate Arvind Kejriwal’s oath-taking ceremony, Saturday. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)
Taking oath as Chief Minister of Delhi for the third time, Arvind Kejriwal and his Cabinet will share the stage with 50 special guests from different fields, who have contributed to the capital.
Called ‘Dilli ke Nirmata’, those on the guest list include traders, teachers, principals, labourers, advocates, engineers, doctors, sportspersons, students, bus drivers and conductors, auto drivers, Metro pilots, farmers, anganwadi workers, sanitation workers and social workers.
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Announcing the decision Saturday, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said, “It is a great victory for the people of Delhi, who made the Kejriwal model of governance and development triumphant. It is the victory of those who dream to make Delhi a world-class city and work tirelessly for it. These fifty people — Dilli ke Nirmata — will be seated with the Chief Minister on a special stage. Collaborating with them, the government will pursue development work and schemes in Delhi effectively in the next five years. We had a good five years; the next five years will be even better.”
“Education was a major poll plank in the elections. Many teachers personally called and texted me that they wished to participate in the oath-taking ceremony. Beneficiary students of the Jai Bhim Yojana, who are expected to contribute towards the development of Delhi in the future, too are invited. From the transport sector, representatives of bus marshals, who bravely prevented many instances of crime and atrocities against women, will be invited. Mobile sahayaks, who brought various government services to the doorstep of people, are also special guests,” said Sisodia.
Among those who will share the stage with Kejriwal are:
Dr C S Verma, Principal
Dr C S Verma, Principal
Verma (48), who started as a teacher in 1996, is now the principal of Kautilya Government Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in Chirag Delhi. On receiving the invitation, he said he took a few minutes to “settle down”. A core member of the team behind the ‘happiness curriculum’, he was also among the teachers who visited Cambridge University as part of their training programme. He will attend the ceremony with his family.
Vijay Kumar, IIT student
Vijay Kumar, IIT student
An ex-student of Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya Paschim Vihar, Kumar, who joined IIT-Delhi in 2019, is a beneficiary of Jai Bhim Mukhya Mantri Pratibha Vikas Yojana. “Last year, the government gave wings to my dream and I got admission into IIT. And this year, I have been given a chance to sit with the CM. I never imagined such a day would come,” he said.
Dalbir Singh, farmer
A resident of Mitraon village in Najafgarh, Singh (66) will be attending the ceremony with his wife. Recalling his first meeting with Kejriwal, he said: “When we were going through a rough patch, the CM helped us by giving a compensation of Rs 14,000 per acre to every farmer.”
Geeta Devi, bus marshal
Geeta Devi, bus marshal
A resident of Rohini, Devi (37) had caught a pickpocket from a bus and handed him over to police at Delhi Gate on October 23 last year. Commuting on route number 901 between Mangolpuri and Kamla Market, she said women feel much safer now with marshals on buses. “I feel that cases of eve-teasing have come down and people now think twice before misbehaving with women on a bus,” she said.
Dr Alka Chaudhary, medical office in-charge at a mohalla clinic
Dr Alka Chaudhary, medical office in-charge at a mohalla clinic
Managing a mohalla clinic in Peeragarhi for five years, she has been able to address issues such as drug abuse, violence against women, immunisation, menstrual hygiene awareness and malnutrition. “I am proud to represent my community of mohalla clinic doctors, who have built a unique and innovative primary healthcare model that the world is talking about,” she said.
Ratan Jamshed Batliboi, Signature Bridge architect
Ratan Jamshed Batliboi, Signature Bridge architect
Born in Mumbai in 1957, Batliboi graduated from Sir JJ College of Architecture, Mumbai, and has been practicing architecture for 40 years. Apart from designing Delhi’s Signature Bridge which connects Wazirabad with East Delhi, he has undertaken other crucial projects like architectural designing of railway stations and monorails in Navi Mumbai. He has also been associated with refurbishment of the Bandra-Worli sea-link project, Marine Drive promenade, and expansion of DMRC routes. When the Signature Bridge project began in 2004, he collaborated with Mike Schlaich Bergermann to advise on structural construction to spearhead the construction process. “The CM’s model of development has been commendable. He has stuck to his cause and has not been dissuaded or corrupted by the blaming disposition of other leaders and politicians,” he said.
Gajraj Singh, bus conductor
Working in the field for 20 years, Singh is among the few conductors who can also drive the bus. Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, he recently helped a driver avert a road accident. On being invited to the ceremony, he said: “At first I thought it was a prank call. But the invitation was for me, and my family is honoured to sit there on the stage.”
Nidhi Gupta, Metro pilot
Nidhi Gupta, Metro pilot
Singh (38) still remembers how one time, as the Metro entered a station, a girl jumped in front of the line. “I had very less time to stop the train. I immediately pushed the break and managed to save her,” she said. “I am very honoured to be a part of such a historic ceremony. I think the CM is empathetic towards children and women. I am also very proud to represent Metro pilots.”