BK Singh
Sixty five year old Annpurna Devi Agrawal was leading a happy life selling utensils from her shop on Rampath in Ayodhya.
But then came a bolt from the blue. Her shop was demolished in the name of road widening and giving holy look to Ayodhya.
But the unholy lot of bureaucrats did not even think for a second that they ought to have relocated the old lady without causing excruciating harm and agony to her.
In this place where Ram never wanted to keep any person unhappy the men with power in their hands have forced this woman to literally beg for two square meals now.
Sources said, she has become a heart patient and her son is a mental wreck now due to alleged bureaucratic dictatorship.
All was well with her from 1990 till the year 2023.
From a loan of RS 20,000 Annpurna started a shop selling utensils.
In 2019 she spent all her savings in the beautification of this shop.
However, all her happiness was snatched after the demolition of her shop.There are many others who have become victims of bureaucratic dictatorship.
Though she has been given Rs one lakh as compensation but this amount is a pittance when it comes to establishing a new shop. A sum of around sixteen lakh is required to restart the shop again.
She has even sold out the left over of her demolished shop and is now waiting for Ram to come back.
Hers is not the only story of pain and agony. After loosing their shops that were demolished for road widening many shopkeepers are finding it difficult to lead a normal life.
Some of them have started to earn a little just enough for meals by selling one thing or the other from road pavements but this is certainly not the life they were leading earlier, say number of locals whose houses were demolished in order to build the holy city of Ayodhya.
