Pakistan Tola: A village for which underdeveloped is an understatement

A village in Bihar named Pakistan Tola is untouched by the facilities necessary for day-to-day life. The unusual name gathers a lot of attention but none from the political leaders except when the elections are due.

(Purniya) Bihar: With the 17th Lok Sabha election underway, political parties are bending over backwards to woo their voters by promising new schemes and policies in their respective manifestos. In such scenario, a village in Bihar still remains more or less untouched by the benefits of any of the state or central development schemes announced so far.

Pakistan Tola, a nondescript quaint little village under the Srinagar block in Purnia district of Bihar, is inhabited mostly by the Santal tribe, one of the largest indigenous tribes in the country, consisting of around 30 families. Bereft of basic neccessaties of life, the residents are furious at the politicians who show-up every five years seeking votes, but remain elusive for the rest of the time.

The village is set to go to polls in the second phase on April 18 but, the usual hustle and bustle that grips a poll bound state is something that is missing in this unusually named village.

With a population of 1,200, the village has nearly 350 eligible voters.

"There is not a single school, hospital, toilet, or roads in our village. We do not have any facility in this village. Our children, particularly girls remain uneducated," said a furious Sita Devi, an elederly village inhabitant.

Terming the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, or Ujjwala Yojana as useless, she said, "We haven't had any benefit from the Modi government schemes."

"We have nothing here. How will we educate our children and make their lives better. Nobody comes here. that's why i am angry. There is no justice here, nobody listens to us. Nor do we get access to Indira Awas Yojana, No PMGSY, no Ujjwala yojana. Now you media people are coming here, that's why we are angry," Sita Devi said.

With the closest school more than 4 kilometres away and no road connectivity, children are mostly deprived of education. "I want to become a pilot and I need a school in my village. We have to travel all the way to Singhia to attend the lower school around 3-4 km away from here. For higher education we have to travel 10-12 km, that's the nearest high school in Srinagar," Rita Tutu, a child who dreams of flying aircrafts told ETV Bharat.

"We are all farmers here, poultry, animals and farming. There is no Anganwadi or school in our village. We have to go to Singhia to attend school which is around 3-4 km from here. For higher education we have to travel 10-12 km, that's the nearest high school in Srinagar. It is very difficult for the girls to travel that far. If someoen falls ill, we have to take them all the way to Singhia to doctor. We have either get the doctor here or take them to the hospital by a tempo. I want to become a pilot so that i can earn a name and recognition for my village Pakistan Tola," he further added.

The original inhabitants of the village were a few Muslims who had first come here to settle after the 1946-47 partition riots. They had come from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The Muslims of Pakistan Tola, however, left the village in 1971-72 after the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

This village is connected only by a bridge, which is why the education of the girls is stalled. Although the villagers have access to bank account, they dont have access to any of the state or national schemes and policies.