"I was mesmerised by the change," says an excited Sifat Khan, a
21-year-old who grew up in Australia and visited poll-bound Lucknow this
winter after four years. She was thrilled to find recreation spots,
malls, well-lit roads and a changing lifestyle - not to mention the
renovated commercial hub of Hazratganj.
Barnstorming by political
parties may be in full swing in the current elections in Uttar Pradesh,
India's most populated state of over 200 million people and around 120
million voters. But many of those from the state who live abroad are
impressed with the development work and applaud Chief Minister
Mayawati's efforts, saying it's no mean feat in this erstwhile city of
nawabs and currently at the heart of a fierce political battle for
control of the country's most politically consequential state.
"One thing that caught my eye was the Ambedkar Memorial Park," said Sifat, a medicine student based in Brisbane.
"The
enormous and magnificent place drips with creativity. I was in awe of
the 62 huge elephant statues welcoming me," Sifat told IANS.
"Another
great transformation was how organised Hazratganj has become! I clearly
recall being stuck in traffic for hours witnessing street fights and
brawls just to get parking at this shopping centre. Now you see a wide
expanded road with traffic lights and multi-storeyed parking and its
shoppers delight," she added.
Even though Maywati's opponents are
training the gun on her and say she has failed to bring development and
has wasted and misused central government funds, outsiders are happy to
see the new developments in the historical city, home to 4.5 million
people, which is focusing on better infrastructure and safety.
For Sanjana Singh, travelling to the city from the US was a great experience.
"You
keep hearing a lot of things on television but coming here gives a
different picture. As an outsider you feel safe in the city and it
offers good outing spots too."
Many NRIs from Uttar Pradesh were
holidaying in their native state in winter even as the state is in the
middle of seven-phased assembly polls. Lucknow, which has a population
of 4.5 million, votes Feb 19.
Some local people complain that
much of the construction work has benefited Mayawati's brother who is in
the construction business, but for Huma Khan, who works abroad as a
consultant, what counts is the development effort in the city.
Hazratganj
and Gomti Nagar area have changed remarkably, she said. "There are
wide, three-laned, well-lit roads and there is the Ambedkar Smarak. It's
hard to believe it is the same Lucknow."
And clearly they have a good word for Mayawati, whose Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has been in power since 2007.
"Many
chief ministers came and went, but it is only Mayawati who has tried to
develop the city. The connectivity to the heart of the city
(Hazrarganj) and the airport are a sea change compared to earlier days,"
Huma Khan said.
The development is not centred in the state
capital alone, points out London-based Samrat Basu, who used to dread
travelling by road earlier. He says it is a delight to take a road trip
between Lucknow and Banda now.
"My visit this time was
exceptional. I started my journey from Delhi to Banda and I was very
happy to catch the train UP Sampark Kranti. The journey was very
comfortable and safe," he said.
And he had a similar experience from Banda to Lucknow.
"The
travel to Lucknow from Banda by train used to be a nightmare due to
erratic departure timings and trouble in boarding. So this time someone
suggested I travel by road. I was not confident, but was amazed to see
the construction of a long bridge on the Yamuna river near Chilla Ghat.
This particular improvement by the Uttar Pradesh government has
connected Banda so well with many cities by road. It took us only four
hours to reach Lucknow and we enjoyed the trip," Basu told IANS.
"I must be thank Mayawatiji for her enormous contribution and vision to develop this city. We loved the advancement."
For NRIs, Lucknow is a harbinger of change in UP
