2024-04-19 10:12:24
Kairana Loksabha Story: Both the political families in Kairana have the same ancestors. A family belonging to the Kalsyan Khap of the Gurjar family had become Muslims after conversion. People of these two families have been at two poles in politics for the last several years. The second story is related to the migration of Hindus. The issue of migration by selling houses had brought Kairana into the limelight.
Anand Soondas, Kairana/Shamli: The local Lok Sabha constituency is named after Kairana (Kairana Loksabha) of Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh. The people here know two stories very well. The first story is about 120 years old. There is political rivalry between the Hasan and Singh families here. Both political houses have the same ancestors. A family belonging to the Kalsyan Khap of the Gurjar family had become Muslims after conversion. People of these two families have been at two poles in politics for the last several years. The second incident is from about 8 years ago, which is related to the migration of Hindus. The issue of migration by selling houses had brought Kairana into the limelight. This time the Lok Sabha elections also revolve around these two issues. Pradeep from Hukum Singh family
The families of Chaudhary Hukum Singh and Chaudhary Munawwar Hasan, who come from the same family of Gurjar community, have been political rivals for the last three and a half decades. This time in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Pradeep Singh Choudhary from Hukum family is contesting on BJP ticket. Iqra Hasan from the Hasan family is making her political debut. 30 year old Iqra, who returned from studies in England, is contesting the elections very strongly in Kairana this time.
Iqra is taking care of her father’s legacy
Iqra’s father, former MP Munawwar Hasan, died in a road accident in 2008. At that time Munawwar’s son Nahid Hasan and daughter Iqra Hasan were small. Then his mother Tabassum Hasan, handling her husband’s political legacy, won the election from Kairana Lok Sabha seat in 2009. Then Nahid came into the field and started trying his hand in the assembly. Now Iqra has also entered politics.
Due to brother Nahid Hasan being jailed in the 2022 assembly elections, Iqra took charge of the election campaign and played an important role in her brother’s victory. Since her return from London, she has remained active in the field. Akhilesh Yadav has fielded Iqra Hasan, who is liked for her simplicity despite living in Britain for a long time, from the Kairana Lok Sabha seat.
Supporters of Hasan family said
Furkan Siddiqui, a fruit seller at a busy intersection in Kairana, told that Nahid Bhai was sent to jail even though he was innocent, when Iqra returned from England after studying. She has been holding the political command on behalf of the family for two years. This time he himself is in the election and we are together. Meanwhile, readymade garments seller Munna Khan said that Iqra is still young and politically-socially dedicated. We all like him. He will definitely win the elections.
Iqra said- no challenge
Iqra herself told in a conversation with our associate newspaper Times of India that we are not facing any special challenge in Kairana. National issues are being presented by BJP but when it comes to the public in Kairana, only local issues dominate. The people here are standing with us. In 2014, BJP’s Hukum Singh had won from Kairana Lok Sabha seat with 5 lakh 65 thousand 909 votes. Here, Samajwadi Party candidate Nahid Hasan got the second position by getting 3 lakh 29 thousand 81 votes. After the death of Hukum Singh, by-elections were held on Kairana Lok Sabha seat in the year 2018.
This time Iqra herself is in the field
Then BJP had fielded Hukum Singh’s daughter Mriganka as a candidate from this seat. However, Samajwadi Party candidate Tabassum Hasan had won the election contest. Next year in 2019, Hukum Singh’s nephew Pradeep won back the seat from BJP. This time Iqra from SP has staked claim against Pradeep.
The wound of migration is still green
There is another aspect of Kairana also. That is- migration. In 2016, then BJP MP Hukum Singh alleged that a large number of Hindu families had fled the area. He also released a list of 346 families who sold their houses and moved to another place due to harassment. This matter came into limelight and caused a lot of political controversy. The storm of controversy has subsided but the scars are still there. Hindu families settled in Teachers Colony in Kairana after reportedly selling their houses. S., who taught 200 children by running RDS coaching. Sharma said that right now the focus of all of us is on making something better by educating more children. It is better to forget what has happened in the past.
Akshit Garg, who runs a grocery shop, also said something similar. He clearly refused to say anything on the issue of migration. But in the BJP office, Shakti Singh, while feeding laddus, talked about registering victory even before the elections. He said that there was migration of Hindus here. The level of crime has increased. How can any person be comfortable with crime? People are still asking these questions. Babuji’s (Hukum Singh) family has done a lot for us. Everyone is with him.