Where have ‘political deras’of Lahore gone?

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Babar Dogar
‘Political Deras’ which were once considered the centre of political activities in every constituency of Lahore, are gradually disappearing, giving way to political offices.

If, on the one hand, the general elections of February 18, 2008 brought a number of changes in the political scene, it, on the other hand, also changed the political culture of Lahore. The city was once known for having a number of ‘Dera’s’ of strong political figures who used the places for maintaining their liaison with the general public and to show them their might.

The Deras of politicians, particularly in the suburbs of Lahore, were quite prominent where the local masses took their personal matters. Family feuds, property disputes, domestic matters, quarrels and local politics etc were settled and discussed in the Dera’s where the local residents preferred to take-up and settle their personal matters rather than resorting to police. For the locals, these Deras had the significance of Police station and local courts.

Moreover, the presence of local police in these deras was considered mandatory which reflected the might of the politician concerned. The prominent deras in Lahore were of Mian Akhlaq Guddu in Baghbanpura, Shaikh Ruhail Asghar in Baghbanpura, Mian Miraj Din Baghbanpura, Mian Aslam Iqbal in Ichra, Mian Munir in Ichra, Ashiq Dayyal’s Dera in Manawan, Ghurki House in Manawan and Afzal Khokhar Dera in Thokar Niaz Baig, etc.

These ‘Deras’ were established with the approach of developing ties with the locals and to resolve their problems, but afterwards the politicians started misusing the deras. In most of the cases, they were hideouts and safe heavens for criminals.

The politicians also used the places for gambling purposes and occupying the properties of others. Most of the politicians from a particular political party as well as from ruling coalition during the previous regime used their ‘Dera’s’ for occupying the properties, receiving commissions for settling property disputes in connivance with the local police and civilian officers and as gambling dens.

Even now, there are few political deras in the outskirts of Lahore which are being used for nefarious purposes including occupying precious lands through fraudulent tactics, depriving people of their wealth and properties in connivance with local police, receiving massive commissions for resolving property disputes and old feuds between parties and touting for local police. The deras were operative on the pretext of maintaining liaison with locals but under this garb everything illegal is going on.

Contrary to the deras, most of the nazims and parliamentarians or their supporters within the Lahore City have opened political offices in their respective constituencies and union councils. The offices remain open at night where the local people discuss politics. Besides, the offices also keep contacts with local people and do public welfare works like repairing their streets, installing poll lights and doing other sanitary works, besides resolving public grievances against the local police.

Talking to The News, a former nazim in Hanjarwal Malik Azmat, who is central Finance Secretary of PML-N Labour wing, said the culture was fast disappearing.

He said he had established a party office in Hanjarwal where they used to resolve public problems through exerting their pressure on local police. He stated that they used to receive public complaints against police highhandedness and manhandling.

He was of the view that indulgence of influential politicians in property business in connivance with the local police and the tactics of usurping public properties were responsible for the lost of public faith in them.

Member National Assembly Shaikh Ruhail Asghar held the strong influence of political parties responsible for the disappearance of political Deras.

He said the influential politicians used to maintain Deras with the mindset that they could win through their might without relying on political parties.

He said the days were gone when political figures in a city like Lahore won elections through their personal influence. Now, no one can think of winning election as an independent candidate. He stated the Deras had been replaced with the political offices. He dispelled the impression that he had a Dera and claimed that it was in fact his business office which was also being used for political purposes.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=133752