Mukherjee Nagar, a grand
ghetto of coaching centres
The entrance is the favorite house of stray dogs and they can poo and piss as a 'rightful owner'
By Mukesh sharma
With over 350 coaching centres being run from dingy and dilapidated
structures so-called commercial complex at Mukherjee Nagar, North Delhi,
situated at the ‘bank’ of ever stinking Najafgarh nullah, buzzing with
effervescent and exclusive commercial activities from dawn to late dusk, it won’t
be wrong to call it a grand and grandiose ghetto of coaching centers.
Reveals an old timer Ravi Chadha, “the most of the buildings are nearly 50
years old as the allotments to then applicants were made by the authorities way
back in 1972”.
A local property dealer with 20 years of business standing says, “these
buildings have already lived its age”. “The plasters have peeled off, the large patches of bricks can be seen in the
walls of the most of the structures.” Not only that iron rods are showing in
the ceilings of the floors. “ Just one jolt of earthquake may raze these
decrepit structures to ground” adds property dealer ironically.
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| Salient features of Mukherjee Nagar Commercial Complex, Delhi |
The fact is neither the occupiers nor the owners are
bothered about the upkeep of these structures. The most of the occupiers who are
tenants, are coaching centers and interested in their teaching ‘trade’ only.
And the owners are thankfully happy with their fat monthly rents.
Consequently, the buildings remain in utter neglect
and ruins. A casual visitor is welcomed by the cluster of electric meters
studded on the walls of very entrance with wires sticking out. The entrance is
also a favourite ‘house’ of stray dogs. They can poo and piss as a ‘rightful’
owners. With worn away steps, the flight of staircase winds through floor after
floors up to top floor. The corners of staircase are ‘lawful’ spittoons.
Pinching nose and braving evil smell, the visitors continue to go upstairs – upwardly mobile ‘visitors’ seldom grudge or
gripe.
What is noteworthy, the safety is not the baby of
anyone here. As usual, the authorities concerned get wise only after the event
in India – cross the bridge when it
comes. These commercial buildings are a public place. But still, there are no
fire safety measures ̶ no fire
extinguishers, non-functional fire
hydrants and hose-pipes are missing from pulleys.
“God forbids, in the event of fire, these buildings
may turn into an inferno – no fire
safety and no separate fire exit” opines a teacher Ram Nayak Maurya spitefully.
Mukherjee Nagar seems to be like a religious place.
The government service aspirants from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand,
Jharkhand, Haryana etc., including Delhites throng this place with heavy
baggage of hopes and dreams as the Muslim bretheren visit holy Mecca for Haz.
Says Digvijay Singh, a teacher engaged in teaching
for 15 years, “mere presence in Mukherji Nagar adds a feather in the cap”. “With
Mukherjee Nagar tag, even a non entity teacher becomes hero in his hometown, and
an unmarried IAS aspirant with Mukherjee Nagar identity starts getting marriage
proposal in his village.” “The success in exams is immaterial but Mukherjee Nagar remains a blessed place for both teachers and students”, adds Digvijay
Singh with a grin.
The day starts at Mukherjee Nagar with variety of
breakfast dishes catering to the taste buds of students hailing from different
states – poha, pakoras, kachori, chhole
bhature, jalebi and milk, fruit salad, juice etc. Taste is guaranteed, not
hygiene. The most of the vendors are squatters, selling their stuff from pavements,
make-shift shops and rehris. Heaps of
garbage can be witnessed beside ‘sober’ shops. The underground drains flow
underneath the shops, emanating a filthy smell from the cracks. The habituated
‘customers’ don’t care. Brisk business goes on all the day.
A survey reveals that PG accommodation is a
flourishing business at Mukherjee Nagar. The most of the house owners in the
vicinity have converted their houses into so-called PGs. “In the name of
accommodation, the needy students are provided cubbyholes, worse than the jail
cells of western countries and that too for a sum of Rs 10000/- to Rs12000/-
per month, of course, with what is called tiffin
service” says Mamta, an IAS aspirant staying as a PG.
Those who can’t afford, take single room on rent in informal settlements like Gopalpur, Gandhi
Vihar, Wazirabad village etc,. adjoining the ‘posh’ Mukherjee Nagar.
Interestingly enough, the libraries without books is
an improvised trade at Mukherjee Nagar. Under the garb of library, pigeon holes
with a chair and a desk are made available to students to study daily for fixed
hours in so-called library for a sum of
Rs 1500/- to Rs2000/- per month.
At Mukherjee Nagar, so-called booksellers are more
interested in selling photocopies of notes. Name any exam, notes are available.
Most of these so-called notes consist of past exams papers and contents copied
from the acclaimed and acknowledged books of renowned authors. Says a UPSC
aspirant student Kishan, “perhaps blissfully ignorant of Copy right Act, the respected sirs who are in circulation at
Mukherjee Nagar, with copied and lifted contents pass it off as their own creation”.
Amusingly, the most remarkable phenomenon at
Mukherjee Nagar is the ‘poster war’ among coaching centres. It is fought at many
fronts ̶ from huge hoardings to A-4 size
flyers. Since the posters and banner are removed, torn up and replaced on
day-to-day basis, allegedly, by the ‘rivals’ and ‘duteous’ MCD men ‘ over conscious’
of ‘cleaning drive’, some coaching centers hire moving men and make them stand
at ever over crowded Mukherjee Nagar main road with a ‘bill board’
fitted with the iron poll. It reminds one of the scene at airport where the air
passengers coming out of the airport are greeted with placards, held by the
messengers for giving specific information to passengers concerned.
Anyway, whatever is the fate of government services
aspirants in this grand ghetto, coaching centers and landlords usually have the
last laugh.
̶ Author is a freelance journalist, humourist and blogger and also a Delhi High Court practicing lawyer, and to his credit has many published books.
