Sidelined lives in Juhapura
Juhapura is a neighbourhood in the New West Zone of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, near Sarkhej, along the National Highway 8A. Initially, this area was developed in 1973 for those who lost their houses in the flood. It was founded by then prime minister of India Indira Gandhi. Sarni Kamdar was the first housing society of the area. The population of Juhapura is largely Muslim. Almost 7 lakh people live in this area.
A large number of Muslim professionals and businessmen reside here, making it India’s largest Muslim colony. Juhapura was a small suburb with a small population until the mid-1980s, but after the communal riots in Gujarat, a large number of the Muslims migrated to Juhapura from the Muslim and Hindu-dominated areas of Ahmedabad and surrounding cities to settle there. This caused a construction and housing boom, and a sharp inflation in the land and housing prices.
A thick smog hangs around the area, and malaria, other water-borne diseases are rampant. Residents who live in Juhapura keep their doors and windows shut.
Life in the fringes
One of the last villages along the India-Pakistan border is Kuran. In the 2001 earthquake, the village was completely destroyed. The residents are mainly Muslim jat shepherds.
Job opportunities are sorely lacking in this village. Around 800 residents of the village are not aware of the upcoming Gujarat elections.
