Celebrating Modi’s Birthday Like Deepawali: A New Way to Express Gratitude
Political leaders’ birthdays are generally occasions for party workers and supporters to express their loyalty and admiration. For party cadres, the day can also be an opportunity to celebrate the leader whom they believe has given the organisation and its supporters a distinct political identity. For others, it is simply an occasion to acknowledge a leader they support or appreciate.
But in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, September 17 is being marked in a rather unusual manner.
Residents of a housing complex built for 76 poor families in Lukerganj have decided to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday by lighting diyas and decorating their homes with colourful lights, giving the occasion the appearance of a small Deepawali celebration.
Their reason is straightforward. They have homes.
The 76 families were provided permanent houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana after the Uttar Pradesh government took possession of the land, which authorities had identified as being under the illegal occupation of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed.
For families that had struggled for years without secure housing, the construction of the flats has been a significant change in their lives. The decision to celebrate Modi’s birthday is consequently being presented by local BJP leaders as an expression of gratitude from the beneficiaries.
A very different history of the land
The site carries a history that has attracted considerable political attention in Uttar Pradesh.
Atiq Ahmed was one of Prayagraj’s most powerful and controversial figures. He served as a legislator and Member of Parliament, while simultaneously facing numerous criminal cases. Over several decades, his name became associated with the city’s underworld and its intersection with politics.
The Uttar Pradesh government’s action against properties allegedly linked to him formed part of its wider campaign against illegal properties belonging to people accused of serious crimes.
The Lukerganj property subsequently acquired a very different purpose. Instead of remaining unused or being associated with an individual who had wielded considerable influence, the government developed it into housing for poor families.
The flats were constructed under the Prime Minister Awas Yojana, the Centre’s flagship housing programme, aimed at providing permanent homes to eligible families.
For the beneficiaries, the change is practical rather than abstract.
A permanent house offers protection from the elements, greater security for children and a stable address. For families previously living in inadequate or temporary accommodation, those benefits are substantial.
Atiq Ahmed’s killing
The history of the property also brings back memories of the dramatic final days of Atiq Ahmed.
On April 15, 2023, Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead in Prayagraj while police were escorting them to a hospital for a medical examination.
Three men—Lavlesh Tiwari, Sunny Singh and Arun Maurya—were arrested in connection with the killings. The attackers posed as journalists before firing at the brothers at close range. The incident took place in front of police personnel and journalists and was captured on television cameras. The state government appointed a judicial commission to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
While some welcomed the end of the influence associated with Atiq Ahmed, others condemned the manner in which the killings took place. AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi criticised those who celebrated the killings.
The subsequent transformation of the Lukerganj property has therefore become another chapter in the long and controversial story surrounding Atiq Ahmed.
Why the residents chose September 17?
Siddharth Nath Singh, the BJP MLA representing Prayagraj West, has said the residents approached him with the idea of celebrating Modi’s birthday by lighting diyas.
The beneficiaries wanted to mark the occasion in their own way. The local BJP leadership supported the programme, with arrangements made for diyas and sweets.
The event is being promoted as an example of the government’s housing initiative benefiting economically weaker sections.
The political significance is obvious, particularly because the houses are located on land that had been associated with Atiq Ahmed. This stands as a testimony for actions against properties allegedly acquired or occupied illegally by criminal figures and has linked such actions with its law-and-order in Uttar Pradesh.
At the same time, the housing project is part of a much larger government welfare programme. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana has been used across the country to provide housing assistance to eligible families.
What makes the Prayagraj event unusual is that it moves beyond the conventional format of a political birthday celebration.
The families are expected to illuminate their houses and celebrate with sweets. For the residents, the explanation is considerably simpler: they have received permanent homes and want to mark the Prime Minister’s birthday by celebrating in them. Irrespective of political criticism, in Lukerganj, the immediate change is visible in the form of 76 new homes.
News at a Glance:
Families on land reclaimed from gangster Atiq Ahmed to celebrate Diwali on PM’s birthday
Atiq Ahmed: The life of India’s gangster-politician killed on live TV
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-65347773
People celebrating the killing of Atiq Ahmed are vultures: Owaisi
By R. Avadhani