The Unseen Impact of Ayodhya’s Facelift: ‘Can’t Pray on Empty Stomach’ Reveals Human Cost

As the city of Ayodhya prepares for the inauguration of the Ram Temple, several residents find themselves displaced without proper compensation. The multi-crore development projects launched by the Uttar Pradesh government have taken a toll on the livelihoods and homes of many farmers and locals who claim that their land was acquired without their consent or adequate compensation.

Land Acquisition for Parking Area

Tarawati, a 60-year-old farmer, is one of the many residents who have lost their land to the development projects. She claims that her family has been cultivating 10 acres of land near the Panchkosi Parikrama Marg, a pilgrimage route in the city, since four generations. However, she watched helplessly as bulldozers and trucks turned her land into a parking area.

“If we don’t get any compensation what will we eat? What will our children eat? Our children are not educated. They do not know how to read or write. They work as labourers. This land ensures that we have food to eat. If they take this away, where will we go?” she asked, quoting a famous Hindi proverb that means one can’t pray on an empty stomach.

Demolition of Houses

Maniram Yadav, a 41-year-old resident of Ramkot locality, also faced a similar fate. His house, constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana — a housing subsidy scheme by the central government — was demolished on 7 September 2021. He said that he was told by the authorities that they will build a police station on that land.

“We had a house in Ayodhya’s Ramkot locality. Four generations of my family had lived there. Due to some reasons, our house was demolished on 7 September 2021. We were told by the authorities that they will built a police station on that land,” he said.

Homes of eight families, including Yadav’s, were demolished by the authorities in Ramkot.

Redevelopment of Ayodhya

The Uttar Pradesh government has launched several infrastructure projects worth over Rs 45,000 crore in Ayodhya since 2017. More recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of projects worth more than Rs 15,000 crore on 5 January 2024.

“Today, the foundation stone of development works worth more than Rs 15 thousand crore has been laid and inaugurated here. These infrastructure-related works will once again establish modern Ayodhya with pride on the map of the country. Today’s India is beautifying its pilgrimage sites and is also immersed in the world of digital technology,” the PM said.

As per a report by the Economic Times, Redevelopment of Ayodhya as per Master Plan 2031 will be completed over 10 years with an investment of over Rs 85,000 crore. This redevelopment, done in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict in the decades old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, aims to transform Ayodhya into a world-class tourist destination.

However, many residents feel that their rights and interests have been ignored in the process. They allege that they have not been given proper notice or compensation for their land or houses that have been acquired or demolished by the authorities.

“We are not against development or the temple. We are devotees of Lord Ram too. But we also have our rights and dignity. We want justice and fair compensation for our losses,” said Tarawati.