When Bengalis started asking for a better road connectivity between Guwahati and the Barak Valley, people thought they were being their usual self: demanding. But if one actually goes on a journey to Silchar, the hub of Bengali-dominated Barak, he will realise why Bengalis have been clamouring for a better road. It's simply a journey on a highway called hell.
National Highway 44 in Cachar is not only in a dilapidated state, it's also choking with coal-laden trucks and creating severe bottlenecks. The Meghalaya government is not bothered though the 343-km long road passes for the most part through the state.
About 15 years back, a road journey from Silchar to Guwahati would take between 10 and 12 hours. "Today, it takes between 15 and 24 hours and the journey is horrible. Every politician plays up this issue during elections and conveniently forgets it after he wins," said Shyamal Chakraborty, a taxi driver, who has been using this stretch for the past 15 years.
David Singha, a native of Silchar and an engineer in the Gulf, who was returning home for the elections, looked frustrated, "I still cannot understand why I booked my tickets." He was at Ladrymbai, a hamlet in Meghalaya, where travellers stop for refreshments. It was 3.30 pm, and he had started from Guwahati at 7.30 am. "Usually, it's another seven hours," said Chakraborty.
Singha was very sad that his native place had failed to change despite him voting in earlier elections. "After living in the Gulf and seeing the development there, I feel like crying at the sight of Silchar," he said, vowing not to return till the highway was repaired.
Road and rail connectivity have always topped poll agenda in the Barak Valley, but its residents have never seen any development. The tragedy of Barak is that rail communication is so poor that people are forced to take the road.
"The air fare between Silchar and Guwahati is Rs 4,000. How can I afford it? A train journey means losing many hours, so I have no option but to take the road," said Abdul Haque, a trader.
"This road has remained like this for the past two years and no one cares to repair it," complained Babul Pal, pointing at the road from his grocery shop at Digarkhal, a check point in the valley where every vehicle stops for a cup of tea. Pal added, "You cannot make out which is a road and which is a pothole. Nevertheless, politicians will come, make promises and voters will queue up before polling booths. And no one will do anything for this highway."
According to Pal, the present problem began two years back when the state government took over the repairing of the road from the Border Roads Task Force (BRTF). "When BRTF was there, the road was repaired regularly. Once it was taken over by the state works department, it became a happy hunting ground for our contractors. They swindled the money sanctioned for repair," said Pal.
A retired teacher of Cachar College, J L Choudhury, also felt there is no immediate solution to the problem unless the roads are repaired and the traffic chaos in Meghalaya is cleared. "BRTF should be called back, otherwise people cannot hope for an improvement," said Choudhury.
Even if there is a possibility of improving the meter-gauge rail line to Silchar, the transport lobby, backed by the valley's powerful politicians, will scuttle it. This, according to many people, is one of the reasons for the delay in the conversion of broad-gauge rail line between Silchar and Lumding. Other reasons are militancy and frequent landslides in NC Hills. The project for broad gauge conversion between Lumding and Silchar was launched in 1996 by the Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda. Till 1998, Silchar was connected with Guwahati through meter-gauge. That year, the meter-gauge line between Lumding and Guwahati was removed.
None of the politicians from the valley opposed the move, thus pushing the valley's 35 lakh population to the mercy of an unpredictable highway. Earlier, it was a landslide at Sonapur that closed down NH 44 during monsoon. "When the landslide problem was solved after the construction of a tunnel, the present problem cropped up. It's never ending," said Kishore Das, a Silchar resident. According to the Union railway ministry, the BG conversion project will be completed by 2014. But people in the valley pray that it actually happens as many deadlines have been missed in the past. "In 2011, 50 per cent of the work has been completed, but nobody knows when it will finally be completed," said Choudhury. Another dream for Barak is the East-West Corridor, comprising a six-lane highway. Till these two projects are completed, Barak Valley can see little hope.