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Finally, a politician who keeps promises

Although politicians are known for not keeping promises, Shoaib Iqbal, the legislator from Daryaganj, Old Delhi, has been different.

Thanks to him, the house of the two orphans living in a portion of the Neharwali Haveli has been rebuilt.

Days before the much hyped visit of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, the officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi had demolished the house of the two orphans, 18-year-old Ripu Daman and her 11-year-old brother Zenny, as they considered it a security threat.

The demolition had led to widespread condemnation. The Supreme Court on July 13 took suo motu notice of news reports about the demolition and directed National Legal Aid Services Authority Member Secretary S M Chopra to visit the spot and submit a report.

The authorities had justified the demolition by saying that it was a threat to the visiting dignitary as it came in the passage of his motorcade and that the Jain family, which lives in a portion of the haveli, had complained saying the construction was illegal.

However, Ripu Daman told rediff.com that her grandmother Gurdip Kaur was given a room in the haveli after she migrated from Lahore in 1947. As the family grew, her parents, who died a few years back, built an additional room, she added.

Although the MCD had given a verbal assurance that it would rebuild the house, nothing was done even after the intervention of the Supreme Court.

"I thought there was no point waiting for the MCD to start the work some day. So I got the reconstruction started. Today, these kids have a new roof on their heads," Shoaib Iqbal told rediff.com

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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