Hyderabad: Resident welfare bodies urged to be humane

Hyderabad: Concerned over reports on Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) imposing tough measures on residents during the lockdown, resulting in conflict and, at some places, involvement of police, the United Federation of Resident Welfare Association (U-FERWAS) has appealed to the management committees of housing societies to be less stringent.

In Telangana, during the Lockdown, RWAs were recognised as a competent body to decide upon the movement of people through a circular of MA&UD. Given some of the instances drawing strong criticism in northern India, U-FERWAS has decided to take up the issue and make Hyderabad's RWAs understand residents' perspective, as each household may be facing a different kind of challenge, which should be 'tactfully handled.'

Speaking to The Hans India, Dr Rao V B J Chelikani, the president of U-FERWAS, said that many RWAs reportedly issued lists of dos and don'ts which run into several pages and some of their diktats have been so arbitrary that governments have had to step in to rein them in.

"Social leaders of the 4th tier of governance (at the level of the urban communities) should avoid this kind of temptation, and should rather choose expressions of 'soft power' of persuading and convincing people, rather than try to impose their power. The 'mental trauma' caused due to the emergency declared by the government in 1975 is still very vivid in our minds. The RWA should remain an essential institution as a school of democracy at the community level and act according to the refined consensus that emerges out of their frequent mutual consultations among the residents," he said.

Rao, who is also heading International Foundation for Human Development (IFHD) as its president, said that it came to light that with the fear of not being able to persuade the residents to wear masks and to keep physical distance, some RWAs have obstructed to the holding of weekly markets in their places, thereby hurting many livelihoods and putting some elderly and other residents at inconvenience.

"RWA should remain an essential institution as a school of democracy at the community level and act according to the refined consensus that emerges out of their frequent mutual consultations among the residents," he said.