It was about 3 pm, and the temperature had already reached 43°C when, from a distance, we heard the sound of a chopper. Many of us ran towards it, hoping to catch a glimpse of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. Within a few minutes, as the helicopter descended, we were all covered in dust. Yet, this didn’t dismay the voters in Mavai Bazaar, Ayodhya. Hundreds gave a loud welcome to the former chief minister of their region.
On the way to the stage, I bumped into a local youth and began talking with him about the local issues. “Unemployment is a big issue with the youth here. We have degrees but still don’t have jobs. No industry or service sector project have been done for our area. The major issue is stray animals. Most farmers are afflicted by them, the government has destroyed the old system and hasn’t provided an alternative yet. The stray cattle eats one to two quintals of our crops, and Modi thinks by giving 5 kilograms of ration, farmers will keep shut,” one of the persons present there, Sachin Kushwaha, said.
The noise of the chopper had already started to attract more people. I saw many of them sitting on trees, and beside the main pandal, crowds had occupied all available shaded spots.
Today, the fight in India is not merely for an election but to save the constitution. Now, you can either vote for the people who want to destroy the constitution or help safeguard it. We both heard this on the speaker and knew that Yadav was about to speak soon, alongside Arvind Kejriwal, Rahul Gandhi, and their allies, who are all fighting for our way of life.
Amidst the crowd, I found Rakesh Kumar Yadav, a middle-aged daily wage labourer, and asked him about the Ram Mandir. “Ram Mandir is not the issue here, but inflation is,” he said. “I work all day for a mere Rs 250, while the prices of onions and dal are skyrocketing. We aren’t getting any government food rations or benefiting from central schemes,” Yadav explained.
“And when you asked about the Ram Mandir, it’s not like the government’s money was used to build the temple. It’s the people’s money again,” he added.
With the election fever spiking, the place was swarming with police forces, keeping a close watch on everyone. People at the rally felt the police were doing their job ‘too well,’ often to the hindrance of the party workers, people, and the leaders themselves.
But the political speeches kept the crowds charged up. There was a high presence of Yadav and Muslim community members, but there were also other people present. I spoke with a Dalit youth. “Our issue is reservation. If Modi returns to power, he is going to finish it. Or else tilt it towards the savarna (‘upper’ caste) people. Reservation is our only hope to rise in society, and Modi is against it. Hence, we want to change the government.”
Three women were listening in. I asked them next about inflation and government schemes like Ujwala (gas cylinder) and PM housing scheme. They answered in unison, ‘no.’ They hadn’t received any benefits and were ‘tired of inflation.’ They assured me that women’s votes would shift due to heightened inflation.
Finally, as the speeches ended, I spoke with Akhilesh Yadav. The first question was about the past ten years of the Modi government. He answered, “Everything they have said has turned out to be a lie. All their promises were fake. Farmers’ incomes have not doubled, the unemployed haven’t gotten jobs, and there were investment meets without any investment. They organized the defense expo, G20, etc., but all in vain. In Uttar Pradesh alone, ten examinations and many jobs have been suspended. Plus, we can’t accept the Agniveer system.”
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav with the writer, Indra Shekhar Singh.
“Today our nation is in debt, unfathomable debt. And that’s why the people are angry. In fact, they are very angry. People who have said “400 paar”, let me tell them that 140 crore Indians will ensure that they don’t even get 140 seats,” he added.
Then we talked about the political undercurrent in the state. “There are two kinds of people in politics – the ones who want to save the constitution and others who want to destroy it. In this light I talk of tacit alliance between the BSP and BJP. They are working together, and I would request people of the Bahujan Samaj to see through this and not waste their vote. They should vote to safeguard the constitution and bring more strength to the INDIA alliance,” he said.
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Lastly, I asked him what changes he’s going to bring if he was elected. “We will ensure people get more ration, farmers will get more facilities and benefits. There will be a law for MSP. We will also do a debt wavier for farmers. And all our mothers and daughters will get 1 lakh so that they can improve their economic situation,” he said.
After a quick chat, Akhilesh was in his chopper and off to Lucknow. I stood among the people, waiting for another dust storm to hit us.
