‘The Atmosphere Has Changed’: Inflation, Unemployment Trump Ram Mandir in Parts of UP, Bihar

Gorakhpur/Chapra: Compared to the last few elections, the temperament of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections is completely different – people are vocal about their issues and speaking up boldly this time.

In the last ten days, this scribe undertook bus and train journeys across five areas in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar – Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Sant Kabirnagar, Arrah and Chapra. From people’s responses to my questions to those standing at street corners, in nomination meetings and listening to laymen conversations, it seems that this election is about local as well as national issues.

Unlike the recent assembly elections, this is the first time that the issues raised by the opposition alliance have reached the masses and made an impact. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) pet issues like Ram temple and nationalism have lost their shine while party leaders are tongue-tied over questions of inflation, unemployment and constitutional issues.

During a train journey from Gorakhpur to Chapra, a discussion on train mismanagement began between a few passengers travelling in the sleeper bogie. Everyone agreed that train journeys have become more uncomfortable. One passenger connected it with the selling of public institutions by the Modi government and the focus of the debate shifted to Modi’s work. Another passenger raised the question of unemployment and said that the number of vendors, mostly educated youth, is on the rise at each intersection. What can they even do in the absence of government recruitment? Every exam paper gets leaked. As another passenger quietly added that Modi is inculcating the habit of working in everyone, a fellow traveller quipped that bhakts have a similar answer to every question.

In a discussion about the ongoing elections at a tiny kiosk selling litti chokha at Chapra bus stand, the shopkeeper said that there is a direct contest between Lalu Yadav’s daughter, Rohini Acharya, and BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy. When asked who would get the edge in these polls, he said he would vote for Modi. “Rudy will not be seen after winning. He will go to Delhi but we are with Modi,” he said. When asked for a reason, he remained silent.

A Dalit man ironing clothes in a dilapidated house on the road leading from Ramna Maidan to Kali Mandir in Arrah also expressed his support for Modi and said that he would not vote for anyone else when Modi is giving everything.

A group of men strolling in Ramna Maidan were discussing low turnout in the polls. One of them remarked in a loud voice, “Look, so many people have come for a stroll but only few will go to cast their vote. If everyone would vote, there would be no conflict.”

A young man working at a restaurant at the southern end of Ramna Maidan said, “I hail from the Paswan community. We Dalits and backward people will back our candidate [CPI(ML)-Liberation]. Who will support them, if we don’t?”

Rajat Yadav, who works at a hotel, said that he became a waiter after doing Intermediate (class 12th) to support the family. “In our locality, people of Yadav and Paswan community will vote only for RJD,” he said. He expressed surprise on the fact that the Grand Alliance has not been able to win in Arrah for the last 10 years.

As the labourers, travelling in a private bus from Arrah, reached Chapra, a discussion on the elections began. One of them remarked that Modi has done a lot. “What work has he done?” quickly asked another labourer, sitting in front. “He promised to give 2 crore jobs, but how many have actually been handed? Tejashwi did what he said and actually offered jobs to people,” he said, speaking in the local dialect.

“Modi ji has built a temple,” said the first one in response. To this, the labourer who raised the question of unemployment responded furiously, “Will unemployment end by building a temple? Temple and mosque is not the issue. Unemployment is. Inflation is skyrocketing. Even a wage of Rs 500 is not enough.”

The pro-Modi labourer joked and said, “Even if you vote for RJD, your vote will go to Modi.”

‘The main issues are inflation and unemployment. Youth are being offered employment for only 4 years. Only a fool would vote for Modi,” the other one responded.

Hearing the conversation of the young labourers, two passengers sitting at the back of the bus also start discussing the elections. One of them commented, “Ever since Modi became the prime minister, everything has been sold whether on the earth, in the sky or in the oceans. That’s not why we made him the prime minister. Ambani and Adani are running the government. When Modi became the prime minister, Manmohan Singh told him to work carefully but he did not pay heed.”

After some time, the debate among the young labourers ended with them agreeing on one point – not much should be expected from the leaders. The Modi-supporter laughed and raised the slogan – ‘Long live RJD . Long live Modi.’

In Thuthibari of Maharajganj parliamentary constituency of Uttar Pradesh, a labourer asked this scribe twice about his Kisan Samman Nidhi money which he had not received this time. “All the people of the village have received it,” he said. When we asked about the Congress manifesto, he expressed ignorance but another person said that the Congress is going to waive off loans and provide employment to the youth.

People from marginalised communities are also vocal about the issue of employment and inflation. When Shivcharan Gupta, who runs a chaat stall in the premises of Sant Kabir Nirvana Sthal in Maghar, was asked about the election atmosphere, he said that everyone has forgotten everything because of five kilos of ration. ‘The people are suffering, they are in trouble, but they have become blind. This ration of Rs 100 is like a sweet pill. How much inflation is there! Even Rs 400 per day is not enough. If you take Rs 100-Rs 150 rupees, you won’t even get vegetables for a meal. When Modi became the prime minister, he used to say that he will bring back black money. Gold will become cheaper. But look at the price of gold today. And where did the black money go? Inflation and unemployment are at their peak. The life of street vendors has become miserable and we have been pushed to the margin.”

Pointing towards the work of renovation of Nirvana Sthal, another street vendor asked, “Such major works are being undertaken but we do not get employment. Why?”

The street vendors were setting up their carts right in front of sheds built for them since all of them were locked. Shivcharan Gupta said that they are not allowed to stay there and the police drove them away saying that they spread filth.

A fruit seller at Rapti bridge in Gorakhpur was also miffed at the way street vendors were treated, constantly ignored and chased away. She said she would not vote for anyone. “We are being chased away again and again. It’s not as if we are selling drugs. Our children are dying of hunger. On the orders of the government, the police officials drive us away. What’s the use of voting?” she said. When asked why they were being chased away, she said, “If we have to be evicted, then alternative arrangements should be made for our livelihood. The vending zone that has been created is quite away from the road where we won’t find any customers. What will we do there?”

A retired employee of Gandhi Ashram Maghar in Santkabir Nagar appeared sorrowful when he said that his son was working as a driver even after completing B.Sc. “We don’t tell anyone out of shame. Unemployment has reached its peak under this government,” he added.

People in Maghar told this scribe that there is a direct contest between Samajhwadi Party (SP) and BJP in Sant Kabirnagar. Two of them said that the SP was in a dominant position this time.

Seeing a large number of tractors in the nomination procession of the Congress candidate in Maharajganj constituency on May 15, a person sitting in a salon a little ahead of Paratawal town said that it was a fierce fight this time which would be fun to watch. “He (BJP candidate and current MP Pankaj) has been elected five times. Change is coming.” But a little ahead, two people standing near the toll plaza had a different opinion. “Processions are alright. But who knows where the votes would go?”

Jairam Yadav, a youth from Babhnoli village who was part of the tractor convoy, said, “The atmosphere has changed. The BJP is down now. Congress has become stronger. Middlemen are thronging police stations while the public is earning less.”

Jhinku, an elderly resident of Azadnagar locality said that the atmosphere is fine in his area. “Our relatives live in Mohanapur. They said that everything was fine there too.” He is 85 years old but has never seen a government that discriminates so much, he said. 

The young man sitting near him said that he came from Bodna village of Nichlaul area. ‘There are 1,600 votes in our village out of which the BJP will get 200. Everybody else will vote for Congress. Pankaj Chaudhary (incumbent BJP MP) has not done any work,” he said.

Harimohan Tripathi, who regularly takes a walk in the Reliance Park of Raptinagar locality of Gorakhpur city, said that most of the people coming to the park are bhakts. There is no impact of inflation or unemployment on them. “We have arguments every day but their ‘bhakti’ remains intact.”

Manoj Singh is an editor at Gorakhpur NewsLine. Translated from the Hindi original by Naushin Rehman.