The people of Ballia take pride in the fact that theirs is a rebel district.
During the Quit India Movement of 1942, as soon as the news broke of the arrest of Congress leaders in Bombay, Ballia residents came out on the streets, declared Ballia independent and formed their own government under the leadership of freedom fighter Chittu Pandey. Earlier, when Ballia was a part of Ghazipur district, it was the main centre of the revolt of 1857. Veer Kunwar Singh and his younger brother Amar Singh waged a long guerrilla war against the British in Ballia, Ghazipur and Azamgarh. Jyodhar Singh’s group of 900 rebels from Ballia joined Veer Kunwar Singh and intensified the rebellious activities. He fought with his group, from Ballia to Bihar.
Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty
Due to its rebellious attitude in the freedom struggle, the region earned the sobriquet ‘Baaghi Ballia’ or ‘rebel Ballia.’
Chandrashekhar, who became the prime minister of the country and was called a ‘young Turk’ in his early political career, hailed from this district.
This rebellious nature of Ballia is exhibited every now and then. When the Adityanath government arrested three journalists for publishing the news of the board exam paper leak in March 2022, journalists and people here came out on the streets. The journalists protested continuously for a month. The whole of Ballia shut down for a day.
Ballia thus presented this rare face of resistance in the era of ‘godi media’.
So ingrained is rebellion in the nature of this district’s residents that district administration is urging people to vote to show that they take pride in Ballia’s rebellion.
From stickers pasted behind autorickshaws to banners hung at petrol pumps, these messages are displayed everywhere.
I asked a stern-looking moustached man selling rabdi near Veer Kunwar Singh intersection, “What is the atmosphere like?”
“It’s fine,” he said.
When asked what he was talking about, he replied, “Myself. What else?”
The lassi shop. Photo: Manoj Singh
There’s more. Owners of two lassi shops near the Ballia Collectorate Gate, were inviting people to their respective shops to buy the drink. Both were referring to everyone as “Pradhan ji.” When asked why, they said, “It feels better this way.”
Wherever I go in Ballia, people express their opinion boldly. People sit together at intersections and tea shops and hold heated debates but complete with a lot of wit and laughter.
While moving from Ballia towards Buxar, we came across a young man belonging to the Nishad community, selling pears by the roadside near Chitbara village. According to him, “Sanatan Baba will win from the area…He had won last time also but was defeated through rigging.” He added that this time people will make up for it. He hinted that while the BJP has a large vote share in the Nishad community, people might just vote for change.
A political expert on the banks of Ganga
A little ahead in Bairiya village, we found people discussing the elections at a tea stall on the roadside.
The discussion revolved around former minister Narad Rai who joined the BJP from Samajwadi Party two days ago. In the next one hour, the discussion had shifted from Ballia to the Ghazipur, Ghosi and Buxar seats, an assessment of the election situation, unemployment, inflation, democracy, constitution and the electoral positions of different communities.
The people sitting here hailed from Bhumihar, Dalit, and Yadav groups. The tea shop owner said he was a Vaishya. One Shailendra Rai said, “He belongs to the same caste as Modi but Modi helps Adani instead of his poverty stricken fellow caste members.”
At the centre of this gathering was one Shashi Shekhar Rai who spoke with the tone of a political expert, replete with idioms which left people in splits. As soon as a young man sitting here said, ‘Narada Rai became a turncoat, what can one say about the rest?’ Rai commented like an expert, “For seven days he campaigned for the cycle (SP). Now, he will seek votes for the lotus (BJP) for three days. The BJP will deploy him in a Bhumihar village.”
Babatar village. Photo: Manoj Singh
According to Shailendra Rai’s analysis, Narad Rai had been trying to join the BJP for a month. He has joined it under pressure and not willingly, he said.
Meanwhile, Verma arrived on a bicycle and Shailendra Rai asked for his comment. Verma jibed, “With Narad Rai joining (the BJP), everyone will pick the lotus flower. If you have so much hold over the Bhumihars, why did you lose the election?”
Soon, the discussion turned towards the seats around Ballia. “There is a tough fight in Buxar too. Prashant Kishor has given a great candidate. He has left his job as an IPS and is contesting the elections. He is going to hurt the BJP,” said Shailendra Rai.
Shashi Shekhar Rai commented on the election situation of Ghosi. Regarding the SP candidate of Ghosi, he said, “He might find a way out but without the blessings of the Ansari family it would be difficult to win.” On the BJP candidate from Ghazipur, Paras Rai, he said, “He is a businessman specialising in education.” Regarding Ballia seat, Shashi Shekhar Rai said, ‘ ‘Sanatan Baba is a very noble man. He would have won last time but he was beaten up and his car was attacked. He was made to lose. I will vote for him, but my family members will vote for the lotus flower.’
As I started to leave, he said, “We are sitting on the banks of Ganga. See, what a nice breeze is blowing. Have another cup of tea. This same breeze from the banks of Ganga goes to Lucknow and Delhi. Rebellious Ballia has seen change. Things have changed everywhere.”
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections there was a tough fight between SP candidate Santan Pandey and BJP candidate Virendra Singh Mast. Sanatan Pandey lost by 15,519 votes. After the defeat, he alleged malpractice during the vote counting.
In this election, BJP has cut off Virendra Singh Mast and given a ticket to Neeraj Shekhar, son of former prime minister Chandrashekhar. Neeraj Shekhar contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections on an SP ticket. He lost to BJP candidate Bharat Singh by 139,434 votes. Later Neeraj Shekhar joined the BJP and became a Rajya Sabha member.
The next topic of discussion was EVMs and Shashi Shekhar Rai commented, “It is not right that we press the button for cycle and our vote goes to lotus.” Elderly Ram Samujh Chowdhary joined the discussion and said, “This cannot happen. The Supreme Court is keeping an eye on it. I listened to the BBC London news on the radio. They are right.”
Veer Kunwar Singh Chowk in Ballia. Photo: Manoj Singh.
Shiv Shankar Ram, who was quiet for a long time in the discussion, intervened and said, ‘There are 3,000 votes in our village. Our community has more than 800 votes. They vote for the elephant (BSP), but some people are confused. They are wondering how to defeat the BJP. If they stay with the elephant will they be able to do so, or should they vote for someone else? One thing is for sure. Our votes are going to matter a lot.”
Dalit voters, especially Jatavs, seem to be divided in this election. Many Dalits like Shiv Shankar Ram are talking about voting to defeat the BJP, while many others are talking about staying with the elephant regardless of victory or defeat. This confusion of Dalit voters was seen everywhere.
Near Babatar village, the statue of 1942 martyr Shiv Dahin Rajbhar was seen on the roadside. Surendra Ram and Vikrama Ram of Dalit Basti, sitting across the road, said that every year a big event is held here on August 30. Leaders make big promises but nothing actually happens. Mishra, who runs a dispensary in the village, said that the name of martyr Shiv Dahin Rajbhar could not go beyond the district.
Surendra Ram and Vikrama Ram. Photo: Manoj Singh.
Mishra assessed that there is a fifty-fifty fight in Ballia. The situation is the same in Buxar but the BJP will win on both the places, he said. He also said that independent candidate Anand Mishra is going to make a dent in the BJP’s vote-share in Buxar.
People of Kadaunja Tola of Babatar village are affected by the erosion of river Ganga. People have been displaced repeatedly. Vikrama Ram said, “It is a dilapidated village. It has collapsed four times. There is no help from the government. The fields are filled with sand. We can only grow lentil and gram.”
Surendra Ram and Vikrama Ram clearly said that they support the BSP. “We are the elephant-wallahs,” said Surendra. “We are going to stay with the elephant whether it wins or loses. One more thing. We are not under anyone’s pressure nor could anyone exert any pressure on us. Our organisation is strong.”
An elderly Dalit man I met on the canal track in Gangauli, the village of Dr Rahi Masoom Raza who wrote famous novels like Aadha Gaon, Topi Shukla and Neem Ka Ped, said something similar as Surendra Ram. “We do not know who is the candidate fielded by the elephant (BSP). We will stay loyal and will not waver here or there.”
‘What is behind the gamchha?’
At the crossing of Ujiarpur, we found 7-8 people wearing saffron and white gamchha at the tea stall. Flustered by the heat, the shopkeeper had gone home and the people sitting there were busy discussing the elections. On seeing me, one of them wearing a saffron gamchha got up to leave saying, “Carry on. Modi has done a lot of work. The BJP is winning in Ballia.”
Another person said, ‘Don’t worry about him. Sanatan Baba is winning from here.’
Another man wearing a white scarf said, ‘Every candidate in our village is going to get votes, even if it means five votes. But I will say one thing. Stay with the colour of gamchha you are wearing. Stay with the candidate with all your heart.’
Pointing towards a youth wearing a saffron scarf, he said, “He has come from BSP to BJP. Can anyone tell me where he lives? He saw that I have a white scarf and do not belong to any party. My vote is for the bicycle. ‘
On this, the young man named Jai Prakash Ram replied, “I joined the BJP in 2022. The person sitting with us is the sector president of BSP.” Giving the vote figures of the entire village, he said, “The BJP is going to be ousted from here.” Another person commented, ‘What are you talking about? The BSP has been split into two this time. “
Jai Prakash Ram and people sitting with him in Ujiarpur. Photo: Manoj Singh
The one wearing the white scarf once again commented on the significance of the colour of scarf. Just then a person from behind remarked, “This time 42° joins 48° and becomes double.”
When we said we did not understand the remark, he explained, “48° is the temperature and 42° is the new brand. Do you understand it now?”
Gazipur Lok Sabha constituency starts from beyond Katha Mod. Ballia Lok Sabha constituency includes two assembly constituencies of Ghazipur district – Mohammadabad and Zahoorabad. On one side of the road Kata Mod falls under Ballia Lok Sabha constituency and on the other side of the road the villages and towns come under Ghazipur Lok Sabha constituency.
Among the people sitting at the tea stall at Katha Mod, one person was reading a newspaper while the other was eating samosas. Right then a chubby man wearing dark glasses began a discussion saying, “You people say that Modi has not done any work. See how much fresh radish is available in this season. Fresh nenua is available for Rs 20. All this is because of Modi.”
Hearing this, the person reading the newspaper quipped, “All this radish and nenua is being distributed by Modi. Read the newspaper! His excellency is visiting temples ‘
The person wearing glasses got irritated and said, “Why does it bother you if he is doing puja?”
The person reading the newspaper replied, “Why shouldn’t I be bothered? What is the use of coming here from Kashmir during elections? Were there no temples there that he came to Ghazipur? He is insulting the post.”
The person eating samosas retorted, “Sinha ji what wrong is he doing? Should he not even visit a temple?”
A tall elderly man wearing dhoti kurta entered. Everyone welcomed him by saying ‘Jai socialism’. The man with glasses also teases him – ’57 parties are out to defeat Modi’. The person reading the newspaper quickly answered, ‘So is the BJP fighting alone? Count the parties supporting it too. ‘
The man wearing glasses then started praising Manoj Sinha, “He is not asking for votes for his son and daughter. Had an unknown person been handed the ticket, it would create trouble for you.”
The samosa seller came out in support of the man wearing glasses, “Sinha ji came to perform havan to pull out the nail. This time the nail should be pulled out and inserted again.”
The person reading the newspaper now made the debate decisive and said- ‘In this election, Ghazipur will remain at its place, Ballia will change. Pandit ji has come to Ballia. ‘
He got up, shouted “Jai Samajwadi,” and punched the table.
When asked what will happen in Ghazipur, he replied, “So many ministers visit here. God knows what will happen.”
Translated from the Hindi original by Naushin Rehman.
