Poll rambling...2009:
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(Varanasi,Azamgarh, Gorakhpur, Ayodhya (UP) & Rajkot, Surendra Nagar, Junagarh, Porbandar & Bhavnagar (Gujarat))
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“ They just want a spectacle and a story..” is a wry comment from a high profile Lok Sabha candidate and political leader about the voters in India. Indian voters are ostensibly praised by political leaders but seldom genuinely empathized with . Once the cyclical polls end, the ubiquitous “Namaste politician” escapes from the dust and grime of “kaccha-Pakka roads” and retreats to victory in his salubrious surroundings. “Jai ho” !

I am in Varanasi in the eastern Uttar Pradesh to cover the first phase of polling, due on April 16/09 and staying in a hotel on the Lahura Bir road which is couple of kms away from the place where “Sant Kabir” once lived, penned and sang what we know now as “Kabir Vani”. Almost each corner , road and street in the ancient city is laced with history. But that is a different story. People are now grappling with the titanic fight between a former Professor Murli Manohar Joshi, a BJP candidate, and mafia don- turned-BSP candidate Mokhtar Abbas Ansari, controlling his election from his jail premises. Mayawati’s rally is scheduled in ‘Benia Park” under a hot summer sun. Charted buses ferrying people to the venue. “ They are not local, brought from outside”, comes a pithy comment from one in cyber café. There will not be any power cut today as Mayawati is in town, I am assured. But that was an over simplification.

Power cut visits Lahura Bir – the desktop winks and the body of the story typed for past one hour vanishes, leaving only its “Atma” with me. I carry on with it in another cyber café with back up facilities.

Another sweltering day passes and evening progresses with “Paan chewing” inhabitants emerge out on the roads. There is little sign of electioneering and
Life close to Ganga river and the innumerable Ghats dotting it continues uninterrupted .
A silently sobbing old woman with bandages around her head. “ Sara saman chala gaya…” (Everything stolen) , she says and mumbles. Accepts some money. Within minutes she is gone.

A city where centuries co-exist has seen much more than a passing election contest.

Road to Azamgarh is a well mettled road. Azamgarh has been intellectually fertile producing many creative people including writers and poets Ayodhya Prasad ‘Hari Oudh’ Rahul Sanshkrityayan Shyam Narian Pandey Laxmi Narain Misra, Soond Faizabadi, Allama Shibli Nomani and Kaifi Azmi . The Muslims in the area are apprehensive of publicity given by “Batala-terrorist encounter” to Azamgarh as “ a terror breeding ground”. One interacts with Abu Mohammad, Principal of “Sibili-Inter-college”. He talks about the progressive ideas of the founder Nomani “who encouraged girl education” over hundred years ago. Meandering through Azamgarh streets, I recollect Anand Khuswaha, a native of Azamgarh, who left the town over 30 years ago “to discover” .. ..
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A number of medical doctors are campaigning for the Ulema council candidate Dr Javed Akhtar in Deoli village (in Azamgarh) known for silk saris. Doctors offer me cane juice to beat the oppressive Sun. It is a door-to-door electioneering with campaign cars making a whistle stop tour and meandering through “Kaccha lanes”. Time is short and candidate has to catch up with many areas. A police guard is keeping a watch on the candidate as the news floats in that the candidate of Justice Party in the adjacent Jaunpur constituency has been killed.

Time is running out and one takes the road to Gorakhpur. Barring a lone jeep draped with candidate’s picture with a speaker blaring out usual sing-song messages , any signs of electioneering are almost lost in the routine road traffic. But as I enter Gorakhpur at about 830 PM, road side rallies are on with Bhojpuri song and dance progressing through the night. Close to Gorakhpur is Chauri-Chaura - a village where on 4 February 1922 a nationalist mob set afire a police station killing 23 of the police occupants , forcing Mahatma Gandhi suspending his non-cooperation movement. Famous Hindi writer Prem Chand wrote “Idgah” near Gorakhpur Railway station. The district is now infamous for Japanese encephalitis and gall bladder stones . I make a hurried visit to “Gita Prakashan” building which has a record for publishing the largest number of religious books.

Journalistic job entails talking to people and eliciting their views. Most of time it is skin deep- extracting a quote or two and fitting them in a type case.I am talking with Dr Moh. Arif Farooqi, an orthopedic, who is visiting me at my hotel. I enquire about the Muslim-mind-set, their voting preferences etc. Farooqi did his MBBS from King George Medical college in Allahabad. Educated in a Madrasa in Mau from the first standards to third standards, the doctor tells in bits and pieces .

“ This Madrasa was unaided but regulated by the government. One can get education in government school and college by showing Transfer certificate from Madrasa. I went to government school from 4th to 5th. From 6th to 7th studied in “Jeevan Ram Inter-college at Mau. In Ninth I was in Muslim Inter-college , Mau and for 10th class I went to village “Tarun Inter college. There was no Biology so I shifted to “Shaheed Inter-college” .

He speaks in defence of Madrasa education. “ Madrasa is a kind of refuse- food, education and shelter”, he says and seeks to protest against the image “rendered” to Madrasa education. Most Madrasas have English and scientific education. Are you a ‘a Namazi’ ? I ask. “ Yes, I am a Namazi. I was a communist and an atheist in my college days. I changed after I studied Islam”, he informs me in a matter of fact manner. What does Islam say about vegetarianism ? , one odd query from my side “ I myself do not prefer meat unless ….”, Dr Farooqi tells me and invites me to ask any question on Islam.
He is gone. I have many questions but have to move on to the next station.

Ayodhya is in Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency with the controversial legacy of disputed Mandir-Majid site. All is calm here with “karyashala” (workshop) where parts of the proposed temple are kept, is lying idle. Ram temple is not an election agenda in the heart of Ramjnmbhoomi movement !. Times have changed. I meet a sub-inspector in “karsevakpuram” (where a model of the proposed temple is kept). He abuses Rikshaw puller (taking me round the city) for not taking me first to “karyashala” . The sub-inspector is in leisurely mood and offers cold drink to me and talks about his family problems. A visit to the disputed “Mandir-Majid” site is a must. A young lad takes me round and gives me his version of the old and the recent history of the dispute. He is a school drop out. His Father died of cancer so he has taken a full time profession of a guide. He has a brother who , he says, is mentally challenged.

Despite occupying an important place in the political schemes of many a politicians, train “Kaifiyat Express” from Azamgarh to New Delhi stops here only for two-minutes with palpable uncertainty about platform number. Would it come on platform number one or two ? There are no easy answers. One of the station officer confides : if the engine continues to shunt on platform no. 1 than the “Kaifiyat Express” would arrive at platform no. 2 but if it moves away in time , the train may enter platform no.1. What is life without challenges ? I gear up for the task and manage to board it in time.

April 23/09. I am flying to Saurashtra in Gujarat to get a feel of “Modidtva”. Rajkot is land of Goldsmiths as also a production centre of automobile parts (say Nano parts). Auto-driver, a Muslim, takes me to a hotel and talks about “dandho” (business) and development. He is a congress voter but is averse to criticize Modi Just bang opposite my hotel on the Ashapura road is an old school building where Mahatama Gandhi once studied.

Close to Municipality Chowk is historic Karanpara Chowk . BJP has organized a road show in support of their candidate Kiran Bhai Patel. “ He has done well in education”, says Piush kumar, a BJP worker, and reels off the educational institutions owned by Patel. Rajkot is a BJP stronghold and the party is confident of a win (The BJP eventually lost). In the evenings the Rajkot middle-class gathers round the Race Course park and stadium for an evening relaxation. Ice-creams, spicy and oily Gujarati food, `masala Paan` and the routine night walk and talk go hand-in-hand . Life is not interrupted by “Chutni Mahasangram” (election battle).

Narendra Modi seems to be popular leader credited with “can-do” spirit. Roads are fine and there are rare power cuts. But These are the impressions of a fast-track visitor.

I am on my way to Surendra Nagagar where I meet one of the richest LS candidate Khiji Bhai Patadia, an independent candidate. He has a documentary film about himself where he is promising free housing although he himself is a big Mumbai realtor. In A hotel room, he is interacting with many locals. Prior to my meeting with him, he is offering currency notes to one of the person-identified as a headman of a village. Minutes later, I start my interview with him. “ I don not know these people. They have come for my campaigning on their own”, he tells me and reels off his plan of development….. He is not doing or saying anything unexpected. So am I.

Like several other historical buildings , Junagarh fort in the city heights takes you back in time. Leader of opposition L K Advani is fond of talking about the last of the Junagarh Nawab who had “a special affection” towards dogs. “ He would even celebrate birth-days of his dogs”, the BJP leader is often quoted saying so jocularly in his public addresses while touching the topic of unification of princely states within India. Well, one can not find fault with Nawab’s behaviour. Dogs have, time and again , proved themselves to be far better then their masters . Saint poet Narsimh Mehta’s statue is standing under the punishing afternoon Sun. Drive down to Porbandar.

Cutting short visits to “Chutni party offices” , I move to Kirti Mandir- Mahatma Gandhi’s birth place and the home which was purchased in 1777 AD by his Great Grand father Harjivanji Radhidasji Gandhi form local lady Man Bhavi. Gandhiji’s grand father Uttamchodji carried out some changes and mad it two storey buildings . Gandhiji was born on October 2, 1869. Now it is three storey building with 22 rooms. It is all written their. Old time architecture. Wooden staircase takes one up with a rope to help. Several Small rooms and one more staircase and a rope to help. Study room of Gandhiji-it opens out ..well ventilated. It was 119 years ago. Few minutes eye and feet contact with the Arabian sea and one drives back to Rajkot.

Another day, am on way to Bhavnagar where lakhs of Diamond workers have been rendered unemployed by the recession in the Europe and the US. Belgium is one of the key buyers of polished diamonds from Bhavnagar. Diamonds are not for ever.

The election festival has seemingly gained only a furtive , half-baked or at best a business-like attention from the City dwellers. Driving through Surendra Nagar, Junagarh, Bhavnagar or Porbandar, one had a feeling that the cyclical election drill has not carried much conviction with the voters.



After all just 58.43 per cent India voted and almost a half stayed back home.

The election campaign, in fact, is seen to be happening more on the freshly done-up television sets and studios with the high decibel anchors hammering on celebrity campaigners be they Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Amar Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Mahima Choudhray ,Salman Khan and many of those from televisions and regional cinema. And now they all taken have a long and “a well-deserved holiday break”. It may again be “a five-year break” for the politicians before they return “to another spectacle and a story”…

Post script (16/05/09) : Congress-led UPA has won Indian elections. Council of ministers is in place. And team Manmohan gets down to “business”. jai ho. eom

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