Amidst a tight schedule on the second day of his two-day tour in poll-bound West Bengal, Union home minister Amit Shah had his Sunday lunch with a baul family in a remote Bengal village in Birbhum district.
A live performance was also organized by the family. Bauls are the mystic minstrels who live in rural Bangladesh and West Bengal. Before having lunch, Shah offered puja in a temple inside the house.
In the menu arranged by Basudeb Das and his family, there was roti, rice (cooked from the local variety of paddy) with moong daal, fried potato, brinjal and pointed gourd, palang saag curry, potato cooked with poppy seeds, chutney, payesh, papad and rasgulla dipped in jaggery.
Earlier in the day, Shah first visited Visva Bharati, set up by Rabindranath Tagore. After spending around one hour and 40 minutes, he headed for his lunch although he was running behind schedule.
“By having a simple lunch with the family of a poor villager while listening to baul songs Shah wanted to send out a message that he is very much linked to the soil of Bengal. He also wanted to send out a message that TMC’s atrocities would come to an end when BJP comes to power,” Anupam Hazra, BJP’s national secretary said.
Shah was served lunch on earthen dishes and bowls and water in an earthen glass in the courtyard of the house. Neighbours chipped in to help the eight-member family to prepare the lunch since morning amidst tight security.
{{/usCountry}}Shah was served lunch on earthen dishes and bowls and water in an earthen glass in the courtyard of the house. Neighbours chipped in to help the eight-member family to prepare the lunch since morning amidst tight security.
{{/usCountry}}The live performance organized by the baul artists included a folk song called Tomay Hrid Majhare Rakhbo Chere Debo Na, which simply means “I shall keep you in my heart and I shall never leave you”.
Top BJP leaders including state president Dilip Ghosh, national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, national vice president Mukul Roy, also had lunch with him sitting on the floor.
In the village even a 11-year-old girl could be seen playing an ektara (musical instrument) and singing folk songs, all set to welcome the Union home minister. She wanted to take a selfie with Shah and sing in front of him.