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‘In UP, farmers are being robbed’
By the time Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi reached his penultimate stop in the four-day padyatra, which started from Bhatta-Parsaul on Tuesday, the skies had opened.
By the time Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi reached his penultimate stop in the four-day padyatra, which started from Bhatta-Parsaul on Tuesday, the skies had opened.
Gandhi was drenched as he covered the last lap from Katheliya to Bajna in Aligarh.
He interacted freely with villagers who narrated their complaints about their lands. Gandhi in turn assured them that under the Congress their interests would be guarded. Women who peeped from behind their veils to get a glimpse of the leader whispered: “Chhora to chokho hai (the boy is handsome)”.
Gandhi kept his message simple. He said, “What happens to someone who robs a bank?” And when the villagers chorused “jail”, he added: “Uttar Pradesh me kisano ke saath chori ho rahi hai (In Uttar Pradesh, farmers are being robbed).”
He then urged the villagers to fight “unitedly” against this “injustice”. In Sarol and Maroragarhi, where Rahul stayed the night, residents rejoiced.
“We are thankful to him for selecting our village,” said Karamveer Singh, a farmer in Sarol. He had sustained a bullet injury during the police firing in last year’s demonstration in Tappal against acquisition of farmers’ land for the Yamuna Expressway.
Meanwhile, inhabitants of nearby villages — Jirakpur, Kirpalpur and Budhawa — did not hide their disappointment at the missed opportunity.
At Jirakpur, Gandhi told villagers: “If a politician restricts himself to cities and capitals, he misses out on the real issues affecting the common man.”
Youth managers: Gandhi’s 100-km padyatra, covering about 60 villages, was managed by a team of 50 young people who have little to do with politics.
This team comprises management, engineering and medical students, and some qualified medicos as well. It was they who made arrangements for Gandhi’s trip and stays, barely 10 hours before he reached a particular village.
Kamlesh Kumar Kumar an MBA student said, “I accompany the team in all conditions except during exams.”
(With inputs from Pradeep Saxena)
