Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi went on a night safari in the dalit and tribal areas reviewing progress of Self Help Groups (SHGs) constituted in villages in this backward Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh.
But his visit brought the demand of a separate Bundelkhand state to the fore. As he reached dalit dominated Ghisauli village about 40 km south from here a group of volunteers of Bundelkhand Mukti Morcha greeted Rahul with slogans demanding a separate state comprising seven districts of Bundelkhand. "Jai Bundelhand and we want a separate Bundelkhand," were the slogans they raised as Rahul's cavalcade reached here at about 4.15 PM.
Rahul however had a glance at them and went straight to the village panchayat office where about 80 women from the self help groups had assembled for an interactive session with him. So far about 18 self help groups have been formed in this village.
This was Rahul's first visit to the village after April 17, 2008 when he had stopped at houses of some dalits and had urged the villagers to reach Jhansi on next day. Rahul had then submitted a memorandum to the Divisional Commissioner Jhansi highlighting problems of farmers and labourers.
This time Rahul limited his interaction with the SHG's. Rahul started his tour from this village and gave villagers some lessons on how to get job under NREGA. "If you go alone you may not be heard. So go there in a group and you will be heard. If you don't get job you will get unemployment allowance under NREGA," said Rahul when some women pointed out how they were being denied job under the NREGA. "Rahul asked us to work unitedly," said Savitri (35) a resident of Ghisauli. He asked us not to allow others to take advantage and fight for rights, she said.
{{/usCountry}}This time Rahul limited his interaction with the SHG's. Rahul started his tour from this village and gave villagers some lessons on how to get job under NREGA. "If you go alone you may not be heard. So go there in a group and you will be heard. If you don't get job you will get unemployment allowance under NREGA," said Rahul when some women pointed out how they were being denied job under the NREGA. "Rahul asked us to work unitedly," said Savitri (35) a resident of Ghisauli. He asked us not to allow others to take advantage and fight for rights, she said.
{{/usCountry}}After Ghisauli Rahul went to Baghora village of "saharia" tribes took part in the evening prayers of the self-help group and gave them some lessons on how to work as a group and get job under the NREGA. At Baghora tribals welcomed Rahul with a 'tilak' on his forehead. Rahul told the villagers that 'G' in the NREGA stood for guarantee for employment to the villagers. Later Rahul went to Guwavli and met the villagers there. He was in the village at the time of filing of this report.
This was also Rahul's first visit to this region after the Lok Sabha elections. So a large number of Congressmen waited for him on his route. But Rahul just stopped for a while or waived them and went ahead. Rahul didn't take the local Congress leaders including Union Minister of State for Rural Development Pradeep Jain Aditya with him as he toured the area. On way from Jhansi Rahul stopped for a while at Babina to meet the people and Congressmen who had assembled on roadside there.