By Salman Sultan, TwoCircles.net
Azamgarh: ‘if Sefai(Etawah) is my home, Azamgarh is my heart-beat’ thus says ‘Dharti-Putr’ Mulayam Singh: a farmer, primary school teacher and heir to Lohia’s socialist ideology. On the eve of Samajwadi Party’s massive rally on ITI grounds in Azamgarh, the scene, however, reflects the ugly face of corporate India with newly laid heli-paid, four AC outlets on stage, giant hoardings, special sound system(contractor from Delhi), freshly laid roads, a massive carpeted pandal with comfortable seating arrangement for expected scores of gullible masses suffering unprecedented price rise for essentials, representative of reel commercial Bollywood world and deployment of security forces from across the districts of one of the biggest yet poorest state.
will Jyotarma a landless realize her power to change destiny of this great country?
All efforts from Seshan to Lyngdoh to reform electoral process relegated to the archives of Election Commission thus justifying the emergence of AAP and the deep anguish of Arvind Kejriwal and heart-felt desire of real ‘Desh Bhakts’; the ‘Aam Admi’ for our own ‘Tahrir Square’ to teach lesson to ‘Brown Sahibs’ can easily be felt on the grim faces of regular morning walkers/joggers in the transformed beyond recognition ITI grounds. Casual inquiries reveal gratefulness to the apex court for providing the Lyngdoh’s recommended button ‘vote to none’ in the EVM’s. Realization of ultimate power in their hands, Indian voters will wake up today (29th) from six decades of deep slumber to the reality of Lincoln’s dictum ‘government of the people, for the people and by the people’.
With martyred Khalid Mujahid’s custodial demise, two years old Nimesh Commission’s certificate of innocence to a languishing Tariq Qasmi still waiting execution steps, recent tacit agreement for ‘divide and rule’ among political parties across the spectrum witnessed in Muzaffarnagar can now be sensed in the hearts of naïve Indian masses seeped in the traditions of age old communal amity, clinging to the ‘Secular Fabric’, in particular, among the villages of India.
Finally one is hopeful of witnessing an emergent India shedding the synthetic fabric which differentiates them unnaturally into ‘Hindus, Muslims, Dalits, Sikhs, Crristians, etc’. Is Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s (Churchil’s ‘half-naked Fakir’) shedding of upper garment just donning simple loin clothes in respect to naked hungry masses finally paying dividends?
ACs on stage for keep cooling Dharti-Putr and his bicycle-riding son
29th early morning visit to the arena is testimony to the futility of polite request to Ministers of State (from Azamgarh) for removing at least ACs from the stage. They are helpless to change CMs protocol. Which CM? the one who toured the state on bicycle in the heat and dust? Persistent inquiry at the venue and even talk to Cabinet Minister’s nephew at his residence (minister was taking bath and subsequent ‘Pooja’ prior to the day long activity) failed to find out the officer responsible for Protocol.
Our country seems to be at an important cross road and the million rupee question ‘Will the Junta be again victim of rhetoric and hypocrisy?’
Surprisingly scores of security personnel have been left to fill their belly on their own. Of course, they are being paid TA/DA. Have someone got the sense to realize as to where they will find edibles or they are being treated as pariah dogs in the service of ‘Brown Sahibs’ to fend for themselves?
Security personnel from across the districts, as far as ‘Chitrakoot’ have been left to frantically inquire for ‘Mangal Singh ka Chak and Bagia’: their duty post. This correspondent’s concern for upholding age old traditions of famous Bhartiya hospitality finally yields result through phone call to SHO kotwali and my younger brother in the ‘service of nation’ is pleased. Was it his responsibility to find his place of duty on poorly informed card when poor correspondent like me living from time immemorial in the region and scores of other inhabitants failed to recognize the name?
Will India awakened at the ‘stroke of midnight’ respond to Nehru’s keen observation of this beautiful country after six days? Will Junta realize its strength and the ultimate power in its hands providentially given through a wonderful constitution by the architect ‘Dr. Ambedkar?
Let us wait and watch and sincerely pray to the almighty.
May Allah save this great country and keep intact its ‘unity in diversity’.
More photos:
Freshly-laid road
newly-built and guarded helipad
Leaving no doubt for a clear message to “aam janta”
The stage all set to welcome Kisan-teacher and his son
Decoration to please eyes of the PM aspirant