By A. Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
Nanded/Nagpur: I took a week off from work and went to Nagpur but this time I used an unusual route. First I went to Nanded and from Nanded to Nagpur via Yawatmal and then returned to Mumbai via Akola where I stayed for couple of hours to meet my friends.
During my train journey from Mumbai to Nanded I was listening to a talk of 3 young men in front of me who were discussing political situation in Parbhani. I immediately jumped into their discussion.
Me: It seems you all are volunteers of NCP?
Abhijeet: No, actually we all three work in a post office in Mumbai and are residents of Parbhani.
Me: Why do you support NCP in your constituency?
Abhijeet: We actually support Bhambade who is fighting on NCP ticket because he is young and has potential to develop Parbhani. This seat has been previously held by Shiv Shena but they have not developed our city.
Manoj : I support INC because UPA is very good towards central government employees. We cannot get the benefits which we are getting now under NDA’s governance.
Vicky : See we don’t have any fly over constructed in our city . Can a MP not sanction an order to build a fly over in last 5 years?
This group was actually voting on the ground of development and policy. Then I travelled to Nagpur by bus from Nanded. There was a college student who was sitting beside me. I started political conversation with him.
Me: Manish who is going to win election from Nanded this time?
Manish: Obviously Ashok Chavan.
Me: But there are serious allegations of corruption against him then why to vote for a corrupt man?
Manish: People in Nanded are not worried about the allegations against him but say that whatever development occurred in Nanded was done by Ashok Chavan and therefore wants to see him win from Nanded.
He got down in Yawatmal and his place was taken over by Professor Muhammad. After a while I started political discussion with him too.
Me: Sir whom do you want to see win from Yawatmal constituency?
Prof: I wish Shivajirao Moghe of INC should win.
Me: Why this is so?
Prof: I like NCP-INC because they are secular and work for every section of the society. If BJP comes to power then it would be like majority people governing minority people who do not believe in secularism and have their goal to strengthen their people only.
Me: So you want to see Rahul Gandhi as PM?
Prof: Who becomes PM is not important but what is more important is secular people govern this country so that minority people do not feel their security compromised.
Me: So security and secularism are two main reasons for not voting BJP?
Prof: Policy of BJP is also not good towards minority. Being a professor in Engineering College, I see that every Year State and central government send yearly fees for SC, ST and Muslims candidates under Pradhan Mantri 15 point scholarship scheme. This scheme is not implemented in Gujarat and Goa because BJP is against this scheme. Then how come marginalized people change their educational and economical status?
Then I reached Nagpur bus station. Now I wanted to talk with ground level people who toil hard every day to earn bread and butter for their family. Therefore I caught hold of a rikshaw puller Ramzan Khan and asked him to drop me to Muminpura and started political conversation:
Me: Ramzan bhai whom you voted for this election?
Ramzan: This time I have voted not for the victory of a candidate but to defeat Narendra Modi.
Me: Why?
Ramzan: Because RSS wants Muslims not to eat meat and hence wish to ban slaughtering of animals. Modi is a well-known follower of RSS ideology. I fear that if he becomes PM then we Muslims won’t be able to eat meat as he would ban slaughtering and selling of animals meat.
Me: Is this only reason for not letting Modi become PM? Open up I am just a journalist?
Ramzan: There are many reasons. Foremost is our security. We fear for our security because we have seen blood of our brothers, sisters and children on the streets of Gujarat in 2002 when Modi was its CM.
Me: But he has been given clean chit by Supreme Court and he has been declared innocent?
Ramzan: Bhai, Our judicial system is not full proof and hence cannot be always believed. Raja is supposed to protect life and property of his praja. If Praja suffers under the administration of Raja then who is responsible for their suffering?
Me: But Modi is claiming that if he becomes PM then he will remove poverty?
Ramzan: How is that possible? Will he buy me an auto if he becomes PM? There are thousands of rikshaw pullers like me in Maharashtra alone.
Me: Narendra Modi talks of only development in his talks and has not spoken any communal word ever since he has been declared PM candidate by BJP.
Ramzan: It’s not that. He is actually speaking communal words by the mouth of his accomplices who are urging Hindus to expel Muslims from their locality and some saying that they shall throw Muslims to Pakistan.
Then I left Rikshaw and after a little breakfast caught an auto which was driven by Ramesh who was sporting a saffron maflar tied to his head. I asked him to drop me to Sadar area of Nagpur and during that journey started to quiz him:
Me: Ramesh, do you think Gadkari will win from Nagpur?
Ramesh: He should win. We have voted for him.
Me: But he is accused of corruption then why to elect him?
Ramesh: That does not matter much. We voted actually to let Modi become PM.
Me: Why do you like Narendra Modi?
Ramesh: I like his speech. He speaks aggressively with confidence.
Me: Only because he is a good orator will you make him PM? Come on tell me the real reason?
Ramesh: Actually I believe him to be the strongest Hindu politician in India and I feel connected to him due to our common religion.
Then I stayed there for some days and started return journey and went to Akola. In the evening we went market and were having cold drink and I saw photo of Rahul Gandhi and former President Pratibha Patil hanging on wall. My curiosity increased and while paying the bill I questioned the person at counter:
Me: It looks that you are a fan of Rahul Gandhi. Who is going to win from your constituency this time?
Shiv Patil : INC candidate Hidayat Patel. I have voted for him.
Me: He is a Muslim then why to vote for a Muslim?
Shiv Patil : It is not a question of religion. He is the candidate of INC and elections are actually about thinking and policies of a party. INC is a secular parties and I wish to see such party in centre.
I was quite impressed by the answer of Shiv Patil. Then I meet my friend Swapnil at a hotel who is an accountant and had a brief political discussion while having dinner:
Me: Present seating MP of BJP Dhotre has not developed your city. Whom you voted this time?
Swapnil: I know Dhotre has not done well to Akola but to let Modi become PM I have again voted for Dhotre.
Me : Just to see Modi as PM you are again electing a non working MP who would again not develop your city.
Swapnil : That’s true. But I did not want to waste my vote by voting a person who would not be elected.
Me: Who told you that BJP will in your constituency?
Swapnil : Don’t you watch TV. Its Modi wave in the country.
Me : But Modi is a communal person and has bad track record against minority.
Swapnil : That does not matter because I come under open category and for me BJP and INC both are same as far as opportunities are concerned.
I then boarded the train back for Mumbai from Akola station. During my return journey I was contemplating as to how people have their own criteria for voting. Some vote on the ground of policy & development while some on religion, some wish development of all sections of society while some are flowing in the electronic media created Modi wave. Let us see who actually win over public opinions on 16th May.