SHRAVASTI/LUCKNOW: One of the most visible faces in India — of a dimpled Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi — nearly went unrecognized in a Dalit hamlet in Shravasti, UP, late on Wednesday evening. Rahul had arrived around 8.30pm, during his ''secret'' visit to the remote district.
''Do you know who's he?'' asked someone from Rahul's entourage of the villagers. From a group of about a score of adults, none had an idea. ''We hadn't seen or heard of him,'' said Patiram, a landless farm-hand from Majra Tilhar, sheepishly. It was Nankoo, a nine-year-old kid, who ventured: ''I saw him on TV in Punjab when I went there with my father who worked there. Yeh Rahul Gandhi hain.'' The Gandhi scion smiled and said he indeed was.
Early Thursday morning, as the fair figure in a white towel stood near a handpump with a 'vardiwalla' operating it, more people learned that Indira Gandhi's grandson, who had spent the night in the house of gram pradhan Chhedi Pasi, was bathing.
The mystery appearance of Rahul in Tilhar led to much commotion in a cluster of 15-20 houses. A day before, two men had driven down the 'basti' claiming to be working for 'Bharat sarkar'.
''They took down our names, discussed our problems and left, saying they would be back with their 'bade sahib','' said Patiram.
On Wednesday, the two reappeared at 4pm. The 'sahib' was on his way and the villagers were asked to assemble to air their grievances. They rolled out mats and sat chatting with the crowd.
After Nanku had identified the visitor, the villagers had a one-and-a-half hour talk session. ''We told him about scarcity of water,'' said Nanbachcha, another villager. Rahul probed issues like education facilities for children, condition of their fields and cattle. He also asked the kids to recite math tables before retiring for the night in Chhedi's hut. ''For dinner, we served him khichdi,'' said Jalvarsha, Chhedi's mother. After his bath on Thursday morning, Rahul had a cup of tea and biscuit and left.
Early Thursday morning, as the fair figure in a white towel stood near a handpump with a 'vardiwalla' operating it, more people learned that Indira Gandhi's grandson, who had spent the night in the house of gram pradhan Chhedi Pasi, was bathing.
The mystery appearance of Rahul in Tilhar led to much commotion in a cluster of 15-20 houses. A day before, two men had driven down the 'basti' claiming to be working for 'Bharat sarkar'.
''They took down our names, discussed our problems and left, saying they would be back with their 'bade sahib','' said Patiram.
On Wednesday, the two reappeared at 4pm. The 'sahib' was on his way and the villagers were asked to assemble to air their grievances. They rolled out mats and sat chatting with the crowd.
After Nanku had identified the visitor, the villagers had a one-and-a-half hour talk session. ''We told him about scarcity of water,'' said Nanbachcha, another villager. Rahul probed issues like education facilities for children, condition of their fields and cattle. He also asked the kids to recite math tables before retiring for the night in Chhedi's hut. ''For dinner, we served him khichdi,'' said Jalvarsha, Chhedi's mother. After his bath on Thursday morning, Rahul had a cup of tea and biscuit and left.
News TimesofIndia
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