The Hindu : New Delhi News : A glimpse of rural India at Ramlila Grounds

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Monday, Mar 10, 2008
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A glimpse of rural India at Ramlila Grounds

Kunal Diwan

Participants of all ages united in a show of party solidarity

— Photo: S. Subramanium

FOR A COMMON CAUSE: Women from Haryana gather for the ’Dhanyavad - Abhinandan’ rally at the Ramlila Grounds in New Delhi on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: Symbols of the Congress tradition — Gandhi cap, Nehru jacket and the party’s “hand” symbol — were all over the Ramlila Grounds as thousands of farmers, labourers and supporters converged here on Sunday to hear the top brass of the Congress for the first time since the farm loan waiver scheme was announced in the budget.

A predominantly agrarian congregation, most participants had arrived by trucks from their districts early in the morning.

In its first large-scale attempt to display public approval of the recent budgetary proposals, the Congress massed supporters from Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

Stopping to splurge on slices of coconut and the ubiquitous “aloo-poori” served on leaf plates, the crowd comprised an exhaustive cross-section of rural India with participants of all ages uniting in a show of party solidarity.

Accompanied by hundreds of fellow villagers, Hasan Khan of Sadain Block in Haryana took a moment off biting into a bright orange popsicle and said: “The loan waiver is a sound decision. I have a debt of around Rs.20,000; the government’s announcement has spelt relief for thousand of affected farmers like me.”

Excitement

Wearing pink turbans and pounding drums, several youngsters danced their way into the grounds. After the usual spiel on “Sonia Ji” and “Rahul Ji” and “Manmohan Ji,” they revealed their excitement at finally getting a chance to visit the Capital.

“It is not easy for us to visit Delhi even if we desire. I want to see all the landmarks of the city after the rally is over,” said a young man, who was waving flags. “And, of course, the farmer loan waiver is a monumental achievement,” he promptly interjected as an acquaintance looked at him reproachfully.

Virender Sangwan from Rohtak welcomed the government’s farmer-oriented policies. “Over 2,000 villagers from my district have arrived here to express gratitude for the loan waiver.

“The Congress is sure to do well in the Lok Sabha polls whenever they take place,” he added.

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