Firdaus Khan
Dumariyaganj (Uttar Pradesh). On the fourth day of his tour to Uttar Pradesh Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi took a dig at BJP by questioning the ‘India Shining’ slogan during the 2004 Parliament elections. Addressing a huge gathering at Dumariyaganj in Uttar Pradesh as a part of his campaign in the state for the upcoming assembly elections he said that the BJP failed to note the problems of the people and claimed that India was shining.
“They brought the ‘India Shining’ slogan because their leaders do not go to people, do not mingle with them and do not share their meals. As a result they could not understand the poor state of affairs in the villages and thought that India was shining. Some senior leaders without trying to ascertain the actual situation; sitting inside TV studios and declared that India is shining. But that is not the truth. What is shining then? It was their houses, their vehicles that were shining but the poor people continued to struggle,” he added.
 He categorically stated that that India cannot be shinning till the day there is no poor person in the country.  He underlined that the Congress is committed to work for the poor, dalits, adivasis and underprivileged by stating the Congress slogan – a government of aam aadmi, a government for development. 
Elaborating on MGNREGA the flagship programme of the UPA he said that the UPA Government brought in the biggest employment generation scheme called MGNREGA for the benefit of the poor. All the states welcomed this policy and implemented it at their places. You got to Andhra Pradesh or Kerala you can experience that. Expressing his concern about UP he remarked, “but you visit the villages in Uttar Pradesh and ask the people regarding MGNREGA. They would admit that they are not getting the job cards properly. Even if they get the job cards the pradhans keep those. The funds allotted under the scheme go to the pockets of ministers and authorities. People allege that the BSP leaders who had not even a single house now own many houses.”
Once again pointing fingers to Mayawati he said, “state Chief Minister says that there is no benefit by this scheme for the state of UP.  She said that publically in Lucknow during a public meeting in 2007. She may feel that the people of UP do not require such a welfare policy because she does not go to people or bothers to listen to their problems. She sees the world from the helicopter. Then how can she understand your problems? The real beneficiaries of the MGNREGA scheme in UP are the ministers, contractors and authorities as the money sent by the centre go to their pockets.”
Referring the farmers’ issues Congress General Secretary said, “Congress Governments realises the strength of the farmers and also their difficulties. To mitigate their problems UPA Government waived off loan worth Rs 60,000 crore as a big relief to the struggling farmers.”
He then took on the BSP Government and said, “ but the farmers in Uttar Pradesh could not avail the benefit properly. Instead BSP Government grabbed the poor farmers’ land forcibly without paying proper compensation and sold it to the builders. In Tappal and Bhatta-Parsaul farmers were assaulted by the BSP Government. Police fired at the agitating farmers when they were fighting against the wrong and forceful land acquisition. When the farmers asked for the adequate compensation for their own land the Government authorities called them Naxals.  No one from either BSP or SP took pain to go there. But I went there, listened to them and understood their problems. I undertook a padayatra. The Congress led government at the Centre is in the process of bringing a new Land Acquisition Bill. But some parties have been opposing it behind closed doors of the Parliament. Who is the loser? It is the common man, poor farmers and villagers are the losers.  But we will not let it happen. We will bring the bill” said Rahul Gandhi amidst loud applauds.
Informing the crowd about the relief package for the bunkars Rahul Gandhi said, “Some of the bunkars came to me and told me their problems. I conveyed it to the Union Government. The government has designed a relief package for the bunkars. But some of the delegates of the bunkars came to me again and said that if the scheme is implemented through the state run Society the money will not reach them. So we changed the entire package and made such a scheme that the money would directly reach the bunkar’s bank account.”
Expressing his confidence in the common man he said “I believe the people in this country have answers to every question. Every poor man wants development. Likewise in UP but your state government does not pay attention to these issues. Their voices go unheard. Till your leader comes to you, travel through your roads, stay at your house, shares meal with you and understand the reality the state cannot progress. “
“Your people go to Mumbai, Delhi and Haryana. The shining metro in Delhi was made by the labours from UP. The roads and buildings in Mumbai were built by them. Who got the benefit, the respective states. Without the people of UP Punjab would not have surged ahead in the field of agriculture,” he added.
Criticising the state government Rahul Gandhi went on saying, “in Uttar Pradesh the real problem is the government, not the people. First reason for this is that they do not come to you to know your pain. Secondly the government represents only 10% of the society and it works only for them and the funds for the rest 90% are being looted. The money is yours, the roads are yours and the schools are yours. So you should not let such things happen in your state.”
Emphasising the need for a good government Rahul Gandhi sad, “you should bring in a government that works for the entire society – all caste and religion, the poor, dalits, adivasis and the underprivileged. If such a government comes, the picture of Uttar Pradesh will also change.”
“All Congress Governments work for the poor. We send money under various schemes to UP too but that does not reach you. So bring in a Congress Government. Change UP” urged Rahul Gandhi concluding his speech.