Firdaus Khan
Kasganj, Kanshiram Nagar (Uttar Pradesh). Addressing a mammoth rally at Kanshiram Nagar in Uttar Pradesh as part of the campaign for Congress All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Rahul Gandhi said that the state can be developed only if we will have a government that talks about rights of the people. Rahul Gandhi promised that a Congress Government in the state assembly will lead the state to the top again.
Congress General Secretary reminded that during the Lok Sabha elections campaign in 2004 Congress had made only single promise – a government that would work for the common man. “Political parties brought out slogans like India Shining. When those who had made the slogan were asked about its origin they said that they saw it in a television advertisement. They decided that India is shining while sitting inside their big bungalows and air conditioned cars. But in villages the reality was quite different. So while other parties made a number of hollow promises we promised a government that works for the aam aadmi, poor, dalits and adivasis. The people gave mandate by electing an aam aadmi government of the Congress. Since 2004 we have a Congress led government at the Centre,” he said taking a swipe at BJP.
He spoke at length of the various changes brought about by the Congress-led UPA government at the centre. He reminded that the Congress Government brought in the right to employment under guarantee to work through MGNREGA, the right to get information under the Right to Information, education for all under the Right of Education along with free mid-day meals as additional incentive to the children and now is in the process of legislating the Right to Food by providing food at subsidized rates for the poor. “By the food Security bill every family is assured 35 kg of food,” Rahul Gandhi said.
“We found that no jobs are available in the villages. People are forced to migrate to big cities. Rich are getting jobs but the poor in the villages got no jobs. So the first thing we did was that the implementation of MGNREGA to guarantee jobs for all. Through MGNREGA, the biggest employment generation scheme, poor are assured of jobs if they intend to work” said Rahul Gandhi. 
Slamming Mayawati for calling MGNREGA useless Rahul Gandhi remarked, “While all other states are acknowledging that MGNREGA is the most useful policy UP CM says the scheme is of no use. People in Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Assam, Rajasthan or Kerala will vouch for the benefits of the scheme. But your Chief Minister said on 9 Oct 2007 that this scheme is of no use for Uttar Pradesh. She is right in a way. The poor in the state are not getting its benefits as Mayawati, her party leaders and ministers have usurped the benefits and pocketed the funds. Mayawati’s elephant in Lucknow has consumed all the funds sent by the Centre under various schemes. Normally elephants eat leaves and grass but the magic elephant of Mayawati in Lucknow eats currency notes. MGNREGA is not a mere scheme now but is a law, is a right of the people”.
Adding further he said, “earlier only MPs or MLAs or bureaucrats were able to gather any information about the government officers or its actions. The common men did not having any right to ask for any information. But by bringing the Right to Information (RTI) Act UPA government ensured that everybody in the country is empowered to ask questions. When this was implemented a number of cases of corruption came out. A heap of concealed information could be brought out”.
Citing an example he added, “I had written personal letters to the Prime Minister on various issues. Even those letters are available through the RTI. This shows the strength of this Act”.
“By the Right to Education (RTE) policy every child is ensured of education. The mid-day-meal scheme acted as a catalyst to help the poor children to attend school regularly,” said Rahul Gandhi.
Addressing the gathering continued the Congress General Secretary, “we know that the country has been developing because of your sweat and blood. So we want to ensure that you too take pie of the development process. You contributed in the development of Delhi or Maharashtra. When the entire Delhi sleeps at night your people from Uttar Pradesh continue to work through the night in Delhi and help in its development.”
“Don’t the people of UP have the right to earn a job in their own state? Don’t they have the right to get their children educated here in UP?” he asked.
Taking a jab at the rampant corruption during Mayawati’s regime he said, “we are sending enough funds to UP under various schemes like MGNREGA, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and NRHM. But those funds are gobbled up by the elephant in Lucknow.”
“Your people go to Mumbai, Delhi, Haryana or Punjab and play a crucial role to develop those places. You made the big buildings in Mumbai. You built the shining Metro in Delhi. Your people go as far as Ladak for work. I asked people of UP I met in Ladak. They said that they had no option as there were no jobs available in UP. Your people in Maharashtra, Haryana or Delhi also will say the same thing. There is no basic infrastructure in UP. The roads here last only for three months. The money meant for the welfare is being looted here,” argued Rahul Gandhi.
Referring the 22 years non-Congress rule in the state Rahul Gandhi continued, “in UP non-Congress parties have been talking about caste and religion at the cost of welfare of poor. They cheated state in the name of god. They made Lord Ram a commodity and sold him in the market. They are least bothered about future of the state and its people. Then you preferred SP and BSP. Both of them talked about particular caste only and did not bother about the people as a whole. They did not think about your future, poverty or progress”.
Narrating his experience he said, “few months back a young Minister from England had come to India. He told me that India is developing fast. I told him that if he wants to experience the real strength of our country, come with me to the villages in Uttar Pradesh. He agreed and I took him to various villages in UP. I encouraged him to interact with the villagers. After the visits he admitted that he never witnessed such strength anywhere else in the world.”
“I come to you. I share your meals. Drink water from your well and sometimes even fall sick. I have kept on doing this for the past seven years. All because I want to know the real issues of the poor and aam aadmi,” he said amidst cheers of acknowledgement. He added, “the lessons I have learnt from you were not even taught at my schools or colleges. I studied even in America but I could not acquire this knowledge and experience there either.”
He then repeated his anguish about leaders not visiting the masses and cited one of his personal experiences. “I went to a hospital in UP where some painting and renovation works were going on. I went inside. There were no doctors, patients or nurses. Dogs were scampering inside. I asked them what is going on. They said that Mayawati is on a tour to this area and she will be visiting the hospital and therefore the renovation. As she was expected to take the road route from the helipad the roads were being repaired and the hospital building was being painted. This is the state of affairs ion your state,” commented Rahul Gandhi.
“Today your leaders do not come to you, talk to you or listen to you. Till the leaders come to you, interact with you and are keen to understand your issues they cannot understand poverty. You will feel that all is well when you travel by helicopter. The conditions at grass root level are pathetic here. The roads in UP last for only three months,” he stated. 
 Taking another dig at the opposition Rahul Gandhi went on to say “whenever we make policies for the poor, the opposition including Mayawatiji raise a number of questions. They ask from where we would have the money for the welfare schemes. They raised questions in the Parliament during the discussion of MGNREGA and Food Security Bill too. When we do any favour for the elite, they keep silent but if we make policies for serving the poor they make sound. But we showed them from where we can have money.”
Once again pointing finger against Mayawati he added, “Mayawati ji says that MGNREGA or Right to food policies are not useful for UP. She says so because she does not go to people and so does not understand their pain or problems. Since she does not come to you and talk to you, she does not understand poverty. We brought these bills because we are concerned about rights of people. We brought the Food Security Bill because we want to ensure that nobody remains hungry in our country” he asserted.
“But what did Mayawati do? When rich sell their land they get the market price. But in UP under Mayawati Government if a poor farmer sells his land and asks for adequate compensation he got bullets and labeled as Naxal. In Tappal and Bhatta-Parsaul striking farmers including women were assaulted by the BSP Government.  No one from SP or BSP went there. Your Chief Minister did not go there.  I went there, listened to them and understood their problems.”
 “You gave 22 years for other parties. Now give us five years.  You can see the states Maharashtra, Haryana, Delhi. All are developing. We will change UP too,” promised Rahul Gandhi.
 “Certainly UP will change. No one can stop you because you have the strength to bring changes here. I will not leave the state till you bring in the change in the state,” he assured.
“The moment you will have a government who thinks about the development, the situation will change. If Congress comes to power the development will be visible in five years and within 10 years the face of your state will be changed completely. No one was heard about the city of Hyderabad before ten years. We changed it and today Hyderabad is famous across the world. But no one knows about Lucknow or Allahabad. We changed Andhra in 10 years. Likewise, if get a chance we will change UP too,” added Rahul Gandhi.
&nbsp;“You may think that Governments will come and go; nothing is going to change. But I assure you, you have the strength. Today your hands have been tied. The moment you are free you can make terrible changes in the state. So think for a change. Bring in a Government who thinks about your future, development and progress. Congress can assure you development” concluded Rahul Gandhi.</div>