Lukewarm response to Advani in Nanded

Syed Firdaus Ashraf from Nanded

"I am satisfied with the response to my yatra," Bharatiya Janata Party president L K Advani said. But, clearly, this yatra, meant to commemorate India's 50th year of Independence, evoked less response than last year's Su-Raj Rath Yatra.

About 15,000 people had gathered in Nanded to hear Advani while he was on his Su-Raj Rath Yatra. This time there were only 5,000 people. It wasn't because the BJP cadres lacked enthusiasm. Saffron streamers and party flags jostled with each other for space. But the people still did not come. And Advani, who was to begin addressing the meeting at 8 pm, did not help matters by coming on only at 11 pm.

"There was no issues to be discussed," said Mahesh Panchal, a shopkeeper. He felt there was a better response last year since it was the first time Advani had come to the town. "I didn't go to the meeting because it was late in the night," he said.

The weakest response was from the Sikhs. Last year, there were 4,000 of them to welcome Advani; this time there weren't more than 50.

Says Genda Singh Tehanwala, a local dhaba owner, "The Sikh community is unhappy with the BJP-Shiv Sena government for acquiring 12 acres of land owned by the Sikhs to build a medical college.

Chander Singh, a college student, says he has nothing against Advani, only against the BJP-SS government for constructing a medical college on Sikh-owned land when there was already a medical institution in the Maharashtra town, the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College.

The other reason few Sikhs showed up was that Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who was expected, didn't turn up. There are about 25,000 Sikhs in Nanded and 100,000 Muslims in Nanded's total population of 400,000.

Nanded was never easy meat for the BJP. Always a Congress stronghold, it won the Lok Sabha seat even when the party's fortunes were down. The only other constituency the Congress won was in Latur, losing five other seats in the region to the BJP-SS combine.

Nanded was Advani's first stop after his yatra re-entered Maharashtra on Sunday after covering 4,400 km. It was flagged off on May 18 at the August Kranti Maidan, Bombay. It has so far covered the four southern states, Goa and the Andaman Nicobar islands.

Advani said the yatra intended to remind people about the Independence movement and to ensure they did not forget the sacrifices of India's leaders. The jail where freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar -- Veer -- Savarkar was imprisoned "must be converted into a teerth sthan (place of pilgrimage)," he said. He visited the jail at Port Blair last week.

The BJP leader lamented the fact that poverty still existed in India. "It is said that 40 per cent of our population lies below the poverty line even 50 years after Independence. People cannot afford to pay their hospital bills. It is shameful."

This time, though, Advani avoided expressing extreme views on the Babri masjid/temple, the common civil code that the BJP often endorses and Article 370 covering the status of Kashmir. He stuck to safer matters, like corruption, the bugbear of the BJP's main political rival, the Congress.