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'Modi Sarkaar, thodi acchi, thodi bekaar, say commoners in Varanasi
Varanasi, May 16
One year is a long time in politics.
Almost
365-days ago, the city of Kashi handed over a defining mandate to
Narendra Modi paving his way to become India's prime minister.
With
a 'tsunami' of goodwill and expectations, Modi defeated AAP candidate
Arvind Kejriwal with over two lakh votes and routed other political
opponents.
A year later the euphoria for Modi seems to be missing
in the city. While die-hard pro-Modi followers and the anti-Modi camp
hold their own, common residents here says they expected a complete
makeover of the city after Modi's coronation. This, they rue, has not
happened
"We were given to believe that the city will get a
never-before make over, traffic will improve, the roads will widen and a
lot will happen. But that is not the case, even after a year," says
Saurabh, owner of the famous Shri Ram Bhandar - a 200-year-old eatery
on the Mint House road. In fact, he says, not much has changed.
Avinash
Rai, s 34-year-old banker buying 'poories' and 'jalebi's' for his
family nods in agreement. But he credits Modi of having brough about a
change in thinking towards hygiene and cleanliness.
"Lot may not
have happened on other fronts but there has been change in the mindset
of people," he told IANS explaining how even his 5-year-old son Atharva
chides anyone found littering in the house or on the roads.
Swami
Adyutanand, a seer sitting on Dr Rajendra Prasad Ghat on the banks of
river Ganges agrees. Pointing towards environment- friendly cane
dustbins put at many places on the well-lit ghats, he says the areas are
now clean like never in the past.
The seer, who earns a
livelihood by 'jajmani' or doing Hindu rituals for clients, like 'deep
daan' and 'maha mrityunjay jaap' says Modi has succesfully inculcated
the habit of hygiene among people.
Vinay Kumar Sharma, an
uneducated 20-something boy from neighbouring Jaunpur and working as a
barber at Nadesar is well informed about the steps taken by the prime
minister. "My mother has been able to open her bank account under the
'jan-dhan yojna" he says breaking into a smile while giving a head
massage to his client.
Anand Srivastava a small-time businessman
running a garment shop in Laurabeer says power situation has improved
in the city and work on roads is also underway at many places. He,
however, adds that Modi needs to deliver "faster and more" if had to "be
in Banarasi hearts".
Amba, a flower seller in Gudauliya near
the Assi Ghat, however says that price rise has not been arrested. "Modi
babu mehangayi to kam nahin kar sakin, aur to theek hai ba" (Modi has
failed to check price rise, the rest is okay), she mumbles while dishing
out facts on how vegetable prices and that of other essential
commodities have gone up steeply in the past one year.
Ashfaq,
selling 'gup-chup' (or pani-puri) in Ramnagar seems to be floored by
the prime minister. "Modi saab is making serious efforts to change the
city, state and the country," he says. "At least there is peace and
things will look up in long term," he says with surprising wisdom for
his age.
Kailash Pandey, an octagenarian retired postal officer
sums up the mood of the city in an earthy but to-the-point one liner -
"Modi Sarkaar - thodi acchi, thodi bekaar"
(Mohit Dubey can be contacted at [email protected])