Zannat-ul-Nisha peeps from behind the jars full of candies and loose biscuits in her grocery shop as two boys walk into the shop. The lady, in her mid-60s, gave some candies for `10 and settled down on the stool.
“My knee aches,” she said clutching the left knee with both her hands. “My son looks after this shop. He has gone to get replenishments so I am here,” she said with grimace of pain on her wrinkled face.
This shop, in village Manasara, Barabanki districtis the centre of all activities in this village, around 100 km South-West of lucknow. Just a few years back, Zannat’s son, Babbua was unemployed and used to work as a menial labourer. However, their luck took a turn for good when his elder brother Nizammuddin went to Surat in early 2000 and started working in a textile factory. He saved some money and sent it back home. That money was used to set up this shop which is now doing good business.
“I have never been to Gujarat but heard a lot about it from my son. He talks about development there (in Gujarat). I know people there are very rich,” Nisha said still holding her knee. “Yes, I have heard about Modi. He had work for the janata there. My son told me this and has even asked us to vote for Modi,” she said.
Manasara is not alone. Gujarat development finds its imprint in hundreds of non-descript villages of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, one of the most impoverished regions of the State, from where people have migrated to various cities in Gujarat and regularly send money for their families.
Dhanpatta Sahu’s son Ramesh Sahu works in a petrochemical factory in Jaamnagar. Dhanppata, a resident of village Mohaddipur in Faizabad district, had once gone to Gujarat.“Batti barabar aati hai (electricity is regular there). Here, we get power for hardly 8-10 hours. That too sometimes at mid of the night which is of no use to us,” Dhanpatta said.Comparing Gujarat to Uttar Pradesh she says, “Here we have neither properly maintained sadak nor bijli. look at this house of ours whereas, my son lives in a colony in Jamnagar. He has a pucca house there,” she said.
This migratory labour has helped in taking Modi’s names deep into the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh. Almost every gram sabha has three to five people who are either working in Gujarat or Maharashtra. These youths have also helped others to find a toe-hold in western coast of the country. These people are regularly in touch with their family and talk about Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Md Zuber, a resident of villager Nasibpur, had worked as a tailor in Maharashtra for 10 years and has returned only last year to his village. He has set up his shop in the village.“People, who once go out of the village see states like Gujarat and Maharshtra, never want to return to UP. Job opportunities are there in bulk. What have we got hereIJ,” he asks.
“Everyone in the village has heard about Modi. People may not know the local candidate but they know who is Modi and what he has done for Gujarat,” Zuber said.
Ask him about 2002 Gujarat riot and pat comes the answer: “Jo beet gayee so baat gayee (It is a thing of past) What’s the use discussing it,” he said as dozen other Muslims sitting there outside the village Mosque nod in affirmation.
Furkhan Khan, 25, said let politicians discuss this (Gujarat riot). “Our concern is who will give us employment. If Modi does that why not vote for the BJP,” he said.
Convener Pt Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Studies in Rural Development, lucknow Dr SP Pandey said that Gujarat and Maharashtra has always played a crucial role in providing employment to the educated youth of eastern UP. “The uneducated youths work as labourer in Punjab, Haryana, and even in Jammu while educated or semi-skilled labourers go to the Western part of the country. So, Modi is not a new name for them. They know about development in Gujarat and compare it with Uttar Pradesh,” he said.