Gujarat Diary: mood-change in Surat, undercurrents against BJP, fears about EVMs abound

Whatever be the results of Gujarat elections, the state has definitely changed. There are clear undercurrents against the BJP. People are speaking up and expressing their anger. The atmosphere in Surat reflects the mood before the first phase of polling in Gujarat assembly elections. There is no dearth of people who are calling PM Modi’s sympathy-gaining speeches new ‘chunavi jumla’ in old style. The Patidar youngsters are even calling Modi’s speeches ‘emotional atyachar’.

Surat has a cosmopolitan mix of residents from the state and around the country. According to the census and economic surveys, 58 per cent of people in Surat are outsiders who have settled there. Almost all the areas in the city developed as bases for a particular caste or community. The areas of Varchha road, Kamrej or Karanj are Patidar dominant areas, Katargaam, Olpaad and north Surat are also Patidar dominant areas, whereas majority of north Indians live around Chauriyasi, Marathis in Limbayat and Muslims, particularly Dawoodi Muslims live in large numbers in east Surat. The textile workers also inhabit various areas. All these communities have their own reasons for their growing resentment against the BJP.

Civil society’s focus on increasing the voting percentage

The Lokshahi Bachao Abhiyan in Gujarat echoed strongly in Surat. Social activists like Shabnam Hashmi, Dev Desai, Prasad have been organising meetings on the importance of voting in those areas of the city where the voting percentage is usually less. One such meeting was held in Momin Muslim dominant area. Faisal Rajwani of the Momin community said, “People of our community do not cast votes. They believe that voting will not change our fate. Last time, only 40 per cent of the people voted. This time, we are trying hard that all people of the community vote.” In one such meeting, activist Shabnam Hashmi appealed to people to cast their vote. She encouraged people to call up 50 more people of their community and convince them to vote. Shabnam’s appeal had a strong impact. The next day, the Momin community organised a meeting to spread this awareness among women also.

Ajay Jangad, who runs a campaign on Right to Information in the city, said the atmosphere is against the BJP in Surat, though people do not expect the BJP to suffer a defeat. But you will find almost 70 per cent of people saying that BJP’s condition is bad in the state. This time polarisation on the basis of religion hasn’t worked and various castes and sub-castes have been demanding their rights.

Doubts

In Surat, Patel youths particularly fear that there could be some confusion during polling on Saturday. Dinesh Khakhoria of Varchha in Surat said, “If BJP feels that it is losing the election, then it can do anything. That is why the BJP workers are telling its supporters to vote only until 10-10.30 am. What is the need to say this? But we are also prepared. We have also been a part of the BJP. So, we know what kind of tricks the party can play.”

Rupal Jhaveri, who runs her own sari business and is an active social worker, said the BJP is in a mood to intimidate people. “The way Prime Minister Modi said in his speech in Surat on Thursday said that if we don’t vote for the BJP, Surat won’t get the international airport, is shameful. Notebandi and GST have struck a severe blow to our lives. Price rise also does not discriminate between Hindu and Muslims. It strikes everyone alike. Excluding these important things, the emotional drama continues. Now the biggest apprehension is manipulation of the EVMs.”

Doubts of minorities

A small-scale businessman, Junaid Ahmad, says the minorities fear if they will even be able to vote. They fear what happened in the Uttar Pradesh civic polls will happen to them, where many names were missing from the list of the voters.

Question of democracy

Tanveer Jafri lives in Surat. His father, Ehsan Jafri was killed during 2002 Gujarat riots. He says the condition is such in present elections, that no one even comes to the minorities for election campaigning. “The political parties fear that if they go to the minorities then rest of the Hindu voters will not vote for them. How can democracy sustain in such an atmosphere. That is why, the charm of voting is fading among Muslims here.”

Jariwala Arshad, who works among textile workers, says that there is a strong anger in textile workers and mill owners and voting should reflect that.

Craftsperson Rukhsana Beghum is angry. “ We all have made Surat what it is with our sweat and blood. We get work per piece (of cloth/sari) and even on this, we have to pay GST. Prices of vegetables, tomatoes, onions are sky rocketing. Who is this development for, you tell me! It is not for me, at least. If we say something, then they say that we are Muslims (that is why we are saying this). Yes, we are Muslims. But we are Gujaratis also and Indians above all!”