Waiting for the leader

The leader was slated to reach the venue around 2 in the afternoon,but the crowd had gathered more than two hours before time. As soon as one entered the ground,papier mache elephants painted in vibrant blue caught the eye. Their little processions,complete with dhols and rose petals,made rounds through the impatient crowd. The carnival-like scene was complete,with stalls selling all sorts of things from promotional banners,flags and volunteer ID cards to samosas,lemonade and water.

Displaying their wares at the entrance of the maidaan were traders selling poorly photoshopped posters of Babasaheb Ambedkar,Mayawati and freedom fighters,alongside locally recorded music CDs and other items.

Dhruv (5),who was carrying a huge blue flag in his hand,poked his mother with it,saying,“Mother,I want to go home. It’s hot.” The mother said apologetically,“He’s a good-natured boy. Today he’s just hungry. We’ll wait till behenji’s helicopter lands. Okay?” she said,pointing the sky to the boy.

The crowd suddenly erupted into loud cheers and pointed at the sky as the distant sound of a helicopter was heard.

Hundred kilometers away,near the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida,preparations were going on for another major rally. Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party was going to make an appearance and all was functioning smoothly.

This rally,however,was smaller and more organised. The crowd of 1,000-odd people was easy to manage for local volunteers.