For the Mallas of Varanasi, it’s politics that defines lives

And inevitably, the dust from the battle for Uttar Pradesh, drifted over to the bustling 84 ghats that form part of Varanasi City South, a BJP stronghold for the last five elections. The party has profited from the unquestioned support of people like Ram Preet, a former BHU employee and now a priest for over 25 years with his own little shack on Anandamayee Ghat. Preet, like in the past couple of years, says he will vote for the BJP.

The scene changes barely 50 metre away from here.

Ask Bhaiyyalal Nishad, a boatman, about his electoral preferences, and he lets out a string of unprintables. Nishad belongs to the Malla community, who have suddenly found political expression as one of their own will now contest from the constituency. Chhotelal Nishad will be contesting on a ticket from Bharatiya Samaj Party of Om Prakash Rajbhar, whom the BJP had tried to ally with for the Uttar Pradesh polls.

The Mallas, who fish by dawn and ferry tourists across the river for the rest of the day, were till recently BJP supporters and took great pride as devotees of Ram. But as Nishad puts it, the party always took them for granted and never gave them a ticket. Not even for the municipal polls.

“The question before us was whether we should always remain BJP workers or will one of us also become a leader one day. We will now be considered important as Mallas are a huge votebank,” says Bhaiyyalal.

On the ghats, they are perhaps the only ones depending on the river for their daily bread. The morning catch is not what it used to be and they have to rely on ferrying tourists to earn their bread. The Nishads have their own union too — the Malla Samaj Sangharsh Samiti— of which Chhotelal is the general secretary. Yet, it is a political voice they believe they must now seek, one that Rajbhar has optimistically tried to give them in this BJP bastion.

Meanwhile, at the far end, on Dashaswamedh Ghat, a group of pujaris carry on with their day to day life, virtually armtwisting unsuspecting devotees heading for Kashi Vishwanath Temple.