‘Lakshmi who? Heard someone famous was coming’

With niece Mallika Sarabhai, Captain Sehgal visited Shah Alam and Aman Chowk camps on Saturday. She let others do the talking, just making the concluding statement herself. A camp organiser spoke about problems at the camp even as the inmates huddled together, without a clue as to what was going on. The organiser hinted they thought Dr Abdul Kalam was number two as ‘‘he didn’t have a political background’’.

In the end, Captain Sehgal addressed the blank audience. ‘‘If you cut our hand, the colour of blood will be the same. I want to assure all of you that you are not alone and that all Hindustanis are with you.’’ She said she was ‘‘not here only to express sympathy’’, adding, ‘‘We will lessen your pain, we’ll help you. We will even sacrifice our lives to help you.’’

After that, she was whisked away to Aman Chowk camp in Bapunagar. What followed was a repeat of her visit to Shah Alam.

However, the Left Front failed to make the point it had hoped to by starting the campaign from the camps. ‘‘I don’t know who she is,’’ said Sultana Bano from Lamba village.

‘‘What difference will it make? Even Vajpayee came and promised but we haven’t received anything,’’ said Sehjadbano Altaf from Naroda-Patiya. Sahjad, now living in Bapunagar.

Later, Sehgal castigated the state government for closing camps without arranging for rehabilitation. She described the living conditions in the camps as horrifying.