Street Talk

ELLORA: Just 30 km from bustling Aurangabad, but Ellora is far from the maddening crowd of politics. Life here is spent weaving Himroo patterns and beautiful Paithani saris or thinking how best to make money from the countless who come to explore the caves. Azeembhai, who lives near the Ellora caves, dismisses elections as a natak drama. Close to 80, he would rather watch sons and grandsons at work than stir out to find if his name exists on the electoral rolls. 8220;Why should I take the trouble?8221; he asks. 8220;My family tells me governments are crashing because people like me don8217;t care to vote. I say show me a party which has a leader like Jawahar or Patel, and I will vote.8221;

His grand-daughter Zubeida maintains he is an exception. All others in the family will vote. Zubeida, who has no access to cable TV or newspapers, has not heard of Kargil but knows that Vajpayee 8220;whose party is not so nice8221; fought with Pakistan and that Sonia Gandhi is contesting. She adds: 8220;My husband knows all aboutthe Congress and BJP. He says he might join politics.8221;

Hard at work in a restaurant near the caves, Babban has other dreams. 8220;My vote is for the man who can get me a bank loan to open a restaurant,8221; he says. 8220;All my life I will vote for that party.8221;

Not far from Ellora is Khuldabad, where Aurangzeb was laid to rest. Mention elections, and Rashid, a local, gives you a glare. 8220;Why should I vote? Will Vajpayee help me? I want to open a garage. Cars from Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh come here. Breakdowns are frequent,8221; he says.

For Zubeida, Babban and Rashid, this is the real world. Not Kargil, not Turin.

8211;Rakesh Sinha