“Jahaan Bedard Haakim Ho, Wahaan Faryaad Kya Karna (There lies no appeal to a tyrant).”
Rakib Altaf
SRINAGAR: At the Budgam sports stadium, where Rahul Gandhi reached out to women of Kashmir with “Hope”, the authorities were kept on pinpricks by a sulking audience.
The authorities had brought nearly 600 ladies to be what they were meant to be: excited audience, eager to be all ears to the Congress’ generous heir apparent.
First, much before the function could actually begin, there was commotion and the women staged a near walkout.
The issue was basic. Washrooms.
The security establishment stopped the women from using washrooms due to unknown reasons. Angry, a group of ladies raised their voices and were soon joined by others, about to leave the venue. But then who would receive the help that Mr Gandhi was to offer? The authorities quickly threw open the facility and pacified the crowd to save themselves further embarrassment.
However they could not rest even then.
Police officers could still be seen trying to persuade a woman, who had brought her young child along, to make him wear his pyjamas or sit somewhere else.
But she was adamant on not doing both. “When Rahul ji comes, I want to tell him something important,” she kept saying, in exasperated shouts.
At first the officials let her be, fearing she might raise her voice and create a mess and spoil the ‘disciplined’ aura of the function. Then the others promised to take her to a separate tent where Mr Gandhi was talking to a select group of women before taking to the dais.
She agreed, but while walking across to the tent she stopped in the middle and spoke to the media.
“I want to tell Rahul ji and Omar Abdullah that some foreigners are motivating us to change our religion. I also want to tell Rahul ji that Afzal Guru was hanged, we want his body back here” she told reporters. On hearing this, the officials broke their promise to let her meet Mr Gandhi.
Some said the woman was on medication for psychiatric problems, others kept wondering how was she authorised to enter the venue.
She was taken to the derriere of the tent where female security guards surrounded her till the end of the function.
When the official function did end, Mr Gandhi and other dignitaries joined the media for a brief press conference. But before it could begin, there was slight commotion again.
An old man jousted with security guards, screaming, trying to get near the congress leader.
“Jahaan Bedard Haakim Ho, Wahaan Faryaad Kya Karna (There lies no appeal to a tyrant),” he shouted.
He was complaining that the state ministers never ever paid heed to his woes.
“Sagar sahab ne mujhe dhake dekar baahar nikaala (When I went to Sagar sahab, he pushed me out),” the man said.
If Rahul Gandhi believes in signs, then at the Budgam stadium, where he came to offer help to the war weary people of Kashmir, there were many.
He just needs to look carefully for things that need to be taken care of. The basics first.
