Rahul Gandhi's Interaction with Rickshaw Pullers in Varanasi on March 1, 2014

Thunderous applause marked Rahul Gandhi's arrival at the Varanasi railway station on March 1, 2014. Holding an open discussion with rickshaw pullers and auto rickshaw drivers from all over the city, he made his agenda clear -- he was here to listen to them.

It was a historic moment. Those who ferried the visitors to different parts of the city were today the guests. A national leader, who they had seen only on television and posters, wanted to listen and talk to them. The excitement was palpable and the sentiments were strong. "It has never happened before. Nobody has ever come to ask us how we are doing, what problems we face and what we want. We are not only poor, we don't even have our own place to live. For the first time, somebody has heard our story," said Shravan Kumar, a 32-year old rickshaw puller from Gokalpur Village.

They poured their heart out. From high rent and low earning, to harassment by the police and local authorities and the poor standard of education in government schools, they shared their concerns with Rahul Gandhi. Reiterating his commitment to the needs of the over 70 crore people who are above the poverty line but still well below middle class income threshold, he said "The real issue is that you must get rights. That is missing... You should be respected as much as those who drive the cars," he said.

Rahul Gandhi had earlier held similar discussions with porters at the New Delhi Railway station and with Anganwadi workers at Sarai Sheikh, Lucknow.

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