“What Congress did in 60 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be able to do in 160 years,” 65-year-old 
told his friends with conviction.
Sitting at a tea stall in the weavers-dominated Lallapura area, Hussain and his friends were discussing the Congress and its rule late on Monday, the eve of party president Sonia Gandhi’s road show on Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency reads the article by Sudhir Kumar for hindustantimes.
Hussain said the grand old party knew how to run the country. “Congress carried out development across the nation during its 60 years rule. Because of policies of the Congress, pucca houses replaced the mud ones. Congress worked for every section — farmers, weavers, daily wagers of the society,” Hussain said.
For the weaver community, times have been bad. Work opportunities have been dipping over the years as they struggle to compete with powerlooms that mass-produce their craft in a shorter time frame, and for a lower price. These factors, coupled by what Hussain perceives as poor government policies, have made matters worse for them, he told his friends.
“Weavers are suffering a lot for the last two years since the market is sluggish because of poor policies of Modi government. Inflation is rising. Arhar daal prices are very high. It is selling at the rate of Rs 150 or more per kg. Modi badly failed in checking inflation and carrying out development,” Hussain said.
He adds that nothing has moved forward in the last two years despite the Modi’s tall claims on development in Varanasi.
“Eventually, we will have to return to the Congress,” Hussain said as he ended his argument.
As Hazi Israr Ahmad backed him, Ishtiyaq Ahmad said he feelt that the Centre’s policies were not weaver-friendly, leaving the community to struggle to make both end meet.
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Feature image courtesy www.bfirst.in
