Gurgaon 'Labour chowks' deserted as labourers become 'paid crowds' at poll rallies

By Gunjan Sharma
    Gurgram, Sep 20 (PTI) The 'labour chowks' in the millennium city bear a deserted look these days, not because there is a festival around or there is a ban on construction activities. But because they have found a better alterative: attending political rallies.
    Every morning construction workers gather at these designated spots from where they are hired as daily wagers. These site are found empty usually ahead of festivals when the labourers leave for their hometown or when there is a ban on construction activities to check pollution.
    However, with the campaigning for the October 5 assembly polls in Haryana gaining momentum these labourers are much in demand to become "paid crowds" at political rallies.
    "Most parties and candidates require crowds at their rallies. The job is less taxing for us and we get paid mostly the same amount -- Rs 800 to Rs 1,000 for each rally, which is what we get paid after a daylong of hardwork. So, I and my family do not go to the chowk these days," Sundar, a Bihar labourer who has been living in Gurugram for eight years, told PTI.
    Sundar, who is not a registered voter here, says either the representatives from political parties reach out to their labour union leaders or the labourers directly go to the candidates' offices.
    His wife, who works as a domestic help, also joins him these days for rallies.
    "For her, it is difficult to get leaves but even if the houses she is working for, deduct money for leaves, we get paid better and there is free food to go with that," he added.
    Mohan, who shifted his voter registration to Gurugram last year from Balia in Uttar Pradesh, said, construction work is seasonal.
    "The work is also low these days due to rains. October and November are Diwali and Chatth months so labourers go on long leaves to their hometowns. Pollution also leaves us out of work during winters. So, I attend these rallies, sometimes of different parties too. This is the first time I will be voting in Gurugram," he added.
    A district level worker for a political party confirmed reaching out to labourers for mega rallies.
    "When some big leader is coming from the central leadership, the attendance has to be strong for a show of strength. We do our networking on ground to get maximum people to attend the rallies but we have to use some ways to show crowd too," he said on condition of anonymity.
    According to Binny Singhla, a taxi operator in Gulha Cheeka village on the Punjab-Haryana border, there is always demand for paid crowd in political rallies.
    "For bigger rallies in anywhere in Haryana, taxi operators are approached to provide cars as well as people for attending the rally. There is no compulsion on them who should they vote for, they are paid on daily wage basis. For local rallies, parties pick up people from mandis or labour chowks," he told PTI.
     "Usually, these people move in groups. So that parties or groups do not reach out to them individually but for like 50-100 people together," he said.
    Voting for the 90-member assembly in Haryana will take place on October 5 while the votes will be counted on October 8.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)