Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi tried his hand at painting work at his bungalow and interacted with the paint job workers and potters ahead of Diwali celebrations. Sharing a video on YouTube, he called for creating an ecosystem where skilled workers get their dues and everyone’s contribution is respected.
In the nine-minute video, he is heard telling his nephew Raihan Rajiv Vadra that those who help “brighten” the homes of people are rarely talked about, which is why he decided to meet them and understand their issues before Diwali.
“A memorable Diwali with special people – I celebrated this Diwali by working with some painter brothers and making clay diyas with a potter family. I saw their work closely, tried to learn their skills, and understood their problems and difficulties,” his caption read.
एक दिवाली उनके साथ, जिनकी मेहनत से रौशन है भारत! pic.twitter.com/bfmmrjZD2S
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 1, 2024
The video showed Mr Gandhi learning how to paint walls from the workers at his 10, Janpath residence as he tried to lend a hand in the whitening work. It also captured glimpses of him trying his hand at pottery at the house of a woman potter. During this visit, he made diyas which he said he would gift his mother and sister.
Such labourers don’t go home, they forget their families to ensure they can earn money while others celebrate the festivals happily, he remarked. “They make happiness from clay. While lighting up the festivals of others, are they able to live in light themselves? Those who build houses can hardly run their own houses,” he said.
The Congress leader said Diwali is about lights, which can remove the darkness of poverty and helplessness. “We have to make such a system – which gives rights to skill and respect to contribution – makes everyone’s Diwali a happy one,” he said.
Mr Gandhi has been visiting a cross-section of people – from barbers to mechanics – since his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and highlighting the plights of the various sections of the society online. He visited a barber in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar last week and spoke to him about his dreams and ambitions while getting a trim.