The Associated Press rode one of the longest trains in India — 1,800 miles from New Delhi to Kanyakumari — to interview voters about an election that will be decided in June. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to win and reappoint Prime Minister Narendra Modi — the leader for the past decade — for another five years.
The 1,800-mile journey south from New Delhi to Kanyakumari is one of the longest train rides in India , passing through cities, villages, scrub forests and deep ravines.The 22-car Thirukkural Express is a microcosm of India , carrying passengers from different castes and religions and with wide-ranging ambitions and grievances --- from migrants crammed into sweltering no-frills cars to well-heeled families luxuriating in air-conditioned sleeper cabins, and everyone in between.
Pardeep Kumar, a bespectacled man who runs a food stall in New Delhi, said the ruling Modi government isn’t doing enough for the poor. “We don’t want free food,” said Kumar, who traveled with his family to their village in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. With better education, he said, “we can then earn on our own and feed our families.”
A notch up from basic service, the more comfortable — and only slightly less affordable — sleeper cars were filled with passengers sitting in its lower berths. Some were perched on top of the foldable bunks. They discussed politics to pass the time. “He is talking the language of Pakistan,” said Aggarwal, taking a swipe at Muslims, who make up 14% of the population. The stinging suggestion: If you’re unhappy with the government, move to Muslim-majority Pakistan.
A berth ahead, Samodhra Meena questioned the government’s supposedly female-friendly policies, such as access to clean drinking water and cooking gas, that are a hallmark of Modi administration, saying they didn’t benefit her family. “I want a change in the government,” she said.
Narendra Modi Islam India India Government General News Global Elections Asia Asia Pacific World News Politics Hinduism Religion And Politics Elections I
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi files nomination to run for third term in general electionIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Varanasi on Tuesday to formally file his candidacy for the ongoing general election, aiming to secure his seat.
Read more »
Indian opposition accuses Modi of hate speech after he calls Muslims 'infiltrators'India’s main opposition party is accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of hate speech after he called Muslims “infiltrators” and used some of his most incendiary rhetoric to date about the minority faith
Read more »
Indian opposition accuses Modi of hate speech after he calls Muslims 'infiltrators'India’s main opposition party is accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of hate speech after he called Muslims “infiltrators” and used some of his most incendiary rhetoric to date about the minority faith.
Read more »
Indian opposition accuses Modi of hate speech after he calls Muslims 'infiltrators'India’s main opposition party is accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of hate speech after he called Muslims “infiltrators” and used some of his most incendiary rhetoric to date about the minority faith.
Read more »
Indian opposition accuses Modi of hate speech after he calls Muslims 'infiltrators'India’s main opposition party is accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of hate speech after he called Muslims “infiltrators” and used some of his most incendiary rhetoric to date about the minority faith.
Read more »
Indian opposition accuses Modi of hate speech after he calls Muslims 'infiltrators'India’s main opposition party is accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of hate speech after he called Muslims “infiltrators” and used some of his most incendiary rhetoric to date about the minority faith
Read more »