LS polls: Boatmen of Varanasi hail PM Modi for changing face of city, vow to vote him back as MP

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 15 : A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination from Varanasi, bidding for a third straight term in office and in the Lok Sabha from the constituency; people from the ancient temple town, especially the boatmen, came out in his praise for the wave of development and makeover the city has experienced in the recent past.
Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Santosh Sahni, a boatman from Varanasi, said, "Since Prime Minister Modi came to represent our city in the Lok Sabha, things have been going well for us. Our lives and livelihoods have changed for the better. Since the development and opening of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, the city's tourism potential has grown by leaps and bounds. Better tourism prospects directly impact our lives and livelihoods. We wish that he would visit us every year and make our livelihoods even better. Could we ask for anything else? We will vote for him again."

Sunil Sahni, a young member of the Mallah (boatmen) community, said, "We have been into this profession since the time of our ancestors. Since Modi-ji became our MP and PM, our businesses have grown by leaps and bounds. Earlier, the development of tourism here lagged and largely ignored. However, since the opening of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, dedicated initiatives towards cleanliness and implementation of numerous other development schemes, the face of Kashi as we knew it has changed. Now, everybody wants to visit Varanasi. Those visiting our city in droves book boat rides as well. Hence, a boost in the city's tourism potential has had a positive impact on our earnings. Now, we use both oars and motors to run our boats."

Saying that their business slows in scorching summer as the footfall of visitors drops with the onset of the season, the boatman said big cruise liners sail across the waters with tourists these days, affecting their earnings. He urged the government to cap the number of cruise vessels.
Deepak Kumar Sahni, who said he has been a boatman for 80 years, said, "We have been into this line of work over many decades. We get plenty of tourists these days, both from across the country and beyond. They take boat rides down the river and also take part in Ganga Aarti."

"Earlier, our boats ran on diesel motors but now, with the support of the present government, we have switched to engines that are powered by CNG. These engines help in reducing pollution as well. We have been experiencing a significant surge in tourists which wasn't the case before 2014. We are voting for PM Modi again. He will be elected our MP for a third term," Sahni told ANI.
The members of the Mallah community of Varanasi are enlisted as Scheduled Castes.