From activism to election,for those small but significant changes

For all those who reached the New Municipal School in Sion to act as guarantors for Ahmed,it was way of showing their gratitude. There was one Barai Ravindra Laxman (60),a former mill worker and now a security guard,who had taken the trouble to call Ahmed “since 8 in the morning and wanting to come as my guarantor”. Ahmed had helped Laxman find his 15-year-old missing son. “Today morning when Laxman called me,I sensed that gratitude.”

There were also representatives of NGOs like Messiah who ensured that they reach the nomination centre even before Ahmed did. Noor Ansari from Messiah had only one point to make: “When someone fights for your rights,with the sole intention of getting the other side convinced that there is a problem and it needs a hearing,an urgent redressal,then it’s not just about winning. It’s about fighting for what one believes in. We have come here to support that spirit.”

The other guarantors included others whose causes Ahmed had supported in the past two decades. Ahmed and wife Shabana,a practising lawyer,have taken a break from their legal briefs. It was just an hour before he filed the nomination that they managed to collect the nomination fee — Rs 5,000 — from friends. Film writer and actor Amole Gupte has even made two small campaign advertorials for Ahmed.

Ahmed,one of the main petitioners against the Right to Education Bill,feels his election campaign will prioritise education. His agenda also includes encouragement to libraries and community reading halls. “Throughout my life,I have seen that even if a person wants to study,there are no proper facilities.”

And among his many proposals for sanitation and health priorities,he promises “a paramedical team that will go around the slums and teach them how to remain healthy and ensure sanitation and a special medical infrastructure to ensure proper care for pregnant women.”

“Now,tell me which other candidate can tell you that,” says Ansari.