"Parties don't talk of people's real issues": Amritsar’s independent candidate 'Gandhiwadi', aspiring to be voice of the masses
Shamlal 'Gandhiwadi', a 39-year-old social activist fighting the Punjab assembly polls from Amritsar West independently has made Mahatma Gandhi's teachings of non-violence and simple living his poll campaign mantra.
Sporting a white Gandhi cap and donning plain white clothes, Gandhiwadi goes on door-to-door campaign in Amritsar on his bicycle, propagates the message of non-violence and communal harmony and seek votes on the strength of his clean credentials.
With a total of ten candidates, including Congress' sitting MLA Raj Kumar Verka, in fray from Amritsar West (Reserve), Gandhiwadi says he is not deterred by the fight as he derives his strength from Mahatma Gandhi's ideals which he propagates while campaigning.
Fighting the eighth elections of his life, Gandhiwadi vows to become the "voice of the masses", lamenting that political parties do not talk of people's real issues.
"Nobody talks of common people's real issues these days," Gandhiwadi claimed.
"There is a need to understand the importance of non-violence and peace," said Gandhiwadi, talking of why he has been seeking votes on strength of Gandhi's philosophy of peace, non-violence and simple living.
The fact that he has fought seven elections, all unsuccessfully till now, has not deterred Gandhiwadi from jumping into the fray for the eighth time.
Asked why he keeps contesting elections, Gandhiwadi said "had the system been right, it would not have forced me to contest".
