‘No toilet, drowning in debt,’ says Ayodhya Dalit woman who hosted Modi for tea

Days have been unusually busy for Meera Majhi, with media persons, government officials, and visitors flocking to her house in Ayodhya’s Rajghat since early this month. It began after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Dalit woman’s house for tea on December 30.

The PM was in the city to inaugurate the redeveloped railway station when Majhi learned that he will visit her as the 10th crore beneficiary of the Ujjwala Yojana for LPG connections.     

The cup in which she served tea to Modi has now found a place on a pedestal with gods’ idols. Majhi says for her, “he (PM Modi) is God” and following his visit, the Majhi community’s pride has swelled. 

But what has changed for Majhi? 

The flower seller says she is “drowning in debt” and her daily wage labourer husband is unemployed. Her house does not have a toilet and there is no electricity in her kitchen.  

“Only the lives of those who have money have changed for the better,” she says, while also shedding light on her political aspirations. 

Watch.

This report is part of a series of ground reports on Ayodhya. Contribute to the Newslaundry Sena project on the Ram Mandir project, The New Ayodhya, and help us tell more such stories from Ayodhya.

This copy has been published with AI assistance.