Ramchet taught his craft to Congressman Rahul Gandhi. (News 18)
Ramchet, who runs a small shop at Vidhayak Nagar junction along the Ayodhya-Prayagraj highway, said he was touched by the Congressman's humility and respect for his profession
“It was like God himself came to my kiosk,” cobbler Ramchet said of Rae Bareli MP Rahul Gandhi's visit to his Ayodhya-Prayagraj ) Small shop at Vidhayak Nagar intersection along the highway.
Gandhi appeared before Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh on Friday in a defamation case related to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks. After the proceedings, while on their way to Delhi via Purvanchal Expressway, the convoy of Congress MPs stopped at Vidhayak Nagar junction for five minutes, giving Ramchet an unforgettable moment.
Speaking to News18, Ramchet said the team's stop caught his attention, but he quickly returned to work, mending shoes. “I thought this team must belong to some rich man or some politician. I never thought it was Rahulji's team,” he said. Soon, Ramchet noticed a bearded man wearing a sky blue polo T-shirt, black pants and sandals. However, it was not until Gandhi stood before Ramchet that he recognized the Congress leader, who asked him: “Did you make all these loafers and shoes?”
Ramchet, who is in his 60s, said it took him longer to answer the question because he still found it hard to believe that Rahul Gandhi not only visited his shop but also sat next to him and asked about his job.
“He asked me to show him how I mended shoes. Soon, he also picked up a slipper and asked me to teach him how to sew. I showed it to him and then offered him a cold drink, which he accepted,” he told News18.
Ramchet said Gandhi's descendants then asked him about his job and income. “I told him that I did not have enough money to expand my business. My monthly income was Rs 5,000-6,000, which was too little to meet my family's financial expenses. I asked him for help.
After listening to Ramchet and asking about his work and family situation, Gandhi left the kiosk promising to help him and strengthen his voice in Parliament.
Ramchet, who has been cobbling shoes for the past 40 years, calls the experience surreal. “Meeting Rahulji, sharing my work with him and having a cold drink together were the most unforgettable moments of my life. Actually I didn't expect much from him. Bad log hain, bad login ke paas kai kaam hote hai, kahan yaad rahega Kurebhar ke Ramchet [They are big people who have a lot of responsibilities. Where will they remember me?]. But what touches me most is that he respects my profession and doesn’t hesitate to mend shoes with me in my kiosk.
Ramchet said that for the first time in 40 years, mending shoes no longer felt like a menial job. “I attribute this feeling to Rahulji,” he added.
