NEW DELHI: Dust, sweat and heat are the first things that your senses acknowledge when you enter Ramlila Maidan. More than half of the ground is covered with the white tents that provide much needed shade for the farmers that have gathered here. If you stand on a chair to get a better look, you can see a lake of pink all around you. Most of the farmers are wearing pink turbans, those who are wearing no turbans or colorful turbans-trademark of Rajasthani people, have donned pink scarves round their necks. A really old farmer when asked about the hot pink huge turban on his head, explains, "ye Congress ke saath hone ka rang hai hamara"(This is our color of support for Congress). Did he especially got this turban for the occasion, he laughs and says, "Naa ji, ye toh pehle se thi hamare paas" (No. I had this since before).

The clock shows 12pm. A farmer constantly fanning himself with his cloth mutters, "10:30 ka time bataya tha...abhi tak nhi aaye"(Time was 10:30 but they are not here yet), the other sitting beside him says, "netao ki ralliya aisi he hoti hai...aam baat hai" (this is what politician's rallies are like...it is usual). You can see some farmers already heading towards the exit, some could be spotted at the nearest Metro station, New Delhi, boarding metros for various places.

Here at the Ramlila Maidan, there are flags and posters of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. Here and there from the crowd you'll listen a loud group chorus praising Congress. On the high white, orange, green stage you'll see various leaders of various farmer's associations of various states criticizing the Land Acquisition Bill. Apart from their common cause, the only other thing common among them is their support for the palm-party, Congress. With various degrees of attention, to those whom the stage is not visible from this far distance, they look at the big screens that are installed across the tent. But the crowd is waiting for their rally's showstopper, whatever is going on stage right now they are aware of it but not interested and meanwhile the sun is getting hotter and the dust is getting high.

Abruptly, Digvijay Singh announces that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have arrived and immediately after, the mother-son duo can be spotted on the high stage. Immediately, the partially disinterested farmers arise from their pseudo slumbers and welcome the duo. The crowd is louder and more vocal now but not as loud as a crowd this huge could be. Maybe the heat is taking its toll on the Congress' supporters, but the just-arrived leaders look fresh. Rahul Gandhi is especially under scrutiny. The crowd is eager to hear him and A.K.Antony realing this limits his opening remarks to a few minutes.

The earlier scattered crowd is now gaining focus around the big screens. Groups of people at the root of every screen can be spotted. Somebody in the crowd says about Antony who is speaking in English, "isko kyu bhej diya bolne...yahan kaun iski angrezi samjhega" (Why has he been sent to speak...nobody will understand English here). Perhaps, Antony knew that himself, he spoke for hardly five minutes, in English, and handed the mike back to Digvijay Singh.

For these five to ten minutes, several times the camera shifts to Rahul and Sonia Gandhi where they are sitting right next to the dice on stage. Sonia Gandhi is her usual self. Calm, smiling now and then to whoever comes to greet her or offer a garland, simple in a white sari with a blue border and her head covered. On her either side sit Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Rahul Gandhi can be seen with sheets of paper in his hand that he seems to be going through again and again. Whenever anyone comes to greet him, just like Sonia he acknowledges garlands and greetings politely, sits back again and continues with his sheets. Then something slightly funny and unfortunate happens on stage. Antony was still on the dais, when the camera captures a woman --Kiran Chaudhary--approaching the Congress leaders to offer garlands. She greets Manmohan Singh then Sonia Gandhi and then trips and almost falls; But is saved mid-way by Rahul Gandhi who supports her to gain her balance back, he then greets her and goes back to his papers and the camera zooms back out on Antony. This action on stage is light humor for the audience, who laugh a little among themselves.

Antony is still speaking, when a ruckus is heard nearby. There are two elderly farmers who seems to be having an argument of some sort. The security personnel standing nearby intervenes. The ruckus turns out to be about the fan. Given the heat everyone wants to be sitting right next to the fans, and these two farmers were no different.

Finally Antony is done with his five minute long speech.Digvijay Singh is just done thanking the former Defence Minister when another elderly farmer shouts from behind. His view of the screen is being blocked by those who are crowding at the foot of the large screen and this farmer who must have travelled from far to attend this event, wants no disturbance. With all this going -on in the crowd, Digvijay Singh announces Rahul Gandhi and the much awaited moment of this Sunday finally arrives.

Rahul Gandhi begins his speech much like political speeches at rallies are supposed to. His rally profile is the traditional white khadi kurta, light beard and no smiles. He is five minutes into his speech, and if you look around the Ramlila Ground, you'll see an attentive crowd of thousands. No one is talking now. It is still hot and dusty, but for the next 20 minutes people have decided to ignore it all. They all are listening. Wherever he may have been for the last two months, he is standing here right now and people are acknowledging his presence. A man in a grey safari suit standing next to one of the mega- screens, among the crowd says, "improvement hui hai bhaii...."( There is improvement...). Others in the crowd nod their heads and respond with a distracted "hmmmmm....", they are glued to the screen.

When Rahul Gandhi ended his speech, the crowd cheered for him and he went back to sit right next to Manmohan Singh. Rahul Gandhi seemed happy now, he was smiling and so was Manmohan Singh. It seemed both of them were satisfied with Rahul's performance. Then after the son, the mother spoke. Half way across Sonia Gandhi's speech, people had started moving out. There were plenty who stayed but now the pathways were no more double-lanes. All those who were moving, were in a single direction, and that was leading out of the tent. By the time she ended, the crowd had significantly thinned-out and in no more than 10-15 minutes later, Ramllia ground looked like a puzzle of scattered chairs all across.

So what did the farmers think? Are they convinced? Do they feel stronger?

"Hum toh basss lad sakte hai.....asli kaam to sarkar he kerti hai", says Kamlesh Banarsidas, ex-Mayor and Chairperson of Social Welfare Board of Chandigarh. She says that she has faith in the Congress. "Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are not like Modi....unhe janta ke paise pe world tour kerne ka koi shauk nahi hai" (They are into going to a world tour on people's money). Who does she think is more capable as the head of the Congress, the mother or the son? "Congress ek samooh hai, koi ek vyakti nahi"( Congress is a group not a single person).

Qazi Mansoor, General Secretary of Congress Committee Muzaffernagar, says that, "ye jitne bhi ilzaam hai Congress pe wo jhoote hai. Congress ne bahut kuch kiya hai Kisaano ke liye. Hume bharosa hai Sonia ji pe, wo jo sahi samjhe wo kare, chahe khud chalae party ya Rahul ji ko de. Koi pareshani ki baat nahi hai bass kuch senior log hai party me jo zyada power chahte hai" (All the allegations on Congress are wrong. Congress has done a lot for farmers. We trust Sonia ji's decision, she may lead the party herself or give it to Rahul ji. There are no troubles in Congress but some senior leaders want more power).

Ganga Ram Garg who has come from Jaisalmer with his 20 year old son Ranu Garg, shows full faith in Rahul Gandhi. "Youth Congress is all Rahul ji's work. Today's rally was a huge success. He is back now and the opposition can feel now that this is just a beginning of a better future", said Ranu.

The man in the grey safari suit from earlier, turns out to be a businessman based in Delhi. He is no more a farmer himself but hails from a farming family, Sanjeev Shukla says, "All of them are politicians with their power motives. Though I like Modi ji and his ideas, but this Land Bill is a problem. I agree Congress has done things for farmers before but now I want to wait and see without taking sides. I feel that farmers don't really have another choice than to trust and support Congress right now. I mean what can they do when a mandate government plans against their lands. Congress is what they have, they may or may not be a hard core Congress supporters, but right now they'll support it. And only time will tell if Modi ji will be able to do all that he says and if Congress will be able to retain its lost power".

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