Archive · 7 Nov 2025
Rahul Gandhi's Gift to Cobbler Gathers Dust Amid Family's Plea for Aid
Imagine a politician giving a special gift, like a cool new toy machine, to someone who makes shoes for a living.
The politician took a picture and said it would help the shoe maker make lots of money.
But the shoe maker got very sick with a bad illness and couldn't use the machine.
Now, the machine is just sitting there, covered in dust.
The shoe maker's family needs real help, like money for doctor visits, more than they need the unused machine.
They are hoping the politician will remember them and send the help they really need.
Rahul Gandhi gifted a shoe-making machine to Dalit cobbler Ramchait Mochi in Uttar Pradesh in 2023.
The machine is now gathering dust as Ramchait is bedridden with advanced throat cancer.
Ramchait's son, Raghav, is seeking financial assistance from Rahul Gandhi for his father's medical treatment.
The family survives on Raghav's meager daily wage earnings and faces mounting medical bills and destitution.
The incident occurs as Rahul Gandhi intensifies his campaign in Bihar, focusing on Dalit empowerment.
- Who
- Ramchait Mochi, a Dalit cobbler, his son Raghav, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi
- What
- A shoe-making machine gifted by Rahul Gandhi to Ramchait Mochi is unused, while the family is in dire need of financial aid for Ramchait's cancer treatment.
- When
- The machine was gifted in 2023; the family's plea for aid is current, amid Rahul Gandhi's Bihar election campaign.
- Where
- Dhesaruwa village, Sultanpur district, Uttar Pradesh, and during Rahul Gandhi's campaign rallies in Bihar.
- Why
- The machine is unusable due to Ramchait's severe illness and inability to operate it, while the family faces mounting medical bills and poverty.
Congress and Supporters
Critics and Unfulfilled Expectations
Purpose of the Gift
Congress and Supporters
The shoe-making machine was intended as a symbol of empowerment and self-reliance for traditional artisans.
Critics and Unfulfilled Expectations
The machine has proven to be a dusty, unusable symbol, highlighting a gap between symbolic gestures and tangible help.
Government's Role in Support
Congress and Supporters
Local Congress representatives have been approached for assistance.
Critics and Unfulfilled Expectations
Local Congress representatives have been silent, and the community feels disillusioned with the lack of support.
Political Narrative
Congress and Supporters
Rahul Gandhi is actively campaigning on platforms of Dalit empowerment and upliftment.
Critics and Unfulfilled Expectations
Critics are using the cobbler's story to frame Rahul Gandhi's promises as empty and forgotten, akin to the machine.
- Cobbler's Name
- Ramchait Mochi
- Cobbler's Village
- Dhesaruwa, Sultanpur district, Uttar Pradesh
- Gift Received
- Shoe-making machine
- Gifter
- Rahul Gandhi
- Cobbler's Health
- Advanced stage of throat cancer
- Family's Financial Need
- Seeking approximately Rs 50,000 for treatment
- Family's Income Source
- Son's daily wage labor as a farmhand (Rs 200-300/day)