BJP's blatantly discriminatory policies have brought Unnao's leather industry to its knees, but no candidate acknowledges it

Forced to close down in November for the Kumbh Mela, ostensibly to prevent pollution in the Ganga from waste from the tanneries, the centres are still shut. Their findings — straight and raw from the ground — will be combined in this series, Elections on the Go _, over a course of 100 days._ *** Unnao: “Agar ek pregnant worker ko karza chukaane ke liye apni kokh bechni pad rahi hai, toh aap isi se is industry ki haalat samajh sakte hai,” said Kaushlendra Chandra Mishra, the owner of Triveni Tanners in Unnao’s Jajmao area. “If the shutdown continues much longer, the leather industry in the state will come to an end, and no one will be able to revive it.” Officials of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board and the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam are not ready to say anything about reopening the tanneries. I have spent all my savings, and no one is willing to lend me money for to pay for my children’s admission at a private school.” Nayar Jamal, former president of the Small Tanners Association, also believes it would be better to boycott the Lok Sabha election to show the government the value of every single vote since they failed to clean the Ganga, and in an election year, ordered the closure of tanneries. It is totally wrong to blame the tanneries for the pollution.” “I smell a conspiracy behind this,” said Taj Alam, president of Uttar Pradesh Leather Industries Association.