The curious case of a chai stall built on a graveyard

With tables set around a gnarled tree trunk and on either side of graves cutting through the room, the all vegetarian Lucky tea stall is a local talisman of sorts, the place where communal divides blur into camaraderie and comfort. On one wall is a painting by M F Husain, showing an oasis, camels and a ‘kalma’ - “La Ilaha Illallah Muhammadur Rasul Allah.” It is the only tea shop boasting a Husain painting, said a proud Abdul Rajak Mansury, who operates the tea stall. As the campaign hots up, the tea stall in Old Ahmedabad’s Jamalpur-Khadia is also an oasis of calm, far removed from the din and aggression of the Gujarat assembly election being held in two phases on December 1 and 5. The first time voter said better jobs and better business environment are bigger issues for her as a student and daughter of a businessman.