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Politics : Impeach George W. Bush -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: AuBug who wrote (31951)	5/20/2005 12:14:22 AM
From: American Spirit	Respond to of 93284

"Rent-a-crowd" company launched in southern India to cheer politicians Thu May 19, 1:26 PM ET (* Bushies should be interested in this idea for their loyal fans only presidential appearances. Bush hasn't met anyone who doesn't support him in years probably. Out of touch with reality.) A former politician in southern India has reportedly launched a "rent-a-crowd" company to recruit people to cheer at party rallies and said he has been deluged by would-be recruits. "When all political parties and organisations are doing it discreetly, why can't we do it professionally?" the Hindustan Times newspaper quoted the company's founder, Devarajan, who goes by one name, as saying. Indian political parties are known for paying people to show up for rallies, often transporting them in fleets of buses, but usually the recruitment is carried out by the parties. Devarajan is offering recruits training, guaranteed wages and says they can be deployed when parties need a "decent-sized crowd" at a rally, the newspaper reported. He said his firm, based in Kerala's capital, Trivandrum, placed an ad in a local newspaper and got "at least 250 calls in two days" from applicants. One "said he would participate in any mode of agitation including violent ones -- if he got a bottle of liquor and chicken curry every day," he said. The newspaper said response to the ad reflected Kerala's high unemployment. While literacy in Kerala is almost 91 per cent, far higher than India's 65 percent average, unemployment is rampant due to a lack of major industries. Some four million of its population of 32 million are out of work, according to official figures, and many travel to the Gulf in quest of jobs. Copyright © 2005 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AFP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Agence France Presse.