Nangla Bhattauna (Uttar Pradesh), July 5 (IANS) Children and men stood on low walls or climbed trees in villages to snatch a better view of Rahul Gandhi as he walked briskly against land acquisition, wiping off beads of sweat from his forehead every now and then.

 
 
 With his starched kurta-pyjama and white Nike sneakers, the Congress general secretary was unlike any other politician the villagers had seen in their midst.
 
 As he walked on, displaying the confidence of a seasoned politician, occasionally folding his sleeves, a large number of police and commandos followed him.
 
 Also accompanying him were a large number of villagers -- who have been protesting for weeks against what they say is the forced takeover of their land by the Uttar Pradesh government.
 
 After reaching Bhatta Parsaul village shortly after dawn despite being denied permission to hold a rally there, the young Gandhi hit the village of Nangla Bhattauna -- his third halt -- by noon.
 
 He took six hours to cover the 12 km distance. In all, Gandhi covered five villages and 19 km Tuesday.
 
 While he kept sipping bottled water, his supporters used hand pumps in the rural belt to quench their thirst.
 
 In between, Gandhi stopped for a two-hour break at the house of farmer Rajbir Singh.
 
 According to an official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, he had a simple, home-cooked meal comprising roti, vegetables and moong-masoor dal.
 
 And then he took some rest.
 
 His supporters and the village community patiently waited outside, watching in amazement the security personnel checking cow dung cakes with metal detectors.
 
 As he emerged from the house, there were full throated slogans of "Rahul Gandhi Zindabad!".
 
 That marked the resumption of his 'padayatra'.
 
 Wherever he halted, he would address what were billed as "kisan panchayats". Here the villages poured out their woes. Gandhi heard them in silence, occasionally cuddling a young boy or a girl.
 
 His message to the villagers was simple: he was with them and he would stand by them, no matter what.