Man walking barefoot in Bharat Jodo Yatra becomes centre of attraction

Dinesh Sharma is neither an MLA nor a corporator and does not hold any official position in Congress. Yet, Rahul Gandhi and those around him know the man personally. Talking about his journey, Sharma said, "Until Rahulji becomes the Prime Minister, I will continue to walk barefoot, which I started in 2011.

Srinagar: Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra has come to an end. During this Yatra, people from all walks of life took part in the Yatra. One of them is 28-year-old Pandit Dinesh Sharma, a law graduate, who has been walking barefoot for the past 12 years. Wearing a saffron turban and tri colour clothes, Dinesh Sharma stands out among all the yatris in Bharat Jodo Yatra. He said, "Until Rahul ji becomes the Prime Minister, I will continue to walk barefoot which I started in 2011. Although Sharma was not seen on TV, he does not escape the eyes of any Yatri or visitor. Sharma is the only one allowed to cross Rahul Gandhi's security circle.

Sharma is neither an MLA nor a corporator and does not hold any official position in Congress. Yet, Rahul Gandhi and those around him know the man personally. His clothes are probably the reason why most yatris call him "Panditji". Talking about his journey, Sharma said, "My 12-year-long yatra continues. In this yatra, another yatra began, in the form of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. My struggle continues." Pertinently, the Bharat Jodo Yatra was launched from Kanyakumari on September 7, 2022, and Sharma has been walking alongside Gandhi ever since. "I was born in Kakrod village of Jind, Haryana and I belong to an affluent family. I have borne my travel expenses," he said.

He further said, "When Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of the country, he took the nation to great heights. Then, Indira Gandhi, who was the President of the Congress and Prime Minister, took India to even greater heights. She died for the country. Rajiv Gandhi also died for the country. And from the same family, Rahul Gandhiji emerged as a leader. I believe Rahul Gandhi will also do something for the country."

Talking about Rahul Gandhi, he said, "Rahulji saw pain at a young age. He lost his grandmother, Indira Gandhi and father, Rajiv Gandhi at a young age. Rahulji will do anything for this country. My dream is to see India as the number one country in the world. I felt that if anyone can fulfil my dreams then it is Rahulji. That day I took this vow to walk with bare feet."

The Bharat Jodo Yatra covered a distance of 4,080 km and was not easy for Sharma. The pace was fast, the weather was unfavourable and Sharma's barefoot was making things difficult for him. But Sharma sees the yatra as a fight to "save the country" with much larger aims. Discussing the hardships of the journey, he said, "People fainted and were martyred during India's struggle for independence. All will be remembered. And my hardships during this yatra is nothing compared to that."