New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday decided to step up and advance its nationwide Bharat Jodo Yatra to counter the BJP’s allegedly divisive policies. The foot march, from Kanyakumari in the south to Kashmir in the north, will pass through 12 states and 2 Union Territories, cover around 3,500 km and will be spread over 150 days.
The nationwide yatra was announced by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at the Udaipur chintan shivir as one of the major moves to revive the grand old party across the country and take on the ruling BJP ahead of the 2024 national elections. The mega foot march also stemmed from the Congress’ desire to regain its pre-Independence character and re-establish its lost connect with the masses.
Rahul Gandhi, who had identified disconnect with the people as one of the key reasons behind the series of poll losses, is likely to lead the Yatra. To have a broad-based effect, the Congress appealed to all like-minded parties and civil society to join the yatra to counter the BJP.
“The Congress is planning to launch the yatra before the scheduled date of October 2. The Bharat Jodo Yatra is our response to the BJP’s “Bharat Todo” policies. They are dividing the people over religion, food, language and dress. They have banned words to criticise them in Parliament debates,” Congress communications in charge Jairam Ramesh said after a meeting of AICC general secretaries, state unit chiefs, and heads of frontal organisations to chalk out the plan.
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“We had announced at the Udaipur chintan shivir that the yatra would start from October 2 but now we want to launch the yatra before that date. We have instructed the state units to prepare for the yatra and once they are ready, we will finalise the new date,” Digvijay Singh, who heads the national planning group on the yatra, said.
“India is known for its ethnic diversity which is the country’s strength. But since PM Modi came to power, his policies have targeted the Constitution and burdened people with price rise. Government properties are being sold and all the benefits are going to only a few rich people. We will take this message to the people,” he said.
“Given the repeated and intensifying attacks on our democracy, our country’s Constitution, the nation’s institutions and the social fabric of our society by the Modi Sarkar and the BJP, the Congress party is now exploring the possibility of starting the Bharat Jodo Yatra earlier. If so, an earlier launch date will be announced as soon as the PCCs revert to us on preparedness,” he said.
Besides the Bharat Jodo yatra, the Congress is also planning to stage district-wise mini-yatras of 75 km each in all the states from August 9-15 to celebrate 75 years of India’s Independence. “All state unit chiefs have been directed to organise the 75 km yatras in all the districts,” said Singh.
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“After 75 years of independence, the Indian National Congress pays rich tributes to all those who fought for India’s freedom, those who defeated the politics of divide and rule, those who came together to give the country its great Constitution, and those who put India on the path of progress, prosperity, social justice and harmony,” said Singh.
“Today, as the politics of hate is being practiced by those who never took part in our country’s freedom movement, and whose ideologies resulted in the assassination of the Father of the Nation, the Bharat Jodo Yatra is being launched as a nation-wide movement to unite,” he said.
As the Congress had been supporting the farmer agitations against the three farm laws in the past, the party will also try to rope in the farmers in the nationwide yatra, said Singh. “Certainly, we would talk to them,” he said. The Bharat Jodo yatra is expected to start from Kanyakumari and hopes to reach Kashmir, said Singh, adding that the party was yet to discuss the move with the J&K administration as there were security implications.
“We are yet to discuss the issue with the J&K administration but our target is to reach Kashmir,” said Singh. The Bharat Jodo Yatra will be a padayatra throughout and the entire leadership and cadre of the Congress party will participate in the foot march. "Many other yatras will join the main padayatra from across the length and breadth of the country. The specific details of the Yatra’s route will be announced shortly,” said Singh.
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The yatra would unite the people against bigotry, said the Congress leader. “Every Indian who believes that instead of divisive politics, the focus of governance should be on providing productive jobs to crores of youth, easing the burden on crores of our families of the intolerable price rise of essential commodities, ensuring the welfare and well-being of kisans and khet mazdoors, and protecting our Jal, Jangal and Zameen for securing livelihoods and dignity for crores of Adivasis, Dalits, and other weaker sections of society,” said Singh.
The Congress plan has come just days ahead of the crucial Monsoon Session of Parliament, where the party hopes to forge opposition unity. However, the real aim is not only the coming session but the 2024 national elections, when the Congress hopes to become strong and lead a national anti-BJP platform.
“The Indian National Congress appeals to like-minded political parties, civil society groups, business and professional associations, and to all Indians who are committed to these objectives to unite and join the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” said Singh.
