Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Rahul’s ‘ideological journey’ against ‘injustices’, begins today

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will on Sunday (January 14) set off the second phase of what party spokesperson Jairam Ramesh has termed an “ideological” battle against the BJP-led government, embarking on a 6713-km yatra from Manipur to convey the message of justice.

The party strategically chose Manipur as the starting point for its 66-day yatra to highlight the ethnic unrest raging across the state for over eight months, with no sign of ebbing, as a symbol of “grave injustice” committed under the BJP regime.

Manipur a strategic choice

“Manipur is a deliberate choice for the launch, as it has gone through lots of hardship and pain for the past eight months. We want to show our concern for what has happened to Manipur by connecting hearts to build peace,” Ramesh told a press conference on the eve of the launch of the yatra at Khongjom, a memorial dedicated to the last Anglo-Manipur War of 1891, in Thoubal district.

The injustice to Manipur was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the sufferings, the Congress spokesperson added.

“The Prime Minister did not visit Manipur even once during this turbulent period… In response to a no-confidence motion over the unrest, he gave sermons for 120 minutes, but spoke about Manipur for only three minutes,” Ramesh said, giving a broad outline of the issues Rahul Gandhi would try to convey during his Manipur-to-Maharashtra journey passing through 110 districts across 15 states.

Focus on injustices

Ramesh said the earlier yatra, which covered 4000+ km in 145 days, tried to send the message of love against the atmosphere of hate the current BJP-led regime is sowing across the country.

The sequel, termed Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, will try to highlight the issues of “social, political, and economic injustices” committed during the two terms of the Modi-led government, according to the Congress leader.

He said these injustices are gnawing at the four pillars of the country’s Constitution, viz. justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity. “The Amritkal that the BJP claims to have ushered in has in reality turned into Anyaykal (era of injustice).”

“Ideological journey”

Rahul Gandhi, during the course of his yatra, would put forward what the Congress would offer to establish justice, Ramesh said. He, however, was quick to add that it would be an ideological journey and not an electoral campaign.

Social scientist Yogendra Yadav, who has reached Imphal to take part in the yatra, told The Federal that the endeavour would be successful only if “local-level injustices are articulated to connect with the abstract notion of justice.

He said the notion of injustice varies from state to state.

It’s different

Unlike the previous yatra, this time Rahul Gandhi will be travelling on bus and not foot. On the way, he will meet at least 20-25 people from cross sections of the society apart from holding public meetings.

Only 60-70 people would accompany him throughout the yatra, unlike during the previous one, when the number of permanent yatris was 250.

In the meantime, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, in a Zoom meeting, formally invited leaders of all the INDIA bloc constituents to participate in the yatra. The Congress’s like-minded partners, including JD(U), TMC, AAP, and Left Front, have agreed to join the state leg of the yatra on Sunday.