A Journey of Hope and Healing for India

Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra: A Journey of Hope and Healing for India.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is in Kashmir for 'Bharat Jodo Yatra

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Indian National Congress, has completed his historic mission to unite India through a five-month-long march across the country. The Bharat Jodo Yatra, or Unite India March, began on September 7, 2022, from Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of India, and ended on February 28, 2023, in Srinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Along the way, Gandhi met people from different walks of life, listened to their grievances, and offered them a vision of a more inclusive, tolerant, and prosperous India.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra was not just a political campaign, but a personal quest for Gandhi, who has faced immense tragedy and loss in his life. His grandmother, Indira Gandhi, was assassinated by her own bodyguards in 1984, when he was just 14 years old. His father, Rajiv Gandhi, was killed by a suicide bomber in 1991, when he was 21 years old. Both his parents were former prime ministers of India, and both were killed for their efforts to uphold the secular and democratic values of the country.

Gandhi has said that he had a premonition that his father would meet the same fate as his grandmother, and that he still struggles with the pain and trauma of losing them. He has also faced criticism and ridicule from his political opponents, especially the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has portrayed him as a weak and incompetent leader. The BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has won two consecutive general elections in 2014 and 2019, reducing the Congress to a marginal force in Indian politics.

But Gandhi has not given up on his dream of reviving the Congress and restoring its glory as India’s oldest and largest party. He has also not given up on his belief that India is a diverse and pluralistic nation that cannot be reduced to a single religion or ideology. He has challenged the BJP’s majoritarian and authoritarian agenda, which he says has divided the country along communal lines, violated human rights, eroded democratic institutions, mismanaged the economy, and failed to handle the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra was Gandhi’s attempt to reach out to the millions of Indians who are disillusioned with the BJP’s rule and are looking for an alternative. He walked through villages and towns, interacting with farmers, workers, students, women, minorities, and civil society groups. He addressed public rallies and press conferences, highlighting the issues that affect the common people. He also invited celebrities, intellectuals, activists, and other opposition leaders to join him in his march and show solidarity with his cause.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra also witnessed some heartwarming moments of hospitality and respect for women farmers from Sonipat, Haryana. Gandhi had met them during his visit to their village, Madina, where he had interacted with them and promised them that they would soon get a chance to visit the national capital and share food with his family.

The women farmers were overjoyed by his gesture and eagerly accepted his invitation. They travelled to Delhi as part of a ‘Delhi Darshan’ tour and met Gandhi’s mother Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at their residence. They shared a light-hearted conversation with the Gandhi family, in which they discussed various issues such as food security, women empowerment, GST, inflation, medicine prices, fertilizers, electricity, and agriculture.

The women farmers also expressed their concern for Rahul Gandhi’s personal life and asked Sonia Gandhi to get him married. Sonia Gandhi replied with a smile and asked them to find a girl for him. Rahul Gandhi said that it would happen in due course of time. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra told the women that Rahul Gandhi was naughtier than her when they were children, but she got the scolding instead.

The women farmers also showed their affection for Rahul Gandhi by feeding him with their own hands. They also gifted him some homemade products such as desi ghee, sweet lassi, pickles, and lots of love. Rahul Gandhi thanked them for their kindness and generosity and said that it was a day to remember for him and his family.

The video of the meeting was shared by Rahul Gandhi on his X (formerly Twitter) account and received a lot of positive feedback from his followers. Many praised him for his humility and respect for women farmers. Many also appreciated his efforts to connect with the common people and understand their problems. Many also wished him good luck for his yatra and his future endeavors.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra culminated with a rally in a stadium in Srinagar on Monday afternoon. It was attended by Gandhi and several other Congress leaders and also leaders from some opposition parties who joined in a show of unity. Addressing the rally, Gandhi said he was warned against travelling on foot by the local administration who said a grenade could be hurled at him.

The Congress leader said he insisted on walking because “my family and [Mahatma] Gandhi taught me to live fearlessly, otherwise, that is not living”.

Gandhi said he had received “wholehearted love” in the region where he spent the last leg of his march. He also shared an anecdote of how he once faced terrorists in Kashmir, while the yatra was underway. He said an unknown man approached him and pointed towards a group of people, revealing they were all terrorists. Gandhi said he was not afraid of them, but rather curious about their motives and grievances. He said he wanted to talk to them and understand why they had chosen violence over peace.

Gandhi said he believed that dialogue and reconciliation were the only way to resolve the Kashmir issue, which has been a source of conflict between India and Pakistan for more than 70 years. He said he respected the sentiments and aspirations of the people of Kashmir, and that they deserved dignity and justice. He also criticized the BJP government for abrogating Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, in 2019, without consulting the people or the state assembly. He said this was a “betrayal” of the trust and faith of the people, and that it had only increased alienation and violence in the region.

Gandhi said he wanted to restore the constitutional rights and freedoms of the people of Kashmir, and that he would fight for their cause in Parliament and outside. He also appealed to the youth of Kashmir to shun violence and join hands with him in building a new India, where everyone would have equal opportunities and respect. He said he had a dream of seeing Kashmir as a paradise of peace and harmony, where people of all faiths and backgrounds would live together in brotherhood.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses a public rally at the end of party's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra

The Bharat Jodo Yatra was a journey of hope and healing for India, a country that is facing unprecedented crises and conflicts. It was also a journey of hope and healing for Rahul Gandhi himself, a man who has been scorched by loss and pain but has not lost his faith in himself or his country. And it was also a journey of hope and healing for the women farmers from Sonipat, who have found a friend and a leader in him, who has treated them with dignity and hospitality, and who has given them a reason to smile and dream.