Bharat Jodo Yatra: Everything you need to know about Congress’s foot march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir

After paying homage and meditating on September 7 at the Sriperumbudur memorial near Chennai, the site of the assassination of his father Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would launch the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ (Uniting India rally) in Kanyakumari. The yatra is being billed by the party as the longest rally mounted in this country over the last century.

Urging everyone to participate in the yatra, the Congress last week stated that the rally is meant to provide an alternative to the ‘”politics of fear, bigotry and prejudice” and to the economics of livelihood destruction, increasing unemployment and growing inequalities.

Congress launches logo, tagline, website of Yatra

The Congress on Tuesday unveiled the logo, tagline, pamphlet and website for the yatra. The tagline or slogan for the nationwide foot march is “mile kadam, jude vatan” (walk together, unite the country).

Speaking at the launch, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said anyone wishing to join the yatra can join Rahul Gandhi by registering on the website – http://www.bharatjodoyatra.in.

What will be the schedule of the Bharat Jodo Yatra?

The padyatra (foot march) will begin in Kanyakumari on September 7 and culminate in Jammu Kashmir. The yatra would go on in Tamil Nadu for four days, from September 7 to 10. From the next day, the yatra would continue from neighbouring Kerala.

Senior Congress leaders Digvijaya Singh and Jairam Ramesh during a press conference regarding the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, in New Delhi. (PTI)

Congress’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ will be covering a total distance of 511 kilometres across 21 days in Karnataka, the party’s state president D K Shivakumar said on Monday.

“Of the 511 km in our state, there are some places covering forest areas. The yatra in those regions will be decided by AICC after discussing with local authorities and police. The yatra will be for 21 days in the state covering eight districts and all our leaders and workers will participate,” Shivakumar said. He added that the distance to be covered every day will be decided based on the local conditions and visits to be made locally.

The march will cover 12 states and two Union territories. It will be about 3,500-km long and will be completed in about 150 days, senior party leader Jairam Ramesh told reporters last week.

What are the preparations underway?

Security officials would soon visit the Sriperumbudur memorial as part of the preparatory drill. Congress party sources told PTI that work is on to ensure that appropriate arrangements are made at Sriperumbudur and taking into account the objective of the party’s nation-wide yatra.

Prayers, a theme based on the Tricolour to invoke nationalist sentiments to dislodge the BJP regime at the Centre are among the topics that are being deliberated.

Why the halt at Sriperumbudur?

Rahul Gandhi’s father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a suicide bomber Dhanu on 21 May, 1991 at Sriperumbudur. This is the first visit of Rahul Gandhi to the memorial.

Rahul seeks participation of 150 civil society organisations

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held a meeting with civil society members at a conclave on Monday where the plans for the party’s upcoming “Bharat Jodo Yatra” from Kanyakumari to Kashmir were shared and deliberated upon.

The ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra Conclave’ was attended by over 150 civil society organisations, professionals and Unions with the likes of Aruna Roy, Syeda Hameed, Sharad Behar, P V Rajgopal, Bezwada Wilson, Devanoora Mahadeva, GN Devy and Yogendra Yadav, participating in it.

Several prominent civil society members and political leaders, including Yogendra Yadav, Jairam Ramesh and Digvijaya Singh, were present during the meeting held at the Constitution Club in Delhi. Earlier, Singh presented the details of the “Bharat Jodo Yatra” to the civil society delegates and invited those speaking up on people’s issues to participate in it.

Rahul Gandhi said at the conclave that the  Yatra is like a “tapasya” for him and that he is ready for the “long battle” to unite the country.

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