The Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY) which has been carried out by the Congress in the country, under the leadership of its former president and Wayanard MP Rahul Gandhi, has been sustainably receiving noticeable public support from the beginning.
The 3,500 km long and 150 days scheduled foot march that spreads from Kanyakumari-Kashmir, covering 12 States, began on September 7 and has covered four States, 2,445 km , 41 days as on October 18 and is presently passing through Andhra Pradesh.
During his last visit to Odisha to finalise the BJY plan for the State, party’s general secretary , national publicity-in-charge and MP Jairam Ramesh said that the purpose of the “Padajatra” is to unite the people of the country and to raise public awareness on the mis-governance of the present Union Government and the BJP as a result of which people are suffering. He took on the Modi Government for issues like unemployment, price rise, social hatredness, centralisation of power, loss of freedom of media, weakening of democratic institutions and so on. He gave a call to the civil society to join the BJY if they want to change the situation.
During various interactions with the public and the media, Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly said that the “Padajatra” is the only option left before the national opposition, the Congress party, to raise its voice as the voice of the Opposition is neither heard in the Parliament nor carried by the media, many of which are controlled by the Union Government. He has also clarified that the BJY is not connected to any forthcoming elections.
The foot-march is a daily dawn- to- dusk painstaking physical public engagement of Rahul and his team of foot-marchers under rigorous weather conditions with public address. This sacrifice of the leader and the team has been pulling the common masses to them from diverse social groups and establishing a mental-connect. During public interactions Rahul listens to the public and addresses their issues. In one such occasion, he spoke being drenched in torrential downpour to the unfazed audience who surprisingly listened to him daring rains. The leader also interacts with and inspires his co-marchers which show his caring nature in contrast to the rumours spread by his critics depicting him as an insensitive leader. Rahul’s public lace-tying act of his mother, the interim-party president and MP Sonia Gandhi, who came to the Padajatra in Karnataka to inspire the foot marchers , brought public praise for him in social media. In brief, Rahul’s image as a caring and concern human with belief in secularism and democracy is coming out from the BJY.
India has a long history of foot- marches by spiritual gurus and political leaders. Saints like Adi Sankaracharya, Lord Budhha, Guru Nanak and Sree Chaitanya had embarked on foot-marches to communicate spiritual transformation. The national freedom struggle has recorded the longest and dominating foot-march of Mahatma Gandhi. Former Prime Minister Chandrasekhar had conducted a national Padajatra in 1983. The Ram Mandir Ratha-Jatra ,led by the BJP leader LK Advani in the 90's was another political national mobilisation. Apart from these national marches, various political parties have undertaken election oriented foot-marches at the State levels with limited electoral objectives. Each yatra has left its impact on the Indian society in various degrees.
The BJY shall impact three stakeholders primarily such as the public, the Congress party and Rahul. People in India are always interested to listen to the leaders. Therefore, the foot marches of leaders always draw public attention. Rahul has three important personality dimensions which draw public attention. He is young, unmarried, educated and non-corrupt and this kind of personality is always treated as a good leader by the public. He is also considered as a leader who has shun power in the past as he could have become the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister or a Cabinet Minister during 2004-2014. Thirdly he is also known as a young angry politician who is always in favour of reform and keeps challenging anti-people policies, be it his own Government’s criminal- ordinance or crony-capitalism or the corporate’s forceful land acquisition of tribals and farmers. Therefore, Rahul's words shall have impact on the people to build a better inclusive and democratic Indian society.
But to follow up the message of Rahul and convert it to anti-BJP votes in Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and opposition need additional political strategy at the State and national levels. The BJP’s counter electoral strategy is equally important. Secondly, unless Rahul extends his journey and covers other States and the UTs, the impact shall not be nationwide and not be considered as fully non-electoral.
Secondly, the BJY is also strengthening the Congress in terms of increasing its connection with the masses. After late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the connectivity between the party’s national leader and the public gradually weakened. As a result, bureaucracy and coterie system grew from State to national level in the party. Through BJY, Rahul is not only building the base of the party’s pyramid but also trying to set up the foundation of the party on a value system which was diluted slowly due to power politics. It is good that Rahul stood to his stand of not contesting for the party’s president post and a new non-Gandhi president has come up. Now the party has to strengthen organisation, build alternative governance policies and electoral strartegies.
Thirdly but importantly the impact of BJY on Rahul is appearing to be tremendous. Coming out from the security environment, he is meeting people and discovering India like Lord Budhha or Nehru when they were exposed to the Indian society for first time. It is helping him in the process of becoming a true human being and a true people’s politician. He has to decide with which role he shall be comfortable in Congress in future such as Mahatma Gandhi or Nehru or Kamraj!
( Email-lalitdemocrat@gmail.com)