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Bharat Jodo Yatra: Of new friendships and cultural diversity
: Forming new bonds, learning languages and relishing myriad recipes as they pass through different states, the Bharat Jodo Yatra has become a home away from home for nearly 200 yatris, who have been marching with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for over four months since the start of the nationwide foot march from Kanyakumari
: Forming new bonds, learning languages and relishing myriad recipes as they pass through different states, the Bharat Jodo Yatra has become a home away from home for nearly 200 yatris, who have been marching with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for over four months since the start of the nationwide foot march from Kanyakumari.
Bringing an assorted mix of cultures in the foot march, the yatris, who have gathered from 26 states across the country, say they follow a strict schedule of getting up at 4:30am and starting the yatra by 6am.
While many are associated with the Indian Youth Congress, many have joined the yatra hoping for a political change in the country as they overcome day-to-day challenges of language and food in the yatra, which is currently passing through Haryana.
“We come from different states, cultures and backgrounds. Even though we miss many things, especially our food, this yatra has given us an opportunity to understand this country and feel the pain and suffering of people,” said Lhingkim Haokip Shingnaisui, who is from Manipur and learning Haryanvi words from her fellow yatris from Haryana.
“This is my new family. After 20 days, this four-month journey will come to an end and I will miss these people a lot,” Shingnaisui, 54, a mother of three children, who had unsuccessfully contested the election from Ukhrul assembly constituency, said.
Walking for change
Nitin Ganpat, a 33-year-old bicycle mechanic from Kolhapur of Maharashtra, is famous for his hairstyle- Congress party’s symbol hand- at the yatri camp. He is also wearing clothes made from the party’s flag.
Ganpat says he wants to see a positive change in the country through this yatra.
Another yatri and ex-serviceman Manohar Anand Rao Patil from Latur of Maharashtra says that he joined the yatra over the farmers’ issues as they were not getting remunerative prices of their produce.
“I believe that this yatra will awaken the country and it will help to bring better days for farmers as well,” he added.
There are also those who are walking with their leader to fulfill their political ambitions as this yatra has given them an opportunity to come closer to Rahul Gandhi and it may help them to stake claim in future elections.
“This yatra has given me an opportunity to understand the problems of people of this country as we see that the development is only in papers and nothing has been done on the ground. I want to contest the elections if the party will give me an opportunity,” Chouleshwar Chandrakar, president of the OBC cell of congress in Chattisgarh where elections are due later this year, said.
After Gandhi grabbed the attention for braving the chilling cold in a half-sleeve t-shirt, another yatri Chandy Oommen, a youth Congress leader and son of former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy, is walking barefoot in the yatra.
“Walking barefoot gives me energy and when I see Rahul walking in a t-shirt I forget my pain,” Chandy said, walking slowly on NH 44 near Shahbad.
