Pawan Khera and Manish Khanduri
As has been our stated objective, this diary has been an accounting of the Congress Party’s national #BharatJodoYatra that began in Kanyakumari and will end in Kashmir. However, this Yatra promises to be more than a single journey. To that extent, we would like to acknowledge the initial successes of the Congress, led parallel Yatras that have begun in Assam and Orissa.
“Received tremendous support to our #BharatJodoYatraAssam for 4th day,” tweeted Bhupen Borah, APCC. And indeed it seems to us that the ideas behind the Yatra are resonating elsewhere as well. We wish them all the very best.
The #BharatJodoYatra meanwhile continued to power on, this day, attracting massive crowds. What strikes Yatri Anulekha Boosa is the celebratory atmosphere. “Every now and then,” she says “One came across groups of local artists playing music, beating drums, alankar as if it was the festive season.”
Yatri Anulekha Boosa (in all whites, fourth from the right) spoke of the celebratory atmosphere that’s prevailing among the crowds flocking to the Yatra
You could see it in the colourful costumes, the slogans chanting, the music playing and the crowds spilling on to the lush green fields on both sides of the highway, as the Yatris walked from Danampally, Jogipet to Gadi Peddapur, Alladurg.
In the evening a number of groups walked along with the Congress leaders and the Yatris. These included student activists who were active in the Telangana movement, representatives of the Maala Mahadanu Association; to discuss issues of the Dalit community, and also Ansha Mohan – social media influencer
We’d also like to note that today the Congress releases its manifesto for the upcoming Himachal Pradesh assembly elections.
Speaking to a large crowd at a corner meeting in the evening, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said that the Yatris were “Walking in the heat, rain, through storms…. We daily walk 25 kilometres and don’t feel the strain…. Because of the people’s love and strength (they give us).”
We believe that, absolutely.
Currently in the state of Telangana, the Bharat Jodo Yatra is a five month, 3500 kilometre long Padyatra from Kanyakumari in the South of India to Kashmir up in the North. It is part of the party’s national mass outreach program aimed at highlighting social polarisation, economic inequalities and political centralisation.
Ground research: Aparna Ashwarya (INC Communications Department research team)
End of Day Travel Facts:
- Current District Name: Sangareddy
- Sangareddy is home to three large-scale public sector industries. These are – Bharat Heavy Electicals, Bharat Dynamics (where the missile Prithvi was produced), and Ordnance Factory Medak (where the Sarath army tank was made)
- The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, is located in the district.
- In 1930, during the Indian freedom movement, the first session of Andhra Maha Sabha against the Nizam’s rule was held in Jogipet town of Sangareddy district. Suravaram Pratap Reddy, a legendary Telegu writer spearheaded the session.
Tweet of the day: