Pawan Khera and Manish Khanduri
Today as the Yatris completed their evening walk from Pardi Mod to Kalamnuri Zilla Parishad High school, it was a time to remember old friends. Namely Congress MP Rajeev Satav who had represented Hingoli constituency in Parliament and who had passed away due to COVID last year.
“Even our night halt” says Yatri Shauryaveer Singh “Was at Satav Ji’s old college.” He was referring to the overnight camp stay at the Late Shankarrao Satav Arts & Commerce College Ground. Speaking to a large crowd in the evening Congress MP Rahul Gandhi struck a poignant note, saying that at this moment “I remember my friend Rajeev Satav.”
Yatris (garlanded, left to right) Pradeep Ror, Vishal Chaudhary and Shauryaveer Singh being welcomed in late Congress MP Rajeev Satav’s constituency, Hingoli
It was a bitter sweet moment, given the massive crowds that were present to receive the Yatris in the evening. Add to that a number of diverse groups that accompanied the Yatra to give it greater diversity. These included leaders of the Pardhi community, who are severely underrepresented in terms of women’s education. There were also present notable eminent women activists of Maharashtra, including Sharda Sathe, Shama Dalwai, Sandhya Mhatre and Neela Limaye.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi had an interaction with eminent authors and cultural activists from Maharashtra and Goa. A number of issues were raised by the participants including including caste-based discrimination, religious polarisation, CAA, NRC, and farmer suicides. Some delegates specifically lauded Gandhi’s courage to call out the RSS categorically for its role in spreading hatred and threatening the Constitution.
Meanwhile other Yatras are also flourishing; the Yatra in Orissa completed 200 kilometres, while in Assam the Yatra is in its twelfth day. Both are being very well received.
Currently in the state of Maharastra, 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:
1. District name: Hingoli
2. Hingoli district is the birthplace of famous Marathi writer, F.M Shinde.
3. Hingoli is well known for its educational institutions.
4. Aundha Naganath, one of the 12 jyotirlingas is located in Hingoli district making it an important pilgrimage destinations for Hindus.
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