By Pawan Khera and Manish Khanduri
Anyone’s who’s walked in the Yatra for any appreciable period of time has faced good and bad days. Sometimes it’s just extreme tiredness, lack of sleep, fever, an injury or just personal issues that make the day long and hard. All the Yatris have seen such times, when the long road never seems to end, and only willpower keeps you going.
Other days are like magic. Such as today.
It was the day the #BharatJodoYatra had to say goodbye to the state of Punjab, and say hello to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, and what a day it was.
The day started off with a massive public rally at Sarna, Pathankot, Punjab. Speaking on the occasion, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi stated that “The BJP and RSS have spread hate and fear through the nation. Every one of their schemes spread fear on some section of society. And if you compare that to Congress party’s UPA government in the past, our schemes try to erase fear. MNREGA, farmer loans waivers, Adivasi bill…whatever we do, we try to erase fear whereas they try to spread fear.”
After the lunch break, the Yatra resumed from Ferozepur Kalan to the flag handover ceremony at the Maharaja Gulab Singh Statue, Lakhanpur border on the Srinagar-Kanyakumari Highway in Kathua.
But prior to that the great state of Punjab gave a farewell to remember at the very edge of the state borders. For hours they had waited for the Yatris to arrive in front of a magnificent exhibition that comprised of massive carpeted areas, with giant sized posters laid in parallel leading up to a huge raised platform. Over the loudspeakers you could hear the song “O desh mere teri shaan mein sadke/Koi dhan hai kya teri dhool se badke” on repeat, to complete a stunning experience. The pictures speak for themselves. We wish to thank in particular three time MLA from Amritsar South and vice president Punjab PCC Inderbir Boloria for making this happen.
Punjab organised an amazing exhibition at the very edge of the state borders that comprised of massive carpeted areas, with giant sized posters laid in parallel leading up to a huge raised platform
And as they waited in Madhopur, the crowds grew in numbers as did the anticipation. The silver coloured mashaals were laid side by side on the road and seemed to grow brighter as evening fell. And then the #BharatJodoYatra could be seen in the distance, its arrival heralded by the blue and red police car lights, flickering like fireflies in the dusk.
An event to remember – the brilliant torchlight procession into Jammu and Kashmir
And soon the Yatra was there, the crowd seems to erupt in a continuous loud roar, the mashaals all lit up and held aloft. Held in thousands of hands, they looked like a moving river of flame. And so chanting slogans, singing, cheering, or just silently contemplative of the magical beauty of the scene the Yatris crossed the river Ravi to arrive in Jammu and Kashmir.
Thank you Punjab, it was brilliant.
A warm welcome awaited the Yatris in J&K in the form of a public meeting attended by thousands. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and President of National Conference, Farooq Abdullah, too was present, to receive Rahul Gandhi.
There were a number of people who attended the Yatris’ last day in Punjab but we will mention none in particular. The students of Delhi Public School, Pathankot had been waiting, smartly dressed, for the Yatra to pass by. We asked them why there were there. School captain Jayani said “We’re here to support the idea of one country and one nation, and that means supporting the Bharat Jodo Yatra.” Sana, house captain, said that “They were there to express their belief in what Rahul Gandhi was doing by walking the length of the nation.”
The students of Delhi Public School, Pathankot had been waiting, smartly dressed, for the Yatra to pass by. They were there to express their belief in what Rahul Gandhi was doing by walking the length of the nation.
Continuing with our recent practice of thanking key individuals responsible for making this diary happen, today we mention Gaurav Pandhi and Rahul Ranjan.
Those who have read this diary since the beginning would recognise the Pandhi byline. He was a significant contributor to the diary, who moved on to bigger and better things but will be remembered for the quality of his input and commitment. For Pandhi the best part of the Yatra was “The crowd that I used to witness everyday, the excitement in the air, celebrations, people dancing; queuing up on the roadside, on their balconies, roof tops, all of them waiting for the Yatra – that’s something that will always remain fresh in my mind forever. Walking through villages, towns, cities and experiencing these colors; talking to people was an unforgettable experience.”
Gaurav Pandhi was a significant editorial contributor to this diary, and receive a byline. For him the best part of the Yatra was “The crowd ….. the excitement in the air, celebrations, people dancing; queuing up on the road side, on their balconies, roof tops, all of them waiting for the Yatra – that’s something that will always remain fresh in my mind forever.”
Rahul Ranjan’s impact has been as simple as it has been critical. He has translated this diary into Hindi, increasing its impact manifold. The excellence and speed of his translation has been a significant value add. According to Ranjan, “Participating in the Bharat Jodo Yatra was in itself a great experience. Since childhood one has heard a number of proverbs regarding our country. Such as… Language and culture change every few kilometres. I experienced this first hand during the Yatra. Sometimes I didn’t understand the language people were speaking but I did understand the sentiment behind the words.”
Rahul Ranjan has translated this diary into Hindi, increasing its impact manifold. According to Ranjan, “Since childhood one has heard a number of proverbs regarding our country. Such as… Language and culture change every few kilometres. I experienced this first hand during the Yatra.”
Currently in Jammu and Kashmir, 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)
Travel Facts:
1. Districts name: Pathankot, Kathua
2. Pathankot is called the gateway of Himachal Pradesh and J&K states.
3. Ranjit Sagar Dam the “Pride of Punjab” is on the Punjab – J&K border.
4. Pathankot has one of the largest army cantonments in India.
5. Because of its close proximity to the Pakistan border, Kathua district also has had a significant Indian Army presence since independence.
6. Basohli a town of Kathua district, is widely known for its paintings.
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