By Pawan Khera and Manish Khanduri
For the #BharatJodoYatris, the fantastic send off as they commenced their afternoon session at Mahabubnagar town was matched by the huge excited crowds along the way. And by the Welcome Committee at Jadcherla, as they ended their evening walk around 10 kilometres later. “It was a memorable day in terms of the crowd response and engagement” marvelled Yatri Chauleshwar Chandrakar.
Chauleshwar Chandrakar, Yatri (Centre, in white) was excited by today’s crowd response
Indeed the enthusiasm of the participants was something to see.
In the afternoon Congress leaders met with diverse groups to discuss developmental challenges of Mahabubnagar district and also specifically Education related issues.
Participants said that despite the Krishna river flowing through Mahabubnagar, there was paucity of water for farming leading to extreme poverty and migrations.
Others stated in the state of Telangana, Public Education was being deliberately undermined in favour of private institutions.
It was discussed that the state’s scheme of giving money to the parents of girls getting married was leading to a decline in their education opportunities. Another issue was the two year delay in fee reimbursement, making it very difficult for economically challenged students to continue their education.
In response, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that “Healthcare and Education were the prime responsibility of the government and should not be left solely to private enterprises.”
Later, speaking at a corner meeting, Gandhi stated that “The Bharat Jodo Yatra was started to combat the violence and hatred spread by the BJP.” Gandhi went on to speak about the plight of the farmers. He said, “On the one hand the Modi government has passed the black laws against farmers and on the other the Telangana government is depriving land from farmers, Dalits and tribals.” His words were received with great enthusiasm by the audience. Clearly the core message behind the Yatra is resonating with the people.
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:
1. Current District Name – Mahbubnagar
2. The district is famous for its ancient temples and historical structures. Pillalamari, a 700 years old Banyan tree, is a major attraction for tourists.
3. It is believed that the famous Golconda diamonds including the “Kohinoor Diamond” came from this region.
4. Mahabubnagar was an important centre during the Quit India movement and the integration of Hyderabad into the Indian Union
5. Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, the great freedom fighter and first elected Chief Minister of Hyderabad was born in Mahabubnagar. He was was an active participant in the Quit India movement as well as instrumental in bringing Hyderabad into the Indian Union.
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