Pawan Khera and Manish Khanduri
What keeps Bharat Yatri Sheeba Ramchandran going, despite all the physical and mental stress of walking 20-30 kilometres day after day, far away from her home and her family, is the example of people she sees on the roads.
Yatri Sheeba Ramchandran with local women waiting to catch a glimpse of Rahul Gandhi
Across the way, Ramchandran came across a group of women who had been waiting for hours just for the possibility of catching a glimpse of their hero, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. “Just talking to them is a blessing,” says Ramchandran, “Their enthusiasm and passion makes me stronger.”
Indeed it was but an example of the manner in which the #BharatJodoYatra is slowly but surely coalescing positive emotions, aspirations and hopes of common people wherever it goes, be they professionals, farmers, small businessmen, tribal communities, etc.
In an equally inspirational example, today Congress leader Rahul Gandhi briefly met with a woman who had been waiting for hours to “see Indira Gandhi’s grandson”, because she wanted to introduce to him her own grandson- who was being treated at a hospital also named after Indira Gandhi! Earlier today, Gandhi was at a silk processing unit where he engaged with workers to better understand the production process.
She was waiting to see “Indira Gandhi’s grandson” – and got to see him!
Finally, through our examples and quotes on this diary we have implicitly tried to acknowledge the the role of women in the #BharatJodoYatra. We wish to say that as direct participants (one third of Bharat Yatris are women) or as supporters, women have come forward in the largest numbers to support the yatra. We are humbled by their contribution.
#WomenStandWithBharatJodo
This evening the Yatris walked 10 kilometres from Chikkanayakanahalli to their evening break at Ankanabavi, Tumkur.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra is presently in the state of Karnataka. Over 21 days in the state, it will cover 511 kilometres.
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 -Tumkur
2. Raja Ramanna famous Indian nuclear physicist was from Tumkur
3. The district is also known as ‘Kalpataru Nadu’ (land of coconuts), for its production of coconuts. It contributes more than 1/3rd of total coconut production in Karnataka.
4. Mahatma Gandhi visited Tumakuru district on 1943 as part of his campaign to extend the scope of the independence movement
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