By Pawan Khera and Manish Khanduri
(With inputs from Gaurav Pandhi)
The rains came this early morning to Begur. They did delay the start of the yatra, but did not dim the enthusiasm of the yatris. “It’s good for the farmers” said Shatrughan Sharma, Bharat yatri from Rajasthan, “We carry on regardless”.
It’s raining but as Shatrughan Sharma, Bharat yatri from Rajasthan, says “We carry on regardless.”
The morning yatra commenced from the Tondavadi Gate. It was a walk under a slight drizzle, through a rural, sparsely populated area, then road lines with fields on both sides.
The yatris were accompanied by a number of Karnataka state leaders including CLP Siddaramaiah, and working president Dhruvanarayan.
Said Yogesh Meena, Bharat yatri from Rajasthan “It’s exhilarating to feel the passion and energy from fellow yatris, knowing that we are in this together with a greater mission in mind.” The yatris walked around 13 kilometres before arriving at their midday halt at Kalale Gate.
Yogesh Meena, Bharat yatri finds it “exhilarating to feel the passion and energy from fellow yatris.”
In the afternoon there is a planned interaction of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with young artists and writers.
Also planned is a press meet at 3PM attended by DK.Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, Pawan Khera, and Priyank Kharge.
Meanwhile the party has shrugged off repeated attempts by the BJP government to undermine the successes of the yatra. Said two time Congress MLA Priyank Kharge, “Standard Operating Procedures of the BJP while Rahul Gandhi is in Karnataka is to discredit #BharataJodoYatra and get personal with Rahul Gandhi, PCC President and CLP…But nothing will make a difference.”
He’s right. This#BharatJodoYatra is unstoppable.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra is presently in the state of Karnataka. Over the next 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.
Source for ground research: Aparna Ashwarya (INC Communications Department research team)
Midday Travel Facts:
1. Route traveled/ major settlements: Tondavadi Gate – Kalaule Gate.
2. Current Districts Name -Chamrajanagar, Mysore
3. Karnataka is the seventh largest state in India. It’s major rivers are Cauvery, Tungabhadra and Krishna.
4. Earlier known as “The State of Mysore”, it was formed on 1 November 1956, after the State Re-organisation Act of 1956
5. Karnataka is the fastest-growing economy in India.