After promising to trace the mythical route Lord Ram took on his way to exile, the Congress in Madhya Pradesh seems to have stumbled on the first step. After announcing that “Ram Van Gaman Path Yatra’’ will begin on September 23, the party postponed it because the Rath (chariot), in which bhajan-singing saints will sit, was not ready.
The next date was tentatively fixed on September 27, when party president Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit Kamtanath temple in Chitrakoot, Satna, from where the fortnight-long yatra will begin. The party has not officially announced Rahul’s programme but preparations are on for his visit and a meeting he is likely to address at the district headquarters in Satna.
The rescheduled programme has not gone down well with Hindu spiritual leaders, who said they would not associate themselves with the yatra because the dates coincide with Pitru Paksha, the period between September 24 and October 8. “Without them the yatra will look like just a political exercise, not a religious one. I will convey to the party command to reschedule it to October 10,” Harishankar Shukla, head of the 33-member team formed for the yatra, said.
“If the high command insists on September 27, I may have no choice, but to fall in line,’’ he said.
The Rath is now ready but not the zanki (decoration) that will have Ram, Sita and Laxman. He said he has instructed that the zanki should be ready by September 26.
Three days ago, the Congress postponed the date to September 27 without assigning any reason. On Thursday, PCC chief Kamal Nath tweeted that “MP mein Congress ki sarkar bante hi ham ‘Ram Van Gaman Path Ka Nirmal Karenge (we will construct Ram Van Gaman Path the moment we form government in MP).’’ It’s not a mere promise but a commitment, he said.