Amid its leadership crisis, Congress to kick off ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Kanyakumari Wednesday

NEW DELHI:  Aiming to revive its political fortunes, the Congress will on Wednesday kickstart the 3,500 km long ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on issues related to price rise, unemployment and polarisation.

The march is being held at a time when the party is facing internal strife ahead of the party’s presidential elections scheduled for Oct 17. The party is looking to connect with masses through the five month long yatra that traverses through 12 states.   

Former Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will take part in a prayer meeting at former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s memorial in Sriperumbudur and will attend the launch event at Mahatma Gandhi Mandapam in Kanyakumari where Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin will also join him.  

Party president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who are still abroad, are expected to join the march as it progresses, said party sources.  

In a video message, Priyanka appealed to people to join the march as it was needed as negative politics was being done in the country and real issues of the people were not being discussed and it will put the focus on issues of the people such as price rise and unemployment.

The Congress presidential elections will be held amidst the march and the party said that it will ensure that there will be flexibility to vote for eligible electors taking part in the march.

With the launch of the Yatra on Wednesday at a mega rally here, the Congress is seeking to flag economic disparities, social polarisation and political centralisation, while attempting to make gains in what it often described as battle of ideologies.

Before the launch, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi will take part in a prayer meeting at Rajiv Gandhi memorial in Sriperumbudur on Wednesday.

He will then attend an event in Kanyakumari where Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Rajasthan's Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh's Bhupesh Baghel will be present.

Stalin will present a national flag made of khadi to Gandhi who will hand it over to Seva Dal workers who will manage the Yatra throughout.

After the event at the Mahatma Gandhi Mandapam where Stalin will be present, Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders will walk to the seaside venue of the rally where the yatra will be formally launched.

Sources said a message from the Congress president could be read or a video message from her be shown at the event.

Sonia Gandhi's mother passed away recently in Italy.

Both she and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are abroad.

Rahul Gandhi arrived in Chennai Tuesday night.

Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the Yatra is a "transformational moment for Indian politics and it is a decisive moment for the rejuvenation of the party".

A final check on the preparations at the venue near the 'Mahatma Gandhi Mandapam' was done by general secretaries K C Venugopal and Ramesh along with senior leader and Yatra organisation panel in-charge Digvijaya Singh.

"There is a lot of enthusiasm and excitement among the Congress workers across India," Ramesh told PTI.

"Even in states where the Yatra is not passing through, people are excited. In each state the Congress will organise similar Yatras on a smaller scale, may be of 50 km or 100 km on the main theme of uniting India, an India being torn apart by economic inequalities, social polarisation and over-centralisation," he said.

In an apparent dig at the government, Ramesh said it will not be a yatra of speeches where announcements are made.

Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by 118 leaders, will interact with various groups, he said.

"The party is focused on making Bharat Jodo Yatra successful because it is the largest mass mobilisation programme it has undertaken in Independent India.

" "It is the longest yatra undertaken by the party.

It's a turning point for India's political history.

Padyatras have a significance of their own and this is transformational politics.

This is what politics is about, not of abuse, vendetta and vilification," he said.

Tagging a report on a meeting of top BJP leaders in Delhi Tuesday, Ramesh tweeted, "The launch of the Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra tomorrow from Kanyakumari has clearly sent a powerful message to the ruling establishment.

When they can't meet deadlines, they resort to managing headlines!" In a video message, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urged people to join the Yatra wherever possible.

She asserted the Yatra was needed as "negative politics was being practised in the country and real issues were not being discussed".

It aims to put focus on people's issues such as price rise and unemployment, she said.

Though the march, covering 12 states and two Union Territories in about five months, will be formally launched at the rally, it will actually begin at 7 am on Thursday when Gandhi and other Congress leaders will embark on the march.

Before the launch, Rahul Gandhi will visit Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Thiruvalluvar statue and Kamaraj Memorial in Kanyakumari.

He has said with all paths blocked, the Congress now has to go to the people and tell them the truth which is why the party is undertaking the Yatra.

"The government has blocked all paths for us. Congress leaders, opposition and people cannot make speeches in Parliament. Our mic is put off. We want to talk about China's attack but can't. We want to talk about unemployment and inflation but can't," Gandhi said at the 'Mehngai Par Halla Bol Rally' on Sunday.

"There is attack on our institutions, whether it is media, Election Commission or judiciary. There is pressure. All roads are closed for us. Only one way left, to go to the people. The country's truth has to be told to the people, that's why the party is undertaking the Yatra," he said.

The march will move in two batches, from 7 am to 10:30 am and from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm. While the morning session will include fewer participants, the evening session will see mass mobilisation.

The participants plan to walk around 22 to 23 km daily.

The Congress has asserted its Yatra is not a 'Mann Ki Baat', but to ensure people's concerns reach Delhi.

It has classified 119 leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, as 'Bharat Yatris' who will walk the entire route.

About 30 per cent of 'Bharat Yatris' are women.

The average age of Bharat Yatris is 38.

About 50,000 citizens have also registered to participate in the Yatra.

To coincide with the launch of the Yatra on Wednesday, 'Prarthana Sabhas' will be held by the Congress' state units at 5 pm, a leader said.

At 7 am Thursday, 10 km foot marches will be held at the block level.

After reaching Kerala on September 11, the Yatra will traverse through the state for the next 18 days, reaching Karnataka on September 30.

It will be in Karnataka for 21 days before moving north.

It will pass through Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Nilambur, Mysuru, Bellary, Raichur, Vikarabad, Nanded, Jalgaon, Indore, Kota, Dausa, Alwar, Bulandshahr, Delhi, Ambala, Pathankot, Jammu, and end in Srinagar.

More than 200 civil society members have appealed to the people to support the Congress' upcoming 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' and similar initiatives by any other organisation to defend against the "systematic assault" on the unity and democracy of India.

The objective of the march is to "stir the conscience of the people in times when the constitutional values and democratic norms are being brazenly undermined" and the very idea of India has come under a "systematic assault", the civil society members said in a statement.

"Never before have the values of our republic faced as heinous an assault as they have in the recent past. Never before have hate, division and exclusion unleashed on us with such impunity."

"Never before have an overwhelming majority of the farmers and workers, Dalits and Adivasis, women and religious minorities faced such effective exclusion in the shaping of the nation's future," they alleged, adding the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' is set to take place in the context of "this grave national crisis".

This is a moment of reckoning.

"Every one of us needs to say: No, not on my conscience. At stake is our unique pluralistic social fabric, which is our greatest civilizational inheritance, reflected in our Constitution", the civil society members said."

"Let us all make Bharat Jodo Yatra the decisive step towards renewing our pledge to reclaim an India that is a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic with liberty, equality, justice and fraternity as its guiding lights," they added.

Swaraj India founder Yogendra Yadav, document filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, All India Secular Front's Anil Sadgopal, rights activist Anjali Bharadwaj, theatre maker Anuradha Kapur, eminent journalist Mrinal Pande, former MP Dharamveer Gandhi and former IAS officers Abhijit Sengupta and Sujata Rao are among the 204 civil society members who signed to the appeal.

"We appeal to every Indian who takes pride in this great civilization and who believes in a great future for our nation to support the Bharat Jodo Yatra and similar initiatives undertaken by any other organisation to defend against a systematic assault on Indian unity and democracy," they said.

They underlined that people's movements have a consistent record of protesting against and resisting the unjust acts of any government, irrespective of the party in power, and will continue to do so.

"In extending one-time support to an initiative like the Bharat Jodo Yatra, we do not tie ourselves to a political party or a leader, but simply affirm our readiness to set aside partisan considerations and stand with any meaningful and effective initiative to defend our constitutional republic," they clarified.

"Our engagement with this yatra can take multiple forms - we can do so as individuals, as groups, as a party; we can create participatory events; we can join as performers, as creative artists or as intellectuals and academics; and, we can join as yatris, as fellow travellers in this journey," the civil society members added.

(With PTI Inputs)

NEW DELHI:  Aiming to revive its political fortunes, the Congress will on Wednesday kickstart the 3,500 km long ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on issues related to price rise, unemployment and polarisation. The march is being held at a time when the party is facing internal strife ahead of the party’s presidential elections scheduled for Oct 17. The party is looking to connect with masses through the five month long yatra that traverses through 12 states.    Former Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will take part in a prayer meeting at former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s memorial in Sriperumbudur and will attend the launch event at Mahatma Gandhi Mandapam in Kanyakumari where Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin will also join him.   Party president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who are still abroad, are expected to join the march as it progresses, said party sources.   In a video message, Priyanka appealed to people to join the march as it was needed as negative politics was being done in the country and real issues of the people were not being discussed and it will put the focus on issues of the people such as price rise and unemployment. The Congress presidential elections will be held amidst the march and the party said that it will ensure that there will be flexibility to vote for eligible electors taking part in the march. With the launch of the Yatra on Wednesday at a mega rally here, the Congress is seeking to flag economic disparities, social polarisation and political centralisation, while attempting to make gains in what it often described as battle of ideologies. Before the launch, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi will take part in a prayer meeting at Rajiv Gandhi memorial in Sriperumbudur on Wednesday. He will then attend an event in Kanyakumari where Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Rajasthan's Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh's Bhupesh Baghel will be present. Stalin will present a national flag made of khadi to Gandhi who will hand it over to Seva Dal workers who will manage the Yatra throughout. After the event at the Mahatma Gandhi Mandapam where Stalin will be present, Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders will walk to the seaside venue of the rally where the yatra will be formally launched. Sources said a message from the Congress president could be read or a video message from her be shown at the event. Sonia Gandhi's mother passed away recently in Italy. Both she and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are abroad. Rahul Gandhi arrived in Chennai Tuesday night. Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the Yatra is a "transformational moment for Indian politics and it is a decisive moment for the rejuvenation of the party". A final check on the preparations at the venue near the 'Mahatma Gandhi Mandapam' was done by general secretaries K C Venugopal and Ramesh along with senior leader and Yatra organisation panel in-charge Digvijaya Singh. "There is a lot of enthusiasm and excitement among the Congress workers across India," Ramesh told PTI. "Even in states where the Yatra is not passing through, people are excited. In each state the Congress will organise similar Yatras on a smaller scale, may be of 50 km or 100 km on the main theme of uniting India, an India being torn apart by economic inequalities, social polarisation and over-centralisation," he said. In an apparent dig at the government, Ramesh said it will not be a yatra of speeches where announcements are made. Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by 118 leaders, will interact with various groups, he said. "The party is focused on making Bharat Jodo Yatra successful because it is the largest mass mobilisation programme it has undertaken in Independent India. " "It is the longest yatra undertaken by the party. It's a turning point for India's political history. Padyatras have a significance of their own and this is transformational politics. This is what politics is about, not of abuse, vendetta and vilification," he said. Tagging a report on a meeting of top BJP leaders in Delhi Tuesday, Ramesh tweeted, "The launch of the Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra tomorrow from Kanyakumari has clearly sent a powerful message to the ruling establishment. When they can't meet deadlines, they resort to managing headlines!" In a video message, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urged people to join the Yatra wherever possible. She asserted the Yatra was needed as "negative politics was being practised in the country and real issues were not being discussed". It aims to put focus on people's issues such as price rise and unemployment, she said. Though the march, covering 12 states and two Union Territories in about five months, will be formally launched at the rally, it will actually begin at 7 am on Thursday when Gandhi and other Congress leaders will embark on the march. Before the launch, Rahul Gandhi will visit Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Thiruvalluvar statue and Kamaraj Memorial in Kanyakumari. He has said with all paths blocked, the Congress now has to go to the people and tell them the truth which is why the party is undertaking the Yatra. "The government has blocked all paths for us. Congress leaders, opposition and people cannot make speeches in Parliament. Our mic is put off. We want to talk about China's attack but can't. We want to talk about unemployment and inflation but can't," Gandhi said at the 'Mehngai Par Halla Bol Rally' on Sunday. "There is attack on our institutions, whether it is media, Election Commission or judiciary. There is pressure. All roads are closed for us. Only one way left, to go to the people. The country's truth has to be told to the people, that's why the party is undertaking the Yatra," he said. The march will move in two batches, from 7 am to 10:30 am and from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm. While the morning session will include fewer participants, the evening session will see mass mobilisation. The participants plan to walk around 22 to 23 km daily. The Congress has asserted its Yatra is not a 'Mann Ki Baat', but to ensure people's concerns reach Delhi. It has classified 119 leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, as 'Bharat Yatris' who will walk the entire route. About 30 per cent of 'Bharat Yatris' are women. The average age of Bharat Yatris is 38. About 50,000 citizens have also registered to participate in the Yatra. To coincide with the launch of the Yatra on Wednesday, 'Prarthana Sabhas' will be held by the Congress' state units at 5 pm, a leader said. At 7 am Thursday, 10 km foot marches will be held at the block level. After reaching Kerala on September 11, the Yatra will traverse through the state for the next 18 days, reaching Karnataka on September 30. It will be in Karnataka for 21 days before moving north. It will pass through Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Nilambur, Mysuru, Bellary, Raichur, Vikarabad, Nanded, Jalgaon, Indore, Kota, Dausa, Alwar, Bulandshahr, Delhi, Ambala, Pathankot, Jammu, and end in Srinagar. More than 200 civil society members have appealed to the people to support the Congress' upcoming 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' and similar initiatives by any other organisation to defend against the "systematic assault" on the unity and democracy of India. The objective of the march is to "stir the conscience of the people in times when the constitutional values and democratic norms are being brazenly undermined" and the very idea of India has come under a "systematic assault", the civil society members said in a statement. "Never before have the values of our republic faced as heinous an assault as they have in the recent past. Never before have hate, division and exclusion unleashed on us with such impunity." "Never before have an overwhelming majority of the farmers and workers, Dalits and Adivasis, women and religious minorities faced such effective exclusion in the shaping of the nation's future," they alleged, adding the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' is set to take place in the context of "this grave national crisis". This is a moment of reckoning. "Every one of us needs to say: No, not on my conscience. At stake is our unique pluralistic social fabric, which is our greatest civilizational inheritance, reflected in our Constitution", the civil society members said." "Let us all make Bharat Jodo Yatra the decisive step towards renewing our pledge to reclaim an India that is a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic with liberty, equality, justice and fraternity as its guiding lights," they added. Swaraj India founder Yogendra Yadav, document filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, All India Secular Front's Anil Sadgopal, rights activist Anjali Bharadwaj, theatre maker Anuradha Kapur, eminent journalist Mrinal Pande, former MP Dharamveer Gandhi and former IAS officers Abhijit Sengupta and Sujata Rao are among the 204 civil society members who signed to the appeal. "We appeal to every Indian who takes pride in this great civilization and who believes in a great future for our nation to support the Bharat Jodo Yatra and similar initiatives undertaken by any other organisation to defend against a systematic assault on Indian unity and democracy," they said. They underlined that people's movements have a consistent record of protesting against and resisting the unjust acts of any government, irrespective of the party in power, and will continue to do so. "In extending one-time support to an initiative like the Bharat Jodo Yatra, we do not tie ourselves to a political party or a leader, but simply affirm our readiness to set aside partisan considerations and stand with any meaningful and effective initiative to defend our constitutional republic," they clarified. "Our engagement with this yatra can take multiple forms - we can do so as individuals, as groups, as a party; we can create participatory events; we can join as performers, as creative artists or as intellectuals and academics; and, we can join as yatris, as fellow travellers in this journey," the civil society members added. (With PTI Inputs)