Haroon Nabi
Donning the Kashmiri traditional gown (pheran), Congress leader and Member Parliament (MP) Rahul Gandhi at the end of Bharat Jodo Yatra said he was warned that he might be attacked in Kashmir but, people here did not give me hand grenades but hearts full of love.
Amid snowfall in Srinagar, opposition party leaders joined Rahul Gandhi to mark the culmination of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Leaders of DMK, NC, PDP, CPI, RSP and IUML were present for the event. At the event, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Bharat Jodo Yatra was not for winning elections but against hate.” The Congress rally was held at the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium. Congress president Mallikarjun Karge and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were also present at the rally.
Rahul Gandhi said he was warned about an alleged attack on him during the final rally marking the conclusion of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Srinagar. “Several people advised me to traverse the yatra in a vehicle. My security team, KC Venugopal, and those organising it advised me to do so. The administration, maybe to scare me, said that grenades would be thrown at me. Why shouldn’t I give those who hate me a chance to turn the colour of my white shirt to red? My family and Gandhi ji have taught me that if I have to live my life, I must live it fearlessly. But as I thought, instead of tossing grenades, the people of Jammu and Kashmir opened their hearts and embraced me,” Rahul said.
Speaking at the rally, Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP and said that the rally was not organised for him or Congress but it was against the ideology that was destroying the foundation of the country. People of J&K didn’t give me hand grenades but love, he said.
Rahul said “What is Kashmiryat? It’s the thought of shiv ji… on the other hand, in Islam it’s called fanaa. Thinking is the same, the thought of Lord Shiva is Kashmiriyat, you can call it ‘Shunyata’ and I have attacked my own thoughts and my pride.”
“Like phone calls would’ve gone to Pulwama martyrs. I also received a similar call when I was in America about my father’s assassination.
People die in Kashmir, I understand what it feels when you get such phone calls,” Rahul said, adding that the aim of this Yatra is to stop such phone calls to any son, father or mother. Be it a soldier or common man.
Speaking at a public rally, Rahul Gandhi said, “I did not do the Yatra for myself or Congress, the aim is to stand against an ideology that wants to destroy the foundation of the country.”
“I went from down (Kanyakumari) to up (Kashmir), I was thinking that earlier my ancestors came from up to down (Allahabad). When I was coming here (Jammu and Kashmir), I felt I was coming home. “
Gandhi while narrating a story of four children whom he met during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, and said that they were beggars who did not wear sweaters, shivering in winters, which inspired him not to do the same during the yatra.
“…Four children came to me. They were beggars and had no clothes on…I hugged them…They were cold and shivering. Maybe they didn’t have food. I thought that if they’re not wearing jackets or sweaters, I too shouldn’t wear the same…,” Gandhi said.
While signing off from the stage at SK Stadium here Rahu said “I have not done this work for myself or the party. But this work was done for the people of India. It is our endeavour that we stand unitedly against the ideology that is trying to break this country. I know once we stand unitedly against it, we can beat them and remove that ideology from their hearts. We are opening a shop of love in the marketplace of hatred.”
Speaking at the finale of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, CPI leader D Raja said, “All secular parties must come together to liberate the country from BJP.”
Speaking on the occasion, Rahul’s sister, Priyanka Gandhi said that the main message of BJY was to spread love and call for the end of hatred by bringing the hearts together. “Finally, we have succeeded,” she said.
Jammu and Kashmir ex-chief minister of erstwhile state and National Conference vice president Omar Abdulla at culmination of Bharat Jodo Yatra said “I request Rahul Gandhi to undertake yatra from west to east, would like to walk with him,” National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said while as PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti sayeed “Whole country is seeing a ray of hope in Rahul Gandhi.
Earlier, addressing a press conference in Taj Vivanta Hotel in Srinagar, Rahul Gandhi, said “I’ve learnt a lot, met lakhs of people, spoke to them. I don’t have words to describe it. The goal of the Yatra was to unite India.”
“It was against hate and violence, this has been the deepest and most beautiful experience of my life” Gandhi said as Bharat jodo yatra ends.
Gandhi, who was flanked by General Secretary Incharge Communication, Jairam Ramesh, Incharge J&K Rajni Patil, JKPCC president, Vikar Rasool Wani, former PCC president Ghulam Ahmad Mir, former MP Tariq Hameed Karra, PCC working president Raman Bhalla, former deputy chief minister Tara Chand and others, said the motive behind the Yatra was to spread love amid hatred being spread by BJP and RSS across the country.
He said that J&K’s statehood should be restored and an appropriate solution should be found in Ladakh. People of Ladakh aren’t happy with what has happened, Gandhi said, adding that I came to J & K with an open heart and open arms to help in whatever way I can and I was humbled by the reception we got in Jammu and Kashmir. Rahul Gandhi said people are in pain in the state of J&K and the Congress is of the view that restoration of statehood and democratic process is the first step.
“Had security situations improved in the Valley, targeted killings wouldn’t have happened, if the situation is that good why doesn’t Amit shah walk from Jammu to Kashmir Gandhi questioned.”
On the China issue, Rahul Gandhi said I have met some ex-army people and the people of Ladakh have said 2000sq km has been taken away our land and the Prime Minister of India is the only person in the country, who’s under the impression that the Chinese have not taken any land from India.
There is a gap between BJP and common people. Most interaction happens only through the media. My idea was to bridge that gap Gandhi said adding that there is media bias towards opposition they don’t give the due coverage.
Gandhi at the end thanked all the people across the country, media and the Yatris, CRPF, police and others who extended their support.
After Bharat Jodo Yatra reached the city, Senior Congress leader and Member Parliament Rahul Gandhi hoisted the tricolour at Ghanta Ghar in Lal Chowk Srinagar.
The Kanyakumari to Kashmir yatra started from the southern tip of the country on September 7 and ended on Sunday in Srinagar, after covering 3,970 km, 12 states, and two Union territories in around 145 days.
Around 12 opposition parties had attended the concluding function of Bharat Jodo Yatra. 21 parties were invited for the function, but some had not attended due to some ‘concerns’.
Meanwhile, an official said that three tier security arrangements were put in place for the safe yatra including 15 Coys of CAPFs and 10 Coys of JKP, consisting of ROPs and QRTs, route domination, lateral deployment and SFs. The bharat jodo yatra completed peacefully, he said.
