‘Not Mann ki Baat, but Janta ki Chinta’: Congress marks 4 years of Bharat Jodo Yatra

The Congress on Monday described the Rahul Gandhiled Bharat Jodo Yatra as a decisive turning point in Indian politics that according to the party brought renewed hope and energy to its supportersMarking the fourth anniversary of the launch of the march Congress general secretary incharge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the yatra was intended to engage with people and understand their concerns rather than deliver a oneway political messageRamesh said the march was not to sermonise a Mann ki Baat but to listen to Janta ki Chinta as the party highlighted the political significance it attaches to the 4000km journeyCongress recalls launch of Bharat Jodo YatraRamesh said Monday marked four years since the launch of the Bharat Jodo Yatra under Gandhis leadership Before beginning the march Gandhi visited the Vivekananda Memorial at Kanyakumari and then set out with around 120 other Bharat YatrisThis padyatra was a transformational event in contemporary Indian politics that started in Kanyakumari and covered 4080 km through 12 states and 2 UTs over a period of 145 days before culminating in a rousing rally in Srinagar Ramesh said on XAccording to Ramesh the march received support from millions of Indians who were concerned about economic inequality social polarisation and what he described as growing political authoritarianismHe said the central objective of the march was also to challenge what the Congress described as a systematic RSSBJP assault on constitutional principles provisions practices and proceduresJairam Ramesh says yatra gave voice to public concernsRamesh reiterated that the march was designed to hear peoples concerns and engage with them directlyIt was not to sermonise a Mann ki Baat but to listen to Janta ki Chinta Ramesh saidToday we recall that decisive turning point that infused new hope imparted new energy and inspired a new resolve he addedThe Congress has continued to present the yatra as an important part of Gandhis political outreach particularly its emphasis on direct interaction with people during the 145day marchVenugopal calls yatra a turning pointCongress general secretary organisation K C Venugopal also marked the anniversary describing the march as an event that he said triggered a wider social and political responseI join millions of Indians in commemorating the 4th anniversary of the historic Bharat Jodo Yatra What began at the intersection of the 3 great seas culminated with the coming together of crores of Indians he said on XThe eternal message of hope compassion and togetherness which is at Indias philosophical core sparked a revolution in society that hate must be defeated and Indias diverse communities must come together to save it Venugopal saidVenugopal also credited Gandhi with challenging what he called the Modi regimes hoax and propaganda and said the march helped highlight the Congresss stated message of love secularism equality and constitutional valuesCongress says political mission remains unfinishedVenugopal said the Bharat Jodo Yatra had been a significant moment for the party but argued that the Congresss broader political objectives remained incompleteThat it is clear that there is only one leader who can bring people together in this fight against injustice and hate Venugopal saidYes the Bharat Jodo Yatra was a pivotal moment But our mission is yet incomplete Lets take a moment today to reiterate our commitment to saving India from fascists and rebuilding it in the vision of the founders of our great republic he saidIndia is eagerly waiting for the moment when their dreams become reality and the numerous ills we face are addressed by a compassionate ethical regime Venugopal saidGandhi interacted with people across 12 states 2 UTsDuring the march Gandhi addressed 12 public meetings more than 100 streetcorner meetings and 13 press conferences according to details shared by the CongressHe also took part in more than 275 planned walking interactions and over 100 sitting interactions during the course of the journeyThe march covered more than 4000 km beginning in Kanyakumari and ending in Srinagar It passed through 12 states and two Union Territories over 145 daysThe yatra attracted participation from people from different sections of society including actors and television personalities such as Kamal Haasan Pooja Bhatt Riya Sen Swara Bhasker Rashami Desai Akanksha Puri and Amol PalekarWriters and military veterans also participated including former Army chief General Retd Deepak Kapoor and former Navy chief Admiral Retd L Ramdas Former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan and former finance secretary Arvind Mayaram were among other notable participantsSeveral opposition leaders also joined Gandhi at different stages of the march They included National Conference leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti Shiv Sena UBT leaders Aaditya Thackeray Priyanka Chaturvedi and Sanjay Raut and Nationalist Congress Party SP leader Supriya Sule