The family's participation in the yatra came two days after the Karnataka government agreed in principle to hike reservations for SCs and STs.
Rahul Gandhi with other Congress leaders on Day 32 of the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Sunday, 9 October, 2022. (Supplied)
On Valmiki Jayanti, a day celebrating sage Valmiki, an icon for the oppressed classes in general and the Scheduled Tribes (STs) in particular, a family that experienced caste atrocities recently took the centre stage at the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Sunday, 9 October, was Day 32 of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. It saw a Dalit family from Karnataka’s Kolar, which was fined ₹60,000 after their teen son touched a village deity, walk alongside Rahul Gandhi.
South First had brought you this ground report from Ullerahalli on the incident and its aftermath, including the apprehensions after a Dalit show of strength in the village.
On Friday, Rahul Gandhi walked with Indira Lankesh, slain journalist Gauri Lankesh, as well as her sister and filmmaker Kavitha Lankesh.
Shobha, the mother of the teen boy who had been assaulted by upper-caste Hindus, told South First that she was elated to meet Rahul Gandhi.
Shobha’s family with Dalit rights activists walk with Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra on Sunday. (Supplied)
“He consoled me and my family. Rahul Gandhi told me and my son that he knew about the injustice that had happened to us. He told me that I have nothing to worry about he will always stand by my family,” an excited Shobha told South First.
She confessed that she had been initially reluctant to travel all the way from Ullerahalli in Kolar to Chikkanayakanahalli in Tumakuru.
In September this year, the family was fined ₹60,000 and threatened with banishment after their son helped save a deity from falling off during a procession.
Dalit rights activists subsequently put up a show of assertion in the village in solidarity with the family.
The family’s participation in the Bharat Jodo Yatra came barely two days after the BJP government in Karnataka gave an in-principle nod to enhance reservation for SCs and STs by 6 percent in the state.
On Sunday, as the Dalit family walked with Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai met with religious seers from the SC and ST community mathas, who heaped praises on him for the announcement on the reservation.
Rahul garlanding Sage Valmiki’s poster (Supplied)
Sunday’s yatra also witnessed a massive crowd joining Rahul Gandhi from Tiptur in Tumakuru for a day-stretch distance of nearly 30 kilometres towards Chikkanayakanahalli.
On the way, Rahul stopped and interacted with elderly people and students.
“Rahul Gandhi then met with the silk-producing farmers who briefly explained how they cultivated silk and also shared their difficulties with him,” KPCC general secretary SR Mehroz Khan told South First.
The highlight of the yatra on Sunday was a group of theatre artists who performed a street play for Rahul Gandhi and other yatris.
The subjects the artists from the Hashmi theatre forum were unemployment, communalism, price rise, and curtailing of freedom of speech — all the topics that have been the talking point for Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Videos of Rahul Gandhi taking out his phone to record the street play were put up on the Congress’ social media pages.
Leaders of the Congress paid respects to sage Valmiki to mark Valmiki Jayanti ahead of the day’s yatra.
On Monday, the Bharat Jodo Yatra will resume from Pochkatte, and proceed through Basavanagudi, Kenkere, and Huliyar in Tumakuru, with a 38-km stretch covered by vehicle to cross the Social Forestry area.
The yatra will then resume from Hiriyur to reach the Harthikote village, with a total stretch of 28.7 km covered.
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