The roads in Kochi were packed with thousands of people. The Rahul yatra in Ernakulam district saw the highest participation of the public since it started in Kanniyakumari.
Rahul Gandhi with senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot, Kerala's Opposition leader VD Satheesan and the leaders of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee in Ernakulam district (Supplied)
On Wednesday night, addressing a large crowd in Aluva in Ernakulam, Rahul Gandhi recounted his meeting with Nelson Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid activist who also served as the president of the country.
Months after Mandela was released after 26 years in jail, Rahul, then in his twenties, posed a question to the South African leader: “What made you continue the struggle even after spending 26 years in jail?” Mandela responded that it was the idea of non-violence, compassion, and respecting other human beings that were taught by Mahatma Gandhi.
On Thursday, speaking to reporters, Rahul said, “My main aim in this yatra is to counter the hatred, the anger, and the violence that the BJP and RSS are spreading.” He added that he and his party will not accept an India that is divided and hateful.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra received a massive reception in Ernakulam district. According to some of the leaders of the Congress who spoke to South First, the event in Kochi saw the highest participation of the public and party workers since the march started in Kanniyakumari. Long walks, dialogue, music, and food took centre stage in the Bharat Jodo Yatra in the district.
Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra (Facebook/Rahul Gandhi)
On Wednesday, the yatra in the district started from Kumbalam Toll Plaza at 6.25 am. Rahul paid floral tributes to Sree Narayana Guru to mark his death anniversary.
In the morning hours, the yatris walked to Edapally, where the Congress workers were provided refreshments accompanied by cultural programmes.
A makeshift auditorium was set up at Edapally for the members of the march. There were 11 food stalls that served tea, cool drinks, snacks, and fruits for the Congress workers and others who accompanied the yatra. For lunch, they were provided chicken and vegetable biriyani.
The auditorium also had cultural performances including music and plays that discussed contemporary issues in the country.
Sandeep Singh, a Congress leader who was enjoying a good rendition of Mohammed Rafi’s song at the auditorium, spoke to South First and lauded the organisational work done by the state and district committees in the state.
Singh, who has worked with Rahul, said, “When we started in Kanniyakumari, we thought that is a really huge crowd, but every place we have been to, the crowd has been increasing and when we reached Kochi, it surpassed everything.”
Singh, who presently works with Priyanka Gandhi in UP, said that the Bharat Jodo Yatra is a one-of-its-kind event where such a long distance is covered on foot, that too with such tremendous public participation.
“The increasing crowd in the yatra is gradually irritating the BJP, which is good,” Singh said.
Rahul Gandhi with environmental activist CR Neelakandan during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Ernakulam district (Supplied)
The two days of the march in Ernakulam district saw Rahul talking to students, IT professionals, environmental activists, transgender persons, physically challenged people, and others.
CR Neelakandan, an environmental activist who walked along with Rahul on Wednesday, told South First, “He is a great listener and is well informed about the environmental issues in Kerala.”
Neelakandan said that he mainly discussed environmental issues pertaining to mineral beach sand mining in the state and the issues of the people in coastal areas due to the construction of the Adani port in Vizhinjam, Thiruvananthapuram.
On Wednesday evening, the roads near Kalamassery in Kochi were packed with thousands of people, many holding the tri-colour Congress flag. The ones who could not find space on the roads climbed over the pillars of the Kochi metro to see their leader Rahul, showing the enthusiasm of Congress workers towards the walkathon.
Members of the Congress-backed trade union, INTUC, and Youth Congress workers joined the yatra in large numbers. Students from colleges, mostly those belonging to KSU (Kerala Students Union), too participated in the yatra carrying their blue-coloured flags.
However, the yatra created discomfort for the commuters of Kochi city as the roads where it passed were closed for long periods.
The yatra resumed on Thursday at Union Christian College in Aluva. Rahul planted a sapling brought from Lakshadweep by the Congress workers.
He also paid floral tribute to a mango tree planted by Mahatma Gandhi at the college on 18 March 1925.
Rahul Gandhi with transgender activist Sheetal Shyam (Facebook/Rahul Gandhi)
Sheetal Shyam, a transgender activist, participated in a discussion with Rahul during the yatra.
“In the 30-minute conversation, we discussed the NALSA case judgment, which led to the recognition of transgender people as the ‘third gender’ by the Supreme Court of India, the transgender protection Act and the complications associated with it, along with other national issues concerning the people of the country,” Sheetal told South First.
At 2 pm, Rahul interacted with the press at Angamaly in Ernakulam.
Rahul said it was unacceptable that youngsters are not getting adequate employment and the poor are drowning in misery due to the increasing prices of goods.
To a question about a piece of advice for the future Congress president, Rahul said, “You are taking up a historic position, a position that defines and has defined a particular view of India.” He said the post of Congress president is not just an organisational position but an ideological one as well as a belief system.
“My advice would be that whoever becomes Congress president should remember that he represents a set of ideas, he represents a belief system and he represents the vision of India,” he added.
Rahul refrained from attacking the Left Front government and said that questions to the Pinarayi regime were regularly raised by the Congress leaders in Kerala. “Within the hearts of the Left workers, they know I am raising the correct point,” he said.
“To be honest with you, I have met a lot of Left Front workers and they were coming and shaking hands with me. They are there on the sides of the roads because they appreciate the idea of what we are doing. Of course, it becomes very difficult in political combat for senior leaders of the Left Front to support what we are doing and I understand that,” Rahul added.
The yatra will take a break on Friday. The yatris will resume their route to Thrissur on Saturday morning.
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