Chitradurga (Karnataka): The boulder-strewn panorama of Chitradurga, in present-day Karnataka, had served because the battlefield the place Bhim, one of many 5 Pandava brothers, had vanquished the demon Hidimb and married his sister Hidimbi (also referred to as Hidimba), says the Indian epic, The Mahabharata. The boulders discovered right here have been as soon as utilized in that mythological battle, it’s mentioned.
For the previous few days, nevertheless, what’s been catching the eyes should not the famed boulders, however posters of Congress leaders — previous, current and aspiring — that crowd the roads and highways of the district.
For the previous three days, Congress chief and Member of Parliament (MP) Rahul Gandhi has been traversing the district on foot, as a part of his ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra. Rigorously-crafted Kannada songs blare out from loudspeakers, through which the names of Rahul, Pradesh Congress Committee president D.Ok. Shivakumar and former chief minister Siddaramaiah stand out.
The Yatra is making all the precise strikes — the point out of Shivakumar’s and Siddaramaiah’s names is a delicate nod to intraparty dynamics and the considerations bizarre Congress staff share about how the perceived energy tussle between the 2 Karnataka stalwarts will play out within the subsequent 12 months’s meeting elections.
Get together leaders have interacted with individuals in wheelchairs and talked about problems with joblessness with a selected group of 1,500 younger males. There have been performances by native people artistes to concentrate on their points, and to make sure they get seen, teams of individuals typically put on t-shirts highlighting their points.
For bizarre Congress staff, a lot of whom are strolling solely the Karnataka leg of the marathon, the Yatra has introduced distinctive and memorable alternatives for one-on-one interactions with their chief. Devoid of his standard tight safety cordon and spending nights in non permanent container-shelters, Rahul appears to be making an impression amongst that plenty, which is unbiased of that of his illustrious household.
“This has been a singular expertise. It is rather good to see bizarre individuals flocking to see him, desirous to showcase their cultures. And he’s letting them do it,” mentioned Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) normal secretary Kavitha Reddy.
She added: “I had a quick dialog with him, nothing political. I’m a mountaineer. We talked about our institutes — his mountaineering institute versus mine. I advised him I’ve two canines. He began wanting into his telephone. I used to be shocked. Then he confirmed me a photograph of his canine. He mentioned ‘I misplaced him’. I used to be very touched.”
Round her, because the Yatra neared the Hirehalli toll plaza Wednesday, for its night break, the individuals break into impromptu jigs in entrance of the just-switched floodlights, matching steps with the Bharat Jodo Yatra jingle, in utter disregard of the gathering nightfall and brooding clouds.
Whereas Reddy and some of her colleagues joined the Yatra when it entered Karnataka on 30 September, went again dwelling for the two-day Dussehra break and intend to proceed until it enters neighbouring Telangana (reportedly on 23 October), one other participant, Avni Bansal a Congress employee from Madhya Pradesh, has braved blisters and thigh rashes to remain on the highway for each one of many 36 days that Rahul has been strolling.
Throughout the Dussehra break, Bansal and 32 different yatris pledged their eyes, forward of Wednesday’s leg of the stroll, when Rahul walked hand-in-hand with members of the family of organ donors from Karnataka.
“We met him and he was very completely satisfied that we had pledged our eyes. I advised him in regards to the scarcity of not simply eyes, however all different organs in India. Within the US, each driving licence mentions whether or not an individual has agreed to donate organs in order that in the event that they go away, the needful may be carried out. He mentioned he’ll now give critical thought to pledging his eyes,” Bansal, a Supreme Court docket lawyer, advised ThePrint.
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‘I advisable a e book to Rahul’
Most of the Congress staff have comparable anecdotes to share about their interactions with Rahul — most of them apolitical.
In 2018, Lavanya Ballal gave up her profession as a radio jockey to develop into a full-time Congress employee. She is at the moment part of the Congress’ communication group and strolling for the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari. Her dialog with “RG” was additionally apolitical.
“We have been speaking about Jainism. I advisable a e book on Jainism with an atheist perspective known as Samay Sara. Yesterday (Wednesday) I additionally gave him the e book. There may be additionally this one different difficulty I talked to him about. I requested him that he ought to ask all MLAs, MPs, legislators (from the occasion) to make sure there are (public) bathrooms for girls. Girls in our nation fall in poor health both as a result of there aren’t any loos out there they usually maintain for too lengthy or as a result of the toilet that’s out there is simply too soiled,” Ballal advised ThePrint.
Many individuals are specially-abled, a few of them visually impaired. It was this which acted as a set off for individuals who pledged to donate their eyes, mentioned Bansal.
Bodily impairments have, nevertheless, did not the act as a disadvantage for the individuals.
Sandeep Kumar, one of many Congress staff participating within the Yatra, has a polio-stricken leg. He’s nonetheless decided to complete the Karnataka leg of the Yatra.
“He (Rahul Gandhi) requested me what occurred to my leg. One woman (amongst a gaggle of specially-abled individuals whom Rahul Gandhi met) advised him that the incapacity pension of Rs 1,400 per thirty days (acquired underneath central and state schemes) is simply too little. He promised to boost the difficulty in Parliament,” Kumar advised ThePrint in Kannada, as one in all his occasion colleagues translated it (to English).
Kumar additionally confirmed ThePrint a photograph on his cell phone the place he’s posing with Rahul.
The household join
Regardless of Rahul’s private charms and his willingness to have interaction with fellow yatra individuals and people among the many viewers, nevertheless, the Gandhi title stays the largest draw, as these residing alongside the Yatra route crowd for a glimpse of “Nehru’s nice grandson”, “Indira’s grandson” and “Rajiv’s son”.
Sachin, a Chitradurga resident, who had introduced his grandmother to see the Yatra go at Challakere mentioned, “she desires to see Rajiv’s son”.
Congress normal secretary Jairam Ramesh, who has been strolling within the Yatra for 5 days per week because it began final month, is, nevertheless, not unduly nervous about Rahul’s household join overshadowing his public picture.
“The one widespread theme that I see in his interactions with widespread individuals is the chorus ‘you’re the hope’. In all as of late, I noticed just one outdated lady stroll as much as him and say ‘you remind me of Indira’,” Ramesh advised ThePrint.
He added: “We’re getting some ticket seekers, however that’s inevitable with the (Karnataka) elections simply six months away. If you happen to ask me, the Yatra has benefited from that as a result of individuals are competing to indicate their clout, carry individuals, to impress him. The truth that BJP mounted their very own Jan Sankalp Yatra (which began this week) in Karnataka reveals that our Yatra is a hit.”
Karnataka is the primary BJP-ruled state that the Bharat Jodo Yatra has handed by means of because it began in September. The individuals, Ramesh alleged, are having to cope with a hostile police power, creating pointless hurdles.
Rain, too, has been taking part in spoiler. On Thursday, the Yatris needed to change their night time halt location and take shelter in a temple as the unique place in Rampura had flooded.
Earlier this month, a picture of Rahul addressing the plenty within the pouring rain throughout a gathering in Bengaluru as a part of the Yatra, went viral on social media, with followers voicing vociferous help for the Congress chief.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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