As Rahul Gandhi entered Hyderabad on Tuesday on the fifty fifth day of his Bharat Jodo Yatra, amongst those that joined the march was the mom of Rohith Vemula, the Dalit pupil of College of Hyderabad whose suicide had sparked protests in 2016.
Rahul, who had visited the Hyderabad campus through the protests, tweeted a photograph along with her on the Yatra and mentioned he had obtained “new braveness” from her to realize his purpose.
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi with supporters through the celebration’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, close to Hyderabad, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022. (PTI Picture)
With six days left for its Telangana leg nonetheless, the crowds for the Yatra within the state the place the Congress has been swamped by the mighty Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now renamed Bharat Rashtra Samithi) have been encouraging for the celebration. Nonetheless, a lot of the push is being offered by varied civil society organisations, volunteers, NGOs and employee unions. A variety of ‘Civil Society Participation in Bharat Joda Yatra’ teams have come up on social media the place the civil society organisations and NGOs coordinate.
On Monday, Rahul’s seventh day in Telangana, an identical crowd greeted him as he began from Shamshabad, with most of the activists becoming a member of and strolling together with him at intervals. After Vemula’s mom Radhika joined him, Rahul tweeted: “After assembly Rohith’s mom, I obtained new braveness to go in direction of the purpose of this journey, and new willpower.” Rahul additionally mentioned that Vemula would stay a logo of the wrestle towards social discrimination and injustice.
रोहित वेमुला, सामाजिक भेदभाव और अन्याय के विरुद्ध मेरे संघर्ष का प्रतीक है, और रहेगा।
रोहित की माताजी से मिल कर, यात्रा के लक्ष्य की ओर बढ़ रहे कदमों को नया साहस, और मन को नई शक्ति मिली। pic.twitter.com/7XrVSqnptF
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 1, 2022
Vemula, 26, had hung himself in his hostel room alleging discrimination and harassment by the college administration on account of being a Dalit. He and 4 others had been suspended on the grievance of an ABVP chief.
Congress leaders mentioned civil society group members are coming to satisfy and speak to Rahul. “At Shadnagar, a big group of residents who name themselves civil volunteers and share the Congress beliefs of communal concord, peace and safety of democracy joined the padayatra. Equally, numerous members of teams just like the Telangana Federation of Commerce Union, Pravasi Mitra Labour Union, academicians and activists like Prof G Haragopal, member of the Rythu Swaraj Vedika, are taking part in large numbers,” one of many leaders, Mohammed Khaleel, mentioned.
A volunteer mentioned organisations just like the Jai Gouda Telangana Sangam have been becoming a member of the Yatra on their very own. “They wait on the highway for him to reach after which begin marching alongside. Farmers, weavers, small merchants, academics and many others are coming voluntarily. A bunch of youngsters from a dance academy at Katedan got here Tuesday morning and put up a dance for Rahul.”
Congress leaders mentioned they have been enthused by the participation of numerous college students, particularly from Osmania College. “They arrive with grievances to relate to Rahul, however are additionally impressed by his padyatra and march together with him for so long as they’ll. On Tuesday morning, college students of Prof Jayashankar Agriculture College and analysis students joined us,” mentioned Anil Yadav of the Youth Congress.