Rahul’s Yatra, an exercise in futility

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi emerges muddleheaded from 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' over what he wants to achieve from this political exercise.

Political yatras are not unfamiliar to Indians. Each one of them had an objective and met with success, but not Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'. His father Rajiv Gandhi had taken out a 'Sadbhavana Yatra' in 1990 to build bridges mainly with Muslim community that had not voted for him wholeheartedly. It may not have helped him personally because he was assassinated before elections but it did help Congress come to power during June 1991 to May 1996.

Earlier in 1983, then Janata Dal president Chandrashekhar had gone on 'Bharat Yatra' to find out what difference governments had made to the daily lives of the common man and exhort youths to return to villages. This catapulted him to become the Prime Minister in 1990. Y.S.R. Reddy of Congress embarked on a 'Pad Yatra' across Andhra Pradesh as part of an election campaign and became the Chief Minister in 2004.

In 1990, then BJP president L.K. Advani charioted a 'Ram Rath Yatra' to mobilise Hindus and make them aware of existential threat from pseudo-secularism, electoral opportunism and systematic obliteration of their faith. As a result, BJP formed a government in 1998 and has not looked back since. Though in a different league, Acharya Vinoba Bhave's 'Bhoodan Yatra' that began in 1951 also had a purpose. During his 58,741-km walk, he collected 4.4 million acres of land of which 2.3 million were distributed among poor landless people.

Each of these yatras had an objective that leaders single-mindedly pursued with intensity. Rahul's Yatra is meant to unite India but he has spoiled it royally. He is not sure whether to bring communities together regardless of their religion, region, caste and creed, oppose PM Modi for his alleged divisive, communal, hate-filled agenda and revive Congress as a young and aggressive outfit to take on BJP in 2024 or emerge as party's ideologue and guardian with no personal ambitions for power.

However, one thing is obvious. He doesn't want the Yatra to unite India, or why else he would attack BJP and RSS, call Savarkar a traitor in Maharashtra, hobnob with a man who openly slaughtered a cow in Kerala and then drank its blood, and consort those who disparage Hindus, alienating 35% committed Hindus for ever. Moreover, if he has not come across hatred during his Yatra, then what is the need for him to keep walking? Further, his repeated lie that India has lost 2,000 square km to Chinese in Tawang clash and painting corporates as evils have not endeared him to soldiers and industrialists who have a vital stake in the country's unity.

Rahul's Yatra has been very high on symbolism but discerning Indians can see through its hollowness. Tamil Nadu CM Stalin handed him a tricolour at Kanyakumari to formally launch the event in the presence of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh Chief Ministers and party's heavyweights. But he has been consistently lowering the Tricolour's dignity by giving statements that suit China and Pakistan and create doubts in people's minds about our security, social stability and economic environment.

He has also been very indiscreet about selection of his companions who do not inspire confidence in his leadership. They either are sycophants, family members, models, actors or persons known for ridiculing 'atmanirbharata' (self-reliance), championing Kashmir's independence, obstructing labour, land, farm and judicial reforms, opposing corporates and working to destabilise India. Rather than airing his botched up social, political and developmental priorities, he should have confined to riding bullock cart, rowing Kerala's famous snake boat, interacting with fishermen, sanitary and cashew workers and helping a little girl to wear her sandal.

However, Rahul deserves credit for walking since September 2. He now looks fitter, happy and excited. One hopes he does not get carried away by the size and vociferousness of the crowd that follow him and start believing that a new life and energy have been infused in Congress to take on the BJP in the forthcoming Assembly and parliamentary elections. Crowds, he must remember, are often very deceptive.

More than a yatra, an honest change in his approach to reforms, infrastructure development, corruption, women's safety, defence, internal security and communal harmony is necessary to establish him as a credible prime ministerial alternative.

(Amar Bhushan worked with the Research and Analysis Wing for 24 years after briefly serving in the BSF intelligence, State Special Branch and Intelligence Bureau. He served as the Special Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat before he retired in 2005.)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.