By Sch. Arockia Amalan SJ

Bharat Jodo Yatra(BJY) is a mass movement started by the Indian National Congress that aims to unite the country against the fascist politics of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Rahul Gandhi, former Congress chief, launched it from Kanyakumari on 7 September 2022, flagged off by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin. It was created to save the Indian Constitution and to fight against price rise, unemployment, political centralisation, and the politics of “fear, bigotry, and hate”.

Indian National Congress planned this yatra (journey) for 150 days covering 3500 kms walking through 12 States and 2 Union Territories. The yatra of Rahul Gandhi began with 150 volunteers representing all States of India and around 100 civil society leaders at the Gandhi memorial, from the southern tip of India and the meeting point of the three seas, namely the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. The yatra will reach Jammu Kashmir on 30 January 2023, Mahatma Gandhi’s martyrdom day.

This novel yatra has attracted many people since the Congress party has taken the step to get support from civil society groups in India. Rahul Gandhi met 150 civil society leaders at Constitutional Club, New Delhi, on 22 August and sought their backing. Though there were reservations in extending support to Congress and its yatra, the civil society groups resolved to support the yatra considering the current socio-economic and political mayhem created by BJP.

On 28 August, representatives from 30 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Tamilnadu came together in Madurai and discussed Bharat Jodo Yatra. Eminent civil society leaders like Yogendra Yadav, Christina Samy of Swaraj India; B. G. Kolse Patil, an Indian social activist and former judge of the Bombay High Court; Avik Saha, a farmer activist from West Bengal; SP Udayakumar of Patchai Tamilagam (Green Tamilnadu); and Gurdeep Singh Sappal, a spokesperson from INC explained the objectives and importance of yatra and the role of the civil societies. CSOs resolved to support the yatra and make it a movement to save the Indian Constitution. TN-CSOs have also determined to highlight the people’s issues by being a part of this yatra. Advocate CJ Rajan and advocate Fr Santhanam SJ, Director of the Jesuit legal centre – LAAS and the Coordinator of Social Action for Madurai Jesuit Province, facilitated this meeting at Madurai on behalf of Nattai Kappom-TN (Save the Nation-TN).

To actualise the participation of CSOs, a series of meetings were organised at LAAS in Madurai. A core team was constituted to articulate important peoples’ issues for a debate. It identified 28 issues and demands, and they were given shape and reduced to eight-page Tamil and English pamphlets by Aloysius Irudayam SJ and Santhanam SJ.

From 6 September onwards, Santhanam and Aloysius camped in Kanyakumari, and advocate CJ Rajan teamed up to strategise with Congress and CSO leaders. The team, along with Yogendra Yadav, Christina Samy and SP. Udayakumar met Congress leaders Digvijaya Singh, Jairam Ramesh, KC Venugopal, Jothimani and Sirivella Prasad.

On 7 September, a van with campaigners left Madurai for Kanyakumari. A team of advocates and civil society volunteers participated under the supervision of Paul Michael Raj SJ, Arockia Amalan SJ and advocate Bagavath Singh. They covered all important junctions and bus stations and distributed pamphlets along the way, creating awareness of BJY.

Around a thousand representatives from different CSOs from all over India participated in the rally from Kanyakumari railway station to Gandhi Mandapam (square) headed by Yogendra Yadav and many others, including SP Udayakumar of Patchai Tamilagam and CJ Rajan of Save the Nation. The rally began by reading the Preamble of the Indian Constitution in many Indian languages, and a national flag was given symbolically to all CSO representatives. About 25 civil society delegates participated in a contemplative meeting at Gandhi Mandapam with Rahul Gandhi before the public gathering. As a symbolic gesture to extend the support of civil societies to Bharat Jodo Yatra, Ms Dayamani Barla, a journalist cum Adivasi activist from Jharkhand, handed over the national flag to Mr Rahul Gandhi.

The yatra commenced on the 8 September morning with a flag hoisting in the company of yatris from parties and civil societies. Jesuit representatives walked about ten kilometres, raising slogans for saving Indian Constitution and uniting India against hate. At Suchindram, Rahul Gandhi met different civil society groups to dialogue on various issues affecting India. Santhanam SJ, Paul Michael Raj SJ, Aloysius Irudayam SJ, Evidence Kathir, and CJ Rajan, advocate cum Ex-AICUFer, joined some Dalit activists and had the opportunity to interact exclusively with Mr Rahul Gandhi on Dalit issues. Aloysius Irudayam SJ made a brief presentation focusing on three points: Congress must (i) stem the tide of Hindutva in Tamil Nadu, (ii) lobby for the national reservation quota for Dalit Christians, and (iii) work towards legislation to promote widows’ livelihood and safety rights. Mr Rahul Gandhi keenly listened to all who spoke, made queries seeking clarity, and gladly received petitions, including a long petition of Santhanam and Aloy on behalf of Nattai Kappom-Tamil Nadu.

The CSO leaders numbering around 50, were accommodated for two days at THOZHAMAI Illam, a Jesuit retreat centre belonging to Madurai Jesuit Province at Kanyakumari.

BJY is a mass movement to counter the deliberate attempts of the fascist forces to make India ‘one nation, one religion, one language, one culture, and one party’, ignoring its vast diversity and pluralism. BJY is a historical event, and it is encouraging that we Jesuit Yatris did not miss in experiencing the Second Freedom Movement of India against Fascism.