Rahul Gandhi has recently completed his Bharat Jodo Yatra, which took him from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. The 117 “Bharat Yatris” covered 14 states over the course of 116 days. This foot march has infused energy into the party workers and brought important issues such as inflation, unemployment, and communal disharmony to the public discourse. During this march, Rahul Gandhi has tried to shed his old image and emerge on the national scene as a philosopher with a long beard. Despite the efforts of his team to create a new image for him, no new faces have emerged from the long march. However, the image of Rahul Gandhi himself is shining and is being seen in a new light.
Rahul Gandhi started the Bharat Jodo for the purpose of extensive public contact and as a medium for the propagation of his ideology, which centers around opening the "counter of love" in a market of hatred. During the march, he observed that there was no hatred in the country, but it has divided his life into two different phases - before and after the foot march. In addition to the BJP and the RSS, he also targeted the media during the march. Despite repeated violations of security norms, people associated with the BJP and the RSS maintained tolerance and peace, and many of them wished him success and good luck for the yatra.
PM Modi has recently made a clear appeal for social harmony on two different occasions. In the last meeting of the National Executive of the BJP, the emphasis was laid on unity, and he addressed a rally of the NCC (National Cadet Corps) and appealed for unity, asserting that "several issues are raked up to create division among the children of Mother India." There seems to be a similarity between the common people of India and the two leaders on the question of harmony. For the national interest, political workers and religious leaders can be helpful in improving the situation.
The feeling of mutual love and harmony among countrymen is commendable, and it would be helpful for political workers and religious leaders to keep this in mind for the national interest. Though Rahul Gandhi described the Bharat Jodo as an initiative of the government of India, it turned out to be a part of the initiative of the government of India during the presidency of the G-20 that PM Modi has been leading these days.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra has helped to bring important issues to the public discourse and has allowed Rahul Gandhi to emerge on the national scene with a new image. Despite the efforts of his team, no new faces have emerged from the long march. The march has shown that there is a feeling of mutual love and harmony among countrymen, and it would be helpful for political workers and religious leaders to keep this in mind for the national interest.