Bharat Jodo Yatra is an audacious experiment at national renewal

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on his Bharat Jodo Yatra was accompanied by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and other party leaders. (Image: Twitter @INCIndia)

It’s 3,570 kilometres. 150 days. From Kanyakumari to Kashmir. No, that is not a disjointed medley of statistical and geographical milestones. It is the Bharat Jodo Yatra (Keep India United March) being undertaken by the Indian National Congress, which was officially flagged off on September 7. By any stretch of imagination, it is an arduous task in the world’s second-largest peninsula, and the biggest democracy by population size.

The padayatra (walk on foot) is reminiscent of Mahatma Gandhi’s storied protest walks that literally transformed the public imagination of a beleaguered nation brutally bullied by the oppressive British, seeking its rightful place among independent countries. The Dandi March, Quit India Movement, etc. were tectonic landmarks in our freedom struggle, distinguished by their peaceful non-violent character, and spontaneous mobilisation of the masses.

India’s grand old party is following the inspiring playbook of one of its greatest icons. After years of inexplicable torpor, and incandescent lethargy it seems to have reconciled to some grim prognostications about its future. Instead of responding with alacrity to innumerable political failures (two general elections, and 39 of the 49 assemblies), the Congress appeared flummoxed by the monstrous scale of its annihilation at the hands of a bellicose Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that has a ‘take-no-prisoners’ predilection.

At some point, something had to give. It has. The existential crisis attributed to the Congress is not just an acerbic assessment of a prejudiced political pundit. It is a fact that is being heard often in the haloed corridors of 24, Akbar Road as well. Thankfully, this time the Congress is doing something about it. Better late than never.

Naturally inveterate cynics have dubbed the Bharat Jodo Yatra as a desperate gamble to reinvent former Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s enervated brand as opposed to an authentic rehabilitation of the Congress through a mass contact programme. They are both right and wrong. In any democracy, a leader’s popularity graph is subject to volatile swings, and requires frequent interventions to ensure an upward graph. In Rahul Gandhi’s case, both the Congress and he were surprisingly nonchalant in the face of a ruthless campaign of character assassination and ad hominin attacks that resulted in the infamous sobriquet of ‘Pappu’. It would end up seriously damaging Rahul Gandhi, who became a constant feature in morphed videos, malicious misinformation campaigns, and mortifying memes. The party paid hugely as a consequence.

So yes, albeit the Bharat Jodo Yatra is principally the Congress’ political statement, it also intends to rejuvenate the Gandhi family surname. Since the Gandhi brand is almost synonymous with the party itself, it is a case of killing two birds with one stone. That is a smart strategy.

But yet a crucial question overhangs the long march: will the Congress convert the goodwill into electoral bonuses, or will it remain a mere ideological zeitgeist of the party to take on the dubious New India of the BJP, which will soon be archived in India’s relentless news cycle?

The Gujarat elections in December are the immediate litmus test for the Congress. In 2017, Rahul Gandhi led an aggressive assault on the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah home turf, and almost bearded the lions in their own den. The commentariat called the 2017 election a semi-final before the grand finale in 2022. The Congress, an apogee of immaculate execution in self-destruction, has since allowed its 2017 advantage to be completely obliterated. It has imploded.

Several leaders including Alpesh Thakore, and Hardik Patel have since left the party in a huff, giving the ambitious Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), still exhilarated after that Punjab whirlwind sweep, a whiff of chance to sneak in. It can be said with certitude that AAP will corner Congress-leaning disillusioned voters, thus making it easier for the BJP to continue its unending domination of Mahatma Gandhi’s home state since 1995.

Frankly, the Congress can ill-afford another rout; it will be a manifestation of sweet surrender. In short, the Congress needs to leverage the political narrative building up nationally on the BJY with the state elections too. It needs to segue, dovetail into one another. A loss in Gujarat could deleteriously puncture the moral crusade, as the saffron party will broadcast it as a rejection of the long walk.

For the Congress, there is a lot at stake. The march would also need to circumspectly handle controversial conversations (like the one with an inflammatory speech making pastor) or over-exuberant enthusiasm (the jibe at the RSS shorts). It is early days yet, but there is no denying that it is exponentially escalating its relevance.

It is hard to say what the future holds in store, but rest assured, the political battlefield will see a lot of mudwrestling. There has been a democratic downslide in India, and the rather flagrant intimidation of political adversaries through the draconian Enforcement Directorate and CBI combine, has resulted in giving opposition unity the caffeination they needed.

Besides institutional devastation, the economy continues to be wobbly, with occasional sparks of optimism. Income inequality is accentuated like never before. Religious polarisation and caste-discrimination continues to be the Achilles heel, 75 years after Independence.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra thus becomes an audacious experiment at a national renewal. If the Congress can invigorate the collective consciousness of a great nation, and explain the futility of sectarian segregation amidst the fusillade of majoritarian populism, the grand march will have been successful. A journey well begun would then have reached its destination.

As they say, 80 percent of success is just showing up. The rest is a walk.