NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday shared a video of martial arts sessions conducted during the campsites of his east-to-west Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra earlier this year, announcing that a "Bharat Dojo Yatra" is coming soon.
Dojo refers to a training hall or school for martial arts, and Gandhi's latest initiative seems to focus on promoting martial arts across the country.
"During the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, as we journeyed across thousands of kilometers, we had a daily routine of practicing jiu-jitsu every evening at our campsite. What began as a simple way to stay fit quickly evolved into a community activity, bringing together fellow yatris and young martial arts students from the towns where we stayed," Gandhi said in a post on X, sharing a video of the sessions.
"Our goal was to introduce these young minds to the beauty of the 'Gentle Art' — a harmonious blend of meditation, Jiu-Jitsu, Aikido, and non-violent conflict resolution techniques," Gandhi, who is also the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, added.
He further elaborated, "We aimed to instill in them the value of transforming violence into gentleness, giving them the tools to build a more compassionate and safer society."
On this National Sports Day, Gandhi expressed his desire to share his experience with the public, hoping to inspire some to take up the practice of the "gentle art."
He ended his message with a teaser: "P.S.: Bharat Dojo Yatra is coming soon."
Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, a hybrid journey that served as the second phase of his earlier Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir padyatra, commenced on January 14 from Manipur and concluded in Mumbai. The earlier padyatra took place from September 2022 to January 2023.
In the video, Gandhi is seen conducting martial arts sessions with children, demonstrating various techniques. He shares with them that he holds a black belt in Aikido and a blue belt in Jiu-Jitsu, actively practicing and teaching the "gentle art."