MYSURU: Political analyst, social activist and president of Swaraj India Party Yogendra Yadav, who has joined the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra, shared his thoughts with The New Sunday Express on why this journey is important and how it will bring the country together to fight politics of hatred.
Yadav, who has been walking nearly 20 km every day for the last one month, said the yatra has shown the promise of challenging the dominant narrative and highlighting real issues bothering society.
Asked about nine days of the yatra in the state, he said, "We began with both expectation and apprehension. Expectation because this is the land that offers deepest intellectual, cultural and literary resources to combat the politics of hate. Apprehension because the reception in Kerala was so good and we were worried if Karnataka could match it. But it has turned out better than what I expected with noted writer Devanuru Mahadeva welcoming the yatra, many cultural icons expressing support and family members of Gauri Lankesh walking along,” he said.
Asked if it will have any political implications in the state that is going for polls, he said, “Unpopularity of the BJP government is feeding the success of the yatra here. There is a to-and-fro effect here. Unpopularity of BJP is making the yatra a success and the success of yatra will make BJP much weaker. What matters to me is the resolve to take on politics of hatred for which Karnataka is made a prime laboratory. This needs to be defeated and if that means BJP losing in the election. nothing can be better than that.”