BADANAVALU(MYSURU DISTRICT): As Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra wound its way deeper into Karnataka, its spirit brought together two warring communities -- Lingayat and Dalits, riven by caste clashes since the early 1990s, in Badanavalu village.
Three people were killed in the simmering hatred between the communities over the years, bringing a lot of social harmony.
Thanks to the Yatra, an unused road which linked Lingayat streets and the Dalit colony was developed, helping to connect the communities. Ahead of Rahul’s visit to Badanavalu Khadi Gramodyog, KPCC leaders decided to clear the bushes, de-weed the neglected road and place interlocking bricks, and named it ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ Road. They also painted a few houses for the poor.
Rahul Gandhi’s entry into the village was historic as he brought the message of brotherhood to more than 2,000 families. He and other Congress leaders inaugurated the road with children from both communities. Rahul visited the Lingayat and Dalit localities, greeted the people and shook hands with them. He also offered tributes to Gandhiji’s bust and took part in shramdaan, to paint the school building.
The Congress leader won hearts when he had lunch with members of the Lingayat and Dalit communities and village heads, cutting across caste lines at a makeshift dining hall put up at Khadi Gramodyog Centre on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, strengthening mutual trust and harmony. The Centre, which was in dilapidated condition, got an uplift with repairs and a coat of paint.
Basavanna, a villager, said they are happy with Rahul’s visit. Mahatma Gandhi visited the Dalit colony in 1927 and 1932. Shiva Murthy, another local, said Gandhi had visited the village to promote khadi and women empowerment, and the government should think on such lines to provide employment to unemployed youths.
KPCC President DK Shivakumar said the purpose of the Yatra can be felt in Badanavalu, as it had brought people together to share food and love. The Congress also planted saplings to mark the occasion.
On the path of Ahimsa, Swaraj
Keeping alive the spirit of Gandhi, Rahul said that just as the Mahatma had fought the British Raj, the Congress has embarked on a battle with the very ideology that killed him. “We are celebrating his 153rd birth anniversary, at the Badanavalu Khadi Gramodyog Kendra that Mahatma Gandhi visited in 1927.
We remember and pay our respects to that great son of India. Our remembering is made more poignant by the fact that we are on the 25th day of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, a padayatra in which we are walking his path of ahimsa, unity, equality and justice,” he said in a press statement on Sunday.
“This ideology has delivered inequality, divisiveness and erosion of our hard-won freedoms in the past eight years. Against this politics of himsa and asatya, the Bharat Jodo Yatra will spread the message of ahimsa and swaraj, from Kanyakumari to Kashmir,” he said.
“Many of the yatris believe that the values that Gandhiji gave his life for and our constitutional rights are today under threat. As we continue on our journey from Mysuru to Kashmir, I request my fellow citizens across India to walk with us in the spirit of ahimsa and sadbhavana,” he said.
Sonia to participate in the rally on Oct 6
New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi will participate in the Bharat Jodo Yatra on October 6 in the state, sources said on Sunday. Sonia will walk with the participants during the Karnataka leg of the yatra, a source said.
This would be the first time that Sonia will participate in the yatra, which began when she was abroad for a medical check-up and is crucial considering the upcoming Assembly polls next year.