‘Pain is so persistent that…’: On Independence Day, Rahul Gandhi's statement on ‘Bharat Mata’, Bharat Jodo Yatra
On August 15, 2023, India celebrated its 77th Independence Day with patriotic fervour and pride. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shared his message on X, a social media platform. He invoked Bharat Mata, or Mother India, as the voice of every Indian, no matter how weak or strong. He also shared his experience of his 145-day Bharat Jodo Yatra, a walk across India from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, that he undertook to connect with the people and understand their problems.
What is Bharat Jodo Yatra?
Bharat Jodo Yatra, or Join India Movement, was a campaign launched by Rahul Gandhi on January 23, 2023, to mark the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The aim of the campaign was to spread the message of unity and harmony among the people of India and to counter the divisive forces that threaten the country's secular fabric. Rahul Gandhi started his journey from Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of India, and walked through various states and regions, meeting people from different walks of life, listening to their grievances and aspirations, and highlighting the failures of the Modi government. He covered a distance of about 6,000 km in 145 days and reached Kashmir on June 16, 2023.
What did Rahul Gandhi say on Independence Day?
In his message on Independence Day, Rahul Gandhi said that he learned a lot from his Bharat Jodo Yatra and discovered the true meaning of Bharat Mata. He said that Bharat Mata was not a land, a set of ideas, a culture, a history or a religion. Neither was it the caste that people had been assigned. He said that Bharat Mata was the voice of every single Indian, no matter how weak or strong. He said that Bharat Mata was the happiness, the fear and the pain hidden deep inside all the voices.
He also said that to hear Bharat Mata, his own voice - his desires and ambitions - had to fall silent. He said that Bharat Mata would speak to one of her own, but only if one was humble and completely silent. He quoted the Persian poet Rumi to say, "If words come from the heart they will enter the heart".
He also shared his personal experience of how he overcame his pain in his knee from an old injury that had surfaced soon after he started his Yatra. He said that every time he thought about stopping or giving up, someone would come and gift him the energy to continue. He said that it was as if a silent energy kept helping him and like fireflies in a dark forest, it was everywhere. He said that when he really needed it, it was there to help and guide him.
He also narrated an incident when he felt a silence he had never felt before. He said that he could hear nothing but the voice of the person holding his hand and talking to him. He said that the inner voice that had spoken to him ever since he was a little child was gone. He said that it felt as if something had died.
What is the significance of Rahul Gandhi's statement?
Rahul Gandhi's statement on Independence Day was an attempt to present himself as a leader who understands and empathises with the people of India. It was also a way to contrast himself with Narendra Modi, who he accused of being arrogant and disconnected from the ground realities. By invoking Bharat Mata as the voice of every Indian, he tried to appeal to the national sentiment and identity of the people. By sharing his experience of Bharat Jodo Yatra, he tried to showcase his commitment and dedication to serve the country and its people.
Rahul Gandhi's statement also reflected his personal transformation and growth as a politician and a human being. It showed that he had learned from his mistakes and failures in the past and had emerged as a more mature and confident leader. It also showed that he had developed a deeper connection with himself and with Bharat Mata.
Rahul Gandhi's statement also signalled his readiness to take on Narendra Modi in the next general elections in 2024. It indicated that he had a vision for India's future and a strategy to challenge Modi's dominance. It also indicated that he had gained more support and respect from his party colleagues and allies who had joined him in his Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Conclusion
Rahul Gandhi's statement on Independence Day was a powerful message that resonated with many Indians who are facing various challenges and hardships in their lives. It was also a bold statement that challenged Narendra Modi's claim to represent India and its people. It was also a statement that revealed Rahul Gandhi's personal journey and evolution as a leader and a citizen of India. It was a statement that expressed his love and devotion for Bharat Mata and his desire to join her with her children. It was a statement that said, "Pain is so persistent that it can only be cured by love".
Source:
(1) Rahul Gandhi invokes Bharat Mata ‘as the voice of every Indian’. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rahul-gandhi-invokes-bharat-mata-as-the-voice-of-every-indian/article67197999.ece.
(2) 'Bharat Mata Is Voice Of Every Indian' Says Rahul Gandhi On 77th Independence Day, Shares Bharat Jodo Yatra Memories. https://www.outlookindia.com/national/-bharat-mata-is-voice-of-every-indian-says-rahul-gandhi-on-77th-independence-day-shares-bharat-jodo-yatra-memories-news-310784.
(3) "Bharat Mata Is Voice Of Every Indian": Rahul Gandhi On Independence Day. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/independence-day-updates-independence-day-rahul-gandhi-bharat-jodo-yatra-bharat-mata-is-voice-of-every-indian-rahul-gandhi-on-independence-day-4298853.
(4) ''Bharat Mata' is voice of every Indian': Rahul Gandhi's Indepedence .... https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/northeast/2023/aug/15/bharat-mata-is-voice-of-every-indian-rahul-gandhis-indepedence-day-message-2605477.html.
(5) Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra: In search of Bharat Mata in mother .... https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/voices/2022/sep/18/rahul-gandhis-bharat-jodo-yatra-in-search-of-bharat-mata-in-mother-son-land-2498602.html.
