Bharat Jodo Yatra Kicks Off – 2 Content – Janata Weekly

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David, Goliath, and the Bharat Jodo Yatra Part 2
Rohit Kumar
Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra noted in 1 of his extra current displays, “Everyone has absolute clarity about what Rahul Gandhi requires to do and is aware even much better than Rahul Gandhi what Rahul Gandhi must do.”
As if to prove the truth in his wry observation, media commentators, analysts and columnists on each sides of the political divide seem to be to be certain that the Congress leader is losing his time undertaking a next Bharat Jodo Yatra this close to the Lok Sabha elections of 2024.
Typical knowledge, they say, dictates that the Congress must not be squandering its time and constrained methods on a further “feel good” yatra, but ought to as an alternative be concentrating on other a lot more urgent matters.
But the query begs to be asked: What excellent is regular knowledge when all the conventions and institutions that make for a balanced democracy have been efficiently hijacked by the federal government in electric power?
All people knows the upcoming common elections will be an unequal battle. On just one aspect is the ruling social gathering with big cash, significant media, and all the investigating companies at its beck and contact on the other, a beleaguered and fragile opposition alliance less than relentless siege by the condition. What we are hunting at is very significantly a David vs Goliath faceoff, the supreme metaphor for unequal battles.
It could possibly, in reality, be valuable to check out the true battle in between David and Goliath in some depth. In his ebook, David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants, bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell has elaborated at some size on the historic underpinnings of this occasion which is stated to have taken location in the coronary heart of historical Palestine in the latter fifty percent of 11th century BC.
The fledgling kingdom of Israel under its to start with king, Saul, was underneath siege by the Philistines, a struggle-hardened, sea-faring warrior race from Crete. The Philistines experienced set up camp alongside the southern ridge of the Elah valley and the Israelites, a mountain-dwelling individuals, had pitched their tents along the northern ridge on the other aspect. Among them lay a ravine. Neither side moved, for, to attack would have intended descending into the ravine and making a suicidal climb up the enemy’s ridge up the other side.
Tiring of the stalemate, the Philistines eventually sent their most terrifying warrior, Goliath of Gath, down into the valley to solve the deadlock in one particular-on-one, hand-to-hand beat. For 40 days every single early morning and each individual night, Goliath shouted his taunts at King Saul and the army of Israel.
The Guide of Samuel, in which this story is recorded, notes that Goliath was about 8 ft tall, protected with armour from head to toe and carried a bronze javelin capable of wreaking critical damage. 1 can recognize why the Israelites have been getting a tough time finding a volunteer to go up in opposition to him.
That is, until David, a younger shepherd with no military practical experience came together and available to go and battle the huge. King Saul experimented with to dissuade the young gentleman, but last but not least not able to do so, presented David his personal armour. David attempted it on but explained, “I simply cannot stroll in these for I am unused to it.”
When Goliath observed David approaching, he roared, “Am I a puppy that you need to appear to me with sticks?” What transpired following, of class, is history. David picked up five sleek stones from the riverbed, loaded a single into his slingshot, ran in direction of Goliath and enable fly. The stone observed its mark – proper in the centre of Goliath’s brow – and the big crumpled.
In his book, Gladwell mentions Eitan Hirsch, a ballistics pro who did a series of calculations demonstrating that a standard-measurement stone hurled by an expert slinger at a distance of 35 metres would have hit Goliath’s head with a velocity of 34 metres for every second – much more than sufficient to penetrate his skull and render him unconscious or useless.
What is even additional fascinating is what a lot of healthcare authorities now feel. Gladwell explains:
“Goliath, it looks, experienced a serious clinical condition known as acromegaly—a sickness brought on by a benign tumor of the pituitary gland. The tumor leads to an overproduction of human growth hormone, which would describe Goliath’s incredible size. (The tallest human being in history, Robert Wadlow, suffered from acromegaly. At his loss of life, he was 8 foot eleven inches, and seemingly continue to increasing.)
“One of the popular aspect outcomes of acromegaly is vision challenges. Pituitary tumors can grow to the stage in which they compress the nerves top to the eyes, with the final result that people with acromegaly generally experience from seriously restricted sight and diplopia, or double eyesight. Why was Goliath led onto the valley ground by an attendant? Simply because the attendant was his visible information. Why does he move so little by little? Due to the fact the globe all-around him is a blur. Why does it acquire him so prolonged to have an understanding of that David has altered the principles? Mainly because he does not see David till David is up near.”
But David won simply because he altered the policies of engagement. And Goliath lost mainly because he fairly literally did not see David coming or foresee his velocity and agility.
At a time when godi media channels have by now declared Narendra Modi the winner of 2024 – specifically right after the grand and cautiously choreographed pran pratishtha ceremony at the a lot awaited (and at this time unfinished) Ram temple in Ayodhya – perhaps the will need of the hour is not a standard method.
Probably Rahul Gandhi is executing accurately what a chief of an opposition social gathering requires to do at this important juncture in India’s historical past: bypassing the limits of point out-managed media, personally connecting with hundreds of hundreds on the floor, and elevating 5 critical issues of social justice – justice for the youth, equivalent illustration, justice for women of all ages, justice for farmers and justice for labourers.
By the way, in accordance to a modern study by Statista Purchaser Insights, these are fundamentally the exact same concerns that 24,000 on the web respondents consider to be the most pressing: unemployment, training, poverty and the environment.
The most complicated phases of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra are yet to occur as it passes as a result of Bharatiya Janata Occasion-dominated states, but judging by both of those the enthusiastic reaction the yatra has obtained from the persons of the northeast, and the subsequent pushback from the BJP federal government in Assam (generally a signal that an initiative is performing), Rahul Gandhi and the Congress may well locate they have much extra than just a hope in hell.
(Rohit Kumar is an educator, writer, and impartial journalist. Courtesy: The Wire.)
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‘Promise to Bring Peace’ Suggests Rahul Gandhi as He Kicks off Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra From Manipur
Sravasti Dasgupta
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has promised a united battle to provide back again peace harmony and affection that Manipur has misplaced in the eight months considering that ethnic violence to start with began in the point out, and listen to the people’s “mann ki baat” as he kick started the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Thoubal on Sunday (January 14).
Gandhi flagged off the yatra in the existence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and other senior Congress leaders which include Pradesh Congress Committee presidents and Congress chief ministers Siddaramaiah and Revanth Reddy.
When the social gathering experienced explained that it experienced extended an invitation to INDIA alliance associates, the only chief from Delhi was suspended Bahujan Samaj Get together (BSP) MP Danish Ali.
Manipur has been in the grip of ethnic violence since May perhaps 3, 2023 in which more than 170 men and women have lost their lives and tens of 1000’s have been displaced from their residences.
Gandhi, who started off the yatra by initial shelling out tributes at the Khongjom War Memorial in Thoubal, claimed that when the Congress bash was deliberating on exactly where to start the 2nd instalment of the yatra, which has been rechristened as the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the respond to was distinct to him.
“When the dilemma came up about in which to start out this yatra, some suggested east some suggested west. But it was obvious to me that the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra can only commence from Manipur,” he explained.
Gandhi claimed that the ongoing violence in the state displays that the condition is an illustration of the Bharatiya Janata Occasion (BJP)-RSS’ “ideology of despise.”
“Manipur is an example of the BJP-RSS’ ideology of hate. Yes, you’ve lost what you valued but we will discover it back again. We recognize the ache and hurt and reduction disappointment that persons of Manipur have been as a result of. We assure you and dedicate to you that we will convey what you worth, the harmony, peace and affection that this point out is regarded for,” he claimed.
While the north-south Bharat Jodo Yatra was carried out from October 2022 to January 2023 from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, the existing leg will be an east to west yatra that will go from Manipur to Mumbai and finish in March.
The yatra was earlier envisioned to start from Manipur’s funds Imphal but was moved to a personal floor in Thoubal right after the BJP condition governing administration refused to offer authorization for a community rally in Imphal.
Gandhi reported that yatra will increase difficulties about economic, political and social inequalities as India is going as a result of a interval of “injustice.”
“This is fewer about us and additional about you. We really do not want to inform you our mann ki baat. We want to hear to yours. And alongside one another with you the vision of India will not be of violence hatred, monopoly but of harmonious equitable and brotherhood vision,” he explained.
The yatra will address 6,700 km and touch 110 districts, 100 Lok Sabha seats, and 337 assembly constituencies in what is the greatest mass outreach ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Having said that, on Saturday, Congress MP and standard secretary in-cost media and interaction Jairam Ramesh claimed to reporters in Imphal that the yatra will be political but not electoral.
“This is not an electoral yatra, it is an ideological yatra. It is a political rally by a political social gathering. There is a political objective to safeguard the constitution. But not to discuss seats and affect on seats (for the elections),” he claimed.
Ramesh stated that the final decision to get started from Manipur was a “deliberate choice” as the key minister is nevertheless to go to the condition.
“There is no larger anyay (injustice) than this to Manipur. The tensions in the past 8 months in which lakhs have been displaced and several have dropped their life nevertheless he has not broken his silence.
“Manipur has long gone by way of agony, social harmony has been disturbed. This was likely to be an east to west yatra. But we resolved to commence from Manipur to spotlight what has been going on and to highlight that the PM has not achieved anyone from the state nevertheless. We are hoping men and women of Manipur will see this difference,” he mentioned.
Kharge also took purpose at Modi for not checking out Manipur and accused him of chanting the title of Ram while carrying hatred.
“He (the PM) generally will come listed here for votes. But when folks of Manipur ended up struggling and dealing with violence the Key Minister did not hassle to pay a visit to them even at the time when he experienced all the time to roam on the beaches and go snorkelling into the sea and sit and chant ‘Ram Ram’. Mukh mein Ram, bagal mein choori mat karo (Really do not chant the title of Ram and retain a knife on your side),” he mentioned.
“We want peace”
Locals who experienced occur to the venue in Khongjom, Thoubal, said that he had arrive for “peace and harmony.”
Thombi, an elderly girl, who experienced arrive from a village about 20 kms from Khongjom together with two other girls from her village mentioned that she had arrive to see Rahul Gandhi.
“We want to see peace and harmony and hear what he has to say,” she reported.
A former defence staff, N.D. Singh, also a resident of Thoubal claimed that no matter whether it is the Congress or the BJP-they must glance at Manipur by the lens of humanity.
“No one cares about what has been happening right here for the previous eight months. Everyone in Manipur will explain to you what’s likely on nonetheless no a single cares. The prime minister has not appear right here, the dwelling minister has occur only as soon as. Irrespective of whether it is BJP or Congress they ought to glimpse at us via the lens of humanity,” he mentioned.
“I can not assume of a improved way to counter the politics of otherness than the music – apne ho ya paraye sabke liye ho nyay. That incredibly considerably is the spirit that informs this yatra. We are not from Congress and we signify people’s movements. Why we support this is due to the fact a get in touch with for nyay is so desperately essential due to the fact Manipur is the suitable place as it signifies the grossest injustices in unbiased India. In relaxation of the country there is this kind of ignorance about Manipur. We hope this yatra will bring mild to the accurate character of this position, its deep diversity and the role of its ladies that requirements to be celebrated,” political activist Yogendra Yadav stated to The Wire.
The Wire has learnt that through his continue to be in Manipur on Sunday and Monday, Gandhi will satisfy each Meitei and Kuki groups. Although he is anticipated to satisfy the Meitei teams close to Imphal, he will meet up with the Kuki groups as he tends to make his way in direction of Nagaland on Monday.
Whether or not Gandhi’s information of unity and brotherhood will permeate to the conflict struck state on the other hand is even now not distinct.
“It is a constructive concept that he is beginning his yatra from Manipur and talking about peace but it may well not assist de-escalate the problem devoid of the point out and central government’s assist. The people today need authorities intervention to deliver peace. The moment the governing administration actions in, specifically the central governing administration, and will take decisive steps to convey peace involving the two communities then it will support relaxed tensions in the state,” a young graduate who experienced occur to show up at the yatra but did not would like to be named mentioned.
(Courtesy: The Wire.)

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