Rahul Gandhi, Congress leaders embark on 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Kanyakumari

Ahead of the start of the padyatra, Gandhi hoisted the national flag at the campsite of the Bharat Yatris, who will walk with him through the 3,570 km journey

Waving tricolour and beating drums, shouting slogans for ‘thalaivar’ (leader) Rahul Gandhi, hundreds joined the Congress’ 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' on Thursday with a hope that the politics of hate will be defeated and the waning electoral impact of their party reversed.

A large number of people lined up on roads to cheer Rahul, who was accompanied by senior party leaders like P Chidambaram, Ashok Gehlot, KC Venugopal, Digvijaya Singh and Jairam Ramesh as the ‘yatris’ covered around 21 km to reach Nagercoil from Kanyakumari by evening after a stop at the temple-town of Suchindram in the morning hours.

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The first day’s yatra started with veteran Congressman Kumari Anandan hoisting the tricolour at Vivekananda Ground in Kanyakumari, the yatra was joined by several people, including the father and brother of Anitha, who died by suicide after she could not clear NEET.

The morning session culminated with a 13-km walk at the 101-year-old SMSM School in Suchindram, which is located near the ninth-century Thanumalayan Temple, where the atmosphere was electric, after passing through localities like Kottaram. In the evening, the group walked another around 7-km to camp at Scott Christian College.

Congress leaders said Rahul wanted to cover 25 km but organisers decided to fix it at 20-22 km a day, keeping in mind others participating in the yatra.

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Locals caught senior leaders or ones who they had seen on TV screens for a chat or a selfie while some were there to catch a glimpse of Rahul while media persons caught ‘yatris’ to understand what inspired them to be part of the programme.

Firebrand youth leader Kanhaiya Kumar was asked how he prepared himself for the yatra. “There was no need for special preparation as I come from Bihar. It is the place from where thousands of migrant workers travel 1,000 and 1,500 km looking for jobs. I have that spirit. You can say that I have that in my genes,” he said.

At the SMSM School where Rahul was shown the messages written by Mahatma Gandhi and C Rajagopalachari when they visited it in 1937, Rahul also met a group of women, Dalit and environmental activists as part of the party’s outreach programme and associated themselves with local struggles.

Rich in symbolism, he also planted saplings in soil brought from Andaman and Nicobar by delegates who were joining the yatra. Congress is asking leaders and workers joining from states, which are not on the route of the yatra, to carry soil and water from their place.