 | |
| Date | January 14, 2024 (2024-01-14) – March 16, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 62 days |
| Location | India |
| Also known as | Nyay Yatra |
| Type | Political demonstration,protest |
| Theme | Political movement,social movement |
| Cause | Economic problems and social disharmony |
| Motive | To fight against injustices such as unemployment, inflation, the rich-poor divide and issues related to farmers.[1] |
| Organized by | Indian National Congress,Rahul Gandhi |
| Participants | Politicians, citizens, civil society organisations, political activists |
| Website | bharatjodonyayyatra |
Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra (lit. 'Uniting India for Justice March'),[2] commonly referred to as theNyay Yatra (lit. 'Justice March')[3][4] was a movement led by theIndian National Congress leaderRahul Gandhi, starting on 14 January 2024 fromThoubal inManipur and ended on 16 March 2024 inMumbai spanning east-west of India.[5] The campaign was aimed to increase the party's electoral engagement across the breadth of the country and is seen as a strategy for theupcoming national elections. This political tour was a sequel to theBharat Jodo Yatra.[6][7] Unlike the last time though, the Yatra was not done entirely on foot and instead was done in hybrid mode.[8] For the longer parts of the journey, the party used buses. The change was due to time constraint imposed by the upcominggeneral election.
The Congress Party had said that the initialBharat Jodo Yatra brought attention to economic disparity, societal division, and an autocratic approach to governance. In contrast, the upcomingBharat Jodo Nyay Yatra would prioritize the pursuit of social, economic, and political justice for the nation's citizens.[9]
The slogan (tagline) of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra wasNyay Ka Haq Milne Tak ("Until we get our right to justice").[10]
The course of action was announced on 27 December 2023 by Congress MP and party general secretary (organisation)K. C. Venugopal afterCongress Working Committee's deliberation on 21 December 2023.[11] This campaign will have Rahul Gandhi utilizing a bus for transportation, while also engaging in short walks for certain distances which would cover 14 states and 85 districts. Congress presidentMallikarjun Kharge will inaugurate this political campaign, aiming to encompass a significant number of states that were previously not included in theBharat Jodo Yatra conducted earlier. The 66-day-long journey will span a distance of 6,200 kilometers, passing throughManipur,Nagaland,Assam,Meghalaya,West Bengal,Bihar,Jharkhand,Odisha,Chhattisgarh,Uttar Pradesh,Madhya Pradesh,Rajasthan andGujarat before finally concluding inMaharashtra.[12]
In total, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra aims to encompass 355 Lok Sabha seats across 6,713 kilometres (4,171 miles) which accounts for approximately 65% of the entire parliamentary seats in the nation. During the2019 Lok Sabha elections, theBJP emerged victorious in 236 out of these 355 seats, while the Congress party secured a mere 14 seats.[1] TheBharat Nyay Yatra was rechristened as the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, with regard to the previous Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Congress initially had planned the march from Arunachal's Pasighat to Porbandar in Gujarat, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, but theethnic violence in Manipur since May prompted it to change its plan.[13]
The Congress party explained the reason behind selecting Manipur as the initial destination for the yatra, stating that the objective of this campaign is to initiate the process of "mending the wounds" of the inhabitants of the northeastern state. They had recently experienced a severe bout of ethnic clashes between theKuki andMeitei communities, which led to a staggering death toll of over 200 individuals and left approximately 60,000 individuals displaced from their homes.[9][14]
The Congress party plans to emphasise and promotesocial justice on thisYatra, which will travel through theHindi dominated states includingBihar,Uttar Pradesh,Madhya Pradesh andRajasthan. This is set to be achieved by addressing the issue of caste census and advocating for theOther Backward Classes (OBCs) to receive their fair and equitable share in the country's development. By prioritizing social justice, the Congress party may also aim to construct an alternative narrative to counter theBharatiya Janata Party's intentions of capitalizing on theinauguration of the Ram Mandir inAyodhya on January 22, 2024.[9]
The matter ofunemployment andinflation will hold significant importance in this electoral campaign. These two factors were highlighted by Rahul Gandhi as the primary causes for the two young individuals trespassing the Parliament security and leaping into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors' gallery.[9]
Leaders of the Congress-ledIndian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance are expected to support this national campaign when Rahul Gandhi reaches out to them in their own constituency.[1]
More than one leader[who?] had made headlines last year due to the exertion they faced, allegedly not being able to keep up with Rahul Gandhi.[15]
| State | Entry Date | Distance Covered (km) | No. of days[a] | Districts Covered | Key places |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manipur | 14 January | 107 | 1 | 4 | Thoubal,Imphal |
| Nagaland | 15 January | 257 | 2 | 5 | Kohima |
| Assam | 18 January | 833 | 8 | 17 | Jorhat,Dispur,Guwahati |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 20 January | 55 | 1 | 1 | Itanagar |
| Meghalaya | 22 January | 5 | 1 | 1 | Shillong |
| West Bengal | 25 January | 523 | 5 | 7 | Cooch Behar,Siliguri,Murshidabad |
| Bihar | 28 January | 425 | 4 | 7 | Kishanganj,Araria,Purnia,Sasaram |
| Jharkhand | 02 February | 804 | 8 | 13 | Dhanbad,Ranchi,Jamshedpur |
| Odisha | 07 February | 341 | 4 | 4 | Jharsuguda |
| Chhattisgarh | 08 February | 536 | 5 | 6 | Raigarh,Ambikapur,Korba,Janjgir |
| Uttar Pradesh | 16 February | 1,074 | 11 | 20 | Varanasi,Prayagraj,Amethi,Raebareli,Lucknow,Bareilly,Aligarh,Agra |
| Madhya Pradesh | 2 March | 698 | 7 | 9 | Guna,Ujjain |
| Rajasthan | 26 February | 128 | 1 | 2 | Dholpur,Banswara |
| Gujarat | 7 March | 445 | 5 | 7 | Dahod,Mandvi |
| Maharashtra | 12 March | 479 | 5 | 6 | Malegaon,Nashik,Thane,Mumbai |
| Total | 6,713 | 66 | 109 |
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi flagged off the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra atThoubal inManipur state. Addressing a meeting at the launch, he attacked the BJP over its handling of theManipur crisis and said that the crisis was a result of the BJP's ideology and hatred. Party president Kharge criticised prime minister Modi, whom he accused of using theRam temple inauguration for electoral gains.[16] The yatra entered Nagaland the following day. On 17 January, atMokokchung, Gandhi attacked PM Modi again, accusing him of being unable to solve theNaga political crisis.[17]
On 18 January, the yatra enteredSivasagar inAssam, where Gandhi termed the state chief ministerHimanta Biswa Sarma of being "the most corrupt chief minister in India". Sarma hit back, dubbing the Yatra as "miya yatra", a discriminatory label[18] againstBengali Muslims in Assam.[19] Gandhi enteredArunachal Pradesh on 20 January, received byAPCC presidentNabam Tuki.[20]
The yatra re-entered Assam on 21 January via Rajgarh inBiswanath district. Gandhi enteredMeghalaya on 22 January atNongpoh, before again re-entering Assam the next day.[21] 23 January saw a major show-off between Congress workers andAssam Police when Gandhi was stopped from enteringGuwahati city limits, and a barricade erected by police to stop Gandhi from entering the city was broken by crowds.[22][23]Assam Congress presidentBhupen Kumar Borah and party MLAJakir Hussain Sikdar sustained minor injuries in clashes with police. Gandhi was booked by Assam Police for allegedly inciting violence, to which Gandhi responded that he would not be intimidated by fake cases.[23] The yatra ended up diverting its route and passed instead through Guwahati bypass.[24] Academic and social activistHiren Gohain condemned the "brazen violence" unleashed by police on yatra marchers.[23]
Gandhi enteredCooch Behar inWest Bengal on 25 January and said that he would fight injustice and hatred prevailing across the country.[25]
Gandhi then reachedKishanganj inBihar on 28 January, the same day Bihar chief ministerNitish Kumar and his party rejoined the National Democratic Alliance. AtPurnia on 30 January, Gandhi said that Kumar had caved in and rejoined the NDA under pressure. He also said that theMahagathbandhan did not need the Kumar's blessings and that it would keep fighting for social justice.[26] The leadership and cadre of theCommunist Party of India (Marxist), including the party state secretaryMohammed Salim joined the yatra atMurshidabad on 1 February.[27][28] Gandhi enteredPakur inJharkhand on 2 February.[29]
On 6 February, Gandhi announced that he theI.N.D.I.A. bloc would remove the 50% cap on reservation if voted to power. He also said that the BJP wanted to topple the alliance government in Jharkhand as the chief minister was a tribal, referring toHemant Soren's arrest and resignation as CM. He also congratulated new chief ministerChampai Soren for stopping the BJP-RSS conspiracy and "protecting the government of the poor".[30]
The yatra enteredBiramitrapur inOdisha on 7 February, where it received a grand welcome.[31] The following day, it enteredRaigarh inChhattisgarh where it took a two-day break. The yatra resumed on 10 February and later passed throughSakti,Korba,Surajpur, andSurguja districts.[32]
On 13 February, in thebackdrop of farmers' protests, atAmbikapur in Surguja district, Gandhi promised legal guarantee ofMSP to farmers if the I.N.D.I.A. bloc came to power.[33] The yatra, which was scheduled to enterBalrampur and then traverse its second leg in Jharkhand on 14 February, was cancelled so that Gandhi could attend farmers' protests inDelhi.[34][35] On 15 February, Gandhi resumed his yatra fromBihar'sAurangabad, where he promised a financial survey to assess the ground reality if his party comes to power.[36] The yatra resumed fromSasaram the next day, whereRashtriya Janata Dal chairperson and former state deputy CMTejashwi Yadav joined the yatra, touring the state with Gandhi in a jeep.[37]
Gandhi's yatra enteredChandauli inUttar Pradesh on 16 February. At Chandauli, Gandhi criticised the red carpet welcome to VVIPs at theRam Lalla consecration ceremony atAyodhya.[38]
On 17 February, Gandhi offered prayers at theKashi Vishwanath Temple inVaranasi.[38] The next day, the journey resumed fromPrayagraj at theNehru family's ancestral house at Anand Bhawan.[39] On 19 February, Gandhi reached his former constituencyAmethi by entering the villageKohra, where a large number of people attended the rally.[40][41] On 20 February, in the Congress bastion ofRae Bareli, Gandhi attacked thecentral government over theAgnipath Scheme, alleging that Agniveers were being denied the status of martyrs.[42] The next day inLucknow, Gandhi targeted PM Modi over the police recruitment exam paper leak in Uttar Pradesh, saying that youngsters were being misleaded by the BJP.[43]
Samajwadi Party supremoAkhilesh Yadav joined Gandhi's yatra on 25 February, after the two partiessolved the deadlock in seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.[44]
AtDholpur inRajasthan, on 26 February, Gandhi said that the women, youth, and farmers of the nation were not getting any opportunity in the development of the nation.[45]
The yatra resumed and enteredMorena inMadhya Pradesh on 2 March. At Morena, Gandhi promised legal guarantee of MSP and caste-based census if his party was voted to power. He also attacked the centre over theAgnipath Scheme, and said that the budget that was going to defense was now in the hands of big businessman. The Congress had also promised to scrap the Agnipath Scheme as a part of its manifesto.[46]
On 5 March, Gandhi offered prayers atMahakaleshwar Temple inUjjain.[47] On 7 March, he enteredBanswara,Rajasthan where he announced the Congress's "Youth Manifesto". He also said that the caste census is an X-ray for India, and alleged that presidentDroupadi Murmu was not allowed to enter theRam temple as she was from theAdivasi community.[48]
The yatra enteredJhalod,Gujarat on 7 March, where Gandhi criticised prime minister Modi for "waiving off ₹16 lakh crore loans" of corporate businessmen.[49] On 8 March, Gandhi addressed a gathering atGodhra, and ended the day's yatra atPanchmahal.[50] On 9 March atBharuch, Gandhi said that the BJP calls Adivasi people (tribals) asVanavasi (forest dweller).[51]
Gandhi's yatra reachedMaharashtra on 12 March viaNandurbar, where he said that Adivasis were the original owners of the country.[52] The yatra then enteredDhule the next day where Gandhi announced the Congress' women manifesto termedNari Nyay.[53][54] It enteredThane on 15 March[55][56] before concluding on 16 March atMumbai.Priyanka Gandhi, Congress leader and Gandhi's sister joined the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by her brother on its last day. The yatra moved throughDharavi, before ending atDadar'sChaityabhoomi the memorial ofB. R. Ambedkar.[57]
The rulingBharatiya Janata Party stated that the citizens of India cannot be deceived by the creation of catchy slogans. BJP reiterated and emphasized that it is theModi-government which has been delivering "real nyay (justice)" since 2014.[12]
The Congress party initiated crowdfunding campaign "Donate for Nyay" on 27 January 2024 to mobilize funds for the yatra.[58] It collected Rs 4 crores in 4 days since start of the campaign.[59] Several political analysts includingPrashant Kishor criticized the timing of Yatra in view ofupcoming general elections and stated that while its a good PR exercise it won't be able to benefit the congress electorally.[60]
At the heart of the opposition alliance's efforts are long marches undertaken by Gandhi across the length and breadth of the country, to galvanise support against Modi. His Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra (Uniting India for Justice March) had culminated in Mumbai on Saturday.
{{cite news}}:|last= has generic name (help){{cite news}}:|last= has generic name (help){{cite news}}:|last= has generic name (help)| Alliances | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parliamentary candidates | |||||||||
| Prime ministerial candidates |
| ||||||||
| Parties and leaders |
| ||||||||
| Campaign | |||||||||
| By state/UT |
| ||||||||
