Thousands of individuals congregated at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, the financial capital of India, where resounding chants and songs advocating for justice reverberated. This renowned location had been the site of numerous freedom fighter rallies during the nation’s decades-long struggle for independence against the British.
This time, the slogans demanded a distinct “freedom” from the Bharatiya Janata Party government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Vishal and Rekha Bhardwaj, two Bollywood vocalists, performed timeless numbers from new and classic films on stage. The park was embellished with life-size cardboard replicas of opposition Indian National Congress (INC) party politicians and flags. Although law enforcement personnel were in large numbers, the ambience was exuberant, reminiscent of a rock concert. Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family that ruled India for most of the country’s first half-century following independence, was the focal point of the occasion.
A day after the Election Commission of India announced the dates for the largest vote in the world, Gandhi and a group of leaders from other opposition parties inaugurated the election campaign of their Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) from Shivaji Park on Sunday evening. In seven phases, beginning on April 19 and concluding with the declaration of results on June 4, nearly one billion Indians will elect their next government.
The INDIA alliance aspires to contest Modi’s BJP bid for a third consecutive term in power, riding the prime minister’s popularity. However, the Congress and other critics have accused the BJP of favouring a select group of industrialists and dividing the nation along religious lines.
The long marches that Gandhi led throughout the nation are central to the opposition alliance’s efforts to galvanise support against Modi. The culmination of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra (March for Uniting India for Justice) took place in Mumbai on Saturday.
On Sunday, at Shivaji Park, supporters were moved by the marches and Gandhi’s message of unity and justice.
Ganggu Bai, a 40-year-old cook who resides in Dharavi, Mumbai, attended the Sunday rally. Dharavi is one of the largest slum communities in the world, and the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire brought it to international attention.
“My presence here is in support of our nation’s future.” and the liberties of women,” she stated. She continued, “This event gives me hope and feels like it is for the people of India.”
However, Delhi, the Congress, and the INDIA alliance will require the support of more than their core porters. They must transform this sentiment into a nationwide uprising against the governing government. The Congress won a mere 52 Lok Sabha or lower house of parliament seats in the most recent national elections, held in 2019, while the BJP won an overwhelming majority with 303 seats.
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Gandhi, while addressing the gathering, emphasised that the INDIA alliance was striving for a vision of India and not against a political party (the BJP or the prime minister, he said).
“In Hinduism, the term ‘Shakti’ exists. We are engaged in combat with a Shakti. What is the inquiry regarding Shakti? “Every institution of the country, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and Income Tax department, contains the soul of the king,” he said, adding that these institutions are the sole reason the BJP is in power.
Modi is the “king,” EVMs are susceptible to hacking, and law enforcement agencies are being utilised to coerce business leaders and opposition members into submission, according to the allegation.
The rally was also attended by several prominent politicians affiliated with the INDIA alliance, including Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the Congress; MK Stalin, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu; and Uddhav Thackeray, the former chief minister of Maharashtra and chief minister of Tamil Nadu.
“Ab ki baar, BJP tadipaar [The BJP will be exiled this time],” Thackeray declared, adding that the INDIA alliance would defeat those who attempted to divide them.
“It appears to be a festival wherever Rahul goes,” Stalin exclaimed to the jubilant crowds.
He then referred to the diagnostic test the alliance is about to face.
“By capturing Delhi and defeating the BJP, Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will have achieved its true victory,” he stated.
Did Gandhi’s marches have any effect?
A day after concluding his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which spanned 6,600 kilometres (4,100 miles) from east to west India with detours in each state, Gandhi addressed a gathering at Shivaji Park. The “panch nyay” or “five pillars of justice” he pledged are equity-based justice for women, youth, farmers, and labourers.
Ahead of the march, he declared an annual stipend of one lakh rupees ($1,200) for all women below the poverty line and a 50 per cent reservation for impoverished families in all upcoming recruitment processes for central government positions.
Commencing his vacation on January 15 of this year in the Manipur region, a tumultuous northeast Indian state, he pledged to foster peace by bridging the gap between the predominantly Christian Kuki-Zo and the primarily Hindu Meitei communities. This conflict has resulted in violence, the loss of hundreds of lives, and the displacement of over 60,000 individuals. Gandhi completed his western journey from Manipur to Mumbai on March 16.
Before that, he participated in the Bharat Jodo Yatra (Unite India walk), which spanned from southern India to Kashmir in the north from September 2022 to January 2023. The objective of this march was to bring attention to the issues of poverty, unemployment, and the increasing polarisation between Hindus and Muslims in India.
These sentiments motivated Sudha Prakash to embark on the inaugural Bharat Jodo Yatra alongside Gandhi.
“By walking, I exhibited solidarity. “I also walked to find inspiration and hope in the thousands of others who did the same, each with their vision of a better India for every Indian citizen, which was simultaneously shared with me,” said Prakash, 60, an elementary school teacher in Mumbai.
“I had the pleasure of meeting so many individuals who represented so many Indian communities from different parts of the country, engaged in various activities, and doing so much more… it was a wonderful experience… it was a wonderful experience… it was a wonderful experience…” “With hope, exhilaration, and emotional vigour accompanied my return,” she further stated.
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A spokesperson for the Indian National Congress, Aishwarya Mahadev, lauded both yantras as the most extensive attempts by the party to engage the public in recent history.
“We desired to lend a voice to the voices on the ground and to hear them out. “Therefore, during both yantras, we witnessed Rahul Gandhi attentive to the voices of individuals from historically oppressed and marginalised communities, whose opinions are rarely heard”.
The purpose of this yatra was not to engage in political ostentation or boasting; rather, it was to genuinely connect with the people by listening to their concerns and amplifying their opinions. Overall, it has been an enormous triumph in this regard.”
Many Indians, however, remain unconvinced. Gandhi’s marches were frequently derisively referred to by the BJP as an attempt to “break” India rather than “unite” it.
Former Indian civil servant Ujal Bhatia stated that he does not believe Gandhi’s marches will result in electoral gains for Congress.
“A large portion of the nation is influenced by the BJP’s narrative, which consists of Hindutva, a strong government, and welfare that provides palliatives for the poor,” he said. The Hindu majoritarian political ideology of the BJP is referred to as Hindutva. Furthermore, during its ten years in power, the Modi administration has implemented several welfare programmes aimed at women and other historically marginalised groups. However, the government’s claims regarding the extent to which these programmes have been implemented are contested by critics.
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“Rahul’s travels will fill him with positive energy, but the Gandhi family is reluctant to cede power to regional leaders, and Congress cadres are feeble,” Bhatia continued.
A lawyer of 33 years old from Bangalore, Raj Malhotra, held a comparable perspective.
A sufficient number of citizens are weary of divisive politics and crony capitalism; however, the opposition appears oblivious to the opportunity to exploit this sentiment to its benefit. “This is largely due to the Congress party’s failure to address organisational weaknesses for over a decade,” Malhotra said, accusing the party of dynastic politics and favouritism.
“Although Rahul Gandhi remains a potentially viable candidate, the BJP’s propaganda factory has tarnished his reputation by labelling him a “pappu.” “The party must seriously examine itself and resolve its internal disarray,” he continued. Gandhi has been referred to by the BJP and its social media supporters for an extended period as “Pappu,” a derogatory term for an intellectually sluggish person in Hindi-speaking northern India.
