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Journalism of Courage
In the Bharat Jodo Yatra that comes to a formal end on Monday, K C Venugopal played a pivotal role. A close aide of Rahul Gandhi, he walked with him almost the entire length of the march, and was one of the main people organising with the authorities to ensure there were no hitches. He speaks about what he sees as the gains from the Yatra, and the plans going forward. Excerpts:
VENUGOPAL: Certainly. The Yatra was a success beyond our expectations. When we started the Yatra from Kanyakumari, we frankly did not expect that it would receive such a response and generate such enthusiasm, but the people of India surprised us. Initially it was said that the Yatra would be successful in Kerala and South India, but the Congress would find it too difficult to make it a success in North India. Now we are in Kashmir, and I can say the best response was in Kashmir. People of India have supported the Yatra from their hearts. So I believe the Yatra has achieved its goals. It has energised our cadre from top to bottom. From 89-year-old Shivraj Patil to a 10-year-old young boy… everyone worked hard to make the Yatra a success.
VENUGOPAL: We cannot say that now. The Yatra’s aim was not to make an electoral impact. We had given some concrete slogans about unemployment, price rise and against divisive and hate-filled politics. And that resonated. The Yatra, as you know, was not carried out from a strictly political platform, but it electrified and energised our cadre right from the ground level. And that, we expect, will definitely play a role in electoral politics. The reception that we got in North India signals that the narrative built by the BJP is changing.
VENUGOPAL: I cannot agree with you when you say that there was a problem in Rahul Gandhi’s image. I agree that the BJP had built a false image of Rahul Gandhi. He was always a simple, compassionate, sincere and very knowledgeable politician. But the BJP and the Sangh Parivar had been waging a continuous, targeted attack against him for the past 10 years, labelling him a ‘Pappu’ to demean him. And that, I agree, did impact his image a bit as he was portrayed in a bad light among the people. But during the Yatra, he met and interacted freely and directly with thousands of people, and his interactions have demolished the false image about him that the BJP and Sangh Parivar have assiduously created. And that, I think, is one of the biggest accomplishments of the Yatra. Lakhs of people have now seen the real Rahul Gandhi. The BJP’s tactics to demean him will not work anymore.
VENUGOPAL: Who does not go abroad? But he didn’t go abroad when he was the Congress president. During his two years as Congress president, he worked 24X7 and campaigned hard. Yes, it is a fact that he did go abroad when he was not the Congress president. All leaders travel, but when he goes, it becomes news and reason for a targeted attack. All that has been demolished now. I am not saying a new Rahul Gandhi is born, but the false image that was spread about him has been demolished.
VENUGOPAL: That is for the people to decide. But Rahul Gandhi has emerged as a leader at the national level who symbolises sincerity, determination and compassion.
VENUGOPAL: Almost all the parties joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Many of them will join us in Srinagar. The Congress has always been clear that it is ready to be part of all efforts to build a united line-up against the BJP. That has been our non-compromised thinking. We are ready to do that without being obstinate or showing any obduracy.
VENUGOPAL: The time has not come to discuss all that. We can discuss all that when the time comes. The idea now is to keep together all those (parties) who want to be united. That is the picture before us. So it is too early to talk about all that. But the Congress president (Mallikarjun Kharge) made it clear in Hyderabad that Rahul Gandhi is the leader of the Congress.
VENUGOPAL: The Haath Se Haath Jodo Abhiyaan has already started. It is going to be a three-month-long campaign where our leaders and workers will take the message of the Yatra, its success and the political situation in the country to every house across the country. It is a house-to-house campaign along with district-level conferences and state-level rallies. And after that campaign certainly there will be a second leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. We are yet to decide how it should be carried out. The final design has not come but there will surely be a second leg, in which Rahul Gandhi will be involved. There are many views in the party. But there will be a second leg. The Congress will be on the field throughout this year.
VENUGOPAL: We cannot see the impact in a day or a week or two. But there is an impact. You will be able to see it in the coming days. One thing has become clear with the Yatra, it has proved that the Congress has the cadre to compete with the BJP. The Yatra was a success in BJP strongholds like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and even in Uttar Pradesh.
VENUGOPAL: After the Yatra, our attention will be on the AICC plenary to be held in Raipur on February 24, 25 and 26. After that, the Congress president will take decisions on organisational issues. All I want to say is that the Yatra was a roaring success and it was an unforgettable experience for me personally. As the organisation general secretary, it was my responsibility to visit states beforehand to plan everything with the PCCs, to do the follow-up, keep coordinating with the states, walk with him (Rahul Gandhi)… It was a proud moment for me… that I could play a small role in the Yatra.
