There was an India we grew up in- or thought we grew up in- where you took your Indianness for granted. That India was not perfect- there were divisions based on caste and economic status, there were sporadic religious riots- but people hesitated to publicly hate “the other”. The last few years, however, exposed the faultlines of “us” and “them” to an extent where I started wondering if that India I remembered ever existed. Were we always this way, and I was too naïve to know better, I often wondered.
The prevailing discourse now is one of divisiveness, and this growing polarisation threatens to tear the country apart. There are some who openly believe in the politics of hate and encourage it. There are others who cynically exploit the inherent distrust that people have for others to their benefit. All of them actively fan the fear that a way of life is in danger from an unknown “them”, because they believe that is the only way to get people to vote for them.
The most obvious symptom of this is the spurt in hate crimes, but what is most worrying is not the incidents of extreme violence, but the everyday normalisation of the otherisation. Even seemingly mature people from whom one would expect otherwise, do not think twice about referring to people different from them as “they”.
“What can you expect from them?”
“They are like that only.”
“They will always act in their own self-interest.”
Implicit in all the statements is the fundamental point which is implied though not articulated — “they cannot be trusted.”
This casual use of the word “they” is what is most frightening. “They” implicitly implies that the person or group is not “us”. That what divides us as a nation is more important that what keeps us together.
Hate is easier to amplify than love. Yet, in that cacophony of hate there is a lone voice speaking for harmony and unity- the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Bharat Jodo Yatra acknowledges that hypernationalism is tearing the nation apart, and tries to reverse that. It is an attempt to remind people that what keeps is together as a nation is far more important than what tears us apart.
Through the Bharat Jodo Yatra, we are being reminded that we are not just members of the tiny communities we define ourselves by, we are a part of a larger whole. It is a reminder that while we may have our differences, we should not allow that to translate into hate; that what matters is that we are one nation, one people.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra is a movement that is brave enough to keep the common citizen at their core. It is ‘listening’ movement which lends a ear to the voices that are ignored- it lets people talk about their fears and share their dreams. It does what few do- listen without judging.
Bharat Jodo Yatra is not just a political movement. It is a people’s movement. It is a groundswell of hope and resurgence. It is a reminder that each of us matters, that we can live together and push each other up.
A century back, Jawaharlal Nehru travelled to the remotest hamlets in the country, and tried to connect with the people there. He described those encounters most eloquently in his book “The Discovery of India” –
“I would ask them unexpectedly what they meant by that cry, who was this Bharat Mata, Mother India, whose victory they wanted?…
… [I would tell them that]… the mountains and the rivers of India, and the forests and the broad fields which gave us food, were all dear to us, but what counted ultimately were the people of India, people like them and me, who were spread out all over this vast land. Bharat Mata, Mother India, was essentially these millions of people, and victory to her meant victory to these people. You are parts of this Bharat Mata, I told them, you are in a manner yourself Bharat Mata, and as this idea slowly soaked into their brains, their eyes would light up as if they had made a great discovery.”
It really doesn’t matter whether the Bharat Jodo Yatra translates into votes for the Congress or not. It doesn’t matter whether the party comes to power in the next General Elections or not. All that matters is that an attempt was made at de-escalating social and economic divides. All that matters is that an attempt was made to bring people together. All that matters is that people stood up against the growing polarisation and hate. All that matters is that the people who hold India close to their heart know that they are not alone- that there are others who believe as they do in the values of equality, fraternity, liberty and justice.
Bharat Jodo Yatra is Hope. Bharat Jodo Yatra is a Covenant that we will continue to fight for what we hold dear.
In Majrooh Sultanpuri’s words-
Main akela hi chala tha janib e manzil magar
Log saath aate gae aur karwan banta gaya.