Yatra has succeeded in its message

I t’s heartening to see the way people as well as civil society members and celebrities have welcomed the Bharat Jodo Yatra to unite and strengthen our motherland. On the other side as the Rahul Gandhi-led yatra continued, so did the sparring — on social media platforms, TV debates and the streets. Disinformation, doctored videos, edited images, archive videos were used in an attempt to mock and discredit Mr Gandhi and the yatra. The yatra was not even given attention by most of the mainstream media — many Indians away from its route, including in the international diaspora, did not even know it was happening. Regardless, the yatra’s simple motivation of “We can do better than hate” has succeeded. As Mr Gandhi said after hoisting the flag: “By hoisting the Tricolour at Lal Chowk, the promise made to India was fulfilled today. Hate will lose, love will always win. There will be a new dawn of hope in India.”

A t this moment it’s really hard to judge exactly how much political mileage the Congress party has gained by traversing 14 states over the past five months. Even during this period, it recorded a humiliating defeat in the Gujarat assembly elections. However, the marginal win in Himachal Pradesh has brought some respite from the 18 losses the party has registered in the recent past. True, the yatra has showcased the Congress’s organisational skills, both on the ground and on social media. The outreach has branded Rahul with empathetic and collegial gravitas. But that will be tested in the nine state elections lined up this year ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The results will clarify whether the yatra was just a vanity project of the Gandhi family or whether it has spurred the long-awaited revival of the Congress.