In the cold environs of Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium amid a steady snowfall, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi poured his heart out attempting to warm the emotions of strife-torn Kashmiris talking about how he understands their pain as he has himself lost his grandmother and father to violence.
At the concluding function of Bharat Jodo, Congress also promised restoration of statehood and assembly to J&K amid cheers from hundreds of party workers who had come from different parts of Kashmir to listen to Rahul and other opposition leaders of the country.
Over the white T-shirt, which has become symbolic with his yatra, Rahul wore a modest grey Kashmiri pheran to protect himself from the snowfall and perhaps also to strike a chord with the locals.
The Congress MP recalled his association with Kashmir and how his ancestors had moved from this place to Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh. Rahul also spoke about Kashmiriyat and its importance in the current context and said officials even tried to scare him about possibility of grenade attack on the yatra in the Valley and wanted him to board a vehicle during yatra’s Kashmir journey which he refused.
“When I was coming here, security persons told me that you can walk in the entire country, even in Jammu, but the last four days in Kashmir, you should use a vehicle. The administration also told me three-four days before, perhaps to scare me, that if I walk on foot, a grenade will be lobbed towards me. I thought that I am going home and will walk through my people and those who hate me why not given them a chance to turn the color of my white shirt into red,” he said.
But he said people of Kashmir gave him what he was thinking. “The J&K people did not give me hand grenade but opened their hearts and showered love. I was happy that they all considered me their own. They welcomed me with love and tears here,” he said.
Rahul said that he understands home as an ideology and has embraced Kashmiriyat as his home.
Acknowledging the violence faced by Kashmiris and security personnel, Rahul delved into his life’s demons and traumas of the loss. He said he understands pain of Kashmiris and those of the army, CRPF, BSF or their families as he himself has lost his grandmother and father to violence.
“I understand violence, I have seen and experienced violence. The person who has not experienced violence will not understand it. Like Modiji, Amit Shah ji or the RSS, they have not experienced violence. We walked here for four days. I guarantee you that no leader from the BJP will walk like this. Not because J&K people won’t let them walk but because they fear,” he said.
He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah of perpetuating violence. “The people who perpetuate violence like Modi or Shah or Ajit Doval or people of the RSS, they won’t understand this. They can’t understand pain. We can understand,” he said.
“We are against the ideology trying to bring down the foundation of this nation. Together, not through violence but with love. If we put our word with love, we will be successful. We would not only be able to defeat that ideology but will win them,” he said.
Despite cold and continuous snowfall, Congress workers patiently waited till the concluding ceremony that lasted more than two hours.
Besides, Rahul and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, leaders from the DMK, JMM, BSP, NC, PDP, CPI, RSP, VCK and IUML attended the concluding function.
Wearing Kashmir’s traditional cap, “karakuli”, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said Kashmir was turned into a UT. “This paradise they turned into a UT. But Rahul’s intention is to give it an assembly and restore statehood and will turn this into a state again. That is why we will we will use all energy.”
The Congress president complimented Rahul on completing of such a huge distance. “I am congratulating him. We felt that people of Kashmir are the most liberal and embrace all. This is a result of Kashmiriyat. That is why I will say that this yatra was not for winning any election or moving Congress ahead. The yara was against hatred,” he said. Kharge also took a dig at the Prime Minister.
Priyanka was thankful to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for welcoming them with open hearts. “When my brother was coming here, he sent me and our mother a message. He said that he was having a strange feeling of going home. And I think when my family members hug me with tears in their eyes, their pain and emotions get transferred into my heart,” she said.
She lashed out at the politics going on in the country. “The politics that is running in the country now can’t do any good to the nation. The politics that divides and breaks, harms the nation. That is why it was an exemplary yatra,” she said.
Two former J&K chief ministers, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, also attended the concluding ceremony of Bharat Jodo.
Omar even urged Rahul to undertake another yatra from west to east of the country. “This yatra has shown that there are people in the country who like the BJP but there are also those who like the other idea which is of brotherhood. I request Rahul to undertake a yatra from west to east. I would like to walk with him,” he said. On Saturday, Omar had walked 10 to 12 km alongside Rahul from Banihal to Qazigund.
Mehbooba in her address said Mahatma Gandhi had seen a ray of light from Kashmir. “Today, the entire country is seeing ray of hope in Rahul.”
Many workers, especially workers from other parts of the country, braved the cold to attend the last ceremony of Bharat Jodo. However, snow played the spoilsport as Congress had planned to get 20,000 workers in the rally.
“Today Congress workers showed their dedication for standing in cold weather amid snowfall. Thousands of people attended the last programme despite the fact many of the areas remained cut off with the city due to heavy snowfall,” said Sheikh Amir, a Congress leader.
Earlier in the morning, Rahul accompanied by his sister Priyanka unfurled the Tricolour at the Congress headquarters at MA Road.
