India opposition’s ‘unity march’ against hate enters capital – The Boston Globe

NEW DELHI — Members of India’s major opposition Congress get together and 1000’s of supporters walked into the capital on Saturday as a part of a 5-month-long cross-country “unity march” looking for to problem what they are saying is a “hate-filled” model of the nation beneath the Hindu nationalist authorities.

Joined by 1000’s of get together employees and senior leaders, the march led by Rahul Gandhi, an opposition chief of the Congress get together and scion of the influential Gandhi household, entered New Delhi after passing by eight states.

Flanked by his mom, Sonia Gandhi, and sister, Priyanka Gandhi, the 52-year-old chief mentioned that the motive of his lengthy stroll throughout the size of the nation is to revive the once-mighty Congress get together and showcase the “actual India” in contrast to the “hate-filled model” supplied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“They are going to unfold hate. We are going to unfold love,” Gandhi mentioned, referring to Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Get together.

Gandhi set off for the “Bharat Jodo Yatra,” or “Unite India March,” in Kanyakumari, a coastal city that’s the southernmost tip of India, on Sept. 7. The march, which is broadcast reside on a web site, is predicted to traverse 3,570 kilometers (2,218 miles) and cross 12 states earlier than ending in Indian-controlled Kashmir by February.

Passing by lots of of villages and cities, the march has attracted farmers nervous about rising debt, college students complaining about growing unemployment, civil society members and rights activists who say India’s democratic well being is in decline. Alongside the best way, Gandhi has additionally shed his previously clean-shaven search for a thick beard and slept in transport container cabins throughout evening halts.

In a number of impassioned speeches in the course of the march, Gandhi has usually focused Modi and his authorities for doing little or no to deal with the rising financial inequality in India, the rising spiritual polarization, and the menace posed by China. The armies of India and China are locked in a bitter standoff within the mountainous Ladakh area since 2020. Regardless of over a dozen rounds of talks at navy, political and diplomatic ranges, the standoff has protracted.

Modi’s get together has dismissed Gandhi’s march and speeches as a political gimmick to regain his “misplaced credibility.”

“The character of the Congress has been to interrupt India,” the get together mentioned in a tweet Saturday.

Hindu nationalism has surged beneath Modi and his get together, which have been criticized over rising hate speech and violence in opposition to Muslims lately. Opponents say Modi’s silence emboldens right-wing teams and threatens nationwide unity, however his get together has denied this.

Although the Congress get together says Gandhi’s cross-country stroll is especially to reestablish an emotional reference to Indians, the march’s electoral ambitions are exhausting to overlook.

With a nationwide election lower than 16 months away, it might decide whether or not India’s beleaguered opposition can put up a struggle in opposition to the electoral juggernaut of Modi’s get together that received the bulk in 2014 and 2019.

Rasheed Kidwai, a political analyst, mentioned Gandhi is “using some politically appropriate strategies throughout his lengthy stroll that has potential to do some picture correction for him.” However he cautioned that solely electoral victories will ultimately outline whether or not Gandhi’s march is profitable.

“Modi’s BJP has a hit price of about 90% in over 200 parliamentary seats the place it’s in direct contest with the Congress. If this march reduces that price, that may be fairly a hit. In a democracy, you will need to be related and win elections,” Kidwai mentioned.

In 2019, Modi’s get together received 303 out of 543 parliamentary seats, partly as a consequence of its Hindu nationalistic agenda. Congress was a distant second with 52 seats.

Since Modi got here to energy for the primary time in 2014, the Congress get together has additionally suffered crushing defeats in a slew of state polls. It presently guidelines solely three out of 28 states.

Suffering from management disaster and electoral routs, the get together in October elected its first non-Gandhi president after 24 years in an try shed a picture of being run by a single dynasty.

The get together has been led by non-family members up to now, however Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had been at its helm since 1998.

The march has helped Gandhi, rankings present.

In November, polling company C-Voter mentioned Gandhi’s reputation rankings have seen a slight soar because the march started, from 29% to 31%. The marginal enchancment in Gandhi’s reputation, nevertheless, stays effectively beneath that of Modi’s 66%.