The opposition Congress party is launching a nationwide 58-day “Azadi Gaurav Yatra” on Wednesday from the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, to coincide with Mahatma Gandhi’s first call public call of protest against the draconian British Rowlatt Act as well as the Salt Act, in a kick-off of sorts to the Gujarat 2022 election campaign.
The entire 1,171-km yatra, which is being coordinated by the Seva Dal, the social services wing of the party, for the Congress will pass through five districts in North Gujarat and will be taken forward by the Rajasthan Congress unit from Ratanpur border on April 15.
Speaking to Vibes of India, national Seva Dal President Lalji Desai, who hails from Gujarat, said, “The reason to pick April 6 to launch the yatra, basically as a revolution of sorts against the ruling BJP, is that it was on this day that Gandhiji gave the first clarion call against the Rowlatt Act and proceeded to break the draconian Salt Law of the British.”
“There could not have been a better day to start this yatra against the BJP Government than this historic and symbolically important day,” Desai told VO!
He said weaving through North Gujarat the yatra would create awareness about the Congress contribution to the Independence movement and leaflets would be distributed with a prologue of the Constitution with the slogan “Save the Constitution”.
Cultural events to depict the composite secular culture of India would also be held during the padayatra and voluntary organisations would contribute by supplying water and food to the yatris, Desai said.
During a press conference about this, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee President Jagdish Thakore said many Indians sacrificed their lives to give us the freedom that the country enjoyed today.
