Halol: Gujarat Congress President Shaktisinh Gohil remembered the quality time he spent with Rajiv Gandhi about 35 years ago while accompanying him on a yatra. Gohil fondly remembered this today while accompanying Rahul Gandhi who is on a four day visit to Gujarat as part of his nation wide Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. The Yatra is passing through seven tribal districts of Gujarat.
Gohil recalled how he was fortunate enough to drive Rajiv Gandhi’s jeep in 1989 when Gandhi was visiting Gujarat. “Congress was then in the Opposition at the Centre. In Gujarat, the Congress was in power. Rajiv ji was visiting Gujarat for four days. He was travelling in general compartments of trains and moving around in private vehicles”, Gohil said. “I was fortunate enough to drive him around in Bhavnagar”, Gohil said. “This time, I am traveling in a similar open jeep with Rahul Gandhi”.
According to Gohil, Rajiv Gandhi’s humanitarian side touched the people of Gujarat. Saurashtra and Bhavnagar then was reeling under a drought. Relief work were being undertaken by Congress government. fond of Gujarat. Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister when there was drought in Gujarat. At that time, relief works were carried out at many places in the entire state. Amarsinh Chaudhry, a tribal was then the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He was the first tribal to become the chief minister of the State. Shaktisih Gohil recalled how Rajiv Gandhi would make unscheduled stops during his yatra to interact with labourers woking at drought relief sites. During one such stop, he asked the labourers if they were being looked after by the State. The labourers said they were happy that they got work, money and food. But they said they were Gujaratis and wanted to have butter milk. Rajiv Gandhi then said the labourers should be provide unlimited quantity of butter milk and that the burden of the same should not be passed on to the Government but the Party should bear the cost.
Gohil added that Rajiv Gandhi had received threats to his life but still he did not want to make a show and “use” hundreds of security personnel. Despite of the threats, Rajivji chose to move in open jeeps and openly interact with people.
Rahul Gandhi is also carrying forward this tradition of his father. When Rahul Gandhi traveled from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, the doctor warned him that the journey would be painful. Despite this, Rahul Gandhi said that despite suffering, he made a firm decision to travel to spread the message of love among the people by removing the hatred that is being practiced in the country in the name of language, province, caste. Similarly, in this justice journey from Manipur to Mumbai, Rahul Gandhi is meeting people without any fear and holding public dialogues.
Rahul Gandhi has created a world record by walking. He has traveled 4,000 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. In the second part of the Connect India Yatra, Rahul Gandhi is walking from Manipur to Mumbai in jeeps and buses and meeting people. Hundreds of people are joining his journey.
Also Read– Day 2 Highlights of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra
