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KOHIMA — Ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which will pass through Nagaland after its launch in Imphal on January 14, a team led by AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal assessed preparations in the state on Tuesday.
Speaking to journalists in Kohima after a 'preparatory meeting' with Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) party workers at Congress Bhavan, Venugopal said the upcoming yatra will be a 'historic one,' adding that he sees a lot of enthusiasm among the workers and the general public about the yatra.
The purpose of this yatra is to seek justice for the youth, women, farmers and poor people of this country. It intends to highlight their sentiments, issues and sorrows on a bigger platform, he said.
According to the AICC leader, the youth, including those from Nagaland, are the most dissatisfied lot because they cannot find work. He said the employment rate is high, but the Union government is not paying attention to the aspirations of the country's youth, he alleged. “We are seeking justice for the youth of this country,” Venugopal added.
Similarly, he maintained that women in the country are "very much harassed." They are not getting livelihoods, and prices are increasing everywhere, but the government is not even considering their sentiments, he claimed.
Venugopal, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, went on to add that the gaps are widening every day and the government is only making one or two people ‘extra rich’ while neglecting the poor people of this country.
He reiterated that the yatra is not political but aimed at addressing all the issues of the common people. He further extended invitations to like-minded people to join the yatra. Venugopal also said that he has "great expectations" from the NPCC in the upcoming parliamentary elections, and added that the party "fought very well" in the last parliamentary election.
On the Centre's consideration to fence the India-Myanmar border, of which Nagaland shares a 215 km boundary, the MP said, "We are for Nagaland people. We never promote anything that is against the Naga people."
As reported by this newspaper, Congress is still awaiting the Manipur government's consent for the launch of the 6500 km yatra at Hafta Kangjeibung, in Imphal East, on Sunday. It was also learned that the NPCC is in the process of obtaining clearance from the Nagaland state government.