Express News Service
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was CPM leader M Swaraj who brought Rahul Gandhi’s caravan into limelight by terming the march “container yatra”. But the life inside the container isn’t that simple. It looks like a small train compartment. There are four-, six-, eight- and 12-bed containers for the padayatris. The containers are parked in colour-coded zones. The container in the yellow zone, for instance, has only a single bed and a washroom and the one parked in the blue zone has two beds. Rahul Gandhi stays overnight in a single bed and his security personnel in the second container.
The life inside the containers mounted on 60 trucks was not easy for the 120 permanent padayatris including Rahul Gandhi. If some of the male padayatris have to seek another container for completing their morning ablutions, the women’s lot has en suite facilities. In certain big containers, toilet facilities have been included. Youth Congress state secretary G Manjukuttan, one of the permanent yatris, told TNIE that all containers are air-conditioned and have got mobile charging slots.
“Bed linen and laundry facilities are provided. There are five containers exclusively provided with toilet facilities. Initially, there was a water shortage when we entered Kerala. It was addressed. I immediately fall asleep once I hit the bed at night,” said Manjukuttan. While some of them were apprehensive of making it for the next day’s padayatra due to muscle cramps after walking for long hours initially, they said they got rejuvenated seeing the enthusiasm of their fellow yatris.
One of them told TNIE that the arrangements in the first leg of the padayatra in Thiruvananthapuram city were arranged poorly. Despite sporting good-quality sneakers, the feet of the majority of yatris have developed blisters. The most having blisters are women. Mahila Congress state secretary Sheeba Ramachandran, 47, said that women yatris have got privacy. “There are no complaints as our needs have been addressed during our container stay. Let our political detractors say anything. We are ready to sleep under a tree or even on shop verandahs. Our ultimate aim is to spread humanity and brotherhood by the time the Bharat Jodo Yatra reaches Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, said Sheeba.
The other yatris from Kerala include All India Youth Congress Outreach Cell chairman Chandy Oommen, NSUI national coordinator Nabeel Kallambalam, former Sevadal president M A Salam, Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj Sangathan national convener D Geethakrishnan, former Chalakudy assembly seat candidate K T Benny, Mahila Congress Palakkad district vice-president Fathima Ibrahim and Unorganised Workers and Employees Congress national coordinator Anil Bose.
BHARAT JODO YATRA ENTERS KOLLAM DISTKollam: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Kollam district around 8.30am on Wednesday. Party workers and supporters in big numbers cheered the yatra on when it reached Parippally. Senior UDF leaders N K Premchandran, Rajmohan Unnithan, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and Kodikunnil Suresh, and Seva Dal members joined the yatra. Congress workers and volunteers from Punalur, Chadayamangalam and Kundara constituencies too joined the march. Venugopal said the yatra has made Congress’ rival parties worried. He said India under the NDA government is in a big mess. In addition, it is trying to destroy the country’s constitutional values. He expressed the hope that compassion and love would prevail at the culmination of the yatra. In the morning, Rahul visited Sivagiri Mutt in Varkala to pay homage to the Sree Narayana Guru.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was CPM leader M Swaraj who brought Rahul Gandhi’s caravan into limelight by terming the march “container yatra”. But the life inside the container isn’t that simple. It looks like a small train compartment. There are four-, six-, eight- and 12-bed containers for the padayatris. The containers are parked in colour-coded zones. The container in the yellow zone, for instance, has only a single bed and a washroom and the one parked in the blue zone has two beds. Rahul Gandhi stays overnight in a single bed and his security personnel in the second container.
The life inside the containers mounted on 60 trucks was not easy for the 120 permanent padayatris including Rahul Gandhi. If some of the male padayatris have to seek another container for completing their morning ablutions, the women’s lot has en suite facilities. In certain big containers, toilet facilities have been included. Youth Congress state secretary G Manjukuttan, one of the permanent yatris, told TNIE that all containers are air-conditioned and have got mobile charging slots.
“Bed linen and laundry facilities are provided. There are five containers exclusively provided with toilet facilities. Initially, there was a water shortage when we entered Kerala. It was addressed. I immediately fall asleep once I hit the bed at night,” said Manjukuttan. While some of them were apprehensive of making it for the next day’s padayatra due to muscle cramps after walking for long hours initially, they said they got rejuvenated seeing the enthusiasm of their fellow yatris.
One of them told TNIE that the arrangements in the first leg of the padayatra in Thiruvananthapuram city were arranged poorly. Despite sporting good-quality sneakers, the feet of the majority of yatris have developed blisters. The most having blisters are women. Mahila Congress state secretary Sheeba Ramachandran, 47, said that women yatris have got privacy. “There are no complaints as our needs have been addressed during our container stay. Let our political detractors say anything. We are ready to sleep under a tree or even on shop verandahs. Our ultimate aim is to spread humanity and brotherhood by the time the Bharat Jodo Yatra reaches Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, said Sheeba.
The other yatris from Kerala include All India Youth Congress Outreach Cell chairman Chandy Oommen, NSUI national coordinator Nabeel Kallambalam, former Sevadal president M A Salam, Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj Sangathan national convener D Geethakrishnan, former Chalakudy assembly seat candidate K T Benny, Mahila Congress Palakkad district vice-president Fathima Ibrahim and Unorganised Workers and Employees Congress national coordinator Anil Bose.
BHARAT JODO YATRA ENTERS KOLLAM DIST
Kollam: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Kollam district around 8.30am on Wednesday. Party workers and supporters in big numbers cheered the yatra on when it reached Parippally. Senior UDF leaders N K Premchandran, Rajmohan Unnithan, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and Kodikunnil Suresh, and Seva Dal members joined the yatra. Congress workers and volunteers from Punalur, Chadayamangalam and Kundara constituencies too joined the march. Venugopal said the yatra has made Congress’ rival parties worried. He said India under the NDA government is in a big mess. In addition, it is trying to destroy the country’s constitutional values. He expressed the hope that compassion and love would prevail at the culmination of the yatra. In the morning, Rahul visited Sivagiri Mutt in Varkala to pay homage to the Sree Narayana Guru.
