RaGa's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra enters Nagaland after 2 days in Manipur

The yatra, which started from Khongjom War Memorial on Sunday, passed through Kuki and Naga dominated localities in Manipur on the second day.

Kohima (Nagaland): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered Nagaland on Monday evening after spending two days in ethnic-violence hit Manipur where he interacted with civil society organisations and people from various walks of life.

The yatra, which started from Khongjom War Memorial on Sunday, passed through Kuki and Naga dominated localities on the second day with aides of Rahul saying that the Congress leader took out the yatra in Manipur amid unprecedented security challenges.

While he settled his base in Khuzama in Nagaland for the day, he traversed through Sekmai, Kangpokpi, Senapati and Mao, the Manipuri town bordering Nagaland, crisscrossing unfriendly terrain.

As he left Manipur, Rahul posted on X, "today Manipur is looking towards the entire country with hopeful eyes. We have to erase the pain from their eyes and light the 'lamp of hope'. Our journey is a balm of unity and love on the soul of India wounded by BJP's politics of division and neglect. We will walk together, we will fight together. To fight for justice, until we get it."

He started his yatra from Sekmai and people had gathered on the streets to have a glimpse of the Congress leader. A number of children had brief interactions with him inside the bus.

A group of children who met him in the bus carried hand-written posters which read, “uncle Rahul, we are India’s future and our future depends on you” and “we walk with you in the journey for ‘nyay’,” he said.

The divisions in the Manipuri society post the ethnic violence in the state was evident during the yatra, as party workers belonging to the Meitei community dropped out before the yatra reached Kangpokpi. Former Chief Minister Ibobi Singh, a Meitei community member, did not accompany Rahul in Kuki-dominated areas.

Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar pointed out the divide in the society, saying drivers from Meitei community refused to come to Kangpokpi and vice versa.

On Tuesday, Rahul is likely to hold a press conference near Kohima around noon.

Late in the evening, a delegation of the Naga HOHO representing Naga organisations from different states met Rahul at the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra campsite at Khuzama ground.

It handed over a memorandum on the non-implementation of the Framework Agreement signed by the Government of India and the NSCN-IM on August 3, 2015, something that had been hailed by the Prime Minister as a breakthrough and a solution, Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said.

"The delegation of the Naga HOHO requested Rahul Gandhi to raise this issue in Parliament. He recalled that there had been no consultations with other political parties before this Framework Agreement was signed, especially the Congress which had governments then in three North-eastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur," Ramesh said.