Ekta Yatra by Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi
Politicians had no courage to tell in Kashmir that India, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, is one and united.
Number of Republic and Independence days passed by but the National flag could not be hoised in Lal Chowk,Srinagar. The effort of the ABVP to hoist the flag in September 1990 was sabotaged by the Government.
The BJP accepted the challenge and decided to hoist the National Flag in Lal Chowk on January 26, 1992. And the Ekta Yatra of Murli Manohar Joshi began from Kanyakumari to Kashmir on December 11, 1991. The aim of the Yatra was to make people aware of the problem and awaken the Government about the gravity of the situation in Kashmir. Wherever the Yatra reached people thought themselves linked with the trouble in Kashmir.
As the Yatra progressed, the parties politicking in the Muslim vote bank, which included the
Congress, the Janata Dal, CPI(M), CPI, Muslim League and other communal organisations, started getting nervous and uncomfortable. These very parties had watered and fertilised the Kashmir problem. Ekta Yatra was exposing their real face in front of the people. Therefore, all these parties were compelled to oppose this Yatra.
The Yatra received full response from the people. Starting frorn the South, it passed through Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh to reach Delhi. From Delhi it passed through Haryana, Punjab to reach Jammu.
The Central Government was losing its ground and the appeals from the Prime Minister and the Union Home
Minister for abandoning the Yatra proved futile. The Government tried to unnerve the Yatris by saying that it was not possible to provide security to all and the militants could do anything. But
the result was different and each day the number of Yatris increased.
The most challenging task for it was to trek between Jammu and Srinagar.
At least 50,000 volunteers reached Jammu with the aim of marching to Srinagar under the leadership of Murli Manohar Joshi.
It is interesting that officers in the State administration and Army officers were happy over this Yatra. They were ready to take up the responsibility of providing security to the Yatris but this course was not beneficial for the ruling party in the centre.
The leaders of the ruling party were so weak that they were not prepared to face any challenge.
The sign of weakness was apparent on the face of the ruling party leaders but not on the faces of Dr. Joshi and other Yatris.
It seemed the yatris were prepared for any sacrifice and when they had left their homes, they had it in their mind that anytime they could achieve martyrdom. There was a difference in such sacrifice. It was not a sacrifice of a sacrificial lamb but of a courageous lion. The Yatris were so much excited that they were ready to pounce upon the terrorists and snatch arms from them to finish them. On seeing the zeal of the Yatris the BJP had announced that "we" will protect our lives ourselves if the Government cannot make security arrangements.
On one hand the Yatris were on the march and on the other
threats from militants, "we will not allow even a single Yatri to reach Srinagar", increased. They even threatened that they would send the dead bodies of Yatris as a gift to India.
All the efforts of the Government to stop the Yatra failed. The Government announced that the Jammu-Srinagar highway had been closed because of landslides and cautioned the Yatris against marching forward. The marchers took it as a trick of the Government. They were not ready to stop and the Government was not prepared to allow them to proceed. Tension mounted. Those Yatris who were in cars moved ahead. It was decided in Jammu that some Yatris could accompany Government officials and ascertain whether the road was closed or not. On January 25 some of the Yatris left for Srinagar but the advance party of Yatris had come back after having ascertained that the road was blocked because of the landslides. Everybody returned to Jammu.
It would have taken atleast three to four days to remove the landslides and by that time January 26 would have gone. And immediately the plan was altered. Dr. Joshi too returned to Jammu and it was decided to fly to Srinagar in a helicopter.
After crossing over many hurdles Dr. Joshi flew to Srinagar on the morning of January 26. About 40 people, which included some MPs and journalists, reached Srinagar.
As per the earlier announcement Dr. Joshi hoisted the tri-colour in Lal Chowk in the morning of Janualy 26. The MPs, journalists and Army officers, who were present there, shouted "Bharat Mata ki Jai" to convey to the world India's power and authority.
The hoisting of the tricolour in Lal Chowk was a slap on the face of Pakistan, attack on the plans of terrorists and an exposure to the indecisive Kashmir policy framed by the weakhearted Central Government. It was a symbol of strong determination of Ekta Yatris, successful scheme of the Kashmir administration and the strength and capacity of the Indian Army.
The event proved that whenever the Central Government adopted a clear and strong policy on Kashmir, the same day the Indian Army would free Kashmir of all the tensions. The current indecisive and weak policy has fettered the Indian Army.
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