The Wire (Srinagar) — Farooq Ahmad and his twelve-year-old son left their home with a purpose on this cold January morning. “I haven’t come to see Rahul Gandhi. One can see him on TV. I am here because I want to show my support for him. Unlike most politicians who are tainted, he is a good man,” he said.

As a crowd of men, women, young, elderly, and even children started to swell at the Pandrethan locality in Srinagar city, capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India, on the cold Sunday morning of January 29, the final day of the Indian National Congress party’s peace march (Bharat Jodo Yatra), Farooq, a driver, believed that the anger against India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was pulling out people from their homes, despite the severe cold.

“The BJP government had promised to change Kashmir. But inflation and unemployment are at a record high. Where are the [100,000] jobs promised to Kashmir? Instead, a liquor shop was recently opened in the neighborhood that will destroy our younger generation. It is because of this that people are coming out to watch the rally,” Farooq explained.

Farooq’s grievances could well find resonance in many parts of Jammu and Kashmir, which has been in a political stalemate since 2018 when the BJP toppled a coalition government headed by Mehbooba Mufti. The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which launched last September in Tamil Nadu in the far south and culminated in Srinagar this past weekend, seems to have opened a tiny door for many people to escape the prevailing political uncertainty and to vent their anger and frustration.

“The people of Kashmir have not complained so much since independence in 1947. We were silenced by fear but this peace march has shown that fear can be overcome, and the BJP is not invincible,” said Ghulam Mohammad, 70, who had come from Beerwah town to join the event.

As supporter of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party headed by Mehbooba Mufti, Mohammad, a farmer, is troubled by the prospects of his small orchard being taken away.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration recently launched an anti-encroachment drive–a campaign against building on lands allegedly owned by others–and so far, three former Jammu and Kashmir ministers have been targeted. While the opposition alleges that the drive is being used for settling political scores and the administration has denied any wrongdoing, Farooq hopes that the peace march will trigger a change of course on Kashmir’s political landscape.

“People are fed up with these new rules and policies. We have been living here for centuries. Why are you evicting us now? Instead of providing jobs, the government is threatening to make us landless. I have nothing personal against anyone, but Kashmir has only suffered since the BJP came to power. This rally will definitely damage the BJP’s fortunes in next elections,” he said.

“If Rahul Gandhi comes to power, all our problems will be solved,” he added.

Before the final procession of Bharat Jodo Yatra to Lal Chowk (a city square in Srinagar) started on Sunday morning, hundreds of political workers from different parts of Kashmir swarmed around a bus stand on the outskirts of Srinagar, which was used by the peace march organizers as the final base for the container trucks accompanying the march amid tight security arrangements.

On the main road outside the bus stand, hundreds of security personnel, armed with batons and automatic rifles, made a large rectangular cordon using a rope for the safety of Congress leaders, while their seniors paced up and down the rectangle to check for any deficiencies. Although civilians were allowed to watch or walk with the march outside the perimeter of the rope, normal traffic was banned, causing great inconvenience to many commuters.

Along the 1.5 kilometer length of the procession, pockets of enthusiastic workers of opposition parties who have extended their support to the march spiced up the celebratory mood by dancing to and singing songs about Rahul Gandhi and his sister.

“You are our brave heart; let us sing a lullaby for you,” crooned a woman clapping her hands as dozens more in a circle around her sang in chorus.

“He’s come! he’s come! Who’s come?” shouted a youngster, to which others around him replied in a thunderous roar: “The lion has come! the lion has come!”

In a sea of security personnel, the Gandhi siblings walked briskly, waving back at the crowds lined along the nine kilometer route to Lal Chowk. At many places, the fast pacing Gandhis and the narrowness of the road gave a tough time to the peace march supporters, and even the security personnel, some of whom were sweating heavily, despite near-freezing temperatures.

Locals had come out of their homes to see the Gandhis, but many were visibly disappointed. One woman complained angrily that she wanted to shake hands with the Congress leaders, but was not allowed by security personnel. A sad youngster had brought a framed, handmade sketch of Rahul Gandhi, but it slipped from someone’s hands and crashed on the road before it could reach the Congress leader.

To prevent a repeat of an alleged security lapse that occurred last Friday, a multi-layer security cover was thrown along the route which culminated at Lal Chowk, besides the historic clock tower.

After a brief pause, Rahul Gandhi unfurled the national flag beside the clock tower.

Addressing the media, Gandhi said that the peace march had received a great response in the country which showed the “resilience and strength” of people of India. “We also got to hear about the issues being faced by farmers, and unemployed youth in the country,” he said.

Although the Congress had said that the march was not aimed at making any political alliances in Jammu and Kashmir, where long-overdue elections are likely to be held this year, Rahul Gandhi kept the option open. “Opposition parties may have their differences, but they will always stand together against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh [nationalist paramilitary group] and the BJP,” he said.

In a tweet, the Congress leader added that “a promise” made to the people of India has been fulfilled with the culmination of the more than four-month-long peace march: “Hate will lose, love will always win. There will be a new dawn of hopes in India.”

This article was originally published in The Wire. Edits for style and content.

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