Congress’s young guns steal the march in Karnataka

The Congress’ padayatra may or may not change the political contours of Karnataka, but it will end up causing a tectonic shift in the party’s foundation in the state. When the Naada Rakshane Nadige journey to Bellary ends on August 9, the young turks of the grand old party in the state would have announced their arrival on the big stage.

When BJP legislators from Bellary charged at Siddaramaiah in the assembly during a debate on illegal mining, the leader of the opposition retaliated by stating that he would hold a public rally in Bellary against the Reddy brothers. That challenge resonated with the young Congressmen, and it was they who convinced the top leadership to undertake the padayatra instead of just organising a rally. The result is now out on the road to Bellary.

The entire youth brigade, led by MLAs Krishna Byregowda, Sharan Patil, D Sudhakar, NA Harris and NL Narendra Babu, is at the forefront of the walk. It is also very much involved in the day-to-day planning for the yatra to ensure that the spirit of the march does not wane. What sets them apart from the old brigade is that they are professionally qualified and articulate, a far cry from the usual image of rustic politicians without finesse in what they say or do.

Realisation seems to be dawning, at least among the young leaders, that the devil that is corroding the party is its lethargic attitude and to some extent the embarrassing past failures. The young are trying to bring focus to issues that matter the most to citizens and to take agitations to their logical conclusions instead of ending them with symbolic gestures.

“The padayatra is not just about the Reddys, it is about corruption, rule of law and democracy,” Dr Sharan Patil, who was an assistant professor at Gulbarga Medical College, told DNA.

Youth Congress president Krishna Byregowda is worried about public apathy to governance. His constant refrain is that he wants to shift the public’s focus from micro problems to the endemic rot in public space. He wants people to raise their voice against such issues as clogged gutters and even the inept civic administration.

The young netas may be sophisticated and used to luxuries in life, but that does not mean that they cannot take the rigours of a 320-km arduous march to Bellary. “I have the experience of a 1,200-km-long padayatra to protect the coastline of the country,” said Narendra Babu. “I have also actively participated in innumerable padayatras of smaller distances.”

Krishna Byre Gowda is proud to remind all those who care to listen that he has been participating in padayatras quite frequently. “We don’t suffer from swollen foot or muscle pull,” he said. But the march to Bellary was the longest padayatra he was taking part in, he said.