Firoz.T.Totanawala The Bangalore Metro Reporter WALKING IS GOOD FOR POLITICS PADAYATRA BECOMES A POLITICAL GIMMICK

By Firoz.T.Totanawala 

 THE BANGALORE METRO REPORTER 

 WALKING IS GOOD FOR POLITICS 

 PADAYATRA BECOMES A POLITICAL GIMMICK 

 The Congress Padayatra from Bangalore to Bellary, the Reddy brothers’ Padayatra in Bellary district, the BJP’s rally cum convention in four revenue divisions and later Padayatra by the Chief Minister in every district and the proposed Padayatra from Bagalkot to Bangalore by the JD(S) headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy has made the state politics as Padayatra politics. Every party and politician is trying to extract benefit and credit from Padayatra politics, the credit of which should be given to the Reddy brothers. 

 It was all started by the opposition leader Siddramaiah. During the heated debate over the illegal Mining issue in the assembly, the Chief Minister, Mr. Yedurappa lost his cool and displayed threatening postures against Siddaramaiah by folding his sleeves and abusing the Congress. The talk of the town rowdy Reddy brothers also joined the CM and created a ruckus in the assembly. They hurled abuses and challenged Siddramaiah to set his foot in Bellary and that they will strip him and finish him. 

 Shocked over the violent behavior and the challenge of the Reddy brothers, Siddramaiah readily agreed and promised to hold a convention of Congressman at Bellary. Though his reaction might be termed as a spur of the moment but surely it caught the imagination of the Congressmen and they saw a golden opportunity to take up their fight against the illegal Mining and simultaneously rejuvenate the party. 

 Within a few days, the Congress decided to go for a Padayatra from Bangalore to Bellary. Luckily for the Congress, the timing also clicked as the state was undergoing the trauma of a massive Mining scam allegedly involving the Reddy brothers and the BJP Government. They obviously settled for the same issue and went ahead. 

 While the CM, the Reddy brothers and the BJP party did took it casually in the beginning they were shocked over the successful response the Congress Padayatra gained as the days passed by. This made them loose their sleep and they were forced to counter act simply to derive a political benefit out of it. Many more Padayatras were announced by the ruling party themselves and the state and its people were left suffering. 

 Everybody is organizing a Padayatra for their own reason and indeed it has become a laughing stock for the nation. Gone are the days when the Padayatra was the last resort weapon to fight the injustice. Now, it has actually become a forum for power. One can still understand and accept the fact of opposition taking out a Padayatra for a cause, but, it is indeed amusing to know that the ruling party and the Chief Minister himself is planning to go on a Padayatra. What sense does it make? He is the CM and his party is in rule. What could be the reason of a Padayatra? Quite clear it is that the CM wants to visit each and district and brain wash the people. So that he can once again establish his vote bank which is under serious threats due to his own misdeeds. 

 Well, the concept of Padayatra has clicked in Karnataka. While we are celebrating our 63rd Independence Day, we remember the great mahatma Gandhi who took the Dandi march against the British demanding the Independence of India. That was a true march by a leader. And six decades down the line we have our leaders who have made Padayatra, a cheap instrument to induce people and derive their own political mileage out of it. God save India!