Walking Towards Harmony: Brijendra Singh’s Sadbhav Yatra in Haryana

In a state fractured by divisive politics, one Congress leader takes to the road to revive the spirit of brotherhood — one constituency at a time

M S Chopra

It is an acknowledged fact that the political outcome of the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, led by Rahul Gandhi, was that it spread awareness among the people about the protection of democracy, unity, integrity, and the Constitution of India. It thereafter became the central theme of public discourse. This immensely helped the Congress party effectively counter the politics of polarisation and crony capitalism. Besides focusing on other important national issues — unemployment, women’s empowerment, inequality, and social justice — the yatra enthused millions of Congressmen throughout the country. It offered an alternative vision rooted in harmony, equality, and fraternity. These gains were reflected in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Inspired by the success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and encouraged by Rahul Gandhi, Brijendra Singh conceived the idea of undertaking a ‘Sadbhav Yatra’ throughout Haryana, covering all 90 constituencies. He is well aware that present-day Haryana lacks social harmony and cultural cohesion, which are vital to building a happy and healthy society. He firmly believes in the wisdom of Martin Luther King Jr: “We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

Essentially, the Sadbhav Yatra is a state-level edition of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, primarily aimed at promoting social harmony (bhai-chara), a unique and centuries-old feature of Haryanvi society.

Brijendra Singh, a bureaucrat-turned-politician, was the only sitting Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament who resigned to join the Indian National Congress on the eve of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He was, however, not granted a Congress ticket for those elections. He subsequently fought the Vidhan Sabha election as the Congress nominee from the Uchana (Jind) constituency, but lost by a wafer-thin margin of just 32 votes.

In the aftermath of the unexpected and inexplicable results of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha elections, a strong sense of despondency prevailed among Congressmen across the state. Political numbness and institutional inertia appeared insurmountable. The centuries-old societal harmony and cohesion had been perceptibly damaged by the mindless pursuit of a politics of polarisation.

It was against this socio-political backdrop that Brijendra Singh announced the Sadbhav Yatra as a way forward. He knew that “between saying and doing, many a pair of shoes is worn out.” Undeterred by initial setbacks and unpreparedness, he dared to be different, drawing on the wisdom of Rumi: “As you start to walk on the way, the way appears. Clarity does not come before action. It comes from action.”

The yatra has twin socio-political objectives, both just and admirable.

First, to heal the wounds inflicted on the social psyche of Haryana by the prevailing politics of division, and to urge the people to re-establish the social harmony and cohesion that must take precedence over all else.

Second, it seeks to unite and energise Congressmen to fight communal politics and safeguard democracy and dignity.

These goals are in perfect consonance with the spirit of the Constitution and the ideology of the Congress party. Moreover, it is the constitutional duty of every citizen to promote harmony, goodwill, and peace in society — prerequisites for health, happiness, progress, and prosperity. Yet this is far easier said than done. For the yatra to succeed, people must believe in the cause and trust in the sincerity of the effort.

Strangely, and inexplicably, a section of Congressmen has sought to create controversy by declaring non-participation in the yatra on the grounds that it is not an “official” party programme and amounts to an individual’s initiative. The Congress high command appears to have added to the confusion by leaving the yatra open-ended, without issuing a clear directive to the party cadre.

Brijendra Singh’s appeal — that people walk not behind him but beside him, as colleagues and friends — has not yet found much resonance.

Notwithstanding these hurdles, he will certainly emerge stronger in public estimation as a well-meaning leader committed to purposeful politics. Many already see in him the “coming man” of Haryana Congress. Yet the yatra leaves several genuine questions unanswered in the public mind:

(a) Will the yatra yield any political dividend for the Congress in Haryana, or will it deepen the divide among the factions of an already fragmented party?

(b) Is he ploughing a lonely furrow in the ever-shifting sands of Haryana politics?

(c) Will his Promethean efforts yield the results he seeks?

The answers will reveal themselves in time. He marches forward not to conquer, but to remind the people that society is our collective existence — a harmonious whole in which everything is interconnected. And on that chosen path, he walks on.

(The author is a retired Deputy Secretary, Government of India)