A convoy of vehicles is led by a DJ-mounted truck playing a patriotic Bollywood song from the 90s. It passes through a dusty, broken road in the Punhana sub-division of Nuh, formerly known as Mewat. Song, ‘My country, my country, this homeland of mine,’ (My land; My country; This, my motherland) echoes in the air as the procession passes through a village, breaking the decibel limit. At the back of the truck, a large white banner on a makeshift chariot reads “Vande Bharat Ekta Yatra” in red letters, accompanied by photographs of Sardar Patel, India’s first home minister, and local hero Raja Hasan Khan Mewati, who opposed Mughal emperor Babur.
Around 100 men, women and children walked behind the chariot wearing garlands and waving the tricolor, their faces full of enthusiasm. In form of hiking (foot march) passes through a settlement on the roadside, a motorcyclist stops to inquire about the procession.
,From what?(What is this?) he asks in Mewati accent. A man in the crowd immediately replies, “brotherhood is a journey(This is a brotherhood march). The motorcyclist nodded in agreement, “Brotherhood is a good thing; there should be brotherhood(Brotherhood is a good thing; brotherhood should be), before moving on rapidly.
carefully prepared itinerary of hiking A 10-day march was planned starting from the historic Shahpur Nangli village on November 27, where locals claim people were hanged in 1857 for participating in the First War of Independence. It passed through a dozen villages in Mewat, all of which had a history of sacrifices in the rebellion. Mewat RTI Forum Convener Rajuddin Meo, Media Coordinator hikingHe says the march will cover more than 200 villages of Nuh, covering a distance of 150 km.
The convoy continues its journey. As the procession passes through the dusty streets of Nuh, the atmosphere becomes charged with the sound of patriotic songs, chants and cheers.
As evening falls, the procession reaches Godhala village, stopping briefly at several villages on the way, where crowds welcome the marchers with open arms. As the sun begins to set, the convoy stops in the village and a large crowd gathers on the roadside. Mukesh Vashistha, media coordinator of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini, walks forward with a microphone in his hand and begins his opening remarks.
political color
With a charming smile he says, “Coincidentally I have fallen in love with Mewat,” (Incidentally I have fallen in love with Mewat), his words hit an instant chord with the audience. The crowd bursts into applause, and Vashishtha adds, his voice thick with emotion: “You might think I have come to ask for votes. But I have no such intention.”
He then brings in a reference to Raja Hasan Khan Mewati, the Muslim Rajput ruler of Mewat, to keep the audience engaged. “I am from Faridabad and have been coming to Mewat for the last few years on the orders of the Chief Minister. When I came here three years ago, I had the opportunity to attend a program on Raja Hasan Khan Mewati in a college. I had read about him. But I was surprised to see that a hero like Hasan Khan, who fought for his motherland against his own Muslim brother Babar, is not being discussed much in Mewat.”
A few minutes into his address – referring to Mewat’s culture, history of patriotism and tradition of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood – the speaker subtly changed track to talk about the backwardness of the region and seven decades of political “misgovernance”. As a teenage boy on the terrace showers rose petals on him, he says, “A Mewati is so gullible that if his MLA shakes hands with him he doesn’t wash hands for three days. You give so much respect to your political representatives. But what have you got in return all these years?”
Reiterating that he is not here for votes, Vashishtha stressed that he has undertaken the 180-km walk with his friends to wake up the people of Mewat. “I just want to make you think. You voted them into power for 70 years, but they ruined the future of your children. Despite having five education ministers from Mewat, it is still waiting for a university. Their children are studying abroad, but there is no place for your children to study there,” some people in the crowd insisted, agreeing.
hope for mewatis
52-year-old Nasir Qureshi is standing amidst the crowd near Hajipur Gohta village with a garland in his hand and is eagerly waiting. hikingHe’s not quite sure what to expect, but he knows his community’s demands will be put forward to Chief Minister Nayab Saini at a rally during the closing ceremony, hiking,These people will put our point before the CM. Children should get good education. Youth should get employment. this is what we want” Qureshi says, expressing the community’s hopes for quality education and employment opportunities for its children and youth.
Junaid, 32, standing next to him, explains what its purpose is. hiking The aim is to awaken the youth and erase the stigma of communal violence that rocked the region two years ago. Retired headmaster Rafiq Ahmed Alvi also echoed the sentiment, alleging that the violence was designed to tarnish the reputation of Mewat and isolate it from the mainstream while keeping it backward.
People participating in the 10-day Vande Sardar Ekta Yatra in Nuh. , Photo courtesy: Sushil Kumar Verma
Mustaqeem, a local youth, expresses local sentiments, saying that people had joined hiking with hope. He recalls instances where Vashishtha assured the community of government assistance: upgrading a high school in Tirawara village to senior secondary level, and promising a sports stadium in another village. “For the local people, he is the representative of the government,” says Mustaqeem, “and they hope that their demands put forward to them will be met.”
Recalls Meo’s early struggles hiking: “We started with about 150 people on the first day, but by the end of the day only a little over 40 people were left. On the third day, when we marched towards the villages in the Aravali foothills, starting from Malabh, only a little over 20 people joined us.” “There have been ups and downs in our lives, but as more and more people are learning about the Padayatra and its purpose, the numbers have increased,” he says with a laugh.
for the organizing committee hiking It is being led by Zafaruddin Bhagoria, who had written a letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Nuh on November 17, demanding necessary administrative support and arrangements for the smooth conduct of the program. Deputy Commissioner appointed Nuh City Magistrate as nodal officer for overall coordination of all activities related to this. hiking,
women’s participation
Local youth icon, 25-year-old Supreme Court lawyer Anjum Aslam is proud to be a part of hikingShe highlighted the important participation of women in the march, “Women in Nuh usually stay away from social and political events, but they have come in large numbers to be part of this procession,” says Aslam, her face beaming with pride,
She recalls a gathering three days earlier, attended by more than a thousand women, showering flowers on the marchers, preparing food, taking photographs and giving interviews to the media. “Awareness among women about their rights and education is increasing and it is wonderful to see,” says Aslam, secretary of the organizing committee, Vande Sardar Ekta Yojana Samiti.
understanding the importance of hikingSabila Jung, another female participant, says that even today Mewat lacks infrastructure: no university, no railway line, no canal water. Additionally, there are long-pending demands, such as extending the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway to Nuh near Marora and upgrading Nagina to a sub-division, she says. hiking It has become a medium to bring these fundamental issues into discussion.
‘A social initiative’
in the afternoon, hiking Stop outside the village for lunch arranged by the Panchayat. While talking to the media, Vashishtha emphasized that hiking Is a social initiative and is completely apolitical.
“A group of youth met me saying that there is a story that portrays Mewat negatively, saying that people here do not sing Vande Mataram, wave the tricolor, or sing the national anthem,” says Vashishtha, gesturing towards the young men and women around him, all members of the committee that is organizing the event. hiking,
He told that he asked the youth to fill the Google form, on which he got 287 responses. He says, “We did not seek cooperation from the police. The administration had offered, but we did not want to keep it under the shadow of the police.” They claim that all arrangements for food, accommodation and night stay are made by the village or social workers.
Vashishtha clearly denies this hiking This is BJP’s agenda. He says its aim is to break myths and promote the cultural and historical heritage of Mewat. He said, “Many industrialists, including KK Gandhi, president of Gurgaon Industrial Association, have also been a part of this yatra. This will help in changing the image of this region and will also attract investment. Everyone is welcome in this yatra, except those who support fundamentalism.” He told that the program started with the Sarva Dharma Sabha.
praise of BJP
Minutes into the conversation, Mukesh blamed the Congress and previous political parties for neglecting the sector, crediting the BJP government for promoting education and opening colleges. Vashishtha says, “During his 10-year tenure as chief minister, Manohar Lal opened ITIs (industrial training institutes), but there are no jobs because there is no industry there. Those who ruled for 70 years never thought about it. There were no colleges offering post-graduation courses before some institutes started it during the Manohar Lal government.”
He says that the people of the area were treated like “political slaves” during previous governments.
Addressing the street meeting, Vashishtha appealed to the crowd to vote for the party and candidate who gives them colleges and universities and talks about the industry. He said, “Don’t sell your votes for laddus. Worry about the future of your children.”
saffron agenda
hikingLocals have expressed skepticism about its “social” label. “This is a saffron political agenda wrapped in a social message,” says Imran Khan, a shopkeeper in Pinangwan village. He points out that the inclusion of images of Vande Mataram and Sardar Patel is a clear nod to the ideologies of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the BJP, while the reference to Raja Hasan Khan Mewati is a deliberate move to win over the local Meo Muslims and promote them. hikingReliability of.
Aas Mohammed, the only Muslim member of the Haryana Gau Seva Aayog and former block level president of the BJP, says the yatra initially faced opposition in some areas and locals threatened to pelt stones and not allow it to enter the villages, but the situation was brought under control.
took a walk The organizers had announced the participation of big names including Union Minister Manohar Lal and Chief Minister Nayab Saini, but both failed to attend the event, leading to speculation about the event’s lukewarm reception. Some suggest that organizers deliberately avoided any high-profile attendees to downplay the political significance of the event.
Nuh, one of the 112 aspirational districts identified by NITI Aayog, remains Haryana’s most backward district – struggling with education, health, financial inclusion, agriculture and infrastructure. The district has over 90% Meo Muslim population and has been a Congress stronghold, with the party winning three assembly constituencies in the 2024 elections. Meo Muslims also hold the keys to Sohna and Hatin assembly constituencies in Gurugram and Palwal districts.
The BJP’s efforts to breach this stronghold have failed, with only a handful of high-profile defections, including Zakir Hussain, Naseem Ahmed and Aizaz Ahmed, joining the saffron camp. The history of lynching and communal violence has not helped the BJP’s cause in the region.
ashok.kumar@thehindu.co.in
