New Delhi, Aug 29 : Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took to social media to announce the launch of ‘Bharat Dojo Yatra’ and also shared a video from the past edition of Bharat Jodo Yatra, in which he could be seen performing martial arts with fellow “yatris”.
As the nation celebrates Sports Day, the Congress MP took to social media platform X and shared glimpses of him practising jiu-jitsu (self-defence martial art) every evening at a campsite, during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, held earlier this year. He also said, “Bharat Dojo Yatra is coming soon. Dojo broadly refers to a training hall or school for martial arts.” “During the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, as we journeyed across thousands of kilometres, we had a daily routine of practising jiu-jitsu every evening at our campsite,” he said, sharing a video of one of the martial arts sessions.
In the video, Rahul Gandhi could be seen practising sessions with children and also showcasing some techniques. “What began as a simple way to stay fit quickly evolved into a community activity, bringing together fellow yatris and young martial arts students from the towns where we stayed. Our goal was to introduce these young minds to the beauty of the ‘Gentle Art’ – a harmonious blend of meditation, jiu-jitsu, Aikido, and non-violent conflict resolution techniques,” he further stated. “We aimed to instil in them the value of transforming violence into gentleness, giving them the tools to build a more compassionate and safer society,” he added.
Rahul Gandhi further said that on National Sports Day, he wants to inspire the new generation to take up the practice of the ‘Gentle Art’. Notably, the Bharat Jodo Yatra was undertaken by Rahul Gandhi in two phases before the General Elections in 2024. The first padayatra took place from September 2022 to January 2023, covering Kanyakumari to Kashmir while the second edition commenced from Manipur and concluded in Mumbai.