Gandhi invoked Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of Satyagraha while explaining the idea behind the initiative. “Bapu taught us this — truth is the greatest weapon. But an even greater weapon is standing together with truth,” he said.
He urged people fighting what they consider injustice to submit their accounts and said he would seek to take up the issues through different avenues. “You will see who else is fighting like you are. And I will do what I can — in Parliament, on the streets, by writing letters, wherever I am needed, standing with you — as Leader of the Opposition, this is my responsibility,” Gandhi said.
The initiative comes as Gandhi has increasingly sought to engage with protest movements and groups raising grievances across the country, including his ongoing series of interactions with students under the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme, with education, recruitment and representation among the issues raised. He has also recently backed student-led protests over women’s safety and met tribal families in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district following the deaths of children in a tribal community.
The launch also comes amid a series of Opposition-led protests over the Election Commission’s functioning and alleged irregularities in electoral rolls. Gandhi and other Opposition leaders have been demanding accountability from chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The initiative also attempts to connect otherwise dispersed campaigns by giving participants a way to identify others confronting similar issues. Gandhi has positioned his own role as that of a representative who can carry selected grievances into Parliament, public campaigns and written interventions.
