- Sputnik India, 1920
Kashmir News
Sputnik India special correspondent in Jammu & Kashmir is working 24/7 to provide an original & non-biased perception of events in the Kashmiri region.

'Homecoming': Rahul Gandhi Arrives in Jammu and Kashmir

© AP Photo / Altaf QadriRahul Gandhi, leader of India's opposition Congress party, centre in white T-shirt, walks with his supporters during a march, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022.
Rahul Gandhi, leader of India's opposition Congress party, centre in white T-shirt, walks with his supporters during a march, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022. - Sputnik India, 1920, 19.01.2023
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Family of Rahul great grandfather and India's first prime minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru, were part of the Pandit community of Kashmir.
Senior Congress Party politician Rahul Gandhi arrived in Jammu and Kashmir region on Thursday evening as part of his Bharat Jodo Yatra (Unite India rally), describing the visit to the region as a "homecoming."
Gandhi, who has marched on foot from Tamil Nadu state, plans to conclude his rally in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. He is currently in the Lakhanpur area of Jammu and plans to walk to the Kashmir valley next week.

"When I was coming here, I was thinking of my family living in J&K. My family had gone to Uttar Pradesh from Jammu and Kashmir. I am coming home and going to my ancestral place on foot."

Rahul Gandhi
Congress politician
The family of Gandhi's great grandfather Jawahar Lal Nehru, who was also India's first prime minister, were Kashmiri Pandits who traced their ancestry to the region.
Nehru's father Moti Lal was born in Uttar Pradesh and his mother in Lahore, which is presently located in Pakistan. The families are said to have migrated out of Kashmir in the 18th century.

"When a person goes to his roots he learns a lot about his people and the country. I have come here to learn and not dictate," Gandhi said.

In his speech, Gandhi also attempted to address some of the concerns by affirming that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are part of India.

"I know that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have suffered a lot. I have come here with my head bowed. I want to tell you that whatever your religion or caste is, no matter if you're poor or rich and how old you are, you are part of this country. I have said this across the country that in the market of hatred I have come to open the shop of love. There is love in my heart for all of you. For the next nine days I have come to share your pain and suffering," Gandhi said.

The region has witnessed a more than three-decade anti-India insurgency. Tensions were further exacerbated following the central government's decision to revoke the region's semi-autonomous status in 2019.
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