The opposition's march to the Supreme Court Monday afternoon was not for the weak. It must have been a test of fortitude for the Gandhi siblings, Rahul and Priyanka, and the firebrand student leader Neha Bora, who marched arm-in-arm.
The trio led the foot march from the Barakhamba Road to the gates of the court, pushing and shoving through an unruly, motley crowd that kept pouring in from left, right, and behind.
Beyond the obvious, a show of unity, the trio had to stick together throughout the arduous march for another reason - to survive.
It wasn't just survival in the larger context of the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc in its fight against Narendra Modi’s BJP-led NDA government that has been in power since 2014, but of surviving that moment.
There can be no fight tomorrow without surviving today, and the footage of the trio's march showed the extent of the surrounding chaos that was scary and unsettling. The march had been livestreamed, possibly from a movable support frame, which Priyanka and Bora held on to, with Rahul closely behind.
The start of the march was relatively smooth, with the trio protected by CRPF commandos. Soon the crowd grew, and there was a commotion. Not every participant shared the common goal, which was to wade through the heightened security, reach the Supreme Court, and file the petition against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, whose resignation is the primary demand of the nationwide protests that have been raging on since October 2.
It was obvious that not everyone in the 'democratic walk' was a comrade or a fellow traveller. Some participants appeared more interested in getting close to the celebrity leaders, while a few attempted to take selfies as the march lumbered forward.
The trio had to literally fight their way forward. Priyanka repeatedly demanded a respectable space as the boundaries around her shrank, sometimes to the point of suffocation. Her brother pushed back against those who encroached on the space around him and his fellow marchers. He elbowed one and shoved another who caused trouble.
Bora could hold her own in the melee. The leader of the leftist AISA (All India Students' Association) is already a hardened street fighter. In recent weeks, she was forcibly detained and dragged by her limbs for protesting on the streets. Her stares appeared to deter some men, while some got stern warnings.
For the opposition, keeping Neha Bora in the forefront with Rahul and Priyanka was meant to reflect a show of unity. But for the trio, the march itself must have been a struggle for individual space and personal safety.
Compiled by Arun George
