Yatra effect: Rahul Gandhi says he feels more patient now
Indore (PTI): Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has said he feels some changes in himself during the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra, including more patience and the ability to listen to others.
Gandhi arrived in Indore district of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday after covering a distance of more than 2,000 km as part of his ambitious foot march, a mass contact initiative which he started on September 7 from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
Asked about his most satisfying moment during the yatra, Gandhi told reporters on Monday, "There are many, but I instantly recall a few interesting ones, including that my patience has dramatically increased because of the yatra."
"Secondly, now I don't get irritated even for eight hours, if someone pushes or pulls me. It doesn't affect me, whereas earlier I used to get irritated even in two hours," he said.
"If you are walking in the yatra and experience pain, then you have to face it, you can't just give up," the former Congress president said.
He said thirdly, his ability to listen to others has also become better now.
"Like if someone comes to me, I listen more to him. I feel all these things are quite beneficial for me," he said.
Gandhi also said when he started the foot march, he felt a pain in his knees because of an old injury which was cured earlier.
There was a lot of discomfort because of it, he said, adding there was a fear whether he would be able to walk or not in such a condition.
"But, gradually I faced that fear as I had to walk, there was no question about it. Such moments are always good that something is disturbing you and you got adapt to it," he said.
Recalling an experience during the foot march in one of the southern states, Gandhi said when he got disturbed because of the pain as people kept pushing him, a little girl came and started walking in the yatra.
"She came to me and handed over a letter. She was probably six-seven years' old. When she left, I read the letter which said 'don't think you are walking alone, I am walking with you. I am unable to walk as my parents are not allowing me to do so, but I am walking with you'."
Gandhi appreciated the girl's gesture.
"Like this, I can share thousands of examples, but this came to my mind first," he added.
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Heavy rain, hailstorms lash parts of Uttarakhand; all districts put on high alert
Dehradun (PTI): Heavy rain and hailstorms accompanied by strong winds lashed several districts of Uttarakhand on Sunday morning, prompting the state administration to put all district authorities on high alert.
The sudden change in weather caused uprooted trees to block roads and disrupted power supply at various locations.
Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman chaired a review meeting with district officials to assess the situation.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rain and thunderstorms at most places across all districts for Monday and Tuesday. Snowfall is expected in regions situated at altitudes of 4,000 metres and above.
An 'orange alert' remains in place for Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar. These districts are likely to witness isolated heavy rain, hailstorms, and intense to very intense spells of rain accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph, the IMD said.
The weather office predicted that maximum temperatures across the state are likely to fall by 3-5 degrees Celsius over the next three to four days. During the past 24 hours, maximum temperatures remained "markedly below normal" in the plains and ranged from "markedly" to "appreciably" below normal in the hilly regions.
Dehradun experienced dark, overcast skies early Sunday, creating night-like conditions during morning hours. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 34.7 degrees Celsius, 5.3 degrees Celsius below the seasonal average.
For the state capital, the forecast predicts a partly to generally cloudy sky with a high of 31 degrees Celsius and a low of 19 degrees Celsius.
Significant rainfall was recorded across the state after 8.30 am on Sunday, with Jollygrant receiving 21.6 mm and Mohakampur recording 19.8 mm. Other areas, including Mukteshwar (15.0 mm), Mussoorie (13.4 mm), and Pithoragarh (8.5 mm), also saw measurable precipitation.
Secretary Suman directed officials to clear blocked roads on priority to ensure public convenience. Specific instructions were issued regarding the Char Dham Yatra, ordering that helicopter services must operate strictly according to weather conditions to ensure pilgrims' safety.
Isolated places in the remaining hilly districts are also expected to experience thunderstorms with lightning and intense rain spells.
