Academic turned political activist Yogendra Yadav has decided to opt for a "two year" leave from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM). Prof. Yadav, who plays a key role in charting the activities of the SKM, will soon join the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress president Rahul Gandhi. He has taken permission from the SKM general body, held here on Sunday, to go on leave.
Talking to The Hindu, Prof. Yadav said that for the next two years, he will be completely involved in an effort to create a bridge between political parties and people's movements, farmers' and workers' movements, and anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) movements. He said he would coordinate not just with the Congress but all political parties that offer genuine resistance. "Right now the challenge is to save the country and the Constitution," he added.
He said his attempt has been to try and connect the struggles, such as the farmers' protests against the three farm laws, to the larger struggles of the country. "For the next two years, I have decided to spend my full energy in building the bridge between the people's movements and political parties that are formally committed to defending the constitutional democracy. Given my involvement in this effort, I would not simply have the time to focus on the work in the SKM and it may not be fair because as I am building this bridge, I may not be able to exclusively represent only one of the movements," Prof. Yadav said.
