The Proud Indians, a small group of youngsters from varied backgrounds, reached the city on Tuesday on their endeavour to walk from Kanyakumari to New Delhi to inspire people to work towards a corruption free India.
“The walk is christened ‘Honest Steps' and our aim is to inspire citizens to be honest at a personal level and strive for a country free of corruption,” said Abdul Mujeeb Khan, the team leader. The walk began at Vivekananda rock in Kanyakumari and will end at Rajghat. The idea is to emulate the lives of great leaders and strive for a correction at a personal level. Most people under the garb of practicality encourage corruption in day to day life, they lamented.
“Let's change ourselves first, and then demand for a stronger Lokpal,” they said. Jawed Ali, who owns an Ad agency, joined the team with a view that it would be an adventurous trip. But, as the days passed, he got engrossed in the cause beyond his comprehension. “The walk is an eye opener for me. I have realised that the problems faced by me stand nowhere when compared to the common man's,” he said. Needless to say, that the sufferings of common man were a result of corruption percolated down to grassroots, adds Vivek Reddy, a soft skill trainer. The fruit of welfare schemes were not reaching the needy. In fact, none of them were aware of most of the schemes. Huge funds were being gobbled, he added.
The team members worked in timber depots etc. to eke out their livelihood and understand the life of a commoner. Their earnings were just Rs.100 per day. During the walk, we understood that Montek Singh Ahluwalia's Rs.32 per capita poverty line was baseless.
For a square meal not less than Rs.72 was required per head. What about other needs like education and health? This means, entire family would have to content themselves with a meagre Rs.100 to Rs.150, they added.
Keywords: Anti-corruption crusade, March, Anna Hazare
