: A journey spanning 6,000 km, 18 months and stretching from one end of the country to the other, all of that on foot is set to begin this Monday. Spiritual leader Sri M will embark on ‘Walk of Hope’ by the Manav Ekta Mission, which aims at religious harmony, equality, environment-friendly living, women empowerment, community health, education and youth welfare.
Announcing the walk at a press conference here on Saturday, Sri M said anyone could join him at any point of the walk.
“I have been planning this walk for almost eight years, but it is only now that I have attained the resources to set out for this. People from all religions and even atheists are welcome to walk with me. The only request is that they should not carry any flag of their own. The walkers will carry one flag, which will have all the religious symbols. The message is not that religion is one, but that people are one, they can follow different religions and live together,” said Sri M. The Walk of Hope will be flagged off on January 12, the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, from the Gandhi Memorial Mandapam in Kanyakumari and will conclude in Srinagar.
The padayatra will cover 15-20 km a day and halt in the evening at a pre-determined village or town en route. The evening will be spent meeting the local people – which will include meaningful dialogues, inter-faith prayers, eating together and resting overnight at their homes. A diverse assembly of responsible citizens, who foresee a united and inclusive India for themselves and the future generations, will accompany Sri M in this walk.
Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University Vice Chancellor K. Jayakumar said it would be a unique journey, one that is the need of the current times.
