Veteran Sangh Pracharak Shri Sitaram Kedilaya on 15000 km walk to wake up villages
Mapping rural Bharat by foot
The mindset of depending upon government for everything is believed to be the biggest barrier in rural development today. Contrary to it, the villages, which abridged dependence on government agencies, have registered notable growth in different spheres. In order to awaken the villagers for self-development, 67-year old RSS Pracharak Shri Sitaram Kedilaya is on a 15,000 km long Bharat Parikarma Yatra since August 9, 2012. On March 9 he traversing around 6000 km distance was at Domet village of Dehradun in Uttarakhand. During this walkathon he mainly focuses on six points—love your village, love the mankind, conserve the water, help elders, promote village artisans and join hands for uplift of your respective village. Know Bharat, Be Bharat and make Bharat Vishwaguru is the tag line of this unique walkathon.
He is short in size but thinks high—normally beyond the box. He looks weak but has amazing vitality to face any challenge—more than any modern youth. At the age of 67, he walks to invigorate the villages. Everyday he walks 10 to 15 km from one village to other, educating villagers to join hands for development of their respective villages and dump the habit of always depending upon government for everything. Till March 9, 2014 he had completed 575 days of his journey traversing around 6000 km distance. The voyage will continue for more three and half years. During the whole expedition, which he calls Bharat Parikrama Yatra, he has no personnel belongings, takes single meal in the noon through bhiksha only and stays only in a village.
The stalwart is Shri Sitaram Kedilaya, RSS Pracharak for more than four decades and former Akhil Bharatiya Sewa Pramukh. Since the day he stepped out for this walkathon, some call him Sant Sitaramji or Babaji, while some call Bapuji, Mahatmaji, Maharajji or Swamiji. Though as a Sangh Pracharak he is no less than a saint. Wherever he goes people bow before him with respect and salute his conviction of mapping rural Bharat for a great mission. “I am still a Sangh Pracharak. It doesn’t matter if somebody calls me a Sant or Maharaj,” he says. His discourse on village development impressed the people so much that in many states where he visited the people have formed permanent committees to continue the tasks he assigns. One should not wonder if this follow-up action in Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat and Punjab brings about a big change in the days to come.
Beginning on the anniversary of Quit India Movement (on August 9, 2012) from Kanyakumari, the Yatra daily begins with thegoupooja unfailingly in the village Sitaramji happens to be in. At 6.30 am the Yatra begins with a walk for the next village. Visiting the nearest temple and offering prayers is always part of the Yatra. After entering a village, he takes rest for a few minutes, following which he plants a tree in the temple premises or in its proximity. Lunch is a moderate affair, which is always at a villager’s home, irrespective of caste, creed, language, colour or way of worship.
Then he goes for ‘Gram Sampark’, where he interacts with select individuals, mostly the school teachers, Gram Vaidyas, village heads, traditional artisans, differently abled, etc. This is followed by a mass gathering known as Gram Sankeertan, where he addresses the villagers on development issues—protection of land, cows, individuals, families, conservation of trees, biodiversity, water, preservation of native village culture, rural employment and rural medicines available in kitchen or the vicinity.
“All these help create a bond of great depth with the people, which ultimately help the villagers realise that the villages are a single encompassing family. However, this feeling has taken a back seat now, which has led to emergence of a whole lot of problems everywhere. This has now escalated to national and international levels. The feeling of unity, along with creation of family bonds, if brought back to villages ensures restoration of harmony to a great extent. This can be instrumental in rekindling the concept of Vasudhaiva-kutumbakam,” explains Shri Kedilaya during a discussion at Sadhna Ashram of Dehradun on March 9, 2014, the 576th day of his Yatra.
When asked why he started the Yatra ‘alone’ at this ripe age, he replies, “What makes you feel that I am alone? I have the thoughts and ideas of as many as 121 crore people with me.” But he makes it clear the endavour is a follow-up action of the Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra conducted in 2009, which exhorted the nation for protection of villages, cow and the nature. Prominently the people and the organisations which joined hands with the Gou Gram Yatra are now managing the whole affairs in this Yatra.
Sharing the experience and the response he received in 576 days, he says: “Not a single incident of opposition was reported anywhere and people from all sections, communities willingly listened to us. It is the experience of pure love (shuddha satvik prem), which is still alive in our villages.”
When asked in which state the response has been as per his expectations he said: “Comparison is not good. Every state worked as per its capacity. If you want to know which states drew maximum benefit of this endvour I name Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat and Punjab, as they formed receptions committees in advance and after the Yatra they converted those committees into the teams to start follow up activities.”
To apprise the policymakers and political leaders of his experience Sitaramji writes a comprehensive letter to Chief Minister and Governor of the respect state after completing the Yatra explaining what he saw and what needs to be done. When asked how many Chief Ministers replied his letters he names only one —Maharashtra. He is very clear on certain aspects of village development. He wants to restore the ancient values of life in villages but he is certainly not opposed to any modern facility. He focuses on a blending of ancient and modernity.
During my decade long association with Sitaramji I have seen whatever task he takes up, he does not leave it without completion. He was mastermind of the Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra, which initiated a solid beginning of cow protection activities all over the country. Needless to say that this walkathon too will prove to be equally fruitful, generating a sense of self-development and change in mindset.
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The walkathon began on August 9, 2012 from Kanyakumari with the slogan ‘Know Bharat, Be Bharat and Make Bharat Vishwaguru
10 to 15 km walking every day, target to walk more than 15000 km in five years
States covered so far are Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Now taking rest at Sadhna Ashram, Dehradun, Uttarakhand since February 28
Takes only single meal a day and that too through bhiksha only
No possessions or belongings during the whole journey
Single point agenda to rejuvenate the villages strengthen the feeling of unity and family bonds among villagers
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