Save cow mission: Khan on a walk from Leh to Kanyakumari
VARANASI: Walking for last 129 days Mohammad Faiz Khan is on a mission to save cows by spreading awareness about its importance for agriculture, environment and health of human beings. Politicization of cow pains him and he appeals to the politicians not to do so.
Khan started from Leh on June 24 and arrived in Kashi on October 28. He walked through lanes and streets of Kashi, called on locals, social activists, and delivered lecture on importance of cows and how it plays crucial role in environmental conservation.
His ‘Gau Seva Sadbhavna Yatra’, sponsored by ‘gau sevaks’, is divided into two phases. In the first phase he will cover Leh to Kanyakumari in 300 days and in second from Kanyakumari to Amritsar in next 300 days. The total yatra is of 600 days.
Talking about the goodness of cow milk, Khan said, “Cow milk keeps many diseases away. It is no less than a panacea,” Khan said.
“Conservation of rivers, trees and cows are interconnected. If rivers are there, trees and grass will get sufficient water and grow well and cows will get sufficient food,” he added.
So far, Khan walked over 2000 km, passing through Manali, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Haridwar, Bijnore, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Sitapur, Lucknow, Barabanki, Faizabad and Varanasi.
Khan will leave for Chandauli on November 1 morning. At the onset of yatra, he collected water from Sindhu River in Leh and also from all the major rivers such as Ganga Yamuna, Saryu, Ghaghra to offer it in Rameshwaram and proceed towards Kanyakumari.
Khan is accompanied by Pt Kailash Vats and Rupesh Vats. After 500 kilometre of his walk, he was joined by SM Habibullah, a native of Kolkata. Afzal Khan, Merajuddin and Harishankar Bharati also joined his yatra.
“On way, people offer us food and make arrangements for our lodging. They appreciate our mission,” Khan said adding that he also faced opposition in some areas but no opposition can deter me from my mission,” he said.
According to him, Cow is a symbol of sadbhavana, samriddhi and shanti (goodwill, prosperity and peace), so one must not politicize it. “It will take around 180 days more to reach Kanyakumari. During the period, I will cover Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal.”