Activist to lead walk for peace from New Delhi to Geneva

GENEVA: An Indian activist said Wednesday that he expects thousands of people to join his “March for Justice and Peace”, a 9,500-kilometre hike from New Delhi to Geneva next year.

Rajagopal PV told reporters in Geneva that he plans to begin his long trek from New Delhi next October 2 and should arrive in the Swiss city on September 25, 2020.

The departure date is the 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, which Rajagopal said “India is celebrating in a big way” against a backdrop of an intensification of conflicts around the world.

The 70-year-old engineer and advocate for the rights of landless peasants in India said the idea was to cross through Pakistan, Iran and Turkey on the way towards the Swiss “city of peace”.

The aim is to draw international attention to the links between a growing number of conflicts around the world and dwindling natural resources. Rajagopal acknowledged that there were many challenges ahead. He said there could be problems obtaining visas for the walkers to some of the countries in their path, and that they may choose to take a boat from Bombay to Greece, and continue their walk from there.

The man often dubbed the “New Gandhi” — a title he says he is uncomfortable with — said he hoped to get the Dalai Lama and former US president Barack Obama involved in his cause. From now until next October, he said he planned to travel around the world to seek support from organisations and cities. — AFP