To everyone that helped to organize the Salt March and to all the people who took part in hosting us, feeding and giving us a place to sleep, I would like to express my most heart felt gratitude for giving me this opportunity and experience. India is always full of such wonderful experiences, but to walk and meet with so many wonderful people and to have an opportunity to experience India in a way that is so special is something that I will hold deep in my spirit for the rest of my life.
This experience has allowed me to grow and has given me the strength to carry on with the work that is needed for us to create a more peaceful future through out the world. There is many different ways to create peace in the world, we need to find the way that we as individuals are fully dedicated to and then put all of our energy into it.
When we find our spiritual path, only then can we really inspire others to find their path.
The time I have spent on the Salt March and the strength that I have been given by the people here has helped me to understand my path, and this will help me in the future to hopefully inspire others.
I know that I will return to walk in India again and I pray that I will be able to walk with the many people that I have met here, and also others who will be drawn into this way of life.
While I am walking in other parts of the world, I know that the people I have met here will continue the work that they have been doing for so long and that the International people who joined the walk will go back to their homes and continue to do the work that they do to create peace.
Knowing this makes me stronger and to have so many strong hearted people in my life and memories is what will give me the strength to continue, so thank you again so so much for the inspiration and the spirit that everyone has shared with me.
Peace & Solidarity
Marcus Atkinson
When Morita Shonin first told us of his plans to retrace Gandhi's footsteps of the Salt March for the 75th anniversary I was immediately excited to participate. It is a great honor to be walking the same path that a great man, Mahatma Gandhi once walked. Having once been to India, I understood some of the cultural differences, challenges & diversity that we may face, however I have come with openness and understanding and give Morita Shonin and the communities full trust on their decisions as organizers. I fully support the people who have helped organize this important walk for all of us to be here in India and participate. The walk allows me to deepen my understanding of non violence, truth and spirituality whilst honoring Gandhi and those that continue each day to follow ahimsa, nonviolent life.
We have been generously welcomed on our first day with offerings of Bindis, and bouquets of flowers. Children lined the streets welcoming us into their villages, inviting us to stay for chai. The walks are always a surprise, and this is part of the magic that happens but nothing could prepare me for such a wonderful energetic welcoming of loud drums, excited children and adults waving and throwing flowers. I was completely overwhelmed by the colorful welcoming we received.
The generosity I have seen is incredible, giving me a great sense of such wonderful spirits here in India. No where else in the world would you see the magic we have received. The support of this first day, I am sure will give us the strength to carry our prayers & messages of peace through out this entire peace march.
The peace march is a strong commitment and example towards a future of peace & nonviolence. I give my greatest gratitude and thanks to all those involved as I am very fortunate to be here.
KA ( Kerrie Ann Garlick)
We passed through a couple of small villages, with warm greetings from the residents and people passing by, before detouring off the road and down a sandy track. I was surprised and confused when we arrived at a river, and excited when people started taking off tier shoes & I realized we were to cross! It was a wonderful sight to look back and see everyone wading through with their bags, flags drums or robes on their heads and very refreshing to cool off after the morning walk.
The second part of the crossing was more challenging, and many people were submerged to their chest height, but this was insignificant compared to the struggled faced ahead by the communities living along India’s rivers. As we crossed we talked about the Narmada River which has a proposal for a dam (to be dammed!) which would flood many of the communities living peacefully along the banks. I pondered this as we climbed the dune on the other side & passed through a small settlement. The business people making the decisions about such large scale projects would most likely ever come and meet the people who would be dislocated & affected by them. With each step I hoped for strength in the communities to stand together in Ahimsa, Gandhi’s way, if it became necessary to save their homes & families.
To our complete surprise we came across the Narmada River where we had to cross. This was a great sight, and I felt wonderful to feel the coolness of the running river. We dried off to quickly from our stagger through the river, and I was feeling the intensity of the midday sun by the time we arrived in Matar for lunch. I can not imagine the weather here in summer & felt very grateful that we were walking during these cooler months. Again we were fortunate for a cool and comfortable place to rest and an amazing feast for lunch.
The local organizers have obviously invested much time & energy to find good places for resting & arranging good food to fuel our walking bodies. After lunch I went downstairs intending to take an after eating digestion walk but instead was invited across the road to the rice processing factory where our lunch grains had come from! It was interesting to see the machinery in operation and definitely helped me further appreciate being fed so generously by the community. The manager also called his wife & asked her to walk to town to meet the yatri’s.
Unfortunately, we were not able to stay longer, but still exchanged many thank you’s and smiles as we walked out back into the afternoon heat.
Our next stop was at a Yoga Ashram (they provided snacks, water and of course chai!). A woman from the centre led a beautiful prayer our group chanted Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo and then again we were walking, after having been offered a quondong seed each. It is a great relief in the evening when the sun finally lowers and the heat drops to a more bearable walking temperature. I am always appreciative that we are supplied with drinking water along the way, when I know that women my age (26) in some countries are walking just as far each day purely to collect (potable) water for their families.
We arrived in Dethali after dark, and were swept along by a river of children who wanted to join the yatra through their village and meet the people walking to pay respect to Gandhi. We had a meeting in the village and were presented with a portrait of Gandhi inscribed with the village name. The local organizers had arranged for hot water for us to bathe and soak our 70km further traveled feet, which we gratefully undertook, along with another wonderful meal.
The spirit of Gandhi is still strong in Gujarat – I see it in the faces and actions of the people we have met and feel honoured to be here walking the Dandi Yatra path and hopefully helping keep the spirit of the Ahimsa struggle alive.
Natalie Wasley
12/27/05
Peacehq
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