MARGAO
From Kanyakumari to Amritsar, this Brit is on the move. Embarking on a ‘Padayatra' to raise awareness about organic / sustainable agriculture, David -- a native of England, will traverse a distance of 6,000 kms to cover the entire leg of the journey.
"From everywhere along the route, I will take stories about agriculture, stories told by farmers, especially regarding solutions for creating their own market, etc," he mentions.
For David, the Padayatra is not a new occurrence. He claims to have walked 4,000 kms across four different countries. "I sleep anywhere. I lead a nomadic life," he says, while making it a point to stress on the Indian tradition of ‘Padayatras' undertaken by various national icons during the course of freedom struggle in India. Although David has been to India four times, this ‘Padayatra' is definitely his first such venture in this country.
So, David walks. Covering Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, he entered Goa on September 13. "I was in Tamil Nadu for two days, a month in Kerala and another month in Karnataka," he informs. He plans to spend a week in Goa before embarking on the further leg of his journey in Maharashtra.
David embarked on the ‘Padayatra' on July 15, 2017 and plans to touch the finish line at Amritsar next year, May 2018. "People show me the way. I do not have any local guide in any State," he states.
All along the way, he claims to be sharing "experiences" he gathered from farmers in different States in this country. "I don't belong to any country," he adds. Nor does he have any specific profession. "I am a nomad," he tells, while stressing on a slew of things he is capable of accomplishing, particularly photography.
Along with David, Jasvir Singh and Bahadur Singh -- from Punjab -- are also accompanying him. "I met David in Malaysia. This is my first Padayatra. I have been to nine countries and undertake social work. This is my first opportunity to see the entire country," Jasvir signs off.
