Peace.

 India today projects an image of a
fast-growing economy and an efficient
democracy sustained by its
robust institutions of governance
and judiciary. Look closer and
you will find it’s only a façade — a
deceptive calm concealing a growing
uneasiness that threatens to
polarise our society. The country’s
much-celebrated plurality faces an
imminent danger, and global threats
of terrorism like the Isis and related
violence are at our doorsteps.
The objective of the Walk of Hope,
which I am leading, is to restore
the togetherness that was once our
strength. Syncretic in approach, the
padayatra covers 7,500 km in 500
days, carrying a message of peace
and harmony.
Flagged off from Kanyakumari
on January 12, we have seen it grow
from an idea to a people’s movement.
Most often, communities are misled
by sectarian agendas that highlight
their differences and create rifts for
dubious purposes. But the Walk has
helped us realise that people everywhere,
without exception, want
peace and harmony.
We must understand that inspiring
acceptance, reconciliation and
respect for diversity in each individual
is not just the responsibility
of the political class. Each one of
us is a partner in this quest; it is
our collective responsibility to raise
awareness towards the great cause.
Privileged to draw upon India’s
longstanding spiritual legacy and
welcoming tradition, the Walk is
bringing citizens together in its
concept of Manav Ekta — the oneness of humanity

From:- HT