“… hum sauhard ki baat kartay huay yatra kar rahe hain, tab bhi hamaray dil main state ka darr hai. Yeh kitni bhyavah baat hai. Apnay hi desh main, apno kay beech, humay sahi kaam kartay huay bhi sirf iss baat par dushman karar diya ja sakta hai ki hum unki vichardhaara say ittefaq nahin rakhtay.. (We are talking out a march while talking of peace, even then the fear of the state fills our hearts. How dreadful is this. In our own country, amid our own, while doing the right thing, we can be declared enemies just because we do not agree with their ideology).”

These words written by a young journalist, Pradeepika Saraswat, on her Facebook page a week ago summarised how she and five of her associates, who began a peace march from Chauri Chaura near Gorakhpur to Rajghat in New Delhi, felt as they set out on their journey.

Even if you are six, you need permission to walk in UP

On Wednesday, the Citizens’ Satyagraha March was stopped by the Uttar Pradesh police in Ghazipur and the six activists were taken into custody. During the 10 days that they walked, the activists traversed a couple of hundred kilometres.

The sub divisional magistrate of Ghazipur (Sadar) told a publication that those participating in the march did not have permission for it. When it was asked what the need was for a permit when there were just six people in the march, the official said that since the activists had been arrested, further action would be taken upon investigation.

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But it was the experience of these six protesters along the way, captured in her Facebook posts by the budding journalist, which spoke volumes about how suffocated the youth have felt during times of such political division and hatred. Saraswat’s posts also show how the poor and the socially deprived continue to suffer as government schemes warm the pockets of the officials but elude most of them.

Chauri Chaura signified that there can be no occasion, justification for violence

The activists had deliberately chosen Chauri Chaura as their starting point. It was here that, during the course of the non-cooperation movement, some protesters had set a police station on fire on February 5, 1922, compelling Mahatma Gandhi to call off the stir. Before setting off on the long and arduous journey, the participants had stated that what they wanted to convey was that no matter how tyrant the enemy was, there could be no occasion or justification for violence.

On the first day of the march on February 2, Saraswat wrote – “Uttar Pradesh main paon, paon chaltay huay. Aglay kuchh dinon, ya mahinon, agar chalti rahi to iss yatra kay baaray main zaroor likhoongi (While walking on foot in Uttar Pradesh. Over the next few days, or months, if I would keep walking, I will keep posting about this journey)”.

Her subsequent posts provided a glimpse into this interesting journey.

The following day, she wrote how in the morning at 8 she saw some children going to school and others just roaming around.

‘For politicians there can be no journey just for peace’

Then as the group proceeded towards Nekwar village, Saraswat wrote about how a participant received a call from a political party. “Woh samajnay ko tayyar nahin hain ki koi yatra sirf sauhard kay liye kaisay ho sakti hai (They are not prepared to understand how a march can be take out for harmony alone),” she said.

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Referring to how that person pointed out that another ‘yatra’ with 100 vehicles was being taken out, Saraswat recorded, “hum dekhtay hain ki satta kendron kay ird-gird kay log sirf niji faiday aur khabar main bane rehnay kay baaray main soch rahe hain (we see that people who roam around centres of power do so only for selfish interests or to remain in news)”.

She also wrote in her post that the citizens’ march was not sponsored by any party, even though others thought so. Also, she recorded local folklore in her posts saying the country was full of such stories.

‘Governments now lack ethics and morality’

On February 4, her post noted how the group often discussed Gandhi along the way. She recorded: “One partner says our fight is much more difficult than Gandhi’s. His fight was against more ethical people. Whenever anything happened to Gandhi, people would corner the government. But now if people speak out against the government, it can do anything to them, because it lacks ethics and morality.”

That day she wrote about how the group almost sensed what would happen to them, “We can be caught and put in jail anything. The police will lodge a case of inciting mob violence against us, media would justify it, people will form an opinion on that and the judiciary would on the basis of that, while honouring people’s sentiments, pass its ruling.”

She also wrote that the police and Intelligence Bureau had been calling them from the first day of the march. “Our intention is not to create trouble, just to talk and move on. Going to jail would mean loss of time and energy. Some associates have just come out of prison.”

One of the participants, she said, wore a Tricolour around his back. “Tiranga sirf hathiyar nahin, kawach bhi ban jaata hai (The Tricolour is not only a weapon, it also becomes a shield.)”

Government schemes not reaching people

The following day, Saraswat recorded how the “Work of the governments was not reaching the people. People know governments are actually not there to work. They are corrupt, they just want power.”

Also read: The Reluctant Urban Indian’s Guide to Attending Nonviolent Protests

With pictures of ordinary people clicked by her on the way, Saraswat chronicled the pain and struggles of the masses.

Hope lives on in children

On February 9, she wrote about the group’s stay in a government college in Mau. She recalls how some of them spoke to a few school children. “Talking to these children, keeps the hope alive that to divide on caste-religion is also not that easy in this country.” She then summed up: “Samaj kay saath chalnay ki yeh yatra mere jaisay ekaljivi, ekal yatri kay liey aasaan to nahin, par sundar bahut hai (This journey with the society is not easy for an individual, lone person like me, but it indeed is beautiful)”.

In her last post on February 10, Saraswat wrote how the previous evening, intelligence and police personnel began moving around, clicking pictures and taking videos. “The state is so scared that it cannot stand a few people talking of peace and harmony. This ‘yatra’ is a school where while just walking we learn how a place becomes Kashmir”.