Mon Apr 04, 2005
Navsari to Karadi
9 miles or 14 kms.
"Slow and steady 'win' the race," the sign held by the schoolgirl read as we walked out of Navsari this morning. This was a good message to remember as Allison from Australia, the 82-year-old woman who has walked the entire way from Ahmedabad is trying to recover from a bad cough. She'll finish strong, I'm sure, but still I pass the young girl's message on to her. Today we'll complete 9 miles, tomorrow the final 4 miles to Dandi. As we leave Navsari one street reminds me of Cuba -- the colors, windows, plants. People are everywhere giving us a rousing sendoff. Then the surprise. We walk for only an hour and we're at our rest area of Vijalpur for the day. We'll be here until 4 PM when we walk the 12 kilometers (about 7 miles) to Karadi. The reason we've stopped so quickly is that, as always, we're following Gandhi's original path. During Gandhi's 1930 march, Vijalpur was a quiet village. Now it's a suburb of Navsari. So that's why it feels that we're not even out-of-town yet.
Thomas Weber's "On the Salt March" entry for April 4 reads: "Gandhi now had to think of the realities of Dandi. In the press he had warned visitors to Dandi of the difficulties that will await them there. Dandi, a small village, had very little spare accommodations. No regular motor service plied the sixteen kilometers of bad roads between Navsari and Dandi. Water was also scarce ('we shall have to use water as if it were milk'). Those desiring to visit Dandi are warned that they will have to provide themselves with all necessities, including water. Those who have the success of the movement at heart will be well advised to forego the pleasure of a visit to Dandi. Spectators and sightseers will please, therefore, watch the battle
from a distance," Gandhi said.
In addition in 1930, Gandhi said that Dandi had been "selected by Sardar Patel as the site of the initial violation of the salt tax after much consideration because of the quantities of natural salt present. People had merely to go and pick it up. A further reason for the choice of Dandi was because the salt monopoly was more strictly enforced there than anywherre else in Gujarat. Gandhi told his audience that if they were already picking up salt secretly, they should now do it openly and face the consequences."It was a courageous stand that Gandhi and his followers took in 1930. Gandhi announced that he had learned that the British Government intended to use fire engines to stop them, but he said "we have prepared ourselves for death from cannons and guns, compared to which this is nothing. We must bear in mind that not one of us will retreat. I do not think the Government will be so cruel, but we must be prepared."
When we reach Dandi tomorrow we've been told to prepare for a crowd of over 300,000. A symbolic picking up of salt will take place on April 6th. As she did in Ahmedabad, Sonia Gandhi will join us. Also there will be a prayer meeting. Sometime also the Prime Minister will be present. As we approach the end of our journey, many are us are continuing to renew our lives to peace, justice, and freedom. As the slogan of the World Social Forum, "Another World Is Possible."
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Sun Apr 03, 2005
Vanz to Navsari
13 miles or 21 kms.
"Listen, the trees are singing," said Kanaka, as we walked the quiet dirt path from the village of Chokhad to our midday rest at the village of Dhaman. Of course, the singing trees were the songs of young girls preparing their greetings for us. Earlier this morning we crossed the Mindola River where the district of Navsari begins. It was an amazing crossing. We had such wonderful greetings on each side of the river as we crossed from Kapletha to Chokhad.
In "On the Salt March" Thomas Weber writes: "Kaphleta was a Muslim majority village where the Hindus and Muslims worked together to construct a bridge over the river behind their village so that the marchers could cross. In gratitude Gandhi allegedly promised them a bridge when Swaraj (Independence) was attained." The bridge we walked over today was made over seven boats -- a truly creative creation. When Gandhi crossed over in 1930 an ingenious solution was found. " Both Muslim and Hindu farmers drove their bullock-carts to the river, unhitched the animals and pushed the carts into the water, end to end, to form a makeshift bridge."
At our rest stop in Dhaman, I discovered that "it's a Hindu Patidar bhakti village (followers of the 15th century mystic Kabir) set among Muslim or Muslim majority villages. It was also the only ex-Gaekwad (belonging to the Baroda princely state) village along the route. " Gaekwar of Baroda was not only a progressive, building the most socially advanced state in India, but
he also walked a clever political tightrope between the opposing sides of the struggle." Dhaman is very proud of its Gandhian heritage. We heard stories of Gandhi's stay here and there are several memorials to him. As we read and write during our break in a Dhaman school, I remember that by tonight as we camp in Navsari, we will only have 13 miles left of our walk to Dandi. Our countdown has truly begun. As we approach Navsari we walk over the River Purna on an interesting concrete bridge. At one time the river must have been extremely wide, but it now runs a narrow path under part of the bridge. We pass the Hindu cremation center and the Parsi tower of silence into Navsari. We've been told that Navsari is known as the orchard of Gujarat and as we walk through the market we see a large variety of fruits and vegetables. I see one woman selling bananas and put down 10 rupees (42 make a US dollar) and she bags up nine for me. I walk into camp, sharing bananas as I go.
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Sat Apr 02, 2005
Surat to Vanz
12 miles or 19 kms.
Just as remarkable as our entry into Surat was our exit. Another hour and a half of bands, chanting, and flowers. The population of Surat is about 3 million. A big city to walk through. The first part of the morning saw us winding through amazing streets with generous, smiling, greeting people. The architecture was unusual and very interesting. The only thing we avoided
were the firecrackers that continued to be set off in the center of town. At our rest stop in the village of Dindoli, I actually rested for awhile. Gandhi's rest stops were busy. He was either spinning khadi (the handspun cotton cloth that Gandhi wanted everyone to wear), making speeches, taking care of correspondence, writing speeches or newspaper articles, or having an audience with visitors.
In 1970 I discovered 79 students of the Gujarat Vidyapith walked the route of the Salt March to Dandi. It was part of Gandhi's birth centenary celebration. I haven't found any other record of their walk. Our walk this afternoon was a wonderful, small, well-kept asphalt road. I walked with a 24-year-old filmmaker from Mumbai. We talked for hours about our love of foreign films, particularly Iranian and Chinese work. The time flew by. He told me about his film that just won a prize in a festival in Goa. The theme of the festival was nature and nonviolence. His film was about Hindus and Muslims. He reepresented each with a color of nature. The requirements of the festival were to complete shooting and editing of the film in 24-hours. The film had to be under 24 minutes. His was 16 minutes.
The road for our walk was amazing with people working and carrying on their daily work and chores. We were at the camp before I knew it.
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Fri Apr 01, 2005
Delad to Surat
11 miles or 18 kms.
My friend Jennifer Nelson from Seattle has arrived to finish the march with us. Jennifer and I were on a Global Exchange tour to India together in 2003. My daughter, Erin, went also. It was her first trip outside the U.S. Our tour leader was the wonderful Arun Gandhi, founder of the Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence in Memphis, Tennessee. Arun is also Mahatma Gandhi's grandson and Tushar Gandhi's father. On our tour with Arun we traveled to places in India where his grandfather lived and worked. We also went to many villages that are carrying on Gandhi's ideas of self-sufficiency. In the villages we visited many women's organizations. As we know, when the lives of women and girls are improved, the whole community benefits.
At our rest stop in Chaprabhata we spent more time with Sudha Patel, a remarkable young women from the state of Gujarat. Sudha was born blind and holds the distinction of being the youngest person elected to public office in India. She's also a teacher and a disability rights activist. Several years ago Sudha traveled to ten states in the United States when she was honored by the International Lions Club as one of the outstanding women in the world. On our breaks she's been teaching us Braille. In every district people recognize and honor her. She's walking with us to Dandi. and we take turns being her guide on the roads. On our rest break today, a TV producer interviewed her for a special program.
Tonight we'll be in the big city of Surat. It's very commercial and famous for its textiles and diamond cutting. Although India doesn't produce many diamonds (I think there's only one diamond in the entire country) the Surat craftmanship is so exceptional that diamonds are shipped here from Africa to be cut. Sugar cane is the area's main crop. Surat was once the filthiest city in India, but seven years ago a progressive city administrator cleaned it up. We've been told that Surat is also home to many immigrants. This area is richer than many others, but still many of the young people have left the villages for the United States, Australia, and England. At Surat Linda and I will have walked 204 miles. It's really happened. Today is our 21st day on the road. Amazing and such a privilege.
"Bono wants to meet us today at 1 PM on the Internet bus," was the message spread through our group this morning. At first we were excited, and, then, one by one, we remembered it's April 1st.
Today was an exciting walk across the Tapti River, and, as always, on our break women opened up their homes to us for rest and chai (hot tea with sugar and boiled milk). After clothes washing and eating we again met with a group of remarkable women from Chaprabhata. It's still the small village that it was in Gandhi's day, because many of its inhabitants have resettled in other areas as a result of floods. The house where Gandhi stayed, though, has been demolished.
As we enter Surat we cross the Tapti River on a metal footpath by the side of a railway bridge. It's narrow so we walk single or double file across. We're way up in the air. Down below we see fishermen in boats. It's big fun. Because of the crowds, it takes us about half an hour from entry to exit. We look at the immense crowds that await us. The biggest since we left Ahmedabad. The numbers are so huge that it becomes difficult for us to stay together. We actually walk through crowds of cheering people for about an hour and a half before reaching our evening camp at Saurashtra Patidar Seva Trust Hall.
For Gandhi, the Surat audience was also his largest during the Salt march from Ahmedabad to Dandi. Many believed that Gandhi would be arrested in Surat. As we walk through Surat, we are stopped to have flower petals thrown on us. Many people, particularly kids, want autographs and hand shakes. At times the enormous crowds halt us. But the enthusiasm is so contagious that the time speeds by. A few times the heat and humidity make me wonder how people can stand here waiting, sometimes 3 hours, for us. Just as darkness comes we find our campsite for the evening. Tent #20 looks great.
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Thu Mar 31, 2005
Rest day at Delad
The rest days for Gandhi were a day of silence, but for us it's not practical. Many people always want to talk with us, kids want our autograph and to hear a few words of English, and the media are at every stop wanting to know our opinions of India and why we are on the Salt March.
On Gandhi's 1930 march many of his companions became sick. One even contracted smallpox. Gandhi said: "Our march is in reality child's play. Less than 12 miles per day in two stages with not much luggage should cause no strain" -- however, he noted that "The modern generation is delicate, weak and much pampered," and in order to take part in national work they had to become hardy through exercise, and walking is "justly called the prince of exercises." In "On the Salt March" Thomas Weber writes that as April 6th approached, Gandhi laid down the rules: "perfect nonviolence had to be observed, and, as the action was to be spontaneous, workers had to guide the masses until, in later stages, the masses were ready to regulate themselves." Where violence did erupt, Gandhi expected them, if necessary, to die in the attempt to quell it in a nonviolent way. This was not new news to the marchers. When they left the Ashram on March 12 in Ahmedabad, they believed they might be marching to their deaths. This reminds me so much of the brave freedom fighters of the Civil Rights Movement in the American South.
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Wed Mar 30, 2005
Bhat Gam to Delad
10 miles or 16 kms.
At one time or another it seems like everyone in our group has had blisters, diarrhea, or a stomach virus. Many have had to go to a hospital for short periods of time. So far I've walked all the way. Today was my big test, because, in addition to a stomach bug (from either heat or something I ate or drank) that developed in the night, yesterday I stepped in a hole and my ankle is swollen. But with the wonders of an elastic bandage and some medicine, I'm still walking. Fortunately, tomorrow is our day of rest. At our break I lie down and try to sleep. Then I manage to walk into our camp in the afternoon. I just keep thinking, tomorrow I can rest, tomorrow I can rest, tomorrow I can rest. By evening I'm better and glad that I didn't give in to the offers of a ride in the ambulance or on a camel cart. The day was a blur, but I'm on the mend.
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Tue Mar 29, 2005
Umrachi to Bhatgam
10 miles or 16 kms.
The Indian writer Salman Rusdie said: "Sometimes legends make reality and become more useful than the facts. . . . Memory creates its own reality." Being here in India and actually walking the path that Gandhi took makes such a difference. Nothing that I could read would be so good. Along the way I am creating my own reality.
Today on our break in the village of Erthan, I learned how to wash clothes on an outside marble-like stone. My guide, a wonderful Indian woman named Vishalakshi (which means woman with big eyes) taught me the scrubbing rhythm to get my clothes really clean. Her best friend, Sudha (means eternal life), is a retired banker who now volunteers with an organization that assists women and girls. They are both remarkable women who are carrying on Gandhi's principles. Sudha, Vishalakshi, Linda, and I are making plans for a trekking trip together. Sudha and Vishalakshis have been so generous and kind to us that we will truly miss them when we leave the Salt March.
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Mon Mar 28, 2005
Mangrol to Umrachi
10 miles or 16 kms.
Gandhi called village India the "real India." We're still walking on those wonderful dirt roads through cotton growing and animals grazing. There isn't much irrigation in this area, and the roads are unsurfaced, dusty, and hot. Along the way we continue to receive those wonderful greetings that include drumming, roses, water, and girls in traditional dress with coconuts in pots on their heads. In our midday rest village of Rayma, we stay on the same property Gandhi had. It is the family home of Nathubhai Kashiram. His son lives there now with his family. Nathubhai Ksasiram was a prominent Congress Party worker who was willing to sacrifice all for the cause of freedom for India. He was honored for his efforts by having Gandhi stay at his house. The relatives are wonderful and we spend hours chatting with them. The children giggle and we take pictures of each other. The grandson tells us the story of how his grandfather, Nathubhai Kashiram, was beaten over 80 times during a freedom demonstration. In order not to fall, he held on to a lamppost. Eventually, the British arrested him. Later in the
afternoon we cross the River Kim into the Surat district. Because the water is chest-deep we climb into boats. Gandhi walked across on a bridge constructed for his crossing, but it's long gone. It was a low bridge, "almost level with the water," made from lashed together bamboo poles. After crossing we walk another kilometer and are at our camp area for the evening.
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Sun Mar 27, 2005
Ankleshwas to Mangrol
12 miles or 19 kms.
At each stop in 1930, Gandhi talked about the British Salt Tax which made it illegal for Indians to sell or produce salt. This allowed a complete British monopoly. The Salt Tax made it a crime for workers to freely collect their own salt from the coast of India. It made Indians buy salt they couldn't afford. Gandhi said: "The Salt Tax affects all, Hindus and Muslims, rich and poor alike." He called for a wide response of perfect nonviolence. Gandhi felt that taxes on luxury items, such as liquor and cigarettes, was acceptable, but a tax on a commodity, such as salt that was needed by the poorest of the poor, was inhuman. Gandhi wanted to "make the injustice visible." As he walked Gandhi reminded villagers that as they all ate salt, they should also make it and that "the power to remove the British government from India will drop into our hands when we do away with the evils of foreign cloth and liquor." I read recently that salt is the only substance of mineral origin consumed by humans, and it is necessary in everyone's diet. As we walk today, I'm thinking about salt and the significance of Gandhi's Salt March. Independence for India did not come for seventeen years after the Salt March, but his yatra (walking pilgrimage) brought world attention to Gandhi and his nonviolent movement to free India. I read recently that this is the way to make salt. Take a bucket of salt water, boil away the water and what is left in the bucket is salt. It can be scraped out of the bucket. This is the simple process that the British controlled. Although our salt walk is a symbol, many of us feel it will/can change our lives. I look to this walk as a spiritual renewal and re-commitment to the principles I hold true of peace, justice and freedom.
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Sat Mar 26, 2005
Derol to Ankleshwar
13 miles or 21 kms.
Today is the part of the Holi festival where colors are thrown on each other to symbolize decorating self and others with the divine colors of universal peace, love, purity, amity, and a celebration of sisterhood and brotherhood. It is also the day we'll cross the Narmada River by boat. We're walking to Bharuch (the old part of town is called Broach). It was at Broach in 1930 that Gandhi addressed Hindu-Muslim unity. He told the people that "Swaraj" (Independence for India) could only be won with the help of all -- Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Christians, and even the British. The winding, narrow streets of Bharuch are filled with people, many throw flower petals on us.
Because it's Holi many have painted faces. Later we will also put dry paints on each other, laughing and taking pictures of each other. Passing through the gates of Bharuch we see the massive, ancient walls that protected the city from floods. At one time the Narmada was as wide as my Mississippi River at home in Memphis. Now the Narmada River has altered its course and wide grassy beaches separate it from the walls. At the river's edge we walk across sandbags and climb into wooden boats that hold about 40 people. As we cross we put water on our heads from this holy river. On the other side there are more sandbags sloping up the river bank. We hold onto a rope and pull ourselves up the steep embankment. We then begin a beautiful walk to the village of Derol, our home for the evening. On the way we see a whole field of marigolds and another of palm trees. People throw more rose petals on us and hand us bags of delicious peanuts. We stop along the way and cool off at a bore-well being used for irrigation. Arriving at our campsite we look for our tent number 20, get our bags, a shower, dinner, and we crawl in for another night.
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