Dr. Mahima Sethia
Ahimsa Yatra - Training of converting the negative thoughts/emotions into positive direction
Sujangarh, 3 January 2009.
Closing ceremony of Ahimsa Yatra was held on January 4, 2009 at Sujangarh under the auspicious guidance of Anuvrat Anushashta, Ahimsa Yatra architect Acharya Mahapragya and Yuvacharya Mahashraman. In the tenure of seven years, Ahimsa Yatra has created many milestones and achievements. Some of the main achievements are control over communalism and violent activities, increase in programmes of non-violence training and unemployment eradication across India. During span of seven years, Ahimsa Yatra travels the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Daman, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, and Punjab touching the hundreds of villages of 87 districts. While stirring in the interiors of Indian villages, activities like human unity conferences, meetings with farmers, students, labors, intellectuals and local representatives were held at local level. These meetings inspired the localities to understand the importance of non-violent way of living and adopting the same in their day to day routine.
Many prominent personalities get associated with Ahimsa Yatra from time to time. President Smt Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Former Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Congress’s President Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Former Vice- Prime Minister Lal Krishna Adawani, RSS’s K.C. Sudarshan, Chief Ministers & Governors of various states, Members of Parliament & Legislative Assembly etc are the political dignitaries who appreciated the Acharya Mahapragya’s effort of promoting non-violence from metro cities to village level reaching to general people. Yog guru Baba Ramdev, Shri Shri Ravishankar, Head of Swami Naryana Pramukh Swami, Balgangadhar Swami of South, Sayadanna Saheb of Bohra Society, etc spiritual leaders also involved in this sacred mission along with journalists, laureates & intellectual class.
Acharya Mahapragya’s charisma had worked as a shower in the boiling communal environment of Gujarat. Ahimsa Yatra was whole heartedly welcome in the Muslim areas of Mumbai. Ahimsa Yatra’s emission has dissolved the boundaries of caste, community, religion and lightens up the holistic way of non-violent living.
During journey, many times Acharya Mahapragya said in his discourse “It is very important to move out from the boundaries of individual/group interest to develop the national unity and communal harmony. For this spiritual leader, political forces and NGOs have to play a crucial role in unison to defeat the growing danger of terrorism, violence and communal disturbance in the country.
One of the main goals of Ahimsa Yatra is to deeply analyze the root causes of violence. We came across the two big causes - lack of morality and loosing control over emotions and thoughts. If from early age person is trained to control the emotions then it will develop a peaceful environment in family and society.
The aim of Ahimsa Yatra is to provide the training of converting the negative thoughts/emotions into positive direction. The spiritual aspect of non-violence training is to ignite the consciousness of non-violence and to cultivate the values of non-violence. And its practical aspect is the employment training for livelihood. Problems like poverty, exploitation, injustice, crime and environment pollution can’t be solved alone by spirituality or by changing society norms. We believe that combination of both will bring effective positive results and hence proper efforts are required in this direction. Non-violence is religion and policy and also it is diplomacy. I am a saint hence non-violence is my religion, for ruler it is the policy through which different communities, people, religions are banded in one thread. It is diplomacy also. Person punishing enemy is not successful in comparison to those who made them friend by changing the hearts through non-violence. Mahatma Gandhi has given the code of non-cooperation on the basis of this diplomatic policy.”
As per Muni Jayant Kumar, Ahimsa Yatra has touched the heart of nearly 10 million people since its starting from Sujangarh (Rajasthan) on 5 December, 2001. 40,000 voluntary hands are associated with the various responsibilities in their local areas to shape up the motto of Ahimsa Yatra. On completion, Ahimsa Yatra is transformed into Ahimsa Samvaya which will work on the 7 point programme.
