Follow in Bapu’s footsteps: 15 ex-Armymen to replicate Dandi March | Lucknow News
Lucknow: Mahatma Gandhi‘s historic Dandi March will be witnessed again. A group of 15 retired senior Army officers will follow in the footsteps of Bapu by replicating his non-violent satyagraha by walking 400km along the Dandi Path during a two-week journey from Jan 3 to 17.
In their 60s, these armymen, many of whom are from the ranks of Lieutenant General and Major General, have decided to celebrate, inspire, and embrace Gandhi’s non-violence message, four years ahead of the Dandi March centenary, which Mahatma led from March 12, 1930 to April 6, 1930, as part of the satyagraha against the British.The march has been named as “Echoes of Dandi: Retracing the Historic Path on Foot”. Lt Gen (retd) Anil Puri, who is settled in Lucknow and is a part of the event, told TOI: “The idea came around 18 months ago. We thought that we had to see violence sometimes in our defence services because that was a part of our ‘kartavya’ (duty) to maintain peace. But now is the time to spread the message of peace too.” He added: “Gandhiji was 60 years old when he undertook the Dandi March, and me and my fellow armymen are 60 plus now. Hence, we decided to replicate the historic event. We will walk 400km while passing through the villages and towns that Gandhiji traversed during the Salt Satyagraha. We will be joined by NCC cadets and civilians too in this endeavour.”The former officer clarified that this walk is not an attempt to recreate history, nor is it driven by political or ideological messaging. “We do not possess Gandhiji’s serenity, moral stature, or singular sense of mission. Instead, the intent is far more modest—to understand, in a small and personal way, what Bapu may have experienced emotionally and physically during that long march,” Puri said.He said the Dandi Path is not merely a physical journey. “It is an invitation to frugality and introspection—to feel the heat and dust, fatigue and discomfort, to slow down enough to observe. Walking through the countryside offers a view of India at peace: villages going about their daily rhythms, people at work, customs unfolding quietly, and life moving at a pace very different from urban existence,” Lt Gen (retd) Puri added.The 15 participants will converge in Ahmedabad to begin the journey, with some among them joining at different stages along the route. Health and safety remain paramount. The group has prepared over several months, will carry basic first-aid and essential medicines, and will rely on local govt medical facilities if required. Wherever feasible, accommodation will be at Dandi Path Yatri Nivas, touching all the places where Gandhiji stayed during his 24-day Dandi walk, including the Santram Mandir at Nadiad. An important aspect of the journey will be interaction with local communities, including school and college students and village leaders.“This walk is a long-cherished dream, meticulously planned along the historic route envisioned by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Mahatma Gandhi, and Sarojini Naidu,” said Lt Colonel (retd) V Srinivasan.
