On the first day, around 4:30 am, I set out on my bi-cycle from my house. And, with initial energy and enthusiasm, I literally flew over the flyover bridge to reach the memorial of a Gandhian, also known as Tiruppur Kumaran, who was martyred during India’s struggle for freedom from the clutches of colonial rule. Having taken his blessings with a ceremonial photograph, I hit the road. After 40 km of continuous cycling, to make good of the time before sunrise, I reached my ancestral temple which also happens to be on the way. It was my first pitstop to recharge my body, soul, and the led light. The first leg of the Bicycle Ride in support of the 3rd World March for Peace and Non-violence , I continued from the ancestral temple to Ambilikkai which is approximately 50 km on the way to Madurai. So, a total of a little more than 90 km was covered on the first day.
With the blessings of Mother Nature and the encouragement of kids on the way who were kind enough to wave, the flags on my bi-cycle also waving at onlookers winning their gaze at the Humanist Party printed on it, people at the tea shops enquiring about the World March, friends- old and new- who showed tremendous support over the social media, all added value to the day, 20th December , which is also celebrated as the International Human Solidarity Day …
Rejuvenated with eight hours of sleep, in the hospitality of a Hotel in Ambilikai, I set off on the second leg of my ride on the very next day at 9:16 am and reached Madurai the same day at 8:30 pm, of course with adequate pitstops. This time around, in addition to the homo sapiens, other species also greeted me with their chirping and galloping, as if to question me if the Humanist Party was concerned only with the human species… I replied with a silent smile as if to communicate to them, through telepathy, that although the human being is the center value of the Humanist agenda, ideology, and policies all living beings are also considered equally on the same plane…
Of the many people who inquired about the Humanist Party, a member of the Saffron Party offered to buy me ‘degree coffee’ , which is one of the tastiest flavors of coffee here in South India. I turned down the offer yet he went on to introduce himself as an office bearer in the BJP and I politely explained to him the 180 degrees difference between their Saffron and our Orange. We left with a smile stating that each one is entitled to reach the masses in a ‘real’ democracy…
Once again, with Mother Nature’s blessings, the second leg of the Bi-cycle Ride in support of the 3rd World March for Peace and Non-Violence, a total of approximately 180 km, was completed… I could only remember crawling to the bed in my rented space in Madurai which is about 10 km from the final destination that had to wait for another day to let my body get the much-needed rest if not recovery.
So, on the fourth day, the third and last leg of the Bi-cycle Ride, culminated at the Gandhi Memorial Museum where the blood-stained clothes of the Mahatma from his assassination, along with his ashes are preserved to this day. They serve to remind humanity of the conviction and simplicity of a soul that believed in truth and non-violence and that which lived and laid down dear life for that belief. A soul that resonates with the words and actions of many more, including Silo, and continues to reverberate as we March forward together for Peace!
Sometime in November, 2023, Mr. Pradeepan Madathil, the Asia & Oceania Co-ordinator of the 3rd World March for Peace and Non-violence, was chatting with us regarding the plans for the World March and I joked, “So, is this 3rd World March before or after the 3rd World War!?.” The dates he mentioned were caught in our laughter and I misunderstood that the 3rd WM was between 2nd October 2023 and 5th January 2024. I had prepared in my mind for a bi-cycle rally in support of the same planning to club it with the flag rally that was to be conducted by The Humanist Party of India, ahead of elections.
The party’s election plans were postponed for various reasons and I decided to surprise the organizers of the 3rd WM by religiously setting out solo on my bi-cycle on the day that was earlier earmarked in my mind for the said bi-cycle rally. It now became a Bi-Cycle Ride in Solidarity with the 3rd World March for Peace and Non-Violence , from the early hours of 20.12.2023, between Tiruppur Kumaran Memorial and the Gandhi Memorial Museum, which was reached on 23.12.2023, after riding around 220 km in 3-4 days in support for and with the support of all the good souls that had, have and will have the next generation in mind…
Now, one could say that it was a forerunner to this 3rd WM for I had in enthusiasm/error started a little too early. Or it could be seen as a link between the 2nd World March and 3rd World March as I was wearing my old t-shirt from the previous World March. It is also a bond between the organisms of the Humanist Movement as I was flying the Humanist Party flag in solidarity with the “3rd World March for Peace and Non-Violence” organized by World Without Wars and without Violence, also one of the five organisms of the Humanist Movement that work together in letter and spirit of Silo’s Message: Peace, Strength & Joy to All…
The author, Adv. Meyyappan Easwaramoorthy, is a member of the Humanist Party and a coordinator of World Without Wars and without Violence. email: humanistlaw@gmail.com WhatsApp: +919843757555
