Day 14-17 : Finding my way through negativity and darkness

I took some time off. After walking into Srivardhan, I was adamant that I need to look after myself. My body was aching. I have always had back issues but I forget about it when I am working. This is 16 days of soreness. I haven’t had time to take complete rest. My speech was trembling, my shoulders were heavy and I felt as if I had forgotten  what I was out to do. It’s necessary to get into these situations- life puts you here because she wants to teach you lessons, atleast thats how I look at it.

Negativity was shaking the foundations on which I had built this walk. Many people only spoke of walking with me but when it came for the time to actually walk next to me, they were absent. I was receiving phone calls from all directions, asking me questions and putting in ideas that were of no use to me. Many NGO’s were trying to link me up with their organisations. Individuals called in randomly and at random times. They asked me useless questions, some were simply passing their time. Social media and phones, as good as they are, are an invitation to chaos. It is maddening at times. Some called me and told me how hopeless the situation has got. Some told me about the scientific research and how the earth will start declining soon. Some told me about a family called Rockefellers and how they were the ones changing the education system and consequently the village life. These are stupid ideas. Hopeless ideas. The world has gone through these tremors many times. These people have gotten into the hold of this machine that brainwashes them and they enjoy this nonsense because there are other people who are like them. They enjoy this sense of community who share such non-sensical thoughts. They like this intellectual masturbation that spreads hopelessness within their minds. This hopelessness is then used to mobilise young people and use them to further the goals of these NGO’s and organisations. I am an independent thinker. I can think for myself and that’s the message that I spread further. I don’t like to keep others in an illusory state of existence. My goal is to make people think for themselves. Don’t listen to me, listen to your inner voice— that knows all the answers. These people think that they know everything— that common folk are stupid and thus they need to be educated, I beg to differ though. They always stay on a moral superiority and thus they cannot really gel in with the common people. I like to understand them. Listen to them. I hear out their perspectives, give them my perspective and I try to not dismiss their efforts. I believe, if we can actually plant a seed of change within our hearts, change will definitely occur. This world has always been in a state of change. We have always moved from darkness to light, ever since our inception. Because we had people who stood forth and became a beam of light when the times were dark, we are able to see the world getting better today. That’s what we fail to see when we get into a herd mentality. We like a communal feeling. The problem is always with the other. We don’t see ourselves as the root cause of this problem. Everything is bad. We are in danger. Everyone is out here to hurt you. The earth is dying.

The earth has always been dying. We have always been dying. Ever since we are born, we are marching closer and closer to death— so what? Give up? Stay hopeless and end this cycle once and for all? I don’t like to think that way. My ideals are people who won over their fear. They went ahead unafraid and spoke their private truths. I look up to Buddha, to Krishnamurthi. I read Ralph Waldo Emerson who asks me to see within— to be a light to myself. I gain inspiration from that man who is on our bank notes, his name is adorned by streets and corners. I look up to people who never lost hope even in the times of extreme negativity and struggle. I live by the principles, “To struggle, is to live.” And that is the reason why I am not hopeless.

If you really want to change. Come out here. Walk with me. Discuss these things with your friends and family. Keep religious and societal barriers aside and engage in honest speech. Don’t give into media. Don’t listen to the thoughts that spew hatred. Stop consuming nonsense that comes in your group chats. These problems will only find solutions when you come out of this constant state of paranoia and hypnosis. The politicians benefit when you are in a state of sleep. Don’t give them what they need. Move away from it. Come out here. Meet the people. Sit silently in the fields, or spare a hand to that farmer. Watch the sunset— reconnect with the mother. Then you will realise how much we have lost. Even then, her arms are always open to receive you.

For two days I have lived with a family who shared their positivity onto me. They shared lots of stories. We disagreed, agreed, debated. That’s what we are missing. Honest discussions.

I went to the proposed site of the Shrivardhan jetty terminal and heard what the fisherfolk had to say. Its been the same thing all over. Loss of fish in the sea and heavy duty trailers owned by ministers that catch away most of the fish. It was no surprise that even this port had been in a mist called “Adani”. What’s left for the people?

Huge trucks filled with stone rush past the streets of Shrivardhan. The aged people walking scarily on the sides of the road. A once quaint town has turned into a buzz of mining trucks. I heard of a boy called from Hari Hareshwar who lost his life to one of these speeding trucks. His body and his bike were lying on the road- intact, but his brain was crushed. He died instantly. Who is to blame? The truck driver? The mining authority? The truck driver must be working over time. He would have a deadline, thus making him exhausted. He would be getting wages worth pennies. The mining authority would be exploiting the land - extracting more than they are supposed to. A retired professor, who was informing me about all this told me how the minister is involved in this trade. His next door neighbour, a student of his, got rich within a year (he was blessed by the minister) and he who has worked all his life as a professor, was only able to build a modest house for himself.

That boy died for nothing. He died because the greed of the local strongmen and politicians were over riding the basic goodness within them. The mother let them destroy her, but they never understood that her nature is to give. We should be willing to stop somewhere. We are out here to destroy the very nature that gave us life. Nature doesn’t see religions, it doesn’t see your stupidity. It treats you good when you bring good to your heart and it gives you hatred and animosity when you bring that within your heart.

So I say this, which has been said a long while before, “Let me get strength from my mother who not only looks after me but after them who are harming her.

Let her forgive them, because they are doing this in ignorance..”

Today I walk towards Hari Hareshwar and only in a few days I will enter into my native district. I will walk more slowly through Ratnagiri because I know that many people want to join me there. I hope that actually happens and doesn’t only stay as messages on whatsapp and facebook groups. See you out there!

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If you can help me by contributing for this walk, then please do, I could start a kickstarter or manage crowdfunding through some other website, but none of those options are available to me here in India. So, I will be dependant on your donations. You can contribute through paypal - here’s the link. I will send out a personalised postcard if the donations are above $30 and if it’s above $100 then whatever comes out of this walk - a book, a documentary or anything else - you will be the first ones to receive it.

Thanks for your continual support. I am truly grateful!