- Dandi Path Walk Day Three blends spirituality, service and swaraj on the road from Nadiad to Anand
From NCC cadets to village women, citizens reclaim the Mahatma’s ideals through action
A 23-km march that turned memory into movement and freedom into lived practice
NE DEFENCE BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, JAN 6
Day Three of the Dandi Path Walk reaffirmed that Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals are not relics of the past, but living principles that continue to guide collective conscience and civic action. On Sunday, January 5, ten dedicated walkers set out at 7:00 a.m. from Nadiad, beginning their journey after receiving blessings from the Maharaj of Sant Ram Mandir—a spiritual invocation that lent calm resolve and moral clarity to the day’s march.
Covering 23 kilometres on foot, the walkers reached Anand by 12:30 p.m., but the distance travelled was far more than physical. It was a journey through shared memory, community participation and the quiet reaffirmation of the values that shaped India’s freedom struggle.
The morning departure was marked by a disciplined and heartfelt reception from NCC cadets, who not only greeted the walkers but also accompanied them through the streets of Nadiad. Their presence symbolised generational continuity—young Indians stepping alongside history, echoing the spirit of the original Dandi March that mobilised youth as much as conscience.
As the march progressed, the route transformed into a moving tribute to Gandhian ideals. At almost every two kilometres, local residents gathered to welcome the walkers with garlands and tilak. Notably, women led many of these gestures—welcoming, blessing and guiding—reflecting the understated yet powerful role women have always played in sustaining community life and preserving the memory of the freedom movement.
A particularly resonant halt occurred at Utarsandiya, where the walkers met ex-servicemen and the village sarpanch. During the interaction, the sarpanch spoke of how villagers had collectively mobilised local funds to restore a long-neglected water body. The initiative struck a deep chord, mirroring Gandhi’s emphasis on self-reliance, community ownership and constructive work as the true foundations of swaraj.
Later, at VV Nagar College in Nadiad, the walkers engaged in an informal and deeply personal interaction with NCC cadets. The exchange moved beyond ceremonial addresses into an open conversation on discipline, service, citizenship and the relevance of walking the Dandi Path in contemporary India—where freedom must be renewed daily through responsible action.
The day also witnessed an unexpected test of courage. Just 500 metres from the halting point, a bull suddenly charged at one of the walkers. Demonstrating remarkable composure, the walker calmly caught the animal by its horns and guided it away, preventing injury and embodying the Gandhian virtues of fearlessness and self-control in the face of danger.
Day Three concluded in Anand not merely as the completion of another leg, but as a living reaffirmation of India’s freedom struggle—where remembrance walked hand in hand with the people, and Gandhian ideals found expression not in slogans, but in collective, compassionate action.
