By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: A team of twenty members from Uttar Pradesh set on their journey on June 15, 1985 with an objective to make people aware on the need to safeguard environment. Till now the brigade has covered a whopping distance of 2 lakhs and forty thousand on foot.
The team named Yuva Jagriti Jan Jagran Anterved Seva Sansthan which reached Shillong here on Monday now plans to cover a distance of three lakh km on foot in the next five years.
After traveling as many as six countries including Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, Tibet and Bangladesh, the group now plans to travel to China via Sikkim to achieve their feat.The group has also got recognition in the Limca Book of Records for taking part in the longest human padayatra.
Speaking to The Shillong Times here on Tuesday, the leader of the group Awadh Bihari Lal said,” Through our endeavour we want to spread the message of preserving environment and world peace.”
Giving a brief detail about the voyage, he stated that they spread awareness on planting more trees which will help in safeguarding the upcoming generations.
The group on their way to different places also organizes seminars and speech programmes where they ask people to work for the betterment of the world.
While recalling their voyage experience, one of the members Mahendra Pratap said, “ We were abducted by naxalites in Jharkhand in 2009 but later they released us when they came to know about our cause.’’
The group also claims that it was instrumental in making three naxals surrenderbefore the Government.“It was a golden moment and lifetime moment for us,” another member Jitendra Pratap said on Tuesday.During their stay in Shillong, the group also met the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills Sanjay Goyal and Meghalaya Governor RS Mooshahary to explain them on the intention of their journey besides they will also meet school and college students to discuss on the various burning issues pertaining to the society.
When asked about Shillong which has lost its past glory of being a clean city, Awadh Bihari Lal said, “Youths need to be encouraged and come forward to help Shillong in restoring its past glory as youth can bring the much required change.”The team has members from 29 to 66 years of age and none of them are married, since they believe they can give more time to society as singles.
In their bid to achieve the goal, the group lost one of its members in Uttar Pradesh due to jaundice after water scarcity but this has not deterred them from completing their planned goal.