As America commemorated Labor Day on the first Sunday of September, three Gandhian peace walkers continued their four-month-long trek across the United States. Yogesh Mathuria, known as “VishwaMitra” Yogesh, and Nitin Sonawane from India, along with Rev Kanshin Ikeda from Japan are on this long journey together. Their aim: rekindle hope for a more peaceful world.
Their walk, and message, is inspired by Mohandas Gandhi’s dedication to nonviolence as a powerful tool of resistance, inspiring the peaceful crusade led by Martin Luther King Jr against racism in the United States.
Gandhi’s commitment to nonviolence transformed political activism from his early days in South Africa, where he developed the concept of Satyagraha, or nonviolent civil resistance, to his pivotal role in India’s struggle for independence.
Inspired by Gandhi, King’s peaceful marches, such as the historic March on Washington, 1963, challenged systemic racism. King’s adoption of nonviolence was not merely a tactical decision but a deeply held conviction that peaceful resistance can overcome hatred and oppression.
On a hot, humid day in July, the trio, accompanied by supporters, began their journey with a symbolic walk from the UN Headquarters to Nanak Gurudwara, a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs in Jersey City. From New York to Dallas, then Seattle to Los Angeles, the trio will walk to Canada and then head for the United Kingdom.
A global message
Having walked across nine countries over 12 years, Yogesh believes that the simple act of walking in the name of peace can have a global ripple effect. “Nonviolence is not just a concept, it is a way of life,” he told Sapan News. “We are here to remind people that peace is possible, even in these turbulent times.”
In January 2005, the shock of his wife’s passing due to pancreatic cancer catalysed a lifestyle change for Yogesh, then 50 years old. He renounced his corporate life, dropped his family surname and later took on the name “VishwaMitra”, or “friend of the universe”. Yogesh vowed to dedicate himself to “peace through pilgrimages and wellness services”.
Nitin Sonawane, a 33-year-old engineer-turned-peace activist, has cycled and walked across 50 countries, covering over 45,000 kilometres. Known as the “Gandhi Peace Walker”, Sonawane has had dialogues with over 100,000 young people, spreading the message of nonviolence and mutual respect.
“We are walking to rekindle hope,” Sonawane told Sapan News over a phone call. “In a world where peace often seems elusive, our walk symbolises that it is still within our reach.”
Ikeda, a 45-year-old Buddhist monk from Tokyo, has participated in peace walks across 25 countries, chanting the Buddhist mantra “Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo’ (A chant for manifestation) and beating the peace drum as a prayer for the wellbeing of all living beings. Ikeda is a follower of Rev Nichidatsu Fujii, who was deeply inspired by Gandhi. “Peace is not just the absence of conflict,” Ikeda told Sapan News. “It is the presence of justice, compassion, and love for all.”
A Massachusetts connection
On August 5, the walkers reached Washington, DC, and held a peace prayer at the White House. From there, they travelled to Leverett in Massachusetts, which has a long history of peace activism. The New England Peace Pagoda community received them warmly.
In Leverett, there was a silent walk with senior citizens to the local library and a larger peace walk through the streets, including chants of “Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo (A chant for manifestation)” led by Ikeda. These chants resonated deeply with participants as they walked in remembrance of the horrors of nuclear war.
At one poignant moment, the walkers stopped outside L3Harris KEO, an arms factory in Leverett. The conducted a joint prayer and left behind a peace symbol: handmade paper doves they had crafted. The factory personnel appreciated their gesture and cooperated with them, said the peace walkers.
“This was a powerful gesture,” Sonawane told Sapan News. “We pray for peace at a place where instruments of war are made, hoping to transform the energy of the space.”
The peace walkers say they have encountered many remarkable individuals on their journey. In Birmingham, Alabama, they reunited with James and Shelly Douglas, whom Yogesh affectionately calls the “living American Gandhi and Kasturba”.
The couple, now in their late 80s, have been organising bi-weekly peace demonstrations for over 23 years, since the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center twin towers in New York City in September 2001.
In the heart of the American South, families housed the walkers and provided them with financial assistance for their pilgrimage. In Natchez, Mississippi, they learnt about the city’s harrowing past as a slave trade hub. In Alexandria in Virginia, their hosts treated them to a heartfelt traditional homemade Gujarati dinner.
In Houston, Texas, they visited the Eternal Gandhi Museum, where they met trustees. The museum that opened in August 2023 is the only one in the United States dedicated to Gandhi.
Yogesh shared his appreciation of the museum, largely designed by women. He found the last two sections especially touching, featuring young leaders such as climate activist Greta Thunberg and peace and women’s rights activist Malala Yousafzai alongside icons like King, South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama. “It was inspiring to see how Gandhi’s message continues to resonate with today’s youth,” he said.
The Gandhi-King Peace Walk invites people from all walks of life to join in the effort to promote nonviolence and peace. For more information please contact: VishwaMitra Yogesh: vishwamitrayogesh57@gmail.com, Nitin Sonawane: Nonviolenceplanet@gmail.com, Rev Kanshin Ikeda: ikedakanshin@yahoo.co.jp
Pragyan Srivastava, an Indian journalist and former Fulbright-Nehru Master's scholar, has extensive experience in digital storytelling, social media and television production. She is passionate about creating authentic and powerful stories about Southasia, aiming to foster understanding and connection through her compelling narratives.
This is a Sapan News syndicated feature.
