Rudra walks a 'long' peace talk

Twenty-five-years is a long time. Long enough to change a lot of things around you. For the 60-plus Arun Kumar Rudra, however, nothing has changed — neither his commitment to life and the cause of world peace, nor his impressions about the city of Kanpur he is revisiting after a gap of 25 years.
Rudra’s mission, ‘World on foot’, has had him traversing the length and breadth of India on foot, in an attempt to spread the message of peace and communal harmony, which he so dearly espouses.Rudra began his expedition on May 7, 2001, from Kolkata and has covered more than 2,500 km on foot, covering more than a dozen Indian states including Nagaland, Assam and Bihar. His feet have taken him through the picturesque countries of Nepal and Myanmar too.
When this reporter caught up with him, Rudra said he considered himself the most blessed
man on earth, to have shared the joys and sorrows of people he has met along his long
walk. “When there is so much to share, why do we fight with each other over petty issues,� he wondered aloud, adding as an afterthought: “No one was born a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian or a Sikh. It is our society, which has divided us along these lines.�
A resident of Kolkata, Rudra, a post-graduate in History from Kolkata University,
expressed the hope of “better friendship, love and peace� in society and the world at large.
Speaking about the industrial city of Kanpur, Rudra said: “I have strong relations with
this city, and although I’m back here after twenty-five years, I find that even though the city has grown, the smells, the character of the city, continues to be the same. The city’s skyline now has a large number of sky-scrapers and traffic moves at a snail’s pace and I find it rather difficult to cross the roads here.� With a wry smile, he points out how people in the city have become more addicted to paan massala and are using the city’s roadsides as spittoons.
Rudra, who is on his way to Delhi, said he was looking forward to being up close and personal with the seat of power in India — New Delhi, where he will try and spread his passion for world peace and equality for all. One long walk for Rudra, a big leap of hope for humanity.