(From left) Yuva Jagriti Jan Jagran Anterved Sewa Sansthan members Jitendra Pratap, Avadh Bihari Lal and Mahendra Pratap take a walk near the zoo in Patna on Thursday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, Feb. 24: Walking for a cause has a long tradition in the history of India and our contemporary political leaders often resort to marches to prove a point. But for members of Yuva Jagriti Jan Jagran Anterved Sewa Sansthan — a group of 20 men and women — who have been on the road for the past 15 years, environment and social issues are the only concern

The group, which arrived in Patna from Varanasi today, started their amazing journey on foot from Lucknow on June 15, 1995. Over the years, they have travelled the length and breadth of the country and visited almost all the states. The reason for their travel is not just wanderlust. They try to spread awareness among the youth about social issues and preservation of the environment.

“We went to Kanyakumari from Lucknow. It took us three months to get there. From there we went to Porbandar in Gujarat. We have visited all the states of the country, except Jharkhand and Bengal. That is where we will go from here,” said Jitendra Pratap, a member of the group.

After the last two unvisited states of the country, the group intends to go abroad to China. The group, however, is not new to international travel. They have already visited Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Tibet.

Pratap added: “We have planned to cover 3 lakh km on foot, over the next five years.

“We try to spread the message of world peace, saving the environment and social issues. To spread our message, we travel to remote villages. Our target audience is the youth,” said Pratap.

Mahendra Pratap, another member of the group, said: “We hold seminars, workshops and debates in schools and colleges. We also meet villagers and citizens and talk to them about maintaining social peace and harmony.”

Most of the members of the group — whose names have appeared in the Limca Book of Records for taking part in the longest human padayatra — are so dedicated to the cause that none of them have married or settled down. Though they have faced a lot of problems in their wanderings, not a single member has abandoned the group, which comprises 17 men and three women. The members also lead a spartan life to preserve their strength for the demanding schedule of pedestrian adventure.

“We all eat sprouted gram, soya and drink warm water to preserve our stamina. We start walking at 6am and cover around 30km a day. We don’t have any luggage — just our backpacks. We wear light clothes and sports shoes,” said Pratap.

Avadh Bihari Lal, another member, said: “When we halt at a place, we inform the local administration. They usually arrange for our travel and stay. None of us have settled down because then we would not be able to continue with our travels.”

Their efforts have not been in vain — Discovery Channel and National Geography have made documentaries on them.