“India’s influence expanded at the fastest rate during the time of Ashoka because Ashoka made peace and non-violence his motto” – stated senior IPS officer Mr. Vinod Mall, whose only wish in life is to spread communal harmony and peace in the country.
Having been a civil servant for 35 years, Mr. Mall came across hatred and violence up close and realized that it is important to do social interventions to promote acceptance and togetherness.
He started a socio-cultural movement called “Buddha se Kabir Tak” across the hinterlands of Uttar Pradesh in the year 2018, to preach harmony and communal teachings to locals and involve people to participate in spreading brotherhood and love. And this he does by way of carrying `yatras’, or peaceful processions, through various towns and cities of the state.
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Mall talks about his ‘yatra’ and how he involved people in it.
ORIGINATION OF THE IDEA
The 1986 batch IPS officer hails from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh – a place that has housed personalities like Gautam Buddha, Saint Ravidas, Saint Kabir, etc., who are known to be preachers of peace and harmony.
Being in the police force, Mr. Mall had to sort a lot of conflicts using force or by law. That’s when he realized that he could only do such interventions once the crime or hate act has been conducted. He wanted to do something that would altogether stop the occurrence of such debacles and motivate people to live together in harmony.
“I come from areas where Buddha had resided, so I decided to start from ‘Buddha’s place’ (Kushinagar near Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh) and take out a yatra that evoked the teachings of the saint and ultimately ends in Maghar, the burial place of the 15 th century mystic poet, Saint Kabir in Uttar Pradesh,” Mr. Mall told Indian Masterminds.
The entire stretch of Kushinagar to Maghar is about 80-85 kilometers on which the ‘yatra’ takes place. And this is how ‘Buddha se Kabir Tak yatra’ originated with its name.
BUDDHA SE KABIR TAK
The objective of the ‘yatra’ is to understand our heritage, culture, philosophical traditions, and our religious and social values by understanding our society’s rich diversity, multicultural nature, and respect for composite culture.
“We wanted to reach out to people so we started contacting universities and colleges to involve youth with us, not only in U.P. but also in Gujarat. To attract people, we formed a musical band of young volunteers who sang songs of Kabir and Buddha portraying social harmony. We also have classical dancers who dance to the tunes of Kabir, literary people, and theatrical groups with us,” said Mr. Mall.
The ‘yatra’ not just preach messages of harmony but also organizes cultural shows to make it interesting and fun so that people would enjoy joining in.
The ‘yatra’ has an open network and anyone can join in from anywhere. “If the person is convinced about the idea, they could also contribute in whatever manner they wish to – through their writing, dance, music, services, accommodation places, etc” he added.
SUCCESS OF THE YATRA
Mr. Mall organized the first yatra in 2018 and has been doing it every year since then. In these 3-4 years, he has reached out to millions of people, especially in the Eastern part of U.P.
“People all over the country are connected with us. Last year itself, we covered three districts and about 15 educational institutions. We sit together and enjoy music and dance and talk about the saints’ preaching. We impart Gandhi’s teachings as he is an important icon in our movement” the officer told Indian Masterminds.
The group also has an IT and Media team that helps them in making short films on communal harmony. Recently, they even came up with an in-house theme song. All of it is done on a volunteer basis.
“Over the years, we have developed in our capabilities and have planned a few activities for the upcoming future too,” said Mr. Mall.
ANNUAL EVENT
Mr. Mall has conducted four ‘yatras’ till now, which is an annual event spread over 4-5 days wherein several socio-cultural events are also held.
“We gather and talk about social issues as well such as gender inequality, social injustice, caste system, etc. basically anything that is peace and harmony related and that promotes progressive ideas,” he said.
Depending on the situation, they either perform in educational institutions or on the street, as per the availability of the venue.
Currently posted as DGP in Police Reforms, Gujarat, Mr. Mall states “The event is not cost- incentive; it’s talent-incentive. A single ‘yatra’ costs us around 3-5 lakhs which we mobilize through contributions amongst 100 people varying from Rs. 500 to Rs. 25000 at times, as they please. Some even contribute by offering a place for accommodation or by arranging tea and snacks. We are a humble group consisting of vibrant and respectable people.”
The group usually consists of youngsters with no hierarchy and gives equal rights to everyone. Mr. Mall’s initiative is gaining popularity in the Eastern part of UP and he soon wishes to do it on a bigger scale, across states. The ‘yatra’ aims to take people beyond their religion and caste and bring them to a common platform of humanity.
