In an attempt to spread the message of peace and harmony, Bangalore-based former Karnataka MLA Ivan Nigli and his wife, Ruby embarked on a “Peace on Wheels” campaign, covering almost 15,000 kilometres and travelling across 31 states in India.
The journey which began in January concluded in April. Ivan says, “I was planning a long trip for a while. We decided against going to exotic foreign locales and decided to explore our own country. We conducted talks, discussions on peace and harmony and distributed about 50,000 pamphlets. All the funding for this trip came from our personal savings. We had a good time travelling. We used to travel without any prior bookings and would pick up any hotel on the route. Travelling by car ensured that we could travel at our own pace, meet people from across the country and interact with them. We found that rural India is beautiful, but lacking in basic infrastructure. This was common across the country.”
Recollecting his experiences, Ivan adds, “In Gujarat, the home state of the Prime Minister, we found garbage on the streets near the assembly complex and discovered that rural roads were not well developed. In parts of Chhattisgarh, we had to ride for almost eight hours to complete a stretch of 80 kilometres as the roads were practically non existent. We were received warmly everywhere, though we faced some hostility in parts of the Kashmir valley. At a personal level, it allowed me and my wife to spend some quality time together, after many years of being caught up in our busy schedules.”
Food was never an issue for the couple. “We used to eat at roadside dhabas and small restaurants on the way. We made an effort to enjoy the local cuisine. It helped us learn more about the place and the local culture. This trip has given us a better perspective of this country.”
