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Young traveller from Nagpur on a mission to walk to Siberia

Rohan has already explored 25 states

Shillong, Aug 23: ‘Dare to be free’, said Swami Vivekananda, and Rohan Agrawal is following his words to a tee. The 20-year-old traveller from Nagpur, Maharashtra, has already explored 25 states. Meghalaya is his 26th.

“All great personalities, be religious or otherwise, were avid travellers. Sankaracharya, Vivekananda, Gautam Buddha, Gandhi… all of them. Travelling enriches you. Interaction with different people makes you understand their real problems,” said Agrawal, who arrived in Shillong on August 20. He has already walked 10,000 km and hitch-hiked 40,000 km.

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A poster attached to the backpack that Agrawal carries reads, “Hiking to Siberia without money. By way of GURUKUL. Message of HUMANITY. Educating about PLASTIC.” Agrawal is headed towards Siberia on foot.

It is not a whim of youth or mindless adventure but a conscious decision to plunge into uncertainty. Agrawal, who is a student of Bachelor of Arts, started his journey in August 21, 2020, from Varanasi with Rs 2,500 in his pocket. It was the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic and his journey was disrupted several times. The adversities slowed down his pace but could not stop him.

“The faster you travel, the less you learn. The slower you go, the more you see,” said Agrawal, who aims to reach Oymyakon, one of the coldest places on Earth.

However, Agrawal is not putting any deadline to his journey. On when he intends to reach Siberia, he said, “In four or five years maybe. I don’t know. Before that I will travel through Myanmar, Vietnam, China. If I can reach Oymyakon, then I will be the first Indian to do so on foot.”

As far as his parents are concerned, Agrawal said they have accepted his mission after initial objections. He is attending classes online while travelling.

About his mission, Agrawal said he wanted to make people aware of the hazards of plastic. As he is exploring different states, he is also visiting schools and interacting with students on the issue. “We cannot eliminate plastic from our lives. But we can drastically reduce the use of it. That is what I want to educate people about.”

Besides, Agrawal is also taking the message of unity in diversity across the country.

For a youth, coping with the diversity of the country can be daunting but Agrawal is ready for the challenge. In fact, he has already experienced various cultures and food habits. “I am a vegetarian and found it really difficult to get simple rice and dal in Nagaland. But the hospitality was heart-warming,” he shared his experience.

In Tamil Nadu, he landed up in a police station because one person on the way thought Agrawal was lost and wanted to help him.

Agrawal has many such anecdotes about places and people. In Cherrapunji, he met a local family from Laitkor that offered him shelter and food. In Shillong, the Gurudwara is helping him. Members of the UDP are also helping him, Agrawal informed.

From Shillong, he is planning to travel to parts of Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills. He is skipping Garo Hills for now.

Agrawal is deeply moved by the gurukul system of education that was practised in ancient India and wants to start an institution that will practise this system. “I wanted to be in gurukul when I was in my early teens, But I had lost that opportunity. This journey will fulfil the gap,” said Agrawal.

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