WITH AN objective to spread the message of ‘peace and communal harmony’ displayed by the people of Varanasi during the aftermath of March 7 terror attack, a 14-member team of minority community on Sunday embarked upon a cycle yatra from Varanasi to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
The 14-member cycle yatra was flagged off jointly by the local MP Rajesh Mishra, Maulana Athar Hussain and Maulana Syed Ahmed at Lallapura Fatman here on Sunday.
The cycle yatra named as ‘Rajiv Gandhi Shanti Sadhbhawna Yatra’ is expected to reach Mecca within four to five months, member of Anjuman-e-Haidari Syed Abbas Murtaza Shamsi told Hindustan Times on Sunday.
Syed Shah Alam, member of Anjuman-e-Haidari is leading the cycle yatra. According to Shamsi the yatra would visit several countries like Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, Iran and Iraq before reaching Mecca.
“The cycle yatra can be carry on in a vehicle when it reaches Iraq due to adverse security scenario”, Shamsi said and further added that there was no problem in Pakistan.
The yatra would traverse through Jaunpur, Lucknow, Delhi and later, it will cross over to Pakistan via Wagha border in Punjab, he said.
{{/usCountry}}The yatra would traverse through Jaunpur, Lucknow, Delhi and later, it will cross over to Pakistan via Wagha border in Punjab, he said.
{{/usCountry}}The yatra would take four to five months in covering more than 12000 kilometer to reach holy city of Mecca. The objective of this yatra was to spread the message of communal tolerance, which was shown by the residents of Varanasi after the twin bomb blasts incident in Varanasi on March 7, which claimed 16 lives.
It may be mentioned that Bharat Ratna and Shehnai maestro Bismilah Khan is the patron of the Rajiv Gandhi Shanti Sadbhawna Samiti. He also blessed the team for success in this mission.