In 2016 Bakshi read a news about the gang-rape of a mother-daughter duo in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahar district. When she read the news item “it made me think that women in India are not safe even when they go out with their families.”
She is neither an athlete nor a social activist. Yet she is on a ‘mission’— the mission to understand why India is “unsafe” for the girls. Her mission has made her to walk all the way from Kanyakumari to Kashmir covering a distance of 3800 kms in 260 days.
Srishti Bakshi who ended her walk on Monday highlights the issues of women empowerment and safety. Working in corporate sector in Hong Kong, the 30-year-old Bakshi of Indian origin says, whenever she conversed with her friends at her work place, they would tell her that “India is beautiful.” “But then they were reluctant to visit this country saying India is not safe,” she says.
In 2016 Bakshi read a news about the gang-rape of a mother-daughter duo in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahar district. When she read the news item “it made me think that women in India are not safe even when they go out with their families.”
Bakshi said the news was carried on the front page, but it was “ignored” by the people thinking that they could not do anything about it. “But I wanted to do something about it and that’s how I decided to walk from Kanyakumari to Kashmir so that I could talk to people, research and highlight the issue.”
The purpose behind choosing to walk a billion steps was to associate everyone with this mission. “Walking strikes a chord with many. India is a country where everyone relates to walking-whether as a means of exercise for the elderly or community building, it’s very much a part of our lifestyle.”
In September last, Bakshi, daughter of an army officer, started her walk and named it ‘Cross Bow Miles’. During her walk she met men and women from different walks of life and tried to explore the reasons of violence against women in India.
“The problem is in our upbringing. When a father beats his wife in front of the children, they imbibe the same spirit. Women need to raise their voice, They need to be confident,” says Bakshi, who was conducting a workshop with the students of Delhi Public School, Athwajan here on Monday.
Giving example of the Kathua rape and murder case, Bakshi says, “first candle was lit for Nirbaya and now for this 8-year-old. After five years we will again lit a candle. The thing is how we can participate in changing the world.”
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