Milind Soman to attend 'Gandhi March' in The Hague on October 1

Inspirational speaker, Indian actor, supermodel and ultraman Milind Soman will be attending the Gandhi March on October 1 in The Hague to mark the International Day of Non-Violence. The Gandhi March is a part of the 'Follow the Mahatma' campaign being launched by organisations, institutions and individuals advocating non-violence along with the Indian community in the Netherlands and the Embassy of India on October 1 and 2.

Milind Soman

Soman, a health and fitness expert and a strong believer in the power of self-motivation will join other marchers to collectively proclaim to the global community the importance of non-violence and world peace. Milind Soman is well-recognised in the Netherlands, a country of sports and fitness enthusiasts. Soman, the first male supermodel of India also holds the Limca record for running 1500-km over 30 days from New Delhi to Mumbai. He completed an Ultra-endurance event with 10 kilometers of swimming, 474 km-long bike ride and a run of 84 kilometres over three days and is known ever since as the Ultraman.

Milind also co-founded Pinkathon, which is India's biggest run for women with the purpose of encouraging women to adopt a fitter lifestyle for themselves and their families and to highlight the need for increased awareness on issues that put women's lives at risk. Marking the eve of the International Day of Non-Violence, The Gandhi March will be held from the Peace Palace to the Grote Kerk in The Hague.

Ambassador of India to the Netherlands Venu Rajamony, Deputy Mayor of The Hague Rabin Baldewsingh and Karsten Klein, Ambassador of the United Kingdom Peter Wilson CMG and the Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa Bruce Vusi Koloane will be joining the march. A bicycle personally used by Mahatma Gandhi will be displayed at the Grote Kerk for the public to view at the end of the march. The bicycle has been sent to the Netherlands by the Gandhi Memorial Trust of India as a special gesture, in view of the popularity of cycling and the fact that cycles are part of the Dutch cultural heritage.

An excerpt of an opera titled 'Satyagraha' (the instrument of Non-Violence used by Mahatma Gandhi) composed by renowned musician Philip Glass will be performed at the Grote Kerk by the Korzo Theatre. Also, a new book in Dutch titled 'Gandhi -An illustrated biography' published by Lannoo of Belgium and authored by Indian author Pramod Kapoor will be released on the occasion. October 2 is the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and has been declared by the UN General Assembly as the International Day of Non-Violence.