At a time when the Gandhian ideals are being forgotten, an elderly French couple has taken up the task of retracing the footsteps of the Father of the Nation along the path of his famous Dandi March.

On Friday, Bernard and Madeleine Gibson embarked on a 390-km long padyatra (walk) from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to Dandi. It will take them three weeks to reach there.

Asked about the inspiration behind the journey, Bernard, who is a 65-year-old retired Topographical Engineer from a small town called Saumur in France, said: “This is our second visit to India. But our fascination for the Gandhian philosphy and its contemporary relevance has been for a while now.” He added: “I have read about him a lot and now want to get a feel of the land from where he came. So, here we are.”

The couple, who has been married for 25 years, has previously undertaken long walks in Spain and Portugal also. Madeleine (58), added, “After the march, we will be going to Gandhi’s birthplace in Porbandar.”