Seventeen years ago, when Gujarat Vidyapith in Ahmedabad launched a footmarch of students and faculty members, titled ‘Gramjivan Padayatra’, only four villages were covered. This year, however, as the century-old varsity held the padayatra after a gap of two years, it spanned across all 18,000 villages of Gujarat. Another difference this year was the theme — natural farming, a deviation from the usual themes of literacy and de-addiction. More than 1,800 students and faculty members who embarked on the padayatra returned with some requests from farmers — developing a market for natural farming products, modifications in insurance schemes, and validation and certification processes for natural farming products. The observations are set to be documented in a report. The footmarch — which also witnessed a roadshow — was held under the guidance of Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, who is also the Chancellor of the University. Even as most farmers are aware of natural farming and its benefits, they are reluctant to switch, fearing low produce, according to the students and faculty members. Sharing his experiences, Jaydeep …