Rally to promote peace in Jaipur today

JAIPUR: Sumitra Chopra of the CPI-M, Nisha Siddhu of CPI, Gandhian Sawai Singh, journalist and activist Bhanwar Meghwanshi and Dalit and minority group leaders have come together to organize a rally in the state capital on Wednesday to draw attention to the need to actively promote peace and prevent the spread of hatred.
The call for the rally said, "Rajasthan has become a laboratory of hatred. A planned movement is afoot to spread hatred and provoke violence. The December 6 attack on the unsuspecting labourer by a man (in Rajsamand) is one more instance of this spread of hatred. There is need to evolve short and long-term strategies to stem this tide of hatred. There is need for legal activism to ensure that victims get justice and that perpetrators are brought to book. To plan for these and to call for peace, the rally will proceed from Shaheed Smarak."

A meeting is also planned in Rajsamand district on January 6 to mull over the formation of 'Insaaniyat and Aman Citizens Councils' - groups that will promote humanity in peace - in every district of the country.

A press release from Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghatan said, "We are all aware of the frightening and alarming increase in identity based violence in different parts of the country. While it is the responsibility of the government to ensure the maintenance of law, order and the protection of the life and liberty of its citizens; there is no doubt that neither the bureaucracy nor the political leadership have been able to ensure peace, tranquillity, and security -- particularly for marginalised groups. In fact in some cases, the political leadership has behaved in the most irresponsible manner undermining constitutional values for narrow political gains. Under such circumstances it becomes imperative for citizens groups and responsible civic leadership to step in to make sure that the most basic humanitarian values are protected. We must ensure that the Indian Constitution on which this nation is based, is enforced in letter and spirit."

The idea of these citizens groups is to create a line of leadership that will stand for peace and harmony and prevent the spread of hatred and violence. A network of such groups across the country could aid in preventing the spread of "pernicious emotions" that could undermine the plurality of society and endanger the very survival of India.