There could not have been a better day, or a better way, to talk about peace. Various women’s and civil society organisations came together in the city on Gandhi Jayanti to spread the word on peace, harmony and constitutional values, under the pan-India campaign, ‘Baatein aman ki’ (Conversations on Peace).
“Everywhere there is an environment of hatred or fear,” said Shabnam Hashmi, social activist and human rights campaigner, on the idea behind the initiative. “An increasing number of people are becoming silent, be it at lynchings, sexual harassment of women or attacks on journalists. In order to subvert hate conversations and reach out to people we wanted women to come out on the roads as a symbol of courage to break that siege.”
The programmes organised in Mumbai included a peace march from Grant Road station to Mani Bhavan followed by speeches and a song programme at Chaitya Bhoomi near Shivaji Park, and a cultural performance by Ms. Hashmi and Annie Raja, General Secretary of the National Federation of Indian Women at Sophia College.
Under the campaign, women travelled to 22 States and organised meetings with local groups and civil society groups. The plan is to take the movement to 200 cities by holding over 500 programmes in 25 days. The campaign, which has been divided into five groups, began simultaneously on September 21 from Kashmir, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
The women, who travel in caravans from city to city will assemble in Delhi on October 13 for a final programme. “The message we want to convey is love against hatred, safeguarding the Constitution, taking a stand against violence and the right of choice to young people. We will not let the goons on the street decide who our children should love, whether they marry in or outside their religion, what they wear or eat,” Ms. Hashmi said.
Varsha Vidya Vilas, Co-convenor at Sadbhavna Sangha, said anyone talking against the establishment is termed ‘anti-national’, while crimes against women are rising and freedom of expression is shrinking. “The campaign is aimed to create awareness and encourage people to raise their voice. Usually women are seen fighting against women’s issues but now we (women) have come out to safeguard the Constitution and fundamental rights,” Ms. Vilas said.
Ms. Raja emphasised the need to ‘reclaim the country’. “We are battling against different types of social injustice, violence, communalism and increasing disregard for the Constitution.We want to raise awareness and protest against the authoritative establishment so that freedom can prevail.”
Joycia Thorat, project and policy officer at Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action said, “We are spreading the message of humanity, of peace and harmony, to seek social justice”.
Coming down on the media, Ms. Hashmi said the national media, especially electronic media, was speaking the same language as the government. Assistant Programme Officer, Jan Shiksha Sanstha, Abdul Raouf who travelled from Kashmir to be a part of the initiative, shared a similar sentiment. “The narrative of the media for Kashmir is not always true; people there want peace and harmony as much as the others. I am here to help convey that message across India.”
On the funding for the campaign, Ms. Hashmi said each journey by caravan costs around ₹2 lakh, which is usually individually funded and for other things, the participants have taken loans. “I don’t know yet how we will repay the loans we have taken from various people. I am glad that in every city or village we visit, local organisations and people have come forward and organised everything.”