By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi: Some progressive women groups are traveling across India to fight hatred.
It is a journey across India for love, harmony and peace led by women, said Annie Raja, one of the organizers. The event is led by five women from September 22 to October 13.
Women groups from across India are coming together in organizing “Baatein Aman Ki” (talks of peace) campaign. It is to address much broader democratic challenges also which are facing the country such polarization, divisive politics, mob lynching, religious bigotry, caste-based killing, honor killing, hatred killing often perpetuated by dominant caste groups, political parties, and communal forces against Dalits, Tribals, the poor, and others.
Each traveling group will have 20-25 women from diverse backgrounds. In each state, local women will join the group and travel within the state before the campaign group moves to the next state.
“We hope to galvanize women and men across India to rise against the violence and chaos that has engulfed our nation,” Raja said. They have chalked out five routes and plan to invite various women groups and people’s networks from cities, towns, villages en route to form local coordination committees and hosts the groups marching.
Hosting will include coordinating with all peace-loving citizens, organizing public meetings, making arrangements for food and stay, said added.
The 20-25 day program will be funded by donations from ordinary people, peoples’ movements and women groups.
Raja noted that India is experiencing unprecedented levels of hatred. People are being killed in the name of religion, caste, gender and the choices one makes. Lives have been lost and ordinary citizens are falling to sustained hate-driven propaganda.
While citizens are looking for political solutions to this crisis, yet, the challenge needs a citizen’s intervention on the ground to arrest this wave of hatred, she added.