Peace campaign marks Gandhi’s death anniversary

They also organized a meeting of some 600 people from all walks of life, who pledged to work for peace and harmony in the country, Thorat said.

By ucanews.com reporter
Mumbai:  Christian groups have joined more than 30 organizations to campaign for peace and non-violence in the country amid what they called a worrying social trend of intolerance and hostility.

The week-long campaign in Maharashtra state ended Jan. 30, on the 71st death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, father of Indian nation who advocated non-violence even in his opposition to colonial British rule.

Peace eludes the nation despite it becoming democratic republic in 1950 with a constitution guaranteeing equal rights and freedom of religion to all citizens, campaigners said.

“Now the constitution is under threat. Its secular values are under threat,” says Catholic activist Brinelle Elizabeth of Indian Christian Women Moment (ICWM) which joined with 30 other organizations for the campaign.

Campaigners say ever since pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power, winning a landslide in the 2014 general elections, an atmosphere of intolerance developed.

Hindu groups, who supports BJP, took their party victory a mandate to accelerate works to make India Hindus-only nation and launched violent attacks against religious minorities, intellectuals and journalists who spoke for a secular state.

The campaigners say BJP running governments in New Delhi and 16 others Indian states have emboldened Hindu activists to even publically insult images of peace and secularism such as Mahatma Gandhi.

“You see what they have done this death anniversary of Gandhi,” Elizabeth said referring to an incident of some members of Hindu Mahasabha re-enacting the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi with a toy gun, hailing his assassin Nathuram Godse as “Mahatma” (great soul).

“What is important is very same idea that killed Gandhi is getting presidency in the country,” she said adding defending rights and secular values are projected as anti-national and anti-Hindu.

Noted author Nayantara Sahgal, 91, while addressing a meeting as part of the campaign in Mumbai’s Church-run Sophia College auditorium said Gandhi “knew that the majority in India were not Hindu, but poor.”

“Today, there is so much hatred and violence among us. Equal citizenship is being destroyed and and so is the right of Indians to think, speak, write, paint, dance, worship and marry as they choose. “

“Hindutva is making nonsense of history, science and the arts. Those who dissent are persecuted, arrested and killed,” she added.

Ashish Thorat, senior executive secretary of Young Men’s Christian Association in Mumbai said the campaign aimed to make society “more inclusive so that we live in peace, harmony, brotherhood and with equality among others.”

The campaigners sent out a national appel singed by some 180 eminent people explaining the need for protecting our constitution and its secular values. They also conducted awareness programs in colleges.

They also organized a meeting of some 600 people from all walks of life, who pledged to work for peace and harmony in the country, Thorat said.

The minority religions such as Christian and Muslims face increased violence from right wing Hindu groups after BJP came to power.

Government data presented in parliament shows at least 111 people were killed and 2,384 others injured in 822 sectarian violence in 2017.

END