Does peace march make any difference, cynics may ask? After all what do you gain as communal forces thrive as much after march as before? Well, it is true, but only from one perspective. Also, gains cannot be measured in material terms though at times peace marches have proved successful in concrete terms also. We took out peace march in the midst of communal frenzy on 26th January 1993 in Mumbai. Police had also warned us that you might be attacked and we cannot take guarantee for your safety. We said thank you, we don’t need your protection. It was indeed a great experience as people came forward and welcomed us with showers of flower petals and deafening sound of clapping. The march had salutary effect on the situation and communal violence died down soon. We also marched for peace in October 1990 from Azad Maidan to Thane and people welcomed us enthusiastically at several places. We were singing and marching.
There are marches by hate mongers also. The communal forces organized yatra for karseva and demolished Babri Masjid on 6th December 1992. The peace loving forces, however, organized peace pilgrimage Aman Yatra, Karvan-e-Aman from Ayodhya to Ajmer from 6th of December to 12th December 2009. The initiative for this yatra was taken by the Mahant of one of the Ram Mandirs in Ayodhya Shri Yugal Kishore Shashtri and was sponsored by Asha Parivar of Sandip Pande, Centre for Study of Society and Secularism and Ayodhya Ki Awaz (an organization for communal harmony in Ayodhya).
Shri Yugal Kishore Shashtri has made peace his mission and all peace loving forces have come forward to support him in his mission. When he phoned me for support and sponsorship, I readily agreed and promised him to join the yatra at some point. Sandip Pande was present in Lucknow. His further engagements did not permit him to remain with the yatra in its further march. In all about 25 persons from U.P., M.P., Kerala, Gujarat and Rajasthan carried on the march.
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10:27 PM
Moderate Islamist here
