Press Release, 28 January 2024
People’s Initiative to commemorate the 76th anniversary of the Martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi on the 30th of January 2024, as a Day of National Unity, Communal Harmony, Non-Violence & Peace.
In this hour of national peril, let us recall the message of the Mahatma!
Let The Nation Stand in Silence as One!!
Silent gatherings at 11.00 am and 5.17pm!!
Dear Fellow Indians,
Zindabad!
In recent years, the country is witness to the growing threat of communal fascism, leading to fear, hatred, divisions & violence. Evidently the very founding principles drawn from the values and morals of our freedom movement led by Mahatma Gandhi, are under continuous serious assault. The vituperative and hateful speeches against Mahatma Gandhi, and the principles that he stood for are indeed a matter of national shame.
The open threat of genocide against the Minorities, are a cause of great concern for all Indians who are committed to a modern democratic constitutional republic.
In fact, today, these very right-wing communal forces, both belittle our very freedom struggle and insult the memory of the lakhs of martyrs who sacrificed their lives. They openly insult and demean Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation, who led India to freedom & sacrificed his life in his struggle against bigotry and hate.
Gandhiji’s message of unity and harmony, of satyagraha and resistance against tyranny, of peace and non-violence, today resonates across the world. It’s time for the secular democratic forces to give a fitting reply to these divisive forces.
Thus on the coming 30th of January, ‘We The People of India’ will be marking the Martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi, as a day of National Unity, Communal Harmony, Non-Violence and Peace.
The Proposed Programmes are as follows:
1) National Call for 2 minutes silence to be observed at 11.00 am and at precisely 5.17 pm, when the Mahatma was assassinated.
2) The programme at 11.00am will be organised on a decentralised basis, where people will gather locally. We will observe a 2 minutes silence and will be followed by a few speeches.
3) We also appeal to every state government to blow the siren precisely at 11.00 am as has previously been the norm.
4) Then precisely at 5.17pm, when Gandhiji was assassinated, the programme will be organised centrally across every city, town & village across the country. We will gather at the Gandhi Statue, which is present at most locations, or at any appropriate location.
5) National Unity & Communal Harmony Marches to be organised in every city, town and village across the country.
6) Sarva Dharma Prarthana & Songs for Harmony & Peace.
Gandhiji initiated a programme whereby people from different faiths could come together and recite prayers and songs from the various religions. Gandhiji thus created a common sacred social space for people to come together and understand, appreciate and experience the diversity of the divine.
So, let’s stand in Silence at 11.00am, in our schools and colleges, in our homes and offices, in our factories and fields, in buses and trains, in our places of worship, or wherever we may be.
Let’s stand in Silence at precisely 5.17pm, when Bapu was slain.
LET THE NATION STAND IN SILENCE AS ONE!!
We appeal to all the social movements, political parties & people from all walks of life to endorse the above statement and wholeheartedly organise and participate in the forthcoming programmes.
In Solidarity
Dr. G G Parikh, Medha Patkar, Tushar Gandhi, Prof. Anand Kumar, Dr. Sunilam, Feroze Mithiborwala, Guddi S.L., Prof. Ram Puniyani, Shyam Dada Gaikwad, Shabnam Hashmi, Irfan Engineer, Arun Srivastava and many others.
