Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das And Many Women’s Groups Support Baatein Aman ki For Women

A nationwide peace march by women – the Baatein Aman Ki is organising a celebrity-studded evening this Gandhi Jayanthi at Sophia Bhabhan Auditorium, Mumbai. 

All the news that we hear these days are of crime and violence – rape, mob lynching, honour killing and what not. These are against our constitutional values and they are proving to be a great threat to equality and peace in our society. People are constantly living in fear and suffering from insecurities. The most affected are none but the women of this country.   

It’s in this context that the Baatein Aman Ki campaign was envisaged. Women’s groups from across India have come together to organise a nationwide campaign aimed at addressing these challenges that are being faced in our country. It also fights for safeguarding women’s independence.  

The campaign is divided into 5 routes – Maitrey Yatra from Kashmir to Delhi, Ekjuta Yatra from Kerala to Delhi, Ekta Yatra from Tamil Nadu to Delhi, Samanta Yatra from Delhi to Delhi, and Nyaya Yatra from the North East to Delhi.  

On the way, women visit various cities, towns, and villages. They form local coordination committees in each state and organise events, talks, public meetings, performances and the like with the help of local women. Already about 500 programmes have been organized across the country in various states.     

Local women will join the group, travel within the state before the Baatein Aman Ki campaign group moves to the next state. All this is funded by personal donations from ordinary people, people’s movements and women’s groups.

A special evening on Gandhi Jayanthi

The Mumbai campaign of Baatein Aman ki is scheduled to begin on the special day of October 2nd, Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birthday. Starting with the Gandhi Peace March at 8.30 am from Grant Road Station to Main Bhavan, it will be followed many more events like speeches and songs by women traveling in the caravan to celebrate peace and justice.  

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But the highlight of the day is the evening, with cultural programmes from 6 to 9 at the Sophia Bhabhan Auditorium. The guest of honour and performers include many popular celebrities like Shabana Azmi, Sanjana Kapoor, Mita Vashisht, Nandita Das, Radhika Sood Nayak, Shruti Vishwanathan, and many others. More than 150 organisations like the Anhad, National Federation of Indian Women etc. are working towards hosting the women and the event in Mumbai.

It’s great to see initiatives like the Baatein Aman Ki campaign working towards making people, especially women aware of the need to rise and ask questions. Instead of living in fear, together we must bring about a change in our society. As MK Gandhi said, “Become the change you wish to see.”

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