New Delhi: A collective of peoples' movements from across the country has started 'Mitti Satyagraha' in solidarity with the farmers and workers movement, and to "symbolize resistance to the forces of crony-capitalism that are destroying India".
"Commemorating the historic salt march by Mahatma Gandhi during the Independence struggle, soil march started from March 12 and will culminate at Delhi borders on April 6 wherein participants are picking up a fistful of soil and pledge to defend India's fields, rivers, lakes and the public sector from private corporate," ANHAD, a civil society, who is part of the movement said.
The groups will start organising the 'Mitti Yatra' across Delhi. A zoom webinar will run through the day with speakers including historian Romila Thapar, Mridula Mukherjee , Delhi University professor Apoorvanand, academician Sohail Hashmi and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan. Yatris from various places will get connected to zoom while they collect mitti from historically important places.
Yatras on three routes will be led by Dr Syeda Hameed, Leena Dabiru, Mariam Dhawle, Asha Sharma, Maimoona Mollah, Madhuri Varshney, Shabnam Hashmi . Artists Vedi and Pakhi Sinha and from Sangwari group, along with young activists will accompany the yatra .
The yatra is being organised by various organisations including AIDWA, ANHAD, DASAM, DSG. Dwarka Collective, MWF, NAPM, NFIW, Pehchan, SKMU and SNS.
"The 'Mitti Satyagraha Yatra' is a national collective effort, of various people's organisations, committed to supporting the farmers' struggles and their demands to repeal the unjust draconian laws," said a statement from the civil societies.
Activist Amrita Johri while speaking of the programme said, "This is a very important yatra for which we have come together. The pandemic is going on but to raise our voice and keeping our demands so that it reaches the government is also important. It is necessary that the voices of people keep reaching the government."
The programme officially started from Thursday where people sang songs and vowed to keep the yatra alive.