Aman ka Sandesh campaign

PJI Launches “Aman ka Sandesh” Campaign

This past week, Pravah launched a campaign called “Aman ka Sandesh”: A Message of Peace. Volunteers here at Pravah have led a series of rallies and public discussions promoting peaceful acceptance of the upcoming Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya title suit. The campaign stresses the importance of unity between different religious groups, regardless of the suit’s result, in order to maintain peace and avoid violence.

The campaign first began as an informal conversation among volunteers at Pravah about the upcoming Ayodhya verdict on September 23^rd. After discussing the long history of violence and rioting relating to Hindu-Muslim issues, we felt that avoiding violence is more important than any particular verdict on the Ayodhya site. We next focused on how we could make a difference in solving this problem, and decided to engage in community outreach to raise awareness. The participants divided into small groups and engaged local residents in discussion at Tonk Fatak and Nehru Garden. After receiving a positive response, we decided to develop a full campaign to spread awareness about the issue.

We then developed slogans, made posters, and planned campaign routes for the coming days. From September 24^th to 26^th, rallies were held from Police Memorial Circle to New Gate, and at Choti Chopar in the Old City. The rallies ranged from 15-30 participants from Pravah, who marched with placards reading “Aman ka Sandesh”, “Love, Brotherhood, Unity, Peace,” and “Let There be Peace.” After each of the marches, the participants broke into small groups to engage local residents in discussion, emphasizing the need to remain calm after the verdict is issued, and encouraging the reporting of violent activities to the local authorities. Media coverage of the events included interviews by BTV News, among other outlets.

Public response to the ongoing campaign has been positive. In the reflection circles that we have formed after each rally, participants have shared their experiences and noted that most local residents have supported a peaceful resolution regardless of the Ayodhya verdict. The police, too, have been supportive—although they initially forbid the group from marching in the Old City, they happily granted a permit once they learned the campaign is promoting non-violence. Thus far, we have spoken to approximately 500 local residents in small discussion groups, enabling intensive reflection regarding this issue. We hope to make a real difference in promoting peace and unity in response to this controversial issue, to avoid rioting and shutting-down of shops in Jaipur.