LUCKNOW: Two campaigns of peace espousing the philosophy of non-violence and democracy, Lucknow Collective and Ahinsa Festival, will see Lucknowites coming together on a common platform for a common cause to preserve unity and diversty in India.
Taking up on themselves the task to weave India's social fabric of secularism and promote democratic values, citizens' campaign Lucknow Collective will bring people together through its Kabir Festival from November 12 to 14.
As a prelude to the campaign and festival, a documentary 'Sab Lila Hai' will be screened on Friday at
Sangeet Natak Akademi
. "The festival will be a soft launch for the bigger idea where like-minded peace loving persons will join hands for a cause using the cultural medium," said organising member Deepak Kabir.
The 63-minute short film is a satire, directed by filmmaker Nirmal Chander and showcasing staging of
Ramlila
by Hindus and Muslims of Rudahi and Bargadi villages and its subsequent politicisation after the formation of the Bakshi ka Talab area. "The Kabir festival will mirror the philosophy of the poet, attempting to create bonds of humanity in the backdrop of the growing atmosphere of hatred," said Veena Rana.
On October 1 and 2, the Ahinsa Festival will be held at
Paryatn Bhawan
to exhort making non-violence a way of life. Designed to bring all kinds of age groups and people together, it will host interactive sessions, workshops, panel discussions on non-violent resistance and its strategies, story-telling for kids, art and essay competition. The festival is a collaborative effort by Bewajah and citizen-driven harmony building initiative Shoulder to Shoulder.
According to Masto, one of the organising members, "The festival is to commemorate real heroes of history."
The two-day festival will bring on stage freelance Journalist Om Thanvi, Mridula Mukherjee, scholar and historian at
Jawaharlal Nehru University and Alok Bajpai, independent scholar working on
Mahatma Gandhi and Indian National Movement, writer and storyteller Giriraj Kishore among others.
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