Participated in Kandhamal Day on August 28, 2018 and in Bhubaneshwar on August 29th. One decade of Kandhamal is over. No symptom of justice even now. But I must confess my sheer admiration for the survivors of Kandhamal, who are still struggling within all means allowed by the Indian Constitution drafted by Ambedkar. I must confess my sheer admiration for the stubborn journey for peace, justice and harmony by many people including Dhirendra Panda, Ram Puniyani, Fr. Ajay Singh, Fr. Manoj Nayak, Paul Pradhan, John Dayal and many others during this last one decade. It was not an easy journey. Thanks to Aruna Roy for inspiring us in Kandhamal. Thanks to Swami Agniveshji for inspiring us in Bhubaneshwar. The Sangh Parivar has made it a `habit' to bash him up physically wherever he travels. Once or twice, it is tolerated. But don't make it a `habit' man. After all, he is also a `Hindu' spiritual leader. So what is your problem? Thanks to the efforts of the police and many activists in Bhubaneshwar, he could make his powerful speech and return without a scratch. I remember this person called Swami Agnivesh who stood bravely against nuclear energy even in the eighties when the anti-nuclear energy team was just a handful in India. I remember his powerful speech in Harsood in 1988 when the Narmada movement was just a teen ager. His age can not bear any more physical harm. I would only request all human rights activists to do whatever you can to protect his safety. I do not know what exactly he means by Vedic Socialism. Perhaps I may, at a later stage. But that doesn't matter. So long as Swami Agniveshji supports people's causes, our responsibility is to support him and protect his physical safety. For it would be a dishonour to Indian democracy if we do not do so. Sharing an old poem on Kandhamal in memory of the struggles of the survivors of Kandhamal:
<https://countercurrents.org/2017/11/16/kandhamal/> <https://countercurrents.org/2017/11/16/kandhamal/> https://countercurrents.org/2017/11/16/kandhamal/ Kandhamal <https://countercurrents.org/2017/11/16/kandhamal/>in Communal Harmony <https://countercurrents.org/category/communal-harmony/> — by K P Sasi <https://countercurrents.org/author/k-p-sasi/> — November 16, 2017 [image: kandhamal-refugees] When a thunder and lightning hit Many places of worship Houses destroyed and people killed With fire on the roofs And swords and axes on the ground Exploding bombs on the nerves Murdering the identity and dignity Of men, women and children, I went to measure The pain in their eyes And to count The number of tears Flowing like a waterfall Crossing their check dams, For a moment of peace And a moment of being. The gush of the flow Snatched our camera And editing system Forcing us to search in despair Making us roam around in confusion About the meaning Of our own existence. The rain that poured from the eyes Could sweep any decent civilization. But it didn’t. For men who did not care Except for their own greed for power Could convert the presence Into absence. Today, when you look at The drought in the eyes With horrors of the past Still bringing fire into my soul I keep telling myself That my body should never be connected With another thunder and lightening. And when the dark clouds moved In a sky that I could not reach I took a shot Of a sun That has never risen. *K.P Sasi* is a film maker, writer, activist and cartoonist. He can be reached at [email protected] -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
