11,000 villages will light a lamp on November 26th to shed light on the Indian constitution

Please join us by lighting a lamp on November 26th. Let’s together honor and protect the Indian constitution, which is under great duress today.

A model created by Dalit Shakti Kendra, Gujarat, to educate children on the Indian constitution

Please show your solidarity for Sanvidhan Shakti, a new initiative by Martin Macwan of Navsarjan Trust, India and HfHR Advisory Board Member, by sending an email to info@hindusforhumanrights.org with “In Solidarity” in the subject line.

It has been over a year since Martin Macwan of Navsarjan Trust and Dalit Shakti Kendra (DSK) in Gujarat, and a member of the HfHR Advisory Board, issued a call for the removal of the statue of Manu from the premises of the Rajasthan High Court.

His plan included a nation-wide movement, which was to have culminated on December 25th 2020 — the day in 1927 that Dr. Ambedkar set aflame a copy of the Manu Smriti. 93 years after that symbolic act of defiance to awaken people’s consciousness to the evils of the caste system, we seem to have made little progress on the elimination of untouchability and violence against Dalits.

Unfortunately, the COVID surge and other hurdles curtailed his plan of action.

In the meantime, so much has happened in India to further envelop its secular constitution in darkness, as almost every pillar of democracy has been weakened or even removed altogether.

It is in this new and urgent circumstance that Martin Macwan has issued a fresh call to protect and honor India’s secular constitution on November 26, 2021, Constitution Day, the day that Dr. Ambedkar presented the draft constitution to the people of India.

Here’s a note from Martin Macwan on the planned campaign:

There are a series of programs as follows. 

1.    26th November 2021: People across India will light a lamp/candle in their homes/community to celebrate Constitution Day as the day of Sanvidhan Shakti. More than 11,000 villages have already joined the program preparation and more are joining. The programs will be organized in towns as well. The poster in English is attached.

2.    6th December 2021: Will be the day of Rakt Bandhuta (Blood Fraternity)  500 young women and men will donate blood at Dalit Shakti Kendra, Gujarat. Another 500 youth are expected to donate blood in other states (UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Telangana and Maharashtra, and more preparing to join). The blood donation program shall thereafter continue until 12th March 2022.

3.    A Rakt Yatra is planned from Gujarat to Delhi, carrying the blood donation certificates. The message of the march: “Dr. Ambedkar had said that without fraternity, both equality and liberty have little meaning. The greatest relationship or expression of fraternity is through donating blood to save lives. Hence, let us share blood and end untouchability. Can India announce the end of untouchability on 15th August 2022, on the occasion of its 75th independence anniversary from all places of worship?”

4.    15th August 2022: As India celebrates the seventy-fifth anniversary of independence, we shall launch Bhim Rudan, in recognition of the fact that Dr. Ambedkar’s dream of annihilation of caste is unfinished: A large brass coin shall be minted with the message: “On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of India on 15th August 2047, will India be FREE OF UNTOUCHABILITY?” 

People across the country have donated 2,700 KG of brass utensils for the coin. The coin will be presented to the Parliament to lay the same in the foundation of the new upcoming Parliament House. This is to remind us that India cannot become a true nation as long as untouchability persists. 

People across the country are also donating one Rupee as their contribution to the new Parliament House to convey the message that in a true democracy the Parliament belongs to all the people. Already, over 1,50,000 One Rupee coins have been donated. 

Please show your solidarity for Sanvidhan Shakti by sending an email to info@hindusforhumanrights.org with “In Solidarity” in the subject line.

Please also join more than 11,000 villages in India on November 26th by lighting a lamp in honor of the Indian constitution and please share a selfie with a sign showing one of the rights guaranteed under he constitution that you most cherish.