Nonkilling India Campaign Starts its November Program

November 16, 2009 Joám Evans Pim

The Citizens Initiative for a Nonkilling India started on November 13 a ten-day intense program of activities as part of its Nonkilling India Campaign. The program marks the concluding phase of the year-long Observance of the Centenary of Gandhi’s seminal work “Hind Swaraj”, beginning on November 13 (the day Gandhi started writing “Hind Swaraj”) and concluding on November 22 (the day in which it was concluded). As part of the national Campaign, seminars will be celebrated in 100 villages across India.

Once again, CGNK Honorary Sponsor Professor Neelakanta Radhakrishnan is responsible for this historical initiative to promote the concept and practice of nonkilling across India. Besides the Indian Council of Gandhian Studies, who leads the Citizens Initiative, the Nonkilling India Campaign has the support of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sanghatan (NYKS), Shobhit University, Ekta Parishad, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Kamrah Institue of Information Technology (KIIT), Anuvrat Global Organization (ANUVIBHA), Forum for Ganhian Thought and Traditional Values and Global Gandhi Forum.

Programed activities include:

Friday, November 13, Inauguration of the Seminar Series: “Hind Swaraj as Declaration of Nonviolent Culture against Culture of Violence”. Venue: Miranda House, University of Delhi (10.00 am). Chief Guest: Ms. Kumudben Joshi, Former Governor and Union Minister and presently Chairperson, Khadi and Village Industries Commission. Guest of Honour: Dr. Anoop Swarup, Vice-Chancellor, Shobhit University, Meerut. Introduction to Seminar Series: Prof. N. Radhakrishnan, Chairman, Indian Council of Gandhian Studies. Chair: Dr. (Mrs) Adarsh Gulati, Acting Principal. Keynote address: Dr. Y.P. Anand, former Chairman, Railway Board, Government of India, and Director, National Gandhi Museum, New Delhi. Speaker: Samani Pratibha Pragya, Jain Vishwa Bharati University, Ladnun, Rajasthan. Seminar Director: Dr. Nisha Tyagi, Miranda House.
Saturday, November 4, “Hind Swaraj as a Critique of Modern Civilization”. Venue: Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, Kalkaji (3.00 pm). Chief Guest: Sri Oscar Fernandes, M.P. (Chairman, Organizing Committee, National Youth Assembly). Chair: Dr. S.P. Agarwal, Principal. Keynote address: Prof. N. Radhakrishnan, Chairman, Indian Council of Gandhian Studies. Speakers: Dr. Vinod Tyagi, Professor, Shyamlal College. Seminar Director: Dr. T.K. Mishra and Dr Vipin Kumar Tiwary.
Sunday, November 15, “Education for Nation Building and Civilizational Issues in Hind Swaraj”. Venue: Shobhit University, City Center, Mayur Vihar Phase II (3.00 pm). Chief Guest: Shri Bishwajit Bhattacharyya, Addl. Solicitor-General of India. Chair: Sri Kanwar Vijendra Sekhar, Pro-Chancellor. Speakers: 1. Sri Devdutt, senior journalist and Gandhian scholar; 2. Sri Anil Nauriya, Supreme Court Lawyer and Gandhian scholar. Seminar Director: Dr. Anoop Swarup, Vice-Chancellor.
Monday, November 16, “Lessons from Hind Swaraj to tackle Environmental and Gender Issues”. Venue: Shyamlal College (Evening), University of Delhi, Shahdara (3.30 pm). Chair: Dr. G.P. Agarwal, Principal. Chief Guest: Dr. C.S. Pran, Director, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sanghatan (NYKS). Keynote: Prof. Anand Kumar, Chair, School of Social Sciences, JNU. Speakers: Sri Babulal Sharma, Global Gandhi Forum, New Delhi. Seminar Director: Dr. Ramesh Kumar.
Tuesday, November 17, “Hind Swaraj as Gandhi’s Discourse on the Philosophy of Nonviolence and Education”. Venue: Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, Delhi University, Moti Nagar (2.00 pm). Chair: Dr. S.K. Garg, Principal. Chief Guest: Shri Ramakant Goswami,MLA, Chairman, Delhi Jal Board. Keynote speaker: Prof. M.L. Sharma, Professor and Head, Dept. of Gandhian Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh. Guest of honour: Prof. K.D. Gangrade, former Pro-Vice-Chancellor, University of Delhi. Seminar Director: Dr. Anil Dutt Kaushik.
Wednesday, November 18, “Hind Swaraj as the Magna Carta of Initiatives to Win over Violence and Hatred”. Venue: Rajdhani College, University of Delhi, Raja Garden (12.00 noon). Chair: Dr. Vijayalakshmi Pandit, Principal. Chief Guest: Justice Dr Vijendra Jain, former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court. Guests of Honour: 1. Mr Chattar Singh, Chairman, OBC Commission, Delhi State; 2. Sri A.K. Dogra, Joint Secretary, U.G.C.; 3. Sri R.K. Malviya, former Union Minister and President, Harijan Sevak Sangh, Delhi. Keynote speaker: Ms. Radha Bhatt, Chair, Gandhi Peace Foundation. Speakers: 1. Sri P.V. Rajagopal, President, Ekta Parishad, New Delhi; 2. Dr Arun Kumar, Professor, Dept. Of Gandhian Studies, Vardhaman Mahavira Open University, Kota, Rajasthan. Seminar Director: Dr. Anil Dutt Kaushik.
Thursday, November 19, “Hind Swaraj and 21st Century”. Venue: School of Social Sciences, JNU, New Delhi (3.00 pm). Chair: Prof. Susan Vishwanath, School of Social Sciences. Chief Guest: Sri Kanwar Vijender Sekhar, Pro-Chancellor, Shobhit University, Meerut. Keynote: Prof. Girija Kishore. Speakers: 1. Prof. Abhijit Pathak; 2. Prof. Salil Mishra; 3. Prof. Manindra Thakur; 4. Prof. Asha Sarangi; 5. Prof. Amit Sharma. Closing remarks: Prof. N. Radhakrishnan. Seminar Director: Prof. Anand Kumar.
Friday, November 20, “Hind Swaraj as People’s Manifesto for Nonviolent Social Change”. Venue: Shri Venketeshwara College, South Campus, Delhi University, Daula Kuan (11.00 am). Chair: Dr. Hemlata Reddy, Principal . Chief Guest: Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice-Chancellor, IGNOU. Guest of Honour: Sri Laxmi Das, former Chairman, KVIC, and presently Secretary, Harijan Sevak Sangh. Keynote speaker: Sri Devdutt, senior Journalist and Gandhi Scholar. Speaker: Dr. (Mrs) Nisha Tyagi, Miranda House. Seminar Director: Dr. Subhash Garg.
Saturday, November 21, “National Youth Assembly in Delhi to launch Yuv Shanti Sena”. Venues: Gandhi Samadhi, Rajghat; India Gate; Mavalankar Hall, New Delhi (8.00 am to 2.00 pm). The highlight of the programmes in Delhi, besides these lectures and seminars, is a National Youth Assembly against Violence and Terror in which over 1,000 youth leaders from different parts of India who are committed to nonviolence and nonkilling will announce the revived Yuva Shanti Sena of Gandhi’s dreams to work for peace in the country: (8.30 am) Gandhi Samadhi, Rajghat: Lighting of 28 “Ahimsa Jyotis” (representing 28 States of India); (9.30 am) India Gate: Pledge taking by the Youth Participants; (10.30 am) Inaugural function of the Youth Assembly; (11.30 am to 2.00 pm) Working Session on Strategies of developing a Standing Body of Yuva Shanti Sainiks/Peace Volunteers to deal with peace building, peace making and peace keeping initiatives.
Sunday, November 22, “Conclusion of the Seminar Series”. Venue: GGS Indraprastha University, Kashmere Gate, Delhi (11.30 am).