Skip to main content

Demolishing building 'won’t end' Gandhian legacy: Varanasi marches for justice

By Rosamma Thomas* 

Gandhians and followers of Acharya Vinobha Bhave took out a march through Varanasi, stopping at different spots and raising slogans, protesting the demolition of the Sarva Sewa Sangh at Rajghat on the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi.
The march began at Bhadaini Chowraha and passed through Assi Ghat and Lanka Gate and in front of the Kashi Vishwa Vidyalaya before halting at the Sankat Mochan temple on September 14; it continued on September 15, with people raising slogans protesting the demolition and seeking justice. The legacy of Gandhi and Vinobha Bhave can hardly be washed away with the demolition of physical structures. The march will demonstrate that a dictatorial government that abuses the official machinery will not have its way for too long, protesters said.
Speaking to the press in Brussels on September 8, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asked why the foreign delegates to the G20 conference in New Delhi were not greeted with cries of “Jai Shri Ram” and taken to Godse’s memorial. He explained that the contest in India at present is between the ideology of Gandhi and that of his assassin, Nathuram Godse.
Writing in Deccan Herald recently, however, journalist Sagarika Ghose pointed out that it is really not a contest, but a carefully packaged manner of communication that presents Gandhi as the ideal to foreigners, while invoking Godse to deepen divisions domestically.
As his second term draws to a close, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attempted to leave physical markers of his time at the helm, changing the architecture of the heart of the national capital and “developing” sites with a strong association with Mahatma Gandhi and  Jawaharlal Nehru such that the association with the Congress party and its leaders is obliterated. The prime minister has also attempted to denigrate the achievements of Indian governments that preceded his.
Despite all these attempts, though, the general public retains affection for the leaders of India’s freedom struggle. The assault on institutions of learning, historians, intellectuals and those peacefully campaigning for public education in India is evidence that the current dispensation struggles to dislodge deeply held public perceptions.
---
*Freelance journalist    

Comments

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative   A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.

Gender violence defies stringent laws: The need for robust social capital

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The tragic death of Miss Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, who reportedly self-immolated due to harassment, shocked the conscience of Odisha. Even before the public could process this horrifying event, another harrowing case emerged—a 15-year-old girl from Balanga, Puri, was allegedly set ablaze by miscreants. These incidents are not isolated; they highlight a disturbing pattern of rising gender-based violence across the state and the country.