Peace Stand Dec 14th MG road, Bangalore

The road to awakening is long and arduous.

Three weeks ago it seemed the entire country was out marching and protesting with candles and placards. Now a lot of the urgency has died down - or so it seems. our famed propensity to bounce back turns around and bites us till we dust our backs and get on with our lives.

But there are some who are determined to keep the flames of sacrifice. These people have understood that the long and arduous road we are on need markers for remembrance, to jog people's memory and jostle them out of complacence.

below is one such account of a peace stand on MG Road Bangalore on December 14th. This should serve as a reminder of lives lost and promises not kept.

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Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, an NSG commando Elite and others gave up their lives in the fight against terrorism on our land and its people. While the entire nation, stood in mute spectacle it seemed, nince terrorists took the nation as hostage.

Today, almost two weeks later, we decided to not be the common man who has gone in a slumber, or someone who has an escape route/reason to run away from accepting that he is also responsible for the turmoil the nation is going through.

Awake, Arise and let's take to the streets - let’s do our bit in helping out the administration and helping them build a secure INDIA. We condemn the attacks and we condemn the incompetence of the government in securing the nation alongwith ours.

We started off with paying homage to the martyrs of 26/11.

This was going to be a Peace Stand. We were going to stand on MG Road, holding placards to express our discontent.

We also had on display a card for Major Unnikrishnan's family. We put it out for passers- by to sign and the response was overwhelming. More than 500 signatures were collected - All wanted to pass on a message to the martyr family, who died to make sure we lived in peace..

Be the CHANGE, to see the CHANGE is what we believe in..

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One peace stand, another march, a third placard signing - seemingly ineffectual actions today. But I think they serve a larger purpose in reminding people of the power of WE.

My hope is this awakening will lead to a new polity - where we will not forget the brave and the martyred - nor our responsibility to them.

Dec 7th - Bangalore March cancelled

Dear friend,

Our march for this sunday the 7th has been postponed due to the ban on all congregations in the city of bangalore till about the 15th.We will be communicating the new date and time as things become clearer. Our struggle and resolve has not reached the end of the road. Nay it is but a small speed bump on our road to self realization. Let us use these two weeks to remember the fallen ones in Mumbai, to revisit the sacrifices of our armed forces and to remind ourselves of the job in front of us. let us treat this as a hiatus - the real job awaits us out there.

Thank you
anuradha

WAVE for India

My Indian citizens,

At this point in time when the country is in turmoil and is alienated by our own people, people whom we chose to represent us, people who should understand us better, people who should help the country and its countrymen grow bigger and stronger, it is of utmost importance for us to unite, for us to gather together, to be wide awake, to understand what we need, to show this to the people of INDIA that we are with you.. That we are together, united, undeterred.

Let us join for a SILENT peace march on the 7th of December, Sunday from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

Let us gather together and express our solidarity, express our unity, express our vision, that we will take to the streets, and set things straight if the babus are incompetent to do it...

At this time of introspection and action, this will be our way, collectively, of showing that we stand shoulder to shoulder and hand to hand with our brethren in Mumbai and elsewhere where such incidents befall society. Let us repeat the stupendous solidarity displayed by Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Hyderabad and Kolkata.

The route for this march is :

Townhall to M.G. Road.

The march will terminate at the Mahatma Gandhi Statue on MG Road.

Code of Conduct:

Please be aware that this is a Silent peace march and we will convey the message by lighting candles at the end of the procession. In no way are we going to disrupt the traffic, shout slogans or incite any tensions within the populace.

The martyrs of 26/11……
We are with you.. We will not let your blood go in vain…
Hum tumhare saath hain….

And this does not end in a peace march… this is the hour of awakening… and hour of action… an hour to bring about a change from the very roots… Peace March is just the beginning of this change…

All of us have that Indian-ness within us and want to do something for our country, for our motherland.
If we have a goal that, we, the citizens of INDIA will strive to make our future prosperous and secure, even a small group of people can cause an awakening.

So, let us gather together and express our solidarity, express our unity, express our vision

A group of young, committed people have come together, like many others, in the aftermath of the Mumbai carnage and have formed a group called WAVE – Win Against Various Extremes.

Our core objectives are:

• Create awareness among people about our fundamental rights granted by the Constitution.

• Seek and Sustain accountability from elected officials

• Find avenues to sustain the group at an all-India level.

Please visit http://bodheverse.org/wave and Sign The Petition there.

Ask your friends to sign it too.

Jai Hind

Anuradha Shastry

WAVE