20,000 people march for land rights in India - video
Monday, 8 October 2007
A 350 kilometre demonstration march, which began on 2 October (Gandhi's Birthday) in Gwalior, India, is travelling to New Delhi over twenty days. Up to 20,000 people, including village leaders and activists, are marching in an attempt to secure land rights from the government. This is the first instalment in a series of videos following the march.
Ekta Parishad, one of Concern’s Indian partners, has organised a year-long non-violent collective action, called Janadesh 2007 (People’s Verdict 2007). They launched their “New Vision for Land Reforms” at the end of 2006, to address the pivotal issues of poverty, social distress, violence and inequitable distribution of resources. The march is a culmination of Janadesh 2007.
The demands of those who are marching are not employment or welfare-based, rather they are asking for pieces of land on which they can work to earn their livelihoods. Land will also help them to stay in their own villages, preventing migration to the cities, which leads to increased pressure on urban communities, creating more slums. Land is basically the first step towards reducing poverty and realising dignity for millions of people.
This short film captures the atmosphere and energy at the beginning of demonstration, and of the Janadesh 2007 campaign itself. A number of video diaries following the progress of the march will be posted here over the coming weeks. The video may take a minute to load.
- Watch the second instalment here
