To Mark Mahatma Phule’s Bicentenary, Mumbaikars Unite For Peace March; Call For Communal Harmony & Unity

Mumbai: A diverse assembly of Mumbaikars gathered on Saturday to issue a powerful collective call for communal harmony against the "rising tide of engineered intolerance within the metropolis." The peace march, organised by Mumbai for Peace group, aimed to celebrate the beginning of the 200th birth anniversary year of social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and reclaiming the city’s historic cosmopolitan identity.

March route and participants

The procession of around 150 citizens, including students, activists, and civil society organisations, threaded through the heart of Mahim and the nearby areas. The route was a deliberate tour of Mumbai’s multi-ethnic landscape. Starting at Reti Bandar, the participants marched through Parsi Colony, Sindhi Colony, Marinagar, Mogul Lane and Kapad Bazaar, while distributing leaflets and engaging with local residents, spreading a message of fraternity, with chants of "Samvidhan Zindabad."

​The significance of the date was central to the event as it marked the start of the bicentenary year of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. Participants carried placards featuring the likenesses of Phule, Savitribai Phule, and Fatima Shaikh, drawing a direct line between the 19th-century social reform movement and modern constitutional values. Some of the prominent messages displayed on posters included, "Love, don't hate" and "Actions matter, not religion." The march also paid homage to figures like Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to emphasise the pluralistic history of Maharashtra.

Prominent participants​

While the rally saw a cross-section of Mumbai’s religious and social fabric, several eminent citizens and activists joined the ranks, including filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, Filmmaker, Advocate Vinod Shetty and activists Hasina Khan, Sandhya Gokhale, Chayanika Shah, Sujatha Gothoskar, and Dolphy D’souza.

​The event concluded back at Reti Bandar with a solemn reading of the Preamble of the Indian Constitution to renew the commitment to equality, secularism, and dignity.

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