Mumbai: On Mahatma Gandhi’s 157th birth anniversary on Friday, members of more than 20 civil society and community organisations in Mira Bhayandar came together for a peace walk, calling for peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and social harmony.
Citizen-Led Initiative Organises Walk
The ‘Mira Bhayandar Walk for Peace’ was organised by Mira Bhayandar for Peace, a citizen-led, non-partisan and non-political initiative that seeks to bring together people from diverse religious and social backgrounds through dialogue and collective civic action.
The organisers said the initiative was significant in view of incidents of communal tension reported in Mira Bhayandar in the past. They said the walk was intended as a public expression of peace, dialogue and peaceful coexistence.
Different Groups Join Initiative
“Mira Bhayandar witnessed communal tensions recently and even in the past. We had representatives and religious leaders from different groups,” said Dr Mukhtar Khan of the Democratic Writers’ Association.
The 500-odd participants, carrying posters and placards with messages of peace and harmony, walked for over two-and-a-half hours from Surya Shopping Centre to the railway station. Students also staged skits during the event.
Over 20 Organisations Participate
Among the organisations that participated were HaqHai, DYFI, Chandni Foundation, Bombay Catholic Sabha, Sadbhavana Manch, Mumbai for Peace, The Billawer Association, Snehalaya Special School, Bunts Association, Hamara Farz Foundation, Ziddi Maratha Prathishthan, Bihar Welfare Association and schools.
At Mani Bhavan in Girgaon, which served as Gandhi’s Mumbai headquarters from 1917 to 1934, visitors, including schoolchildren, viewed exhibits on his life and work, including his room and charkha. The building, once the private residence of a merchant, is now a museum and research centre dedicated to Gandhi.
Festival of Alternatives
Friday also marked the first death anniversary of Gandhian and social worker Dr G G Parikh. The Yusuf Meherally Centre at Tara, Panvel, is commemorating his life and work through its Festival of Alternatives, being held from October 2 to 4.
The festival brings together changemakers, grassroots organisations, social entrepreneurs and institutions to explore solutions in areas such as sustainability, education, healthcare and empowerment.
To mark Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti, Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti, and National Wildlife Week, the Environment Life Foundation organised a cleanup drive and a trek at Kondane Caves and Waterfall in Karjat.
Over 50 volunteers, alongside local forest officers, removed approximately 400 kg of waste—including an estimated 30,000 plastic items and numerous liquor bottles. Dharmesh Barai of the Foundation's urged the Maharashtra government to ban alcohol consumption in sensitive natural zones and impose heavy fines on litterers. The organisation appealed to all trekkers and tourists to enjoy nature responsibly and pack out their trash.
The three-day event features an expo of NGOs and artisans, innovation labs and workshops on the circular economy, composting, renewable energy and cooperative business models. It will also include discussions involving practitioners and institutions, along with cultural, film and public-art programmes and youth engagement initiatives.
The Yusuf Meherally Centre has been working in education, healthcare, sustainable livelihoods and rural development for six decades.
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