For peace, for love, for India
[From the Diary of a Peace Marcher]
by Subha Protim Roy Chowdhury
India. A vibrant display of many colors. A rich tapestry of many melodies. A bond of many languages. Stories of living across many cultures. India is a philosophy—another form of humanity. India is not merely a geography, nor is it just a history that speaks only of kings, emperors, and empires. In every home across this land, figures like Dara Shikoh, Kabir, Amir Khusrau, Nanak, Tulsi, Nimai, and Lalon are born. Dohar, Padbali, Fakiri, Murshidi are born. Jhulelal became a big scandal in this country. Urus begins with Gayatri Mantra, ends with Kalma Shahadat. 'Bharat Varsha' is written every day, Bharat Varsha is eternal. Written with love, with coexistence. Love is another name of India.
Through a calculated conspiracy, this country has been—and continues to be—destroyed. In truth, it is love itself that is being destroyed. Supporters of Savarkar and Jinnah are quite powerful today. They had succeeded in Noakhali before 1947, and they also succeeded in Kolkata and countless other localities. Since 1947, they have orchestrated events in Bhagalpur, Delhi, Muzaffarnagar, and Bhatpara. The list keeps growing. Having succeeded in creating a Pakistan almost entirely devoid of Hindus, they have now set their sights on a project to make India devoid of Muslims. They have tasted blood. The air is thick with the breath of predatory beasts. Saliva drips from their tongues.
Our freedom movement, in which no force advocating for a ‘Hindu state’ or ‘Pakistan’ ever participated. Jinnah was never imprisoned, and Savarkar submitted a written undertaking to the British. Their ideological successors now rule all three countries of the subcontinent. They have always traded in hatred—and it was they who devised the ‘two-nation theory.’
In these times, Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, the rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, and the great freedom movement remain, even today, a profound source of inspiration for us all. A stance of love against hatred, of defiant rebellion against submission. Rabindranath—whose poems (such as Bharat-tirtha and Jana Gana Mana) serve, in the truest sense, as the philosophical foundation for the very idea of India; they are, as it were, a ‘constitution’ woven from love to stand against hatred.
‘For peace, for love’
A long journey—‘for peace, for love’—began on October 2, 2026. People from various parts of the country have joined this foot march (padyatra). It began at Haidari Manzil in Beleghata, Kolkata (now known as Gandhi Bhavan), and will conclude on October 16, 2026, in Santiniketan. A total of 15 days. This long journey touches upon the memories and landmarks associated with various freedom fighters—including Gandhi, Subhas Chandra, and Bhagat Singh—as well as the freedom movement itself. It touches upon the Gandhi Smarak Griha (Gandhi Memorial House) in Sodepur and Barrackpore—places that Gandhiji visited and where he stayed. It also encompasses the Bongiyo Shanti Kendra (Bengal Peace Centre) in Bhatpara, an organization established through the initiative of people affected by the riots of 2017. ‘Bande Mataram Bhavan’ in Chinsurah—many believe that Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote the song ‘Bande Mataram’ here. This first installment of the series covers a three-day foot journey that took place from October 2 to October 4.
It begins at Haidari Manzil in Beleghata, where Mahatma Gandhi stayed for 25 long days—from August 13 to September 7, 1947. While the nation celebrated the joy of independence, he remained in that corner of a riot-torn Kolkata. Amidst fratricidal violence and a blood-soaked nation, the Mahatma—weary and deeply pained at heart—sat in a dark room in Kolkata. Yet, he did not give up. On September 1, he began a fast to put an end to the riots. After rioters from both the Hindu and Muslim communities surrendered their weapons to him, he broke his 73-hour fast on September 4. The surrender of weapons took place in this very house. His pain and anguish over the Partition were boundless.
On October 2, his birthday, the morning began with prayers at Haidari Manzil. A procession then made its way through Sealdah and along Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road, continuing until it reached the five-point intersection at Shyambazar. The sweltering morning gradually gave way to the afternoon. It was an ‘intense, formidable, exceedingly long, and scorching day.’ Yet, the enthusiasm of the marchers remained undiminished.
A bronze equestrian statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is located in Shyambazar. The statue was unveiled on January 23, 1969 (on the occasion of Netaji’s 73rd birth anniversary). It was created by the sculptor Nagesh Yavalkar.
After a brief pause, the march proceeded along Barrackpore Trunk Road (B.T. Road)—passing by Tala Tank, Chiria More, and Sinthi More—before reaching Dunlop More. There stands a statue of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, unveiled in October 2012; right next to it is the Bhagat Singh Flyover. It is as if history itself has come full circle. In truth, history lies hidden in almost every locality of Kolkata—a testament to the glorious legacy of the freedom struggle.
On the morning of October 3, the march set off along B. T. Road towards Sodepur, the site of the Sodepur Gandhi Ashram (also known as the Sodepur Khadi Pratishthan or Gandhi Memorial Ashram). A historic house located in Sodpur, in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, is known as Mahatma Gandhi's 'second home'. Satish Chandra Dasgupta—an associate of Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray and a trusted confidant of Mahatma Gandhi—left his job at Bengal Chemicals to establish this ashram in 1921. His objective was to produce items such as hand-spun yarn (using a charkha), khadi cloth, honey, and incense sticks, in line with Gandhiji’s ideals. In addition to Gandhiji and Motilal Nehru, several other prominent national-level figures of that era were present at the inauguration. Gandhiji visited the place many times thereafter.
In March 1939, following the Tripuri Congress, Subhas Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru held a meeting with Gandhiji at this very ashram. Following this, Subhas was compelled to resign from the Congress. After the failed meeting between Gandhi and Jinnah in October 1946, and Jinnah’s rejection of the ‘Rajaji Formula’—among other factors—the demand for a separate Pakistan gained momentum. Gandhi Ashram in Sodpur was one of the main centers of politicians in the country. Riots broke out in Noakhali on October 10 that year, the day of Lakshmi Puja. In Bengal, Gandhiji was constantly trying to control the situation by talking to the Chief Minister of Muslim League HS Surahvardi, Governor Frederick Burrows etc. He left Noakhali from Sodpur himself as he did not work. His assistant Nirmal Bose said all that.
For us, therefore, coming here was akin to a pilgrimage. A small gathering was organized here. The meeting was conducted by veteran Gandhian and president of Sarva Seva Sangh, Chandan Pal. Since his student days in 1964, he had been associated with the Gandhian and Sarvodaya movements, having come into close contact with figures such as Acharya Vinoba Bhave and Jayaprakash Narayan. It was nearly evening by the time the procession reached Barrackpore. The last event of the day was at the Gandhi Memorial Museum in Barrackpore. The message of love emerges in song and speech.
On October 3, the padyatra (foot march) reached the Shanti Kendra (Peace Centre) in Bhatpara, passing via Ghoshpara Road. There, the marchers were welcomed by children from families who had lost loved ones in riots, alongside volunteers from the Peace Centre. The event began with the song, "Tu Hindu banega na Musalman banega, insaan ki aulad insaan banega" ("You will become neither a Hindu nor a Muslim; as a child of humanity, you will become a human being"). The marchers—who had arrived from across India—joined in singing this piece, penned by the renowned lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi. Social activist Mohit Randip delivered the welcome address, followed by remarks from Bijay Rajak, the convener of the Peace Centre. Others who spoke included Arbind Anjum, Jiten Nandi, and several others.
That afternoon, we arrived at the Ganges riverbank in Naihati. Thanks to the efforts of local social activists, we were able to spend some time by the river. The boatmen at the ghat did not charge us for the crossing; they were so moved by our ‘message of love’ that they waived the fares for over a hundred marchers. Throughout the journey, we encountered many such gestures of love—for instance, the granthi (priest) at a gurudwara in Barrackpore, who extended a helping hand to ease our accommodation difficulties and even opened up toilets for our use, free of charge.
As we stood before ‘Bande Mataram Bhavan’ in Chinsurah that evening, we were overcome by a truly unique emotion. Spontaneously, everyone present began to sing the opening line of the song ‘Bande Mataram’. The procession then reached a meeting hall at Pipulpati More—organized by the ‘Hooghly Rights Protection Group’ (Hooghly Adhikar Raksha Karmi)—where we spent the night. There, through the songs and recitations of the children, various facets of our nation and its people were brought to life—reminding us that ‘this land belongs to you and to me.’
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