Thursday, February 12, 2009

Thanks for a successful event!

Hi All,
This is the press release for the peace protests we had across the city this afternoon. for links to picture please log onto http://picasaweb.google.com/bengaluru.unites/

Bangalore Erupts with Simultaneous Peace Protests—Thousands Rally Across City



There was tremendous response for peace protests held across the city today. This unique program of "taking the protests to the people" was organized by Dr Rajeev Gowda, Professor, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and political activist. Students and professionals came out of their colleges and work areas in a Gandhian human chain during lunchtime, such that no traffic was disrupted. Some locations included Mount Carmel College, St Joseph's Commerce, PUC, Arts & Science. The roads in these neighborhoods were filled with hundreds of people eager to demonstrate their anger and anguish against moral policing and against attacks on women. Men and women joined hands together to fight for their freedoms.

Thousands of students gathered outside their respective colleges. Vasanthnagar's main roads outside Mount Carmel were lined by human chains of more than 1500 students. The Richmond Circle area had thousands of students from St Joseph's Commerce, Arts & Science and P.U college had about 800 students. Jyothi Nivas had over 1500 students who came out and formed human chains. Dentists and doctors took time out at MS Rammaiah College and elsewhere. A spontaneous gathering of school students and senior citizens occurred at Coles Park.

Numerous NGOs came out in support of Prof. Rajeev Gowda's call.Members of Komu Sowharda Vedike and Samvada joined across the city. Most notably, in Jayanagar 4th Block, members of Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled joined hands with young women with NMKRV College. Students at the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media found the protests ideal material for their field reportage. Students from Jain colleges thronged central and south Bangalore. In Yelahanka, students of Shrishti School of Art and Design continued with their colourful protests. Students and faculty at IIMB came out and supported Dr Rajeev Gowda in these peace protests.

There was a website bengaluru-unites.blogspot.com which gave information to people on locations and other details on what to do. Social blogs like facebook and orkut acted as huge boosters to spread the message around. The 90088 90088 SMS service turned out to be an effective way for protestors to find the rally closest to them.

Overall, the event was a tremendous success in signaling to every citizen that they can stand up to hooligans who attempt to impose their views by force. The innovative methods used and the use of high technology including the Internet and SMS showed how citizens could come together, demonstrate their solidarity, and fight to preserve freedoms. Outpourings of support from across the world, from ex-Bangaloreans to others, have also been a highlight of this demonstration.

For more details contact: Prof. Rajeev Gowda, 98451 62171 rajeevgowda@gmail.com

9 comments:

  1. excellent work ..we need more voices so that the sleeping politicans & so called society's top notch will wake up and protest against such shameful incidents

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  2. Wonderful! I'm so excited by the success of this and the 'Pink Chaddi' campaign. Both had elements of Gandhism in them and is proof of concept that it works. Stand by it.

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  3. Great effort... I have posted your work briefly here : http://abhinababasu.blogspot.com/2009/02/thanks-mr-pramod-muthali.html

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  4. And a post about my feelings about the protest and my experience at the protest is here.

    Thanks to Mr. Gowda and the brave organizers for doing this. You people give me strength and optimism that this country can be saved after all.

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  5. hmmm..shows how jobless can ppl get...guess in these days of recession its not tough 2 find "educated" dumb people...

    kudos 2 u gowda on how u can get famous on other ppl's foolishness..surely an IIM attribute. :)

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  6. Didnt expect a Prof. to toe the Congress line. What a way to build a political career by dealing with "Silly" issues.

    There has been Valentines day Violence on women in Congress administered states too, that too by cops. What do you have to say about that Professor? You seem to be screaming "saffronisation... Saffronisation" from the roof tops. Could you explain wahts happening in your party's state?

    This is double standards.. and to see a Professor stoop so low, is pathetic! "I'm a congressi by blood" was a statement made by you. Probabaly that explains that!

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  7. To further add to what I wrote before, there was an event in Hyderabad sometime last year where a certain author called Taslima Nasreen was on the dias. There was commotion spread later when members of a certain party barged in with the intent of harming this author. TV footage clearly showed them hurling chairs and other objects at her. These objects landed on a bunch of elderly people (the organisers), who formed a human shield to protect her.

    The points I want to bring out are, this was a case of physical violence against a lady that too by members of a certain elected orgn. This was also a case of physical violence against elders.

    Why do these events fade out of the memory of the media and people like Prof. Gowda?

    Why do you people who are rallying behind this forum, act selectively? You rally here because it concerns your needs of going to pubs and et al. You deserve your rights to go and the Sri Ram Sene is utterly BS in its acts. But, question yourselves for a moment. You guys are fighting for a selfish cause and not fighting against any societal malice.

    Prof Gowda, Why didnt you raise your voice to the treatment meted out to Taslima? Probably you had'nt decided on your political career yet then, or, probably you didnt want to talk against your party's allies!!!

    In a nutshell, there is somebody here using public sentiment to promote his own political career, and I earnestly request the youth on this forum to see through these designs!!

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  8. Excellent job done by Dr.Rajeev Gowda and the Team...I was not aware else I too would have joined and made some value addition I would not agree with Deepak (the above comment) The other way viewing the above comment is that in the current political situation Educated people like Dr. Rajeev Gowda should enter politics (it can be any party). People are not happy with the current lot of politicians. So Dr. Rajeev Gowda Should come and pump-in some fresh air in the political system. There is a common feeling that educated people should come into politics. Otherwise politics will not improve. We need new people with bright new ideas, process, strategy and implementations. Young people should get motivated in politics.


    Dr. Rajeev Gowda was a runner-up in the BBC Mastermind quiz contest in 2002.

    He is an MS in economics from Fordham University in the Bronx and a doctorate from Wharton in public policy making and management.

    Mr. Gowda studied at St Joseph's School and College Bangalore, bagged a gold medal in political science from there to the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania for a PhD and a eight years plus stint at Okalahoma University. He is now Professor @ IIMB


    What else….. We all want him as a politician for Better Prospects of the country.



    Education is not necessary to be a politician But We Need Educated politicians like Dr.Rajeev Gowda


    Lets stop feeling jealous and Start supporting the Right People for the prosperity of the Country

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  9. Deepak,
    So everyone who takes up an initiative like this has to be
    a)be completely balanced or otherwise not take up and issue at all
    b) be concerned with events happening all over the country as much as events happening in their neighborhood, or else not protest at all?
    c) Remain forever tied down because we did not protest earlier and therefore lost the right to protest today?

    I would disagree on such onerous requirements for protesting. Any protest against such incidents are welcome. You can have one group protesting against one act of violence. Another group protesting against another. the more the better. You don't need to have one major centralized protesting group. Join the ones which suit you. The only thing matters is that they are organized well and in as much apolitical way as possible.

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