Peace rally to take off from Mumbai

Dubai: ‘We Are Coming Mr. Prime Minister' is the theme of a peace rally set to take off in a motorcade from the Gateway of India, Mumbai, on December 12. The rally has been organised by Mumbai-based social groups Staying Alive India and WE. The motorcade will be flagged off at 6am local time.

The organisers of the rally will hand over a petition to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying “enough is enough and the time has come for him and his government to take drastic measures to safeguard the interests of the citizens of the country''.

The rally will pass through Ahmedabad and Jaipur, capitals of the western states of Gujarat and Rajasthan, before reaching New Delhi on December 14. Ahmedabad and Jaipur have been chosen because both the state capitals faced terror attacks on July 26 and May 13 respectively.

“The rally has been staged to raise issues pertaining to the security and safety of people in Mumbai and in India. Our objective is to make sure our voices are heard in Delhi, and our politicians are held accountable for failures or lapses in security,'' said Vinta Nanda, filmmaker and the torch-bearer of the rally, over the telephone from Mumbai.

“We have to make sure that our cities are terror-free and we as residents can move freely without any fear,'' said Nanda, who has teamed up with Aruna Bhatt, film producer, and Nutan Bajaj, a hotel consultant, in this heart-felt mission.

Nanda said: “We are trying to rope in celebrities for this rally. So far Rahul Bose and Alyque Padamsee have agreed to participate. We are expecting many more join us on the way.''

The ‘We Are Coming Mr Prime Minister' rally will be supported by other social organisations in Mumbai who have pledged to put 10 hoardings in the city that highlight the common man's views on social instability in the country.

Apart from that, local gurudwaras (Sikh community shrines) have offered to serve food to the participants on the way, while local food and beverage manufacturer Parle will distribute water. Media giants CNN-IBN and NDTV and newspapers have offered media support.