Janadesh Rally of the Poor

Last Sunday morning we walked to meet the Janadesh rally of the poor as it passed by. The march route was not far from the place where we are staying as we study Hindi in New Delhi. The husband of Julie, one of our MCC India staff, was helping to organize the event drawing attention to the plight of poor rural communities in India. Joining the rally for a short distance on Sunday morning was an act of worship for us.

The rally of the poor involved thousands of Dalit and tribal people who walked 340 kilometers from Gwalior to New Delhi to highlight the problem of land confiscation by powerful interest groups and the need for comprehensive land reform and rural livelihood programs. The group, which included as many as 25,000 people, had walked by foot for one month to reach the capital in an effort to bring their situation to the attention of the central government. It was organized in the style of a Gandhian nonviolent campaign and included activists from around the world.

Almost all the rally participants were obviously poor rural people. Some were even walking barefoot. Many carried their bedding and supplies on their heads. They were accompanied by several tractors and small trucks carrying water and food supplies. One section of a main road leading into the city was blocked off to accommodate the marchers.

Police posted by the side of the road were armed with nothing more than bamboo canes. Everyone, including the police, seemed relaxed and in a congenial mood as the marchers passed by. Indian society is proud of it’s tradition of making space for such democratic protest. And there is a general recognition that the needs of poor communities have not been adequately met and too often ignored since independence.

When the marchers reached their destination in the center of New Delhi, government officials from the Congress and Communist parties met them to hear their concerns. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked the rural development ministry to set up a committee to carry out field surveys and report to the National Land Reforms Council, which he heads. It remains to be seen if it will lead to meaningful public policy and structural changes.

Dramatically bringing the precarious situation in poor rural communities to the attention of the Indian government was much needed and long overdue. Yet, I cannot help wondering if similar actions might not be needed to awaken the conscience of civil society and the whole global community. Meaningful change will necessarily involve all of society. Governments are poorly equipped to single-handedly address such needs.

How can our global Mennonite fellowship better respond? Many of our own churches are situated in the poor communities represented by the barefoot marchers we met on Sunday morning. What would we do if they were able to show up in our hometowns in North America and Europe? What actions would reflect Jesus’ call for his followers to create communities characterized by equality and economic justice?