Consultative Meet on observing August 23 as “Shantisena Day” – “Towards a Non-Violent and Non-Killing India”

Special Programmes

The Samiti organized a consultative meet on July 20, 2019 in Gandhi Darshan, Rajghat in which it was proposed to observe August 23 every year as “Shantisena Day – Towards a Non-Violent and Non-Killing India”. The meeting was presided by Prof. N Radhakrishnan, Chairman, Gandhi Peace Mission, Kerala and Member of the Gandhi: 150 Committee formed by the Government of India.

Initiating the discussion, Director GSDS Shri Dipanker Shri Gyan talked about the vision of Gandhiji and Acharya Vinoba Bhave and stressed on the importance of celebrating the 125th birth anniversary of Vinoba Bhave throughout the country.

Prof. N Radhakrishnan said that “The idea behind the revival of Shanti Sena is to make the youth pledge against hatred, killing, and violence and to pledge allegiance to Gandhian principles of non-violence, peace and sacrifice”.

Shri Basant former Advisor to GSDS proposed that a recommendation be sent to the hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, with a request to declare August 23 every year as the Shanti Sena Day from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the Independence Day.

Shanti Sena'' (peace army), envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi to counter communal violence, and established by Acharya Vinoba Bhave on August 23, 1957, is being revived to mark Gandhi''s 150 birth anniversary and take it further to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of Acharya Vinoba Bhave.

The others who spoke on the occasion were Shri Vineet Tiwari of Amar Ujaala, Shri Ramesh Chand Sharma, Shri A R Patil, Shri Yatish Mishra, Shri Manoj Kumar, Shri Nityanand Tiwari, Shri A. Annamalai, Dr. Y P Anand, Shri Ajay Kumar Chaubey and others.