 Hello and welcome to NewsClick. A group of women organization and civil society organizations are marching throughout the country, taking forward the message of love, non-violence, peace, and appealing people to fight for the Constitution. Anad is one among the main organizers of this entire march. The rally is called Bhateyaman Ki. To discuss about this rally, we are joined by Shabnam Hashmi, who is founder of Anad. Welcome to the program, Shabnam. So let's start with where did this idea come from and what was the motive behind organizing Bhateyaman Ki Rally? You see, about three months ago, we were thinking of how to respond to the kind of violence and hatred that was happening all around us. And also the appeal by the Supreme Court judges, asking ordinary people to safeguard democracy. And we discussed it with Aniraja from NFIW and Edwa. And then we came up on this idea that let's take Yatra's across India and women Yatra's across India, because we also felt that there was an atmosphere of fear which was growing. And we thought if women come out on the roads and if they speak loudly against this hatred and violence, then some amount of courage will be, you know, it will be percolated throughout the society. And that's how we started working on it. So what are the main demands sort of thing that we are raising or what are the main things that you're talking about in these Yatra's which are covering the entire country? See, we are talking about spreading love harmony, demanding that the constitutional values are not attacked, asking mainly this is an appeal to the people of India. We are actually not demanding anything from the government. We are reaching out to every section of the society wherever we can. These are five Yatra's which began from, one began from Delhi, one from Tamil Nadu, one from Kerala, one from Assam, and one from Kashmir on 20th September, culminating in Delhi on 13th October. So we are covering about 200 cities, organizing more than 500 programs. So major questions are non-violence, love, harmony, constitutional values, and the right to choice for the young people. That is also one of the most important messages that we are talking about in every program that we are doing. Especially when we are witnessing a large scale of caste-related violence when it comes to inter-caste couples. We have two incidents in Andhra Pradesh recently. Yes, and yesterday we had another incident in Bihar, and it's constant. Whether it is the Romeo Squares or goons on the streets, we definitely, as women, and if I talk of myself as a mother, I'm not ready to give the right of my children to fall in love, to decide whom they want to marry to goons on the streets. Because when we were growing up in an independent India, we had all the rights to do what we wanted to do. In fact, an independent India brought in a special marriage act, especially for this reason. Reason, right. So how has been the response in different areas, and how have people received this yatra? Response has been overwhelming. In fact, much more than what Annie, myself, or Lena Dabiru, three of us who traveled across India before the yatras, we were expecting that it'll have some impact. But we are actually unable to even understand why this kind of response is coming. Everywhere, one that in 200 cities for groups, not only to like the idea, but to organize it. Because everything on the ground is being hosted by local groups, which means feeding us, which means putting us up in places, booking the venues, organizing programs, and then there are in many places where thousands of people are turning up. In many places, there are hundreds of people who are turning up, and a large number of organizations. It's not only women organizations. At the national level, it is NFIW and Anhad mainly. But on the local level, there are large number of people's organizations, small groups, citizens groups. So thousands of groups have come together to host us and to organize programs. So in any of these areas, did you also face any trouble? Because it's also taking forward how the current regime is pushing its agenda to different fringe organizations and different organizations of the Swamsevaksak. So did you also face any attack from them? Well, not so far. The only difference is that I have received from a number of people, which the feedback, that the agencies always come and ask you what you are doing. But they were told like Banaras, our local activist, he's a very senior activist. He said that I have organized so many programs, but the way they have been after me this time has not been ever earlier. In many, many other places that is happening. Even at the flag off in Delhi, there was some senior officer from home ministry who came who wanted to know everything. So anyway, we always give whatever because we are not doing anything which is a secret. It is all on Facebook. All the roots are on Facebook. Apart from that, nothing so far. It has been going on very smoothly. But also I think the fact that we are being accompanied by local groups across all states. So the Yatra, the bus in which we are traveling, along with that, there are local people who are traveling with us. So the Yatra is culminating in Delhi. What's the agenda for Delhi? How many people are you expecting will come here and what's the call that you're going to give her? You see, one is that all the five Yatras, about 100, 115 women together, they would be here. They would all be coming here. And in fact, we have a meeting today to decide the culmination. We are hoping to mobilize a few thousand women in Delhi at the Parliament Street in the afternoon. And morning, we are going to have a sharing session where we decide the future action because now this network which has been formed in over 200 places. That network is going to be active over the next few years. We are hoping that. And mainly propagating the values of the constitution and safeguarding democracy. That is our agenda. Especially it becomes important since 2019 elections are coming quite near and the assault that different sections of the society are facing is also going to intensify, I guess. Yes, absolutely. And that was one of the major reasons of our doing this Yatra because we felt that before 2019, we must have a network on the ground and also people everywhere are feeling that because the democratic rights of every section are being curved. So people are feeling very strongly against what is happening in the country. And we are sure that everywhere this will be taken forward. This is not going to be the end only in one Yatra. Although even if we look at it from the point of view of just one off event, even then it has been a very, very important exercise. That's actually a very good note to leave this interview on that this is not going to end here and the resistance is going to be built more and more as time comes.