About the Satyagraha

Badanawal Satyagraha and National Convention for Sustainable Living

Over the last year and a half, a Handloom Satyagraha has been underway in and around the state of Karnataka. It was conducted by the All India Federation of Handloom Organizations. In December 2013, thousands of handloom weavers from across Karnataka marched several hundred kilometers in a campaign entitled ‘Banashankari Yatre’. In January 2014, an indefinite fast was observed demanding strict implementation of the Handloom Reservation Act. In December 2014, a fast until death campaign was undertaken in order to protest against the manufacture of imitation handloom products through powerlooms.

The federation has now decided to broad base the Satyagraha and include all organizations working towards sustainability into this campaign. Sustainability in agriculture, environment, labour, gender, language, folklore, culture and education, along with Khadhi and handlooms, is our motto. Badanawal Satyagraha has now become a joint campaign of all consumers and producers of a sustainable production range. It is a joint campaign of the city people and the village poor.

Badanawal is a small village situated at the southern end of Mysore district, adjoining Chamarajanagar, in Karnataka. It is a perpetually drought prone area. Back in 1925, a well-known Gandhian, by name Tagadoor Ramachandra Rao, started a Khadi and Village Industries production centre here. Gandhiji has visited this centre a couple of times and stayed there. The Khadi centre is still, somehow, holding on to its dear life in the midst of indiscriminate industrialization and greedy development.

As part of this Satyagraha, meetings, workshops, street performances and visual art campaigns shall be conducted all over Karnataka from March 21st onwards. Several Padyatras (long march) shall begin from 12th April onwards, culminating at Badanawal for the National Convention for Sustainable Living on the 19th of April, 2015.

On this day, panchayats will be held on different aspects of sustainability throughout the day. There shall also be exhibitions, sale, demonstrations and prayer meetings at the Convention. In future, Badanawal Khadi Centre shall become a pilgrimage place for people who believe in sustainable living.

Come, join us. Make this world a better place to live in, all over again.