Badanavalu Satyagraha: Meeting resolves to strengthen villages, their economy

A consultative meeting of the ‘satyagrahis’ of the Badanavalu Satyagraha was held at the Indian Institute of Educational Theatre here on Saturday.

The Badanavalu Satyagraha primarily focused on issues such as excessive use of vehicles, extravagant programmes, and commercialisation, eventually taking the form of a movement. However, since the situation has not changed even today, theatre personality Prasanna emphasised that it is important to deliberate on how to carry this satyagraha forward. Hence, the meeting was organised.

Speaking on the occasion, Jayadev expressed the view that “The Village Satyagraha must continue as a non-violent movement.”

Recently, the government has sanctioned ₹40 crore for the development of the Badanavalu Nanjangud Khadi Centre. The participants expressed that the government seems to consider the mere construction of buildings as development. “By centring activities around the Badanavalu Khadi Centre and promoting the sale of khadi products, it is possible to encourage rural cottage industries and provide employment to rural women within their own villages. The Khadi Centre has gained special significance because Mahatma Gandhi had visited Badanaval. There is a need to realise the dream of sustainable living that upholds the values of village life,” the organisers said in a note.

At the meeting, there was also a discussion on renaming the Badanavalu Satyagraha as ‘Grama Satyagraha’. Participants shared their views at length.

The meeting was attended by personalities who follow Gandhian principles, including Prasanna, Jayadev and Yatiraj from Tumakuru, Venkataraju from Chamarajanagar, Punajuru Doreswamy, A.D. Silva, Tagadur Mohan, Badanavalu Mahadevappa, Umashankar and Pavitra Muddayya from Bengaluru, Lavanya and Abhilash from Grama Seva Sangha, writer G.P. Basavaraju, journalist Rashmi Koti, and farmer Karunakara.

Prasanna read out the draft resolution at the meeting, and all the participants expressed their consent to it. The historic Badanavalu Satyagraha of 2015 had passed several resolutions concerning a sustainable lifestyle and the economy. “Today, we have become more unsustainable than ever. The village economy is getting destroyed. Cities and machine-made cultures have grown to monstrous proportions, thus pushing humanity to the brink of extinction,” the resolution stated.

“We resolve to rename Badanavalu Satyagraha as Gram Satyagraha and lead it towards the rejuvenation of the villages, the hand-made economy, natural farming, local culture, mother tongue, protection of deprived sections of the society, and for the protection of damaged natural resources. We shall lead a non-violent and constructive movement in the name of Gram Satyagraha,” the resolution added.