Thiruvananthapuram: Bags, unlike leaflets, will not be tossed into bins. The reason why ‘Bhoo Adhikara Samrakshana Samithi’, the organisers of ‘Chalo Thiruvananthapuram’, have chosen bags as one of the means to take the politics of the landless to the masses.
One of the likely results of the campaign is public participation in the movement, according to M. Geethanandan of Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha. The participants of major struggles for land rights – be it Chengara, Muthanga or Arippa – primarily consisted of the people who were affected. However, this is imagined as a larger movement which seeks participation from the student community and the middle class as well. “This could become a renaissance, in which new leaders emerge,” he says.
The bags, being designed by Levelcross Bags and Apparel, will also serve as a tool to raise the fund required for the campaign. The campaign launch at Chengara to be inaugurated by dalit rights activist Jignesh Mewani will need Rs 5 lakh.
Later, more money would be needed, as activists plan to cover the length of Kerala from Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram on foot.
“No corporate house will fund the campaign. The money has to come from the people, who may not be able to give a lot. There will be around 10,000 bags, priced at Rs 150. We hope to raise at least Rs 5 lakh through the bags,” says campaign coordinator Santhosh Kumar.
“Another aspect to be noted is that these are environment-friendly bags – completely in sync with the idea of environmental justice that we stand for.”
