The Power of One

The Power of One

EXPRESS FEATURES SERVICE : 

Thu Feb 14 2013, 00:09 hrs

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Rise up and dance this Valentine's Day. Be a part of the One Billion Rising campaign that's going viral the world over.

One Billion Rising, a global campaign for women, initiated in over 160 countries, pledges to prevent and rise against violence. This campaign was initiated by Eve Ensler, who is best known for her play The Vagina Monologues. It aims to mobilise a billion people to walk out, dance, and rise up to a new consciousness on February 14. Women, men, and young people from all walks of life will come together in different parts of the world to sing, dance, rally and share their experiences.

In Delhi, a cultural event will be organised today, at Parliament Street from 5 pm onwards. The programme will include the performance of a flash mob of over 100 people, a play on Violence Against Women (VAW) by Asmita Theatre, followed by an opening speech by women's activist Kamla Bhasin, songs by singer-activist Vidya Shah, a choreography on VAW by students of Kamla Nehru College, a monologue by a Lady Shri Ram College student, a skit by Miranda House students, songs by community women and pledges by eminent activists.

The evening will end with songs by an activist couple, Vinay Mahajan and Charul Bherwada from Ahmedabad and the lighting of candles to salute the spirit of the 23-year-old gang rape victim. There will also be an exhibition of posters and a performance by the Delhi Drummers group. The programmes comes to a close with a candlelight pledge to stop violence against women.

Metro

Lakhs of commuters of Delhi Metro will experience a journey with a difference today. At nine metro stations, including Shahdara, Kashmere Gate, Vishwa Vidhyalaya, Chandni Chowk, Chawri Bazar, Uttam Nagar and Anand Vihar and New Delhi, volunteers of Samarthyam, an NGO will travel in the Metro to interact with the commuters and talk on issues of women's abuse. The campaign at the metro stations will begin at 8 am and go on till 3 pm.

Play

At Parliament Street, at 5pm, Asmita Theatre Group will stage a street play, Dastak, to say "enough, no more violence against women"

Songs

Raghav 'Diggy' Dang of the Reggae Rajahs will perform songs such as Love Doctor, Crazy Love among others at The Living Room, Hauz Khas. "We will play songs that will lift the mood, yet carry a message. We want to make music that people can connect with. Our songs have much to do with this cause as they have with the occasion of Valentine's Day," says Dang. They will play a mix of reggae, ska and dancehall music at 9 pm.

Dance

The Samarthyam National institute, a disability group, along with members of Ability Unlimited, the world's first therapeutic theatre for people with disabilities, are organising a dance on wheelchairs. Anjali Aggarwal, director, Samarthyam, says she will dance along with 12-13 other disabled people on wheelchairs. "People like us are soft targets. We cannot stand and complain but through dance, we want to spread this message that our rights should not be violated," says Aggarwal. They will perform at Arts Faculty DU at 1 pm, then at Janpath NDMC market at 3 pm and lastly, at Parliament street at 5 pm. Guruji Syed Sallauddin Pasha, who has choreographed the dance, says, "The participants will give a six-minute performance on a women empowerment song, Jago re jago Delhi, khamoshi ko jagao. I want to encourage these women and let them know they have rights, too."

Flash Mob

The Centre For Advocacy and Research (CFAR) along with Centre for Health and Social Justice (CHSJ) are organising a flash mob at PVR Saket, at 12.30 pm. Farah Zia, research officer, CFAR says, "The Delhi Police has not given us permission but we intend to go anyway. If we cannot perform there, we will shift the venue to Dilli Haat." The participants include students from Gargi College and Kamala Nehru College, volunteers from an organisation called Delhi Rising, and children from the bastis around Delhi.

Candle Light March

Candlelight marches will take place at Khadar (near Jasola in south-east Delhi) and Bawana (Beyond Rithala in north-west Delhi) at 8 pm, besides at Parliament Street.

Dance within a Dance

At Agni, in the Park Hotel, a flash dance mob will perform in between a regular salsa night performance, at 10 pm. Dancers from Pul Bangash bring with them the message of respect for women.

Ifrah Mufti , Rahul Bhatnagar, Sagar Shah and Prashant Dixit are students of EXIMS.

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