Swaraj Abhiyan, the new outfit floated by Aam Aadmi Party leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, said it is planning to establish ‘Aman’ or peace committees across India to counter religious polarization.
The move is a response to attempts by fundamentalist religious and political forces to increase divisions within the Indian society, Prashant Bhushan said.
Bhushan said the Abhiyan wants to “defeat the designs of forces that are spread in the nation to create communal disunity and create insecurity to advance their selfish political motives by dividing communities.”
To fill these committees, the Abhiyan will select “individuals who are respected and are balanced in nature”, Bhushan added.
Their job will be to establish as bridge between communities and ensure no communal violence takes place and peace and harmony prevails, he added.
Aman committee or mohalla committees are usually established after communal riots. For example, Mumbai is home to hundreds of mohalla committees established after the riots of 1992. The committees’ job is to ensure that unnecessary friction and misunderstandings between religious and caste groups are avoided and rumors are countered.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also tried to ensure harmony between communities, but many political forces have tried to increase the divisions in the Indian society for electoral gains. Most of the divisions are based on religion or jati (birth).
“This is a major threat to our nation and it has be attended and Swaraj Abhiyan thru Aman Committees is committed to do establish peace and harmony in the country,” Bhushan said.