I am exposed to blockchain to a very limited extent, thanks to some crypto investing and ofcourse using blockchain powered platforms like Steemit. Centralised social media platforms like facebook has been useful to people like me to network with people and events taking place in my City. Thanks to facebook, I got aware of many social movements taking place spearheaded by individuals, groups and associations trying to change society. I even posted articles on activities, campaigns that are working to create a positive impact to society. For ex, I wrote about a group called Save Green in my City that works in removing posters, banners, light rolls from trees and warning concerned offenders to curb off their tree harming acts because posting, stapling, nailing banners on trees harm and damage them. The article is here but in facebook it got a lot of likes, and even press people came to ask about the group that does these activities reading my article here.
Well, recently I am supporting a campaign of a group called Gram Seva Sangh, they are a group who work to revive communities that are ignored in our Indian continent. These communities are the farmers, crafts men, khadhi fabric designers, small vendors, labourers, small traders, fisher men etc. These communities both in the rural and urban regions can’t make a living because the Government has been focusing on promoting Corporates and big industrialists - the IT sector, automobile sector etc. The Government has been allocating budget only to the later sector and has ignored the traditional domestic and rural economy which constitutes a huge portion of India, this has led to impoverishment of rural economy!!!
It is a fact that farmer suicides in lakhs have been happening for years, Government is only interested in unsustainable economic development. It is also true that India, our Nation that had Mahatma Gandhi, used to thrive in its field of creating handloom fabric, it used to export them and have sufficient earnings. More can be said on all this, but coming back to the point.
Gram Seva Sangh started a campaign to revive this ignored sector of economy, terming it as Sacred Economy.
This is that section of economy that gives jobs to lakhs of people causing least harm to the environment. For ex, khadhi fabric and handwomen fabric does not release effluents into the rivers, organic farming is healthy for environment as opposed to commercial farming that encourages uses of pesticides and more. This campaign is Hunger Sathyagraha in support of the Sacred Economy, it involves Gandhi’s peaceful methodology of fasting and placing particular demands to the higher Government powers.
Here, the Hunger Sathyagraha is done to demand our Governemnt to develop the Sacred Economy through allocation of funds; refinance, zero taxes and sensible restructuring of the Sacred Economy.
This Sathyagraha started on Mahatma Gandhiji’s 150th birth anniversary falling on October 2nd, and till Oct 5th there were various supporters fasting for a day or two,
but from 6th October onwards Gram Sangh Seva Founder, Prassana began his indefinite fast, which means fasting till death till Government agrees to take measures for the revival of the Sacred Economy!!
So, Gram Seva Sangh was updating all the programs organised in the Sathyagraha venue where eminent social leaders, environmentalists, economists, poets, authors, political and social activists, Gandhi enthusiasts talk about the need for the Government to revive the Sacred Economy and today, facebook has blocked Gram Seva Sangh from posting in their own facebook page, so further updates cannot be posted by them on the page.
This rather disappointed all of us, because facebook is a great means to reach people, it is also a platform where we update all the progress for our supporters everywhere to follow. Now, there is Prasanna, fasting for the 3rd day and this campaign has not been anything but peaceful, it’s not anti-Government or doing anything offensive but Facebook restricts Gram Seva Sangh from posting further content.
However, facebook has allowed corporations, powerful induviduals to take information of its users, violating their privacy, but is disallowing a social organisation in giving information to people about a campaign that would benefit the Nation!!
I am AGHAST. Anyway… Guys, please pray this Sathyagraha for demand of reviving the Sacred Economy gains strength and success and Prasana remains in good health. He reminds me of Gandalf, the old wizard in Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, anyway.
Hunger Satyagraha movement in news -:
I wondered if a blockchain powered socialmedia platform would have been beneficial in this case. However, though Gram Seva Sangh members can’t post /update new content in the FB page temporarily because they are barred from doing that, their facebook page is there otherwise, it’s not banned thankfully!!
So you can check their posted campaign updates on Sacred Economy out in Gram Sangh's Facebook Page.,