Dear Friends and fellow citizens,
Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) is a national cultural organization formed in 1943 which aims to galvanize cultural awakenings among the people of India. So far, IPTA has organized more than 20 cultural Yatras (marches) across different parts of the country in order to spread the message of love, peace, harmony, diversity, inclusion and solidarity.
The last such yatra was in 2022 which started in Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and culminated in Indore (Madhya Pradesh). In 44 days, we covered five states – Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. The Yatra wove together assorted threads of love, resilience and mutual respect – with songs, poetry, theatre and a host of other colorful cultural expressions. This year “Dhai Aakhar Prem: All India Cultural Jatha (March)” will begin in Rajasthan on 28 September 2023 on the eve of Bhagat Singh’s birth anniversary. It will come to a close in New Delhi on January 30, 2024, on Martyr’s Day. The spirit behind this decision is to honor the contributions of all those who sacrificed their lives to protect unity in diversity across our lands. It is a celebration of love and camaraderie, in direct opposition to the sentiment of hatred and mistrust – so rampant in our world today.
The Jatha (as it is referred to in several Indian languages), shall crisscross this vast country, going into scattered nooks and corners on foot. We will perform plays, sing songs, share handlooms, visit the birth places of social reformers, saints, artists, writers, poets and freedom fighters as a mark of respect. Our aim is to connect and engage with people in deep, diverse and lasting ways. ‘Dhai Aakhar Prem Jatha’ is an attempt to reclaim freedom, equality, justice and solidarity in keeping with Ganga-Jamumi Tehzeeb (culture) – cruelly undermined by present day politics of hatred, divisiveness and arrogance.
Despite the difficult times we find ourselves in today as a people, our hopes and dreams continue to live and breathe within Kabeer’s verses and Gandhi’s prayers. By nourishing our souls and revitalizing our core foundational values – farmers, workers, artists, intellectuals, activists and youth will come together to actively preserve the secular fabric of this country – our home. This Jatha dreams of creating such a world for our future generations, which is not just about ideas but has the courage to put them on the ground, because of this we will be able to create, sing and live the ideals of liberation.
Our Jatha is a testament to all those martyrs, social reformers – our ancestors in the Bhakti movement and Sufi tradition – who declared human liberation and love to be central ideals worth striving for. Actively dismantling divides along the contours of language, caste, gender and religious identities is an expression of courage – of love and hope. It is a celebration of freedom, and togetherness – a call for justice.
IPTA invites all progressive cultural and social organisations, artists, poets, writers, musicians, intellectuals, and cultural-social-environmental workers to join us in this collective labor of love. Let us infuse this Jatha (journey) with energy, compassion, harmony, peace and unity – and in so doing let us make our voices heard. We welcome you as our friend, ally and co-traveler – an equal partner in this national campaign.
There are various ways in which one can meaningfully contribute to and collaborate on this Jatha. We believe that every single step (big and small) taken together will reinforce our togetherness and collective spirit. Please join our Jatha at any point and in any capacity that rings true for you (tentative schedule below).
Route of the Jatha:
| State | Dates | State | Dates | |
| Rajasthan | 28-09 to 01-10 | Tamil Nadu | 13-12 to 17-12 | |
| Kerala | 02-10 to 08-10 | Andhra Pradesh | 18-12 to 22-12 | |
| Bihar | 09-10 to 14-10 | Madhya Pradesh | 23-12 to 27-12 | |
| Punjab | 27-10 to 30-10 | West Bengal | 28-12 to 01-01 | |
| Uttarakhand | 31-10 to 03-11 | Telangana | 02-01 to 06-01 | |
| Odisha | 04-11 to 07-11 | Chhattisgarh | 07-01 to 12-01 | |
| Jammu Kashmir | 08-11 to 12-11 | Gujarat | 13-01 to 16-01 | |
| Uttar Pradesh | 18-11 to 23-11 | Pondicherry | 17-01 to 18-01 | |
| North East States | 24-11 to 30-11 | Maharashtra | 19-01 to 24-01 | |
| Karnataka | 01-12 to 07-12 | Mumbai | 25-01 to 26-01 | |
| Jharkhand | 08-12 to 12-12 | Haryana and Delhi | 27-01 to 30-01 |
Please feel free to amplify our collective message through audio-visual-text endorsements on social media. Your contributions in the form of plays, songs, poems, stories, paintings or any language that the arts speak – are vital to the success of this journey – and are welcome. Contributions that are financial in nature will go a long way in terms of offering much needed logistical support. Your contributions will ensure that we are able to bring many more persons on board this Jatha who would otherwise be unable to be present for a lack of resources.
For more details, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
We look forward enormously to your presence – your participation – your support.
We thank you in advance for your generosity on all counts.