MIFF and Nandita Das organized a special screening for 'Millions Can Walk', a documentary on Jan Satyagraha at the Tata Theater, NCPA Cafe on 6th February, 2014. This special screening was held yesterday for Nandita Das at Mumbai International Film Festival. Also present at the screening was film's director Kamal Musale.
According to the directors, in 2012, an estimated 50,000 Dalit and tribal landless farmers set out on a march to Delhi to persuade the Centre to abide by its promise and implement land reforms. Millions Can Walk that is co-directed by Kamal Musale and Christoph Schaub is the rousing account of that long trek from Gwalior to the Capital, called the Jan Satyagraha, and organized by the grass-roots organization Ekta Parishad to demand a policy that promises every poor family a small patch of land. With its stirring imagery of the poorest of the poor taking to the highways and braving adverse weather conditions to make their collective voice heard, Millions Can Walk is in the best tradition of the activist documentary. It waves a flag for the Ekta Parishad, headed by the indefatigable P.V. Rajagopal (The long march of P.V. Rajagopal) and reminds viewers that human progress is linked inextricably to land rights.
Nandita Das who saw this special screening was totally overwhelmed at the effort. According to her, “Non violent marches have always been an integral part of India's struggle against injustice and are considered a momentous way to fight for your cause as it takes a lot of strength to make your point without being aggressive. The documentary ‘Millions Can Walk’ by Kamal Musale and Christophe Schaub, tells the story of one such effort by the Adivasis of our country in a very effective way. Surely our country needs more films like these which are made not only for the niche audiences but are also watched by more people because these are stories that need to be seen, told and heard beyond all borders".
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