Students for Peace

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Students for Peace was a brief, grassroots student movement in Bangalore, India, launched in early 1993 as a response to the communal violence that followed the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya and the subsequent riots in Bombay (now Mumbai). Organised by engineering student Sunil Abraham together with convener Ravindra Walters, the initiative sought to create an apolitical platform where young people could stand together for peace and secular values. It culminated in a candlelight demonstration on 13 February 1993 along Mahatma Gandhi Road, drawing around 5,000 students from schools and colleges across the city.

Contents

  1. Background
  2. Formation and aims
  3. The demonstration (13 February 1993)
  4. Scale and scope
  5. Organisation and conduct
  6. Reception
  7. References

Background

The early 1990s were a turbulent period in India. On 6 December 1992, the Babri Masjid was demolished in Ayodhya, sparking violent clashes across the country. In January 1993, Bombay experienced especially severe rioting with extensive loss of life and property. These events unsettled communities even in southern cities such as Bangalore, which, though spared large-scale violence, felt the strain of political polarisation and inter-community mistrust.

In that atmosphere, Sunil Abraham, then a second-year student at Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering under Bangalore University, began reaching out to his peers. Together with Ravindra Walters and other volunteers, he initiated ‘Students for Peace’ as a non-partisan collective dedicated to promoting unity through symbolic, non-violent action.

Formation and aims

Students for Peace took shape in early February 1993 through word-of-mouth and campus visits. A printed letter was sent to principals across Bangalore, setting out the aims and logistics for a student-led candlelight vigil. The conveners, Ravindra Walters and Sunil A. Abraham, emphasised that the campaign was entirely volunteer-driven and unaffiliated with any political or religious organisation.

Roughly eighty volunteers joined the organising team, taking responsibility for publicity, permissions, and crowd coordination. Dignitaries, political parties and prominent citizens were deliberately kept out to avoid any shift in focus, ensuring that the campaign remained an initiative of students alone.

📄 Download Conveners' Letter (PDF)

The demonstration (13 February 1993)

The main event took place on Saturday, 13 February 1993, at Mahatma Gandhi Road in central Bangalore. Participants began assembling near the Gandhi statue at about 5:30 pm. At 6:30 pm sharp, four ten-year-old children lit a single ‘peace candle’ at the foot of the statue and passed the flame to four older students from different religions. From there the light was relayed along the line until hundreds of candles glowed in succession down the boulevard towards Brigade Road and Trinity Circle.

Students, most of them dressed in white, sang familiar peace songs such as We Shall Overcome and Shanthi Do, while others quietly repeated the phrase ‘We want peace’. The police cooperated with organisers to keep traffic moving smoothly and allowed the event to proceed with minimal obstruction. At one point an anonymous threat prompted temporary barricades around the Gandhi statue, but students were later permitted to approach under supervision and light the main candle.

Deccan Herald clipping titled 'Holding a candle for peace', dated 14 February 1993, reporting on the Students for Peace candlelight demonstration held on M.G. Road, Bangalore.

Deccan Herald, 14 February 1993 — report titled 'Holding a candle for peace' describing the Students for Peace demonstration in Bangalore.

The gathering continued for roughly two and a half hours, creating what local newspapers described as ‘a march of the peace brigade’. The disciplined manner of the volunteers and the sight of thousands of candles lining M.G. Road were noted as rare moments of calm during a tense national period.

Scale and scope

The demonstration brought together around 5,000 students drawn from dozens of schools and colleges across Bangalore. Contemporary reports used varying estimates, but all agreed that turnout was large and the mood overwhelmingly peaceful. The campaign itself lasted only a few weeks, but its coordination and reach reflected the commitment of young volunteers working without institutional support.

Organisation and conduct

Students for Peace operated on self-discipline. Volunteers wore white T-shirts and maintained order throughout the event, acting as marshals to ensure safety and unobstructed traffic. No speeches were made, and there were no banners or party symbols—only candles and hand-drawn placards. The emphasis was on quiet participation rather than protest.

Reception

Spectators described the evening as moving and unexpectedly serene. Newspapers noted the sincerity of the young organisers, quoting a twelve-year-old participant who said simply, ‘We don’t want any more war’. A few observers pointed out that the slogans were largely in English, limiting accessibility, but the general response was one of appreciation.

Students for Peace dissolved soon after the demonstration, having achieved its immediate aim of expressing solidarity and restraint at a time of national anxiety. In retrospect, the event stands as a small yet significant instance of civic mobilisation—an early example of students using Gandhian symbolism to voice their hopes for peace. And indeed, there was show of peace.

References

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