In view of the persistent demand for a special emphasis to mobilise women and focus on issues relating to literacy and women’s equality, it was decided to combine the remaining Jathas of BGVJ-92  which were planned to be held in December but they were postponed due to wide spread disturbance following the Ayodhya incident into 8 national women’s Jatha. The programme was named as Samata- Gyan Vigyan Jatha of women for Education, equality and Peace. A national level Samata organising committee was formed with various national level women organisations were also part of the organising committee.

The need for Samata was experienced with tremendous contribution of women in the literacy movement as volunteers, learners and Jatha performers but not in terms of leadership. It was felt that there was clearly a need for women to develop their abilities and space within the literacy movement to emerge as leaders with an eye to carve out a place for women’s issues on the agenda of the literacy movement. An important objective of the Samata Jatha was to forge a linkage between women’s movement and women in the literacy campaign.

A national level Samata convention was organised in Delhi in the first week of December, 1992 where more than 300 women delegates participated from all over the country. Samata Kalajatha and supplementary programmes were discussed and planned at that convention.  However, due to wide spread disturbances which followed the Ayodhya incident, the follow up programmes at the state and district levels shifted by more than one month. By mid January, 1993 Samata activities in the states started to pick momentum.

A national level Samata Kalajatha production camp was held at Rohtak from January 16-31 where experienced kalajatha directors from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi participated. Soon after the national workshop, 5 regional training workshops were organised.  During January-February, state and district level Samata conventions were conducted in most of the states. Issues like women’s literacy, problems of girl child, gender equity, and evils of communalism were discussed in these conventions. A number state and district groups also organised supplementary programmes like poster exhibitions, community games, local cultural festivals etc. The Samata programme also received wide publicity in the new papers and other media. All the Samata Jathas culminated on 8^th April at national Samata convention held in Jhansi, UP. Apart from the 200 artists, more than 500 women delegates from different parts of the country also participated in this convention.

The Samata Jathas and related activities succeeded in focusing the attention of the nation on the importance of women’s literacy and also issues pertaining to gender equality.