Rajasthan rally demands end of "targeting" of Muslim cow breeders: Civil society, TUs, Left protest lynching incidents

By Our Representative
A major rally in Jaipur, organized by several civil society organizations of Rajasthan, has demanded peace and justice in the state, even as bringing an end to frequent lynching of Muslims. Between April and December as many as five cases of lynching of Muslims have taken place in the state. The rally decided to set up district-level peace committees to end the “targeting” of minorities.
Slogans at the rally included "Vasundhara Raje stop hate politics", "Bring justice to all killed in hate politics", "Long live Constitution”, “Down with the Sangh Parivar”, and “Death to RSS ideology”. The demands included immediate arrest the “real killers” of Pehlu Khan, Zafar Khan, Umar Khan, Talim Hussain and Afrazul, the victims of lynching since April.
Organized jointly by civil society organizations in alliance with Dalit, Muslim and women groups, citizens’ and students’ bodies, trade unions, left parties and their organizations, the speakers at the rally said, the state was “burning” in the fire of hate and the brutal killing in Rajsamand of Afrazul by one Shambhu Lal Regar had opened a new chapter in the book of hate.
The killing was videotaped, following which several videos, including those justifying the killing, were put on the social media “There was effort to instantly make the killer a hero. The killing took place on the day that the demolition of Babri Masjid took place”, recalled Kavita Shrivastava of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), one of the organizers of the rally. “Shockingly, a day was observed by Hindutva forces as Shaurya Diwas, as domination over Muslims.”
Shrivastava said, “In almost all the cases of lynching the culprits are still at large. Hate speeches have been delivered by BJP MLAs Gyan Dev Ahuja, who said all cow smugglers should be shot dead and Banwari Lal Singhal, who said, Muslims were reproducing at the rate of 12 to 14 children per family to finish off Hindu domination in the country.”

Speakers at the rally demanded booking and arrest of the two MLA, even as seeking to restore peace by arresting of all the accused involved in lynching incidents. They wondered whether the state government has made a policy of lodging false FIRs against cow rearers and dairy farmers if they are Muslims.
“Would Pratapgarh's Zafar Khan killing be treated as a death due to natural circumstance and the killers would be allowed to go scot free? Would the killers of Umar Khan be arrested after the by-polls of Alwar? Would Talim Hussain's killers in Khakhi ever be booked for their crime?”, she asked.
The rally decided to form peace, justice and brotherhood committees in all districts, even as starting a “Save Constitution” yatra in a run up to the Republic Day. A resolution passed condemning the Government of Maharashtra for not protecting Dalits, allowing dominant caste people to attack them, leading to the killing of a Dalit in Koregaon.
“Is it the government agenda to destroy the livelihoods of Muslims of the Mewat area”, Shrivastava said, wondering whether the killers named by Pehlu Khan before he died would ever be arrested. The rally took place on January 3, which happened to be birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule, well-known fighter against untouchability and for women's empowerment in Maharashtra.
A memorandum was handed over to the district magistrate, to be forwarded to the chief minister, by former MLA Ayub Khan from Alwar, who spoke of the deteriorating condition in the state. Among others those who spoke were Suman Devathiya of the All India Dalit Mahila Manch, Ravindra Shukla of the CPI-M, Nisha Sidhu of the CPI, and Manjulata of the National Federation of Indian Women.

Comments

Modi win may force Pak to put Kashmir on backburner, resume trade ties with India

By Salman Rafi Sheikh* When Narendra Modi returned to power for a second term in India with a landslide victory in 2019, his government acted swiftly. Just months after the election, the Modi government abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution of India. In doing so, it stripped the special constitutional status conferred on Jammu and Kashmir, India’s only Muslim-majority state, and downgraded its status from a state with its own elected assembly to a union territory administered by the central government in Delhi.

Tyre cartel's monopoly: Farmers' groups seek legal fight for better price for raw rubber

By Our Representative The All India Kisan Sabha and the Kerala Karshaka Sangham that represents the largest rubber producing state of Kerala along with rubber farmers have sought intervention against the monopoly tyre companies that have formed a cartel against the interests of consumers and farmers. Vijoo Krishnan, AIKS General Secretary, Valsan Panoli, Kerala Karshaka Sangham General Secretary, and four farmers representing different rubber growing regions of Kerala have filed an intervention application in the Supreme Court.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

'Assault on civic, academic freedom, right to dissent': TISS PhD student's suspension

By Our Representative The Mumbai-based civil rights group All India Secular Forum (AISF) has said that the suspension of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) PhD student Ramadas Prini Sivanandan (30) for two years for allegedly indulging in activities which were "not in the interest of the nation" is meant to send out the message that students and educational institutes will be targeted if they don’t align with the agenda and ideology of the ruling regime. TISS in a notice served to Ramadas has cited that his role in screening the documentary 'Ram Ke Naam' on January 26 as a "mark of dishonour and protest" against the Ram Mandir idol consecration in Ayodhya. Another incident cited in the notice was Ramadas’ participation in the protest against unfair government policies in Delhi under the banner of the Progressive Students' Forum (PSF)-TISS. TISS alleges the institute's name was "misused", which wrongfully created an impression that

Magnetic, stunning, Protima Bedi 'exposed' malice of sexual repression in society

By Harsh Thakor* Protima Bedi was born to a baniya businessman and a Bengali mother as Protima Gupta in Delhi in 1949. Her father was a small-time trader, who was thrown out of his family for marrying a dark Bengali women. The theme of her early life was to rebel against traditional bondage. It was extraordinary how Protima underwent a metamorphosis from a conventional convent-educated girl into a freak. On October 12th was her 75th birthday; earlier this year, on August 18th it was her 25th death anniversary.

As inequality afflicts voters, Ambanis seem 'happily honest' flexing economic power

By Sonali Kolhatkar* There are several exercises in extremes playing out in India right now. Nearly a billion people are voting in elections that will last into early June, braving record-high temperatures to cast ballots. Against this backdrop, Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani , is throwing what will likely be the world’s most expensive wedding for his youngest son.

Indian authorities 'ignoring' renewable energy sources not requiring high voltage power lines

By Shankar Sharma* Recent media reports greatly appreciating a recent order of the Supreme Court bench on climate action in India should also be seen in the context of threats to the Great Indian Bustard. The judgement is being hailed as very important for the success of climate action in India. The associated observation by the honourable Court that climate crisis impacts citizens’ right to life is being deemed as critical in the long-term welfare of our people.

Congress manifesto: Delving deep into core concepts related to equity, social justice?

By Prof RR Prasad* The deafening current clamor on one of the agenda items of the 2024 Congress Party Election Manifesto has made common people to ponder whether ideologies like social justice and equity could become conundrum and contentious manifestations of some organization's vision and mission.

Climate crisis: Modi-led BJP 'refraining from phasing out coal production, emissions'

By Our Representative Civil society groups have released a charter of demands for securing climate justice and moving towards a just transition, demanding review and reframing of India’s Climate Action Policy Framework. The charter says that while the daily summer temperature in the country has already begin to roar sky high, millions of people in India are heading to the booths to cast their vote in this scorching heat. The everyday impacts of extreme weather events, a result of the climate crisis, has become alarmingly threatening.

India's "welcome" proposal to impose sin tax on aerated drinks is part of to fight growing sugar consumption

By Amit Srivastava* A proposal to tax sugar sweetened beverages like tobacco in India has been welcomed by public health advocates. The proposal to increase sin taxes on aerated drinks is part of the recommendations made by India’s Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian on the upcoming Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill in the parliament of India.

Search This Blog