Vote out hate politics, division of people, inequality, intimidation, censorship, appeal 180 writers

By A Representative
About 180 writers have in an appeal said that people should “vote against hate politics” and “for an equal and diverse India”. The appeal says, the upcoming election “finds our country at the crossroads”, and though our Constitution “guarantees all its citizens equal rights, the freedom to eat, pray and live as they choose, freedom of expression and the right to dissent.”
But it regrets, in the last few years, “we have seen citizens being lynched or assaulted or discriminated against because of their community, caste, gender, or the region they come from”, adding, “Hate politics has been used to divide the country; create fear; and exclude more and more people from living as full-fledged citizens.”
The signatories say, “Writers, artists, filmmakers, musicians and other cultural practitioners have been hounded, intimidated, and censored. Anyone who questions the powers-that-be is in danger of being harassed or arrested on false and ridiculous charges.”
Insisting that “all of us want this to change”, they say, “We don’t want rationalists, writers and activists to be hounded or assassinated. We want stern measures against violence in word or deed against women, dalits, adivasis and minority communities. We want resources and measures for jobs, education, research, healthcare and equal opportunities for all. Most of all, we want to safeguard our diversity and let democracy flourish.”
To stop this, he adds, one should “vote out hate politics, vote out the division of our people; vote out inequality; vote against violence, intimidation and censorship.”
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Click HERE for list of signatories