SOCIAL ACTIVISTS VOICE SOLIDARITY WITH EGYPTIANS

Social activists and representatives of civil society groups staged a demonstration at Ramniwas Garden in Jaipur, Rajasthan on February 13 to express their solidarity with the people of Egypt who have forced President Hosni Mubarak to relinquish his office through their peaceful agitation and warned that the people in India would launch “a similar campaign” if corruption, nepotism and misgovernance were not controlled. Activists also denounced the policies of the U.S. which they said had always supported dictators and authoritarian military rulers in West Asia and ignored the popular aspirations of the people, while protecting the non-democratic regimes. “The U.S. is more concerned about the security of Israel and has backed its aggressive policies,” they said. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind State president Mohammed Salim said the uprising in Egypt had demolished the myth that ordinary people in Muslim countries did not want democracy. People’s Union for Civil Liberties State president Prem Krishna Sharma said the civil society activists in India would support the people’s struggle in Egypt to bring in democracy and uphold peace and harmony during the transition period. TC Rahul of All-India Buddha Mahasabha said the agitation of Egypt’s people was as significant as the freedom struggle in India. The participants referred to the “bogey raised by western countries” about the Muslim Brotherhood getting strengthened during the current unrest and affirmed that it was for the people of Egypt to decide who would rule their country.” The U.S. hoodwinks the world opinion by saying that democracy would bring extremists [to power] but it backs most orthodox and fundamentalist regimes in certain countries,” said Qari Moinuddin of Rajasthan Muslim Forum.