In the midst of rising number of hate crimes in various parts of the country, a national helpline number-1800-3133-600-00, was launched by United Against Hate to register and report hate crimes in India. A number of social and human rights activists, lawyers academicians, representatives of social and religious organisations and people fighting for justice and peace endorsed this initiative in the national capital on July 15.
Wasiq Nadeem, founder member of United Against Hate, informed media persons that the Toll-Free number will be available to help victims of hate crimes in more than 100 cities. Through this helpline number people from across India can register or report hate crimes. The service of national helpline number will be available in Hindi and English and members of United Against Hate will take calls and help victims, their family members and people reporting the incidents. Help would also be provided for the victims in registration of FIR, legal guidance and assistance right from lower court to the Supreme Court.
Professor Apoorvanand of Delhi University said it is high time now to define hate crimes taking place, identify them, talk and debate on them, the way people in Europe and other countries are doing. Their media and parliaments are talking about it but we in India are not even ready to talk on it. This helpline number has become a necessity in the prevailing atmosphere. It was the need of the hour because minorities and Dalits are being attacked because of their identities.
Senior lawyer Sanjay Hedge said, we as Indians today have to learn that we need to sacrifice to ensure for ourselves those freedoms our forefathers fought and brought together Independent country and brought together a magnificent Constitution which assured to each of its citizens’ basic human rights and the rule of law. We can write magnificent constitutions, laws and give magnificent judgments and these all would mean nothing unless it is actualised and unless they are brought down and forced where people and authorities are forced to follow the law. This toll-free number is a start-up for our times.
Noted social and human rights activist Ravi Nair, who is Director of South Asian Human Rights Documentation Centre, after the release of the helpline number, while referring to the increasing number of hate crimes, asked where the Indian State is. “I make a differentiation between the State and the Government. The state is collapsing. There is a National Integration Council which has a joint secretary and a department in the Home Ministry; what is it going to stop hate crimes? Why have they not called an emergency meeting of Chief Ministers to stop hate crimes and mob lynching?
Senior journalist, Urmilesh said nowhere in the world we can see that in a country, be it democratic or not, whether they have good constitution or not, people are forced to chant Jai Sri Ram or the likes on the streets and killed mercilessly. Social reforms and struggle is the only way forward against these hate crimes and mindset filled with hate and violence.
Dr Kafeel Khan of BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur, who has not been reinstated despite Supreme Court order, said it is quite unfortunate that the prevailing situation has compelled us to launch this helpline number. People generally ask ‘why you are against Modi and Yogi’ but let me make it clear, I am not against them but against the ideology of the RSS which instils hate in people against other people.
Malik Motasim Khan, national secretary of JIH, asked why it is so that we have not been able to stop lynching incidents despite the fact that there is a guideline on it by the Supreme Court. “To my mind simply having law is not enough unless and until we can change the mindset. Supposedly if we make law then most probably it would be used against victims instead of culprits. Keeping all this in mind, it is important to change the mindset along with law aimed at stopping lynching incidents.
Supreme Court lawyer, Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi, who had a role in the formulation of the guidelines by the Supreme Court on lynchings, said in 2016: “We heard of vigilantism and now from vigilantism we have reached lynchings.” While agreeing to senior lawyer Sanjay Hedge, he said, “We have a magnificent Constitution and the best judgment on lynching but today we are here to launch helpline number which itself speaks about its implementation.”
Supreme Court Advocate Ehtesham Hashmi said the helpline is the need of the hour in rural and remote areas and we the lawyers along with activists will help and guide all victims – right from reporting the incident to achieving justice. Father Michael Villemy, Founder President, Minority Christian Forum, said each and everyone should come forward to save this country and the Constitution in order to create an atmosphere of Peace, Justice and Communal Amity. Prof Ratanlal, Prashant Tandon, Anas Tanveer, Shreeji Bhavsar, Prof Ghazala Jamil and Maulana Hakimuddin Qasmi also spoke on this occasion.