Students leaders, Muslims groups, social and human rights activists and Welfare Party of India urged the Dalits, minorities, marginalised sections, students and the like-minded to wake up for another freedom struggle against undeclared emergency and to safeguard democratic and constitutional rights of the people at a public meet organised by the Welfare Party of India on Democracy and Fascism in the national capital on 20 March.
JNU students’ leader, Ashutosh Kumar said that the script of defaming JNU was prepared long ago and students are being targeted for raising their voice for the oppressed and the marginalised. The fight will continue till sedition laws are scrapped. The solidarity and struggle of the students’ community across India will continue against the oppressors. Successful agitation in the aftermath of JNU row and Rohit death is only a step forward but there is still a long way to go.
Ravi Nair, Director South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre, while addressing the gathering, said that so long as intelligence agencies are not brought under the purview of Parliament and are not made accountable to Parliament, Section 197 in the Indian Penal Code is not scrapped, the idea of institutional democracy cannot be realised.
Speaking on the occasion, Mohammad Salim Engineer, Secretary General Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, said those at the helm of power are trying to pursue their hidden agenda more aggressively than ever before and trying to change the Constitution according to their aspiration. He said that the third freedom struggle has begun and all like-minded people, students and community leaders, civil society should do all in their capacity to thwart any such evil design against the country and its people. Continued struggle to safeguard constitutional and democratic rights of the people, especially minorities, Dalits and the oppressed is the need of the hour and all efforts should be made to protect, preserve and safeguard our democracy and our Constitution.
Kavita Krishnan, Secretary All India Progressive Women’s Association, urged the community and students to fight collectively against injustice towards anyone. She said that rise of student leaders became possible only by the faulty action of the Modi government. Students’ agitation has shown the way and all efforts to divide the students and the community has been thwarted by students gesture of unity for a cause.
Dr. Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, President Welfare Party of India, in his presidential speech, said that the country is at present in a state of undeclared emergency and if we fail to rise against it, we will also lose our freedom even to speak, write and protest. Dr. Ilyas asked the people to rise up against all forms of injustice at all levels before it is too late. He also asked the Muslims to feel the pain and suffering of the oppressed community and struggle collectively for their cause also. For this, he urged the people to form a collective voice of the oppressed across India, and if possible in the entire world.