By Abdul Bari Masoud, MM News,
New Delhi: Announcing the 22 days nationwide campaign against growing intolerance and violence in the country, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has urged the Modi government to rise to the occasion in reining the hot-headed elements of the Sangh Parivar who are soiling the image of the largest democracy of the world. The SDPI also asked the government to show maturity to the world that it believes in rule of law and supremacy of the Constitution.
Briefing the media about the campaign here on Monday, SDPI president A Sayeed said since the BJP came to power at the Center, the communal atmosphere has gone from bad to worse as insecurity among minorities and weaker sections of the society have been increased manifold. He said the Prime Minister is very eloquent on every trivial matter while he is adopting deafening silence over the major incidents of intolerance and collective violence in the country.
Dadri was an unfortunate incident but the attitude of the government was the most unfortunate one as one union minister, who visited the village, declared even before the investigation that it was a spontaneous act, said Sayeed.
This has encouraged even Governors, who are supposed to be vanguard of the Constitution, are making provocative statements.
In this back drop, Sayeed said the SDPI has decided of launching a campaign against the communal terrorism patronized either directly or indirectly by the Sangh Parivar. The campaign is intended to draw peoples’ attention to the upsetting socio-political situation prevailing in the country and to bring confidence among them.
He alleged that within few months of being in power the Modi government has given up the agenda of development. BJP leaders have s repeatedly proved that they are running short of the maturity to lead world’s largest democracy. BJP MPs, Central Ministers, Chief Ministers of BJP ruled states and even governors appointed by the NDA Government are coming forward with controversial statements one after another mostly attacking the secular and progressive democratic thoughts prevailing among the people of our country. The socio-political situation of our country is growing vulnerable day by day. Word intolerance is much debated in India at present.
RSS and BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi forcefully made hollow claims that India is a country of tolerance but reality cannot be hid by this baloney. In just over a year and a half of the NDA government the slogans of development have been replaced by narrative of divisiveness.
Drawing the attention of the media, Sayeed said attacks on Muslims owing to communal hatred, now mostly in the name of cow protection, has become a routine act in different parts of the country and caste prejudices and atrocities towards Dalits also are on the rise while the attitude of BJP leaders and ministers towards such incidents is more reprehensible.
Besides this, saffron brigade has been hounding and attacking writers, artists and activists, whistle-blowers, scientists, and reformists. This alarming situation has compelled them to come out with protest against the government’s failure to protect freedom of expression and contain religious intolerance.
Outlining schedule of the campaign, he said it meant to instill confidence and fearlessness among the people who are frightened by the violent hate campaign of fascists groups. SDPI’s campaign includes Public Meetings, Seminars, Corner Meetings, Street Dramas, Posters, and Leaflets, Different types of Poetical and Musical Programmes with a message ‘on your feet, not on your knees.’ It will be launched on December 10 with an indoor public meeting from Bangalore and will culminate on December 31. The SDPI will also hold a Parliament March on December 21 in the national capital to draw the attention of countrymen. Besides this, seminars would be held in Jaipur, Kolkata, Bangalore, Aligarh, Lucknow, Patna and Mumbai.
Party vice president Adv. Sharafudheen Ahamed and general secretaries Illyas Thumbai and Mohamed Shafi also addressed the press conference.