ByAbdul Bari Masood,MM News
Mumbai: Activists, academics and journalists have called upon an action plan for fighting the communal and fascist forces in the country as they expressed concern over rise of insecurity among minority communities and weaker sections of the society following the BJP’s ascendency to power at the Center.
Deliberating upon the ‘Idea of India’ at Anjuman Islam campus here, civil rights members said new political development in the country has brought despondency among the secular forces. They expressed concern over shrinking space for independent journalist under the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. They justified the apprehension found among the members of minority communities and urged the need to address their concerns. Noted documentary film maker Anand Patwardhan said that the BJP is trying to implement its idea of cultural dominance through power. He expressed deep concern over market taking hold of media. He said: “The media is not telling what is happening in the world… The government knows that it can stay in power through censorship. “Jungle raj is prevailing in the country and worst example of this is cold-blooded murder of young Pune techie Mohsin Sadiq Shaikh whose crime was that he belonged to a particular religion”. Patwardan lamented that the Modi government did not take any action against the culprit gang while the Maharashtra government belated acted upon this. He also lambasted police for its suspected role in the murder of techie saying last year rationalist Narendra Dabholkar was killed but his killers are still absconding. If he was killed by a Muslim, police would have put dozens of Muslims behind the bar, he quipped.
On the elevation of Amit Shah, noted filmmaker, said it is the sad day for Indian politics that a dubious character person was made a president of a ruling party. On Israeli aggression against Palestine, he said the government has adopted reprehensible attitude by saying it cannot annoy Israel by condemning its act of aggression.
Civil servant and activist Harsh Mander said the Muslims in the backward areas are now feeling more insecure as communal elements targeting them with full impunity. In the prevailing atmosphere, he said there is urgent need of chalking out an action plan to take on the communal forces head on. He pointed that if Lalu Prasad Yadav can join hand with his bête noir Nitish Kumar, then why can we follow the suit. On the occasion, senior journalists Dilip D’souza, Daryll D’Monte, actors Nandita Das and Dolly Thakore, film directors Mahesh Bhatt and Saeed Mirza also spoke at the round table talk and expressed their concerns at rise of communalism in the country. They said that Idea of India faces real threat now.