07/05/2020
CLOUD PROTEST
Lockdown should never be a reason to abstain from protesting. Withdraw false cases and draconian laws slapped against activists by Delhi Police.
Sub: Drawing your kind attention towards arbitrary arrests of students and activists from minority community and subsequent slapping of UAPA against them during the ongoing lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic
Respected Sir /Ma’am,
India is under lockdown for more than a month since the Covid outbreak became a global health emergency and people of India are standing together irrespective of the diffrences among them, to counter the situation. The government, health workers and people of the country are fighting together to contain the virus to reduce the fatality by keeping all major affairs aside. The people implying their commitment towards the safety of the nation, understood the significance of lockdown and stayed in their homes on the appeal of our Prime Minister despite its unexpected announcement which has also put many marginal workers’ life at stake. All academic activities have been suspended, institutions have been closed and students were asked to leave their hostels. The judiciary also limited its activity till the Covid-19 outbreak is under control. It is an unprecedented situation that the country has not faced since independence.
While the entire nation stays at home, the Special Cell of Delhi police unleashed arbitrary actions against the students and other activists which undermine all the efforts taken by the government and health workers to flatten the curve. World Health Organisation has clearly stated to avoid the politicisation of the pandemic. As we know that in our country, the Delhi State is one of the worst-hit places by Covid-19. There are more than 4,000 positive cases with 64 deaths till 4th May.
However, the police is not marching on to this odd situation in a productive manner by joining the fight against the pandemic, instead it is being engaged in a selective, institutionalised and systemic targeting of the students and activists hailing from Muslim minority community, many of them are women including a three-month pregnant student who have protested peacefully against the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and NRC, both of which adhere to the purpose of dividing India on religious lines. The latest report on religious freedom by U.S Commission on International Religious Freedom downgraded India to the lowest ranking which includes concerns about CAA is a tip of the issue. The police recently booked sedition charges against Delhi Minorities Commission Chairman, a renowned Muslim scholar and author Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan on a facebook post. We believe that suppressing the voice of dissent and right to protest is undemocratic and totalitarian in nature.
The students and other activists had been protesting since the bill was tabled in the parliament in December. Since then, we have witnessed a series of countrywide peaceful protests against the bill to preserve the constitution and upholding its values, especially in Delhi. Unfortunately, all these collective and united efforts to stand by the constitution began to be targeted and the following incidents ended in a pogrom started by hindutwa right-wing in North East Delhi in February.
The lockdown was on the wake of post-genocide trauma in NE Delhi and many innocents were stranded and were left to suffer due to the huge loss occurred to them during the pogrom. As per the reports, the unfortunate incident was instigated and orchestrated by the local BJP leaders giving hate speech against a particular community and the honourable Delhi High Court expressed strong disapproval against the police callousness to it. Instead of arresting the instigators of Delhi violence, using video evidence of the hate speech and camera footages, police categorically targeted the minority community and acted in a biased manner.
Having mentioned the oppressive and fascistic measures of the State, Campus Front of India requests you to intervene in the issue and facilitate the release of all political prisoners who are unlawfully and undemocratically arrested. We also request to revoke UAPA charges slapped against them.
Sincerely
Thanks
