Issued on this the July 1, 2024.
We, the people of India, condemn the alarming increase in Hate Crimes against minorities, which have worryingly increased post the results of the recently concluded general election!
Although the clear verdict by the Indian electorate was against polarisation and the divisive campaign of hate, the ruling NDA refuses to learn its lessons. BJP leaders have loudly blamed the minority community for their defeat, such targeting of minority communities has been openly indulged in by BJP leaders right from the PM to state leadership and has fueled hate against the minority communities and encouraged violent crimes targeting them. This is a worrying trend and we strongly condemn it.
We appeal to the Leader of the Opposition to immediately raise this issue in Parliament, and issue a public statement condemning the increasing violent attacks and reassuring the minorities about their safety and security.
The Constituents of the INDIA Bloc and its leaders must also immediately speak out & mobilise their cadres and the citizens to defend the minorities by raising the issue in Parliament, in State Assemblies and on the streets of India. We must all unitedly defeat this divisive conspiracy.
Even though the electorate resoundingly rejected the rabid hate campaign indulged in by the Prime Minister himself, he continues to make provocative and unsubstantiated allegations against the minorities thus fuelling hate crimes. His party’s devious design is to polarise the citizenry along religious lines. We stand united to defeat their nefarious conspiracy to divide our nation irrevocably along communal and caste lines.
We appeal to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India to take Suo Moto notice of the increasing spate of hate speeches resulting in violent hate crimes against minority communities, and post haste pass orders instructing the Central & State Governments, as well as the police, to carry out their constitutional duties to protect the Minorities, who are citizens of India and equally enjoy rights guaranteed by our Constitution. The Supreme Court must expressly order the police to act urgently and provide protection to minority communities and prosecute hate mongers and those indulging in hate crimes. The SC must remind the police that they serve the constitution and not political bosses.
We also appeal to the Modi Government to stand by its constitutional commitments and publicly issue a statement condemning hate crimes and to immediately instruct all the State governments to implement measures to protect the Minorities. The NDA Government must not forget that it swore by the Constitution before taking office, thus it is it’s bounden duty to provide protection to all citizens of India without prejudice or partiality.
As citizens of India, we assure our sisters and brothers of the Minorities that we stand with them in this hour of peril. The majority of the people of our nation stand with the minorities and thus they need not feel isolated or abandoned in anyway. We are honour bound to protect them and to provide them with security and well-being. We will always remain committed to the principles of fraternity, inclusiveness and national unity as guaranteed by our Constitution. This we swear.
Released by
We the people of India
Dr GG Parikh, Medha Patkar, Tushar Gandhi, Farher Frezier, Dr Sunilam,
Teesta Setalvad, Shabnam Hashmi, Justice Kolse Patil retd, Irfan
Engineer, Dolphy D’Souza, Feroz Mithiborewala and Guddi
