“Muslims are not bare bodies…”: Night vigil protests in Kerala against fatal killings by RPF officer, Nuh violence

In Kerala, night vigil demonstrations were organized under the banner “Muslims are not bare bodies” to protest the ongoing anti-Muslim violence in the country.

The demonstrations, led by Students Islamic Organisations of India and Solidarity Youth Movement, took place in Kozhikode and Malappuram.

The protesters expressed their strong condemnation of the recent fatal killings of three Muslims and a tribal officer by an RPF officer on a moving train, as well as the anti-Muslim violence in Nuh and Delhi NCR.

During the protests, chants of “Muslim Lives Matter” echoed through the crowd, reflecting the sentiments against Hindutva ideology.

Solidarity Youth Movement state president Suhaib CT, Jamaate Islami Hind Malappuram district president Nahas Mala, Students Islamic Organisation state president Muhammed Saeed TK, and state secretary Vahid Chullippara addressed the gathering.

Muhammed Saeed TK, the state president of Students Islamic Organisation, emphasized the importance of standing up against violence and injustice, stressing that it is the responsibility of those who believe in democracy, justice, and truth to resist such atrocities against Muslims in India.

On Monday, a railway security guard, Chetan Singh, shot dead his colleague who is from tribal community and three Muslim passengers on a train in what appeared to be a hate crime against Muslims. But the police have said the suspect,, had mental health issues. The killer in the video is then heard saying: “They were being operated from Pakistan and our media is giving [them] coverage. They are all aware. But I am telling you, if you want to live and vote in Hindustan [India] – it is only [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi and [Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath] Yogi, these are the only two names.”

A day later, an imam has been killed after a Hindutva mob torched and opened fire at a mosque in Gurugram, a suburb of the capital, New Delhi, hours after deadly violence in a Haryana. The mosque was also set ablaze by the assailants on Tuesday.