More than 15 Indian diaspora groups in the United Kingdom jointly called for a protest in London, demanding to end the Hindu-supremacist violence and fascist policies of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government that left the Muslims in the country on the brink of genocide.
The protest will take place at 1 PM BST on Sunday, 3 July 2022 at 10 Downing Street. Protesters will also march towards the Indian High Commission.
“A huge turnout is expected at the rally, this Sunday, as protesters are coming from all across the country,” organisers claimed.
Claudia Webbe, an Independent MP in the UK, Sonali Bhattacharyya, National Secretary of Momentum, a socialist group within the Labour Party, and other lawmakers and citizen activists will address the demonstration.
The organisers said that they will raise their voice against state-sponsored murder, rape, lynchings of Muslims and bulldozing of their homes.
“I am especially concerned by the increase in the state-mandated demolition of Muslim homes and properties, such as that of renowned student activist Afreen Fatima, as well as the rise of gendered and racialised violence towards India’s minorities,” Cladia Webbe, MP for Leicester East said.
“The restrictions of religious and gender rights through hijab-bans, persecution of interfaith relationships, and legal impunity for Islamophobic and anti-minority hate speech have been rampant in India,” read a press release of organisers issued to the media.
“The criminalisation of internationally renowned human rights activists, like Teesta Setalvad on spurious charges and of highly respected journalists like Mohammed Zubair, and hundreds of others have to be resisted. Persecution of Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and Adivasis through murder, rape, lynching, and mob violence, demolitions of religious buildings, and deployment of legal institutions to legitimate such violence is also terrifying,” it stated.
The joint protest is called for by more than 15 Indian diaspora groups including Strive UK, SouthAsia Solidarity Group, Scottish Indians for Justice, Indian Muslim Federation, International Council of Indian Muslims, International Solidarity for Academic Freedom (InSAF), SOAS India Society, East Midlands Malayali Muslim Association, Apna Haq, Women Against Caste, The London Story, The Peace Institute, Million Women Rise, Oxford South Asian Society, IMWS Al-Hikmah Centre, and Freedom Without Fear Platform.
PP Jaseem is a freelance journalist covering law, human rights and Indian minorities.
