A deputation of thirteen people led by the Indian Workers’ Association G.B. visited the Indian Embassy, Augusta Street, Birmingham on 5th September 2018. The deputation included representatives of Indian Workers’ Associations, Anti-Caste Discrimination Alliance, Kanshi Radio Station, Birmingham and one individual. The deputation had an hour-long meeting with Ms. Happy Guptan, Consul of Community Affairs. The purpose of the meeting was to raise concerns about the toxic environment being created in India. The primary focus of the meeting was the arrests of ten Human Rights activists and intellectuals, five of whom have been put under house arrest while the other five are still in jail. Concerns were raised about the series of police raids on theirs and houses/ offices of several others. The deputation, through the medium of the Indian High commission, wished their voice to reach the Indian Government.
Bhagwant Singh, Secretary of Indian Workers’ Association, Birmingham Branch, opened the meeting with introductory remarks about IWA’s stand for socio – economic, socio-political equality and against racial superiority wherever it exists. He stressed the Indian Workers’ Association has proud history of fighting equality that we now enjoy. He stated that we the people of Indian origin have been proud of India’s secularism until the current Government came into power in 2014. We do not remain untouched by our country fast moving from a secular state towards fascist Hindutva State. Mr Modi led BJP government has created a state of fear where anyone using the constitutional right to criticise the Government’s policies is labelled as Nuxal or Anti – National. They are either murdered, become subject to physically attacks, threats to life and property or put into jail we have witnessed in the case with the ten arrests of the Human Rights activists and intellectuals.
Added contributions were made by Joginder Bains, General Secretary of IWA G.B., Ravi Kumar, General Secretary of Anti- Caste Discrimination Alliance, Sheera Johal, president of IWA G.B., Birmingham Branch, Dharm Mahay, Rajinder Bains and other members of the deputation. They stressed that India is a multi-cultural, multi-religious, socially divert and secular country with one of the best constitutions in the world, that makes our head high with pride. However, in the past four years our country has been changed beyond recognition. Indian citizens’ basic human rights and choices are being removed. They are lynched on suspicion of what they may have eaten. For a choice of clothes, they wear or who they associate with, whom they make friends with or have a choice of their life partner. The vigilante groups such as Bajrang Dal, Cow Rakshaks, Romeo Squads are let loose to take law in their hand. Since they have blessing of BJP and RSS, they have no fear of justice. They feel above the law of the country. They can physically attack, abuse, murder and threaten anyone whom they suspect have eaten beef or killed of purchased a cow to kill or have any kind of relationship with a Muslim. The minority communities, Muslims, Dalits, tribble people are living in fear of these vigilantes. Lynching and threat to life and property has become a daily accruing norm in many parts of India. The fearsome conditions like in Emergency in 1975 are created under the auspicious of the Government in power. The arrests of ten Human Rights Activists and intellectuals and raids on their houses and office has left no doubt that India has reached the stage of fascism that cannot be tolerated and must be condemned and fought to protect our social values.
The arrests of the ten individuals, are not only to silent voices of the critiques, it is an attempt to serve the interests of big Corporates by making a safe way for them to exploit the rich resources under the tribble communities’ feet. All those arrested have been fighting for decades taking side of tribble and other marginalised communities ensuring their constitutional rights are protected.
Statements were made that environment of fear is resulting in reduction in tourism and investments by Indian migrants that has a knock-on effect on Indian economy. India’s reputation is being tarnished by the above anti- social mobs. In the 21 century when the world is moving forward, India is holding tight onto the most inhumane and undignified cast system that should have no place in the world of science. Hesitant Indian younger generations will miss out an opportunity to learn about their roots, historical richness, and multi-cultural, multi-religious diversified, a unique secular India we have been enjoying. We must save it from the claws the fascist Hindutva forces. We must protect India as we know it so that our future generations feel the same pride we do and ensure it is free from cast system, serves the interests of all people not a few elites’.
Mr Bhagwant Singh handed over the memorandum to Ms. Happy Guptan who gave the deputation her assurance that the concerns raised will reach the Indian Government.
The memorandum was signed by:
Bhagwant Singh Secretary, Indian Workers’ Association G.B., Birmingham Branch
Sheera Johal President, Indian Workers Association G.B., Birmingham Branch
Ravi Kumar General Secretary, Anti- Cast Discrimination Alliance
Joginder Bains (Mrs) General Secretary, Indian Workers Association G.B.
Ajit Singh Dosanjh President, Indian Workers’ Association G.B., Derby Branch
Kulwant Singh Indian Workers’ Association G.B. Birmingham Branch
Rajinder Bains Indian Workers’ Association G.B., Derby Branch
Dharam Mahay Kanshi Radio Station, Birmingham
Mohinder Singh Dhesi Indian Workers’ Association G.B. Wolverhampton Branch
Balbir Singh Indian Workers’ Association G.B. Wolverhampton
Atma Summan Individual
Jaswinder Dhamrait Indian Workers’ Association G.B., Derby Branch
Charnjit Sandhu Indian Workers’ Association G.B., Derby Branch
Memorandum
To whom it may concern
Indian people living in Britain cannot remain untouched by the happenings in India because their heart is in India. They become jubilant when India is Triumphant. They suffer sorrow if India experiences unrest.
Indian People are extremely concerned for the current developments in India where violation of human rights and attack on freedom of speech, a fundamental principle of democracy. People in India are living in fear of violence and atrocity committed by the vigilante groups such as Cow Rakshak, Bajrang Dal, Romeo Squad and so on. People’s choice to what they eat, wear, associate with and who should be their life partner in under attack. These vigilantes have blessings of the BJP Government and feel they are above the Law. They commit crime, brutally beat and even murder anyone who they suspect possess beef, cow killer, have personal relationship with a Muslim. The minority religious communities, Dalits and Tribal communities do not feel safe. Process of attacking minorities and turn India into Hindu Rashtra began as soon as Mr Narinder Modi lead BJP Government took office.
Anyone dare to criticise the Government policies is quickly labelled as anti- nation, not patriotic, their voice in silenced either by murder or put them in jail. Many progressive writers, intellectuals and activists such as, Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, M. M. Kalburgi, Gauri Lankesh. Those responsible for the murder of these writers and activists are still at large. Clearly these acts of atrocity and death threats, physical attacks are to silent anyone who challenges the BJP Government policies. A statement by a BJP member of the Karnataka State Legislature, at death of Gauri Lankesh left no doubt that this is the case, said that if Gauri had not criticized Sangh Privar she would still be alive. Constitution right to Freedom of consciousness, Indian people enjoyed in independent India, is seriously under attack.
Indian Workers’ Association strongly believe that the arrests of ten activists and serial raids across the country on the homes of activists and public intellectuals who are critical of the Government and the ruling Party at Centre, this linked to silencing any opposition to the Modi lead BJP Government. The arrests of prominent activists and intellectuals Sudha Bharadwaj, Vernon Gonsalves, Gautam Navlakha, Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira and others, are nothing but an attempt by the government to strike terror among those who are fighting for justice for the marginalised. This is also an attempt by the BJP to invent a false enemy and engage in scaremongering in order to polarise the 2019 elections in its favour. Already, the government and the media houses close to the BJP have been trying to spin a false narrative of a Maoist conspiracy since June 2018. Terms like “urban naxals” are invented in order to stifle any criticism of the government. The so-called raids carried out on the houses of these activists are aimed at creating a spectacle, as the writings and views of these intellectuals are already publicly known and are well documented. People like Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha and others who have been arrested are friends of the people who have dedicated their entire lives to the betterment of the Indian public. By arresting them, the BJP is only exposing its insecurities and its intolerance to any dissent or criticism of its policies. Police have produced no evidence against any person arrested (in Jail) or under house arrest.
Indian Workers Association strongly condemn the police wavering untested and invalidated copies of the evidence still at the forensic laboratory in a press conference violating the Penal Code of justice. This clearly will prejudice public opinion. We demand that these police officers should be immediately suspended.
Indian Workers’ Association see the arrests continuation with the recent attacks on pro-justice voices such as Swami Agnivesh, Umar Khalid, and many other student activists from Delhi to Lucknow. Both the arrests and the physical attacks on justice loving people are nothing but a series of attempts to stifle dissent and deny social justice. Moreover, we believe that it is an attack on India’s constitution and on Civil Liberty. We, therefore demand immediate release of the arrested individuals, dropping of all false and malicious charges, as these arrests are politically motivated and unjustified.
Signed by:
Sheera Johal (Gen Secretary) Balbir Singh Johal (President)
Indian Workers Association Great Britain
346 Soho Road, Birmingham, UK B21 9QL
Bhagwant Singh (Secretary Birmingham Sandwell Branch, IWAGB)
Tel : 0121 551 4679 Email : bhagwant.singh58@yahoo.co.uk
