NEW DELHI: Amid rising tensions due to the spike in numbers of mob lynching incidents across the country, social activist and student leaders came together on one forum to launch a campaign to make a specific law on Monday.
Social activist like Jignesh Mevani emerging out of Una Dalit caste related violence along with former JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar and Shehla Rashid discussed “cultural terrorism in the form of mob- lynching encouraged by people in power”.
Writer and blogger Tehseen Poonawalla demanded that the central government should make a specific law for instigators behind any mob lynch incident. Kumar who has been charged with sedition said that JNU has been made a “punching bag” by the right extremist forces. “If the government is sincere in fighting this utter breakdown of rule of law then it must agree to our demand of enacting a special legislation to curb mob lynching.
Extremist forces have made JNU a punching bag any kind of extremism be it RSS or ISI is bad for society and should not be tolerated” said Kumar. Family members of Pehlu Khan who was lynched to death in Alwar after allged Gau Rakshak Sena thought they were transporting cow for slaughter, sister of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed Sadaf Musshraf were also present at the event. “If the government doesn’t pass a specific law till 11th July which is the anniversary of Una incident we will start a national campaign on the streets of the country, starting from Gujarat” said Mewani.
The group has formed a committee which will draft a law to assist the central government, senior Supreme Court lawyer Sanjay Hegde, Bollywood actor and performer Swara Bhaskar , Najeeb’s sister among others will be part of the committee. “We are in talk with various Chief Ministers of states who are waiting for a go head form the central government in this matter.
If the Prime Minister feels so sorry about the killings of Dalit then he should do something about it and not just make speeches. If by 11 of July there is no from the government then cattle farmers from across the country will leave their cattle at the door of PM house” said Poonawala.